Crock Pot Shredded Chicken

Shredded chicken is incredibly versatile. You can toss it in a variety of sauces for instant wrap filling, burritos, spreads, and more... or just eat it plain on a bed of salad greens with a drizzle of your favorite vinaigrette for a quick and healthful salad. I prefer to make my shredded chicken in bulk when I find a good sale and freeze it up in batches for later use. It's simple, quick, and saves time when preparing last minute meals or bulk cooking chicken meals in later weeks. 

INGREDIENTS:

• chicken breasts, boneless and skinless
• chicken stock or broth (check the ingredients if you didn't make it yourself)

EQUIPMENT:

• crock pot
• electric mixer (if you don't have one you can use two forks)

PROCEDURE:

1. Place chicken in crock pot. 

• Most people thaw their chicken first as it is safer from a health perspective since you don't have to worry about intermediate temperatures beyond the safe limits. I have been asked previously if the meat really needs to be thawed first, here's my two cents: I have used frozen chicken directly in the crock pot without issue for this recipe and a few others before BUT food safety rules suggest that you thaw the chicken appropriately beforehand to avoid those potentially longer periods at intermediate temperatures... so that is what I do suggest that you do if at all possible. It is better safe than sorry when it comes to the health of your family in my opinion.

2. Add a couple tablespoons of stock/broth per pound of chicken. 

• You could use a little bit of water in a pinch but I prefer the stock so that the resulting meat will be tasty and packed with flavor.

3. Place crock pot on low for 6-8 hours. Ensure that the chicken has reached the correct temperature/if fully cooked before turning off the crock pot.
4. Allow the chicken to cool for a few minutes before attempting to shred. If you are using the two forks to shred the chicken I suggest that you allow it to cook quite a bit as I have been burned quite a few times trying to rush to get it shredded and off my to-do list... its not worth it.
5. Shred the chicken. My suggestion is to use the electric mixer to shred the chicken by simple putting the mixer in the bowl with the chicken and 'mixing' like you would cake batter. The chicken shreds very quickly with this method and you avoid burned fingers. :)
6. Allow the chicken to cool completely before freezing it into portions appropriate to your family's needs to avoid ice crystals forming in the containers and on the chicken itself. 
 

Crock Pot BBQ (Dry Rubbed) Beef

I'm all about working smarter, not harder. With a full time job, grad school, house hunting, choir practice and dance practice I just don't have time to waste in the kitchen no matter how much I love to cook. Anytime you see me make something that takes more than 20-30 minutes of hands-on time it is most definitely done on the weekend as a stress reliever and fun activity- I really do love to cook. I already mentioned in a previous post that I use my crock pot a lot... at least once or twice a week. I use it to make bone broth, whole chickens, stews and soups, roasts, BBQ, pretty much anything I can find a way to adapt to a crock pot I'll be making in that awesome kitchen gadget. I do this because the food is moist and tender at the end and it takes so much work off of my hands. BBQ Beef is just one of dozens of recipes I regularly make in my house for this very reason. It lasts me at least several days worth of meals plus more for the freezer to rotate into future meal planning... and the dogs usually get a bit as well just to be fair since they have to smell it cooking all day long while I'm at work. It smells pretty awesome.

I use a BBQ dry rub but you can easily sub in a sauce or glaze if that's how you like your BBQ- just make sure to either make it yourself or check the ingredients to insure that you know what you are putting into your body.

When you are using a crock pot it is usually best to quickly sear all sides of your meat before placing them in the crock pot. I have found that it is not 100% necessary to do this but it does help to seal in some of the juices which will create meat that is very moist and tender. To sear your meat simply heat a skillet on the stove top and place your meat inside once it has reached high temperature. After a few seconds you can turn it to another side. Continue doing this until all sides of the meat are seared. It is quite simple and very fast. 

The only thing left (other than putting it in the crock pot) is to rub in your dry rub mix of choice. Mine is here. I always use quite a bit of the rub and occasionally will add a little citrus juice on top right before I close the lid (not a lot, maybe the juice of one medium orange) though I did not do so today. If there is a fat cap (layer of fat) you will want this face up so that the fat will melt slowly and baste your meat throughout the cooking cycle. I don't stick with just one cut of meat when doing this type of meal. Since the slow cooking process produces very tender meat you can easily use cheaper cuts of meat and get very tasty result all the same. 

I usually do all of my slow cooking overnight these days so this lovely dish cooked for between 10-12 hours on low but if you want to do 6-8 hours you can set the temperature to high.

The meat literally fell apart when I took it out of the crock pot.

 

Crock Pot "Rotisserie" Chicken

I love my crock pot. It is easily the most used kitchen gadget I own simply because it makes my life easier and I spend less time standing over a stove when I use it... a big deal for someone like me. What do I mean by that? When I stand my body exerts the same amount effort as when you are moving at a brisk walk or even run depending on the day- it's just a part of having POTS. There are some days where everything is awesome and I can stand for a long time or even exercise but there are others where I need to be sitting, or lying/reclining for the majority of my day. Changing my eating habits and other lifestyle changes have drastically reduced the days where I need to be lying down and even increased the amount of time I can sit, stand and exercise on a daily basis significantly but there are still days when it is impossible for me to do do more than nuke a meal I made last week and froze on a good day... or grab a plate of whatever is in the crock pot. Basically my crock pot has become my best friend and I have adapted quite a few recipes for it to help me out. This one is a newer one to me but I recently added whole chickens to my grocery list because:

1. They are cheaper than purchasing the individual cuts of meat separately.
2. I get to keep the bones for yummy bone broth or stock... saving more money
3. They feed me for several days or longer if I make up frozen portions... bulk cooking, I love it!

