Pulled BBQ Chicken

**These are our dear friends Steve and Sandra with our son. Their visit from Holland was the reason for the open house. I'm working on a food pic. Until then, enjoy these faces I love oh so much!!**
Credit: This is a Jen Cochran original. I made this up for an open house party and everyone loved it.
Recipe:

- 1 box of chicken broth (I believe it is 4 cups)
- water (see instructions below)
- 10 whole peppercorns
- 2 bay leaves
- 3 lbs frozen raw boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs
- salt to taste
- pepper to taste
- Durkee Grill Creations St. Louis Style Chicken & Rib Rub to taste
- Weber Beer Can Chicken Seasoning to taste
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
3 Tbsp of olive oil

Place the chicken in the slow cooker. Sprinkle with peppercorns, salt, and bay leaves. Pour chicken broth over top of everything. Add water so liquid comes to the top of the chicken. I use a 7 quart slow cooker. Cook on high 5 hours or low for 8 hours. Making the chicken is definitely a step you can do in advance.

Once the chicken is cooked, carefully remove the chicken from the slow cooker and let it rest a few minutes (I'm guessing here, 15 mins or so. It's not really a deal breaker if it is longer). While the chicken is cooking, I strain the liquid from the slow cooker into a container.

The chicken is so tender you can now use two forks to pull the chicken apart and shred it. Place the chicken back into the slow cooker. I seasoned the chicken with Durkee Grill Creations St. Louis Style Chicken & Rib Rub and Weber Beer Can Chicken Seasoning.

I did this on a whim preparing for 70ish people. So, I apologize I don't have exact measurements. I'd say just give it a good coating. Stir the chicken and add more so it is noticeable there is seasoning throughout. I added more salt and pepper to taste, as well. I love garlic, so I also added 3 minced cloves of garlic. I then added about 3 Tbsp of olive oil, and mixed it all together. Olive oil wakes up dry seasonings to release full flavor.

I knew my chicken was going to be sitting for a few hours in the slow cooker since it was for an open house (eat all day environment). In efforts to make the meat moist, I added a cup of the broth I drained from the slow cooker earlier. **Side Note: I put the rest in a plastic container and used in quinoa, etc in place of store bought chicken broth.** I then added a bottle (18 oz) of Sweet Baby Rays Original BBQ Sauce. **Side Note: pic captured is a different flavor than original, but wanted you to have a visual. The bottle I used is long gone.**

This made it a bit soupy, but it was perfect at dinner time a few hours later. If you're eating right away, I recommend adding the BBQ sauce first and then adding the chicken both as needed to get the texture you want.

That's it. Slap it on a bun and call it a day. We really enjoy it on a whole wheat bun topped with a vinaigrette cole slaw. Yum! Yum! Yum!

Extras:
- If you don't like biting into garlic chunks, smash open 3 garlic cloves and put them in w/ the raw chicken. Then you can strain the cloves out.
- Use the BBQ sauce you love. The sauce listed above is what the boys brought home. So, I used it. I use different ones often.
- I normally look at the ingredients in prepackaged seasonings and then just make my own. These were a gift at some point. So, I just used them. Feel free to play with the seasonings to your liking.
- I think everyone likes this so much due to the tenderness of slow cooking the chicken and the layering of the flavors. Adding flavor at each step really takes it up a notch.
- This makes a lot of chicken. You can make this recipe as is and freeze what you don't eat for later, or cutting it in half would probably make for a nice family of 4 dinner.

Chicken and Avocado Soup


Recipe Inspiration from: Skinny Taste
Original Recipe: http://www.skinnytaste.com/2010/02/chicken-and-avocado-soup.html

Cochran Review: I say inspired and original above because I had to alter the original recipe cooking instructions in several ways to appeal to my boys. I'm sure I'd love the original recipe as is. We're having this for dinner tonight. Stay tuned for what we thought and pictures.

Rather than state my changes in a paragraph format, I thought it may be easier to just rewrite the recipe as I made it. So, here is how I prepared our dinner..

