Chicken Bacon Crock Pot Chowder

4 Cloves Garlic – Minced
2 Shallot – Finely Chopped
2 Ribs Celery – Diced
6 oz. Cremini Mushrooms – Sliced
1 Medium Sweet Onion – Thinly Sliced
4 Tbs. Butter – Divided
1 lb. Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
2 Cups Chicken Stock – Divided
8 oz. Cream Cheese
1 Cup Heavy Cream
1 lb. Bacon – Cooked Crisp, and Crumbled
Salt, Pepper, Garlic Powder, Thyme

1.Heat slow cooker on low setting
2.To slow cooker, add garlic, shallot, leek, celery, mushrooms, onions, 2 Tbs. butter, 1 cup chicken stock, and salt and pepper. Cover, and cook vegetables on low for 1 hour.
3.Complete this next step while the vegetables are cooking – In a large skillet over medium-high heat, pan-sear the chicken breasts in the remaining 2 Tbs. butter until they are browned on both sides. – About 5 minutes each side. (Chicken will not be fully cooked during this stage.)
4.Remove chicken from pan and set aside. De-glaze the pan with the remaining 1 cup of chicken stock. Using a rubber spatula, scrape up any bits of chicken that may be stuck to the pan. Add chicken stock to slow cooker.
5.Add heavy cream, cream cheese, garlic powder, and thyme to slow cooker. Stir until well combined and there are no longer any visible chunks of cream cheese.
6.Once chicken has cooled, cut into cubes and add to slow cooker, along with bacon. Stir until all ingredients are well combined. Cover and let cook for 6-8 hours.

Serving Size: makes 16 - 1 cup servings

Number of Servings: 16

Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user KARIANN1211.