When you want to cook something delicious, flavorful, and delicious all you need is a crock pot. I was in the mood to make a whole chicken and wanted to make stock and soup from the leftovers. This is my chicken in a crock pot journey.....
First the chicken dinner
ingredients:
a whole chicken (mine was about 6 pounds)
some red potatoes (I used about 9)
a couple of onions (the regular yellow kind, I got 3)
olive oil
dry sage leaves or powdered sage
garlic
white wine
2 granny smith apples
butter
a bag of breadcrumbs/stuffing mix
celery
a veggie for a side dish or a salad
about 2 cups of chicken stock (canned or whatever)
- Take the chicken and wash it. Pat dry. set aside. You can set aside the gizzards in a baggie in the fridge if you want for the stock late. I just threw them away but next time will think to save them.
- cut one of the onions in chunks or rings. Or chunks and rings- doesn't matter
- slice potatoes in half and then slice the halves into three or four pieces.
- place the potatoes and onions in the bottom of the crock pot
- pour in chicken stock and a plug of the white wine (not too much- just a splash)
- core and chop one of the apples into big chunks.
- stuff the apple inside the chicken.
- Take a bowl or plate and drizzle some olive oil. put a spoon or two of crushed/minced garlic, sage, pepper and any other spices you like. (the amounts are not exact. just eyeball it)
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| Here is mine on a fancy paper plate |
- Take mixture and rub all over chicken
- put the chicken in the crock pot and if you and add some more onions on top.
- put the lid on and turn crock pot on high. I kept mine on high all day. For about 8 hours. I've read that you can have it on high for a couple of hours and turn it to low for the rest of the day. Personally, I was home and am too chicken (haha no pun intended) to keep it on low. I had this vision that I'd open the pot and have a raw bird at the end of the day. Not gonna happen but I just didn't want to take any chances. Don't open the lid to check it throughout the day. I have heard that every time you open the lid it adds 30 minutes of the cook time.
- About 45 minutes before dinner time preheat the oven to 375
- chop some more onion into small chunks and chop the celery and core and chop the apple into small chunks
- take a stick of butter and melt it in a deep sauce pan.
- saute the onion, apple, and celery for a few minutes- like 5 minutes
- HERE is when I take the lid off the chicken for a minute and scoop out and set aside about 2-3 cups of that really delicious and fragrant broth. Put the lid back on the crock pot
- add breadcrumbs into the butter mixture in pan (you can turn the stove off now) then slowly pour in broth until breadcrumbs are saturated or the amount according to the directions on the back of the bag or box of bread crumbs
- stir and then place in a glass baking dish. cover with lid or foil
- bake for about 25 minutes
- make salad or veggie side (I had asparagus)
- Turn off crock pot and enjoy dinner!
I didn't take a picture of the finished chicken (DOH!) but it looked and tasted great. It was super tender and literally fell off the bone. The stuffing was awesome. I only ate a little because..you know...STICK of butter and breadcrumbs are not the best food choices for a post-op gastric bypass patient. So actually I only a little of the little I can eat. If that makes any sense.
That night everything was taken out of the crock pot, covered and moved to the fridge.
Coming up next..... "All Night Chicken Stock" and Chicken and Veggie/Potato Soup
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