Slow Cooker: Smothered Buttermilk Chicken

Today seemed like a good day for the slow cooker.  Like I mentioned in my previous post, the kids had a playdate today and I'm going to be going out in a little bit to have dinner with one of my girlfriends.  I wanted my husband and kids to be able to have something healthy (but also quick and easy!) for dinner.  I've had this recipe bookmarked for some time now, which was found while perusing the cooking light message boards.  I'm finally beginning to learn the cooking speed of my slow cooker.....it cooks things very fast! Even on low!  So, even though this recipe calls for cooking 6-8 hours on low, the chicken was done in 4 1/2 hours.  That's when I added the gravy mix and the buttermilk mixture and cranked the temp up to high.  It probably could have cooked on low longer, to meld the flavors a little more, but I was being super cautious since I've felt the slow cooker has been overcooking meals.  I also used cut up chicken parts that my husband had froze when he was making homemade chicken stock last weekend, instead of the boneless thighs.  I of course had to take a tiny taste of this dish when I served it to the kids and I thought it tasted good.  Kind of like a pot pie without the crust, although I did serve it with mashed potatoes and biscuits!  My daughter thought it was okay and my son wouldn't even try it.  I'm giving it a one thumbs up though since I thought it was tasty and it was quick and easy!

Smothered Buttermilk Chicken
Found on the Cooking Light Message Boards, posted by mrswaz (originally found in Pillsbury's Slow Cooker Favorites)

Ingredients:
1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs
3 medium carrots -- sliced
1/3 cup onion -- chopped
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 bay leaf
1 package roasted chicken gravy mix
1/3 cup buttermilk
2 teaspoons flour
1 cup frozen peas

Directions:
In a 4 to 6 quart crock pot, combine chicken, carrots, onion, water, butter, salt, pepper and bay leaf; mix well.

Cover; cook on low setting for 6 to 8 hours. High setting for 3 to 4 hours.

ABout 20 minutes before serving, stir gravy mix into crock pot. Remove and discard bay leaf.

In a measuring cup, blend buttermilk and flour until smooth. Stir flour mixture and peas into chicken; mix well.

Cover, increase heat to high; cover and cook an additonal 25-20 minutes or until peas are cooked.

Serve with rice or biscuits.
NOTES : **You can use frozen bone in chicken thighs as well. Just turn up the heat to high for the first hour, then down to low for the remaining 6 hours. Before stirring in gravy mix, remove the skin from the chicken. The chicken will fall apart and meld nicely with the rest of the dish- just be sure to remove the bones before serving.