Category — Crockpot Recipes

Remember when I waxed poetic about The Olive Garden’s Venetian Apricot Chicken?  I know I remember because, well, Apricot Chicken has become one of my favorites.  I can’t seem to get enough.  Especially when I cover it in Roma tomatoes and . . . oh goodness.  Hang on.  O.k., I’m back, I had to just run in the kitchen and whip up a batch.  Not really.  I’m just kidding.  I don’t have time for that right now, silly.

Speaking of not having time . . . a few days back I was in a time crunch; I needed dinner at the normal time and I knew we were going to fly in the door about 15 minutes before that and needed to leave again 12.2 minutes after dinner was on the table.  Don’t ya just love life in the fast lane?  Sounds like a crockpot kind of day to me. 

Thanks to my latest obsession with Apricot Chicken, I decided to get adventurous and try to make it in the crockpot.  There’s always peanut butter if it doesn’t turn out (apologies to my homies with nut allergies).  Plus, I had this super sad looking basil in the fridge and it really needed to be used up, because in a matter of hours it was going to be beyond use.  And that would be a shame! 

It took a little switching it up to make the recipe work, but the results were amazing.  And, at the risk of boring the crapola out of you all with the same recipe, I’m posting it here since this version is a lot more user friendly.

I will admit, I overcooked it.  My crockpot doesn’t cook super hot, but my Mother-In-Law’s crockpot apparently does, and I was using her crockpot since I confiscated it (it’s got a nifty lid with a strap thingy-ma-jigger and I really needed that strap).  I left the chicken on low for 7 hours, in a very hot crockpot, and it easily would have been ready in 5 hours.  It was still very tasty, but you’ll want to watch your time for optimus turnus-outis.  (That’s Angie-speak for “don’t let it burn or it might taste bad.”)

I served it along side some pasta tossed with pesto and some garlic bread.  Holy Chickens!  Good stuff!!

Crockpot Apricot Chicken

2 pounds boneless chicken breast, frozen
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

2 tablespoons fresh basil, cut into small pieces
1 cup apricot preserves
1 cup water
2 teaspoons chicken base or bouillon

12 ounces (about 3 large) roma tomatoes, diced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon italian seasoning

Place chicken breasts into crockpot.
Combine garlic powder, salt, and black pepper and sprinkle over the top of the chicken.

In a small bowl, combine basil, apricot preserves, water, and chicken base and pour over the chicken.

Arrange tomatoes over the top of the chicken, sprinkle chopped garlic over the tomatoes, and sprinkle salt, pepper, garlic powder, and italian seasoning over the tomatoes.

Cook on low heat 5-7 hours, or until chicken is done.

 Crockpot Apricot Chicken

2 pounds boneless chicken breast, frozen
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

2 tablespoons fresh basil, cut into small pieces
1 cup apricot preserves
1 cup water
2 teaspoons chicken base or bouillon

12 ounces (about 3 large) roma tomatoes, diced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon italian seasoning

Place chicken breasts into crockpot.
Combine garlic powder, salt, and black pepper and sprinkle over the top of the chicken.
In a small bowl, combine basil, apricot preserves, water, and chicken base and pour over the chicken.
Arrange tomatoes over the top of the chicken, sprinkle chopped garlic over the tomatoes, and sprinkle salt, pepper, garlic powder, and italian seasoning over the tomatoes.
Cook on low heat 5-7 hours, or until chicken is done.

I’ve been planning on going shopping for several days.  I’d made a great list of all the places I wanted to go.  Since I was going to the next town over, I made sure I included all the places that I can’t go when I go to my normal haunts (yes, small town living really is that way!).  Z-DOW has some birthday money to spend, so she decided to come along.  Luckily, she’s old enough that I can drop her there and then run where I want to go.  Then, whoever gets done first (that’s ALWAYS me) calls the other one and we meet up.  It works out pretty well, except for the part where I said “pretty well” just now. 

There are several challenges to shopping with Z-DOW.  I don’t know if it’s because she’s Z-DOW, or if it’s because she’s a teenager, or if it’s because she has ADHD, or what.  But I do know that she’s S-L-O-W. 

