Chicken & Sausage
Submitted by Lee
Slow cooker chicken and kielbasa simmered with navy beans, tomato paste, red wine, and warm spices. A hearty French cassoulet-style stew from frozen chicken with just 5 minutes of prep.
YIELD
8 servingsPREP
5 minCOOK
9 hrsREADY
9 hrsFive minutes of prep and the slow cooker does nine hours of work. That’s the deal here, and it’s a good one.
Frozen chicken breasts go straight into the Crock-Pot on top of navy beans simmered in a red wine and tomato paste sauce seasoned with thyme, garlic, cloves, and bay leaves. Sliced kielbasa sits right on top, and everything slow-cooks together until the chicken is fall-apart tender and the beans have soaked up all that rich, winey broth.
This is cassoulet for people who don’t have all day to babysit a pot on the stove. It feeds eight and the leftovers are even better the next day.
Pro Tips
- Start with frozen chicken. This recipe is specifically designed for it. The long, slow cook time ensures the chicken cooks through safely while staying incredibly moist.
- Don’t rush the cook time. The recipe says 9 to 10 hours on low for a reason. Less time means the frozen chicken may not reach a safe internal temperature.
- Skim the fat before serving. The kielbasa releases a fair amount of rendered fat during the long cook. A quick skim cleans up the broth and lets the tomato-wine flavor shine.
Ingredients
Directions
Use frozen chicken pieces so chicken cooks tender but not over done.
In small saucepan, bring carrots, onions, and water to a boil.
Simmer covered 5 minutes.
Transfer to 3¼ to 4 quart crock pot.
Stir in tomato paste, wine, and seasonings; add beans.
Place frozen chicken on top of bean mixture.
Place sausage on top of chicken.
Cover. Cook on low heat setting for 9 to 10 hours or HIGH heat for 5½ to 6 hours.
Do not cook for less time.
This long cooking time is necessary when starting with frozen chicken.
Before serving, remove bay leaves and skim off fat.
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