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.

Italian Sausage Tortellini Soup

Credit: Two Peas & Their Pod
Recipe: http://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com/italian-sausage-tortellini-soup/

Cochran Review: This was really good. You may notice on the labels I have Meatless and Slow Cooker. Meatless is tagged because you can make this meal without the Italian Meatballs... unless you're cooking for me boys. Ha! I had a jam packed day when I made this so I altered the meal to a slow cooker method. However, you do not have to make this in the slow cooker. Just follow original recipe for stove top cooking.

One cautionary word of advice, I found rolling a zillion tiny little meatballs time consuming and tedious. So, if preparing this on a work day or busy day, you may want to do this step in advance. You could put them on wax paper in fridge to keep or even freeze them. Also, I ended up scooping all of the tortellini for our original meal and buying another batch to make for leftovers. My family likes a chunky, hearty soup over mostly broth. I will definitely make this again with doubling the tortellini. Enjoy!

Here are some pics from our dinner:

I made the meatballs about the size of a baby spoon.

I couldn't decide which pic to use, so I offer both. Ha ha! Also, I decided to top the soup with freshly grated Romano cheese I had on hand from another recipe.

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:

Deer Chops in a Slow Cooker

<pic coming soon. Blog system having issues when I posted this>

Credit: allreceipes.com
Receipe: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/deer-chop-hurry/Detail.aspx

Cochran Comment: Dad brought us some venison chops from hunting season. Growing up a never liked venison chop dinner night. With an open mind and all due respect to our family hunters we'll give this a go, but have the pizza delivery number at the ready. LOL! Stay tuned.

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!

 



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!

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!

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!

Easy Slow Cooker Jambalaya

Credit: American Family
Recipe: http://www.americanfamily.com/recipes/easy-slow-cooker-jambalaya/43136/RL

Cochran Review: Making this tomorrow for Mardi Gras! I'll let you know! -- Really good! My husband and dinner guests used descriptive words like, "Really good!", "DEE-lish!", and of course our Rachael Ray fan "Yumm-O!" :) This was so easy to put together and very flavorful. We really enjoyed it.

I did a few things different. I added whole canned tomatos instead of stewed, b/c my family enjoys the flavor tomatoes provide, but not eating them. I cubed the onions in chunks for easy removing, instead of dicing it. Also, I bought the average size shrimp on sale. They ended up the size of a dime when the dish was done. Here is a pic of my meal all in the hot tub and ready to cook:

Here is a picture of our final producted plated... or bowled, rather:

Slow Cooker Cheesy Italian Chicken

Credit: The original site is no longer in existence, but I found this through Just Get Off Your Butt & Bake
Recipe: http://www.sangotn.com/cookbook/crockpot/sauspot.html

Cochran Review: This is pretty good. I put 4 frozen chicken breasts in the slow cooker, covered w/ a packet of Zesty Italian seasoning, 2 cans of cream of chicken, & a softened 8oz brick of cream cheese. The recipe said to add milk if this got too thick. We weren't going to be home and I didn't want it to burn. So, I added about 1/4 cup of whole milk. Started the slow cooker on low around 11am and got home about 4pm. The chicken was cooked through. I took it out, cut it in cubes, and added it back to the slow cooker. When I tasted it I thought it had more of a chicken and dumpling flavor than Italian. So, I added a little salt, pepper, oregano, thyme, and garlic. Also, it was pretty runny (probably due to the additional milk I added). So, I added a 1/2 brick of cream cheese. I put it on high for another hour.

I cooked the noodles on the side and added at the end. However, I've done a lasagna in the slow cooker w/ uncooked noodles. I bet you could do the same here... add the spiral noodles at the beginning.

Yum! It is really good! I think it would be phenomenal w/ mushrooms and peas and/or asparagus! For tonight, I just served w/ a side of green beans. I made this before blogging and posted on my FB page. A friend made a version w/ frozen peas, a can of artichoke hearts, canned crab meat, mushrooms, and spaghetti noodles. She served it w/ French Bread. The added crab might be a bit over the top for my family, but her family really enjoyed it! Picture below.

This meal is so easy and so versitile. Since posting it on FB, several friends have informed me of variations they have made. Not one person seemed disappointed. Hope you enjoy! If you make it differently, please share in the comments!

Slow Cooker Lasagna

Credit: Creating Through Life
Recipe: http://creatingthroughlife.blogspot.com/2011/10/crock-pot-lasagna.html

Cochran Review: I haven't had this particular recipe, I don't think, but I've had several from dinning at friend's homes and that I've made myself. Some call for adding spinach or brocolli. I made a recipe from Parents or Parenting Magazine a while back, but can't find it now. Anyway, point being, they all have tasted about the same... amazing! Enjoy!

Slow Cooker Turkey Meatballs

2 bags of premade turkey meatballs
2 12 oz jars of apple jelly 
Chipotle Tabasco Pepper Sauce to taste (we use 1/4 to 1/2 of a 5 oz jar)

Put meatballs in slow cooker. Pour two jars of apple jelly over meatballs. Note: apple butter is completely different than apple jelly. You want apple jelly. Pour Chipotle sauce into slow cooker. If we are serving to a large crowd including children, I keep it closer to 1/4 of a bottle. When we are entertaining an adult crowd I go for the 1/2 jar. Anything more and look out! We like hot food, but more than half a bottle is HOT! Cook on high for 3-4 hours.

This recipe is something my husband and I have been making forever, and is quickly a party favorite! My grandma used to make beef meatballs with grape jelly. I'm not a huge fan of beef or grape. So, I just mixed it up a little. Enjoy!

Low-Fat Potato Soup

No picture, sorry. I'll take one next time I make it.

