This will not make you a beautiful Italian style meal, but I like to do a can of Hatch or Ro*Tel in with the rest of my tomatoes to give everything a bit more of a kick than just tomatoes would by themselves. If you crush the garlic before you toss it into the pot you’ll get more of that GARLIC flavor, too. Dried basil and oregano are, by themselves, pretty tame herbs in a slow-cooker, so if you’re using dried versions maybe think about just dumping a large amount in until you get the taste you’re looking for. Balsamic or white wine vinegar might have added some oomph to the sauce as well.

Another thing you could have tried would be marinading the chicken in Italian dressing before tossing it in — it’s a bit more prep the night before, but chicken, unlike pork but much like tofu, tends to taste like nothing unless you give it lots and lots of time to soak or else you’re glazing it.