The slower cooker is quickly becoming my best friend. These days, I can’t seem to sing its praises enough. In the summer, it’s all about the grill. But, come the cold days of fall and winter (when I can’t bear to send my husband outside), it’s all about the slow cooker leisurely simmering away the most succulent and flavorful foods. I wish I would have known this sooner!

I mentioned last Friday that homemade chicken stock was the first thing on my slow cooker must-make list. But, it wasn’t just chicken stock that I got out of the deal. The whole chicken that flavored the stock was incredibly moist and made for awesome sandwiches for multiple lunches and also turned into chicken tortilla soup soon after. Also made in the slow cooker.

It really couldn’t be easier. No exact measurements, it’s more of a toss whatever you have that might work into the pot. You don’t even need to peel anything!

The recipe below yields about 6 1/2 cups of stock. I saved 4 cups for the chicken tortilla soup and froze the rest in an ice cube tray. For my particular tray, 6 cubes yields 1 cup. After they froze, I popped them out into a zip-lock freezer bag and labeled it with the date it was made.

Seriously, you’ve got to try it. If I need to convince you further, here are photos of the awesome soup (we’re still enjoying it) that was just an added bonus from my stock making endeavor.

Homemade Chicken Stock

1-3lb whole chicken
4 carrots, chopped into 4 inch sections
4 celery stalks, chopped into 4 inch sections
2 onions, cut in 1/4s
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon whole peppercorns
2 bay leaves
parsley stems, small handful
thyme, small handful
6 cups water

Toss all the ingredients into the slow cooker and cover with the water. Cook on low for 8-10 hours. When finished, remove the chicken (the meat will be falling off the bones!), then strain the stock. Discard the veggies and do with the stock and chicken as you please.