Harvest Chicken

This recipe comes from Taste of Homes Healthy Cooking Magazine Nov. 2008. Ha-Ha old issue huh! yup I have a definite cook book and magazine fetish hehe.. I can't throw them away! So I was going through some of the older ones for new things and seeing as I had a ton of left over cubed butternut squash this seemed perfect to use it up for! I used bone-less skinless thighs instead of legs and I would say if you do not like a bit of soft squash, this may not be for you. I loved it, Step Dad thought tasty. Mom... hated it, texture issues. She doesn't like mushy veggies and the squash gets quite soft, actually reminds me of pumpkin! I loved it and will enjoy it for lunch tomorrow. The recipe also says that it cooks for 5 hours on low, mine cooked very very quick and I ended up keeping it on warm for almost 2 hours. Not sure if my cooker is hot or what so next time I would cook it for only 3 hours or so. Just keep an eye on it so that the chicken is cooked through and the squash is to your liking before moving on to the orzo step! I for one definitely loved it!

Harvest Chicken:

1 medium butternut squash ( about 3 lbs), peeled and cubed
1 can (14.25) diced tomatoes, drained
1 medium onion, chopped
3/4 c reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp coarsely ground pepper, divided
1/4 c all-purpose flour
1 tsp seasoned salt
6 chicken drumsticks, skin removed ( I used boneless skinless thighs)
1 c uncooked orzo pasta

1. in a 5 qt slow cooker, combine the squash, tomatoes, onion, celery, broth, garlic, Italian seasoning and 1/8 tsp pepper.
In a large resealable plastic bag, combine the flour, seasoned salt and remaining pepper. Add chicken, a few pieces at a time, and shake to coat. Place chicken on top of vegetables.  Cover and cook on low for 5 hours on low or until chicken juices fun clear. Remove chicken and keep warm.
Stir orzo into vegetable mixture; cover and cook 15-20 minutes longer or until orzo is tender.
Serve topped with Chicken.


Some day I will learn how to take the pleasing pics that everyone else has on their blog, color wise, the plate doesn't look all that, but it really is tasty. I enjoyed it greatly!