Credit: +50 Friends Group
Recipe: http://www.sangotn.com/cookbook/crockpot/loftpotsp.html

Cochran Review: This recipe is so easy and so flavorful! It makes a lot, but freezes easy. I thought we would be freezing some, but we gobbled it all up! Enjoy!

Slow Cooker French Dip

Credit: Picture Perfect Cooking
Recipe: http://pictureperfectcooking.wordpress.com/2011/07/09/slow-cooker-french-dip-sandwiches/

Cochran Review: Easy to make and very tasty. It satisfies all of your French dip cravings. Make it and enjoy it!

Pasta & Broccoli Sausage Simmer

Credit: Taste of Home Simple & Delicious

Recipe: http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Pasta---Broccoli-Sausage-Simmer

Cochran Review: Wow! So easy and very good! True to it's claim, this meal literally took me 30 mins, and that included kicking an occasional soccer ball with my son, cleaning up as I cooked and changing laundry! This meal makes SO much! Seriously! I will make this again, but I will cut the recipe in half. I guarantee even cooking a half recipe we will have leftovers!

Like I've mentioned before, my husband doesn't care for the texture of tomatoes and I'm allergic (can only handle in small doses). So, I opted out of the canned tomatoes. Instead, I used a 12 ounce can of tomato sauce & filled it with water and added a can of water. I think this was a great substitute for our family!

A note about this meal for leftovers: It is a little dry and appears to have less flavor. You might need to add some olive oil and salt and pepper.

Although this was good, I think I prefer the Pepperoni Penne Carbonara. It has a lot more flavor! Enjoy!

I will make this again. It is inexpensive, fast, easy, and we liked it. However, I will be making a half recipe unless I'm feeding an army! Enjoy!

Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken & Cheddar Quesadillas

Credit: Better Homes & Gardens
Recipe: http://www.bhg.com/recipe/chicken/barbecue-chicken-and-cheddar-quesadillas/

Cochran Review: These were great! We really enjoyed them. I was concerned they would be messy and too much BBQ, but it wasn't at all. The slow cooker instructions for the chicken seemed a bit cumbersome. So, I switched it up to make it a little easier, and we were not disappointed. Here is how I made the chicken:
Put 4-5 Boneless, skinless chicken breasts in your slow cooker. Mine were frozen and that didn't seem to matter. (Thawing step saved!) Gently sprinkle the chicken with Thyme from your spice rack. A tablespoon of Parsley. I bought a tube of fresh parsley in the produce section. Tastes fresh and great and saves on cutting time. Throw in 2 bay leaves. Press 3 garlic cloves and throw it in. 1/2 tsp of whole black peppercorns. Don't have whole peppercorns? No problem. I'd just put 3/4 tsp of black pepper in. Pour 16 ounces of chicken broth over everything. Put the lid on it and let it cook 4 hours on high or 8 hours on low. When you take the chicken out to cool, leave the bay leaves and whole peppercorns behind. I like to separate/shred the chicken with my hands. It is faster for me than using a fork and I can feel any fatty or tough areas of the chicken so I can throw it out before serving.

4-5 chicken breasts was about double the meat needed for this recipe, but I'm planning to make chicken pizza tomorrow for the games and thought I would just do this all at once. I like to cook two meals at once when possible! So you can cut back if you want to.
We ended up using two cups of shredded cheese rather than one cup, and the quesadillas were not overly cheesy. So, I suggest having extra ready just in case.
We used green salsa and substituted Wholly Guacamole for sour cream. These are just personal choices. Overall, eliminating the cheese cloth step during slow cooking and assembling the quesadillas was very easy and the the meal was very tasty. The chicken really has a lot of flavor and came out very juicy. We hope you enjoy!

Slow Cooker BLT (Bacon, Leek, Tomato) Brisket

Credit: Rachael Ray Show
Recipe: http://www.rachaelray.com/recipe.php?recipe_id=4438

12.19.12 Update: RR changed their site. New link attached above, but doesn't include the crouton recipe. Here is her garlic crouton recipe I found that we can just add parmesan to: http://www.rachaelray.com/recipe.php?recipe_id=4895

Cochran Review: OH EM GEE!!!! This dish... AH-mazing!!!! That says a lot coming from me, because I will choose turkey or chicken over red meat 95% of the time. Definitely don't skip making the easy salad and croutons! It was so easy and adds so much! Mom mentioned she loved the different textures: soft falling apart brisket, crisp salad, and crunchy croutons! Mom & Dad loved the stewed cherry tomatoes. My husband & I enjoyed the flavor the tomatoes gave, but didn't eat them. Donnie has an issue with tomato texture and I'm allergic (can only handle small doses). I can really understand why Rachael recommends caramelizing the meat before slow cooking it! It really added flavor!

Our salad was actually made with Boston Lettuce instead of Watercress or Arugula. My husband doesn't care for Arugula. So, I was going to use Watercress. However, Watercress doesn't hold up well and isn't widely sold in our area. So, the groceries only order upon request. If you want Watercress, make sure you check with your grocery or produce stand a few days in advance. That being said, Boston Lettuce was recommended by my grocery produce manager and we enjoyed it very much!

Also, the recipe calls for 2 Tbsps of honey. Our pediatrician recommends not giving our son honey until after he is 2. So, I substituted 2 Tbsps of honey with 1&1/2 Tbsps of maple syrup and 1 Tbsp of white sugar. See my article about Food Substitutions for more detail. I think our son thought it was worth it, because he gobbled this meal up!

This recipe has a few steps. So, I did some of them the night before. I cut the leeks, and put the veggies in a zip lock so I could just dump them into the slow cooker in the morning. Also, I cooked the bacon and caramelized the brisket the night before and put it in a zip lock. I made the croutons before serving, but I certainly think this step could be done the night before, too.

Hope you give this a try and enjoy! We will be making this again!