Crock Pot Italian Chicken

BEST OF THE TASTY CHEAPSKATE

In honor of Labor Day, I'm bringing you a dish--not for a picnic--but for a nice low-labor dinner for a high-labor day. It's great for anything in the world (Sunday dinner, soccer days, lazy days, hot days, cold days, weekdays), including bringing to friends who need a nice meal. 

If you'd like to read the initial post, which I just think is hil-a-ri-ous. Because of course, I'm just hil-a-ri-ous, you can find it HERE. 

Also, if you forget to crock pot it, and still want this, I'd bet you could put it all in a 9x13 inch pan and bake for about 40 minutes, and come out with a win.

Crock Pot Italian Chicken
Serves 6
Prep time: 3-10 minutes
Cook time: 6 hours in crock pot
Cost: $4.85
(chicken: 4.00, cream cheese: I got mine for .50, but a more normal yet still cheap price is a little over a dollar, white sauce: .30, Italian dressing packet: homemade: .05; I don't know how much it is to buy it.)

4 chicken breasts--about 2 lb.
8 oz. package cream cheese
1 can cream of chicken soup (or 2 Tbsp butter, 2 Tbsp flour, 1 C milk, 1 tsp bouillon granules)
1 packet Italian dressing mix (or 2 Tbsp homemade Italian dressing mix)

2 handfuls spinach (optional, but this does make you feel like you're winning at life)

Put chicken in crock pot. Add cream cheese in chunks. Add cream of chicken soup and sprinkle with Italian dressing mix. Cook on low for 6 hours (my chicken was frozen; if yours is thawed, this will take less time) or whenever dinner is [Note: It is possible to overcook this. I mean, it's still good, but your chicken can get a little mushy, so be warned.]. 

If using spinach, toss it in the crock pot, 15 minutes before serving. 

When ready to eat, shred chicken and mix chicken with cream cheese, sauce, and seasoning. Serve over rice or starch of your choice. We had a salad on the side the first day and broccoli the next day. I also thought it would be really good with a few lovely seasonal tomatoes sliced up on the side.

If making a white sauce instead of using cream of chicken soup:

Melt butter in a pot. Whisk in flour and bouillon. Let bubble for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Whisk in milk. Stir until boiling. Reduce heat and simmer until thickened (should take 1-3 minutes).

Lime Cilantro Chicken

New addiction. Ad-dic-tion.

This is sooo good. And it's good in everything. It's good alone, or with rice, or with burritos, or in a salad (oh, in a salad--makes summer worth having). It's good however on earth you want to eat it. So I'm going to tell you from sad sad experience that you should quadramilla-duple it and then eat it with everything all the time (except maybe oatmeal; you might want to skip it with that, but then, who knows...).

It also takes less than 20 minutes to throw together (though if you have time to marinate it, it's even better). You can make it on the stove; you can make it on the grill.

Also, if you have cilantro haters, don't despair. I have a hard-core cilantro hater, but he was totally fine with this. Because it gets cooked, it's not an in-your-face cilantro flavor.

Lime Cilantro Chicken
adapted from Gimme Delicious
serves 4
Prep and cook time: 20 minutes (though an hour-1 day of marination is preferred)
Cost: $3.80
chicken: 3.00, lime: .25, olive oil: .20, other stuff: .35

Note: I did use fresh lime juice because I had limes. I'd recommend it, and you need the zest anyway. That said, don't not make this because you don't have limes. It might not be quite as punchy or amazing, but my guess is that it'll still be pretty darn fabulous.

4 chicken breasts
1/4 C fresh lime juice
zest of one lime
2 Tbsp olive oil
1-2 Tbsp fresh cilantro (I used 1-ish)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp salt
1 tsp brown sugar (or honey)
1/2 tsp red chili flakes
1/2 tsp ground cumin

Combine everything except the chicken breasts, and whisk it together. Add the chicken breasts and marinate (even 15 minutes of marination will give it a little extra flavor, but it's still good if you don't have time to marinate).

Drizzle a little olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken breasts (reserve the extra marinade). Cook till one side is golden brown, then flip and do the same on the other side.

When they are nearly cooked, pour the rest of the marinade into the pan, coat the breasts, and cook.

When the chicken is done, serve on tacos, with rice, or shredded into a salad. (I hope you quadramilla-dupled it, cause you're going to be sad if you didn't.)

PRINTABLE RECIPE

Dumb Easy Dinner: Barbecups

I don't know how you could possibly not make a dinner with a name as cute as Barbecups. I mean, come on, it's adorable.

 Also, these are very easy. I should warn you, however, that these are not a perfect whole food. You're going to be using some biscuits or croissants out of a can. If that bothers you feel free to make a batch of your own little biscuit dough from scratch. Just know that that will make these a little less dumb easy.

I should also warn you that these don't involve a vegetable (unless you count BBQ sauce as a vegetable, which you probably shouldn't, but I won't judge you if you do). To rectify that you can just use a bagged salad or--my husband's favorite option--open up a can of corn. I know that sounds super lame, but it will totally work and be delicious. You could also add olives to these if olives are your thing.

Barbecups
makes 12 (can make more if they're tiny)
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes if you cook the chicken
Cost: $4.75
croissants: 2.00, chicken: 2.00, cheese: .50, bbq: .25

Note: If you want to make this incredibly fast, you can use canned chicken (that's been drained). I'm not going to lie--it's not as good. But it's very fast.

Note: You can used browned beef in place of the chicken. You'll probably need about 1/2 pound.

2 packages croissant dough (you know, the one in the tubes); you could also use biscuit dough
2 breasts shredded chicken (if you're chicken breasts are huge, you only need one)
3/4 C barbeque sauce
1 C shredded cheddar cheese

If you need to, cook your chicken breasts.

While your chicken breasts are cooking, open your croissants and lay them out as rectangles. Cut squares big enough to fit into the muffin portion of a muffin tin. Press them into the muffin tins.

When the chicken is cooked, shred it. A quick way to do this is to put them in your Kitchenaid if you have one--use the paddle mixer and it will shred that warm chicken breast.

Add barbeque sauce to your chicken breasts.

Put a spoonful of chicken/BBQ into each muffin tin. Top with cheese. That's it. Bake it according to the package instructions. And add some veggies to the side if you're feeling righteous.

PRINTABLE RECIPE

Chicken Enchiladas

These are our favorite enchiladas. And I've never gotten them onto this blog because when I'm hungry I'm a lazy picture taker. And after we've eaten these, they look like a heard of monsters came through and scooped out enchiladas with their hands (which is mildly--though not entirely--accurate). At any rate, I decided it was time to share even if I never have that perfect picture of that perfect bite (which inevitably went into my mouth as soon as it hit the spoon).

These can utilize leftover chicken should you happen to have any.

Chicken Enchiladas
makes 6 large enchiladas
Prep time: 40 minutes
Cook time: 25-30 minutes
Cost: $7.00
enchilada sauce: 2.00, tortillas: .75, cream cheese: 1.00, green chilies: .50, chicken: 2.00, cheese: .75

2 cans (10 oz) mild green enchilada sauce
6 medium or large flour tortilla shells
8 oz cream cheese, softened
4 oz can green chilies (these can be left out if you hate any heat or worry that your minions will rebel about little green chunks of anything, but I like them)
1 lb chicken, boiled and shredded
1 1/2 C cheddar cheese, shredded

First boil your chicken. One thing I love about boiling chicken is that you can do this even if you forgot to de-thaw your meat (which I always always do) and it's not big deal. After it's done cooking, shred it.

In a pot set to medium heat, combine the shredded chicken with the cream cheese, green chilies, and about 1 C of the cheddar. Mix it up until your cheeses are melty.

Once the filling is ready, pour a bit of the enchilada sauce into a 9x13 inch pan--just enough to coat the bottom of the pan.

