Slow Cooker: The Best Cookbook Ever (19 page)

Sweet balsamic vinegar flavors this fruit-and-chicken dish, which I think embodies all the attributes I love in dishes. A balance of sweet and tart, mild and tangy, each bite has a different texture and flavor. The sweet figs infuse the chicken with a honey-like flavor, and the vinegar cuts the sweetness without overpowering it. This is delicious served over a bed of wild rice pilaf, especially once the sauce and rice have mingled.

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

8 chicken breast halves, skin and bones removed

1½ teaspoons salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

½ cup balsamic vinegar

½ cup Ruby Port

½ cup chicken broth

1 teaspoon dried thyme

16 dried figs, cut in half

heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the chicken evenly with the salt and pepper.

add the chicken to the skillet and brown on all sides.

transfer the chicken to the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker. Deglaze the pan with the vinegar and port, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the broth and transfer the contents of the skillet to the slow cooker.

add the thyme and figs and stir to combine. Cover and cook on high for 2 hours, until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce is syrupy.

serve the chicken from the cooker set on warm.

serves 6–8

The slow-cooker treatment of this French bistro classic will get a four- star rating from your family and friends. The creamy sauce, fragrant with tarragon and Dijon mustard, envelops the chicken and makes it perfect to pair with rice, pasta, or potatoes.

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

8 chicken breast halves, skin and bones removed

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 clove garlic, minced

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 pound white button mushrooms, halved or quartered if large

1 teaspoon dried tarragon

¼ cup dry white wine or vermouth

1½ cups chicken broth

¼ cup Dijon mustard

½ cup heavy cream

2 teaspoons cornstarch

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh tarragon, plus additional for garnish (see savvy)

heat the oil in a large skillet over high heat. Sprinkle the chicken evenly with 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Add the chicken to the skillet and brown on all sides. Transfer the chicken to the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker.

add the garlic, onion, mushrooms, and dried tarragon to the skillet and sauté until the onion is softened and the mushroom liquid has evaporated, 7 to 10 minutes. Deglaze the skillet with the wine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom.

transfer the contents of the skillet to the slow-cooker insert. Add the broth and mustard to the cooker and stir to combine. Cover the slow cooker and cook on high for 2½ hours or on low for 4 to 5 hours.

add cream, cornstarch, and two tablespoons fresh tarragon to the slow cooker and stir to combine. Cover and cook for an additional 15 minutes on high or 30 minutes on low, until the sauce is thickened. Season with salt and pepper.

serve the chicken garnished with the additional fresh tarragon.

serves 6

fresh herb savvy

My 30-minute rule applies here: cooking the chicken in dried tarragon for over 30 minutes, then refreshing the flavor of the sauce with fresh tarragon right before the dish is finished cooking. This gives you a sauce with a deep tarragon flavor enhanced by the addition of the fresh herb.

Similar to pulled chicken but flavored with a buttery hot sauce, these chicken breasts can be stacked in the slow cooker and cooked until they are fall-apart tender. Serve the pulled meat and sauce on soft rolls with butter lettuce and blue cheese dressing for an authentic buffalo-wings taste!

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted

½ cup vegetable oil

1 cup Frank’s Red Hot Hot Cayenne

Pepper Sauce

10 chicken breast halves, skin and bones removed

add the butter, oil, and hot sauce to the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker and stir to combine. Add the chicken to the sauce and turn to coat, stacking the chicken in even layers.

cover and cook on low for 4 to 5 hours, turning the chicken in the sauce a few times during the cooking time. Remove the chicken from the sauce and pull the meat apart using two forks. Return the chicken to the sauce and stir to coat.

serve from the cooker set on warm.

serves 8

When my husband and I visited Normandy, we fell in love with the countryside and the people. Our biggest surprise was that there were no vineyards—just apple orchards producing cider in many varieties. This dish is similar to one we had for dinner in Normandy. Cooked in cider with apples and finished with a bit of cream, it is delicious served over buttered noodles.

4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter

5 large cooking apples, peeled and cored, cut into 8 wedges each

2 medium onions, cut into half rounds

2 teaspoons dried thyme

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

¼ cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1½ cups apple cider

2 chicken bouillon cubes

8 strips thick-cut Applewood smoked bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces

8 chicken breast halves, skin and bones removed

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

½ cup heavy cream

½ cup finely chopped fresh Italian parsley

melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the apples, onions, and thyme and sauté until the onions begin to soften, 5 to 7 minutes.

add the mustard, sugar, and cider and stir to combine, melting the sugar. Transfer to the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker. Add the bouillon cubes to the cooker, crushing them to dissolve. Set the cooker on warm while you sauté the chicken.