I make chicken in so many ways in the crock pot- Chicken Ragu, enchilada chicken, chicken curries, soups with chicken, shredded chicken (for other recipes like chicken salad, chicken enchilladas, stuffed veggies and 'pasta'... so many things!)... there are endless possibilities! The only problem is crispness. When you make something in the slow cooker the moisture does not evaporate very much. This is great for stews, stocks, and things you want to be moist and tender after hours cooking but not so great for things that you want to end up crispy. Using foil balls under the chicken will keep it from sitting in the juices that come out during cooking and negate some of this issue to give you a more authentic rotisserie chicken experience with so much less work.

If you want to toss some carrots, sweet potato and onions in the bottom of the crock amongst the foil balls you can make this a one-pot meal. I would make sure the vegetables you use aren't ones that are delicate or they won't hold up as well in the crock pot and you will loose the texture. Greens are an example of something I would not put in the crock pot all day- put them about 15-20 minutes before serving and they will absorb some of the flavors of the rest of the dish and be wilted nicely but still retain their texture and color.

INGREDIENTS:

• whole chicken, 4-5 pounds (insides removed)
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp Italian spices (Basically this is just equal parts basil, marjoram, oregano, rosemary, sage, thyme, and parsley if you want to make your own instead of purchasing a pre-made bottle at the store)
• 1 Tbsp paprika (smoked has the best flavor)
• dash of dry mustard, optional
• dash of cayenne, optional
• any veggies you want, optional

TOOLS:

• slow cooker with crock large enough to hold your chicken
• aluminum foil
• bowl for mixing spices

PROCEDURE:
1. Mix the spices together in a bowl.

2. Rinse the chicken and pat dry.

3. Rub spice mixture all over your chicken. You want to get the outside as well as the inside (and, if you want to, on the chicken breasts under the skin... it feels odd but you will get some super flavorful chicken out of it!).
4. Roll up some foil balls and place them in the bottom of your crock pot.

5. Toss any veggies you have decided to add to the pot, if any, into the bottom of the crock pot. If you are using a small crock pot you may not have room depending on the size of your chicken- I have a large 6 qt. crock pot.

6. Place chicken atop the foil balls and cover with lid.

7. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. If you need it sooner you can cook it for 4-5 hours on high but make sure that the chicken is cooked through before you remove it. A meat thermometer should measure the internal temperature at 160 F or greater.

8. Carefully remove the chicken from the crock pot. It will be very tender and may even fall apart when you remove it... if you are big on meal presentation then take this into account. 
NOTE: If you want a crispy skin you can finish the chicken in the broiler for a few minutes once you remove it from crock pot.


9. Let the chicken sit for a few minutes before cutting or removing it from the bones if you are doing so (and save the bones to make bone broth in the freezer!). Bon appetit!

Bone Broths

Bone broth is one of the easiest, most versatile and healthy recipes in the Paleo arsenal. It has a plethora of minerals and proteins that your body needs to run optimally and it tastes great too! As I have joint issues it is very important for me to get a lot of gelatin (and other joint supporting nutrition) into my diet so I LOVE using bone broth in my dishes. Personally, I use it as the base of many of my soups but it can also be used to de-glaze pans when making sauces, roast or saute vegetables, add flavor to a variety of main and side dishes or even drink it alone if you are so inclined. My recipes for bone broth is both super simple and works in the crock pot... which means that I do next to no work to get this fabulous broth! I don't often go through enough meat in any one month to have enough bones using only my leftover ones unfortunately but lucky for me there is an Asian market about 10 minutes away that stocks bones by the pound so I can make bone broth whenever I run out. 

A tip for freezing: freeze it in ice trays or other shallow dishes for easy thawing later. I have found that ice trays are perfect as they are pre-measured and small enough to thaw single serving portions fast but I can always grab my bag of broth cubes and make stew quickly as well. 

Here's the recipe:

INGREDIENTS:
2 lbs of bones (for this example I am using chicken bones acquired from the Asian market)
1-2 celery stalks, rough chopped
2-3 carrots, peeled and rough chopped
1 onions, rough chopped
1-2 Tbsp vinegar (I'm using apple cider vinegar in this example)
garlic cloves to taste
herbs to taste
filtered water

PROCEDURE:
1. Chop the veg and garlic and place in the bottom of the crock pot.

I have an adverse reaction when I chop celery (instant migraine) so I purchase my celery pre-chopped but this isn't necessary nor necessarily optimal. I didn't have access to organic whole carrots today at the store so I used organic peeled baby carrots in about the same amount as 2-3 large carrots.

2. Add the chicken bones to the crock pot.

3. Fill the crock pot the rest of the way with water.

4. Add vinegar.

5. Place top on crock and turn the crock pot on low temperature.

6. Walk away for 24-36 hours.

7. Strain the broth through a fine mesh to remove veg and bones.

8. Cool the broth.

9. Remove layer of fat that solidifies on top of the, now gelled, broth if using non-grass fed/pastured animal bones.

10. Measure out the broth as desired. You can typically keep it in the fridge for about 5 days or freeze part of it if you won't be using it all right away.

Your broth may vary in color from batch to batch depending on the bones you are using, the amount of remaining flesh, whether you roast your bones before using them for broth (good for beef bones especially), and the additional ingredients you add such as veg and herbs. Beef broth, pictured in cubes above, tends to be darker than chicken or fish for instance.

Curious where I get my ingredients? I get my ingredients all over the metroplex, on Amazon and through Young Living as a distributor. Don't want to search out stores to pick them up? I'll make it easy! You can place an order through me for any oils you may need and here are some quick links for the non-perishable ingredients and tools on Amazon should you wish to order online: