Season the chicken. Pat the chicken dry. Sprinkle with Italian dressing mix (or Italian seasoning), garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Rub it in so it sticks.

Layer the slow cooker. Place the seasoned chicken in the slow cooker. If using mushrooms or sun-dried tomatoes, add them now.

Whisk the sauce base. In a bowl, whisk the cream of chicken soup with chicken broth until mostly smooth. Pour it over the chicken.

Add the cream cheese. Scatter the cream cheese cubes over the top. Don’t worry if they sit on top; they’ll melt down as it cooks.

Cook low and slow. Cover and cook on Low for 4–5 hours or High for 2–3 hours, until the chicken is very tender and easy to shred. Avoid lifting the lid often.

Shred and finish. Remove the chicken to a plate and shred with two forks. Whisk the sauce in the slow cooker to smooth out the cream cheese. Stir in the Parmesan and any quick-cooking add-ins like spinach, then return the chicken and stir until coated. Taste and adjust salt and pepper.

Serve. Spoon over hot pasta, rice, or potatoes. Garnish with parsley or basil and extra Parmesan. Add red pepper flakes if you like heat.