Chicken
- 5 cups of chicken broth
- 10 whole peppercorns
- 1 lime (sliced thinly)
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 raw boneless skinless chicken breasts
- pinch of cumin powder
- pinch of cayenne pepper powder

Place the chicken in the slow cooker. Sprinkle with peppercorns, cumin, cayenne pepper, and bay leaves. Toss lime slices on top. Pour chicken broth over top of everything. Cook on high 4-5 hours (5 if frozen) and low 6-8 hours (8 if frozen). Making the chicken is definitely a step you can do in advance.

Soup
- 1 tomato, diced
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1&1/2 cup of green onions, finely chopped
- 2 ripe avocados, mashed
- 1 cup of cilantro, finely chopped
- 1 lime sliced
- 2 tsp of grape seed oil
- ground sea salt & fresh pepper to taste
- 18 oz of whole wheat three cheese tortellini

In a large pot or dutch oven, heat grape seed oil. Saute tomato, garlic and green onions in pot about 3-5 minutes. Let cool enough to be safe to transfer to food processor. Blend saute mixture well in food processor.

When chicken is done, remove from slow cooker and shred or cut into bite sizes pieces. Strain broth (to remove fatty chicken pieces, peppercorns, bay leaves, and lime slices) into large pot or dutch oven used to saute vegetables. Bring to a boil. This is the base for your soup. Whisk saute mixture into soup base. Whisk mashed avocado into soup. Put tortellini and chicken into soup broth. Simmer, covered on low for 15-20 minutes.

To serve, place cilantro, lime slice(s), additional scallions (if desired) into a bowl, and ladle soup over top.

Slow Cooker Honey Sesame Chicken

Credit: The Comfort of Cooking
Recipe: http://www.thecomfortofcooking.com/2012/08/crock-pot-honey-sesame-chicken.html?m=1

Cochran Comments: This was super easy and super yummy! Lots of flavor. I only did a few things different from the recipe. I used 2 pounds of frozen chicken thighs. I threw them in the slow cooker, and generously seasoned them with salt and pepper. I didn't do both sides as the recipe indicated since my chicken was frozen. I would've thawed and seasoned both sides if this wasn't a last minute dinner effort. I then cooked my meal for 3 hours on high since the chicken was frozen. They were done and tender.

I removed the chicken and made the sauce as indicated. After the sauce thickened, I threw in about a cup of frozen sweet peas and let them cook in the sauce on warm until we were ready to eat (15-20 mins). I opted to omit the scallions because my boys are not fans, and added peas to incorporate a veggie. It turned out great, and everyone was happy.

As for the rice, I made four servings of brown Jasmine (sticky) rice in our rice cooker. This was the perfect amount. The quantity of chicken suggested in this recipe made 4 servings plus a small toddler serving for our family. We had some sauce leftover, but not an obnoxious amount. I think what I'll do next time is go ahead with the entire 3 lb bag of chicken and follow the same sauce measurements. Enjoy!

Below is a picture of our meal:

Bacon Egg Cups

Credit: Fat Girl Trapped in a Skinny Body
Receipe: http://www.fatgirltrappedinaskinnybody.com/2011/04/bacon-egg-cups/

Cochran Review: We served these to our guests over the holidays with English muffins and fruit. Easy, tasty, and great! Perfect for serving several people bright and early in the morning. Upon suggestion within the reviews, we cooked the bacon a little bit before lining the muffin cups. This step could easily be done the night before. Leftovers warmed up easily. So, perfect to make over weekend to have quick week day breakfast available. Enjoy!

Braised Chicken Pumpkin

Credit: Michael Symon, The Chew
Recipe: http://beta.abc.go.com/shows/the-chew/recipes/Braised-Chicken-Pumpkin-Michael-Symon

Cochran Review: I was a little nervous my husband would weird out about pumpkin. So I used half pumpkin & half sweet potato. It wasn't weird at all. Very flavorful & yummy! Also, I substituted sweet peas for collard greens. I think next time I'll use kale. Fair warning, this makes a ton! So make for a large group or plan to freeze. Enjoy!

Pic from our meal:



Slow Cooker Beer Chicken w/ Beer & Bacon Quinoa

This one is a combination of a recipe found on Pinterest and a creative moment on my part.

