I like to use my slow cooker on the weekends, especially when we have so much other stuff going on.  It's nice to know that with just a little bit of prep early in the day, that dinner is already taken care of. And I am always on the lookout for something different to make in the slow cooker. This recipe from allrecipes.com sounded like it could be a winner so I gave it a try in the Delaney Test Kitchen. 


This recipe could not have been easier to make, and I loved the Mediterranean feel to it.  I did substitute chicken breasts for the thighs just based on what my family likes, and I doubled the red pepper flakes to give it a little more pop.  And as suggested, I served it with a fresh loaf of bread to soak up all the sauce.

Slow Cooker Tuscan Chicken
Note: Prep time is 15 Minutes, Cook time is 4 Hours.
 
Ingredients:

• cooking spray
• 2.2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 2 teaspoons dried Italian herb seasoning
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes
• ½ cup pitted and halved Castelvetrano olives
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 1 cup sliced onion
• 8 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 ½ cups heavy cream
• 2 cups torn fresh spinach
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch (Optional)
• 2 tablespoons water (Optional)

Directions:

1. Spray the interior of the slow cooker with cooking spray.​
2. Place chicken thighs in the bottom of the slow cooker and sprinkle with Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper.
3. Evenly layer sun-dried tomatoes and sliced olives over the seasoned chicken.
4. Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add onion to the hot oil and cook until onions begin to get tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
5. Using a slotted spoon, transfer onions to the slow cooker and spread evenly over the sun-dried tomatoes.
6. Return the skillet to medium heat and add cream, stirring until all the olive oil is incorporated and the sauce begins to bubble. Pour cream sauce evenly over the onions.
7. Cover slow cooker and cook on High for 3 to 4 hours or Low for 6 to 7 hours if you prefer a longer cook time.
8. Remove cooked chicken and vegetables to a serving platter. Add torn spinach to the sauce and cook until wilted, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove spinach from sauce with a slotted spoon and place on top of the chicken and vegetables.
9. The sauce will be a bit thin. If you like a thicker sauce, pour into a small saucepan over medium heat. Combine 2 tablespoons cornstarch and 2 tablespoons water in a small bowl. Stir until all the lumps are gone, to create a slurry. Add slurry to the sauce and cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until bubbly and thickened, 5 to 7 minutes.
10. Spoon sauce and spinach over the dish and serve warm.

​My kids love eating out, and sesame chicken is always a favorite. But it gets expensive, and this is an easy alternative that makes enough for everyone. Even if you have a teenager in the house.  I gave this recipe from Allrecipes a try in the Delaney Test Kitchen a while ago, and it was an instant favorite. I make it with 2 pounds of chicken just to make sure there’s some left for me. I serve it with sticky rice and roasted broccoli. It’s yummy every time. Enjoy!

 
 Sesame Chicken in the Slow Cooker

INGREDIENTS:
·       1 ½ pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast
·       ½ cup honey
·       ¼ cup soy sauce
·       2 tablespoons ketchup
·       2 tablespoons dried minced onion
·       1 tablespoon vegetable oil
·       ½ teaspoon garlic powder
·       2 teaspoons cornstarch
·       3 tablespoons water
·       sesame seeds
 
PREPARATION:
·       Step 1
Spray the inside of the slow cooker with cooking spray. 
Spread chicken into the crock of a slow cooker.
·       Step 2
Stir honey, soy sauce, ketchup, minced onion, vegetable oil, and garlic powder together in a bowl; pour over the chicken.
·       Step 3
Cook on Low until the chicken is tender, about 3 to 4 hours.
·       Step 4
Remove chicken from the sauce in the slow cooker to a cutting board.
Stir water and cornstarch together to dissolve cornstarch completely; then pour into the sauce in the slow cooker until smooth.
·       Step 5
Cook on High until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes.
·       Step 6
Cut chicken into bite-size pieces and stir into the sauce. Sprinkle sesame seeds over the chicken and sauce mixture.

Cooking Note:
You can also cook the chicken in sauce on High for 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours, if you want it finished sooner.

This is an easy crowd pleaser for my crew. You just need to decide to make it at least 4 hours before you plan to eat.
 
Ingredients:
Pork Loin, at least 2lbs
One onion
One bottle of your favorite BBQ Sauce. (We use Sweet baby Ray’s  or Williamson Brothers for this recipe)
¼ cup of water
2 cloves of garlic
One package of Hamburger Buns or Rolls
Salt and pepper to taste
 
Step 1: get out the slow cooker and lightly spray this inside with olive oil or Pam
Step 2: Slice a large onion in to chunky slices and place on the bottom of the cooker along with the garlic.
Step 3: Add the pork on top of the onions. Salt and pepper the port to taste.
Step 4: Use at least 3/4 of the bottle of BBQ sauce to cover the pork.  (Leave a little bit to use for dipping when you serve it.)
Step 5: Add the ¼ cup of water, cover and turn on the cooker.
Step 6: Cook for 4 hours.
Step 7: Use two forks to break up the meat and coat it evenly in the BBQ sauce.
 
I serve this with hamburger rolls, mashed potatoes, mac and cheese and cole slaw.  You can make all of that from scratch, but if you’re like me there’s no time for that between getting home from soccer, homework and bedtime for the kids.  So I use the fresh mashed potatoes and mac and cheese from the supermarket, as well as cole slaw from the deli.  Sometimes I’ll make the cole slaw from scratch.
 
Also, my youngest really likes this meal, but not all of the sauce. So I remove his pork from the cooker prior to mixing it all and serving it to the family.

This is the "picky kid plate", with minimal sauce interaction, and not on the bread.

​This is the "grown up" version of the plate.