This recipe for Slow Cooker Italian Chicken is one I made up when I was first married. I based it on ingredients I had in my cupboards and it is still one of my husband's favorite's, even though we've been married a long time!
You would not believe how good this smells when it's cooking. I love to come home from a long day of errands and appointments and open the door and smell Italian Chicken simmering away in the slow cooker. It only takes 5 minutes to put together in the morning and dinner is ready when you are! Another reason I love this recipe is that it's also inexpensive. I stock up on the tomato sauce, stewed tomatoes, pasta sauce, and rice at Smith's when they are on the case lot sale.
One of the reasons this is still a family favorite is that it is SO easy! You don't even have to thaw the chicken. Just put in the number of pieces of chicken you need for your family into the crockpot, straight from the freezer. Then dump in all three cans: tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, and spaghetti sauce.
Next, pour in a packet of Italian seasoning and mix it all around with a spoon. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours.
As you can see, the water from the frozen chicken combines with all of the tomatoes to make a yummy sauce. I like this because I like to pour extra sauce over my rice. I also like to cook more chicken than I will need for one meal because the leftovers can morph easily into Parmesan Chicken later in the week. (Just put the extra chicken and sauce in a casserole dish and cover with mozzarella and parmesan cheese. Heat until chicken is warm and cheese is melted.)
Just before dinner, I cook the rice and voila, dinner is served!
- 3 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts - can be fresh or frozen
- 8 oz can of tomato sauce
- 14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes
- 24 oz can of pasta sauce
- 1 packet italian seasoning
- parsley for garnish - optional
- Put frozen chicken breasts into slow cooker.
- Pour tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, pasta sauce and italian seasoning over chicken.
- Stir to combine.
- Cover and cook in slow cooker for 6-8 hours.
- Serve over rice. Garnish with fresh parsley, optional.
- You can use as much or as little chicken as you need for your family. I like to make extra because it makes great chicken parmesan later in the week.
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