Crockpot Beer Cheese Chicken

Y’all. It’s suffocating outside.

The humidity levels are hovering in the 70’s. Add that with a temperature of 85 degrees, and it feels more like 95 degrees…and it’s only 10 a.m. The unbearable heat will continue throughout the day until we get a quick break tonight when a cold front moves in.

I feel so sorry for people who have to work outside in this. You can’t hardly breathe when you walk outside the humidity is so thick and sticky. Pray for us, you guys.

When it’s this hot outside, the last thing you want to do is turn on your oven or stove. That’s why I broke out my crockpot this weekend and made a dinner that I could set and forget. The crockpot doesn’t really put off too much heat, and the best part is not having to stand over a hot burner to cook dinner.

I had envisioned a sandwich filling that was thick, cheesy, and filled with beer. I love beer cheese and pretzels, so I wanted to make that a meal. Cheese and carbs don’t really fulfill that dinner quota, so why not add shredded chicken? Bingo.

The key to making this sandwich filling the best is to not overcook the chicken. I’ve found that when you use the crockpot, you only need to cook chicken on low heat for 3 1/2 to 4 hours. This is not one of those recipes you want to set before you go to work and have ready when you get home—the chicken will end up tough and overcooked.

Season your chicken liberally but make sure the beer cheese is the true flavor in the end. I went for a garlic, paprika, salt and pepper seasoning to keep it simple.

When it comes to the buns, you have to use pretzel buns! They’re meant to be married with beer cheese. My grocery store had the pretzel buns on the bakery side, but I bet you could also find them with the regular pre-packaged bread as well.

Enjoy!

Step-By-Step Instructions

Place chicken in a large slowcooker and season with garlic powder, paprika, salt and pepper. In a large bowl, stir together soups, cheese, beer and mustard.

Pour mixture over chicken and put lid on slow cooker.

Cook on low for 3 1/2 to 4 hours or until chicken is cooked through. Remove chicken from slow cooker and shred (with two forks or paddle attachment on stand mixer).

Return shredded chicken to slow cooker and stir with cheese sauce until well combined.

Spoon chicken mixture into pretzel buns and serve.