Then put some enchilada sauce on a plate. Put your tortilla on the plate and coat it in the sauce on both sides (this is an extra step, but I love how it makes the enchiladas taste--no dry nasties). After your tortilla is coated, add a spoonful of filling and roll it up. Then place it in the pan.

Repeat this until all your tortillas are stuffed. Pour any remaining enchilada sauce over your enchiladas and top with the remaining cheese. Bake at 375 for 25-30 minutes or until the sauce is bubbling and the cheese has just started to brown a bit.

PRINTABLE RECIPE

Forty Clove Roast Chicken--One Pot

Gardens can be maddening. One year you get a whole bunch of beans, but the bugs get all your squash. The next year the squash might be thriving, but the squirrels carry off your tomatoes. There are the years you get too much of something to eat it all. And there are the years you don't seem to get much of anything at all.

Last year my garden was awful. It was a ton of work and barely produced anything. The squirrels discovered the tomatoes and ate every single one--or rather I should say they took a bite out of every single one. My squash just sat there looking infected with something. The raccoons knocked over all the corn, but the ears were super tiny anyway so whatevs. And for all that, I weeded and sweated. I was almost ready to give it all up. But--as so often happens with gardens--this spring gave me a funny little consolation prize. I'd planted a bunch of garlic the year before and harvested some, but before I could harvest the rest, I'd let it die back to the point where I no longer knew where it was. Then, this spring, up it popped--full, awesome, prolific, and ready for eating for absolutely no effort at all on my part. Nature can certainly be a harsh mistress, but that doesn't mean she can't be gracious when she wants to.

(yeah, I braided it cause I'm awesome)

Except, you know--what do you do with dozens of bulbs of garlic if you don't have a vampire problem in your neighborhood (which, to my knowledge, we don't)? Especially if you don't want to ward off your neighbors and friends (and, uh, spouse). Well, this Forty Clove Chicken is a great start.

You roast it for nearly an hour and a half, which takes all the edge off the garlic, while infusing the chicken with something deeply flavorful and rich. I actually ate the somewhat caramelized garlic on the side as a veggie (with no ill effect on my love life). And the chicken--I really just couldn't believe how the roasting had transformed it. I was concerned about the long roasting time--this is a cut up chicken--I was sure it was going to come out leathery and tough. Nope. Not in the slightest. Not even the small pieces of meat, like the wings and drumsticks. It was all tender, moist, and deeply flavorful without being offensive to vampires, or at least your loved ones. The other great thing was that I don't usually like my chicken with skin--mostly because the skin sucks up all the flavor and leaves the actual meat kind of boring. Not with this--the long cooking time and many garlic cloves just suffuse the meat with flavor. Seriously, it's awesome.

And even though the cooking time is a little long (especially for summer--sorry--we've had some really cool days), the prep time is about five minutes (I love you five-minute-prep-time). And even though you do need 40 cloves of garlic, you don't have to peel them (go on, do your happy dance). The peels come off during cooking or soften so significantly that they can be eaten.

Bonus: If you like garlic bread, you can press the cooked garlic into a paste, add to butter, and spread. I didn't; I just ate them. But garlic butter would be delicious.

Forty Clove Roast Chicken--One Pot
adapted from 365 Ways to Cook Chicken
serves 4
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 90 minutes
Cost: $11.20
butter/oil: .15, chicken: 10.00 (this is a humanely raised chicken--you could get for half as much if you buy a normal store chicken), garlic: 1.00, other: .05

2 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 whole chicken, cut into pieces
40 cloves garlic, unpeeled
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 C water

Preheat oven to 350.

In a Dutch oven, melt butter in oil. Add chicken and cook, turning occasionally, until golden. This takes about 10 minutes

Add garlic and stir to coat (mine were pretty crammed in there, but it got them all a bit of seasoning). Sprinkle with lemon juice, thyme, salt, pepper, and 1/4 C water.

Cover tightly and bake for 75-90 minutes (mine only took 75). Let rest for about 10 minutes after taking it out of the oven.

PRINTABLE RECIPE

Crock Pot Chicken Enchilada Soup

I realize that the time is nearly foregone for posting soup recipes, but I did want to try to squeeze in one more. I think I can get away with it because this soup is sort of a double agent. Sure it could be a comforting creamy winter soup, but there's also something inherently bright and summery to it. I used canned corn and Rotel, but some off-the-ear corn would rock and I'm betting some homegrown tomatoes and a jalepeno would work too.

Also, it's stupid simple (why didn't I give my blog that name, you ask). You throw stuff in a crock pot and let it sit. I seriously looove those recipes. I actually had kind of low expectations for this soup because it seemed a little too easy. Nope. It totally worked.

It was also one of those wonderfully adaptable soups. Only have 1/2 lb of chicken breast--no problem. Want to add beans--go for it. Random bits of cheese--be my guest (although I'd recommend at least a dose of cheddar). Spicy--fine; not--okay too. Top it with cilantro or not. Serve it with a dash of lime or not. It just works. I mean unless you sub beef for the chicken and nutritional yeast for the cheese and peas for the corn and apple juice for the chicken broth--in that case I'm not sure I can help you...

Crock Pot Chicken Enchilada Soup
adapted from Cinnamon, Spice, and Everything Nice
Serves about 10
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 4 hours
Cost: $4.00
chicken: 2.00, Rotel: 1.00, corn: .50, chicken broth: .50, cheese: 1.00

Note: If you want you can saute a chopped onion and a few cloves of garlic and a small chopped red pepper in some oil and then dump that in, go for it. I took the low (and stupid simple road) and sprinkled in some onion powder and garlic powder and skipped the pepper--told you it was adaptable).

1 lb chicken breast (less works and mine were frozen)
4 C chicken broth
1 can Rotel (2 would work too)
1 can corn, drained
1 can black beans, drained, optional (I skipped--I love them but Kip hates them)
onion powder
garlic powder
1-2 tsp chili powder (I used 1)
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp oregano
1 1/2 C shredded Cheddar (or Monterey Jack or both)
1 C sour cream
tortilla chips and avocado for serving if you wish

Put everything into a crock pot (except cheese and sour cream) and cook on high for 3-4 hours on high or on low 5-6. A half hour before you eat, take the chunks of chicken up and shred them. Put them back in. Then stir in sour cream and shredded cheese (I shred my own; if you buy it shredded it won't incorporate quite as well because they coat it with something).

Serve with extra cheese or avocado or tortilla chips or whatever.

Note: We made homemade tortilla chips by cutting up a tortilla and pan-frying it until golden on either side and then salting it. My kids are gaga for these. And maybe one day they'll get their own post, but for now this will have to do.

PRINTABLE RECIPE

Ways to Use Leftover Chicken

(ranch chicken sandwiches)

So I spend a lot of time blabbing on about how we should all eat our leftovers. And we should. It doesn't matter if you're low-cal, paleo, or gluten-free. It doesn't matter if you're poor or rich. Generally we agree that we shouldn't waste perfectly good food. At least we agree in words. Statistically, we Americans waste 1/4 of our food--our perfectly good, usable food. One quarter. Can you believe it? That is like throwing away 1/4 of the clothes you buy without ever wearing them. It's like paying 200K instead of 150K for a house and then closing off 3 of the rooms and never ever using them. That means that if you spend $400 on food each month, you take a $100 bill and throw it in the trash. Crazy talk, right? Except that's what the average American does with food.

And why?

I believe that it's often simply because the average American is busy and doesn't know what to do with that handful of leftover shredded cheese or that leg of cold chicken or those nubs of cheese or those few spoonfuls of vegetables.

Consequently, I thought I'd spend a little time on the blog throwing out some ideas for how to use our leftovers. We'll start with chicken--meat tends to be the most expensive after all.

(chicken divan)

1. Stir Fry. A little oil, a few veggies, some soy sauce, and in goes that handful of random leftover chicken (also great for random leftover vegetables).

