How to Roast a Whole Chicken in the Crockpot!!

Wayne County Mom Shares How to Roast a Whole Chicken in the Crockpot

Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

5 hours

Total time

5 hours 10 mins

Serves: 4-5

Ingredients

• 1 (4lb) whole chicken, insides removed and washed/patted dry
• ½ TB of paprika
• 2 TB all purpose seasoning ( such as Mrs. Dash or Archer Farms House Blend)
• ½ TB garlic powder
• 1 tsp salt

Make Chicken Salad with Avocado.

Courtesy of www.avocadosfrommexico.com

Instructions

1. Start by mixing together paprika, all purpose seasoning, garlic powder and salt.
2. Place 4 medium sized foil balls in bottom of crockpot. This will act as a stand to prevent the chicken from drying out.
3. Rub seasoning over your entire chicken (including the inside of the bird). Place on top of foil balls. Cover and cook on HIGH for 4 - 4½ hours, or LOW for 6½ - 8 hours.

Tomato Avocado Melt

Eating Clean: Broccoli and Cheese Rice

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of cooked brown rice (or other whole grain)
• 1 ½ cups shredded reduced fat Cheddar cheese, divided (NOT fat free… unless you like the sensation of eating plastic) (I did half of the cheese as Parmesan Cheese)
• 1 ½ cups cooked, chopped chicken breast 
• ½ cup cottage cheese or plain yogurt
• ½ cup of finely chopped onion
• 1/3 cup egg whites (or 2 egg whites)
• 1 cup chopped broccoli
• 1 tbsp chopped green chilies, drained (optional)
• ¼ cup finely chopped cilantro (optional)

ONE: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine rice, 1 cup cheese, chicken, cottage cheese/yogurt, broccoli, onion, egg whites, green chilies, and cilantro in a large bowl; Mix well. 
TWO: Spray an 8x8 inch glass baking dish with cooking spray and dump the rice mixture in. Top with the remaining ½ cup of cheese.
THREE: Bake 45 to 50 minutes until the cheese on top is melted and bubbly. 

Leftover Ham? Make Ham Soup

1 pkg bacon, cut into small squares (cutting while frozen works best)

1 large onion (softball size), chopped

2 bay leaves

3 cloves of garlic, minced

4-5 lb of leftover ham still on the bone

12 c water

4 chicken bouillon cubes

16 oz frozen turnips

2 c mixed vegetables, frozen

1 can(s) cream of chicken soup

1 can(s) cream of potato soup

1 can(s) cream of mushroom of soup

Step-by-Step

1

 In a large (deep) pot, cook the bacon till crispy. Remove bacon and set aside in a paper towel lined bowl, leave the bacon drippings in the pot. Add chopped onion to the bacon drippings and cook until tender and transparent, about 15-20 minutes.

2

 Add bay leaves and garlic, sauté for about 3 minutes. Add leftover ham, water and chicken bouillon cubes…bring to a boil. Once at a boil reduce heat to low and cook until the ham starts to release from the bone, about two hours.

3

 Once the ham has started to release from the bone, remove the bone from the pot...you may need to cut some of the ham off the bone. Any large pieces of ham will need to be cut into smaller chunks.

Add any ham that you had removed from the bone back into the pot along with the remaining ingredients.

Cook for another 15-20 minutes until veggies are tender.

Add soup to bowls and sprinkle with reserved bacon pieces.

Roasted Garlic Chicken

Ingredients

8 chicken thighs

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 head garlic, separated into whole cloves, papery skin removed (about 20 cloves)

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon butter

2 teaspoons poultry seasoning 

1 teaspoon flour

1/4 cup chicken stock

1/2 lemon, juiced

Bread, for serving

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Rinse and pat dry the chicken. Salt and pepper liberally and allow to temper on a cutting board while you prepare the garlic. In a large ovenproof saute pan over medium heat, cook the whole garlic cloves in olive oil and butter, stirring occasionally, until lightly golden, about 10 minutes. Remove the garlic from the pan and set aside. Increase the heat to medium high and brown the chicken skin-side down until the skin is golden and crispy, about 5 minutes. Turn the chicken over, sprinkle on herbes de Provence or poultry seasoning. Add the garlic back to the pan and place hot pan in oven. Bake the chicken until cooked through, about 25 minutes. Once the chicken is done, remove chicken thighs and garlic to a platter. Place the pan over medium-high heat and sprinkle the drippings with flour and stir to incorporate. Deglaze the pan with the stock and lemon juice. Pour the sauce over the chicken on the platter and serve with bread for sauce-mopping and garlic-spreading.

