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By guruscotty March 20, 2023 March 21st, 2023 No Comments

Slow and Easy

Story and Photos by Meda Kessler

Elevate chicken breasts with a creamy sauce, sun-dried tomatoes and spinach

Marguerite Kelly loves this one-pot dish from The Recipe Rebel, because it’s carb- and keto-friendly, and it comes together quickly in a slow cooker. “It’s great for working parents, and you can add rice, mashed potatoes or pasta to make it a family meal,” says Kelly, who has two sons, a sixth grader and an eighth grader, along with a full-time job. “It’s a challenge to feed two teenagers who are never full. I especially love one-pot meals like a Thai or Indian curry, an Italian risotto or a shepherd’s pie.” A native of Ireland, Kelly moved to Southlake from London eight years ago. She has lived in seven countries, speaks five languages and is a global program director at Dell Technologies. Kelly is an administrator of The Foodie Feed, a social media group for residents of Southlake, Westlake, Keller, Grapevine and the surrounding area. A longtime, prolific participant in The Foodie Feed, she became an admin when the group’s founder moved a year ago and asked her to take over. She also admits to having a soft spot for rescue dogs — they have adopted two — and most recently fostered two puppies for Leo’s Friends Rescue, a small nonprofit group based in Dallas.

Slow cooking ensures the chicken breasts are moist and tender. This dish freezes and reheats well. We added more spinach and toasted thick slices of good bread to sop up the sauce.

Crockpot Tuscan Chicken

Serves 4

  • 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1½ to 2 pounds)
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • ¼ teaspoon paprika
  • ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
  • ⅓ cup sun-dried tomatoes (no oil), chopped
  • ¼ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
  • ½ cup chopped fresh spinach

Place chicken breasts in a 2½- to 4-quart slow cooker.

Combine salt, Italian seasoning, paprika and pepper in a small bowl. Sprinkle evenly over chicken.

Add the cream, cornstarch, garlic, salt and pepper to a medium bowl and whisk until combined.

Stir in the sun-dried tomatoes and Parmesan cheese; pour around and over chicken in the slow cooker.

Put the lid on and cook on low for 3 hours or until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees. Stir in the fresh spinach.

Remove from the slow cooker and serve.