Lightened Up Slow Cooker Indian Butter Chicken from The Meltaways for #SundaySupper

Happy Birthday #SundaySupper!!  What better way to celebrate than with a crockpot full of flavorful, slightly spicy chicken?!  Go ahead, stick a candle in it…

Kidding!  Totally kidding!

But this week, #SundaySupper has a huge milestone to celebrate.  You see, one year ago, a small group of bloggers held an online Progressive Dinner which was the very first Sunday Supper.  Their mission was to bring back Sunday Supper Around the Family Table in every home, and that what starts as one day a week becomes a way of life.  I was so excited to discover this group with this amazing, noble, and important mission last spring.  These wonderful bloggers have been supportive and inspiring both in my blogging life, and in my family life, as I read the stories about them cooking with their kids and bringing their families together.  The three of us sit together almost every night of the week, no television, no mobile devices (unless The Hubby or I need to quickly look something up to settle a friendly debate), and maybe just some music playing in the background.  Heck, The Bug was only a few days old when we started sitting him in his little bouncer seat near us at the kitchen table as we ate dinner.  And I was reminded how special and important this is when I saw a family of four walking to their table at Red Lobster tonight with their faces in their iPads and iPhones, and they barely looked up during their entire meal to say a word to each other.  I am so happy that isn’t us, and I will do everything I can to keep that from happening.  Dinnertime is a time to share our day, talk about what is going on in the world, teach our child(ren) manners and the art of conversation.

For this week’s birthday celebration, we were asked to make a previous #SundaySupper recipe from one of our fellow contributors.  I have loved, and bookmarked, and pinned numerous recipes over these months of participating, so it was tough to pick.  And while I definitely plan to make more of these recipes in the future, I was immediately struck by one from just last week when we shared our Bucket List recipes that I had to make immediately – Lightened Up Slow Cooker Butter Chicken from Pam at The Meltaways.  And the funny thing is that I was going back through Pam’s previous Sunday Supper recipes, and I was recalling that many of them actually jumped out at me when I had originally read them – her Gluten Free Turkey & Dumplings, Cranberry Strawberry Jam, Savannah Sheet Cake, to name a few.

Why did I have to make this dish immediately?  Well, The Hubby loves Indian food, but, well, Indian food doesn’t love me, though I do enjoy the flavors.  I’ve had it locally, in a region with a large Indian population, so it is truly authentic.  I’ve had it in the UK, where curry is the national dish.  But by the time I had to travel to India for work (which is where I got the cool little sandalwood elephant in these photos), I was avoiding it altogether.  Let’s just say, the granola bars and nuts I had packed in my suitcase were the only way I could make it to the American-style breakfast at the hotel the next morning.

So we never go out for Indian, despite a number of great restaurants nearby, and he no longer works in his old office, which was near a few of his favorite places where he would go for lunch.  But I figured when I could control the spice and the richness of the dish, especially in this lightened up recipe, that maybe I could enjoy these flavors again.  I have actually made tandoori chicken at home, and thoroughly enjoyed it.  I am so glad I made this recipe, and it will now become a mainstay on our menu!

I made only two slight variations to Pam’s recipe.  The first was to use light butter, instead of a light butter spread.  The second was that I omitted the cardamom pods, and this is mainly because I am cheap.  Not knowing if I would like this recipe or want to make it again, I didn’t want to spend $11 on the giant container of cardamom pods at my grocery store.  I thought about adding some ground cardamom, but that was $14 for a little bottle.  Then I saw that my garam masala had cardamom, so I decided to just leave it out.  Now, not being an Indian food aficionado, I am not sure if it made a huge difference in flavor.  Also, this may sound horrible to some people, but I also am not sure the butter, or even this much butter, is absolutely necessary when you make butter chicken this way, where it gets all shredded and sauce, versus the chunks in traditional butter chicken.

But this dish was fabulous!  I served it with some steamed broccoli and brown basmati rice, and The Hubby and I devoured it.  The Hubby was so happy to have some yummy, spicy, Indian-inspired food that he doesn’t get as often as he would like.  I just wish I had made some mango lassis.  The Bug was a little more hesitant, as these were completely new flavors to him, but he did eat some.  He was also just in a mood that night, so it may have just been him.  I put some leftovers in the freezer, so we’ll give it another shot with him.

