Crock-Pot BBQ Chicken (7 P+)

My day started at 7:30 with a phone call from my husband telling me I had left my wallet in his truck.  He found it when he was on his way to work and was far enough away that I couldn't just load up and go pick it up.  Which meant no trip to the grocery store until he got home.  Which meant I lost the necessary prep time for the recipe I had planned.  Which meant I needed to come up with something quick based off what was in my freezer and pantry.  Remember the above comment about needing a trip to the grocery store?  I didn't have many options.

I was also dealing with the Great Diaper Blow-out of 2012.  I thought I survived the worst after the blow-out from last week.  I was wrong.  Very very wrong.  My brain was scattered.

Then I remembered my recipe for BBQ Beef, and I wondered about trying it with chicken breast.  And then I smacked my palm on my forehead for not thinking of this sooner.  And then I threw everything in the crock-pot, turned it on low heat, congratulated myself on my brilliance, and walked away.

Without plugging it in.

Yes, I did.

Luckily, I noticed it before long so dinner was ready on schedule, and it tasted like sweet, smoky BBQ sauce and success.  Serve this with some fresh corn on the cob and a tossed green salad.

Ingredients
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 1/2 cups ketchup
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 Tbsp dijon mustard
2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 Tsp liquid smoke flavoring
1 Tsp Franks Red Hot or Tabasco
1/2 Tsp kosher salt
1/4 Tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 Tsp garlic powder

Directions:
Mix up the sauce.  Add the chicken to the crockpot (frozen or thawed; either way works).  Pour the sauce over the top and cover.  Cook on low for 5-6 hours.  Shred the chicken and serve.

1 pound of chicken made four servings
7 Points+ per serving

Green Chile Chicken Soup with Lime (5 P+)

I'm working on using my slow-cooker more often.  As a general rule, I'm not a huge fan of the slow-cooker.  I usually end up with mushy meat or bland flavors.  I like things fresh and bold.  BUT...I also like my sanity.  And since there is something about the dinner hour that seems to turn babies everywhere into hobgoblins I've been trying to make use of the slow-cooker so my hands are free during that infamous time.

This soup takes some prep work to make it happen, but I think it's worth it.  Most of the prep (cooking rice, roasting garlic) can be done the night before if you're pressed for time in the morning.  Some of it can be skipped entirely (sauteeing the onion) if you're not like me and don't have texture issues when it comes to food.  It is also easily adaptable for the stovetop.  Basically what I'm saying is that this recipe is more a guideline than a set of rules.  Make it your own and dig in!

Ingredients
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, pan-roasted and pressed or minced (see tip below)
6 cups chicken broth
2 (14.5 ounce) cans fire-roasted diced tomatoes
1 (4 ounce) can fire-roasted diced green chiles
1 Tbsp ground cumin
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts (frozen or thawed)
2 limes, juiced for 1/4 cup
1 cup cooked rice (basmati is my favorite, but plain ol' brown or white works)
1 bunch cilantro, roughly chopped
Salt and pepper, to taste
Sriracha hot sauce, to taste (optional)
Feta cheese, for garnish (optional)

Directions
Saute the onion on the stovetop over medium-high heat until it begins to soften.  (I like my onion to be so soft it's unnoticeable.  You can skip this step if you don't mind crunchier onion in your soup.)

Add the onion, garlic, broth, tomatoes (undrained), chiles (undrained), cumin, and chicken breast to the slow cooker.  Cook for 4-5 hours on high or 7-8 hours on low.  If your chicken is thawed you should probably shorten the cooking time accordingly.

During the last 30 minutes add the lime juice, cooked rice, and cilantro.  Remove the chicken breast and shred it; return it to the soup.  Season with salt, pepper, and more cumin to taste.  Serve with a drizzle of sriracha and a sprinkling of feta cheese.  Some warm corn tortillas and fresh salsa on the side make a perfect addition!

To pan-roast the garlic:  Place the unpeeled garlic cloves in a small skillet over medium-high heat.  Let them sit until black spots appear.  Turn the cloves over and roast for another minute or two until blackened.  Remove from heat and allow to cool.  The cloves should be soft and should peel easily.


Adapted from Picky Palate
Makes 6 servings
5 Points+ per serving (excluding cheese)

BBQ Beef (7 P+)

Aaron made this for our small-group Bible study last night.  Notice how I said Aaron made it?  That's because he did.  All by himself.  Except for the sauce which I helped with.  Measuring out all that ketchup was a two-person job.  Anyway, I got a couple of requests for the recipe, so here it is...

Here's what you need:
1-1/2 cups ketchup
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 Tsp liquid smoke flavoring
1/2 Tsp kosher salt
1/4 Tsp ground black pepper
1/4 Tsp garlic powder
Pinch of cayenne pepper (optional
1 (4 pound) chuck roast

Here's what you do:
1)  Combine all the ingredients (except the roast) in a small bowl.  Heat a large skillet over high heat, and sear the roast on all sides until browned.  This should take 2-3 minutes per side.  (If you don't use a non-stick skillet coat it with cooking spray first).

2) Put the meat in a slow cooker and coat it evenly with the sauce.  You should have some sauce leftover.  Cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 5 hours.

3) Remove the meat from the slow cooker and put it in a large bowl.  Reserve the juice.  Using two forks shred the meat until you have the texture you want.  Meanwhile heat the oven to 300 degrees.

4) Put the meat in a baking dish (I use my Pampered Chef deep-covered baker), and spoon some of the juice from the slow cooker over it.  You want just enough to moisten it up.  Pour the remaining barbecue sauce (the stuff we made at the beginning) over the top.  Cover and cook for 1 hour.  Serve alone or on hamburger buns.

This takes awhile to cook, but it's so worth it once it's done!

Note:  The recipe for this sauce comes from allrecipes.com. 

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Printable Recipe
1 serving = 7 WW Points
A 4 pound roast makes about 12 servings.