That’s right- slow cooker chicken.  Didn’t know you could put a whole chicken in a slow cooker and eat like a king during the week, did you??  I sure didn’t.  And I can tell you- I was impressed.

This was a really easy recipe.  The house smelled amazing when I got home from work and all I had to do was whip up my sides!  I chose sweet potato mash, green beans and I found some gluten free spinach gnocchi in the supermarket.  I did a quick cheese sauce to go over that and voila- masterpiece!

This is a very easy recipe to switch out ingredients.  Try an onion and lemon with rosemary and thyme next time.

I first read this recipe from “The Performance Paleo” by Stephanie Gaudreau.  My recipe still resembles hers, but I’ve played with it a lot and done different things with it.  This is still my favorite way to make it.

Slow Cooker Chicken

Ingredients:

• 1 small fennel, sliced, fronds set aside
• 3-4 lb whole chicken
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 red apple, sliced

Instructions:

• Arrange the fennel fronds at the bottom of the slow cooker.
• I suggest unwrapping the chicken in the sink.  Sprinkle salt and pepper in the cavity as well as on the outside of the chicken.  Stuff the chicken with the apple and the fennel, then place in the slow cooker BREAST SIDE UP.  If there’s any extra apple or fennel, place around the outside of the chicken.
• Cook on low for 5 hours or on high for 3 hours.  Set it and forget it, baby!!
• If you love that crispy skin, put your oven on the broiler setting and place the chicken inside on a baking tray for a few minutes.  The skin will start to brown and bubble- that’s when you know to pull it out.