Slow Cooker Apple Bacon BBQ Chicken

I’m always on the lookout for simple and delicious slow cooker recipes and when I found this one I was really excited. Apples and bacon and barbecue? On chicken? Oh my. The flavors did not disappoint. This dish is equal parts sweet and tart from the apples, tangy and spicy from the barbecue sauce and smoky from the bacon. It’s a warm, comforting dish for Fall and it pairs really well with Goat Cheese Mashed Sweet Potatoes and Balsamic Roasted Vegetables (pictured). I had my parents over for dinner last weekend and I made this, fingers crossed, without having tried it first and it was a huge hit. The best part is that it takes only a few minutes in the morning and then dinner is done when you’re ready to eat. It can be difficult to motivate to cook after work this time of year when it’s starting to get dark by the time you leave, so it’s always a relief to arrive home and know dinner is already made!

Slow Cooker Apple Bacon BBQ Chicken
Source: adapted from Closet Cooking

Ingredients:
8 slices turkey bacon (I prefer Oscar Meyer brand)
4 (4 oz) raw boneless, skinless chicken breasts (one pound total)
1 cup barbecue sauce (I used Stubbs Original which has 30 calories and 6 carbs per 2T serving)
2 T lemon juice
2 medium apples, peeled and diced

Directions:
1.    Bring a skillet over medium heat and cook the bacon for a few minutes on each side until it starts to slightly crisp but is still bendable enough to wrap around chicken.
2.    Wrap two slices of bacon around each chicken breast and place the breasts bacon seam-side down in your slow cooker.
3.    In a large bowl, mix the barbecue sauce, apples and lemon juice until thoroughly combined. Pour the mixture over the top of the chicken in the slow cooker and cover. Cook on low for 8 hours.

Yields 4 servings. WW P+: 7 per serving (P+ calculated using the recipe builder on weightwatchers.com)
Nutrition Information per serving from myfitnesspal.com: 284 calories, 21 g carbs, 8 g fat, 30 g protein, 1 g fiber