Famous Two-Ingredient, Two-Step Barbecued Pulled Chicken In The Slow Cooker

If you need something uncomplicated and delicious for dinner or a cookout, you'll love this famous... okay, my famous...lip-smacking, super-easy barbecued pulled chicken!  It's made with only two ingredients in the slow cooker in only three hours, using incredibly simple methods of shredding and cooking the chicken.

Enjoy this laid-back, crowd-pleasing recipe for Labor Day, tailgating and effortless weeknight meals!

                                                        Oh Man...

                                                  I Can Taste It Now!

Craving Crunchy Orange Chicken ~ Crowned with Crispy Green Onions and Toasted Almonds ~Asian Inspired

Do you ever have a craving for orange chicken...like Panda Express'?  I love their orange chicken; so when I originally found this recipe on the internet, I was excited to make it.  Though I wouldn't say this is exactly like Panda Express' orange chicken (as the original recipe suggested), this Asian-inspired chicken is sure to satisfy your craving with its crunchy tempura-like batter, true orange flavor and crispy green onion and toasted almond toppings.  With this recipe, you can enjoy orange chicken takeout at home by taking it right out of your own oven with easily accessible ingredients.

Panda Express' orange chicken does have a little more heat than I like, so I adjusted the amount of red pepper flakes from the original recipe.  Of course, if you prefer more heat, you can add more red pepper flakes, or you can just omit the red pepper flakes altogether.  Like I generally do, I made quite a few changes to the original recipes...including increasing the orange flavor with the addition of navel orange pieces.  I preferred the more obvious flavor of navel orange pieces over mandarin orange segments.

As I typically do, I've tried to eliminate any guess work and be as thorough as possible with the directions.  I often say that I write a recipe as though my daughter were standing beside me.          

                                                 It's Take Out...

                                       I Took It Out Of The Oven!

Finger-Lickin' Good Oven-Barbecued Chicken Drumsticks!

Brought in by the recent rain, the cooler temperatures created a craving for a good oven barbecue.  I just drooled when I saw Bea's beautifully glazed drumsticks on her blog Küchenzaubereien, and I knew this enticing dish would satisfy my barbecue craving!

A real crowd-pleaser, you'll love how easy this delectable oven barbecue is.  These mouth-watering drumsticks make a terrific family dinner, take-along dish or snack...just be prepared that your diners will be grabbing them up before you can serve them!

                                                 Easy, Peasy....

 

                                               And Sticky Good!

Not Just White Chicken Chili!

I adapted this easy and delicious white chicken chili from a recipe which I requested from my friend Trudy.  She has been sharing her marvelous white chicken chili with me for some time.  This is my exception to no beans in chili...it just wouldn't be complete without them!  It has a little kick, which is accentuated with the addition of shredded pepper jack cheese.  As a bonus, I discovered that, by just stirring in sour cream, it makes a fantastic cold dip!  So, this is not just a recipe for white chicken chili...you can use it to make chicken chili dip too!

Trudy advised that she always doubles the recipe to share with friends and that it freezes well too.  She suggested adding more chicken broth if the chili gets too thick.

This is a wonderful recipe for stretching your meals by using any leftover rotisserie, baked chicken or my So Simple, So Perfect, Crispy Roast Chicken.  Also, this is another dish that would be fantastic with my Dixie Girl Makes Yankee Cornbread!

                                               Warm and Creamy...

                                            And Oh, So Satisfying!


As adapted from Jess Gordon's recipe, White Chicken Chili, as published in Atlanta Home Improvement magazine 2/07

Approximately 4-6 servings

Ingredients

• 1 c. diced onion--approx. 1 medium (white, yellow or red--frozen diced onion okay)
• 2 TB canola oil
• 3 TB all-purpose flour
• 1 & 1/2 cans (4 oz. ea.) diced mild green chiles (approx. 1/2 c. + 1 TB drained & packed--can freeze leftover green chiles)
  
• 1 TB ground cumin
• 4 c. chicken broth
• 2 cans (15.5 oz. ea.) great northern beans, drained
• 1 c. cooked & medium-chopped chicken breast (approx. 1 large chicken breast)*
• 1/8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper (or ground white pepper, if you like)

Garnishes and Sides

• sliced avocado 
• sour cream
• shredded pepper jack cheese
• tortilla chips of your choice (lime-flavored tortilla chips are really good with this chili.)
• my Dixie Girl Makes Yankee Cornbread

*Tip
This is a great recipe to use rotisserie chicken from the store--or leftover baked chicken or My So Simple, So Perfect, Crispy Roast Chicken.  

