Thai Chicken w/ Peanut Sauce in the Slow Cooker

Over the summer when I received my kids school calendar, I was putting the dates in my phone and I started to panic...summer was almost over! 

I don't know where the time went, but school was starting in just a couple weeks.  This made me think about all the hectic, rushed mornings and busy evenings filled with practices and early bedtimes for school the next day. This year, I will be prepared! Before school even started, I wanted to have my freezer full of grab-and-go healthy meals.  One of my favorite grab-and-go meals is a meal already prepped, in a freezer bag that I can just dump in the slow cooker in the morning and not touch until it's time for dinner!

I have a few of these recipes already, but I wanted more variety in our dinners, so I gave this one a try.  

Can we all say--> WINNER!

Before I commit to making this for my freezer dinners stash, I wanted to give a try first.  I had seen several versions of this on my favorite recipe search spot, Pinterest, but I couldn't find one that included enough veggies or was healthy, most of them included adding sugar. So, I decided to take the best of the ideas I had found and create my own version!

I think most people associate Slow Cooker with WINTER, however I challenge you to think outside the box. I LOVE using my slow cooker in the summer (and all year round) because it uses less energy than the stove or oven, and does not heat up the house like using the stove or oven! 

Simple. Healthy. And keeps the house cool!

Thai Chicken with Peanut Sauce

Ingredients:
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 yellow bell pepper, sliced
2 cups carrots, cut in medium sized pieces
2-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup teriyaki sauce (preferably homemade)
2 TBSP rice vinegar
3 TBSP fish sauce
1 tsp red pepper flakes
3 cloves garlic
2-3 TBSP peanut butter
Garnish optional: chopped peanuts

Preparation:

Combine all ingredients, except peanut butter, into a gallon sized resealable bag.  Freeze.

When ready to cook:

Remove from freezer the night before to thaw in the fridge overnight. Dump into the slow cooker and and cook on low 4-6 hours.  Shred chicken and stir in peanut butter. Serve over rice or noodles and garnish with chopped peanuts.

OR

Remove from freezer. Run bag under warm water until it releases from the sides of the bag.  Dump into the slow cooker and cook on low 8 hours. Shred chicken and stir in peanut butter.  Serve over rice or noodles and garnish with chopped peanuts.

Enjoy!