2. Fried Rice. Pretty much the same as above, except then you're going to add rice and fry it in some oil.

3. Chicken Divan. This is great when you've roasted a chicken and have leftovers, but your leftovers aren't the parts everyone likes to eat the best (surely we're not the only family with this problem). Well, take that light or dark meat, or those yummy bits from the back that can be shredded but not really served as a, well, serving. And make this. I was very surprised how much leftover meat I got off our roast chicken the next day. (This is pictured just above.)

4. Chicken wraps/tacos/burritos. This works well with plain chicken, but it's also nice because it works welly with that leftover 1/2 C of flavored chicken (BBQ, ranch, mustard, whatever) that might not have worked as well in a dish like chicken divan. Also, the nice thing about a wrap is that if you have just a bit of chicken you can still make yourself a wrap for lunch. If you have a cup or two of chicken, you can make wraps for the whole family.

5. Chicken Salad Sandwiches. A little mayo and some kind of crunchy veggie and you're set. But if you want something fancier that your whole family will never ever suspect was a leftover meal, try this Tarragon Turkey Salad (only with chicken).

6. And while we're talking chicken sandwiches... This is THE BEST sandwich ever. And you can totally rock it with leftovers. Again, if you don't have enough for four sandwiches, well, for heaven's sake, make yourself one. (This is the lovely pictured at the top of this post.)

7. Pizza with chicken. This is also a great way to use up random nubs of cheese (yes, I'm asking you to think outside the mozzarella bag--or at least to think of mixing other cheeses with it) or various raw vegetables to very good effect.

8. Chicken Pot Pie. If you don't have enough chicken for a full pot pie, you could make tiny ones in ramekins or make a sort of galette where you plop some chicken and sauce/cheese onto a crust, fold it over, and cook. Basically what I'm saying is that if you add a pie crust to chicken, good things will likely happen.

9. Cream cheese. Yeah, I don't have a recipe. All I know is that if you add cream cheese to chicken, it's a good thing. I bet you could also add other cheese and vegetables, maybe even some rice or noodles. Cook this up stove top or bake it. It'll make you a little magic.

(onion haters chicken pot pie)

One Pot Curried Chicken with Coconut Rice

Coconut milk and I have a sort of love affair. We met later in life after years dating that boring old skim milk, which my parents totally approved of. Skim milk, parents? Seriously? Thank goodness we don't do arranged marriages in this country. I haven't seen skim milk in ages and I don't intend to ever again (his handsome older brother, cream, well, that's another story; and raw whole milk and I are totally friends). But anyway, enough metaphors with sordid milk references. This recipe is seriously good. The chicken's great. The rice is great--coconut rice, where have you been all my life?. It's a one-pot meal that's fairly easy to put together. The coconut milk gives it a creamy, hint-of-sweet,-while-still-feeling-wholesome-and-good kind of taste, which I love.

Here's what you do:

One Pot Curried Chicken with Coconut Rice
Adapted from The Bad Girl's Kitchen (which adapted it from Everyday Food)
Serves 6-10
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 50-60 minutes
Cost: $8.65 (that's about $.86/serving)
chicken: 6.00, curry powder: .25, garlic: .10, onion: .20, tomato paste: .10, coconut milk: 1.50, rice: .50

Note: I halved this as I do with many new recipes. It made plenty for our family, but we're not huge eaters. If you guys are big eaters or have older kids, make the full recipe. Halving it made it easier to cook the chicken all at once and reduced the cooking time somewhat for the recipe. I liked that.

Note on chicken: You can use a whole chicken cut up or dark or light meat; I used boneless, skinless chicken breasts because Kip likes them better and because they cook faster than chicken on the bone.

4 lb chicken
4 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (ours was closer to 1/4)
salt
1 Tbsp vegetable oil (I used olive)
5 cloves garlic
3 Tbsp minced garlic (about a 3 inch piece)
1 medium yellow onion, diced small
2 Tbsp tomato paste
2 C rice (I used boring old white)
1 can coconut milk (the cheap stuff is okay in this recipe)
2 C water
fresh cilantro

Preheat oven to 350. Toss chicken with curry powder, cayenne pepper, and 1/2 tsp salt. Heat oil in a Dutch oven (what I used) or another oven-safe pot (with an oven-safe lid). Cook chicken until browned on all sides. It should be nearly done, though it doesn't have to be cooked entirely through because you'll be cooking it more. Note: If you want this meal faster, cut your chicken into strips or pieces. If you have large breasts, thighs or whatever (by which I mean not you personally, but the chicken with whom you have chosen to work), it could add an extra 30 minutes of cooking time to this recipe. So if you want a 45-minute meal, then cut your meat into strips.

While your chicken is cooking, grate/mince your garlic, ginger, and onion (I always grate my onions because Kip hates big pieces of it. Then I can grate the ginger too).

Remove chicken and set on a plate. In the remaining oil/drippings (add more oil if you need to), cook your onion for 5-6 minutes or until it's translucent. Add garlic and ginger and cook for a minute. Add tomato paste and stir till combined. Add rice, coconut milk, and stir. Add 2 cups water. Stir to combine. [Note: This makes a lightly coconut-flavored rice. If you want more coconut, try using 2 cans coconut milk and 1 C water. I haven't tried this, but fully intend to the next time I make this because I heart coconut.]

Bring this to a boil.

Reduce to simmer. Put chicken on top of rice. [Note: If your chicken has the skin on, place it with skin side up.] Cover with a lid and put in your oven for another 20-30 minutes (again--I halved the recipe--if you're making this full recipe, it could take longer--I'm guessing 40 minutes).  [Another Note: Want to decrease your cooking time? If your chicken is nearly cooked through anyway, let the rice simmer covered for a couple minutes stove top. Then add chicken and add it all to the oven. Could you do it all stovetop? Um, probably, but I haven't, so I can't make promises.] You want to cook it until the liquid is absorbed into the rice and the chicken is cooked through (160-165 degrees).

Remove from oven, add salt to taste, and serve garnished with cilantro. I suppose you should serve this with a vegetable on the side if you are a good person and whatnot, though I cannot entirely promise that we did this. I think peas would be a nice compliment, though if we ate a veggie with it, it was probably broccoli.

PRINTABLE RECIPE

Scared Silly White Chili

This is the time of year when everyone is posting all those decadent pumpkin recipes, and candy recipes, and caramel recipes. And then come the pies, followed by the cookies and confections. Not that there's anything wrong with that. I like a holiday treat just as much as anyone. And I'm just as guilty as the rest as posting too many treats and not enough other stuff on this site. That said, sometimes it just gets to be too much. Sometimes it's nice to have something that is not candified to look forward to. Especially if it is warm and creamy and good.

This chili is a nice foil for all the sweets consumed on Halloween night. It may also take you to chili cook-off greatness (especially if you call it Scared Silly White Chili; how could you go wrong? You can thank my friend Catherine for the recipe and the name.)

And, as with many white chilis, it's easier for non-chili lovers to embrace with those delicate white beans instead of their firmer-skinned red neighbors (the kidney beans).

It's also a nice throw-it-in-the-pot recipe. I'm sure it would work great in a crock pot as well (I'm thinking 8 hours on low or 4 on high, but haven't tried it.)

Scared Silly White Chili
from Catherine
serves a crowd (probably 16 servings)
prep/cook time: 30-45 minutes
Cost: $10.00 or about $.60/serving
(chicken: 2.00, onion: .15, chicken broth: .35 (if made from granules), corn: 1.00-2.00, beans: 2.00, chilies: .50. sour cream: 1.00, cheese: 2.00)

Note: This makes a booty-load of chili. It's great for a crowd, but you may want to halve it if cooking just for you and yourn (unless you and yourn are chili pigs). It freezes pretty well, but is not as delicious as it was before freezing.

Note: This can be made with yellow corn instead of white and it's still delicious, but I've got to tell you that it's better with white.

