Chicken Pizzaiola
Serves 4
Cooking Time 2 to 3 hours on Low
Slow Cooker Size 5½ to 7 Quarts
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS: For the ultimate easy, family-friendly dinner, we wanted to translate the flavors
of pizza to a simple chicken dinner. We nestled boneless, skinless chicken breasts
into the slow cooker and surrounded them with flavorful jarred marinara sauce to help
them cook gently and retain their juices. We layered the pepperoni over the chicken
so it would season the chicken and sauce as its fat rendered. We set the slow cooker
on low so the chicken would cook through gently. After a few hours, we had moist,
tender chicken and rich sauce to spoon over pasta. For the finishing touch, we sprinkled
on mozzarella to give each piece of chicken a rich, cheesy coating. Victoria Marinara Sauce is the test kitchen’s favorite brand;. You will need an oval slow cooker for this
recipe. Serve over pasta or egg noodles. See the sidebar that follows the recipe.
|
2 |
cups jarred marinara sauce |
|
4 |
(6- to 8-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed |
|
|
Salt and pepper |
|
2 |
ounces thinly sliced pepperoni |
|
1 |
cup shredded mozzarella cheese |
1. Spread marinara sauce in slow cooker. Season chicken with salt and pepper and nestle into slow cooker. Lay pepperoni in even layer over chicken. Cover and cook until chicken is tender, 2 to 3 hours on low.
2. Sprinkle chicken with mozzarella, cover, and cook on high until cheese is melted, about 5 minutes.
3. Transfer chicken to serving dish. Using large spoon, skim excess fat from surface of sauce. Stir sauce to recombine and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with chicken.