Directions

1. In an approx. 4 qt. cooking pot, saute the onion in the oil on medium heat, stirring frequently, until tender.  Add the flour, green chiles and cumin. Mix into a thick paste, or roux.  
2. Whisk in the chicken broth until the roux is thoroughly incorporated.  Stir in the beans.  Increase the heat to medium high and bring the chili to a boil.  
3. Reduce the heat to simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened.  Stir in the chicken and pepper and simmer until heated throughout.
4. The chili can be kept warm in a crock pot until serving.  Freezes well.

Chicken Chili Dip

Add 1/2 c. sour cream to 4 c. of the cooked chili and refrigerate. Garnish with a dash of ground paprika and a sprig of parsley or cilantro (if you like).  Serve cold or room temperature with tortilla chips for dipping.

With the cold weather kicking in, you'll find this simple and delectable white chicken chili very comforting...enjoy!

Printable Recipe

So Simple, So Perfect, Crispy Roast Chicken

 (I've had this sitting in draft for a few days.  However, I had a slight interruption...my precious, new baby granddaughter was welcomed into the world on August 2nd!)

Craving some protein?  Make it on Sunday and have it for leftovers during the week...a salad, a sandwich or just more delicious roast chicken.  That wing or leg will haunt you for a late night snack!

Roast chicken just doesn't get any better or any easier than this!  After much experimenting over the years, I came to this simple method for a classic and delicious roast chicken.  No need to stuff or truss!  Roasters are not as dry as baking chickens; all they need is a little seasoning...not even any butter or oil!  Follow this recipe and I guarantee you a succulent roast chicken with a crispy exterior!
                               

The aroma of a chicken roasting in the oven just seems to say:

                              

                                              "Welcome Home!"

                                    Salivating?  Let's Cut Into It...

Serves 4 or more

Ingredients

• 1 plump roasting chicken (about 4 to 5 lbs.)
• garlic powder
• kosher salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• dried thyme leaves
• dried rosemary leaves

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375º.
2. Place a rack in a shallow roasting (or baking) pan which you've lined w/foil.*
3. Wash the chicken and remove any fat,* neck or giblets from the inside.
4. Pat the chicken dry and place it breast up on the rack in the pan.
5. Sprinkle the inside of the chicken with salt and pepper.
6. Sprinkle all the seasonings on the top of the chicken.
7. Place in the oven and roast uncovered about 30 minutes per lb. or until a drumstick moves easily at the joint and the juices run clear, or the chicken registers at least 180º when a thermometer is inserted.  (Check after about 1 to 1 1/2 hours and if already golden brown, loosely cover with a tent of foil to keep from over browning.)

*Tips 

• You can save any fat for schmaltz, see:  "The Schmaltz" under "Bon Bon's Chicken Soup with Matzo Balls".  
• Over the years, I've used so many different configurations of a roasting pan for this chicken.  Generally I use whatever is handy.  I've even used a toaster-oven rack in a baking pan.  You really don't need anything fancy...just a rack and a pan! (This note is especially for those who don't own a lot of equipment or are just starting out in the kitchen).  However, if you happen to have an impressive roasting pan and rack, enjoy it!
• My Not Just White Chicken Chili would be great for using leftover chicken breast from this roast!

Let the chicken rest a few minutes before slicing. (I prefer an electric knife to achieve attractive slices.) You'll feel like Mama just wrapped her arms around you while you enjoy this with your favorite sides!*

*Suggested Sides:

My Simple Side Salad with Avocado and Satisfying Spatzle Casserole with Swiss Cheese; Sweet Potato Casserole with Crunchy Nut Topping or Yellow Summer Squash Casserole.

