Slow Cooker African Chicken Stew (Guest Post)

Remember the good old days when I used to post recipes on my blog (Annie One Can Cook)?

Yeah, me neither.

Since becoming pregnant, I have been all about my "famous" go-to recipes--recipes that are tried, true, and simple to prepare (like my Slow Cooker Green Bean Dumpling Soup, Jalapeno Chicken Casserole, and Shrimp and Artichoke Pasta). I just haven't felt that adventurous or daring in the kitchen..

But that is all going to change after today! I'm so excited to announce that we actually have a mouthwatering and easy to prepare meal today on AOCC--the perfect meal to warm you up during these chilly fall nights! I'll tell you one thing: this lazy pregnant mamma is looking forward to making (and eating) this stew this weekend!

Anyway, enough pregnant rambles..

Please give a warm welcome to my new friend, Meredeth!

Fall is here, meaning it’s the perfect time to get in the kitchen and start playing with new recipes and seasonal ingredients. When it’s cold outside, most of us start craving hot soups, stews and chili recipes, along with yummy fall foods like pumpkin, butternut squash, sweet potatoes and anything cinnamon-flavored.

Another popular fall cooking theme is slow cooking, which is one of the easiest cooking methods out there. No matter how experienced you are in the kitchen, it’s hard to mess up a slow cooker dish. Some recipes require a little bit of prep work, but most slow cooker meals don’t require much more than tossing ingredients into the crock pot and letting all the flavors blend together.

Slow cooker recipes are great for days when you know you won’t have time to cook after work or if you’ll be eating over a long period of time and want to keep your food warm, like during a football game. And since you can cook almost anything in a slow cooker, from pulled pork and chili to bread and desserts, you don’t have to worry about repeating or running out of dinner ideas.

This slow cooker African chicken stew is the perfect recipe to make as we head into fall. Not only does it feature seasonal sweet potatoes, but it’s thick, hearty and perfect for cool fall evenings. There’s a minimal amount of prep work involved that can be done the night before or quickly in the morning, but the slow cooker does most of the work for you. Start this dish in the morning and you’ll come home to a yummy-smelling kitchen and a hot, delicious meal nine hours later. Enjoy!

Slow Cooker African Chicken Stew

Prep Time: 15 min

Total Time: 7¼ hours

Serves: 6

·         PAM® Original No-Stick Cooking Spray

·         1 teaspoon Pure Wesson® Vegetable Oil

·         ¼ teaspoon salt

·         1 ¼ pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into quarters

·         ¼ cup Peter Pan® Creamy Peanut Butter

·         ¼ cup water

·         ½ teaspoon garlic powder

·         1 10 oz. can Ro*Tel® Original Diced Tomatoes & Green Chilies, undrained

·         1 pound (about 2 medium) sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 ½ inch pieces

·         2 cups frozen bell pepper and onion strips 

Spray the inside of a 4-quart slow cooker with cooking spray. Heat oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle salt all over chicken. Add to skillet and cook until browned, stirring occasionally. Stir in peanut butter, water, garlic powder and undrained tomatoes. Cook until mixture is blended and chicken is coated.

Layer sweet potatoes and frozen vegetables in the slow cooker and top everything with the chicken mixture. Cover and cook on low for 7 to 9 hours or until chicken and vegetables are very tender. Gently stir to mix.

Author Bio: This is a guest post by Meredith K. on behalf of ReadySetEat. Visit ReadySetEat online for more slow cooker meals from enchiladas to easy chili recipes.