Easy Crockpot Chicken Lo Mein — Mom Brought the Slow Cooker and Everything Changed

Mom is here. She arrived Monday afternoon with a car so packed that I genuinely don't know how she could see out the back window. The slow cooker (THE slow cooker). Three bags of groceries. A box of baby clothes that she's been collecting since the anatomy scan. A stack of magazines about newborn care. And — because she's Donna — a laminated checklist of 'things to do before the baby comes' that she taped to the refrigerator within ten minutes of arrival. The checklist includes: - Deep clean apartment (she did this Tuesday; my 'clean' is not her clean; her clean involves a toothbrush on the grout) - Stock pantry with easy meals - Prep and freeze additional meals - Wash all baby linens (again, apparently; my first wash was insufficient) - Set up feeding station in nursery (pillow, water bottle, burp cloths within arm's reach) - 'Rest, Rachel' (underlined twice) Having Mom in the apartment is like having a general take command of a base. She assesses, she delegates, she executes. Within twenty-four hours, the apartment was cleaner than it's ever been, the freezer held enough food for a month, and the nursery was stocked with supplies I didn't know I needed. But the best part — the part I didn't know I needed until it happened — was cooking together. Mom and I stood in my tiny kitchen, side by side, making her chicken and dumplings. The kitchen that has four square feet of counter space suddenly felt like the biggest room in the world because she was in it. 'The dumplings look good,' she said, watching me drop spoonfuls into the broth. 'I've been practicing.' 'I can tell.' She didn't say 'they're perfect.' She didn't say 'you're a cook now.' She just watched and nodded and the nod was everything. Ryan arrives Thursday. THREE DAYS. Mom and I are preparing the apartment — not just clean and stocked, but WELCOMING. She's making his favorite meals. I'm putting fresh sheets on the bed. We're setting the table for three — Mom, me, Ryan — and it'll be the first meal at this table that isn't just me. Caleb is low. Very low. The midwife says 'any time now.' I am thirty-eight weeks and enormous and waddle everywhere and Mom follows me around the apartment saying 'slow down, Rachel' and I can't slow down because Ryan is coming and the baby is coming and everything is coming. Three days. The dumplings are good. Mom is here. The table is set for three. Almost. We're almost there.

That slow cooker Mom carried in — the one that barely fit past the doorframe — has been running almost nonstop since Tuesday, and it’s the reason the freezer is full and I feel halfway ready for whatever comes next. We made her chicken and dumplings for the moment, just the two of us, elbow to elbow in four square feet of kitchen, but this Easy Crockpot Chicken Lo Mein is the recipe we kept coming back to for the batch cooking — the one we made twice because it disappeared so fast the first time. It’s the kind of meal that tastes like someone is taking care of you, which right now, at thirty-eight weeks and waddling, is exactly what I need.

Easy Crockpot Chicken Lo Mein

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 5 hrs | Total Time: 5 hrs 15 min | Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1/3 cup low-sodium soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 2 cups shredded cabbage
• 1 cup matchstick carrots
• 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 8 oz lo mein noodles (or spaghetti)
• 3 green onions, sliced (for garnish)
• 1 teaspoon sesame seeds (optional, for garnish)

Instructions

1. Make the sauce. In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, hoisin sauce, sesame oil, oyster sauce, garlic, ginger, chicken broth, and cornstarch until smooth and fully combined.
2. Load the slow cooker. Place chicken breasts in the bottom of the slow cooker in a single layer. Pour the sauce evenly over the top. Cover and cook on Low for 4 to 5 hours, or on High for 2 to 3 hours, until the chicken is cooked through and tender.
3. Shred the chicken. Remove the chicken breasts and shred them using two forks on a cutting board. Return the shredded chicken to the slow cooker and stir to coat in the sauce.
4. Add the vegetables. Stir in the shredded cabbage, carrots, and sliced red bell pepper. Replace the lid and cook on High for an additional 20 to 30 minutes, until vegetables are just tender but still have a slight bite.
5. Cook the noodles. While the vegetables cook, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook lo mein noodles (or spaghetti) according to package directions. Drain well.
6. Combine and serve. Add the drained noodles to the slow cooker and toss everything together until the noodles are well coated in sauce. Serve hot, garnished with sliced green onions and sesame seeds if desired.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 370 | Protein: 31g | Fat: 7g | Carbs: 44g | Fiber: 3g | Sodium: 870mg