Crockpot Recipe of the Week: Chicken Marengo

Let me share a few of my dislikes:

• People getting on the elevator who don't wait for people to get off the elevator first
• Coming downstairs to my kitchen in the morning only to find crumbs on the counter.  The counter which was clean when I went to bed.
• Eggplant.  I've tried and tried...I just can't like it.  Sorry eggplant.

And right now, today, I am disliking crockpot recipes that require cooking the ingredients before putting them in the crockpot.  Someone please tell me...what the heck is the point???

When my dad came to visit in December, he made a delicious chicken dish called Chicken Marengo.  Knowing my dad (a retired history teacher), you can appreciate that while he was cooking the dish, I was given the short explanation that this dish was supposedly served to Napoleon after the Battle of Marengo in Italy.  Not going to bore you but more info here.  I decided to find a crockpot recipe for Chicken Marengo.  And every one of them (that I could find) required the chicken to be browned first and the vegetables sauteed before putting them in the crockpot.

I love my crockpot for one main reason:  It's easy.  I can toss ingredients in there in the morning and come back at night and have a delicious meal for my family.  So browning meat and sauteeing vegetables before crockpotting doesn't sit well with me.  If I'm going to do that, I might as well just cook the whole damn thing on the stove and hover over it until it's done.  Yeah, I know.  Supposedly you get more flavor and it looks prettier if the meat is browned.  I agree to some extent.  That's why I brown the chicken in my Chicken Cacciatore.  But please note:  my Chicken Cacciatore is not a Crockpot Recipe of the Week.  It's a One Pot Wonder.  he he he

So here's my take on Crockpot Chicken Marengo.  I hope you like it!

6-8 Chicken pieces, bone-in, skin-on (I used legs and thighs)
1 large onion, large dice
14 oz. whole white mushrooms, quartered
1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes
1c boiling water
1T chicken boullion
2T flour
1c dry white wine (I used Chardonnay)
1 jar turkey or chicken gravy
1 heaping T minced garlic
1T dried basil
1T poultry seasoning
1/2 T dried sage
1t dried thyme
1t celery salt
salt and pepper

Put half of the onions in the bottom of the crockpot.  Layer chicken on top.  Add remaining onions, mushrooms and tomatoes.

In small bowl, dissolve boullion in boiling water.  Whisk in flour until smooth.  Pour over chicken and vegetables in crockpot.  Add wine and gravy.  Add garlic, basil, poultry seasoning, sage, thyme and celery salt.  Give it all a quick stir but keep the chicken on the bottom with the bottom layer of onions.  In other words, kind of move the top layers around until the herbs are distributed.  Not exactly recipe talk but there you go.

Cook on high setting for 4-6 hours or low setting for 8-10 hours.  Season to taste.  Serve over rice.  Or with potatoes.  Or with whatever you feel like.  Couscous would be nice...it would absorb all the wonderful sauce.  But really, whatever floats your boat.

Enjoy!