I don’t know how it happens sometimes but I find an ingredient in my fridge or pantry and wonder how it got there. That’s how I stumbled across this Slow Cooker Savoury Chicken.

I would never have bought it. I know I sometimes get ingredients from family, friends or neighbours when they can’t use them. Why not? If they don’t want them, save them going to waste, I take them. (My sister is often cleaning out her pantry so I take what she can’t use.)

I can’t remember exactly where or when I got this jar of breakfast marmalade. We’re not really toast eaters here other than for Vegemite on toast. This marmalade was never going to get used on toast so I wondered how else I could use.

I remember I made this 4 Ingredient Apricot Chicken using just apricot jam so I thought I’d try the marmalade in a slow cooker chicken dish. Marmalade isn’t very sweet so it actually made the dish taste quite savoury.

I used up some red capsicum I had plus sliced an onion and put them on the bottom of the slow cooker.

Next, I put the chicken legs in a plastic bag with a couple tablespoons of plain flour, salt and pepper and made sure they were well coated. As the chicken cooks, the flour will help create the sauce.

In a bit of extra virgin olive oil, fry the chicken legs until golden. You don’t have to do this but I think frying the meat before putting in the slow cooker helps add a nice flavour. They’re now making slow cookers with a browning plate built in. When my slow cookers eventually go, I’ll make sure I get one of those.

Put the chicken in the slow cooker with 1 cup of chicken stock, the marmalade and set and forget. Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours, or until chicken is cooked through.

Serve on top of rice, pasta or mashed potato as I did with a side of vegetables. What a warm, hearty, tasty meal this was and one I’ll remember. I may even need to buy marmalade all the time now. You can use any meat like pork or turkey or any kind of marmalade. You can use other kinds of jams as well but they might be a little sweeter than this dish was. Never look past those hard to use ingredients. You can always find a use for them in some way.

Recipe

• chicken legs or thighs (or pork, turkey)
• 1 onion, sliced
• 1/2 capsicum, diced (or other vegetables like carrot, sweet potato etc)
• 1/2 cup breakfast marmalade (or other flavoured marmalade)
• 2 tbs plain flour, for dredging
• salt & pepper
• 1 cup chicken stock

1. Add the sliced onion and red capsicum to the bottom of the slow cooker.
2. In a plastic bag, add flour, salt and pepper and the chicken and toss until well coated.
3. In a pan, add the olive oil and brown the chicken until golden.
4. Add to the slow cooker.
5. In the cup of chicken stock, add marmalade and stir well until mixed through and add to the slow cooker.
6. Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours or until chicken is cooked through. (This recipe can be cooked in the oven or the stove top.)
7. Serve with mashed potato, pasta or rice and a side of vegetables.