New Dining in Detroit

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Downtown Louie’s Lounge, 30 Clifford: A hidden gem just west of Woodward and south of Grand Circus Park, Downtown Louie’s boasts of well-prepared mid-priced salads, sandwiches, burgers and more. (www.downtownlouieslounge.com)

Taqo Detroit, 22 W. Adams: Opened July 1, this three-level, 5,000-square-foot restaurant features a big Mexican menu with coastal influences and terrific street-style tacos. Near Comerica Park, across the street from Grand Circus Park. (www.taqodetroit.com)

The Grille Midtown, 3919 Woodward: With its dove gray brick walls, handsome bar and polished urban vibe, the Grille is a delightful, casually upscale addition to Midtown. Its well-executed dishes range from big salads and juicy burgers to steaks, seafood and pasta. Delicious brunch dishes. (www.thegrillemidtown.com)

Dime Store, 719 Griswold: Serving a stylish breakfast and lunch menu, plus cocktails, Dime Store calls itself an “American Brunch Bar” — an unmistakable signal that it won’t be your average local diner. With chef Josh Taylor creating dishes like Bacon-Arugula Benny with Spicy Hash and architect Ron Rea cooking up a cool interior, it promises to bring a fresh young vibe to Chrysler House at Fort and Griswold. The brunch is certainly foodgasm worthy. (www.eatdimestore.com)

Mediterranean Chicken

Ingredients: (4-6 servings)

• 1 pound chicken breast tenderloins
• Greek seasoning (I used the no-salt version)
• optional - Feiny's veggie rub seasoning 
• 4 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
• 4 tsp chopped garlic (about 4 large cloves)
• 2 Tbsp shallots, chopped
• 6 Tablespoons jarred sun dried tomato bruschetta (or sun dried tomatoes in oil)
• 1 cup dry white wine (I used Pinot Grigio)
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 1 Tbsp corn starch
• 4 oz package of crumbled feta cheese
• 6 Tablespoons butter
• 2 cups fresh baby spinach, stems removed
• 1 lb cooked penne noodles, al dente, drained and rinsed
• kosher salt and black pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup toasted pine nuts
• additional sun dried tomatoes 
• sliced black olives to garnish

Make ahead time savers: 

You can make the garlic wine sauce ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator.  You can make, drain, and rinse the pasta ahead of time.  Then when you want to cook dinner, all you need to do is cook the chicken and throw it all together.

Also, get all of your veggies chopped before beginning.  I have a great helper for this type of thing!  Remember, there's always some aspect of a recipe that the kids can help with!  My spinach didn't necessarily NEED to be chopped, but it gave Lily a sense of being needed and involved.  And this is just as important as any of the rest of the things you do! 

Step-by-Step:

Garlic wine sauce - 

To a sauce pan, add olive oil,  half the garlic and half the shallots.  Saute them until golden brown, then add the white wine.  Allow it to come up to a boil, then reduce by half, stirring frequently.   The sauce can be stored in the refrigerator until you need it if you are making it ahead of time.

2 Tablespoons olive oil

2 teaspoons chopped garlic

1 Tablespoon chopped shallots

Allow them to saute until they start to become golden and soft.

Once the garlic and shallots are golden, add in the wine.  I keep some of these small individual bottles of wine just for cooking.  They are usually just the right amount for a recipe, and I don't have to worry about saving the leftovers.  They usually come in a 4-pack. 

1 cup of dry white wine (I'm using Pinot Grigio today)

In a measuring cup or bowl, stir together the cold chicken stock and corn starch to make a slurry.   The slurry will keep the corn starch from lumping up on you when you add it to the hot wine sauce.

2 cups chicken stock

1 Tbsp corn starch

Add the slurry to the reduced wine sauce.  Bring to a boil, then reduce to a medium simmer for about 10 minutes until it has thickened up a bit.  Season to taste with kosher salt and black pepper.  

chicken stock + corn starch slurry

kosher salt

black pepper

Strain the sauce and discard the garlic and shallots to complete the sauce.

