For my first post (remember, this blog stuff is brand new to me) I’m going to do a crockpot chicken recipe for two. Most recipes I have are family sized and we end up with lots of leftovers. Den doesn’t mind (he says some people eat to live, he lives to eat) but I’m not much of a leftover person. Sometimes I cook for the joy of cooking. I love making desserts, but I don’t really like eating desserts for example. Den and I have been trying to get healthier by changing little things in our lifestyle. We have been exercising more and modifying what we eat. We don’t plan to go vegan, but some of our meals are definitely becoming more vegan-ish.
I’ve started using a little less protein than most recipes call for. And I like to trim most of the fat off when I can. The original recipe (for 6) called for 2 pounds of chicken and would create way too many leftovers for the two of us. Even a pound is a lot of meat when you think about it.
So start with 12 ounces of chicken (3/4 pound) and cut in 4 equal parts. When you are watching your weight your protein should be the size of your palm. So it looks like even cutting the original recipe in half might feed more than two.
Next dry the chicken pieces and then apply the “rub” (salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, and paprika). I sprinkle the spices from high up over the rub to ensure proper distribution.
Once the spices are applied it’s time to sear the chicken. Put 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a heavy pan and heat over medium high heat. Sear chicken until it begins to brown, the coloring is where the flavor begins. I tend to rotate the pan to make sure the chicken is getting even heating. At this point you are not trying to cook the chicken through, you just want the outer layer seared to seal in the juices. For thicker pieces you might have to stand them on end to sear more of the outside. An even easier option would be to use rotisserie chicken from the super market, but I prefer to cook the chicken myself.
Now you are ready to start assembling the dish in the crockpot (I’m going to use my mid sized crockpot which is holds 4.5 quarts). From here on the machine can do the cooking for you!
Place the seared chicken pieces in the crockpot. Next add 2 cups of chicken broth (I’m using low sodium, I can always add salt later if needed) and add 1 1/2 cups of heavy cream.
Next crush and cut a clove of garlic (should be about the size of the top joint of your thumb) into coarse pieces. We are big fans of garlic so we always tend to use more than is called for. I usually have Den smash the clove using the side of a big knife, easier than trying to peel. That’s just about the maximum amount of kitchen skill he has (shhhh).
Add 2 tablespoons of butter (you can use unsalted butter if you prefer). I cut the butter into small cubes so it is easier to mix with the other ingredients. Add 1/2 teaspoon of Kosher or sea salt, which ever you prefer. Finally, add a pinch of black pepper and a dash of Cayenne pepper (my husband claims I tried to kill him with the stuff).
Put crockpot on LOW for 4 hours (or until chicken is 165 degrees). You can cook it faster or HIGH for 2-3 hours. Today I had all the time I needed.
Once chicken is cooked, remove chicken to cool for slicing. Then add cheese, penne, and water to the crockpot. Cook on HIGH for 30 minutes or until pasta is tender. Once chicken is cooled, shred or chunk chicken and add to the mixture. Heat until the chicken regains temperature, let rest for 10 minutes. Prepare some broccoli and garlic bread or other favorite sides and serve.
Crockpot Chicken Alfredo for Two
Equipment
- 4.5 quart crockpot
- Heavy pan
Ingredients
- 12 ounces Chicken Breast cut into 4 equal pieces
- 1 tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 ½ cup Heavy Cream
- 2 cup Chicken Broth low sodium
- 2 tbsp Butter
- 1 clove Garlic
- 8 ounces Penne Pasta uncooked
- ½ cup Hot Water
- 2 ½ ounces Parmesan Cheese shredded
- Kosher Salt to taste
- Ground Pepper to taste
- ¼ tsp Cayenne Pepper
- ½ tsp Paprika
Instructions
- Cut 12 oz of Chicken into 4 equal pieces.
- Pat chicken dry and season with salt, pepper, paprika and cayenne pepper.
- Heat olive oil over medium high heat in a heavy pan.
- Sear chicken pieces.
- Place Seared chicken in the crockpot.
- Add heavy cream, chicken broth, butter, garlic to crockpot. Add salt, pepper and cayenne pepper to taste.
- Cook LOW for 4 hours or HIGH 2-3 hours until chicken's internal temperature is 165°.
- Remove chicken, set aside to cool and slice, shred or cube.
- Add water, cheese and uncooked pasta to crockpot on HIGH for 30 minutes or until pasta is tender.
- Mix chicken into crockpot and let rest 15 minutes.
Can’t wait to try this! Looks yummy!
I would love this, looks so good, could I substitute the heavy cream for something (lactose intolerant) 🙄
You can try puréed white beans. I would leave the Parmesan cheese for the flavor. I’m not an expert on lactose intolerance.
You’re good at writing a recipe. Your descriptions are so clear. I’m a good cook and not so good at writing it down.