This is the kind of supper my mother would have called a “Depression dish” — plain, filling, and made from whatever you had on hand. On days when my mind is tired and I don’t know what to make, I reach for this slow cooker chicken and carrots. You just drop sliced carrots around raw chicken pieces, add three pantry ingredients, put on the lid, and let it quietly turn into a wholesome, comforting dinner. It tastes like the kind of meal that got farm families through long winters: simple, honest, and not fussy at all.
I like to spoon the tender chicken and carrots, along with their brothy juices, over a mound of mashed potatoes or buttered egg noodles so nothing goes to waste. A slice of soft white bread or a biscuit is perfect for soaking up the broth if you’re keeping it very old-fashioned. If you want to round things out a bit more, add a simple side of peas or green beans and maybe a small lettuce salad with a tangy dressing to cut through the richness. Leftovers reheat nicely and can be tucked into a bowl with rice for an easy next-day lunch.
Slow Cooker Depression-Era Chicken and Carrots
Servings: 4
Ingredients
2 pounds bone-in chicken pieces (legs, thighs, or a mix)
4 large carrots, peeled and sliced into 1/2-inch rounds
1 can (10.5 ounces) condensed cream of chicken soup
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth or water
1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Directions
Place your slow cooker crock on a sturdy counter. Pat the raw chicken pieces dry with a paper towel, then lay them in a single layer in the bottom of the slow cooker, skin side up if using skin-on pieces.
Peel the carrots and slice them into 1/2-inch rounds. With clean hands, drop the sliced carrots all around and in between the raw chicken pieces in the slow cooker, letting them fall down into the spaces so they surround the meat.
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