Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore with Rice

Photo Credit: Cafe Delites

Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 6 skinless chicken thighs, bone-in
• Salt and pepper to season
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 teaspoons minced garlic (or 8 cloves)
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 small yellow pepper, diced
• 1 small red pepper, diced
• 1 large carrot, peeled and diced
• 10 oz. white mushrooms, sliced
• ½ cup pitted black olives
• 8 sprigs of thyme
• 2 tablespoons each freshly chopped parsley and basil
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 5 oz.  red wine (Note: I used Pinot Noir)
• 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
• 7 oz. Roma tomatoes, chopped
• ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (or more for added spiciness)
• 2 cups dry white or brown rice

Add all ingredients to the slow cooker, stirring to combine. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours, or low for 8 hours, until the chicken is tender and falling off the bone. (Note: I cooked mine on high to save time.) Add in the mushrooms in the last 30 minutes of cooking. Season to your tastes.

Cook rice according to package. Serve chicken cacciatore over rice.

*Recipe adapted from Chicken Cacciatore* 

Slow Cooker Beef Stew

I’ve been on a mission to find healthy crockpot recipes to make for my fiancée, who is not a vegetarian. I find that if I make him a crockpot meal over the weekend, there’s enough leftover for him to eat it all week. He said this is one of the best beef stews he’s ever eaten.

Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 2 pounds beef chuck, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 teaspoon sweet paprika, plus more for garnish
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for coating
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 pound small white potatoes, halved
• 1/2 pound cremini mushrooms, halved
• 3 medium carrots, cut into 1-inch chunks
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 cup red wine (Note: I used Pinot Noir)
• 2 cups low-sodium beef broth
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1/2 cup loosely packed parsley leaves, chopped

Directions

Toss the beef with the paprika, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Coat in flour and shake off any excess. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the beef and cook undisturbed until it begins to brown, about 3 minutes. Continue to cook, turning the beef as needed, until mostly browned, about 3 minutes more. Remove the skillet from the heat and transfer the beef to the insert of a 6-quart slow cooker; add the potatoes, mushrooms, carrots and onions and stir to combine.

Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil in the skillet over medium heat. Add the tomato paste and stir until the oil begins to turn brick-red, about 1 minute. Add the flour and wine and whisk until thick (it’s OK if there are some lumps). Add the beef broth, thyme, caraway if using, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper and bring to a simmer, whisking; continue simmering and whisking until the gravy is smooth and thick, about 4 minutes.

Pour the gravy into the slow cooker, cover and cook on low for 8 hours OR 4 hours high + 1 hour low (Note: I do the later to save some time). The meat and vegetables should be tender.

Season with salt and pepper and stir in the parsley.

*Recipe adapted from Slow Cooker Beef Stew*