Super Easy Slowcooker Tuscan Chicken

I always thought that slow cookers were cheating. I am not sure where this started in my head, but I felt like using a slow cooker was a cop-out. And unhealthy - which probably stems from all the delicious, but heavy fat/carb recipes you see scrolling through Pinterest or Facebook. But with the Fall warm and fuzzies hitting me hard this year (#Quarantine), I decided to put my bias aside and try some recipes out. I started with this great Chicken Cacciatore recipe. It was SUPER easy and made basically with things I already had.

Bolstered by my first success, I made Tuscan Chicken from this recipe. It is a great recipe but too fussy for me. If I have to brown anything on the stove before putting it in the slow cooker, it’s more work than I want out of a slow cooker meal. So this is a “short-cut” method that yields equally delicious results. This recipe is super easy with very little prep work required. I recommend serving it up with a bright green salad and wild rice or slice of whole wheat country bread.

A note on ingredients:

• There are a lot of sun-dried tomatoes in the world, but they are not all created equal. For maximum flavor, I HIGHLY recommend using a jarred variety that has been packed with olive oil and herbs. I use Trader Joe’s brand.

• I use chicken bouillon paste here. If you don’t have this, you should get this. It acts like a demi-glase to add to sauces. You can sub chicken broth in this recipe, but I truly don’t think you will get the same depth of flavor.

• We have started eating a lot of chicken thighs lately because they are one of the cheapest cuts, making free-range organic ones more affordable. One thing to do with chicken thighs in most recipes (but not all), is to trim off the large bit of skin and fat that can be wrapped around and tucked under the thigh. I rarely remove all the skin and fat, although you definitely can in a crockpot application, especially if you are not browning the chicken first like we do here. I just choose to remove the skin before serving to retain some of the flavor.

Slowcooker Tuscan Chicken

Ingredients

• 4-8 bone-in chicken thighs

• 6 cloves or garlic, minced (or 3 tbs of the organic, jarred kind)

• 1/2 cup heavy cream

• 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes

• 2/3 cup water

• 1 tablespoon chicken bouillon paste (or sub the water for chicken broth)

• 1 tablespoon dried Italian seasoning

• 1 sprig of fresh rosemary

• Salt & Pepper

• 2-3 cups fresh spinach

• 4 Roma tomatoes, sliced (or cherry tomatoes halved)

• 1-2 tablespoons cornstarch, mixed with a splash of water

To make

1. Lay chicken thighs in the bottom of the crockpot in a single layer and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

2. In a medium sized bowl, mix sun-dried tomatoes, water and chicken bouillon OR chicken broth, garlic, Italian seasoning and heavy cream. Pour over chicken.

3. Nestle the sprig of rosemary in center. Place tomatoes around chicken, submerged in the sauce.

4. Cook on high for 3-4 hours (depending on how many thighs you used) or low or 6-8 hours. Right before serving, remove thighs and rosemary. Add cornstarch slurry to sauce and stir. Add spinach and replace lid to allow spinach to wilt for a minute. Stir again until spinach is fully incorporated. Return thighs to the sauce.

5. Serve!