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This recipe is part of the 20 Slow Cooker Freezer Packs from Costco for $150 meal plan. Note that this is written as a single recipe, but is doubled in the Costco meal plan, so you will have enough ingredients to make 2 packs.
Slow Cooker Italian Chicken & Potatoes
Yield – 4 servings
Preparation Time – 10 minutes
Cooking Time – 8 hours in slow cooker
Ingredients
- 1 lb. chicken breasts
- 4-6 medium potatoes, about 2 lbs, cut into chunks
- 2 cups baby carrots
- 1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes
- 2 Tbsp Italian seasoning
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Directions
- Place the chicken in the base of the slow cooker and add the potato chunks and baby carrots around and on top of the chicken. Pour the diced tomatoes and their juices over top of the chicken-potatoes-carrots. Sprinkle the Italian seasoning over top. Sprinkle a little salt and pepper over the top.
- Set the slow cooker on low and cook for 8 hours.
- Serve Slow Cooker Italian Chicken & Potatoes as a “one dish dinner,” season to taste.
- To prepare a freezer pack, add all ingredients to a gallon size freezer baggie and freeze up to 3 months.
- To thaw: place the freezer pack in the fridge overnight to thaw and then place partially frozen ingredients in the slow cooker to cook.
The directions for preparation for Freezer Pack seem to be incomplete. What comes after the “and”? Thanks.
Sorry…updating now!
I was just prepping this off your recipe you used for the Dutch oven tonight. Do the potatoes freeze and thaw well? I always thought they get mushy and gross but have never tried it. Also, will bone in thighs work in the slow cooker? I ran out of freezer bags, so it’s halfway done in the drive in storage containers until I go get freezer bags tomorrow. I’m stocking my parents’ freezer because my dad is about to have a hip replacement. I love that your recipes will give them two dinners, so it’s half the cost!!
I don’t have trouble with potatoes freezing and thawing well!
That should say “fridge”, not drive.
Made it today, chicken breast were partially frozen, added fresh rosemary, didn’t add potatoes and carrots until hour four so they wouldn’t be soggy, used mini golden potatoes, everything turned out great! No potatoes or carrots left to freeze.
Great idea Kristy…my boys like the super soft potatoes from slow cooker meals. Glad you enjoyed it!
My family found this to be very bland – and tips on how to make it more flavorful?
More italian seasonings? Garlic powder or salt? Fresh herbs, if you have them!
Erin
brown your chicken in 1 or 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a heavy bottomed pan over medium heat before putting it the crock pot. Remove the chicken from the pan. Add 1 chopped onion and a couple cloves of garlic minces. brown very lightly. Add your herbs to the onion and garlic, stir for a minute or so. add your tomatoes and stir to deglaze the pan. Pour all over your chicken in the crock pot and continue the recipe.
Yes, you’ve taken a few more minutes than straight crock pot meal, and added 1 pan to wash. However, you just added TONS of flavor to your recipe. Well worth an extra 10 minutes.
I read the comment that it was bland so I added some garlic and a chopped small onion and heavy on the italian seasoning. My family agreed it was still bland so I added a can of cambells cream of celery soup and reheated it the next night. Much better, but maybe that pushes it over the $5 total.
Great idea to add the soup mix. I don’t cook with it often as we have 2 dairy allergies in the family!
I might try adding a package of italian dressing seasoning mix with some garlic & onions. Or you could even add regular (pre-made) italian dressing or some kind of vinaigrette.
If you want to freeze the meal – do you put the ingredients in the baggie raw or cook them and then freeze them?
I usually make “freezer packs” with the raw meat Jeni.
Erin
To make the freezer meal, all items go into ziplock freezer bag raw. I flatten my bags and push out as much air as I can. I do many meals this way, prepare several kinds way ahead of time. All the prep is done. I just have to grab a bag out of the freezer before heading to bed one night, put it in the fridge and the next morning empty the bag into my crockpot, set it and presto, dinner is ready at dinner time, no mess no fuss. Great for busy days!
I Have made this
Twice and both times my potatoes have gone black in the freezer. Help! I really want To use these Costco plans!!! Advice???
Everything I have read says not to freeze raw potatoes. In order to successfully freeze potatoes, you should blanch them but the author said she has had success. Could be the type of potato. I would probably freeze everything minus the potato and cut it up the day of.
I can’t figure out what’s happening, but sometimes when I use cut up potatoes in my freezer cooking they blacken when I defrost them… Help!?
This might help you wit your black potatoes
http://foodserviceblog.idahopotato.com/tag/black/
Made this yesterday when I was home with the baby unexpectedly. DELICIOUS! My husband, who is a sauce/condiment junkie, thought it needed more sauce (shocking). So, I’m thinking maybe next time I’ll do a can of diced tomatoes and a can of italian stewed tomatoes (from Costco) to appease his tastes. And I might add celery too. YUMMY. Loved it (have leftover potatoes and carrots for lunch today!).
We’re not diced tomato fans here…could we substitute that for anything or just omit it?
I would love to see a picture! Do you pull the chicken in this recipe?
Just about every slow cooker recipe I have come across calls for liquid. Do you add any liquid so the ingredients don’t get dried out?
the diced tomatoes and juice are the liquid
the print button link is broken.
How did you get your chicken to not be dry? Mines came out dry as dust. Had to shred the chicken and let it soak in its juices for a bit before i could eat it without needing to chase each bite with some water to help swallow it down. =(