Chicken Pot Roast

With cooler weather, a pot roast has been sounding good. Something that slow-cooks and gives up a hearty, warming aroma and taste is perfect in cooler weather. This is sort of like a classic pot roast but with chicken for a lighter touch.

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in half across
4 carrots
4 celery stalks
1 onion
5 potatoes
2 to 3 cloves garlic
1 or 2 bay leaves
1/3 c. dry red wine
1/2 c. chicken broth
half a can of chopped tomatoes

Roughly chop all the veggies into large-chop pieces.

Brown the chicken in a roasting pan in a little olive oil. Add the veggies and stir, sprinkling with salt and pepper. Add bay leaf, then red wine. Let evaporate a minute then add the broth and tomatoes. Bring to a boil, cover and put in oven at 400. Bake until the potatoes are tender, about 30 minutes. Add more broth if necessary to keep from drying out.

I usually make a pan gravy after. Transfer all the meat and veggies to a platter, pour the pan juices into a bowl, then heat a tablespoon of butter in the bottom of the pan. Add a tablespoon of flour and stir well, cooking about a minute. Add the juices (and a little more broth if necessary) back to the pan, stir well to avoid lumps, heat until slightly thickened and pour into a gravy boat.

Enjoy!