Chicken-in-a-Packet (or in the crock pot)

This has been such a favorite for a long time, it deserves a post on the blog.  It's one of Tyler's favorite recipes and he always requests it when I ask him his dinner ideas for the week.  As you can tell by the name of the recipe, it actually calls for the chicken and veggies to be cooked in individual foil 'packets,' kind of like a tinfoil dinner, but in the oven.  While it was fun to cook this that way the first couple times, it gets daunting separating everything into packets.  Now that my kids are older, it might be fun to have everyone make their own instead of me having to do them all.  But before I just realized that my kids can help, I looked for easier ways to make one of our favorite dishes.  I have made this is a covered baking dish in the oven as well as the crock pot.  All three ways have produced a successful result.  Just decide which way you like best.  My kids like to have the rice with it.  Tyler and I like it either way, rice or not.  I am not sure why we still call it "Chicken in a Packet" since we don't really cook it in the packet anymore, but none-the-less, we do.

Chicken in a Packet

Ingredients:

4-5 medium tomatoes, sliced

1 medium yellow onion, sliced

8 oz fresh mushrooms, sliced

1 large green bell pepper, sliced

4 med red potatoes, diced or cut into wedges (I like to mix it up)

5-6 Chicken tenderloins or 3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

5-6 tsp butter, cut into 5-6 chunks

2 1/2 T Worcestershire sauce

4 T honey

1/4 tsp pepper

Cooked rice for serving, if desired.

Directions:

For the Crock pot:  Spray inside with cooking spray, add tomatoes in an even layer, top with onions, mushrooms, bell pepper, potatoes and then chicken.  Add 1 tsp butter to the top of each piece of chicken, drizzle with Worcestershire and honey, sprinkle with pepper. 

Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-8 hours until potatoes are tender and chicken is cooked through.  Serve over rice if desired and with juices.

For Baking dish:  In a 5 quart covered baking dish, layer ingredients as above and bake (@350), covered for 1 hour or until chicken is cooked through and potatoes are tender.

For packets:  Preheat oven to 450.  Using 4-6 pieces of foil cut 20 inches long, layer ingredients in each piece of foil.  Place a tsp of butter on top of each piece of chicken, distribute the Worcestershire and honey evenly, sprinkle with pepper.  Seal packets and place all on a baking sheet.  Cut a vent hole in each packet and bake for 35 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and potatoes are tender.

Serves 4-6

 Adapted From:  Easy Everyday Cooking (although I didn't find this recipe on their site.)