Sear the chicken (optional but recommended): Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat until it shimmers and ripples. Add the chicken thighs in a single layer — you should hear a sharp sizzle. Cook for 3-4 minutes per side until the underside is deep golden brown and releases easily from the pan. The chicken won't be cooked through, but that golden crust adds so much savoury depth to the final dish.

Build the base: In the slow cooker insert, combine the minced garlic, diced onion, tinned tomatoes, chicken stock, dried oregano, dried basil, salt, and pepper. Stir until everything is evenly distributed. The mixture will look thin and soupy at this stage — that's exactly right.

Add the chicken: Nestle the seared chicken thighs into the tomato mixture, submerging them as much as possible. If you skipped the searing step, place raw thighs directly into the liquid. The chicken should be mostly covered by the sauce.

Cook low and slow: Cover the slow cooker with the lid and cook on low for 4 hours or on high for 2 hours. Around the 3-hour mark on low, lift the lid and check — the chicken should be tender enough to shred with a fork, and the sauce will have darkened slightly to a rich brick-red colour. The aroma at this point is intoxicatingly garlicky and herbal.

Add the creaminess: After cooking, turn the slow cooker to warm. Add the cubed cream cheese and grated Parmesan, stirring gently until both are fully melted and incorporated. The sauce will transform from a thin tomato broth into a velvety, pale orange cream. You'll notice the texture thicken and become glossy as you stir.

Finish with greens and sun-dried tomatoes: Stir in the chopped spinach and sun-dried tomatoes. Place the lid back on for 5 minutes — the residual heat will wilt the spinach down to a soft, dark green, and the sun-dried tomatoes will plump up slightly in the warm sauce.

Rest before serving: Let the dish sit, covered and off the heat, for 5-10 minutes. This resting time allows the sauce to thicken further and the flavours to meld together. You'll see the sauce cling to the chicken instead of pooling around it.