Crockpot Cashew Chicken

Christin and I have been talking lately about how we don't have enough crock pot recipes so I have been on the hunt for some new recipes to try out.  We had this one last night and we liked it.  It takes more prep work than the average crock pot recipe and doesn't cook as long so you can't put it all together until 4 hours before dinner.  The breading on the chicken was so delicious so don't be tempted to skip that step.  You could skip the cashews if you want to but, personally, I liked the added crunch and so did my family.

5-6 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Thighs
1/4 C. Flour
1/2 tsp. Pepper
2 T. Oil
1/4 C. Soy Sauce
2 T. Rice Vinegar
2 T. Ketchup
1 T. Brown Sugar
2 Cloves Garlic, pressed
1/2 tsp. Peeled Fresh Ginger, grated or minced
1/4 tsp. Red Pepper Flakes
1/2 C. Cashews

If your chicken is frozen, take it out of the freezer early in the morning or the night before and put it in the refrigerator to thaw.  The chicken has to be completely thawed before you assemble this recipe.  In a zip lock bag combine flour and pepper then add chicken and shake to coat.  Heat oil in a large skillet and add chicken.  Cook 2-3 minutes on each side until all chicken pieces are browned but not cooked through.  Transfer chicken to crock pot.  In a small bowl combine soy sauce, ketchup, brown sugar, garlic, ginger and red pepper flakes.  Pour over top of chicken and cook on low for 3-4 hours.  Just before serving, add cashews to crock pot.  Serve over rice.