Cream Cheese Chicken

Here's another in the not-at-all-healthy, but oh-so-easy-and-delicious category.

In the morning, as soon as you get up, take three (or more or less) thawed chicken breast or thigh pieces - skinless, but bone-in if at all possible (it really helps with the moisture and flavor) and put in a crock pot. Turn the cooker on the highest setting. Sprinkle with one entire packet italian dressing mix (just the dry powder. Not italian seasoning. Not italian dressing.) Cut up a whole packet of cream cheese or Neufchatel cheese (for a very slightly healthier entree) and distribute it between the chicken pieces. Pour anywhere from a cup to 2 1/2 cups white cooking wine on top of everything. Now, go shower and get ready for work. Right before you leave, stir the wine/cream cheese - it should have had a chance to soften a little. Your goal is just to break the cheese up further, but don't worry if nothing much changes. Turn the crockpot down to the lowest cooking setting and leave it on while you're at work.

When you get home, it will smell like all kinds of amazingness in your house. Go stir it. The chicken will be falling off the bones, and there will be crunchy-delicious golden crusty stuff on the edges of the crockpot where some of the seasoned cream cheese has overcooked a bit. Make some penne or angelhair or rotini, steam some broccoli or toss a salad, and you're all set!

I'd actually recommend making this for the first time while you're at home one day, so you can adjust the amounts/settings for your particular crockpot. Once you have it figured out, though, it's a great cook-while-you're-at-work meal.