Savory Slow Cooker Chicken And Butternut Squash Recipes

SLOW COOKER CHICKEN AND BUTTERNUT SQUASH STEW

Steps:

• Season flour with salt and freshly ground black pepper in a container with a lid. Dredge chicken pieces in the flour to coat.
• Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook and stir chicken in hot oil until browned completely, 4 to 5 minutes per batch. Put browned chicken pieces in the slow cooker.
• Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in the skillet over medium heat; cook and stir onion in the hot oil until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, jalapeno pepper, and Thai chile pepper; continue to cook and stir until the garlic is fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Pour white wine over the onion mixture; cook at a simmer until the liquid reduces, 2 to 3 minutes; transfer to the slow cooker.
• Stir chicken stock, butternut squash, thyme, and bay leaves into the chicken mixture in the slow cooker, assuring solids are all submerged in liquid.
• Cook on Low for 7 1/2 to 9 1/2 hours. Stir sour cream into the stew and season with salt and pepper; continue cooking another 30 minutes. Stir parsley into the stew.

SLOW COOKER CHICKEN TAGINE WITH BUTTERNUT SQUASH

Steps:

• Put the squash and dates into a 6- to 8-quart slow cooker. Season generously with salt and pepper. In a small bowl, combine the cinnamon stick, sweet paprika, turmeric, cumin, hot smoked paprika, ground ginger, cloves and cayenne and set aside.
• Warm the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Pat the chicken dry and season it generously with salt. Working in two batches, put the chicken in the skillet skin side down and cook without moving it until the skin is deeply golden, crisp, and releases fairly easily from the bottom of the pan, about 5 to 8 minutes per batch. (You need to brown only the skin side.) Transfer the chicken to the slow cooker, nestling the thighs skin side up and in one crowded layer on top of the squash.
• Decrease the stovetop heat to medium. If there is a lot of rendered fat in the pan, pour off all but a thin layer to cover the entire bottom of the skillet. Add the onion, season with salt, and cook, stirring to scrape up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan, until the onion is softened, about 5 minutes. Add the ginger and garlic, and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the reserved spices and stir well for about 30 seconds, until the mixture is a uniform brick red. Add the lemon juice, stir well to incorporate the browned bits, then scrape the mixture over the top of the chicken, making sure to include any spice-stained oil that remains.
• Cook on low until the squash and chicken are very tender and the flavors are mellow, at least 4 hours and up to 6 hours. If it's more convenient, you can let the slow cooker switch to warm after 6 hours. The dish will hold on warm for another 2 hours before the chicken starts to dry out. Remove and discard the cinnamon stick. Add lemon juice and salt to taste and fold in the chopped parsley and scallions. Serve with couscous or pita, topped with yogurt and toasted almonds, if desired.

SLOW COOKER BUTTERNUT SQUASH

Steps:

• Combine butternut squash and apple juice in a slow cooker. Whisk butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon together in a bowl; drizzle over butternut squash.
• Cook on Low for 6 to 8 hours.