Description
This Crockpot Tuscan Chicken recipe offers a creamy, flavorful meal with tender chicken breasts cooked slowly in a rich Tuscan cream sauce featuring sun-dried tomatoes, Parmesan cheese, garlic, and fresh spinach. Perfect for an easy weeknight dinner, the slow cooker method infuses the chicken with bold Italian-inspired flavors while keeping it moist and delicious.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2 lbs)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- ⅛ teaspoon pepper
Tuscan Cream Sauce
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 3 cloves garlic (finely minced)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon pepper
- ⅓ cup sun-dried tomatoes (oil packed, drained and chopped)
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 cup chopped fresh spinach
Instructions
- Prepare the Chicken Seasoning: In a small bowl, mix together ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning, ¼ teaspoon paprika, and ⅛ teaspoon pepper. Sprinkle evenly over the chicken breasts placed in a 3- to 4-quart slow cooker.
- Make Tuscan Cream Sauce: In a medium bowl, whisk together 1 cup heavy whipping cream, 1 tablespoon cornstarch, 3 cloves finely minced garlic, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ⅛ teaspoon pepper. Stir in ⅓ cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes and ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese until combined.
- Combine and Cook: Pour the Tuscan cream sauce over the seasoned chicken in the slow cooker. Cover and cook on low heat for 3 hours, or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165°F (74°C). If the sauce separates during cooking, stir it gently to smooth it back together.
- Add Spinach and Finish: Stir 1 cup chopped fresh spinach into the slow cooker near the end of cooking. Taste and adjust seasonings as desired. Remove chicken from the slow cooker and serve with the creamy sauce.
Notes
- This recipe can be found on page 143 of the cookbook for further reference.
- Serving size may vary depending on the size and weight of the chicken breasts used.
- You can substitute boneless, skinless chicken thighs for the breasts, aiming for about 2 lbs of meat.
- Using a lighter cream will result in a thinner sauce; to compensate, increase cornstarch slightly.
- Sun-dried tomatoes can be swapped with roasted red peppers; spinach can be replaced with kale according to preference.
- Leftovers keep well in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days or frozen for 2-3 months.
- To reheat, thaw frozen leftovers overnight in the fridge and warm on the stove or oven until heated through.
- To quickly thaw frozen chicken before cooking, place it in a bowl of cool water, changing the water every 20 minutes until thawed.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 chicken breast with sauce (approx. 200g)
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 2g
- Sodium: 450mg
- Fat: 30g
- Saturated Fat: 18g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 6g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 35g
- Cholesterol: 130mg
