Slow Cooker Tuscan Chicken

I'm so excited the new edition of the long awaited American Heart Association Healthy Slow Cooker Cookbook: 200 Low-Fuss, Good-for-You Recipes is out now.

Prior to going to print they released a few of the new recipes to tempt us.  Here's a sneak peak at the Slow Cooker Tuscan Chicken recipe that is sure to become a fast favorite in households like ours, that already use low-sodium, low-fat products to make our meals.


2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 teaspoon dried basil, crumbled
1 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled
1 14.5-ounce can no-salt-added diced tomatoes, undrained
1 9-ounce package frozen artichoke hearts, thawed
1 cup fat-free, low-sodium chicken broth
1 2.25-ounce can sliced black olives, drained
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

• Discard all visible fat from the chicken.
• Sprinkle both sides with the basil and oregano.
• Put the chicken in a 3 1/2 to 4-quart slow cooker.
• Stir in the remaining ingredients.
• Cook, covered, on high for 3 to 4 hours or on low for 7 to 8 hours.

Previous Post: 5 or 6 Quart Slow Cooker Recipe | Whole Roast Chicken Slow Cooker Recipe

May also enjoy this post - it's a hot favorite on this site: Slow Cooker Texas Pulled Pork

5 or 6 Quart Slow Cooker Recipe | Whole Roast Chicken Slow Cooker Recipe

Apricot Glazed Chicken  | Whole Roast Chicken Slow Cooker Recipe

An ideal 5 or  6 quart slow cooker recipe

When  3-4 lb. (1.5-2 kg) whole frozen chickens are discounted at your supermarket, stock up so you can make this easy whole roast chicken slow cooker recipe frequently.

• Rinse, pat dry and season the chicken with Organic No-Salt Seasoning and a little fresh ground pepper.
• Place in slow cooker and cover chicken with a 12 oz. (360 ml) jar of apricot preserves (or apricot nectar). 
• Cover and cook on LOW 8-10 hours or on HIGH 4 hours.

If you enjoyed this whole chicken slow cooker recipe, then you might also like to try LEMON HERB ROASTED CHICKEN

Recent Posts: 

You may also enjoy these...  Free Slow Cooker Recipes | Easy Barbecue Ribs

Previous Post: Free Slow Cooker Recipes | Slow Cooker Texas Pulled Pork - It's the most popular recipe on this blog!

More great, tasty, free slow cooker recipes here easy slow cooker recipes and slow cooker reviews are on my website - enjoy!

Art of the Slow Cooker

Regardless of if you are looking for a slow cooker cookbook with great family friendly and company's coming week night meals, or you just want to serve a new recipe a week from your slow cooker, this is the one for you.

The Art of the Slow Cooker is a unique collection of 80 recipes for:

• soups - imagine Parmigiano Pumpkin Soup with Frizzled Prosciutto...
• stews - anticipate Tunisian Lamb Tagine with Toasted Almonds and Couscous
• succulent braises - think Osso Buco Milanese
• vegetarian dishes - like Curried Vegetables and Dal simmered in Indian spices
• and desserts - savor Blue Cheese-Walnut Cheescake.

Not at all a can of soup chemical cocktail type of book - in fact each recipe is quite unique from a taste, ingredient and flavor stand point.

The ingredient list for some may look a little daunting, but remember many times you will be able to pre-prep some of the recipe the night before.  Get the spice rack out and measure off all of the spice and leave them in a container ready to go.  Vegetables such as onion, carrots and pumpkin can be chopped up and put in a zip lock baggie until you are ready to put everything together in the morning.

Customer reviewers rave about the "wonderful velvety texture to meatloaf", and the incredible Osso Buco Milanese, of which one reviewer says "it was so delicious I could not believe I had actually made it."

Mid-week entertaining is much more possible with the Art of the Slow Cooker.  One customer reviewer comments "I have started to entertain again and surprised myself every time with the results." The recipes work perfectly the first time, so you have no need to worry if it will turn out alright from this book.

This book is nicely written, has beautiful photography, and will inspire many busy home cooks (like me) to expand what is possible to present the family with, for dinner on a week night.

I am definitely going to be keeping this slow cooker cookbook on the top of my pile for a few weeks.  This book has given me enough new recipes to be able to make a  new recipe a week for my family to try, for some months to come - I'm so glad I found it!

Want to try before you buy?
I found a blog that features 5 of the recipes from the book at thenest.com which sounded so good.  But really what made me want to go and buy my own copy of the Art of the Slow Cooker was the number of customer reviewers that said the Osso Buco Milanese was just the best!  In the slow cooker - the best way to cook Osso Buco - this cheaper cut of meat becomes something very tender and tasty... enjoy!

You may also enjoy these...  Free Slow Cooker Recipes | Easy Barbecue Ribs

Previous Post: Free Slow Cooker Recipes | Slow Cooker Texas Pulled Pork - It's the most popular recipe on this blog!

Free Recipes For The Slow Cooker | Slow Cooker Rice Pudding | Hamilton Beach Aluminum Insert

If you love cooking in your slow cooker and you are like me, you'll be using it almost everyday.

When I find my slow cooker is going to sit on the bench without earning it's keep, I will often cook up a batch of dried beans like red kidney beans or chick peas for my freezer.

But when I don't need to top up my freezer, I sometime go looking for free recipes for the slow cooker.

