Chocolate Cream Pie Murder (Hannah Swensen #24)(16)

1 bottle good cabernet or burgundy (both are full- bodied red wines)

? pound thick-sliced bacon (see Hannah’s 1st Note below)

3 stalks celery, chopped into ?-inch slices 1 large sweet onion peeled and cut into quarter-inch slices (I used Vidalia)

10 boneless, skinless chicken thighs ? teaspoon coarse ground black pepper 3 shallots, peeled and quartered 20 small fresh carrot nuggets 12-ounce package frozen pearl onions 1 pound fresh white mushrooms 2 minced garlic cloves (see Hannah’s Substitution List below)

2 cups chicken broth 3 Tablespoons tomato paste (I used Hunt’s)

5 fresh thyme sprigs (see Hannah’s Substitution List below)

5 fresh rosemary sprigs, chopped (see Hannah’s Substitution List below)

3 fresh basil leaves (see Hannah’s Substitution List below)

2 packages chicken gravy mix (the kind that makes 1 cup gravy per package) 4 Tablespoons (2 ounces, ? stick) salted butter





Hannah’s Substitution List: There are shortcuts you can take, even to this simple recipe, to reduce the preparation time. I’ve tried all of these and they work.



For the half-pound of thick bacon, you can use a half-cup of cooked chopped bacon (I used Hormel). Just be careful to buy REAL bacon, not the bacon bits that are made of non-meat products.



For the pound of fresh white mushrooms, you can use 4 four-ounce cans of button mushrooms, but you must drain them before adding them to the crock.



For the minced garlic cloves, you can use a teaspoon of jarred minced garlic.



For the spices, rather than buying fresh thyme sprigs, fresh rosemary sprigs, and fresh basil leaves, you can use 1 teaspoon of powered thyme, ? teaspoon of powdered rosemary, and 1 teaspoon of dried basil leaves.



Spray the inside of the crock of your slow cooker with Pam or another nonstick cooking spray. (This will make it easier for you to wash later.)



Measure the contents of your bottle of cabernet by pouring it into a measuring cup. You are going to reduce the wine to half of its present volume.



Pour the wine into a saucepan and place it on the stovetop. Heat the wine on MEDIUM HIGH until it reaches a boil.



Turn the heat down to MEDIUM, making sure that the wine still maintains a gentle boil.



Set your timer for 15 minutes. It should take the wine approximately that long to reduce by half.



Place the uncooked bacon on a cutting board and dice it with a knife.



Place the diced, uncooked bacon in a microwave-safe bowl.



Heat the bacon on HIGH for 2 minutes. Leave it in the microwave and let it sit for 2 minutes.



Check the bacon to see if it’s cooked through. The bacon fat should be liquid and the diced bacon should look like bacon bits.



If your bacon needs more cooking, heat it in the microwave on HIGH for increments of 1 minute, followed by another minute of standing time. Do this until the bacon is crisp and the fat has liquefied.



Use a slotted spoon to take out the bacon and place it in a small bowl on the counter. You will add it to your Crock-Pot later.



Hannah’s 1st Note: If you like to fry your breakfast eggs in bacon fat, pour the fat in a container with a cover and place it in the refrigerator. If you don’t care to save it, pour it into a disposable cup and place it in the garbage.



When 15 minutes have passed, pour the contents of your saucepan into the same measuring cup you used earlier. If it is reduced by half of its original volume, it’s ready. If not, pour it back into the saucepan and continue to gently boil it until it is.



Place the celery slices in the bottom of your crock.



Lay the sweet onion slices over the celery.



Arrange the chicken thighs on top of the onion slices.



Sprinkle HALF of the black pepper over the chicken.



Arrange the shallots on top of the peppered chicken.



Place the carrot nuggets on top of the shallots.



Sprinkle on the contents of the frozen pearl onion package.



If the white mushrooms are large, cut them in half and arrange them on top of the pearl onions.



Sprinkle on the minced garlic.



Remember the bacon bits you cooked? Sprinkle them over the minced garlic.



Sprinkle the rest of the black pepper over the top of the bacon bits.



Add the 2 cups of chicken broth to the reduced wine in your saucepan.



Stir in the 3 Tablespoons of tomato paste.



If you are using fresh herbs, tie the thyme sprigs, rosemary sprigs, and basil leaves in a square of cheesecloth. You will want to remove them from the finished dish before you serve it. Alternatively, you can put everything into a tea ball, affix the lid, and remove that when your meal is ready to eat.



Hannah’s 2nd Note: If you are using powdered thyme, powdered rosemary, and dried basil leaves, simply sprinkle them all into the saucepan and stir them in.



Sprinkle in ONE packet of gravy mix and stir it in.



Pour the contents of the saucepan over the ingredients in your crock.



Cut the cold butter into several pieces and arrange them on top of your crock.