BBQ Chicken in the crockpot

This is one of those recipes that will leave everyone wondering how you scurried around all day in the hot kitchen and still look beautiful! Us women folk gotta have some secret tricks, right?!  Well here is this one...throw all your ingredients in the crockpot and head off to do what ever make you happy!
~Like having a cup of tea and reading recipe books with your mama...that's exactly what I did this past week when we made this for our fourth of July supper!

There are quite a few recipes similar to this one out there on the internet, I even noticed a sweet friend of mine came up with one just about the same. ~great minds thinks alike, they always say!~ She is always sharing some yummy recipes too so when you can go check out her blog too.

Ingredients

• Chicken breasts 4-6 pieces
• 1 bottle of BBQ sauce of choice ( I love sweet baby rays vidalia onion flavor)
• 1/4 c White or cider vinegar ( I normally just splash it in)
• 1/4 c Light brown sugar
• 1/4 Chicken broth or stock *optional
• Seasonings: Mesquite chicken seasoning, garlic powder, nature's seasoning, mrs. dash garlic or the onion variety, and course ground pepper. I normally sprinkle the garlic powder heavier than all the other seasonings. But if you do not have these on hand simply use garlic powder and pepper.

Directions

 Toss chicken into CP, add liquids, brown sugar crumbled over all of chicken, seasonings of choice and then top with bbq sauce, reserve a little for after shredding. Cook on low for 4-5 hours. 

When you are about to serve, take chicken out and shred with forks. Before returning to CP remove some of the broth and set aside. Now return shredded chicken to CP and top with remaining bbq sauce and stir. Should the meat look too dry slowly spoon in some of the reserved broth until moist. Keep in CP on warm setting until ready to serve.

I serve this on soft buns with slaw or chunky pickle relish and some sweet potato fries or steamed corn on the cob. But it is also super yummy on top of baked potatoes.

Since it also freezes well I will sometimes freeze some to pull out later and make a quick brunswick stew during the colder months.

Salsa Chicken...Clean Eating, Gluten Free

I got this FABULOUS recipe from a sweet friend I went to nursing school with. She introduced me into the world of clean eating and I love it. Its so easy and makes such great sense! (she has a great site online that you can find here) I also have a gluten sensitivity so some of my recipes are gluten free or gluten reduced. I always chose the GF alternative when I can.

Ingredients

• Chicken breasts 3-4 pieces
• 1 Jar of simple truth organic corn and black bean salsa (found at Kroger) If you don't have a kroger just choose a salsa with very minimal ingredients and little to no sugars, and free of preservatives and additives. A good rule is 5 ingredients or less. 

Directions

Simply toss chicken fresh or frozen into crockpot, pour salsa over the top and cook on LOW for 4 to 6 hours. Shred with a fork and enjoy!

They also sell a salsa verde version. While I don't bake with this one I love it for a topper over your salsa chicken creations!

The possibilities are endless with this one...here are a few options we have come up with.

1. Chicken tacos
2. Taco salad
3. Enchilada with salsa verde topper
4. Chicken quesadillas 
5. Over Rice
6. On a baked potato, add black beans and cheese.
7. On a plate with side items like black beans and salad
8. Spooned over a slice of cornbread with melted cheese and sour cream
9.  ...Now it's your turn...
10.  Don't forget to share your ideas too!

Monterey Chicken and catchin up!

Hey Everybody! Long time no see huh? Well I will start my catch up posts with this yummy recipe I had mentioned a while back. I have found a few recipes like this on pinterest and you know me I always use part of one recipe with another and make it my own!
It's super yummy and a great spin on the grilled chicken breast. -Sorry the pictures are missing...I'm working on tracking them down. I think they are on my old cell phone. Ooh the world of everything digital! I will add them as soon as I find them. But in the meantime, Ya'll can be enjoying this for supper.

Ingredients

• Boneless skinless chicken breasts
• Moores sauce (steak marinade, worcestersire will do just fine too)
• BBQ sauce of choice (my is always sweet baby rays...hickory or vidalia)
• Bacon cooked cooled and crumbled
• Shredded cheese ( I like to use sharp cheddar, or a colby jack blend) 
• Diced red onion
• 1 can diced fire roasted tomatoes- drained.
• Pepper *optional additional seasonings: ( I also use my fav's: natures seasoning and a mrs. dash or two, and sometimes some garlic powder) 

Directions

1. Pound out the chicken breasts and poke with a fork to tenderize. (this also makes lil holes for the marinade to get into)
2. Place into a shallow dish or container and pour a little marinade over them and season with pepper and optional addition seasonings. Let soak for at least 15-20 minutes, but you can marinate longer in the fridge if you like.
3. Fire up the grill! Place chicken on grill and cook until done. Don't forget to preheat the oven at 400º
4. Once chicken is done top with bbq sauce, bacon crumbles, cheese, onions and tomatoes.
5. Bake for about 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

As always I like to offer options on all my recipes...or maybe it's the fact that anytime I write a recipe down I automatically start thinking of other things...dang ADD! Anywhoo.  This recipe can also be made into a more southwest version by using rotel for the tomatoes and by seasoning the chicken with: garlic powder, cumin, chili powder, and pepper. Ok now my lil hamster is just a spinnin in his wheel 90 to nothing! I keep thinking of more and more recipes for you guys! I better get to posting before he gets pooped and all is lost! LOL Stay tuned...