Slow Cooker Chicken with Sweet Potatoes and Broccoli

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 lbs sweet potatoes, peeled and diced into 1 1/4-inch cubes
• 1/4 cup chicken broth
• 4 cloves garlic, minced, 1 1/2 Tbsp
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tsp paprika
• 2 tsp packed light brown sugar
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp dried thyme, or 1 Tbsp fresh minced
• 3/4 tsp dried rosemary
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 6 large bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, trimmed
• 1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 pkg. frozen broccoli florets
• Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish, optional

Directions

1. Coat a 6-quart slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray. Spread the sweet potatoes across the bottom in an even layer, add the chicken broth, then scatter half of the garlic over the top and season with salt and pepper.
2. In a small bowl, whisk the paprika, brown sugar, onion powder, thyme, rosemary and cayenne together. Dust half of that seasoning blend over the sweet potatoes, and keep the rest nearby for the chicken.
3. Warm the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Pat the skin side of 3 chicken pieces dry with paper towels, then season both sides with salt and pepper. Place them in the oil skin side down and brown them until the skin turns golden, about 4 minutes. Move the chicken to the slow cooker, setting it on top of the sweet potatoes. Do the same with the remaining 3 pieces of chicken.
4. Scatter the rest of the spice mixture and garlic over the chicken. Cover the slow cooker and cook on low heat until the sweet potatoes are tender and the thickest part of the chicken reads 165 on an instant-read thermometer, about 4 1/2 – 5 hours.
5. Add the broccoli during the last 30 minutes of cooking, or steam it in the bag according to the package directions, then season it with salt. Plate the chicken, sweet potatoes and broccoli, and spoon some of the slow cooker sauce over the top, skimming off a bit of the fat first if you like.