Recipe of the Week: Slow Cooker Chicken Florentine Pasta

Busy with holiday shopping, decorating, and socializing? That's no reason not to enjoy a delicious home-cooked meal! I'm devoting the month of December to slow-cooker meals that will get you in and out of the kitchen quickly, without compromising your nutrition needs and goals.

This is a slow-cooker version of a recipe from my online class "Luscious, Low-Fat, Lightning-Quick Meals." If you've taken the course and tried the stove top version, I'd love to hear how you think this version compares!

Slow Cooker Chicken Florentine

Spinach haters will change their mind about it after they try this recipe! The long cooking time gives the flavors time to blend, the chicken is supremely tender, and of course, the slow cooker makes it oh-so-easy...luscious, low-fat, and lightning-quick, indeed!

Nutmeg, usually used as a so-called "sweet spice," is used only as a seasoning, not a flavoring, in this recipe and gives the sauce a wonderful depth. The cayenne helps counter the tinny flavor often encountered in using canned ingredients, and also acts as a fat replacer. It doesn't make the recipe spicy at all.

Ingredients:

1 (10 3/4 ounce) can reduced-sodium, lowered-fat cream of chicken soup
1 small white onion, quartered and thinly sliced (or one cup fresh or frozen pre-diced onion)
1 teaspoon bottled minced garlic (or one garlic clove, minced)
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
2 dashes ground cayenne
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 (6 ounce) package pre-washed spinach leaves
1/2 cup shredded Swiss cheese (or 2 1-ounce slices crumbled Swiss cheese)
4 cups cooked pasta, rice, potatoes, spaghetti squash, OR 4 slices toast

Directions:

Combine soup, onion, garlic, nutmeg, pepper, and cayenne in slow cooker. Place chicken on top. Cook on HIGH for 4-6 hours, or on LOW for 6-8 hours, or until chicken is tender.

When chicken is done, shred chicken with two forks. Add spinach and cheese, and stir to combine. Allow spinach to cook until it wilts slightly.

Serve over cooked pasta, rice, potatoes, spaghetti squash, or toast points.