Slow Cooker Italian Chicken Stew

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Whenever the weather change to fall then toward winter I love, love, love making soups.  

There's something about a comforting homey meal when you get home from work after a long day that gets me right there. (Pointing toward heart)  It soothes the soul, if you know what I mean.  

So to make these wonderfully tasting soups and stews during the week I turn to my slow cooker for help.  It gives you that cooked all day flavor without the effort.  So what to make?  I'm feeling like a comforting chicken stew is in order.  I have a French chicken stew that I make but I'm actually in the mood for Italian flavors.  Something with a tomato base.  So a Slow Cooker Italian Chicken Stew was in order.

Wonderfully simple ingredients such as onion, celery, and carrots are the base of the recipes as with many soups and stews.  What makes this special are the addition of Italian ingredients such as tomatoes and Cannellini beans along with Italian spices such as basil, oregano, add the zest this Italian stew deserves.  

What equipment do I need to make this?  I have several slow cookers but my favorite is this one.  It has a sauté feature that I love along with it being a multi-functional cooker.  Another standard slow cooker I have is this one.  It has a good price point but doesn't have timer functions.  Other items you might like are some wonderful spices such as this one, or this one. Staples such as these long lasting measuring spoons and this necessary ladle for soups and stews are great to have as well.

Warm and inviting, this thick and hearty stew will have you rubbing your tummy and going back for more!  The spices blend together beautifully throughout the day and give this a wonderful flavor. This is a stew that you will want on rotation throughout the winter this year.

Enjoy! 





Slow Cooker Italian Chicken Stew

2 boneless, skinless, chicken breasts about 1 - 1 1/2 lbs.
28 oz crushed tomatoes
15 oz tomato sauce
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 yellow onion, diced
2 14.5 oz cans of Cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 cups celery, sliced
1 1/2 cups carrots, sliced
4 Tbls. Italian seasoning

2 tsp garlic, minced

1/4 parsley, chopped

1 tsp. kosher salt 

1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Add all of the ingredients to a 6 quart slow cooker placing the chicken on the bottom with the other ingredients over the chicken.  Stir to combine seasonings. 

Cook on low 6-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours. Remove the chicken to a cutting board and shred or chop chicken.  Place the chicken back in the slow cooker.  Stir to combine.  Serve immediately.

This post contains affiliate links to items you can purchase, in which I get a small amount of compensation for at no cost to you.  I bring you items that I actually use that are of great quality that I can pass along suggestions to you.

Crunchy Honey Lime Chicken

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I'm still on my quest to cook from my gazillion cookbooks in my collection.  The other day I brought you a wonderful side dish of Cajun Roasted Potatoes which were a major hit!

Today, to go with those potatoes, I've served up a main dish of Crunchy Honey Lime Chicken.  I found this recipe in the cookbook by Mary Younkin, The Weeknight Dinner Cookbook.  This sounded like the perfect dinner to serve on a weeknight.  Something quick and light, but slightly different than your usual chicken dish.

This recipe has the option of frying or baking the chicken.  I chose to bake them for a healthier meal.  The recipe also uses chicken tenders for ease of preparation and I chose to use chicken breasts that I cut into strips as I prefer them over tenders.

The dish has the perfect pop of flavors.  Tender juicy baked chicken strips drizzled with honey and lime make the perfect weeknight dinner.  Make sure and don't skip the honey or the lime as they make this dish a winner!

What do I need to make this?  Good baking sheets are a must.  I love these.  You want ones that are sturdy and hold up well to high oven temperatures.  A good cooling rack that fits the baking sheet is a plus.  I use these.  They fit perfectly on a half sheet pan and they elevate the chicken so that air can flow above and below to ensure a crispy crust all around.  No soggy bottoms!  Some items like these breading trays, and tongs  are nice to haves but very handy 

All in all we just loved both the Crunchy Honey Lime Chicken and the Cajun Roasted Potatoes together.  This was the perfect combo we needed for a quick yet tasty weeknight dinner.  Plus, any leftovers taste just as good the next day for lunch!

Enjoy!