Slow Cooker Beer Chicken

 



Credit: LaaLoosh
Recipe: http://www.laaloosh.com/2012/07/09/crock-pot-beer-chicken-recipe/

Cochran Review: Easy to make and decent flavor. The flavor is good and can be eaten as is, but isn't so overwhelming that you can't make the leftovers into a new meal. I shredded the chicken and made quesadillas the next day.

The chicken made a very yummy au jus. I strained the au jus and served it to the side to be poured over our chicken and quinoa. I think next time I might by hoagies to have chicken french dip sandwiches with leftovers!

Pic of our au jus:

Beer & Bacon Quinoa

 

 

Credit: Jen Cochran, me!  :)

Recipe: Make quinoa as directed on side of box. Instead of water or broth, I used a bottle of beer, plus a little water to make up the 2 cups. Cook bacon on side to a crispy consistency... I used 4 thick cut pieces. Let bacon rest and cool. When quinoa is done, crumble bacon and mix with quinoa.

 

Comments: I wanted something to go along with the chicken recipe above. Beer chicken sounds very manly to me and so I thought, hmmm... what else do men love? Bacon! I think the quinoa was the star of this meal! We had chicken leftovers, but gobbled all of the quinoa up. Enjoy!

 



Sausage & Kale Soup



Credit: Taste of Home
Recipe: http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Sausage-and-Kale-Soup

Cochran Review: It is simmering on the stove now. Super easy to put together and smells wonderful on this cold, rainy day. We will let you know. -- This was great! I used turkey sausage, but followed the rest. Hearty, tasty, easy to make, and pairs well w/ fresh made bread! Enjoy!

Picture of our meal simmering:



Buffalo Chicken Pasta

Credit: Hodgson Mill (recipe on side of pasta box)
Recipe:
1 12oz box Hodgson Mill Whole Wheat Penne
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast cubed
2 tsp vegetable oil, divided
1-2 tsp hot sauce
1 cup celery, sliced
1/2 cup red onion, chopped
1 cup low-fat bleu cheese salad dressing
1 cup low-fat mayonnaise
3/4 cup skim milk
2 Tbsp bleu cheese, crumbled

Prepare pasta according to package directions. While pasta is cooking, combine paprika, salt, garlic powder and pepper, sprinkle over chicken stirring to coat. Add 1 teaspoon of oil to a large skillet and heat over medium to high heat. Add chicken to skillet and saute, stirring frequently, until chicken is golden brown and cooked through, about 4 minutes. Add hot sauce; cook 1 minute. Remove chicken from skillet. Add remaining teaspoon of oil to skillet; add celery and onion and saute about 2 minutes.

Combine mayonnaise, dressing and milk in a small bowl. Add to vegetables in skillet. Add chicken. Stir constantly and cook until heated. When pasta is done, drain and return to pot. Add contents of skillet to pot and mix well. Transfer to serving dish and sprinkle with bleu cheese. Serve immediately. Serves 6.

Cochran Review: I made a few substitutions in an effort to make this healthier and we do not like bleu cheese dressing:
- Sorry Hodgson Mill, another whole wheat pasta was on sale. So, I ran with that.
- I upped the garlic powder from 1/8 tsp to 1/4 tsp.
- I used Roasted Garlic Grapeseed Oil from Wildtree instead of vegetable oil.
- I sliced the red onion in large slices instead of chopping it so we could remove them easily. We like the flavor of onions, but do not appreciate the texture.
- I replaced mayo with plain Greek yogurt.
- Instead of bleu cheese salad dressing, I used a block of brie (w/ rhine removed) and some feta crumbles.
- We topped it w/ leftover feta crumbles instead of buying bleu cheese crumbles, and additional hot sauce.
- I didn't combine the spices and then put them on the chicken. I put the oil in the pan, the chicken, and dumped spices as I measured them. It saved a step and worked fine.