wipe out the skillet, cook the bacon until crisp, and remove it to paper towels to drain. Sprinkle the chicken with the pepper. Add the chicken to the bacon drippings in the skillet and brown on all sides.

transfer the chicken to the slow-cooker insert. Cover and cook on low for 3 to 4 hours, until the chicken is cooked though and the apples are tender. Add the cream and parsley and stir to combine.

serve from the cooker set on warm.

serves 8

Chicken Divan is a classic chicken-and-broccoli dish from the 1950s that is terrific in the slow cooker, with a few minor adjustments. Broccoli in the slow cooker tends to disintegrate and turn gray, so my advice is to serve the broccoli on the side. Cook the chicken in the slow cooker—it will be tender and juicy cooking under its curry- and-Cheddar-cheese sauce. For this slow-cooker meal you just need to prepare the sauce and then load in the chicken—no browning required.

4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter

1½ teaspoons curry powder

¼ cup all-purpose flour

2 cups chicken broth

1 cup evaporated milk

8 chicken breast halves, skin and bones removed

1½ cups finely shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

melt the butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the curry powder and sauté for 30 seconds.

add the flour and cook for 3 minutes, whisking constantly. Add the broth and bring to the mixture to a boil. Add the milk and remove the sauce from the heat and allow to cool.

place the chicken in the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker, stacking evenly. Pour the cooled sauce over the chicken. Cover and cook on high for 3 hours.

sprinkle the cheese over the chicken, cover, and cook for an additional 1 hour, until the chicken is cooked through.

serve the chicken from the cooker set on warm.

serves 6

Although we can’t put a flaky crust on this pot pie, there are several other options for crusts that work well in the slow cooker. Mashed potatoes (see savvy) and noodle dumplings are certainly appropriate, or you can bake biscuits and serve them split, covered with pot-pie filling. This dish is a winner any night of the week, and it’s a great way to recycle leftover chicken.

3 cups chicken broth

1 teaspoon dried thyme

4 medium Yukon gold potatoes, cut into ½-inch cubes

2 cups baby carrots

4 cups cooked chicken, cut into bite-size pieces or shredded

1½ cups frozen petite peas, defrosted

1 cup frozen white corn, defrosted

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

pour the broth in the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker. Add the thyme, potatoes, and carrots, and stir to combine. Cover and cook on high for 3 to 4 hours, until the potatoes are tender.

add the chicken, peas and corn and stir to combine. In a small bowl, stir the butter and flour and make a paste. Add the paste to the slow cooker and stir to combine. Cover and cook for an additional 45 minutes to 1 hour, until the sauce is thickened.

serve from the cooker set on warm.

serves 6–8

pot pie savvy

To cover your pot pie with
mashed potatoes
, spread them over the pot pie filling 3 to 4 hours into the cooking time.

These light delicious chicken meatballs make a great filling for submarine sandwiches, are a terrific snack at a grazing party, or are nice for dinner, served with pasta.

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

Pinch red pepper flakes (optional)

1 teaspoon dried basil

Two 28- to 32-ounce cans crushed tomatoes, with their juice

1½ teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

½ cups finely chopped fresh

Italian parsley

¼ cup milk

1 cup fresh bread crumbs

½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh Italian parsley

½ cup finely chopped onion

1 clove garlic, minced

1½ teaspoons salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 pounds ground chicken or turkey

1 large egg, beaten

heat the oil in a small sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, red pepper flakes (if using), and basil and sauté until the onion is softened and begins to turn translucent, about 5 minutes.

transfer the mixture to the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker. Add the tomatoes, salt, pepper, and parsley to the cooker and stir to combine.

cover and cook on low for 2 to 4 hours while making the meatballs.

put the milk and the bread crumbs in a large mixing bowl and stir to combine. Add the remaining ingredients and stir until well combined.

form the mixture into 2-inch balls and transfer them to the slow-cooker insert. Spoon some of the sauce over the meatballs.

cover and cook on high for 3 hours, until the meatballs are cooked through and register 175°F on an instant-read thermometer. Skim off any fat from the top of the sauce.

serve the meatballs from the cooker set on warm.

serves 6–8

This spicy, smoky, and sweet chicken gets a kick from jerk seasoning and a sweetness from a glaze made from fruit nectar. This is a nice dish to serve with rice and black beans, or bring it along for a picnic.

2 teaspoons jerk seasoning

1½ cups mango nectar

½ cup firmly packed light brown sugar

2 tablespoons dark corn syrup

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

8 chicken breast halves, skin and bones removed

add the jerk seasoning, nectar, sugar, corn syrup, and rice vinegar to the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker and stir to combine.

add the chicken breasts and turn to coat in the sauce. Cover and cook on high for 2½ to 3 hours, until the chicken is cooked through.

serve the chicken hot, warm, or at room temperature.

serves 8