Slow-Cooked Italian Chicken and Mushrooms

Tender, slow-cooked chicken thighs and mushrooms in a flavorful Marsala wine and tomato sauce studded with salty capers and sweet currants. Serve with your favorite pasta or cooked long-grain rice.

Recipe Ingredients:

2 pounds chicken thighs, boneless and skinless
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 tablespoons olive oil - divided use
2 cloves garlic, minced
8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
1 red pepper, sliced
1 onion, sliced thin
1/2 cup Marsala wine (or chicken stock)
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, in juices
2 tablespoons capers, drained
1/2 cup currants or raisins
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil (or 2 teaspoons dried)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (or 2 teaspoons dried)

Cooking Directions:

1. In large sauté pan, warm 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Add chicken to pan and sauté until browned, about 5 minutes. Remove chicken to slow cooker and turn pot on low.
2. In same sauté pan, heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Add garlic, mushrooms, pepper slices and onion. Sauté until vegetables begin to soften, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add vegetables to slow cooker.
3. Add wine to same pan and deglaze about 1 minute, stirring up brown bits. Pour wine into slow cooker.
4. Add to slow cooker the tomatoes and juices, capers, currents, basil and parsley. Cook for 6 or 7 hours on LOW (or 3 hours on HIGH), until chicken and vegetables are very tender and sauce has thickened slightly.

Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Nutritional Information Per Serving (1/4 of recipe): Calories: 600; Total Fat: 31g; Saturated Fat: 7g; Total Carbs: 29g; Protein: 45g.

Recipe and photograph provided courtesy of the National Chicken Council. Used with permission.