Pesto Ranch Chicken

The first recipe I'm going to post about (in real time, at least. I need to go back and post about the ones I've already tried) is the Pesto Ranch Chicken, originally posted on Picky Palate's page. Of course, knowing me, I can't ever just follow recipes exactly, so I made a few small changes. 

I give this recipe 4 out of 5 stars.

I don't have my own picture at the moment, I will post my "after" this evening.

The original recipe calls for 

• 8 chicken thighs (I used 6 breasts, which I seasoned with sea salt and pepper)
• 1 6oz container of pesto sauce (mine was 7oz)
• 1/2 c of chicken broth
• 1 packet of Hidden Valley Ranch dressing mix

You then throw it all on a crock pot on low and let it do its thing. I also added a bag of Italian seasoned potatoes. I should have added some broccoli, too, because that would have gone perfectly. Next time. 

I think my biggest issue with this recipe is the crock pot. Has anyone else noticed how HOT they run now? I left mine on just the "Keep Warm" setting, and some of the pesto actually burned! I was so glad I came home early because of the snow, because otherwise the whole thing would have been inedible. As it was, the chicken was falling apart and everything was mushy. The flavor was amazing, and would have been even more so without the burned pesto. I stirred it, and it all just turned into a big goopy mess. I think this could have been made on the stove top or in the oven for better consistency. I had hoped to have a chicken breast and some potatoes next to salad, and that just didn't work out. 

See? what a mess!

If you didn't add any vegetables to this, however, it would have made a perfect filling for a wrap or panini. You could also have doubled the pesto and chicken broth and served with pasta. Like I said, it really does have great flavor, the basil wasn't overpowering like it can be in some pesto dishes, and even my 2.5 year old ate the chicken without much fuss. I either need to get a smaller crock pot or make this a different way. I really thought leaving it on the "Keep Warm" setting was going to fix the issue. 

***Update! I bought a 3.5 quart Cuisinart Programmable Slow Cooker on Amazon for 60% off the original sale price of $110. It's awesome. I made this recipe again. This time, though, I used frozen chicken breasts and it came out a little too watery. Next time I will plan better, but I had no issues whatsoever with it burning or anything. If you're only cooking for 2-3, I DEFINITELY recommend getting a smaller slow cooker. I love that this one is programmable, since I am gone for 10 hours a day during the week. I don't want to leave something cooking that long, because then it definitely will be over done. 
I ended up making it with garlic and sour cream mashed potatoes, and it was delicious. :)