Wine & Tomato Braised Chicken -- Crock Pot - cooking recipe

Ingredients

10 chicken thighs (about 3 3/4 pounds, bone-in, skin removed, trimmed)
4 slices bacon (cooked ~ reserve 2 tablespoons bacon fat)
1 large onion (thinly sliced)
4 garlic cloves (minced)
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon fennel seed
1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1 bay leaf
1 cup dry white wine (Or, substitute 1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth mixed with 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice)
1 (28 ounce) can tomatoes (with juice, coarsely chopped)
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup fresh parsley (finely chopped ~ optional, for garnish)

Preparation

Place the skinless, bone-in chicken thighs in a 4-quart (or larger) crock pot.
Cook bacon ~ drain well ~ crumble bacon over chicken in crock pot.
IF YOU HAVE THE TIME, cook onion, over medium heat, in 2 tablespoons reserved bacon fat, stirring, until softened, 3 to 6 minutes. Add garlic, thyme, fennel seeds, pepper and bay leaf and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add wine, bring to a boil and boil for 2 minutes, scraping up any browned bits. Add tomatoes and their juice and salt; stir well.
Pour the tomato-wine mixture over chicken.
IF YOU DON'T HAVE THE TIME, place the following into crock pot over the chicken: crumbled bacon, sliced onion, garlic, thyme, fennel seeds, pepper, bay leaf, wine, tomatoes and their juice, and salt!
Cover and cook until the chicken is very tender, about 3 hours on High, or 6 hours on Low. Remove the bay leaf.
Serve chicken and sauce over cooked noodles, or rice ~ garnish with chopped parsley.