Make sure you check out all of the other great #SundaySupper birthday dishes at the bottom of this post – consider this a Best of #SundaySupper, since each of these amazing bloggers picked their favorite recipe from another favorite blogger.

Then, join the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter each Sunday. We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm ET and you do not want to miss out on the fun. Follow the#SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. Check out our #SundaySupper Pinterest board for more fabulous recipes and food photos.

Have you made one of the #SundaySupper recipes you’ve seen in the past year?  What is your favorite thing to make for Sunday Supper?

Lightened Up Slow Cooker Indian Butter Chicken

 

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Make traditional Indian Butter Chicken healthier and easier by lightening up a few of the ingredients and making it in your slow cooker.

Author: Slightly adapted from The Meltaways’ Lightened Up Slow Cooker Butter Chicken

Recipe type: Slow cooker, main, chicken

Ingredients

• 1½ -2 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 onion, sliced
• 6 garlic cloves, chopped
• 4 T butter, light butter, or light butter spread (I used Land O’Lakes Light Butter)
• 2 t curry powder
• ½ t cayenne pepper
• 2 t garam masala
• ½ t ground ginger
• 1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
• 2 T lemon juice
• 1 (14 oz) can light coconut milk
• 1 c plain nonfat Greek yogurt

Instructions

1. Place the chicken, onion, garlic, and dry spices in the slow cooker.
2. Add the butter, tomato paste, lemon juice and coconut milk.
3. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, or high for 4.
4. Remove the chicken from the slow cooker and shred with a fork. Return the chicken to the slow cooker.
5. Stir in yogurt about 15 minutes before serving.
6. Salt to taste.
7. Serve with brown rice, basmati rice, or jasmine rice. I also served it with steamed broccoli.

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Enjoy!

We are celebrating this week’s birthday event by choosing recipes from contributors that have inspired us in the past year.  Boy was this a tough week… how do you choose just one recipe from 52 weeks of fabulous Sunday Supper Recipes?

Sunday Supper Appetizers:

• Hot Spinach Parmesan Dip by Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks inspired by Comfy Cuisine
• So Simple Pizza Puffs by The Weekend Gourmet inspired by Hip Foodie Mom
• Pepperoni and Mozzarella Pull Apart by Noshing With The Nolands inspired by In the Kitchen with KP

 Sunday Supper Soups and Breads:

• Lasagna Soup by The Girl in the Little Red Kitchen inspired by Cravings of a Lunatic
• Easy Italian Wedding Soup by Webicurean inspired by Family Foodie
• Roasted Butternut Squash and Sage Soup by Damn Delicious inspired by Cupcakes and Kale Chips
• Honey Butter Dinner Rolls by Dinners, Dishes and Desserts inspired by Chocolate Moosey
• Chicken Noodle Soup by Big Bears Wife inspired by My Catholic Kitchen
• Tomato Florentine Soup by Mama Mommy Mom inspired by The Meltaways
• Chicken Soup with Dumplings by Comfy Cuisine inspired by The Messy Baker
• Coconut Curry Chicken Soup by My Trials in the Kitchen inspired by Damn Delicious

 Sunday Supper Main Dishes: 

• Portuguese Mussels and Shrimp in Chorizo Sauce by Supper for a Steal inspired by Family Foodie
• (GlutenFree) Chicken Bruschetta by The Meltaways inspired by Family Foodie
• Feijoada Portuguese Bean Stew by Kimchi Mom inspired by Family Foodie
• Lentils and Chorizo Stew by Galactosemia in PDX inspired by Vintage Kitchen
• Carnitas Pizza w/ Chipotle-Avocado Crema by girlichef inspired by Damn Delicious
• Chicken and Black Bean Enchiladas by Country Girl in the Village  inspired by Webicurean
  