1 lb chicken breast
1 onion, chopped
2 cans chicken broth
2 Tbsp lime juice
2 cans shoe peg corn (white corn)
1 bottle green salsa (16-oz.)
4 cans Great Northern white beans
1 can chopped chilies
1 lb sour cream
2 C shredded cheese (mexican or cheddar--I used sharp cheddar)
avocado for topping if desired

Put chicken, chicken broth, chopped onion, and lime juice in a pot. Cook until chicken is tender and fully cooked. Take chicken out and chop it. Put it back in. Drain beans and corn and add to the pot (I also rinse my beans). Add chilies, salsa verde, and sour cream. Heat thoroughly (this takes longer than you think if making the full recipe, just because there's so very much chili). Serve with cheese on top (and maybe avocado slices).

PRINTABLE RECIPE

Crock Pot Chicken Curry

Lately I've logged a little time thinking about mothers and food. (Warning: Politically incorrect comments to ensue.) Ever since marriage and motherhood, I've given some thought to this topic, but this spring when our ducks birthed babies, I started thinking about it a lot more. Those ducks knew their mission. They snuggled the babies; they led the babies to water; they taught the babies to eat and drink; and they shielded the babies from any perceived dangers. It was a truly beautiful thing to watch if you want to know. And I realized that almost all mammals and birds do this. The mothers are wired to know that one of their main purposes in life is to teach their children to eat. In some species, the fathers help out. But in most (if not all) species, the mothers are either the sole feeders or are there sharing the duty. If not, the babies die. The end. 

It kind of got me thinking about us human mothers (and, yes, the fathers too because we're definitely one of those species that can share the load, but since I'm a mother, I thought more about them). Our babies won't quite die. At least not immediately. First they'll raid the snack drawer, right.

Now let me say before I go any further, that I have made lots and lots and did I mention LOTS of mistakes in teaching my children to eat. My son, as you know if you follow this blog at all, is the world's pickiest eater and I--as his pushover mother--am at least partly to blame for this. My other children eat okay (and Mark is very very very slowly kind of sort of some days improving), but I still feel terrible every time I read some kind of natural mothering blog or a book about feeding children or hear a comment about how so and so made a kale and egg and squash rice bowl that their kids just inhaled. Um, yeah.

But I do--even in my sometimes misguided, sometimes error-filled way--try to feed my kids. Usually with healthy, homemade foods.

However, I also recognize that this is not always easy to do. Especially in the American, mid-western culture in which I live. There's junk food everywhere. People are busy. Not everybody loves to cook. Food costs money. Food takes time. And in the summer, cooking food will heat up your kitchen.

I've tried to address several of these topics on this blog from time to time, especially as I continue to try to do a better job myself with the feeding/teaching of my own young.

But one area has been woefully underexplored: The Crock Pot. This summer, I hope to rectify that a bit. Because the crock pot deserves more space than it's gotten in a blog about food, cheapskatery, and people without all the time in the world.

Also, it's rising up again in popularity. As well it ought. It's a quick solution for busy and/or working mothers/fathers the country over. It's a way to have dinner and soccer night. It's a way to not have to slave over the hot stove all evening (yup, it's summer). It's a solution, people. And we should welcome it. 

Now there are--as I see it--a few types of crock pot recipes.

1. One is a type where you still have to spend 30 minutes prepping and cooking your stuff before it goes into the crock. This could still be useful if you have some time in the morning, but won't at night, but for an at-home mom like me, it seems a little pointless since I could just prep that meal in the evening (unless it needs to sit and simmer and be amazing, but even then I don't consider it a time-saver per se). These are, it seems to me, a new thing--a response to the rising popularity of the crock as people adapt their normal recipes to a slow cooker.

2. And then there's the ubiquitous can of whatever soup crock pot recipe. Meat + cream of whatever soup + potatoes. I think this can be useful in a pinch, but I also think it's what put the crock pot out of style in the first place.

3. Then there's the "cook 2 hours" crock pot recipe. To me, these are the least helpful (though again if ultra-tasty, maybe worth it). I mean, you can't come home to it; you can't get it over with in the morning. But it might be helpful if you have some piano lessons to attend to in the afternoon.

4. Finally there's the 5-minute, whole food, let-it-sit-however-long-and-it-tastes-good crock pot recipe. This, people, this is what I'm talking about. These recipes are AWESOME. And I hope to get you more of them this summer.

Today--if you've managed to make it this far in this post, I present to you a delicious one. Five minutes of your day and dinner is served. (Although I do recommend a pot of rice thereby, which will take another 15 minutes.) This was a delicious curry that wasn't too spicy/crazy. Kip liked it even though he doesn't usually like curry recipes. And I loved it and I like curry recipes. So it's a good crowd pleaser curry. And have I mentioned it takes 5 minutes. Now, my friends, now you can be a proud mother duck.

Crock Pot Chicken Curry
adapted from The Lemon Bowl
Serves 4-6 (if over rice)
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 4-8 hours
Cost: $5.75-6.00 (without peas)
chicken: 4.00, coconut milk: .50, chicken stock: .25, tomato sauce: 1.00,

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (mine were frozen)
good sprinkle onion powder or 1 medium onion, sliced
1/2 C coconut milk (we used the kind from the can)
1/2 C chicken stock
15 oz can tomato sauce
2 Tbsp curry powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cayenne (we used just a dash 'cause we're wimpy)
1 C peas (optional and, yes, I skipped it, but I thought it would have been awesome)
2 Tbsp lemon juice
cilantro for garnish

In bottom of crock pot, stir, coconut milk, chicken stock, tomato sauce, curry, salt, and cayenne.

Add chicken and turn it a time or two so it's coated in the sauce.

Cook for 4 hours on high or 8 hours on low (we did the high option).

Just before serving, stir in peas and lemon juice and heat through.

Serve with cilantro if it's your thing (it's my thing, but definitely not Kip's).

PRINTABLE RECIPE

Really Easy Roast Chicken

One of fundamental reasons that people don't cook is that they think it's difficult. Fussy. They think you have to know things to be a good cook, be part of an inner circle. The truth is that you really don't have to know a lot. You do need a decent recipe and a tiny tiny sense of confidence or adventure or homeyness, or a combination thereof. And maybe a small child to hang off of your leg, because I hear that that is kind of like a cooking talisman.

It took me many years into my cooking life to even attempt to roast a whole chicken. I mean, that was big-time--like Thanksgiving or something, right? Nope. Roasting a chicken is one of the easiest, most wonderful meals you can make.

I present this roast chicken recipe because it's the easiest I've found and it turns out a butt-kicking chicken--moist, golden-skinned, flavorful. The other great thing about roasting a chicken is that you usually get some good leftovers you can use in salads or burritos the next day. And if you're feeling adventurous, you can even attempt your own broth (it's easy; just throw it in the crock pot after dinner, cover in water, and strain out the liquid before bed. Done). But you don't have to make broth if that scares you. Just make chicken.

Basically, you will get your oven really hot, you will slather your bird in butter, salt, and pepper, and then you will cook it breast side up for an hour. That's it. It's easy. 

What you need:
-A THAWED bird
-Butter
-Salt and pepper
-A pan
-An oven
-An hour and 15 minutes (you don't have to DO anything during this time, mind you, but you have to be in your house)
-An instant read thermometer (maybe not essential, but very helpful, especially for a novice cook)

What you can have:
-Herbs
-Lemon or orange (this is supposed to keep it moist)
-Garlic

Why People Fuss:
-You do have to thaw the bird. Have I mentioned this? You can buy a fresh one, but if you buy frozen, that baby has to be thawed. I do this by putting it in a bowl of water and putting that in the fridge overnight.
-Time. It does take a good hour to cook your chicken. A mere five minutes of prep, but a good hour of cooking time. If you get home from work at 7:00 and want to eat NOW, that is a problem, but otherwise, it's easy to multitask around your cooking bird. (And you can totally rock a chicken in a crock pot too, but this post is about roasting one.)
-Do I have to brine it? No. Not with this recipe anyway. There's gonna be plenty of salt and it's just a small little guy, so you'll be fine without brining.
-Will I burn down my house? It is unlikely, even with the small child leg hanging talisman.
-Why is my oven so hot for this? I'm sure I will dry it out or burn down the house. This bird is probably going to explode in my oven isn't it? No. I don't know why the high heat works, but it really really does. Do it.
-Do I have to touch a raw chicken? Yes, yes you do. I'm sorry, but unless you have a very loving spouse who will do it for you, this is part of roasting a bird. You have to get all cozy with its raw self and possibly remove the neck and some innards (don't worry; most are in a bag if they're there at all).
-What ever will I serve with it? Potatoes, people. And maybe some broccoli if you want.

