Chicken Creole - Slow Cooker Style

Sunday meals are big on our little commune. We spend a good deal of time in the kitchen. On Sunday's everyone is ready to eat when we get home from Church so I plan ahead if we don't want to end up at Kentucky Fried or Bojangles. Today I am cooking creole chicken made very easy.

Easy Creole Chicken - Slow Cooker Style

Ingredients:

5 large chicken breasts - Bone In -
1 vidalia onion - chopped
1 bell pepper - chopped
1-2 zucchini squash - sliced
1 can of tomatoes
2 cups of Lima beans
salt
pepper
garlic
water - about 3 cups

Discussion of Ingredients:

Chicken: I look for chicken on sale and stock up when I find it. I thawed the chicken, washed it and put it in the slow cooker.

Most of these ingredients - onion, peppers, squash, tomatoes and Lima's are already in my freezer - I just pop them out and put them in the slow cooker. You can use fresh or canned. Use organic where ever possible or at least locally grown produce.

garlic - use whatever you have - minced, powder or fresh - I just used the powered garlic today.

salt - season as your family eats it. I have tried to cut back on the salt use and only use what I have to. Since I use my own vegetables it cuts back on the sodium content in our meals.

Other seasonings: Sometimes I use black pepper and if my sister isn't eating with us I spice it up with cayenne pepper. I suggest you use anything your family particularly likes. For instance, a little turmeric and cumin add to the flavors. So have fun experimenting. I do. I am careful to watch and make sure I don't add any MSG as my sister is also very allergic to that.

Water - I used about 4 cups today. I have to vary this based on the chicken I am using. If I had used chicken breasts with no bones I would have used much less water. It is not necessary to use a lot of water - Just make sure that the bottom has a good bit on it.

Slow cooker: We have a large crock pot - I will be doing a blog on slow cookers later - Look for it.

I usually put in the water first, chicken next, seasonings and then veges on top. I put this on Saturday evening and it cooked all night on low. I do not stir this, especially if I am using chicken with bones in it. I do not want the chicken torn apart so that the bones get into the veges. If you do you can't use them. Sunday morning I came down and took the chicken out carefully so that it would not come apart. I put it in a separate container and covered it. When I got home from Church I boned the chicken and strained the liquid that the chicken was cooked in. I conserve the broth for later use. I checked veges to make sure there were no bones in them. I put the chicken, vegetables and a little broth back into the slow cooker to heat up again.

I used the broth to make brown rice. I just followed the rice recipe on the package substituting my broth for the water. Makes the rice taste much better. If I were not making rice I would freeze the strained chicken and vegetable broth for later use to season some other meal.

I had a watermelon here that I cut up for desert.

We don't usually get to eat until 2:00p.m. on Sunday's. House smells wonderful and homey.

My little commune seemed happy enough. We always discuss the food and what improvements could be made. I like getting these comments and ask them to be honest or otherwise they may get it again. They are very honest, sometimes maybe a little too much.

There biggest comment is that it needed more SALT. Breaking them from their salt addiction is not easy. They all had salt shakers in their hands. Everyone but me and Mom.

The next comment is that the rice was too al dente or hard. It is very difficult to get brown rice that will cook up like white rice. I continue to use brown rice and eventually I will find a brand that I am happy with. Today I used Blue Ribbon 100% whole Grain. If anyone knows of a great brown rice that is soft after it is cooked please let me know. My family will be most grateful.

Remember to check out other recipe's on this site as well as my other blog sharpshooter77.wordpress.com.

Hope you enjoy this recipe and be blessed.

Sharpshooter77