This dish was SO yummy! We really enjoyed it and would love to have it again. I used 2 teaspoons of hot sauce and I wouldn't even say it had a kick... in fact, I would say 2 teaspoons is very kid friendly. So, we topped our dishes after they were plated with a few more shakes of hot sauce! Yum! I served it with raw celery and carrot sticks. The recipe states it serves 6. I'd say it serves 3 adults, unless you have larger sides than I offered. Enjoy!

Pic of our meal is the picture shown above.



Garlic Chicken Stir Fry w/ Quinoa, Peppers, & Basil

 

Credit: Trader Joe's Organic Quinoa box

Recipe:

1 cup Trader Joe's Organic Quinoa, prepared w/ chicken stock, according to package directions

2 cups Trader Joe's Chicken Broth

1 1/2 pounds Trader Joe's Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast Tenders

4 Tbsps Trader Joe's Olive Oil

1 Small Onion, thinly sliced

1 red bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced

1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced

5 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced

20 leaves fresh sweet basil, julienne

Grated Parmesan Cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

Cut chicken into one-inch pieces. Heat large nonstick skillet over high heat and add the oil. Add chicken and saute for 5 minutes or until golden brown. Add onions, bell peppers; saute for one or two more minutes; add garlic and saute until peppers become slightly limp, but still bright, about one to two minutes; season with salt and pepper. Remove the pan from heat; add basil and quinoa. Toss until basil wilts, garnish with Parmesan Cheese. Serves four.

Cochran Review: So, last night I was night feeling adventurous in the kitchen. Just thawed some boneless, skinless chicken breasts (from Aldi) and planned to make Trader Joe's Organic Quinoa. When taking the quinoa box out of the pantry this recipe caught my eye. I have basil and peppers in my garden, so it was a no brainer.

Substitutions:

- I used 2 cups of chicken broth I made last week when making slow cooker chicken tacos.

- I used 2 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken from Aldi.

- I used 4 Tbsp of Wildtree Roasting Garlic Grapeseed Oil instead of Olive Oil. What's Wildtree? Check it out here http://www.mywildtree.com/sherryr/

- I didn't have an onion. So, I used Onion Onion Seasoning Blend from Tastefully Simple.

- I only had two medium green peppers ready for harvest in my garden. So, I ran with those.

- I used 20 basil leaves from my garden and chopped them up. No idea if it is sweet basil or not.

- Totally forgot to garnish with Parmesan, but topped with Lee Kum Kee Panda Brand Premium Soy Sauce.

I put the grapeseed oil in the pan, seasoned both sides of my chicken with salt and pepper, and cooked till chicken was done. I cooked the quinoa and chicken broth at the same time as the chicken in a separate pot. Then I threw in the diced peppers and onion seasoning to start cooking as I sliced the chicken. Threw the chicken back in the pan with the peppers and onion seasoning. Threw the chopped basil in the cooked quinoa. Mixed it all together, plated it, and topped it with soy sauce! Yum! Seriously low effort, under 30 minutes, affordable, and very tasty! Totally cured my salt craving with the addition of soy sauce. This was great reheated for leftovers, too! We will be having this again! Enjoy!

Pic of our dish is the picture shown above.

Daphne Oz's Chicken with Sweet Potatoes

Credit: The Chew's Daphne Oz
Recipe: http://beta.abc.go.com/shows/the-chew/recipes/Chicken-Sweet-Potatoes-Daphne-Oz

Cochran Comments: I did all of the chopping and work this morning after breakfast, but I would recommend preparing your meat and veggies the night before if you have to be somewhere (ie work) in the morning. It took me about 30 minutes from starting the prep work to firing up my slow cooker. Pretty easy, tho. I peeled the sweet potatoes. The recipe doesn't really specify, but the pic above doesn't show skin on and I'm not a big fan of sweet potato skin.

I don't have Curry Powder on hand. So, I researched a substitute. I found a conversation on Yahoo Answers stating the following for a substitute:

• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp ground cumin powder
• 1/2 tsp ground coriander powder
• red chili powder, to taste
• optional: pinch of nutmeg, pinch of cardamom powder, pinch of cinnamon

I only needed a teaspoon of curry powder. So, I didn't follow the amounts exactly. I just kind of sprinkled the above seasonings over the chicken in the slow cooker. However, I don't have turmeric either. So, back to substitute research, and found mustard powder per healthdiaries.com.

