Summer Crock Pot Poached Chicken and Mushrooms

Chicken cooked low and slow in a crock pot (aka slow cooker) comes out tender and keeps the kitchen cool.  The slow cooker is a great option on nights when it is too hot to turn on the oven. 

The 'secret' to the rich yet light suace is dried mushrooms. They reconstitute alongside the cooking chicken. 

If you do not have time to make this meal for tonight's dinner, make it alongside a quick to prepare one and enjoy a pre-cooked meal tomorrow night or take poached chicken to work the following day.

For this recipe, select skinless chicken breasts with the bone-in.  Once the chicken is cooked, remove and cool for a few minutes before pulling away the bone. Slice and return to the vegetables and broth to serve over rice.  If you are using boneless chicken breasts expect the dish to be ready about 20 minutes sooner.

Summer Crock Pot Poached Chicken and Mushrooms
Serves 4

Ingredients

6 carrots
4 ribs celery
1 medium zucchini
1/2 ounce dried Porcini mushrooms2 large* skinless chicken breasts, bone in preferred
1/4 teaspoon each dried thyme and basil
Salt and pepper
1 cup chicken broth
 optional: 1 cup green beans

*if using smaller breasts on boneless ones, cut back the cooking time but about 20 minutes.  

Method

1. Peel carrots and cut in half crosswise.  If very large, split down the middle to create large pieces that are of uniform size.  Place in the bottom of the slow cooker.
2. Cut celery and zucchini into large chunks. Add to the carrots in the pot.
3. Scatter dried mushrooms over vegetables.
4. Place chicken breasts on top of vegetables.  Cover with salt and pepper.
5. Pour chicken broth over chicken and vegetables. 
6. Turn slow cooker on high for 2 1/2 -3 hours.  Check chicken at the 2 hour mark.  If it has reached 165˚F degrees, remove and leave vegetables to finish cooking.  Vegetables are ready when you can cut a carrot with a fork.

Serve over brown rice or egg noodles.