What’s not to like about chicken baked with bacon, cheese, and mushrooms? This is a rich, filling dish—and yes, it calls for 12 cloves of garlic! In the slow cooker, they break down and mellow into a pleasant, not-too-strong flavor.
SLOW COOKER SIZE: LARGE
1 cup dried porcini mushrooms (1-ounce package)
6 slices sugar-free bacon
3 to 4 bone-in chicken leg quarters (about 3½ pounds, leg and thigh pieces)
2 tablespoons butter
12 ounces fresh wild mushrooms, sliced (see Tip)
12 garlic cloves, halved
Salt and pepper
½ cup chicken broth
½ cup full-fat sour cream
1¼ cups shredded Swiss cheese
1.Place the dried mushrooms in a deep bowl. Pour boiling water over to cover, then set aside and allow to reconstitute for 15 minutes.
2.Meanwhile, in a large skillet, over medium-high heat, cook the bacon until crisp, 6 to 10 minutes. Remove the crisp bacon, let cool slightly, and cut into ½-inch pieces. Set aside.
3.Add the chicken to the bacon drippings and cook over medium- high heat until browned, turning to brown evenly, 5 to 7 minutes. Place the chicken in the slow cooker.
4.Add the butter to the bacon drippings in the large skillet and melt over medium-high heat. Add the fresh mushrooms and cook, stirring frequently, until the mushrooms release their moisture and the moisture evaporates, about 5 minutes.
5.Drain the dried mushrooms. Transfer them and the sautéed mushrooms in the slow cooker. Add the bacon and the garlic, and season with salt and pepper. Pour the chicken broth over the chicken.
6.Cover and cook on Low for 4 to 6 hours, or until the chicken is tender. Using a spatula, lift the chicken pieces out of the slow cooker and arrange on a deep platter. Cover and allow to stand for 10 minutes.
7.Stir the sour cream and 1 cup of the Swiss cheese into the drippings and mushrooms in the slow cooker. Cover and cook on High for 10 minutes, stirring midway through.
8.Spoon the creamy mushroom mixture over the chicken. Garnish with the remaining ¼ cup shredded Swiss cheese.
★ TIP: Wild mushrooms will give a slightly richer, more earthy flavor to this dish. While many mushrooms are referred to as wild, they are generally cultivated and readily sold in grocery stores. You might choose porcini, chanterelle, shiitake, maitake, or oyster or a combination of these. Foraging for mushrooms is not recommended. If you prefer, substitute white button mushrooms instead.
PER SERVING: 882 CALORIES ★ FAT 68 G (69%) ★ NET CARBS 7 G (3%) ★ PROTEIN 57 G (26%)
