Dice your onion, carrots, and celery into roughly ½-inch pieces. You don't need perfect uniformity here—the slow cooker's gentle heat will soften everything evenly. This is where buying whole vegetables saves you money. Pre-cut mirepoix costs almost triple what you'll spend on whole vegetables and a sharp knife. Spend five minutes here and save $2. Keep your chicken breasts whole; you'll shred them later when they're cooked through and tender.

Add the diced onion, carrots, and celery to your slow cooker first. Nestle the whole chicken breasts on top of the vegetables. This layering isn't just organized—it helps the vegetables release their flavors into the broth as it simmers. Sprinkle the dried basil, Italian seasoning, poultry seasoning, and salt directly over the chicken and vegetables. Pour the chicken broth over everything, making sure the liquid covers the chicken at least halfway. Cover your crockpot and cook on high for 4-5 hours or on low for 6-8 hours. High heat is perfectly fine if you're cooking during the day. Low heat is wonderful if you're preparing this in the morning for dinner. Both create equally tender, flavorful results.

After the cooking time is complete, the chicken should shred easily with just two forks. I keep a pair of forks in my kitchen specifically for this task—it's faster and easier than using tongs or a spoon. Shred the chicken directly in the crockpot, breaking it into bite-sized pieces. Don't worry about perfection; irregular pieces add to the texture. Now mix your cornstarch slurry. Put 3 tablespoons of cornstarch in a small bowl and whisk it with 2 tablespoons of cold water until completely smooth with no lumps. Cold water is essential here—if you use warm water, the cornstarch will clump and you'll have specks in your soup. Add this mixture to the crockpot along with both cans of evaporated milk. Stir everything together thoroughly. Add the two packages of gnocchi. These pasta pockets will float initially and then sink as they absorb liquid and soften. Stir gently to distribute them throughout the soup. Cover your crockpot and cook for another 45 minutes to 1 hour until the soup has thickened noticeably and the gnocchi is tender throughout.

While the gnocchi is finishing, prepare your bacon. Cut six slices into small pieces—about ½-inch pieces work perfectly. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and add your bacon pieces. Cook them until they're crispy, which usually takes 5-7 minutes depending on the thickness of your bacon and your stove. Save every drop of that bacon fat. Drain the cooked bacon on paper towels to remove excess grease, but don't rinse it. Once the bacon is drained, remove most of the bacon grease from your skillet, leaving just about 1 tablespoon behind. This small amount of fat carries incredible flavor and helps your spinach cook perfectly. Add your minced garlic to this warm pan and sauté for exactly one minute. You're looking for the garlic to become fragrant and just barely golden—not brown. Add your fresh spinach immediately. The warm pan will wilt it in about two minutes, and the garlic will perfume every leaf. Stir occasionally until the spinach is completely wilted and any excess moisture has cooked off. Add the crispy bacon back to the pan and remove from heat. This combination is pure flavor concentrated in one small pan.

Pour the spinach and bacon mixture directly into your crockpot with the soup. Stir everything together, making sure the spinach and bacon are evenly distributed. At this point, look at your soup's consistency. If it seems thicker than you prefer, add water one tablespoon at a time until you reach the consistency you like. I typically add about ¾ to 1 cup of water here because the soup continues to thicken slightly as it sits. Taste your soup. Now is the moment to adjust the salt. You seasoned at the beginning, but now that all the components are together, your palate will tell you if you need more. Add salt gradually, tasting between additions. Finish with freshly cracked black pepper, which adds brightness and complexity. Keep your crockpot on warm setting until you're ready to serve. This soup actually improves as it sits, with flavors melding more deeply. It's ready to serve immediately, but it's equally wonderful 30 minutes later.