My aunt swears by this simple potluck trick to save time. Toss 3 simple ingredients in the pot for the most tender, pillowy dinner that disappears incredibly fast.

This slow cooker 3-ingredient chicken and biscuits is the kind of potluck trick my aunt has leaned on for decades. On church supper nights or after a long day in the fields, she’d toss everything into the crock in the morning and come home to the most tender, pillowy dinner that seemed to disappear as fast as she could set the lid aside. It’s pure Midwestern comfort: just chicken, a can of creamy soup, and biscuit dough, doing their work low and slow until the meat falls apart into a golden gravy and the biscuits puff up like little clouds on top.

Serve this right out of the slow cooker with a big spoon, making sure everyone gets plenty of chicken, gravy, and biscuit pieces. It’s lovely with a simple green salad, steamed peas, or buttered corn on the side to cut through the richness. A dish of applesauce or a pan of roasted carrots fits that old-fashioned farmhouse table feel. If you’re feeding a crowd, set the slow cooker on warm, put out bowls, and let folks help themselves—it holds beautifully for second helpings.

Servings: 6

2 to 2 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs

Lightly grease the inside of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker with a little butter or cooking spray to help prevent sticking and make cleanup easier.

Lay the boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs in an even layer on the bottom of the slow cooker. It’s fine if they overlap a bit, but try not to stack them too high in one spot so they cook evenly.

Pour the condensed cream of chicken soup directly over the chicken. Use a spatula or spoon to spread the soup so it completely covers the chicken in a thick, even layer. Do not add water or milk—the condensed soup will turn into a rich gravy as the chicken cooks and releases its juices.

Cover the slow cooker with the lid and cook on LOW for 4 to 5 hours, or on HIGH for about 2 1/2 to 3 hours, until the chicken is very tender and easily pulls apart with a fork. The edges of the soup mixture may look a little browned—that just means the flavor is concentrating.

Once the chicken is cooked through and tender, remove the lid and use two forks to shred the chicken directly in the slow cooker. Stir the shredded chicken into the thick golden gravy until everything is well combined and looks creamy and uniform.

Open the can of refrigerated biscuit dough and separate the biscuits. Using a sharp knife or kitchen scissors, cut each biscuit into 4 small pieces. This helps them cook through and gives you lots of little pillowy dumpling-style bites.

Arrange the biscuit pieces in a single, fairly even layer over the top of the hot chicken and gravy mixture. Gently press them just barely into the surface so they make good contact with the steam and sauce, but keep most of each piece sitting on top so the edges can puff and brown.

Cover the slow cooker again. Cook on HIGH for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until the biscuit pieces are puffed, cooked through in the center, and lightly browned on the edges. Avoid lifting the lid for at least the first 45 minutes of this time so the biscuits can rise properly; too much peeking lets out the steam they need to bake.

To check for doneness, carefully lift one biscuit piece and cut it in half—there should be no raw dough in the middle. The tops should look fluffy and the edges a bit golden, with steam rising from the gravy below.

Once the biscuits are cooked through, switch the slow cooker to WARM. Let the dish sit for 5 to 10 minutes to settle and thicken slightly, then spoon the tender shredded chicken and thick golden gravy into bowls, making sure to top each serving with several of the fluffy biscuit pieces.

You can easily adjust this simple recipe to suit your table while keeping the spirit of my aunt’s three-ingredient trick. For a richer flavor, use boneless, skinless chicken thighs instead of breasts—they stay especially moist after long cooking. If you like a little extra savoriness, sprinkle the chicken lightly with salt, black pepper, garlic powder, or dried parsley before adding the soup; these are optional seasonings and don’t change the core three-ingredient idea. You can also swap one can of cream of chicken soup for cream of mushroom or cream of celery for a different old-fashioned flavor. If your slow cooker runs hot and the biscuits are browning too quickly before the centers are done, you can loosely lay a piece of parchment paper under the lid to help trap steam and encourage even cooking. For a slightly lighter version, use reduced-fat condensed soup and cut smaller pieces of biscuit so each serving has just a few. Food safety tips: Always start with fully thawed chicken; cooking frozen chicken in a slow cooker can keep the meat in the temperature danger zone (40°F to 140°F) too long. Make sure the chicken reaches at least 165°F in the thickest part before shredding. Keep the lid on as much as possible while cooking to maintain a safe, steady heat. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in shallow containers, and reheat until steaming hot (165°F) before serving again. Because of the biscuits, this dish is best eaten within 2 days for the best texture.