8ouncescream cheese,softened at room temperature and cubed
Kosher salt and ground black pepper,to taste
Optional garnish: crispy chopped cooked bacon; sliced green onions; chopped fresh parsley, chives, or thyme
Instructions
Combine the chicken, onion, carrots, celery, broth, Ranch seasoning mix, garlic powder, thyme, parsley, rosemary, and bay leaf in a slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours or on HIGH for 3-4 hours, until the chicken is cooked through, and the vegetables are tender.
Remove the chicken and shred with two forks or chop. Return the chicken to the slow cooker and give everything a good stir. Add the corn, cream style corn, and cream cheese. Stir again. Cover and cook for 5-10 more minutes, or until the cream cheese melts and incorporates into the broth and everything is warmed through. Discard the bay leaf. Taste and season with salt and pepper, if desired.
Ladle into bowls and garnish with optional toppings.
Notes
All slow cookers run on slightly different temperatures, so the total time required will vary. My Crock Pot tends to cook dishes pretty quickly, so my soup is always done after 3 hours on HIGH. Just keep an eye on your chicken the first time that you prepare the dish, and get to know your individual slow cooker.
Allow the cream cheese to come to room temperature and dice into cubes before stirring it into the pot. This will help the cheese melt smoothly into the broth, giving the dish a delicious creamy texture.
We prefer chicken thighs over white meat chicken breasts, since the dark meat thighs stay juicier, more tender, and more flavorful over the long cooking time.
This recipe calls for a combination of canned corn kernels for texture, along with a can of cream-style corn. The canned cream-style corn helps to thicken the soup and also adds a good amount of flavor and sweetness. It’s a quick and easy alternative to the messier, more time-consuming extra step of squeezing the starchy milk from fresh corn cobs or pureeing fresh corn kernels to achieve that same thick, creamy, sweet texture.