Slow Cooker Chicken & Mushrooms with White Wine Gravy

This certainally isn't my typical type of thing to make, but sometimes you just want some kind of comfort food. A meal worthy of being a "Sunday Dinner," even if you actually have it on a Monday because of a football playoff game get together.

I found this recipe, originally as a stew, from Williams Sonoma. I used less liquid to cook it in, which I then thickened into a gravy before serving. Instead of cooking it along with red skinned potatoes, I served it over top mashed Yukon Golds. (Which we made with 2% milk and Smart Blance in attempt to make ourselves feel slightly better about eating mashed potatoes when it wasn't a holiday.)

While the original recipe called for a cooktime 5 hours on high, Sage was starving (and the wonderful aroma was killing him) so we only cooked ours for three, and the chicken was fork tender and beginning to fall apart. With the potatoes and steamed veggies, this was more than enough for two adults, and I think by just adding an extra breast you could easily get four servings.

2 tbsp all purpose flour
sea salt and fresh ground pepper
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 tbsp olive oil
1 small yellow onion, sliced
16 oz. button mushrooms, quartered
1 bay leaf
3 fresh thyme sprigs
4 fresh flat leaf parsley sprigs
1 cup dry white wine
3/4 cup chicken or vegetable stock
2 tbsps cornstarch
mashed potatoes, for serving

In a shallow bowl, stir together flour and salt and pepper. Lightly dredge chicken pieces and set aside.

Heat oil in a medium sized saute pan over medium heat until hot but not smoking. Brown chicken about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer to slow cooker. Add onion, mushrooms, bay leaf, thyme, parsley, stock and half of the wine.

Pour remaining half cup of wine to pan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, scraping up any browned bits. Pour into slow cooker over chicken and vegetables and cover. Cook for 3-4 hours on high, until chicken is tender.

Remove bay leaf, thyme and parsley sprigs. Carefully strain liquids from slowcooker into a small saucepan, reserving about a 1/4 cup. In a small container, blend reserved liquid and the cornstarch together until smooth. Heat saucepan over medium heat and pour cornstarch mixture in, stirring until thickened, about a minute or two.

Serve chicken, mushrooms and onion over mashed potatoes and top with gravy.