Slow Cooker Chicken and Spinach

Like many slow cooker recipes, this one takes a little preparation, but it's great to come home to a (mostly) prepared meal when you need to be away right before supper!

The recipe serves 2 but I add extra chicken so that I have leftovers to make other recipes. You can save money by purchasing a whole chicken and cutting it into pieces yourself. 

This Slow Cooker Chicken and Spinach recipe can be the start of a meal progression that spans several days if you plan ahead. Here's an example of what I mean:

Day 1: Crockpot Chicken and Spinach (with extra chicken.)
Same night: Chicken bone broth with added pieces.
Day 2: Chicken Salad with leftover chicken.
Day 3: Chicken Vegetable Soup.

I'll expand more on this in another post. For now, lets look at what you need for the

Chicken and Spinach Recipe:

1 Whole Chicken, cut up (or about 8-9 pieces of chicken.)
Salt & Pepper
1 large onion, chopped
1 T. butter or lard
8 garlic cloves, sliced
4 t. tomato paste
1 t. paprika
1/4 t. crushed red pepper
1/2 c. water
8-12 oz. fresh spinach
1/2 c. raisins
Juice of 1/2 lemon
2 T. sunflower seeds (pecans or pine nuts work as well.)

Cut up chicken and generously season pieces with salt and pepper.

Heat butter or lard in a frying pan. Add chopped onion and cook for a few minutes. Add sliced garlic and cook until starting to brown.

Sliced garlic is a nice alternative to crushed or minced.

Add tomato paste, paprika and red pepper to frying pan, stir to incorporate. Add 1/2 c. water and mix well.
Pour tomato mixture into slow cooker. Add chicken pieces, turning them over to coat with sauce. Cook on low about 3 hours.
Pull out chicken and add fresh spinach to slow cooker, stirring to coat with remaining sauce. Mix in raisins. Lay the chicken back in the cooker on top of spinach. Cover and cook on high another 20 minutes or so.
Remove chicken to a serving plate and stir lemon juice and nuts into spinach. Serve.