This easy chicken dish brings everyone to the table with its heavenly aroma

Cooktop Cove: This easy chicken dish brings everyone to the table with its heavenly aroma

By Robin Donovan

There are certain dishes that really bring people together. This rich, creamy chicken dish is one of those. Just the aroma that emanates from the pot as it cooks is enough to draw people to the kitchen. Even better, this is an easy slow cooker recipe that cooks while you attend to other things.

The recipe is modeled on a popular Olive Garden dish that's served over pasta. With its rich, garlicky sauce, the dish is terrific on pasta, but it’s also perfect over rice or couscous. For a low-carb version, try it over cauliflower rice.

Creamy Tuscan chicken thighs

5 minutes

8 hours and 10 minutes

8 hours and 15 minutes

1 tablespoon butter

6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs

½ teaspoon kosher salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 cup of water to deglaze pan

Two 15-ounce jars Alfredo sauce

½ cup slivered sun-dried tomatoes (not oil packed)

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper

One 5-ounce bag baby spinach

Melt the butter in a large, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat,

Season the chicken with salt and pepper, and cook it for 3 to 4 minutes per side, until browned.

Transfer the chicken to the slow cooker.

Deglaze the pan with water.

Stir together the Alfredo sauce, sun-dried tomatoes and cheese, Italian seasoning and red pepper in a bowl. Pour the mixture over the chicken in the slow cooker.

Cover the slow cooker, and cook and cook for 8 hours on low, until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce is bubbling.

Add the spinach to the slow cooker, cover, and cook for 5 more minutes, just until the spinach is wilted.

Serve hot.