Slow Cooker Chicken with Figs and Blue Cheese

In last week’s search for dishes to fit into the menu plan, I ran across a meal for the slow cooker! I love using my slow cooker. I can come home for lunch, throw everything in the slow cooker and when I get home from work, dinner is ready! I already had polenta and onion as well as oranges for the zest. So I only needed a few more items.

Also, I’d never cooked with boneless, skinless chicken thighs—they were delicious! Even my mom, who doesn’t love dark meat, liked it. (She had leftovers over brown rice a couple days later.)

Chicken with Figs and Blue Cheese

1 ½ cups low-sodium chicken broth
¼ cup balsamic vinegar

1 Tbsp grated orange zest

¼ tsp salt

½ tsp black pepper

1 package (8oz) dried mission figs, stems removed

1 Tbsp vegetable oil

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs

1 large onion, thinly sliced
2 Tbsp flour
3 cups prepared polenta
¼ cup crumbled blue cheese

In a bowl, stir together broth, vinegar, orange zest, and ¼ tsp each salt and pepper. Coarsely chop figs. Heat oil in skillet over med-high heat. Add chicken and cook 5 minutes per side until browned. Remove into slow cooker.

Add onion to skillet, sprinkle with ¼ tsp each salt and pepper, and cook for 2 minutes, stirring often. Stir in flour and cook 1 minute. Pour in broth mixture and bring to a boil. Add all contents to slow cooker, including figs.

Cook in slow cooker for 5 hours on low (or 2 hours on high). When chicken is ready, prepare polenta. Serve chicken mixture over polenta and divide blue cheese over servings.

Makes 6 servings. I pulled it into my WW recipe builder and it came up with 7 points.

Brent’s comment: “ I could eat this over and over.” He loves blue cheese!

I loved it too! Next time I might add the figs in later in the cooking process so they aren’t as soft.