Well, there’s no other way to say it. Over the past week, my life has been falling apart.
Last week, my husband and I both took two days off of work to take our first vacation since I started working in a newsroom. And like many other jobs, taking time off meant I both had to work in advance before leaving to keep up and then work frantically to catch up on everything I missed while I was gone.
In between those hectic days, there were a few shining moments of vacation. After an 11-hour drive to Florida, I spent a few days in the “happiest” and most expensive place on Earth. I rode rides. I saw a cartoon mouse. Dreams were coming true.
And then, we were packing up to make the 11-hour drive back to Mississippi with our feet about 20 miles sorer than when we started.
When Hunter and I got back home, reality immediately kicked in. There were bags to unpack. There was laundry everywhere. There was a fridge with a suspicious smell in it. And there was a work schedule to get back to.
Through my own time management failures, I ended up not grocery shopping when we got back home for several days in a row, leading us to eat more and more poorly as the week progressed. Soon, our meals were completely reduced to fast food and the occasional PopTart.
Eventually, my stomach and my brain were both exhausted. So, on Sunday afternoon, I finally rolled up my sleeves and got to work.
There’s nothing more powerful than a woman with some disinfectant and a dream.
I did the dishes. I cleaned the kitchen. I folded the laundry. I grocery shopped. I even managed to plan a meal that was more substantial than a drive-thru sandwich. Does that make me a hero? I can’t say. But yes.
After all of the fast food and grease from the week before, I knew I wanted to go back to the basics. I wanted something delicious and filling. And I wanted it in a slow cooker. Because if I’ve learned anything since starting to write for this food column, it’s that anything is possible with a slow cooker.
That’s when I found a slow cooker Parmesan Chicken and Potatoes recipe on Delish, which seemed to line up perfectly with my gastrointestinal needs and my current energy level. It only included three steps, one of which was to just dump everything in the slow cooker and let the thing do its job. It was one of the most beautiful things I had ever read, especially with a few quick changes for even more convenience.
By the time I sat down to dinner that night, I felt a sense of pride and accomplishment that almost rivaled the joy I saw looking at a five-foot-tall cartoon mouse. The meal was delicious, but more than that, it was exactly what my heart needed. It was the vacation I needed after my vacation.
So, if you also need a recipe to help you recover and put your life back together, I’ve got the perfect one right here for you. Enjoy your chicken and potatoes. They may even feel magical, if you’re hungry enough.
SLOW COOKER PARMESAN CHICKEN AND POTATOES
Ingredients
3 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 pounds bone-in skin-on chicken thighs
Salt and pepper
1 pound baby red potatoes, quartered
2 Tablespoons butter
5 cloves garlic
2 teaspoons dried thyme
2 Tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
Directions
■ In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat 1 Tablespoon of olive oil. Add chicken, seasoning with salt and pepper, and sear until golden (about 3 minutes on each side).
■ In a large slow cooker, toss potatoes with remaining olive oil, butter, garlic, thyme and Parmesan. Season generously with salt and pepper. Add chicken and cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours until cooked through.
■ Garnish with more Parmesan cheese and serve.
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