Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken

I'm so glad I discovered boneless skinless chicken thighs. They are much more flavorful and juicy than chicken breasts and they are perfect for the slow cooker because they don't dry out. This is a good summer recipe because it takes about 3 minutes to put it in and about 3 minutes to shred the chicken at dinnertime. And, of course, it's tasty.

This is a picture of the picture from the magazine.

Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken

from May 2014 All You magazine


2 lb. boneless skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of extra fat
salt and pepper
1 cup jarred salsa
juice of 1 lime
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
2 T chili powder
1 t cumin
1 T honey
3 cloves garlic, minced

Put chicken in slow cooker and sprinkle with salt and pepper all over. Mix the rest of the ingredients and pour on top of the chicken. Cook on low for 3 to 5 hours. Using two forks, shred chicken. Serve on rice, in tortillas, in lettuce wraps or on a bed of spinach. I suggest topping with some sour cream.

Slow Cooker Chicken and Homemade Chicken Broth

A whole chicken is a good investment of your grocery money. They are pretty cheap, usually around 99 cents a pound, and they can last for several meals, especially if you make your own chicken broth with the bones. I have been making this slow cooker chicken for a while. It is not the most amazing roast chicken you will ever have - it doesn't have any butter rubbed on it and the skin doesn't get crispy, but you also don't have to worry about changing the temperature, flipping the bird, basting or checking the temperature and unless you really overcook it, it shouldn't be dry. Meals that I can put in during naptime and not worry about until dinner are right up my alley.

I made this chicken last Tuesday and we had it with a green salad and some sauteed yellow squash that night, then Preston had chicken on his salad for lunch the next two days and I used the leftovers to make Chicken and Peas Fried Rice on Thursday. I felt frugal.

Recipe from 100 Days of Real Food

2 t paprika
1 t salt
1 t onion powder
1/2 t thyme
1/2 t garlic powder
1/4 t black pepper
1/4 t cayenne pepper
1 onion
1 large chicken

Mix all the spices together and rub all over your chicken, including in the cavity and under the skin on the breast. Loosely dice the onion and put in the bottom of the slow cooker, then place the chicken on top of the onions and cook on high 4-6 hours until the chicken is falling off the bone.

You should never make bone-in chicken without keeping the bones and making chicken broth with them.  All you do is put the bones back in the slow cooker, add a loosely chopped onion (you can include the skin), a couple of loosely chopped carrots, some celery if you keep it around, a bay leaf, some peppercorns, or parsley. Really you can use any vegetables and herbs you have lying around if you like the flavor. Then cover the bones with water and turn on low before you go to bed. In the morning, let the broth cool a bit, then strain out the bones and veggies and pour the broth through a strainer into containers. If you have cheesecloth you can use that to strain off some of the gunky stuff that collects at the bottom. I store the broth in old cottage cheese and yogurt containers. Let it cool in the fridge for a day, then you can skim the fat off the top and freeze it until needed. You will need to add additional salt to the recipes you use this broth in since no salt is added to it.

Slow Cooker Quinoa Chili

Do you quinoa?  I have tried it in several different applications from salads to breakfast cereal and even this chocolate cake. I'll be honest - I don't think it's as great as all the food bloggers make it out to be. But this chili is without a doubt my favorite use of it. I like it better than the ground beef slow cooker chilis I've made, and the slow cooker makes it simple. I usually buy quinoa at Trader Joe's, which I find has the most reasonable price. Give it a try!

from Everyday Reading 

1 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 15-ounce can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes
1 4-ounce can diced mild green chiles
1 cup frozen corn
2-3 cups vegetable broth (use the higher amount if your crockpot runs hot or you'll be cooking it longer than about 6 hours)
1/2 onion, diced
1 bell pepper (I used red), diced
2 teaspoons garlic powder (I used garlic salt because my beans weren't cooked in any salt)
2 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons chili powder
3/4 cup quinoa, rinsed throughly

Guacamole, shredded cheese, crushed tortilla chips, sour cream, etc for serving


Combine all ingredients (except the toppings, obviously) in a crockpot. Cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-8 hours. Stir to combine, salt and pepper to taste, and serve with your choice of toppings.

Chicken Caesar Sandwiches {Slow Cooker}

It's a lovely 75 degrees today. We left the windows open overnight and I was actually chilly when I went downstairs this morning. I'm taking advantage and doing some baking. This recipe, however, does not require the oven. It is easy, it is tasty, and it would be perfect to make for a crowd.