For instance; I dropped her at Barnes and Noble.  I drove over to Bath and Body Works, browsed and bought 8 items.  I left and went next door to Old Navy.  I hit every sale rack, found 2 shirts for Aspie girl, a tank top for myself and debated on a cute little coat for the dog (I didn’t get it).  I paid for that stuff, drove back to Barnes and Noble, exchanged a damaged book at customer service and was just being lured to the magazine department by the call of glossy covers when she called. 

Z-DOW “Mom?”

Me  “Mmhmm?”

Z-DOW “Are you done?”

Me “Yup.  I sure am, are you ready?”

Z-DOW “Well, I found a puzzle.  But, I still want to look at the books, o.k.?”

Me  “You found a . . . puzzle?”

Z-DOW  “Yea!  It’s really cool!  But, I still need to look for books, o.k.?”

Me  “I’m sorry, Z-DOW, we’re out of time here.  If I make it two more steps toward the magazines we’ll never get out of here.”

Z-DOW  “You’re here already?!?  MOM!  NO!  I want to look at the books!  Go exchange the damaged book, o.k.?  I’ll hurry now.”

*Sigh*  See what I mean?  I did all that running and buying and she had picked out . . . a puzzle (which she didn’t buy).

So, you know what happened, right?  I took one. two. three steps toward the magazines.  Then, I turned around and went to the gardening section.  MUCH safer.  Gosh, I wish I could/would garden.  It doesn’t take long:  bored.  I’ll head over toward the gaming stuff, maybe Z-DOW will be here . . . and then, out of the corner of my eye, I saw them.  Maaagazines. 

I love ‘em.  I can’t help it.  Big ones, little ones, cooking ones, gossip rags, psychology ones, girly glizty mags, weight loss issues, THE BIGGEST COOKIE COLLECTION of the year,  Paula Dean (doncha just love ‘er?) . . . oh jeez.  And they are so mean at Barnes and Noble.  They put these big ol’ benches right there in front of the racks and you can make this huge spread while you decide which ones you can’t live without. 

My magazine habit started about 9 years ago after the birth of Aspie girl.  I started spending an inordinate amount of time in medical offices.  What in the world do you do when sit in the waiting room?  That’s right; you read magazines.  And so.  There it is.  I am addicted to magazines and it’s all my kids’ fault.

Well, anyhow, I managed to leave Barnes and Noble today with just the smallest pile of only the very most important-nist magazines that no-one should be without.  Oh yeah, and I left broke.  But happy.  Giddy, even.

This is good news for you guys on two fronts.  First, I bought (ahem, a couple) cooking magazines, which means new recipes when I finish mish-mashing the ideas together.  Second, it means you get an oldie, but a goodie for today.  See, the thing about shopping is that when you’re all done you’re hungry, tired, and ready to be off your feet.  So, typically you end up at the food court debating over (I guess you could call them) tacos, or (I think this used to resemble) Chinese.  Yuck.  OR, Maybe you’re lucky and have a pizza joint at your mall that actually leaves the room temperature pizza in the oven long enough to kill the bacteria?  We don’t.   So, I was really, really smart and started my crockpot in the morning and I got to come home to some serious yummy-ness.  Next time you spend a day with your teen, or get pulled in by the glam of the mags, be sure and start the crockpot before you go.

Magic Crust Pizza

This recipe serves 8.  You can add your favorite pizza ingredients, or leave it as written, it’s yummy just the way it’s written!

1 1/2  lbs ground turkey or ground beef
1  onion, chopped
1  green pepper, chopped & seeded
16  ounces spaghetti sauce
16  ounces pizza sauce
16  ounces frozen kluski noodles or Reames frozen noodles 
1  cup sliced mushrooms
1 (8  ounce) package sliced pepperoni
16  ounces cheese, shredded

Brown ground turkey or beef with onion and green pepper.

Drain and add spaghetti sauce and pizza sauce.

Use a crock pot liner or spray crock pot with non-stick spray.

Layer ingredients in the following order. (Make sure you cover the noodles with cheese and/or sauce completely, or they will get hard).

Put a small layer of sauce in the bottom then,

1/2 Noodles.

1/2 Sauce.

