Coq Au Vin-slow cooker recipe

Decided it would be a great day to make something in the slow cooker & decided on Coq au Vin--chicken in wine. It's one of Alan's favorite meals! I found the recipe in a Sandra Lee Semi Homemade Slow Cooker cookbook. If you're not familiar with her recipes, she uses some convenience foods, ie. frozen or already cut up stuff to make cooking a little easier.

All mixed together & in the crockpot.

From the cookbook--the finished product!

Coq au Vin

2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken, cut into 1 inch pieces

2 med. red bell peppers, cut into strips

2 cups merlot or other red wine

1 cup frozen loose pack petite white onions

1 cup frozen loose pack sliced carrots

1 rib celery, chopped

1 can ( 6 oz.) tomato paste

1/4 cup cognac

2 strips of pre-cooked bacon, cut into 1 inch pieces

2 T. Zesty Herb marinade mix ( McCormicks)

In a 4-5 quart slow cooker, stir together chicken, pepper strips, wine, onions, carrots, celery, tomato paste, cognac, bacon & herb marinade mix until thoroughly combined.

Cover and cook on Low heat setting for 5-6 hours.

Serve with rice or your favorite pasta

****The 1st time I made this I faithfully followed the recipe, but subsequent times I have varied--substituting a cut-up onion for petite onions, leaving out the cognac, replacing the frozen carrots with cut up baby carrots & leaving out the bacon. All of this depends on what I have in the house when I decide to make the recipe!

Enjoy!