What's Cookin': Slow Cooker Chicken Chow Mein!

This doesn't have nearly as much in it as the recipe called for, but I couldn't find some, and I didn't like the rest so I just cut it down to what I knew we would eat. But I'll give the whole recipe for those who want it.

Slow Cooker Chicken Chow Mein - makes 4-5 servings
1.5(ish) pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
2 medium carrots, sliced
2 medium celery stalks, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped (doh! totally forgot to put this in.)
2 cloves garlic, minced (or about a tsp of powder)
1 can water chestnuts, drained (didn't use! nasty things...)
1 cup chicken broth
2 Tbs soy sauce
1/2 tsp finely chopped gingerroot (or about a tsp of powder)
2 Tbs cornstarch
3 Tbs cold water
1 Cup sliced fresh mushrooms (Ben doesn't like 'em)
1 Cup snow pea pods (couldn't find 'em)

Remove fat from chicken and cut into bite size pieces. In a large skillet, cook chicken in about a tablespoon vegetable oil until brown. Place the carrots, celery, onion, garlic and water chestnuts (yuck!) in a slow cooker. Add chicken on top. Mix the broth, soy sauce and ginger in a bowl and pour over chicken. Cook on low 6-8 hours.

When it's done, mix the cornstarch and cold water together in a small bowl. Stir into the chicken mix then add the mushrooms and pea pods (if you're using them). Set to high and cook for 15 more minutes.

I served this over chow mein noodles that I got for $1.25 for a 1 pound package (I think it was a pound. Maybe it was 14 oz.). I cooked the noodles according to the package, then I fried them up in a screaming hot skillet with about two tablespoons of oil until they just started to crisp, tossing them with soy sauce and garlic powder. I noticed they kind of tasted like Ramen noodles, so you could probably get away with doing the same thing to a package of those if you couldn't find/afford chow mein. Or there's always rice, of course.

Ben and I both agree this needed peanuts and I think I will add some red pepper flakes next time for a little heat. I'm also not terribly sure about the cornstarch next time. I think it made it too thick, but that might have been because I didn't have everything else in there. But either way, it was good.

Ben Rating: 4. He said it was very tasty. :)