Crunchy Honey Lime Chicken

slightly adapted from The Weeknight Dinner Cookbook
serves 4

1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp chili powder
3/4 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 egg
2 tbsp. milk
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 1/2 cups panko breadcrumbs, toasted if desired
cooking spray
2 large limes, cut into wedges
1/4 cup honey

Pre-heat the oven to 425 degrees.  Set a wire cooling rack over a baking sheet and spray with cooking spray and set aside.

Whisk together the flour, chili powder, salt, pepper, and cayenne in a medium-size bowl.  Add the egg and milk and whisk until smooth.  Place the panko in a medium-size bowl.  Cut the chicken breasts into 1 1/2 inch strips.  Add the chicken strips to the flour mixture turning to coat both sides.  Shake off excess.  Place the coated chicken strips in the panko and press into the mixture, turning to coat both sides.  Place the strips on the wire rack on top of the baking sheet.  Repeat until all chicken is coated.

Spray the tops of the chicken with cooking spray.  Place in the oven and cook 10-15 minutes until chicken is golden brown and cooked through.  Remove from the oven and place chicken on a platter.  Drizzle with honey and squeeze lime juice over the chicken.  Serve with the remaining lime wedges.

Cajun Roasted Potatoes

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I have a problem.  A serious "cookbook" problem.  Seriously.

I don't know any other person, other than my mother, that collects so many cookbooks! Honestly it can't control myself.  I have a wonderful bookcase full of different collections of cookbooks, and then I had to go and get a Kindle!  Oh man, I'm in big trouble.  How easy is it to just download a cookbook for reference and not see how many you have accumulated?  I know!  It's a real problem.

So putting one of those cookbooks to good use I got on my Kindle and found one I haven't looked at yet.  I just basically read it cover to cover and bookmarked all the recipes I wanted to try.  

The Weeknight Dinner Cookbook by Mary Younkin, creator of BarefootintheKitchen.com

I was looking for items for my weekly dinner menu that were quick for a weeknight meal and found the perfect side dish, Cajun Roasted Potatoes.

CAJUN ROASTED POTATOES

Potatoes are in season now:  You can find potatoes in the stores, in all sizes, shapes and colors.  I went to Sprouts for my weekly shopping, and found a bag of small yellow potatoes that were so cute, I new they would be perfect for this dish. Any of your favorite potatoes will work well with this dish.

What do I need to make these?:  A good baking sheet is a must.  Here's a commercial grade sheet pan that I always use and swear by. A good set of tongs such as these, is always handy to have as well.  

What are the spices used?  With this recipe we will make our own Cajun spice blend using, onion powder, garlic powder, oregano, paprika, thyme, cayenne, salt, and black pepper.  This is a great recipe to make your own spice blend for use with other items such as chicken, burgers, fish etc.  

They turned out fantastic!  Perfect with my dinner.  These spicy potatoes are a great side dish for roasted meats.  They would also be great for breakfast with some eggs and sausage!  The spicy blend pops in your mouth with a bit of heat and tons of flavor.   Any leftovers can be kept in the refrigerator for a couple of days and quickly reheated in a skillet or microwave.

Enjoy!







Cajun Roasted Potatoes

5 tbsp. olive oil, divided
1 tbsp. smoked or plain paprika
1 tbsp. granulated garlic or garlic powder
2 tsp kosher salt
2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 tsp granulated onion or onion powder
2 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 - 1 tsp cayenne pepper
4 lb small red or yellow potatoes
Unsalted butter, for serving (optional)

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.  Lightly grease a large baking sheet with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil.  Stir together the herbs and spices with the remaining 4 tablespoons oil in a large mixing bowl.  Wash and dry the potatoes.  Slice each potato in half.  Add them to the bowl with the spice mixture and toss well with your hand to thoroughly coat.  

Spread the potatoes on the baking pan.  Roast for 30 minutes, until the potatoes are tender and beginning to crisp.  Stir with a metal spatula and roast for an additional 10 minutes, until lightly browned and crisp.  Serve with soft butter on the side, for dipping, if desired.  

Cook's Notes:  If your potatoes are bigger then 1 to 1 1/2 inches, you'll want to quarter them (instead of simply halving them) to make sure they pick up plenty of flavor from the seasonings.  Adjust the amount of cayenne for less heat, if that is your preference.

source:  The Weeknight Dinner Cookbook by Mary Younkin, creator of BarefootintheKitchen.com