Getting Ready:

1. Drizzle olive oil in crock pot (slow-cooker)

2. Mix sauce, water, vinegar, and cider. Pour 1/4 of the mixture into the bottom of the Crock Pot. Place chicken on the sauce and pour remaining sauce over top. Arrange veggies over top of chicken.

Making:

1. Cook on high heat for 3-4 hours (mine took about 4), or low heat for 5-6 hours, or until the chicken breast’s internal temperature comes to 170F, and the thighs come to 180F.

Serving:

I served the chicken with wonderfully simple Mashed Potatoes. You could also serve them with Polenta (that’s what I did the first time I made this dish). You could substitute the veggies I’ve used for whatever you have on hand. I used some of what came in this week’s Abundant Harvest Organics box.

For the Mashed Potatoes:

Ingredients:

-4 medium-large potatoes, scrubbed and cubed

-water (enough to fill to just below or at steamer basket bottom)

-1 t salt, to taste

-2 T olive oil

-1/2 to 1 C milk (or more, if you want them creamier – 1 C was perfect for me)

Instructions:

1. Pour cold water into a medium or large pot. Fill to just below or at steamer basket bottom.

2. Place steamer basket in pot and fill with quartered potatoes.

3. Steam, covered, until soft, about 25-30 minutes (potatoes should pierce easily with a fork).

4. Remove potatoes from pot and place in a bowl (or back into dried out pot, or stand mixer). Add milk, salt, and olive oil. Mash to desired consistency (using a potato masher, hand blender, stand mixer…).

5. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed.

Notes:

1. Chicken: Cooking time depends on how cold chicken is when it goes into the Crock Pot. Mine was still slightly frozen, so it took a little bit longer. The most important thing is that it comes to a safe internal temperature.

2. Potatoes: These are simple, basic mashed potatoes. You could add: pepper, chives, parsley, roasted garlic, cheese, bacon, butter, or anything else that sounds yummy. You could, of course, also top them with gravy (but, alongside the chicken, I didn’t think they needed any).