Well, the reviews on the recipe site are right, there's a lot of liquid leftover. I too would probably cut the original liquids in half to start this meal. There was so much liquid, I'm not sure the amount of cornstarch recommended really made a difference in thickening. I didn't add more, because I didn't want to add to the calories. Waste not, want not! I actually strained the leftover sauce and I'm gonna try to use the now broth in place of water or chicken broth the next time I make quinoa. I'll keep you posted about this.

First bite words, "Woo! Bring on the back heat!" The first bite was a little alarming, but it was never too much for my husband and I. Our almost two year old doesn't quite care for hot food as much as we do yet, and he has a sensitive stomach. So, I chickened out and gave him plain chicken.

The flavor was great, the textures were great, and good news! The flavors and textures maintained for leftovers! Yay!

I didn't make the spinach side recommended in the original recipe. I served 2 & 1/2 bags of baby spinach to my family already this week. I knew they were probably over it, because I (the vegetable lover) was. So, I got some fresh green beans from my local produce stand. I put 2 Tbsp of oil in a pan, 2 minced garlic cloves, and heated it up, but didn't brown it. I cleaned and cut the tips off the green beans, and threw the beans into the pan with oil and garlic. Salt and pepper to taste. Cook for a few minutes. Since my main dish had some soy sauce in the base, I decided to add a bit to my green beans. Maybe a tablespoon or so... to taste. Cook a little longer. I like to cook green beans down a little bit so they soften slightly from their original texture, but still have some crunch. You can't cook fresh green beans incorrectly. Their safe to eat fresh or mushy. So, just use your judgement to your liking, and enjoy! Right before plating the beans I folded some sesame seeds into them. Again, to your liking. Hope your family enjoys this dish as much as we did!

Spinach Salad with Chicken, Avocado & Feta Cheese

Credit: Recipe Girl
Recipe: http://www.recipegirl.com/2012/04/02/spinach-salad-with-chicken-avocado-and-goat-cheese/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheRecipeGirl+%28The+Recipe+Girl%29&utm_content=My+Yahoo

Cochran Review: Well, as a first time veggie farmer, I learned about spinach plants "bolting" this week. Meaning the temperature went up and the spinach plants began to flower and wilt their leaves! Ahhh! So, I had to pick all of my leaves quick and get eating! I found this recipe and gave it a go. So glad I did! Yum! I changed a few things for no other reason than I didn't feel like going to the produce stand or grocery.

Here's what I changed: I substituted red bell pepper for the tomatoes, pecans for the pine nuts, & Feta cheese for the goat cheese. I added chives from my garden.

In regards to the dressing, I used red wine vinegar instead of white wine vinegar, because it is what I had on hand. I used Schnucks (local grocer) Whole Grain with Garlic Mustard.

This meal came together quick and easy for me since it was right after Memorial Day. My husband grilled a lot of corn in husk and meats on the charcoal grill. So I used that corn and chicken in my salad. I completely recommend having a summer grill meal and using those leftovers in this salad to make a new meal. I questioned the corn, but went for it. I was not disappointed! This is a great light, hot summer day meal. Hope you enjoy!

Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken

Credit: Stick A Fork In It

Recipe: http://forkinit.blogspot.com/2010/09/crockpot-barbecue-chicken.html

Cochran Recipe: Need an easy meal for a busy day tomorrow. This is the winner. Stay tuned!

Greek Salsa Chicken

 

Credit: Sweet Peas Kitchen

Recipe: http://sweetpeaskitchen.com/2011/02/08/greek-salsa-chicken/

Cochran Review: Trying this week. Stay tuned!

Chicken Spinach Noodle Casserole

Credit: Real Simple
Recipe: http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/chicken-noodle-casserole-00100000075552/index.html

Cochran Comments: I have several of these ingredients left over from last week's meals. So, we are going to try this some time this week. I think I'll try to substitute Greek yogurt for sour cream and skim milk for whole milk. Stay tuned!

