A Crockin' Girls Meal - Balsamic Chicken

Okay, so I RARELY use my slow cooker. I have bad luck with it, I guess. Everything I've cooked in it has been dry, tough, or both! I just don't get it! Yes, it's a convenience tool. Set it and leave it. But, for some reason, I can cook a moist and delicious pot roast in the oven but not in the slow cooker! Go figure!

Well, I was skeptical when a friend posted about a delicious Crock-Pot Balsamic Chicken meal that they made. It sounded good, but I just knew that my chicken would come out like dry bricks! But I decided to give it a shot. Here is the original recipe by Crockin' Girls. I would suggest following them on their Facebook page or at their website! They are so awesome! (I just tend to make the stuff in my dutch oven.) Below the recap is the original recipe and the additions/changes that I made. I'm sure that it would have been brilliant the way it was written. To be honest, it was delicious! (No pictures today, sorry. I just am not in a picture-type mood!)

I used four boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about two pounds total), seasoned with salt and pepper. First, I sliced two onions (small, yellow), eight ounces of cremini mushrooms, and one large bell pepper into strips. I added two tablespoons of olive oil (Bertolli Classic) to the bottom of my slow cooker, then placed the chicken onto it. The bell peppers and onions went on top of the chicken. Then, I added one teaspoon oregano, one teaspoon of sweet basil, one-half teaspoon of rosemary, and one-half teaspoon of thyme. I also added three tablespoons of dried garlic, one-half teaspoon of garlic powder, and two whole cloves (crushed) of garlic. (As you know, we LOVE garlic). Lastly, we needed liquid! I poured in one-half cup of balsamic vinegar and two cans of undrained Hunt's diced tomatoes (with nothing added, to ensure that they are gluten-free).

That's it! As simple as that! It took longer to defrost the chicken than it did to make the meal! I covered it and turned the slow cooker onto high for three hours!

I have to say that it was a bit dry. In fact, when I took the temperature of the chicken breast (and I had very thick breasts), it was over 200 degrees! White meat chicken is only suppose to get to 160 degrees to keep it from being too dry! It had a lot of liquid with the sauce, but was still dry. Next time, I will cook it on low for three hours or high for one and half hours. I will definitely check after an hour though! :) 


I served it with a parmesan risotto (a recipe given to me by that same friend - thanks, Kim!) and steamed green beans! The whole meal was very good! Yum!

Enjoy!



RECIPE

Ingredients

• 4 - 6 chicken breasts (approximately 2 lbs)
• 2 14.5 oz cans diced tomatoes (undrained - Hunt's is gluten-free)
• 2 small, yellow onions, sliced (Kim actually used frozen diced; the original recipe calls for one onion)
• 8 oz cremini mushrooms, sliced (this isn't in the original recipe)
• 1 large bell pepper, sliced (I used green; this isn't in the original recipe)
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed whole (original recipe calls for four, diced)
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder (this isn't in the original recipe)
• 1 tbsp dried garlic (this isn't in the original recipe)
• 1 tsp dried oregano 
• 1 tsp dried sweet basil
• 1/2 tsp dried rosemary (original recipe called for 1 tsp)
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 1/2 c balsamic vinegar (original recipe called for 1/4 c)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

• Salt and pepper chicken breasts.
• Add 2 tbsp olive oil to bottom of slow cooker, then add the chicken.
• Add sliced onions, mushrooms, and peppers.
• Add all of the seasonings.
• Pour the balsamic vinegar and undrained cans of tomatoes on top of the chicken, veggies, and seasonings.
• Set the slow cooker to high and leave for two (recipe calls for four) hours! Please use a meat thermometer to check! It should read 160 degrees!

This can be served over pasta or with rice! Enjoy!