Really Easy Roast Chicken
adapted from here
Serves 4
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour
Rest time: 10 minutes
Cost: $5.60
chicken: $5.00, lemon: .30, butter: .25, garlic: .05

5 to 6 pound chicken, THAWED (have I emphasized that enough?)
1 lemon, halved or pricked several times with a sharp knife
4 garlic cloves, crushed and/or sliced
3-4 Tbsp butter
salt salt salt
pepper

Place rack on second level from bottom. Heat oven to 500 degrees (450 in a convection oven per the original post for this).

Take out the neck and giblets (you don't have to cut anything off--just remove them from the cavity where your loving butcher has stuffed them because some people like them or use them in stock or gravy; you don't have to, but that's why it's there)

Stuff the cavity (that's the hollow part of the bird where you probably just took out a neck and some innards) with the lemon and garlic and maybe a tablespoon of butter. Sprinkle a very good dose of salt and pepper into the cavity (I'm thinking 1/4-1/2 tsp salt--you won't end up eating it all; most will run off, but it will help flavor the bird).

Rub the chicken with the remaining butter. Get it good. Then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Be generous with your salt. Sprinkle it over all surfaces of the bird (again, you won't end up eating all of this, but it will season the bird).

Place the chicken BREAST SIDE UP in a roasting pan (or Dutch oven or 9x13 inch pan or whatever can handle high heat; roasting pans can be intimidating, huh?). Be sure there's a nice dollop of butter on the bottom part (where the bird meets the pan) to help it not stick too bad when it's done. Put it in the oven legs first and roast 50-60 minutes. Take it out when the juices run clear or when you can stick an instant read thermometer in any part of its little birdy body and have that thermometer come out at 160 or higher. In a neurotic way I poke that thing all over the place, but if you want to be less violent, you can google how to test the temp of a bird and just poke it in one or two places.

When it's done, take it out of the pan and let it rest covered in aluminum foil for 10 minutes. Resting lets the juices distribute evenly throughout the bird.

If you want, you can take the drippings and make a gravy with them. I keep this really easy. Remove all the liquid drippings and scrape off the browned bits at the bottom of your pan because they're awesomeness. Bring this to a boil in a saucepan. Mix 1-2 Tbsp cornstarch with 2-4 Tbsp water. When the drippings/broth are boiling, add the cornstarch/water, whisking until thickened to the desired thickness. That's it.

PRINTABLE RECIPE

Chicken Divan

Broccoli and cheese kinds of casseroles have gone and gotten a terrible name for themselves in the foody kingdom. In the foody kingdom people eat only lamb and arugula. Or home grown foods. Or "real" foods. Or any of a number of foods that I am truly not opposed to in any way. But sometimes when you consider what the average American is beginning to eat (hint: rhymes with dig smac or at the very best brozen finner) on a very very, almost daily basis, you remember that maybe sometimes it's okay if one of the foods in tonight's dinner didn't come from the farmer's market or have less than five ingredients in its ingredient list. Sometimes it's doing pretty good to turn out an actual dinner from your actual oven that did not come from a box (pizza, take out, or frozen dinner). Sometimes it's okay to hearken back to an earlier time when your frazzled mother/grandmother, who did not own a dishwasher and/or dryer, managed to flop some sort of fairly nutritious food onto the table every night. And sometimes it's good--wholesome even--just to run with that. Today we're running with that.

 And--truth be told--we could be doing so much worse. This recipe contains 2 large heads of broccoli, cheddar, chicken, and (here's its whole food undoing) mayonnaise (which could potentially be subbed out with or cream cheese to good effect, though I haven't tried it). It can be served over rice, farro, or barley to very very good effect. It's easy to pull together (it was one of the first foods I learned to make when Kip and I were first married and I didn't cook at all), has a definite comfort food aspect to it, and did not come from a box of any sort.

You made it with love. It didn't take your whole day. It tastes really really good. And you can enjoy it hot with those you love. Do so.

P.S. Don't ask me why it's called chicken divan. It just is.

Chicken Divan
makes 1 9x13 inch pan
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes

3-4 chicken breasts
2 large heads broccoli
2 C mayonnaise
1/2-1 C chicken broth (unsalted)
3-4 C shredded cheddar cheese (I prefer sharp, but Kip likes this best with medium)
salt and pepper to taste

Boil chicken breasts in water. Shred. (Alternately you could use some that you'd already roasted or cooked another day--you'll need a couple cups of it shredded.).

While your chicken is boiling, chop your broccoli and shred your cheese.

When chicken is done, take it out and shred it. Hold onto the water you boiled it in.

Put shredded chicken, broccoli, and half the cheese in a 9x13 inch pan. Add mayonnaise and mix it around. It will be a little thick.

Here's where you use that water you boiled the chicken in. Thicken it by boiling it and then adding a bit of cornstarch (1 Tbsp) mixed with 2 Tbsp water. Pour this into the boiling broth, stir, and let it thicken a bit. Pour some of this over your chicken/broccoli/cheese/mayo mixture. It will loosen it up and make it just a bit runnier. That's what you want--not soup, but not something super thick either. It'll look like this when all mixed in.

If you used chicken you already had or accidentally threw out your water, use a bit of low-sodium chicken broth, thicken it a bit, and throw it on.

Spread in pan. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Cook at 375-400 degrees until cheese is melted and bubbly and edges are beginning to brown (20-30 minutes).

Serve over rice, farro, or barley.

PRINTABLE RECIPE

Chicken Tikka Masala

I love Indian food. Kip doesn't. Every year for my birthday, I ask to go to an Indian restaurant because, you know, it's a day when I've got some leverage. And then this year, Kip ordered chicken tikka masala. He liked it a lot. So did I.

I'm not a dummy. I know when a gift horse looks me in the mouth. I know when it's time to learn to make something at home and stop enjoying some of my favorite food only once a year.

Chicken Tikka Masala
adapted from Happy. Mormon. Housewife
Serves 2-4
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Cost: $6.20
chicken: 4.00, onion: .15, tomato paste: .50, cream: 1.25, all those other seasonings that I really have trouble estimating costs for, um, let's say: .30

Note: The original recipe called for a marinade. I don't fully believe in marinades (I can rarely taste that they make a difference in the final product). Instead I coat the chicken with the marinade ingredients (the stuff in step 1). Usually I let it sit for a bit while I mess with other stuff, but I think it could be cooked right off to good effect too. However, if you want to do a marinade, don't let my cynicism stop you. Marinade away with the ingredients in step one.

Another note: I found my garam masala at the Asian market for cheap. You probably can too.

Step 1:

4 smallish chicken breasts, cut into cubes and all the grody bits removed (You can also use dark meat, but Kip prefers white, so we ran with that)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 inch fresh ginger, minced (or 1/4-1/2 tsp ground ginger)
2 tsp lime juice
dash (or two) cayenne pepper
2 tsp cilantro
1 Tbsp olive oil

Step 2:
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 small onion (or a couple dashes onion powder)
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp cardamom
1 tsp paprika
3 tsp garam masala
1 1/2 C cream
1 can tomato paste
1 Tbsp lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste

Step one:

Mince the garlic and ginger. Chop the cilantro. Add lime juice and cayenne pepper. Rub this onto your chicken cubes.