Slow Cooker Chicken Caesar Sandwiches

from The Girl Who Ate Everything

2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
1/2 to 1 cup bottled Caesar dressing (I generally use store brand, but I would bet that a more expensive brand is even better)
 1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley or 2 teaspoons dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 cups shredded romaine.
buns


Place the chicken thighs in the slow cooker with a cup of water and let cook on low heat 4-6 hours. When done, remove chicken onto a cutting board and pull apart with two forks, discarding any fat. Drain the water and any chicken residue from the slow cooker, then put the chicken back in with the dressing, parmesan, parsley and pepper. Cover and cook on high for 30 minutes until it is hot throughout. Scoop onto buns and top with romaine. 

Lentil Rice Casserole

I really like lentils. They're probably my favorite legume. They are versatile, quick cooking, and like most beans, they're inexpensive. One of my favorite lentil recipes is one I got from a dinner group member while I was at BYU. So thanks LaRisa, wherever you are now.

Here is the original recipe:

Lentil Rice Casserole

3 c water
3/4 c lentils
1/2 c brown rice
3/4 c chopped onion
1/2 t basil
1/4 t oregano
1/4 t thyme
1/4 t garlic powder
1 T chicken stock
Shredded cheese for garnish

Mix together and bake for 2 hours or cook in slow cooker for a few hours. Top with cheese.

That recipe is good, but I use the lentil/rice mix as a meat substitute for tacos, so here is my variation:

3 c water
3/4 c lentils
1/2 c brown rice
1/4 c chopped onion or 1/4 t onion powder
1 T chili powder
1 t cumin
1/2 t paprika
1/4 t oregano
1/4 t garlic
1 t salt
1 t pepper
optional: 1 can regular diced tomatoes or Rotel

Mix everything but salt and tomatoes in slow cooker and cook on high for 3 hours. Add salt and tomatoes and cook on low until ready to serve. Depending on your slow cooker, you may need to add water to keep it from burning.

I serve this in tortillas with shredded cheese and sour cream.

Slow Cooker Taco Soup

I combined two recipes from Allrecipes to create this taco soup for a potluck. It was delicious!

1 lb ground beef or turkey
some chopped onion
some chopped green pepper
taco seasoning
1 can kidney beans, undrained
1 can black beans, undrained
1 can corn, drained
1 can diced tomatoes with green chilies, undrained
1 can tomato sauce
a pinch of brown sugar
some powdered ranch dressing mix, or a squirt of ranch dressing
a tomato sauce can of water

Brown the beef with the onion and green pepper, then season with the taco seasoning. Dump it in the slow cooker, then add the rest of the ingredients. If it looks like it needs more water or more of something else, go for it - it's versatile! Cook on low 4-6 hours, or more. Serve with sour cream, shredded cheese, and tortilla chips.

Crock Pot Caribbean Black Bean Soup

This soup is awesome. It is my favorite way to use ham hocks. I am waiting for ham to go on sale so I can get one and cook it up on a day that we are NOT having people over, so there are plenty of leftovers for stuff like this. It's a cinch to throw together too.

1 lb dried black beans, rinsed and sorted
3 onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 ham hock or 3/4 cup cubed ham
1 T oil
1 T ground cumin
2 t oregano
1 t thyme
1 T salt
1/2 t pepper
3 cups water
2 T vinegar

Soak beans overnight in 4 quarts water. Drain. Combine everything but vinegar in crock pot. Cover. Cook on low 4-5 hours or high 8-10 hours. For a thicker soup, puree half of cooked bean mixture in blender and return to cooker. Add vinegar and stire. Debone ham and cut into bite-sized pieces, then return to soup. Serve with sour cream and fresh cilantro if you want.

Spicy Pintos

We like beans. They're healthy, cheap, and delicious. This recipe is a cinch to throw together and very versatile. Recipe is from About.com. I get a slow cooker recipe in my email every Monday from them.

1 pound dried pintos, rinsed, sorted, and soaked overnight
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
6 cups water, or to cover
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 and 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Drain soaked beans. Throw it all in the slow cooker. Cook on high 6-10 hours.

The recipe suggests you serve it with cornbread and slaw. If you're into making slaw, go for it. It can be served with pretty much anything, though. You could add ham and have a main dish (although it's a fine main dish, as is).  I usually serve it in a bowl with some shredded cheese, a dollop of sour cream, and avocado if we have one.  It also makes very good refried beans - just mash and fry (or would you just call that fried beans, since they're only fried once?).

Let me know how you enjoy it.

Cheers.