Recently, I went looking for a 'comfort food' dessert recipe - a creamy, milk based dessert and found this beautiful slow cooker rice pudding recipe... divine!

Slow Cooker Rice Pudding | Free Recipes For The Slow Cooker


1-2 Tbsp butter (to grease liner)
1/2 cup short grain rice
1/4 cup Sugar
Milk 1-1/2 litres/quarts
Pinch of nutmeg

• Butter the inside of the slow cooker insert.
• Add all ingredients and stir.
• Cover and cook for approximately 3 - 4 hours.

Serve hot, warm or chilled with icrecream and or stewed fruit.

Free Slow Cooker Recipes | Slow Cooker Texas Pulled Pork

I think I found the best bbq pulled pork recipe on the 'net - try and see what your family think of it!

We are not pork fans, but my brother's family all love it.  We look after his children in the school holidays sometimes, and one day I decided I would track down a well recommended bbq pulled pork recipe and make it at his house in his 3-1/2 quart slow cooker, for us all to enjoy!

I found this recipe on the AllRecipes.com website, recipe author is cmccreight at AllRecipes.com

Comments:

• The younger ones aren't too keen on 'new taste sensations' such as chili in anything, so I only put 1 teaspoon of chili powder in.  
• And once it was cooked, I felt I needed to thicken the sauce so that it wasn't dripping from the bun when we ate it.  The prepared gravy powder that I used to thicken the sauce 'quietened' down the spike of the sauces nicely and even 'Miss Fussy' said she really enjoyed the meal!  In my brother's house, compliments, full tummies and clean plates are a rare triple blessing!  
• There were 7 of us as the table.  We guessed we could have easily feed another 7 with this quantity easily.  My sister-in-law said she had never seen a roast of pork go so far!  

Verdict: This recipe was a success, definitely one to make again soon!  This is a GREAT budget stretcher recipe - we got two meals for 5 adults and 2 children with this recipe.  A great recipe to take to a pot luck supper or to cook when you are not sure how many are coming for a meal or just how hungry they will be!

Slow Cooker Texas Pulled Pork

Serves 10-15
Cook on high for 5-8 hours or on low for 10-12

Ingredients

• 4 pound pork shoulder roast
• 1 cup barbecue sauce
• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon prepared yellow mustard
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 extra large onion, chopped
• 2 large cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
• sufficient hamburger buns for 1-2 for each serving, split
• butter - to butter buns

Directions

1. Place the pork roast into the slow cooker; pour in the barbecue sauce, apple cider vinegar, and chicken broth. Stir in the brown sugar, yellow mustard, Worcestershire sauce, chili powder, onion, garlic, and thyme. Cover and cook on High until the roast shreds easily with a fork, 5 to 8 hours - the longer you are able to leave it, the more tender the meat will be, the easier it will be to shred.
2. Remove the roast from the slow cooker, and shred the meat using two forks. Return the shredded pork to the slow cooker, and stir the meat into the juices.
3. Spread the inside of both halves of hamburger buns with butter. Toast the buns, butter side down, in a skillet over medium heat until golden brown. Spoon pork into the toasted buns.

Footnotes

• Cook's Note
• The pork can also be cooked on Low for 10 to 12 hours.

Check the side bar on this blog to find more free slow cooker recipes - or if you are looking for the latest slow cooker reviews, check out my website slowcookersandcrockpots.net 

Free Slow Cooker Recipes | Slow Cooker Chicken Recipes | Hamilton Beach 33135 Slow Cooker

Hamilton Beach put out some stunning recipes with their slow cookers - one of my favorite chicken breast recipes is from the instruction book that comes with the Hamilton Beach 33135 slow cooker.


Chicken Breasts with Lemon and Fresh Rosemary is an easily assembled entree meal that is just perfect for mid week meals for buys couples and families alike.  Who doesn't enjoy tasty, moist, delicious roasted chicken breasts?  This recipe - and all the others in the instruction book that come with this model - are winners!


Check the side bar on this blog to find more free slow cooker recipes - or if you are looking for the latest slow cooker reviews, check out my website slowcookersandcrockpots.net 

Free Slow Cooker Recipes | Slow Cooker Whole Chicken Recipes | Rival Smart Pot Crock Pot

How many ways can you use a cooked / roasted chicken - loads, right?  Now all you need is an easy recipe to cook a whole chicken in your slow cooker and you will never be stuck for dinner ideas, or have to pay for takeaways when the energy levels drop as the week progresses!  Sound good?  You betchya!

 This Lemon Herb Roasted Chicken recipe is a great stand-by recipe that is easily adapted to your family's taste preferences and also to keep it interesting - now all you need to remember to do is stock up on frozen chickens when they cheap and get one out the freezer before you want to cook it!

If you have a busy life and a family to feed, a generous proportioned slow cooker such as the Crock Pot SCVP600-W Oval 6 Quart Smart Pot Slow Cooker is a like having a genie in your kitchen while you are away all day.  When you own one of these, Lemon Herb Roasted Chicken, Creamy Spinach Dip and a whole host of other tasty, easy recipes will be at your finger tips as they come free with the instruction book with the Crock Pot SCVP600-W Oval 6 Quart Smart Pot Slow Cooker - how cool is that!


Check the side bar on this blog to find more free slow cooker recipes - or if you are looking for the latest slow cooker reviews, check out my website slowcookersandcrockpots.net