Blackened Chicken & Cilantro Lime Quinoa

Credit: Sarcastic Cooking
Recipe: http://www.sarcasticcooking.com/2012/03/15/blackened-chicken-and-cilantro-lime-quinoa/

Cochran Review: Although the recipe came from Sarcastic Cooking, there's nothing sarcastic about my family's love for it! Quick, easy and yummy! Just the way dinner is meant to be!! LOVED the Greek Yogurt/Avocado dressing to top the meal! It was a nice touch since the chicken seasoning packed a little heat (not too much tho; my 16 month old enjoyed it). The quinoa was very flavorful, too.

Here is a pic from our meal:

Storms passed through right as I was cooking, and we lost power for 3 hours. Another reason I was so grateful the meal cooked up easy and quick. So, we enjoyed our family dinner over candlelight, which was very fun! Thanks for joining us for dinner! Enjoy!

Cheesy Chicken & Wild Rice Casserole

Credit: Picky Palate
Recipe: http://picky-palate.com/2010/09/13/cheesy-chicken-and-wild-rice-casserole/

Cochran Review: We had this for dinner last night. The dish tastes fine, but it was a lot of work and a lot of dishes. Everything in the recipe requires precooking: shredded chicken, vegetables, and rice. Luckily, this was a planned Sunday dinner. So, my husband was available to help. If you're not standing over this meal, it's not cooking. There isn't much it does on its own. As a mom of a busy toddler, these meals are a bit cumbersome. I think you could fancy up a boxed rice meal with chicken and bake topped with cheese to get the same minimal work, but same flavor dish. Also, if I were to make this again, I'd either add more chicken or not use so much rice.

This is how I made my shredded chicken:
- 6 frozen skinless, boneless chicken breasts (only 2 for this recipe. I made more for another recipe this week)
- 2 Bay Leaves
- 2 cups of chicken broth
- 2 cups of water
- 10 whole peppercorns
- 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt
I threw all ingredients into the slow cooker on high for 4 hours. Let chicken cool. Then shred/pull apart with fork.

Here is a picture from our dinner:

Thanks for joining us for dinner! Enjoy!

Black Bean Sweet Potato Enchiladas

Credit: Cookie + Kate
Recipe: http://cookieandkate.com/2011/black-bean-sweet-potato-enchiladas/

Cochran Review: We had these tonight for dinner tonight! Yum! Yum! Yum! Very good dish. I LOVE meals that say throw the ingredients in a bowl and mix! Doesn't get easier than that!!

A few things I changed up:
- I shredded chicken from last night's dinner (Wine & Tomato Braised Chicken) for my husband who insists on having meat with every meal.  :)
- It is a warm day today. So I decided to cook the sweet potato on the stove top in a pan with coconut oil instead of bake them. The less I have the oven going, the better.
- I chickened out. I omitted the Red Pepper, Jalapeno, and Serrano peppers. I planned to feed this to my 16 month old, and was not up for being awake all night due to his tummy hurting. I think they would add a nice kick, tho. So, do it and let me know!  ;)
- Also, I thought I had a jar of green salsa at home, but I didn't. So, I used what we had left of a jalapeno cilantro salsa on the bottom of the dish. I didn't have enough to top the enchiladas, but I had extra stuffing. So, I threw the extra stuffing on top with the cheese.

Even with my few misses, changes, and additions, this meal tastes great and was easy to make! I'd be happy to have it again and maybe add a little more kick. Enjoy! Thanks for joining us for dinner!

Wine & Tomato Braised Chicken

Credit: Eating Well
Recipe: http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/wine_tomato_braised_chicken.html

Cochran Review: This is for dinner tonight! After doing the prep work, I can honestly say I'm excited for dinner! This is a meal that requires a minimal amount of prep cooking before you toss it all in the hot tub. The prep cooking and clean up took me about 30 minutes. So for all of you working 8-5 chefs, I recommend following in tip at the bottom of the recipe to make this part ahead. Also, they offer alternatives for the wine for those of you who prefer. I used Barefoot Chardonnay in our meal.

