My husband says this is the best meal I have ever made. Just 4 ingredients for a cheesy and creamy dinner

Give everything a final stir to swirl that last bit of melted cheddar into the chicken, taste, and adjust the seasoning with a pinch of salt or freshly ground black pepper only if needed—the ranch mix and cheddar are already fairly salty.

Serve the cheddar ranch chicken hot, straight from the slow cooker, spooned over your choice of starch or piled into buns, making sure to scoop plenty of the thick, cheesy sauce with each portion.

For a slightly lighter version, use reduced-fat cream cheese and part-skim cheddar; the texture will still be creamy, though a bit less rich. If you prefer dark meat, substitute boneless, skinless chicken thighs for an even more tender result. To add a bit of heat, stir in a pinch of red pepper flakes or a few dashes of hot sauce when you shred the chicken. You can also fold in 1 to 2 cups of steamed broccoli florets or thawed frozen peas at the end for a built-in vegetable component; let them warm through in the sauce for 5 to 10 minutes before serving. For a bacon-ranch twist, cook and crumble a few slices of bacon and sprinkle them over the top just before serving to preserve their crispness. Leftovers reheat well on the stovetop over low heat with a splash of milk or chicken broth to loosen the sauce, and they make an excellent next-day filling for quesadillas or stuffed baked potatoes.