1/2 Mushrooms, onions and green pepper.

1/2 Pepperoni.

3/4 Cheese.

and repeat, ending with the remaining cheese on top.

Cook on low for 2-4 hours, making sure that the cheese does not burn.  (Note:  My crockpot cooks really hot, so your crockpot might not burn it in 4 hours.  If you want to leave it longer than 4 hours, leave the cheese off the top and wait until you come home to add it.  The cheese on top is what likes to burn.)

I’ve had this little idea poking around in my brain for a couple of years now.  I know I want to write a cookbook, I’ve known it for a long time.  My problem hasn’t been motivation.  Frankly, I’m typically sharing at least one recipe a day with others -either one I’ve found and really liked, or one that I’ve tweaked, or one that presented itself to me in one way or another.  I like sharing my recipes, and I don’t lack motivation to help others cook.  Nope, that’s not an issue.  I think my problem has been that I don’t know what write.  I have recipes, but I don’t have one idea that gels together.  Crockpot?  Quick and easy dinners?  My goodness, there are hundreds of these out there already, and one thing I don’t want to do is be just like everyone else.

It happens like this sometimes; I’ll be sitting on my bar stool, and an idea will just be there in my little noggin.  I don’t really know where these food ideas come from, but when they happen, they’re usually good.  So, today, again - sitting on my bar stool, it finally came to me.  My first cookbook idea. 

You see, I’ve been planning for several months to host a Chinese New Year’s party this year.  As it turns out, I’m not going to get to have the party (of if I do, I won’t be able to have it around the Chinese New Year - it comes really early this year - February 7th), but that doesn’t change the fact that I’ve spent the last 6 months testing, developing, and (sometimes not so kindly) insisting that my friends and family eat a lot of Asian food.  So, there it is . . . simple, really.  A Chinese (Americanized, of course) New Year’s cookbook - a collection of recipes that one could use to host the party I won’t be hosting this year.  Why didn’t I think of this sooner.  And then, well, then, I realized how perfect the whole thing is . . . I love to host themed dinners.  This could definitely be my niche.

So, I got busy straight away.  I had hubby go with me to the thrift store and I combed the bric a brac.  I mean, I need plates, platters, dishes!  I found some true gems, all sure to look fantastic in my cookbook pictures.  Then, I set hubby to calling around and recruiting folks for one more Asian dinner.  Tomorrow night we will feast on Chinese food, but not before I take pictures of all of the cuisine.  I sat a deadline to finish this e-Book and, with any luck, a week from this Friday my first cookbook will go live. 

The best part of all of this is (aside from how excited I truly am), the flood gates of ideas have opened.  I’m not going to share with you just yet what else is coming up, but I will say this - keep watching.  This could get really good.

Oh, and since I’m here, I’m giving you the recipe for the chicken I made for dinner the other night.  It was really tasty.  It was supposed to be “Sticky Chicken”, but it wasn’t.  It turned out not so sticky, so I changed it a little - added a nice sauce over the top and served the whole sha-bang on a bed of wild rice.  Sometimes it’s good when things don’t turn out right, this was one of those times.

Crockpot Rubbed Chicken w/onion gravy

2-3 pounds of boneless chicken breast

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. white pepper

1 tsp. celery salt

1 tsp. thyme

1 tsp. cayenne pepper

2 tsp. paprika

3 tsp. kosher salt

2 medium onions, quartered

1 tbsp. cornstarch

Combine all spices in a small bowl. 

Place chicken breast into a large ziplock bag and sprinkle spices over the top.  Shake the bag to distribute the spices well.  Place the bag in the fridge and allow the chicken to sit 24-48 hours, if possible, but no less than 8 hours.  Turn the bag every few hours to let the seasonings distribute well.

When ready to cook, place chicken breasts in crockpot and cover with onion pieces.  Place the lid on the crockpot and cook for about 5-6 hours on low. 

When chicken is done, remove the breasts to a plate and keep warm.  Turn the crockpot on high.

Combine cornstarch and 1/4 cup cold water in a small bowl.  Pour cornstarch mixture into the crockpot drippings, stirring to avoid clumping.

Serve chicken with the onion gravy over the top.