Sweet and Spicy Slow Cooker Chicken

This looks amazing, and I'm looking for some delicious crockpot recipes...we'll see how it goes!  From Mels KitchenCafe.




Sweet and Spicy Slow Cooker Chicken


*Note: leaving the tomatoes undrained makes for a fairly juicy chicken mixture. If you don't want the finished shredded chicken mixture to be quite as liquidy, slightly drain the tomatoes before using them. Also, I nearly always double or triple this recipe because it freezes so well.


*Serves 4

1 pound (about 2) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 (14-ounce) can petite or regular diced tomatoes, undrained
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (add more if you like extra heat - with this amount it is mild enough for my kids to eat it up but spicy enough to help offset the sweetness)


Place the chicken in the bottom of the slow cooker. In a small bowl, combine the tomatoes, brown sugar and red pepper flakes. Pour over the chicken. Cover the slow cooker and cook on high for 4-6 hours or on low for 8-9 hours. Remove the chicken to a cutting board and shred with two forks. Return to the slow cooker and mix the chicken with the juices from the tomato/brown sugar sauce. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve in flour tortillas with toppings of choice: lettuce, sour cream, cheese, avocados, etc.

*Freezable Meal: I freeze the leftovers in a freezer-safe container and let thaw in the refrigerator overnight before serving the next day. I reheat over medium-low heat in a saucepan on the stove.

Tortilla Soup

This is my go to soup recipe.  It always turns out well and I seem to enjoy it, no matter what mood I am in.  I initially got this from one of my sisters, Erin.  She has a food blog too here!

Crockpot:
2 14 oz. cans diced tomatoes
1 medium onion chopped
4-5 cloves garlic
2 cans chicken broth
1 T. cumin
2 t. chili powder
sprinkle italian seasoning
4-5 chicken breast (I can get by with 3)
salt and pepper to taste (not too much!)

Toppings:
Tortilla chips
Sour cream
Avocados (rarely use because so expensive)
Cheese

Crockpot on high, until the chicken is so tender it falls apart when you try to take it out.  Pull out all of the chicken and shred it.  Put chicken back into the crockpot and wait 30 minutes to eat (I don't always wait).  Top with the suggested toppings, or just eat it.  Both ways are good!

Slow Cooker Chipotle Chicken and Black Bean Chili

I found this here on sweet treats, and as I work a little more I'm trying to gather different crock pot recipes.  It was really easy to throw together, and good to use up some more chipotles I had.  We had extra rice in the fridge so we served the chile over the rice.  Delicious.

serves 6-8

2-3 whole, boneless skinless chicken breasts (or 4-6 chicken tenders)

2 (15 oz) cans black beans, rinsed and drained

2 (14 1/2 oz) cans diced tomatoes with green chiles, un-drained

1 medium green pepper, chopped

2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, chopped

2 tbs of the adobo sauce

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tbs cumin

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

Optional for garnishing: mozzarella or Monterrey jack cheese, sour cream, cilantro, lime wedges. 

Place everything, aside from the chicken in a 4qt slow cooker and stir to combine.  Lay chicken over the top and push down a little to cover with sauce.  Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or until chicken is cooked and tender, or cook on high for 3-4 hours.  

Pot Roast

Pot Roast was a staple growing up.  I'm not much of a meat lover, so I could do without the roast...but I've never actually done that.  I love the potato, onion, carrot mixture.

1 chuck roast
1 onion
2c. carrots
6c. potatoes
3 beef bouillon cubes
salt/pepper to taste

1. Sear the outside of all sides of the roast in a pan.  I don't always do this, but it is better this way.
2. Dice the onion, carrots, and potatoes.
3. Put half of the mixture in the crockpot.
4. Put the roast in the crockpot.
5. Add remaining vegetable mixture.
6. Place each bouillon cube on the meat.
7. Add about 1/4c. or less of water.  Sprinkle some salt and pepper to taste.  
8. Let cook on low for 6-8 hours, or until the meat is completely cooked.

Slow Cooker Chicken Caesar Sandwiches

I LOVE taco salad, but we can't finish off an iceburg lettuce with just the two of us.  And since I hate making salads...I will try this soon!

Slow Cooker Chicken Caesar Sandwiches
Source: Sweet Treats and More

2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
1/2 to 1 cup of your favorite Caesar dressing (I like Cardini's and Brianna's Asiago Caesar)
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley (if you don't have fresh use around 2 teaspoons of dried parsley)
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
2 cups shredded romaine lettuce
12 slider buns or 4-6 regular sized hamburger buns

1. Place chicken in a 3-4 quart slow cooker with 1-2 cups of water, cover and cook on low heat for 4-6 hours.

2. Remove chicken from cooker using a slotted spoon and drain the water from the slow cooker. Place chicken on a cutting board and pull chicken into shreds, discarding any fat.

3. Place chicken back in the cooker and pour dressing, Parmesan cheese, parsley, and pepper over the top. I really make sure that I discard any fat pieces so by the time I was done I only used about 1/2 cup of dressing but you make need more if you have more chicken. Stir until mixed evenly. Cover and cook on high heat for 30 minutes or until mixture is hot.

4. Spoon 1/4 cup mixture onto each slider bun if you are making sliders or more for regular sized buns. Top with extra shredded Parmesan cheese and lettuce to serve.