Nancy Fuller’s Crockpot Chicken Has a Giada-Approved Secret Ingredient – SheKnows

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There’s nothing that gets dinner on the table as easily as a slow cooker, but we’re always looking for ways to make a simple Crockpot chicken dinner recipe a little more exciting and flavorful. And we’re not alone! Nancy Fuller, author of Farmhouse Rules: Simple Seasonal Meals For the Whole Family (currently 72% off on Amazon), has a few different ways that she deepens the flavor in a simple slow cooker chicken meal, and her most recent recipe, shared on Instagram, uses one of Giada De Laurentiis’ favorite “secret” ingredients…anchovies!

Bear with us, because we know a lot of people are a little sketched out by anchovies. But Fuller uses just 3 small anchovy filets, and sautées them in oil before adding them to the slow cooker, so they basically dissolve, adding a salty, umami flavor to the dish that doesn’t tasty fishy. Of course, you can always leave the anchovies out, but if you do, add a dash of something like worcestershire sauce to the slow cooker to add an extra punch of flavor.

For the veggies, Fuller uses mirepoix (diced celery, carrots, and onions — you can get it pre-made at Trader Joe’s if you want to save even more time). She sautées those ahead of time, and then browns her chicken. This step does help add more flavor, but if you’re pressed for time, you can skip it — we’ll admit that we often do.

The key seasoning in Fuller’s slow cooker chicken dish is Devilish Dill seasoning, a collaboration between Fresh Eggs Daily and The Spice House. It’s a blend of dried mustard, sea salt, garlic, pepper, dill, tarragon, and chives, which you can also just add individually to get the same flavor that Fuller is going for.

Last but not least, Fuller’s final special touch in her slow cooker chicken recipe is cream cheese. She says you can use 1-8 ounces, so basically just as much as you’d like. For a creamier dish, throw it all in, but if you just want a little bit of tangy dairy flavor, a tablespoon or two will do.

Once you throw your ingredients into the slow cooker, your machine does the rest of the work. Your house will fill with the fragrant aroma of dill, herbs, savory chicken, and roasted veggies, all while you’re freed up to do whatever you’d like until dinner’s ready.

Before you go, check out Ina Garten’s easy weeknight dinner recipes below:

Watch: We Tried Ina Garten’s Overnight Mac & Cheese & We Totally Get Why It Broke the Internet