Chicken with Sourdough-Mushroom Stuffing

Chicken with Sourdough-Mushroom Stuffing

Dress up chicken and stuffing with big chunks of sourdough bread and mushrooms. Finish off this slow-cooked main dish with fresh gremolata. The lemon-peel, parsley, and chopped-walnut topping give it a fantastic citrusy flavor.

Chicken with Sourdough-Mushroom Stuffing

Ingredients

• Nonstick cooking spray
• 2tablespoons finely shredded lemon peel
• 1tablespoon ground sage
• 1tablespoon seasoned salt
• 1 1/2teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
• 8small chicken legs (thigh-drumstick piece), skinned (about 5 pounds)
• 1/4cup butter
• 4cups quartered or sliced fresh cremini, baby portobello, shiitake, and/or button mushrooms
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• 2cloves garlic, thinly sliced


• 8cups sourdough baguette cut into 1-inch pieces (about 10 oz.)
• 1cup coarsely shredded carrot
• 1cup chicken broth
• 1/4cup chopped walnuts, toasted
• 3tablespoons snipped flat leaf Italian parsley

1. Line a 5-1/2- to 6-quart slow cooker with a disposable cooker liner. Lightly coat liner with cooking spray; set aside. Reserve 1 teaspoon of the lemon peel. In a small bowl combine remaining lemon peel, sage, seasoned salt, and pepper. Remove 3/4 of the mixture and rub onto chicken legs. Place chicken in slow cooker.
2. 
   
3. Meanwhile, melt butter in a skillet; add mushrooms and garlic. Cook and stir 3 to 5 minutes or until just tender. Stir in remaining sage mixture. Transfer mushroom mixture to a large bowl. Add bread cubes, and shredded carrot. Drizzle with chicken broth, tossing gently.
4. Lightly pack stuffing on top of chicken. Cover and cook on high-heat setting for 4 to 5 hours.
5. Transfer stuffing and chicken to a platter.
6. In a bowl combine reserved lemon peel, walnuts, and parsley; sprinkle over chicken. Makes 8 servings.