I ended up with a little over 1 1/2 cups of sauce after the reduction, etc.  If you are making the sauce ahead of time, you can cover and refrigerate it now.

Be a Meal Planning Guru - DAY 3 - Proteins

High protein foods include meat, fish, cheese, tofu, beans, lentils, yogurt, nuts, and seeds. Below is a more detailed list of items that fall within the meat category: Check out these links for a much more comprehensive list of proteins, including beans,  here and here.

• TURKEY
• CHICKEN
• FISH
• LEAN BEEF
• VEAL
• BISON
• PIG
• LAMB
• CORNISH HEN
• DUCK

Wednesday's MEAL PLANNING GURU HOMEWORK: Today identify the proteins that you will pack your plan with to make your meals filling and most satisfying to your family! When compiling this list, think BROAD. For example, I would list beef and not meatballs. As with Monday and Tuesday, ask your family for their input. Put an asterisk next to any family favorites and take suggestions. Maybe there is a great protein out there that your family has never tried. Be optimistic and add it to the list!

1. 
   

Be a Meal Planning Guru - DAY 2 - Vegetables

I hope you took the time to develop your list of starches yesterday! Today we are moving on to vegetables. The key to a well balanced meal is a good portion of vegetables. Later in the week you will see how this will really help to shape your meals. Below is a pretty comprehensive list of vegetables that you can rotate into your meal planning, depending on the season, the protein, or your budget.

Tuesday's MEAL PLANNING GURU HOMEWORK: Today decide what vegetables will help your family to be victorious! Consider the list above and cross out any vegetables that you absolutely will not cook, either due to taste buds or availability in your area, then ask your family for their input. Put an asterisk next to any family favorites and take suggestions. Maybe there is a great vegetable that is not listed above, add it to your list.

Be a Meal Planning Guru - DAY 1 - Starches

Below is my list of starches that I rotate into my meal planning. Your list may be different. Some families can also list items like couscous, millet, polenta, or quinoa. It is important to be very specific here, do not just simply list rice, or potatoes. While we are not listing recipes or styles or methods of cooking the item, we must list the type of item. For example, I will list brown rice and not just "rice." I will not list "mashed potatoes." I also consider corn a starch and not a veggie, but it's your meal planning so you may list it as a veggie if you categorize it as such in your household. That's your prerogative.

STARCHES (I keep these things on hand in abundance since they have longer expiration dates. I rarely have to shop for these on a weekly basis)
brown rice
wild rice
white rice
yellow rice
red potatoes
white potatoes
wheat rigatoni
spaghetti
Shorter expiration dates but easy to buy or prep
corn (I prefer fresh, but frozen corn lasts much longer and is much quicker)
biscuits (I always have flour and butter on hand)
bread (I buy one loaf a week, your family may need more or less. Storing bread in the fridge extends the life considerably)

Monday's MEAL PLANNING GURU HOMEWORK: Today decide what starches will be your family's staples. Make a list of them and ask your family for their input. Make a note of  any absolute favorites and take suggestions. 

Meal Planning!!!!

This week Wayne County Moms is launching an online "Meal Planning Guru Workshop." Complete with homework assignments and FREE templates. Spend the next 5 days mastering the art of meal planning. Keep us posted on your progress.

I put so many exclamation marks behind the word planning because everyone asks me how I do it! How do you feed your family FULL home cooked meals EVERYDAY? Well, actually, I generally take a day off, but never completely. We HAVE to eat and we seldom to never, do DOUBLE DAY leftovers, which means we are NOT eating the same thing two days in a row. If you have leftovers, pack it for lunch or freeze it and bring it out for a day in the future. People may say it's OK, but in reality, no one likes double day leftovers. This week I will walk you through how to make sure your family is eating good EVERYDAY and make it as easy as possible for you to manage, even if you are doing it alone. First we have to focus on grocery shopping. I shop with the food pyramid in mind.

I have a list of starches, veggies, and proteins that my family loves to eat. I then pair and rotate them in a way that is interesting and economical for our family throughout the month. 

 Check the blog regularly this week to find out how to create your very own meal plans!