Slow Cooker Chicken & Sweet Potato Curry

My husband's fall garden yielded a huge amount of sweet potatoes this year, and I've been trying to come up with recipes that will utilize them.  This is not a difficult task, as our family loves sweet potatoes.  The weather has finally turned chilly, so I decided to make a chicken curry and swap out the regular potatoes for the nutritionally superior sweet potatoes.  I'm glad I did, because it turned out fantastic.  This dish is easy, inexpensive to make, and has the added benefit of being healthy and diet friendly.  Plus, it makes your belly warm and happy on these cold winter evenings.

Slow Cooker Chicken & Sweet Potato Curry

Serves 6

INGREDIENTS

1.5 lbs Boneless Chicken Thighs

3 Cups of Peeled & Chopped Carrots

4 Cups of Cubed Sweet Potatoes

1 Onion, chopped

15 oz Can of Light Coconut Milk

1 1/2 Tbsp Curry Powder

1 Tbsp Chili Powder

1 tsp Cumin Powder

1 tsp Garlic Powder

1/2 tsp Ground Cinnamon

3/4 tsp Salt

1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper (or more if you want heat)
Optional: Serve with Sriracha Sauce and/or Cilantro

DIRECTIONS

1. Pour the coconut milk into a slow cooker and then whisk all the seasonings into the milk until combined.

2. Add the chicken, carrots, onions, and sweet potatoes to the slow cooker, and stir so that it is coated with the seasoned coconut milk.

3. Cook on low for 8-9 hours.  The chicken should be falling apart, and the majority of the sweet potatoes should have cooked into the coconut milk, creating a thick sweet potato-curry sauce.  It should almost look like a stew.  If you prefer a thinner curry, with the sweet potatoes still in cube form, only cook on low for 6-7 hours.

4. Serve with Sriracha Sauce and/or Cilantro if desired.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION

Makes 6 Servings
Calories: 293
Carbs: 25
Fat: 14
Protein: 21

Tip: Use real carrots, not baby carrots. Baby carrots tend to be softer, and may cook entirely into the curry with the potatoes and/or get really mushy. If you use regular carrots, the carrots should be tender, but still firm after 8 hours of cooking. Plus, real carrots are healthier for you than baby carrots! Did you know that baby carrots are not actually naturally occurring mini carrots? They are processed from misshapen, unsellable regular carrots; reshaped and molded into smaller, prettier carrots. There is a lot of controversy over the possible unhealthy way they are created, as you can read here: Why Eating Baby Carrots Isn't Healthy.  Furthermore, baby carrots are higher in nitrates, and therefore should not be consumed by infants at all.