Some things I did different:
- I used 3 pounds of boneless skinless chicken breasts instead of the bone in thighs in the recipe.
- As I've mentioned before, my husband has a texture issue with tomatoes. So, I used 23 ounces (15 & 8 oz cans) of tomato sauce instead of the canned tomatoes.
- The bacon I used didn't produce very much fat/grease. So, I added a tablespoon or so of coconut oil to the pan before the onion.
- Also, I threw a 5th piece of bacon in, because, well, why not!  :)
- I didn't thaw my chicken first. I turned the slow cooker on high with the frozen chicken inside while I prepped the sauce. I've decided to leave the chicken and sauce on high for the first hour and then I intend to kick it down to low until dinner (about 4 hours).

OK, so this meal wasn't awful, but it wasn't great. The flavor smelled more than it tasted. We didn't hate it, but it isn't something we will remember about to have again. Maybe the few things I did differently altered the recipe too much, but we won't be having this again. If you give it a try and find a way to doctor it tasty, let me know!

Honey Heinz 57 Chicken

Credit: Heinz 57 & Jen C
Recipe: I saw an idea on the back of a Heinz 57 bottle to mix a bottle with 1/4 cup of honey to create a chicken grilling sauce. So, I spiced it up a bit, and we really enjoyed it!

5 thinly sliced chicken breasts
1 bottle of Heinz 57
1/4 cup of honey
1 Tbsp of vinegar
6-8 drops (to taste) of Chipotle Tabasco Sauce

In a small bowl, mix honey and Heinz 57. I had trouble getting all of the sauce from the bottle. So, this is how vinegar joined the party. Pour about a tablespoon of vinegar into the Heinz 57 bottle, put the lid back on, and shake to loosen the rest of the sauce. Pour into small bowl. I didn't want our meal to just taste like chicken with Heinz 57 on it, so I spiced it up with a few drops/dashes of Chipotle Tabasco Sauce. Mix all together. Split sauce in half to use half during grilling and the other half for dipping, if desired.

Grill chicken over medium heat 4-6 minutes. Brush with sauce mixture, turn over and grill an additional 4-6 minutes. Or until chicken is done.

Cochran Review: This turned out really great. We don't typically use a lot of sauce with our meals, and this made A LOT of sauce. So, we have over half left over. Next time, I would either make more chicken or less sauce. I guess it is nice to have at the ready in the fridge, tho.  :)  The chicken turned out tender and juicy. The sauce has a sweet & spicy flavor to it without too much spice. You could make it more or less by adjusting the Chipotle Tabasco, of course. Enjoy!

Pic from our meal is above.

Family Fajita Bar - turned slow cooker meal

Credit: Weber
Recipe: http://www.weber.com/grillout/recipes/beef/family-fajita-bar

Cochran Review: Well, we ran out of propane, and I do not know how to change the tank. So, I turned this grill meal into a slow cooker meal with great success! Here's how I did it:

I put about a tablespoon of coconut oil in a large pan on the stove top. I seared both sides of the steak to caramelize it. I put the steak in the slow cooker. Then added the chicken to the pan to sear both sides. I then added the chicken to the slow cooker, too.

Since I was putting the meal in the slow cooker for the day, I thought I should increase the liquid. Instead of 1/4 cup of orange juice, I used 12 ounces. I had concerns that adding this much orange juice and not using a grill would create a tropical flavor and loose the smoky grill taste. So, I put the orange juice, olive oil, and lime juice in the pan I seared the meat on low and mixed the drippings. This turned the liquid to a smokier and browner consistency. End result seemed to be much more smokey grill flavor than blatant orange. So, we were happy.

I poured the liquid mixture from the pan over the meat in the slow cooker, added the other ingredients (except peppers & onions; we sauteed them in a pan w/ coconut oil right before serving), and cooked it on low for 5 hours.

We really enjoyed this meal! I think the conversion from a grill cooking method to a slow cooker is a nice alternative for those without a grill or for winter months. We really enjoyed this.

I have a favorite guacamole recipe I typically make. I was gonna give this one a try, but time didn't allow and I went to my reliable Wholly Guacamole cheat. If you try the guac recipe included, let me know what you think! Enjoy!