Summer vegetables are delicious, and perfect to serve with almost everything. In this flavorful Slow Cooker Chicken and Veggie One-Pot, they are cooked with boneless, skinless chicken breasts and seasoned with a little brown sugar and an envelope of Italian salad dressing mix (it sounds weird, but it works). The entire dish takes about 15 minutes to put together, including the slicing of the onions and zucchini, so no matter what the plans are for the day, it can be done early and forgotten until time to eat.

Since boneless, skinless chicken thighs are the rage right now (everyone insists they have more flavor; I counter with “yes, a flavor that is very strong and reminds me of dirt.” I don’t usually mention the fact that thighs have a higher fat content and lots of extra veins), you may substitute them if you like. You can also add any vegetables from your garden. The trick to not overcooking the veggies in the pot is to put them on top and not stir them until dishing them onto a serving platter.

The bottom line is, if you are busy and have lots of better things to do than cook, this is a dish you will want to make over and over. It has minimal fat, maximum flavor, and requires minimal hands-on time. Since it’s prepared in the slow cooker, it won’t heat up the kitchen during those hot days of summer, and the end result is a dish that everyone will like.

8 Servings

2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast halves, cut into 8 serving-size pieces
1 medium onion, quartered and sliced
1 pound sliced fresh mushrooms
2 pounds small zucchinis, sliced
4 cobs of fresh corn, broken in half

1 envelope Italian salad dressing mix
1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup cornstarch, mixed until smooth with 1/4 cup cold water

1. Clean the breasts, removing any veins, fat, or other unsavory things and place them in the bottom of a 4-6 quart slow cooker.
2. Cover with the vegetables.
3. Mix the salad dressing mix and brown sugar; sprinkle the mixture evenly over all and don’t stir.
4. Cover, set the slow cooker to low, and let cook 4-6 hours or until the vegetables are tender.
5. Remove the vegetables and chicken to a serving platter.
6. Stir the cornstarch mixture into the juices; they will immediately thicken up.
7. Pour over the chicken and vegetables and serve.

Amount Per Serving
Calories 335 Calories from Fat 72
Percent Total Calories From: Fat 21% Protein 38% Carb. 40%

Nutrient Amount per Serving
Total Fat 8 g
Saturated Fat 2 g
Cholesterol 76 mg
Sodium 78 mg
Total Carbohydrate 34 g
Dietary Fiber 2 g
Sugars 0 g
Protein 32 g

Vitamin A 12% Vitamin C 31% Calcium 0% Iron 16%