Hearty, flavorful, and economical, this recipe is great for the busy family that wants a substantial and filling meal ready to go when they get home from a busy day.
Author:The Wilderness Wife
Prep Time:20 mins
Cook Time:8 hours
Total Time:8 hours 20 mins
Yield:6 servings 1x
Category:Slow Cooker
Cuisine:American adaptation of French Classic
Ingredients
Scale
4 slices bacon
3 tbs. butter
3 lbs. chicken thighs
1/2 lb. fresh button mushrooms (baby bellas are my favorite)
3 c. wine
24 frozen pearl onions
3 med. sliced carrots, fresh or frozen
2 bay leaves
2 sprigs fresh thyme or 1/2 tsp. dried
2 garlic cloves, sliced
1 tbs.tomato paste
salt & pepper to taste
3 tbs. cornstarch
1/4 c. water
Instructions
Cut bacon into small pieces (1″ is fine)
Cook bacon in a large skillet. (I personally love a cast iron for this) Remove bacon and set aside.
Add butter to bacon fat, and once melted, brown the chicken thighs in the skillet. Remove the thighs when they are golden brown.
Add fresh button mushrooms to skillet and lightly brown them. Remove mushrooms and place in slow cooker.
Place chicken thighs, bacon, garlic, pearl onions, and sliced carrots in the slow cooker.
Deglaze the skillet with wine scraping the skillet bottom with a wooden spoon to loosen all the tasty brown bits of goodness. If you are concerned about the alcohol content allow the wine to come to a simmer to evaporate the alcohol, and also replace half of the wine with chicken stock.
Pour the liquid from skillet into slow cooker.
Add bay leaves, thyme and tomato paste. If using fresh thyme create a string tied bundle with the bay leaves so they can easily be removed before serving.
Cook on high for 5-6 hours; on low for 7-8.
To thicken sauce, remove vegetables and meat to serving dish and keep warm. Discard herb bundle. Mix cornstarch and cold water in small bowl till cornstarch dissolves. Turn slow cooker to High and add cornstarch mixture stirring till it thickens the sauce. Pour sauce over chicken and veggies and serve.