Heat oil in a skillet. Add the chicken cubes and cook until browned on the outside (it's okay if they're a wee bit raw still in the middle; they'll get more cooking in a minute).

Remove from pan and keep warm.

Step 2:

Heat oil. Add onion or onion powder. Cook onion until tender.

Add tumeric, cumin, cardamom, paprika, and garam masala. Heat until fragrant (30 seconds or so).

Add cream, tomato paste, and lemon juice. Whisk.

Add chicken and juices back into pan. Simmer until chicken is fully cooked. Season with salt and pepper (we're usually fairly generous here). If you like your sauce saucier, add more cream or milk. We served ours fairly thick and it was a hit.

PRINTABLE RECIPE

Work-a-Day Wednesday: Rotisserie Chicken in a Crock Pot

Wow. It has been a busy week. I'm enjoying a lovely tension back ache as I write this. What better day to post about super easy chicken (with any luck, I'll get to a Mother's Day recipe and my birthday cake later on in the week). Also, I really wanted to post a picture of the whole chicken, but the pic's I had--well, they looked like a chicken had just walked into my crock pot, given itself a good plucking and sat down. In other words, they were not exactly perfectly appetizing.

Today's post is more of a method than a recipe. I got the idea from Busy Mommy (and if you want to see some non-lame pictures you should look there, although I should warn you that even at its best, my bird never looked quite that good. But then I have food posing laziness issues). Also, although the chicken turned out quite well, the rub wasn't my favorite.

Here's what you do:

1. Get yourself a thawed chicken that's between 3 and 4 pounds.

2. Rub it with salt. I recommend using 1/2 tsp. This will add flavor, but that's not all it will do. It will also sort of act as a bit of a brine and allow your chicken to hold more moisture. Rub the salt all over, inside and out.

3. Rub it with whatever other rub you want. The link above gives a paprika rub. Next time, I'll do a lemon/garlic rub (zest of a lemon and 3-4 garlic cloves, minced or mashed, and then a good squeeze from the lemon). To make a rub you put a bunch of your favorite herbs together and rub them all over the chicken. If you'd like, you can add a few teaspoons water (or lemon juice in my case) to your rub to make it into a paste. You'll want to rub the bird inside and out. I even loosen the skin from the breasts and rub some rub between the breast skin and meat (clearly I have no issues with invading others' space).

4. Put the bird in the crock pot WITHOUT ANY WATER. The recipe I used said to do this breast side up, although next time I'm going to do it breast side down because my chicken's breasts were just a wee bit dry (poor bird--what a way to go) and by cooking them on bottom, they'll eventually be soaked in the juices/fats from the bird.

5. Cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 6-7 hours.  The thickest part of the bird should read at least 165-170 degrees (though if you take it's temp, it may well read higher than that. Know that by the end of cooking, your bird will be in plenty of juices/fat.

6. That's it. You'll have meat for a meal or two and then even more leftovers to boot.

Ranch Chicken Sandwiches

Way back when I started this blog over a year ago, one of the first things I planned to post were these sandwiches. Because they're awesome. And then I didn't and then the Cheap Eat Challenge came and we couldn't afford to make them and then I kind of forgot about them. Until a week ago when I threw some Ranch dressing on some chicken in a skillet. Suddenly I remembered them. Suddenly I wanted them. Desperately.

Now you can desperately want them too. You're welcome.

P.S. Don't let the chicken breasts and spinach deceive you. This isn't low-fat.

Ranch Chicken Sandwiches
Makes 4 sandwiches
Prep and cook time: 20-30 minutes
Cost: $4.70 plus what you pay for buns--$5.50
(chicken: 3.00, bacon: .50, ranch: .70, spinach: .50)

Note: One of the great things about this recipe is that you can use leftover chicken in it if you've got it--it'll still suck up the flavors of the sauce. If you don't have it, don't despair, because this is still uber fast to make.

Note on Ranch dressing: You can probably use any kind of Ranch dressing to good effect. However, we generally use "homemade" Ranch dressing, which means we use the powdered stuff mixed in with mayo and milk per the instructions on the package. However, if you want to have the very very best Ranch mixture, this is what you should do. Mix one package Ranch Dip (not dressing) with 1 C milk and 1 C mayo. It'll be a runny sort of "dressing." We discovered this by accident when I bought dip once instead of dressing, and it is the best. I don't know why it's better than regular Ranch, but it is.

2 chicken breasts, cut into bit sized-cubes
4 strips bacon
Ranch dressing (see note above), about 1/2-1 C, though I never measure
4 C spinach, chopped or shredded by hand
4 rolls, bagels, or hamburger buns
mayo, pesto, and/or cheddar (optional)

In a skillet, cook bacon until fairly crisp. Remove bacon from pan, but leave those lovely drippings.

Cook cubed chicken in the bacon drippings for a couple of minutes. Add Ranch dressing to the chicken and stir it around to coat the chicken. Stir this every minute or so until the chicken is entirely cooked (the dressing will get a little brown as it cooks with the chicken and some of the oils may separate out of the dressing, so don't freak out if that happens. You want your chicken to be brown at the end, not to have a coating of white Ranch dressing on it).

Throw spinach in the skillet and cook a minute or two more until it is wilted. Crumble bacon and add it back to the pan.

Scoop out the chicken mixture and put it on your sandwich bun of choice (we used a whole wheat version of these rolls, which were awesome. We also like bagels or sandwich buns or even hamburger buns). You can toast your roll first or not; both are good.

If you aren't completely freaked out by the amount of fat you've already witnessed in your pan (embrace it my friends; and serve the sandwiches with a big salad--that should make you feel better), you can put mayonnaise on your bun with a little cheddar, which is delicious. The other thing I really love with these sandwiches is a bit of pesto spread on the bun. Alternately, if you don't have pesto, you could throw a handful of well-chopped basil leaves and a chopped clove of garlic into the skillet when you add the spinach. If you like basil, this is very very butt-kickingly delicious, so do it, okay. Even if you hate basil, you might like this because it's subdued, but still delicious.

PRINTABLE RECIPE

Roasted Rosemary Chicken (with Crock Pot Option)

We made this in a crock pot for Sunday dinner. You could roast it normal style if you wanted. Your skin would come out crispier and butterier. Do you take issue with words like 'butterier?' If so, perhaps you ought to re-examine some of the limitations you've imposed on your life. Just relax and enjoy the butterier that is to be found in this world. Yes, well, un-grammar lesson and life coaching aside (because I'm, like, totally qualified for that and all), let's talk chicken.

This particular poultry started as a pert near frozen solid bird (due to my, er, re-examining of limitations and all) and was done to perfection 6 hours later. Which made me realize something: I usually cook my crock pot chickens too long. I usually cook them at least that long when thawed. They're often falling off the bone. Oh sure, they're still good and all, but this one was more juicy and tender and right. By which I mean that it had more in common with its roast sisters than my crock pot chickens usually do. Yes, it was lacking a crispy skin as any crock pot chicken will, but otherwise it was humming a roast chicken song. When you spend a good three hours at church on Sunday and don't want to come home and babysit your chicken for another 1 1/2 hours (roasting a chicken isn't hard; it just takes time), that can be a pretty good tune to hum. And I don't even like the skin, so there.

Roasted Rosemary Chicken (with Crock Pot Option)
adapted from 365 Ways to Cook Chicken
Serves 4
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 4-6 hours in crock; 1 1/2 hours in oven
Cost: $6.25 (for chicken only; vegetables will add another $.50-1.00, which is a steal of a deal for a whole meal; wow--I've missed my calling and should be writing jingles)
chicken: $6.00, other stuff: .25

Note: This would have been even dreamier with fresh herbs, but I've managed to kill yet another rosemary plant so fresh herbs will have to wait until summer.

