Monday, November 12, 2012

Crockpot BBQ Chicken

I love my crockpots.  Yes, I said crockpots...as in plural.  I have four and, yes, I do need each one.

It's a wonderful thing to fill it with ingredients, turn it on and several hours later, you have a delicious meal that's waiting to be eaten.  It's like magic, really.

Today's recipe comes from an adapted Pinterest find.  It's super simple and quite delicious.  My kids loved that the chicken was so tender that they could cut their own chicken with their forks.

                                        

Here's what you'll need:

4-6 chicken breasts (I used 4 and cut each one in half to get 8 pieces)
1 (18 oz.) bottle BBQ sauce
1/4 C. white vinegar
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes (optional, it's if you like some kick)
1/4 C. brown sugar
1 tsp. garlic powder

Place the chicken breasts in the crockpot.  Season with whatever seasonings you like.  I went with Sweet Mesquite seasoning.


In a small bowl, combine the BBQ sauce, vinegar, red pepper flakes (if desired), brown sugar, and garlic powder.


Pour over the seasoned chicken.


Turn the crockpot on Low and cook for 4 hours.  


After the 4 hours, I took the lid off and let it cook for another 30 minutes to thicken the sauce on the chicken a bit.


 Serve with rice or mashed potatoes.


Monday, November 5, 2012

Ham Rolls with Apricot-Pineapple Sauce

I tried a new recipe from the cookbook that my sister, Lynae, put together and gave me.  It was quite good! And it was so easy to assemble and didn't take long to get to the table.  SWEET!!

I think this would make a great dish to serve while entertaining.  Just a thought.

                                        

Here's what you'll need:

Thick sliced ham lunch meat (I used a whole 1lb. package which had 16 slices in it)
Sliced Swiss cheese (one slice per slice of ham, so I needed 16 slices of cheese)
1 box Stove Top Stuffing

Apricot-Pineapple Sauce:
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 C. water
1 C. pineapple juice
1/4 C. apricot-pineapple preserves
1 Tbsp. butter

Prepare stuffing mix as directed on the box.  Set aside.  On a plate, lay out a slice of ham, top with a slice of cheese.


Then place approximately 1/3 cup of prepared stuffing on the cheese.  


Roll and secure with a toothpick and place on a shallow baking dish.


In a small saucepan, stir together the cornstarch and brown sugar.  Add the water and pineapple juice.  


Stir over medium heat until the mixtures comes to a full rolling boil.  Let boil for 2 minutes.  


Remove from the heat and stir in the butter and preserves.


 Pour over the ham rolls.


Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes.




Serve hot with the sauce spooned over top.