• Drunken Meatballs by Small Wallet Big Appetite inspired by The Foodie Army Wife
• Goat Cheese Rigatoni Alfredo by Magnolia Days inspired by Family Foodie
• Dorie’s Chicken-in-the-Pot by Hip Foodie Mom inspired by Gotta Get Baked
• Pulled Pickled Pork by Juanita’s Cocina inspired by Daily Dish Recipes
• Hoisin Asian Meatballs by Gotta Get Baked inspired by Damn Delicious
• Shrimp-Stuffed Twice Baked Potatoes by Daily Dish Recipes inspired by Juanita’s Cocina
• Soy, Orange Juice and Red Wine Marinade by Peanut Butter and Peppers inspired by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Chicken Burger with Curried Cabbage Slaw by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings inspired by Soni’s Food
• Corn and Basil Handpies by Curious Cuisiniere inspired by Vintage Kitchen Notes
• Lightened Up Slow Cooker Indian Butter Chicken by Cupcakes and Kale Chips inspired by The Meltaways
• Jalapeño Popper Chicken Chili by Food Lust People Love inspired by Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
• Bigos by Maroc Mama inspired by From Fast Food to Fresh Food
• Crispy Coconut Chicken Strips with Sweet Chili Sauce by From Fast Food to Fresh Food inspired by Crispy Bits and Burnt Ends
• Pork Loin with Port Shallot Sauce by Bobbi’s Kozy Kitchen inspired by Vintage Kitchen Notes
• Sweet & Tender Brisket by Daddy Knows Less inspired by Juanita’s Cocina
• Fish Tacos by Cookistry inspired by Little Ferraro Kitchen
• Homemade Harissa by Masala Herb inspired by The Wimpy Vegetarian
• Spicy Seoulful Pulled Pork Sandwiches by Family Foodie inspired by Kimchi Mom
• New Orleans Style White Beans & Rice by Catholic Foodie inspired by The Hand that Rocks the Ladle
• Spice Rubbed Chicken Tacos with Tropical Salsa by The Urban Mrs. inspired by Family Foodie
• Mac n Cheese Cups with Pork Shoulder Ragu by Crispy Bits and Burnt Ends inspired by Hip Foodie Mom

Sunday Supper Veggies: 

• Carrots au Gratin by Shockingly Delicious inspired by Juanita’s Cocina
• Skillet Spinach Corn with Edamame, Cilantro & Bacon Bits by The Lovely Pantry inspired by Sue’s Nutrition Buzz

Sunday Supper Desserts and Snacks: 

• Chocolate Brownie Tart by That Skinny Chick Can Bake inspired by Magnolia Days
• Mexican Hot Cocoa Sandwich Cookies by Chocolate Moosey inspired by Juanita’s Cocina
• Cinnamon Apple Chimichangas by La Cocina de Leslie inspired by Juanita’s Cocina
• Apple Pull Apart Bread with Caramel Drizzle by Cravings of a Lunatic inspired by Gotta Get Baked
• Cherry Tart by Happy Baking Days inspired by Vintage Kitchen
• Orange Rolls by No One Likes Crumbley Cookies inspired by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Caramel Apple Bread by The Foodie Army Wife inspired by Fam Friends Food
• Rosettes by Simply Gourmet inspired by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Pumpkin Donut Puffs by Soni’s Food inspired by Daily Dish Recipes
• Chocolate Chip Cut-out Cookies by Basic and Delicious inspired by Chocolate Moosey
• Nutella Shortbread Bars by Kelly Bakes inspired by Baker Street
• Butterscotch Pudding Triple Chip Cookies by Mom’s Test Kitchen inspired by Dinner Dishes and Desserts
• Chocolate Fudge Brownie Ice Cream by The Messy Baker Blog inspired by Cravings of a Lunatic
• Angel Cake Sandwiches by Ninja Baker inspired by That Skinny Girl Can Bake 
• Soft Pretzels with Spicy Beer Cheese Sauce by Vintage Kitchen inspired by girlichef 
• Sweet N Spicy Roasted Spiced Nuts by Sue’s Nutrition Buzz inspired by The Foodie Army Wife
• Cheesecake with Fresh Berries by An Appealing Plan inspired by The Messy Baker Blog

 Sunday Supper Breakfast Faves:

• Spiced Pumpkin Ricotta Oat Muffins by In the Kitchen with Audrey inspired by Sue’s Nutrition Buzz
• Budget Friendly Breakfast Freezable Bacon, Egg, and Cheese Sandwiches by In The Kitchen with KP inspired by Big Bear’s Wife
• Raspberry Hot Chocolate by My Catholic Kitchen inspired by Momma’s Meals

Sunday Supper Wine Pairings by ENOFYLZ Wine Blog

This recipe was shared with: Thursday’s Treasures

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Tagged as: #SundaySupper, Chicken, Crock Pot, Dinner, Gluten-free, greek yogurt, Indian, recipe