Another note: Whether dried or fresh, crush you herbs before sprinkling. You'll release oils and aromas that will make your food taste and smell better.

1 three-four lb whole chicken
1 tsp dried rosemary or 1 Tbsp fresh
1 tsp dried thyme or 1 Tbsp fresh
1 C white grape juice (or chicken broth with 1 tsp sugar or white wine)
salt to rub all over
pepper

Pat your chicken dry. Rub it all over with salt. Then rub it all over with the rosemary, thyme. Sprinkle on some pepper.

Place in crock pot and pour grape juice into crock. If you wish, you can add potatoes, onions, carrots or some vegetable combination that sounds good to you. If you add vegetables, don't forget to give them some of the seasoning/salt love too. (I added vegetables.)

Cook in crock pot on high for 6 hours (this is for a frozen bird with vegetables). Otherwise, cook on low for that long or on high for 3-4 hours.

To go the old fashion route and roast:

Preheat oven to 375. Rub bird with butter and then season as directed above. Place in Dutch oven or roasting pan.

Roast chicken (breast up) for 15 minutes alone. Then, if using, add vegetables and sprinkle them with more herbs and salt. Pour grape juice into pan. Roast for 1 hour 15 minutes or until an instant read thermometer reads 160-170 at thickest part of breast and thigh.

 PRINTABLE RECIPE

Jamie Oliver's Roast Chicken

I don't do a turkey or ham for Christmas. Why not, you say. Seriously. Are you even asking that? (Of course, you're not; I'm asking it and pretending to be you. Hopefully, this isn't offensive.) Well, I'll answer you/me anyway. It's because I'm so dang tired by then, that's why, but not quite tired enough to want another chocolate Santa for dinner.  Thus, I do a crock pot meal. The kind of crock pot meal where everything gets thrown into the crock pot so that, come dinner, there's really nothing for me to do if I don't want to. Because this is Christmas, baby, this is Christmas. Now pass me some of that non-alcoholic eggnog. Uh-huh.

Jamie Oliver's Roast Chicken
Adapted from Jamie Oliver and Mostly Food and Crafts
Makes 1 three-four pound bird
Prep time:
Cook time:
Cost: $8.10
(humanely raised chicken: 6.00, herbs: free for me so I'm not sure, but fresh they'll cost a bit; onions: .30, potatoes: .50, squash: 1.30)

Confessional Note: I made this over a month ago. I remembered it as a crock pot meal. It was actually a Dutch oven meal. (I mean how could I possibly be expected to remember something clearly that happened over a month ago.) I bet it would still make a great crock pot meal and intend to prove it come Christmas Day. For now, I'll give you instructions for both options. P.S. The Dutch oven method is pretty darn easy itself, though it is a little more lacking in the fix it and forget it ideology.

1 three-four lb chicken, thawed
salt and ground pepper (about 1 1/2-t tsp salt--sounds like a lot)
3 handfuls fresh herbs (I used basil and oregano when I made it over a month ago. Now I'd use, rosemary, sage, and maybe some oregano)
1/4 C olive oil
1 lemon, halved
4 bay leaves
2 springs fresh rosemary
2 onions, diced
8 small potatoes, chunked
1 small butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and chunked

To roast:

Preheat oven and roasting vessel (I used a Dutch oven) to 425. Rinse chicken inside and out and pat dry with paper towels. Rub cavity with salt.

Separate skin from breast meat and salt. Combine those handfuls of herbs (I gave them a rough chop) with a bit of the olive oil and stuff into that place you've made between the breast meat and breast skin (leave a little bit for the legs). It's a grody job, but you'll thank yourself later.

Stuff bird with lemon, bay leaves, and rosemary sprigs.

Slash each thigh 2-3 times and rub with remaining herbs.

Over entire chicken, drizzle olive oil and sprinkle with salt.

Remove Dutch oven from oven, drizzle pan with a bit of olive oil (don't skip that), and lay chicken breast side down, and cook for 10 minutes.

Take Dutch oven out. Flip the chicken (add a bit more olive oil to pan first if necessary). Add onions, potatoes, and squash to pan. Give a sprinkle of salt, pepper, and olive oil to the lot. Cook for 1 hour and 20 minutes or until breast is at 165 and thighs are higher than that--hopefully 175, though mine were higher and I kind of like them like that.

Tent with foil and let rest 10 minutes.

Now, for the yet-untried crock pot method:

Pat chicken dry, and follow directions above. Only go ahead and put it in breast side up and then surround it with vegetables right from the get go. You shouldn't need water. Also, you can skip drizzling the olive oil and salt over the whole thing, or at least drizzle/salt less. Cover and cook on high for 5-6 hours or until 165 is reached in breast, 175 in the thigh. It most likely won't have a perfect crispy skin like your roast bird will, but otherwise should be just as good. Plenty of water and juices should have leaked into the crock pot as well, so you can still have a gravy if that's your thing.

Not eager to try a yet-untried method on Christmas Day, have a look at this crock pot chicken which I have made and which is great.

PRINTABLE RECIPE

Baked Parmesan Chicken (with Eggplant Adaptation)

Cheap Eat Challenge, Part 2: Watch as our family of 6 eats on less than $10/day.

Have a look at our giveaway here and join in.

I've also updated Costs and Menus and am considering doing Jean's Food Journal again.

Recently, a friend gave me a couple of gorgeous eggplants. Which is one of the things I love about southern Indiana. We're not really the south, but we're just at the edge of it. We have (usually) mild winters with an ice storm here and there to keep it real; and (usually) long summers or forgiving falls or a sweet combination of both. Now if we could just grow some hills and get rid of the chiggers and mosquitoes, and maybe add a few sidewalks here and there--that, that would be heaven. But I digress.

So my friend gave me some eggplants and I knew I wanted to make eggplant Parmesan. I also knew that Kip would not eat eggplant Parmesan, at least without being paid copious amounts of money.

So I compromised. One of the great things about compromise is that it's usually good on both ends (or, I guess, bad on both ends). But in this case it was good on both ends. Though I still say that my end was better.

Which brings me to one final point: If you've never tried eggplant, this is an awesome dish to begin with. It's really really hard not to like.

Baked Parmesan Chicken with Eggplant Adaptation
adapted from 365 Ways To Cook Chicken: Simply The Best Chicken Recipes You'll Find Anywhere
Makes 9x13 inch pan
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 45 minutes
Cost: $5.50-6.50 with chicken, and--oh, look how much cheaper with eggplant; wow--$1.50 if you have a good friend; otherwise $3.50 or so during eggplant season)
(chicken: 4.00-5.00, butter: .20, Parmesan: .50, milk: .15, Swiss: .50, bread crumbs: .15)

Note: I know this sounds like it doesn't have enough seasonings in it, but trust the cheeses (and butter and salt and pepper). This dish has tons of flavor.

4 large breasts chicken, cut into smaller strips (or, of course, strips of chicken)
3 Tbsp butter
salt and pepper
1/2 C grated Parmesan (Romano works too)
2 Tbsp flour
1 C milk
1/2 C shredded Swiss cheese (Swiss is awesome in this, but if you don't have it, you can use mozzarella to very good effect)
1/4 C bread crumbs

Note: Bread crumbs can be homemade by putting stale bread in the blender and pulsing until crumb-y. I used a combination of white and whole wheat because that's what I had around.

Preheat oven to 350.

In a large frying pan, melt butter over medium heat. Sprinkle salt and pepper over chicken. Add chicken to pan and cook, turning once the bottom side is golden brown. Cook until the other side is golden.

While the chicken is cooking, grease a 9x13 inch pan and sprinkle 1/4 C of the Parmesan cheese over it (I generally use a little less on the bottom--2-3 Tbsp--and then use a little more on top.)

When chicken is golden, set it on the Parmesan in the pan.

