Whoever said crockpots were only for the winter lied to you.
For real, during the summer it gets so hot that I don’t really want to turn my oven on, so what’s the appliance that can cook supper without heating up the house?
You guessed it — the good old crockpot! (I don’t have an instant pot, but that counts as an answer too.) 🙂
Not only will your kitchen stay cool, but you’ll also be able to use up a zucchini from your garden and sneak some vegetables into any picky eater’s diet.
Now that, my friends, is a winning recipe.
Ingredients:
1 medium yellow onion, diced small
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
6 cloves garlic, finely minced, grated, or pressed
1 Tbsp. italian seasoning
1/4 C. packed, finely chopped fresh basil (measure after it’s chopped)
4-5 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves pulled from the stems and stems discarded
1/2 – 1 tsp. red pepper flakes (or omit all together if you don’t like spice)
salt & pepper to taste
1 28 oz. can diced tomatoes (do not drain)
1 6 oz. can tomato paste
1 small/medium zucchini, grated
1 1/2 C. water
1 C. quinoa, uncooked
2 bay leaves
1/4 C. grated parmesan cheese
1/2 C. grated, part-skim mozzarella cheese
fresh basil & more parmesan for topping
Directions:
Place all ingredients (except the cheese) in a crockpot and stir until evenly combined. Cook on low for 6 hours.
Take the chicken breasts out of the crockpot, place on a plate or cutting board, and shred with two forks. Place the shredded chicken back in the crockpot and stir it in.
Add the parmesan and mozzarella cheese to the crockpot and stir.
Dish out in bowls and top each with additional fresh basil and parmesan if desired!