Printable Recipe

Extreme Orange Cornish Hen/or Chicken Breasts with Toasted Pecans

I've tried several orange sauces for poultry.  I always longed for a more intense orange flavor.  Therefore, I created my own with one of my favorite items - orange marmalade.  Now many of the recipes I tried already had orange marmalade; so, I thought why not really use it...without adding all those other unnecessary ingredients - and that's just what I did...adding only a minimum number of spices!

Impress your guests and enjoy them at the same time with this simple, but definitely not ordinary entree!

                      Oh You Shouldn't Have Gone to all That Trouble....

                                      (I won't tell them if you won't...)

Ingredients (Per one to two Servings)

• One Rock Cornish Game Hen - thawed* (Conventionally one whole hen is served per person; I find one-half is enough for some.)
  
• 2 TB butter or margarine (melted)
• 1/8 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/8 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
• dash garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp. dried rosemary leaves
• 1/4 tsp. dried oregano leaves
• approx. 1 c. orange marmalade** (divided)
• approx. 1/4 c. toasted,*** chopped pecans
• 2 orange slices (for garnish)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350º.
2. Wash and dry hen.
3. Cut hen in half along breastbone and backbone.  Remove backbone if you like and save for soup stock or discard.  (Use kitchen shears or a sharp knife; I have surgery scissors -  I don't know where they came from, but they work great!)
4. Place hen halves body up on a broiler pan. (You can cover the bottom of the pan w/foil for easier clean up if you wish.)
5. Coat the hen halves with the melted butter or margarine.
6. Sprinkle with kosher salt, fresh ground black pepper, garlic powder, rosemary and oregano.
7. Cook uncovered for 30 minutes.
8. Spread the hen halves lavishly with 1/4 c. orange marmalade** while trying to keep as much of the marmalade on the hen as possible.
9. Cook for another 30 minutes; watch closely and cover with foil if necessary to avoid overbrowning.
10. Spread another 1/4 c. orange marmalade** on the hen halves and sprinkle with the toasted pecans.***
11. Cook another 15 minutes or until the hen halves reach 180º-190º when a poultry temperature gauge is inserted in the thickest part of each half.
12. Per serving, warm 1/4 c. orange marmalade for extra sauce and serve in a condiment dish on each plate.

Garnish each serving with a twisted slice of orange and enjoy with yellow rice and green beans almondine or your favorite sides!

***To toast the pecans, place on a microwave-proof plate and microwave on high about four times in 15 second increments, stirring after each increment, or until the pecans are light brown.

                                          

For Chicken Breasts:

Serves 3-4

Ingredients - Same as for Cornish hen, except:

• 3 to 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1/4 cup butter or margarine
• substitute sea salt for kosher salt 

Directions (be careful not to under or over cook)

1. Preheat oven to 350º.
2. Melt butter or margarine in an oblong glass baking dish in the oven.
3. If necessary, pound the chicken breasts to achieve no more than an approx. 1/2" thickness.
4. Place the chicken  in the baking dish and coat with the butter or margarine.
5. Sprinkle the chicken with the seasonings and bake uncovered about 10 minutes on one side; turn, coat with the cooking juices and bake about 10 more minutes on the other side.
6. Flip the breasts and spread lavishly with 1/2 c. orange marmalade
   and sprinkle with the toasted pecans.
7. Cook about 10 more minutes and remove the breasts to a serving platter.
8. For the sauce:   Whisk 1/2 cup orange marmalade into the juices in the baking dish and warm in the oven about 10 minutes.
9. Spoon some sauce from the baking dish over the chicken breasts; if you have extra sauce, serve on the side in a gravy dish.
10. Garnish your serving platter with the orange slices and enjoy!

Printable Recipe

Bon Bon's Chicken Soup with Matzo Balls

Friends have requested that I post this recipe today because it's so cold outside.  Chicken soup not only contains a number of beneficial medicinal substances, it is the ultimate comfort food in cold, wet weather.  The aroma, which permeates the home, wraps around you like a blanket and makes you feel warm and cozy.
                                           
                                     Bon Bon, I Think I Need Some...

                                     Chicken Soup with Matzo Balls!