You should have some drippings left in your pan. If you don't, or if they're sparse, add 1-2 Tbsp more butter. Swirl that around. Whisk in flour and swirl around. Whisk in milk (I love a flat whisk here) and cook, stirring constantly, utnil smooth and thick. Remove from heat and stir in Swiss or mozzarella. Pour sauce over chicken.

Top chicken with remaining 1/4 C Parmesan cheese (or 5 Tbsp). Sprinkle with bread crumbs. Bake for 45 minutes or until chicken is done (if using small strips, it should be done sooner than this). Note: Of course, chicken (about 170 degrees) is another great place to use your instant read thermometer...

Eggplant Adaptation:

Slice 2-3 large or 4-5 medium eggplant. I slice them into quarter inch slices (you can't peel first if you wish, but I like the color so I don't, although the skin does get a bit skin-ny on the end pieces).

Now--and this is an important and fabulous tip from America's Test Kitchen--put them in a single layer on about 3 layers of paper towels in the microwave for 7-8 minutes. This is going to dehydrate them a bit. They'll come out looking a bit shriveled and sad. Do Not Despair. This is as it should be.

Eggplant tends to suck up a lot of moisture and this microwaving keeps them from being soggy after browning in the butter and then being baked for a time. Seriously, do it. Your eggplant will come out so much better in this dish.

Now proceed with the recipe as you would with the chicken. Brown them in the butter until both sides are golden. Slather them in sauce, then cheese. And bake.

As you can see from the picture up top, we baked ours right next to each other (here's to our marriage and to compromise), although if you're a vegetarian, I trust you'd want to use a different pan so the juices don't mingle.

We served ours on pasta mixed with a marinade sauce and a Caesar salad thereby.

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Onion Hater's Chicken Pot Pie

Cheap Eat Challenge, Part 2: Watch as our family of 6 eats on less than $10/day.

Until this year, I'd never made a chicken pot pie. There are many reasons for this.

Like that I hadn't conquered a pie crust until 2 years ago.

Or that I had an unfortunate experience with a super disgusting who-knows-what-filled frozen pot pie when I was pregnant with my 2nd baby. Seriously, those memories are hard to recover from.

And then there's just the idea that chicken pot pie is a pie crust filled with a highly thickened chicken soup. I mean, is that the potential for disaster or what? (Relax, it's really the recipe for a perfect leftover meal.)

But lately, the main thing that has kept me from chicken pot pie recipes is that they have the audacity to allow nutritious little things we like to call vegetables into their butter and cream saturated existence. The most blatant offender is the mighty onion.

If you're an onion lover, or even an onion liker, you won't understand this. However if you are an onion hater, you will know that they very visage of one of those pungent, thin-skinned fruits of the soil in your humble crisper drawer is repugnant. And the idea that one such should be consumed, as in through your mouth, truly unthinkable. Your feelings as an onion hater run very deep. You would happily march on Wall Street to contain the--as you see it--vile root vegetables from further corruption in an otherwise ding dong filled culture.

And what we onion likers really don't get is that even just the smallest sliver of this offensive vegetable can prevent a person from eating an entire dish in which it is contained. Yes, ever. Even the tiniest crunch from bitty nibs can be detected and rejected by you. It's a rough life for the onion haters because people--viscious, cruel, barely human people--are constantly trying to "sneak them past you" or "coax"--as they call it--you into eating them. I myself am married to a long-standing onion hater. And--because I don't like to get stuck eating something all on my own--he's largely won this battle in our marriage. If I use them, and I try not to too much, I make them super big chunks (say next to a pot roast) so they can easily be avoided, or I use a wee bit of onion powder. He can detect even those dried onion bits, and he hates them. He is okay with a tiny bit of the flavor (thus my ability to use a bit of onion powder), but the mouth feel, the texture, the--say it isn't so--crunch: that is unacceptable. This is a quality I believe to be shared with many onion haters. It's not the hint of it they cannot bear, but the texture and the often front and center flavor that repulses them. Unfortunately for chicken pot pie, it pretty much demands them.

It also generally calls for celery, which doesn't exactly have a fan page around here either. And carrots, which can only slide by in an otherwise perfect food environment.

Of course, I love all those vegetables, but the idea of making s lightly fussy, from-scratch "comfort food" so that everyone in my family could complain (and possibly cry) about it--I just wasn't feeling it. But I'd just made a delicious and easy crock pot chicken, so I had pieces and broth.

And then I had an idea--I had a terrible awful idea. I reduced and hid the biggest offender (we shan't even refer to it by name) and replaced another with the always inoffensive potato. And then I chopped those carrots into smitherines and let them hang out and soften with butter.

That pot pie was good. Kip was a huge fan. He liked it a good bit more than my last chicken pot pie--one in which I used onion powder. (And truly, this recipe is some kind of wonderful.) So, onion haters unite, and thank my husband.

And onion likers--you can give me a secret handshake sometime later because although you can't crunch a single onion in this pie, or even taste it exactly, there's a hint of it there--giving it that little something something you'd miss if it weren't there at all. Just--for heaven's sake--don't tell.

Onion Hater's Chicken Pot Pie
adapted from Mom's Crazy Cooking and Pioneer Woman
Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Stand time: 10 minutes (this can be skipped, but your fillings will run out more
Cost: about $4.00-4.50

Note: This makes enough filling for 2 pies. You can double the crust if you wish and make two pies. You can freeze the other and then dethaw and cook another day. Or you can reduce the filling recipe by half. Or you can do what we did and make one pie and then eat the leftover filling as a soup.

recipe for 2 pie crusts (a top and a bottom)--I used white whole wheat flour for half of the flour and really couldn't tell much of a difference at all
2 small potatoes, chopped small--about 1 centimeter cubed (I used red and recommend them)
3 medium carrots, chopped, like, a lot (let's call them 1/8-1/10 of a carat--ha, I didn't even intend that pun)
1/2 C frozen peas
2 Tbsp onion (this is about 1/4 of a medium small onion), thrown in the food processor or grated in a cheese grater
4 Tbsp butter
2 C diced chicken (I like it diced small so you get bits of everything in each bite)
1/4 C flour
2 C chicken broth
1 bouillon cube
1 C heavy cream (I never said this was low-fat, only low-onion)
1 tsp thyme or 1 Tbsp fresh thyme
1/4-1/2 tsp salt
black pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400.

Dice potatoes and carrots (get the carrots small). Grate the onions or--if you used a food processor to make your pie crust (I did), throw them in there and give them a whirl, scrape and whirl again until they are kind of mushy or at least terribly small.

Melt butter in a large pot. Add the onion mush. Let it cook for a couple minutes, stirring occasionally. Add potatoes and carrots. Cook for a few minutes more. Add frozen peas and cook for several more minutes. (You want to get your potatoes cooked a bit, so try not to rush it too much.) When the veggies are soft, add chicken and stir to combine. Sprinkle the flour on and stir to combine. Stir for a minute or so.

Whisk in broth. Stir in bouillon cube (or 1 tsp granules--my preference). Stir and this will begin to thicken. Pour in the cream and kiss your diet good bye (whatever, it needed to go). Allow mixture to cook over low heat, for about 5 minutes. Season with thyme, salt, and pepper. Taste for seasonings and to be sure your potatoes are cooked or darn close.

Put a crust in the bottom (some folks skip this and do a sort of soup with a crusty top, but I'm more of a traditionalist). Pour chicken mixture in. (Remember if you make this full recipe, you'll have leftovers.).

Put the top crust on. Crimp the edges or flop them onto each other into a manner so sloppy you wonder how you ever made it through elementary art. Crimp them if they're not too impossibly mismatched--at least get then to stick together. Cut several vents in your crust so it doesn't ?explode?--I don't know--I've always obediently made my vents. (Okay--just looked it up, you make vents to the top crust settles onto the pie.)

Bake for 30 minutes or until golden. Let sit for 10 minutes. Serve. Watch your onion-hater eat. Enjoy pie; enjoy victory compromise.

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