Crock Pot Chicken

Here's a recipe that was sent to me by my good friend Ericka.  She claimed that even her pickiest eater loved it, so I had to give it a try.  I'm pleased to say, it went over just as well at our house. 

Begin with a clean whole chicken. 

In a small bowl, combine the following spices:
2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. thyme
1 tsp. white pepper (I didn't have this, so I just left it out)
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. black pepper

Rub seasoning all over chicken.  I let it sit overnight with the rub on it, but Ericka didn't and still said it was great.  Put 1 c. chopped onion in the bottom of your Crock Pot and add the chicken.  The chicken will produce its own juices, so you need not add any liquid.  Cook on low for 4-8 hours or until meat reaches 180 degrees.  (If you have to be gone all day and can't really monitor your temperature, don't worry about it. It won't get dry in the slow cooker.)

I paid $4.00 for my chicken and next-to-nothing for the rest, so the recipe came out to less than $1 per person. I paired it with a veggie and salad for dinner.

We ate our fill then picked the chicken clean for leftovers. I added some barbecue sauce to the shredded chicken and had another meal later in the week.  To go with the barbecue sandwiches, I tried this new coleslaw recipe, too.

Texas Coleslaw

16 oz. bag coleslaw mix
1/2 c. chopped fresh cilantro
2 cans (11 oz. each) Mexicorn (corn with red and green peppers, drained)
1/4 c. vegetable oil
3 Tbs. lime juice
3/4 tsp. ground cumin
3/4 tsp. salt

Toss coleslaw mix, cilantro, and corn in very large bowl.  Whisk together the oil, lime juice, cumin, and salt in a small bowl and pour over coleslaw mixture; toss.  Cover and refrigerate for 1-2 hours to allow flavors to meld.

This made WAY too much coleslaw for my family, so I took the rest to our weekly playgroup lunch.  :)