This Crock Pot Lemon Garlic Chicken and Veggies is easy to make, healthy, and provides everything you need to squelch the hangries in a single pot. It also happens to make a lot, so it’s perfect for gathering neighbors or friends around the table and sending them home with leftovers!

It always amazes me when I hear people say they “forgot to eat” on a particularly busy day. This concept is completely foreign to me. I have had busy days. I’ve had days where I’ve had to push back a meal or skip it in favor of scarfing a granola bar down in the car. But I honestly can’t remember a single time where I’ve just “forgotten” to eat. When I’m hungry, my body makes it awfully hard to forget. Those loud, angry stomach gurgles aren’t going to wait.

The term “hangry” has enjoyed a lot of success the past few years, at least partially because it’s a feeling so many people identify with. When I’m hungry I often find myself impatient and short tempered. I can easily snap at my husband or get upset about things that wouldn’t normally bother me. Hangriness isn’t a state that’s good for anyone–me, my family, or anyone unlucky enough to get between me and the sample ladies at Costco.

But here’s the sad truth. There are many families, in your community and in mine, who don’t just “forget” to eat or have a mild case of the hangries one day. There are many who face hunger on a daily basis. We all know what hunger feels like, but imagine having that state drawn out for days or weeks at a time. Imagine the impact that would have not only on your own health, but on your family and your job. I know I find it difficult to focus when I have to push back lunch by an hour or two, but there are children in our city who are attempting to take tests and listen to their teachers on empty stomachs.

September is Hunger Action Month, and I wanted to take the opportunity to share with you a local partner who’s helping bridge the gap for hungry families in our community. Last year, Lutheran Social Services Food Pantry distributed 2.1 meals to 81,000 families in 14 Ohio counties. Families can visit their pantry on a weekly basis and shop for 3 days worth of meals. The challenge of pantry shopping is, of course, that you never know quite what you’re going to get, although the pantries strive to always have fresh produce, protein, and emergency staples like canned goods and peanut butter on hand.

When I think about NeighborFood, I think about organizations like LSS who are literally sharing food with our neighbors. In that same spirit, I wanted to share a recipe that could easily be made and adapted based on whatever a food pantry might have on hand. This Crock Pot Lemon Garlic Chicken and Veggies is easy to make, healthy, and provides everything you need to squelch the hangries in a single pot. It also happens to make a lot, so it’s perfect for gathering neighbors or friends around the table and sending them home with leftovers!

The recipe is really a dump and go favorite. Place some potatoes, onions, and carrots in the slow cooker (feel free to substitute with what you have on hand), then place the chicken on top along with some olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, and herbs. You can swap the chicken in this for drumsticks or breasts and the fresh herbs for dried Italian seasoning if you prefer. After cooking, I like to pop the chicken under the broiler to get a nice crispy browned skin, but this extra step is optional.

If you would like to help hungry families here in Columbus, please visit Lutheran Social Service’s website, or, for those of you who aren’t local, check out Feeding America to find out how to take action in your own neighborhood.

Crock Pot Lemon Garlic Chicken

Prep time

20 mins

Cook time

4 hours

Total time

4 hours 20 mins

Serves: 6

Ingredients

2 lbs. red potatoes, quartered
1 sweet yellow onion, quartered
1 lb. carrots, sliced into 2-3 inch pieces
6 bone in, skin on chicken thighs
¼ cup olive oil
3 Tablespoons lemon juice
4 cloves garlic
1 lemon, sliced
3 sprigs rosemary, stems removed, chopped
6 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves removed
Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper

Instructions

Place the potatoes, onions, and carrots in the bottom of a large slow cooker. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Stir in two cloves of garlic and half of the fresh herbs.
Sprinkle the chicken thighs generously with salt and pepper then nestle them in with the potatoes and carrots. Pour the olive oil evenly over top, followed by the lemon juice and herbs. Place the lemon slices over top.
Cook on high for four hours or on low for 8 hours. When the chicken is finished, remove the sliced lemon, squeezing it out a bit if you want extra lemony flavor. Preheat the broiled and place the chicken thighs on a pan under the broiler for 3-4 minutes or until browned and crisp. Serve immediately with the vegetables.

Notes

This recipe can be easily adapted based on the ingredients you have on hand. Feel free to use chicken drumsticks or breasts instead of thighs and use dried herbs (Italian seasoning or dried rosemary/thyme) instead of fresh.

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