Do you have a crockpot?
Yes, you.
All of you...not just Megan.
You don't?
GET ONE.
I am in love with my crockpot. On days I want dinner to come together without much else than open the bag, dump that sauce, stir this up, my crockpot is my Savior. I think there is a shimmering, heavenly light over it (that could be the light beaming from the ceiling, but my crockpot is holier than that.)
This bbq style chicken serves as a Megan Monday because it's easy, can be made for the masses- hungry husbands, visiting inlaws- and doesn't require busy teachers to do too much work.
I served these on buns (go for whole wheat, without high fructose corn syrup!) and if you're feeling like you've hit your carb limit, serve it on half a bun, like I did. I served this with a salad (mixed greens with pecans, sliced apple and red onion) and baked waffle fries. These would also be great with baked beans or mac/potato salad.
Easy Peasy BBQ like Chicken:
2-3 lbs chicken breasts
1 bottle of your fav bbq sauce (check for no HFCS!)
2 cups water
In the crockpot, add chicken. Cover with water, and entire bottle of bbq sauce ( you'll want to buy another bottle for later...) Turn crockpot to LOW for 10 hours. Go to bed, go to work, go on vacation (just don't make it a week long trip)
When chicken is done, place it in the fridge for later, or if you're ready, serve it now.
If the chicken breasts are still pretty whole (meaning they look like full chicken breasts), pull them apart with two forks- you want it shredded. The crockpot should do most of this shredding for you, but sometimes it doesn't... don't judge.
Serve immediately on buns. Feel free to top these with sliced onion (white or yellow), bread and butter pickles and a drizzle of BBQ sauce (see why you need more?). You can also eat this 100% plain Jane.
IF you put the chicken in the fridge, when you're ready, reheat on the stove or microwave until hot.
TIP: You can basically put any meat in your crockpot with any type of liquid. Get creative: Pork and BBQ sauce, chicken and teriyaki sauce: serve with rice, or even tri tip with hot sauce and salsa: to go in tortillas.
Remember- meat+sauce=dinner.
PLEASE cook all your meats in your crockpot on LOW. They will be much more tender than when cooked on HIGH.
2 comments:
OMG YUM! Okay, I am making this ASAP. I thought your "green meal" was for yesterday's post, so I was excited to try that delicious post, and now I check your blog today to find another delicious post! And this one sounds easier...my roomie has a crockpot, but I do not--adding one to the wedding registry now! Now for my silly question: when buying chicken breast do you get the skinless kind in the cellophane packages? I am going to try this tomorrow--I will let everyone know how it goes!
GREAT question. There are two schools of thought on chicken breasts: boneless/skinless or bone in/skin on?
I come from the "I can't make up my mind" school, and use both. Big surprise.
For this recipe, buy the boneless/skinless in the cellophane package. When at all possible, look for the kind that says free range, no hormones, etc. I understand budgets are tight and paying an extra $4 for chicken seems ridiculous, but on the weeks you think you can swing it, or the good chicken is on sale, go for it. Chicken filled with added hormones=humans filled with added hormones. Chicken raising is a disgusting business.
Here's when I recommend bone in: when you're not slathering the meat with an entire bottle of bbq sauce. Sometimes, your chicken will stand pretty much alone and requires a lot of flavor within itself to make it a worthy meal. I always bbq with bone in/skin on chicken and I usually do for roasting/baking, as well.
After we get through the guac. muffins, and cupcakes, I'll do a bone in chicken recipe to show you when it's wise to use it and how to remove the skin and bone, so you're still getting a tasty, but lower fat meal.
Who knew this answer would be longer than the Gettysburg Address?
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