Earla, now's the time to make the most of your slow cooker.

Getting dinner on the table
can certainly be a
challenge at this time of
year, and slow cooking is
the perfect solution. Here
are my top tips for
superstar slow cooking.

Get a head start. Prep
ingredients the night before
and add the vegetables,
seasonings and liquid to
the slow cooker. Remove
the inner container and
refrigerate. (Note: store
prepped meat separately
and add just prior to
cooking.)

Don’t peek! When you lift
the lid, you lose heat, which
increases cooking time.

Speedup cleanup. Spray
the inside of the slow
cooker with non-stick
cooking spray before
adding the ingredients.

Enjoy,

Prep: 15 minutes
Total Time: 8 hours 15 minutes
Makes: 8 servings

1/4             cup Kraft Zesty Italian Dressing

3                lb. chicken thighs and drumsticks

1/2             lb. fresh mushrooms (about 10 medium), sliced
                   (about 2 cups)

1-1/2         cups coarsely chopped onions (about 1 medium)

1/2             cup each: red and green pepper strips

1                clove garlic, minced

1                can (14.5 oz.) crushed tomatoes

1                tsp. salt

1                tsp. dried thyme leaves

3                cups instant white rice, uncooked

HEAT dressing in large skillet on medium-high heat. Add chicken, in batches; cook 2 to 3 min. on each side or until browned on both sides.

PLACE mushrooms, onions, peppers and garlic in slow cooker; top with the chicken. Combine tomatoes, salt and thyme; pour over ingredients in slow cooker. Cover with lid. Cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours (or on HIGH for 5 hours).

COOK rice as directed on package. Serve chicken mixture over
the rice.