I’ve come to learn that you can pretty much cook anything in a crockpot. One of my favorite simple recipes is cooking a whole chicken in one. Who would have thought that you could wash a chicken, throw it in a crockpot with some spices and be good to go. But it really is that simple.

And then when the chicken is all done, it literally falls off the bone to the point that you can barely scoop it out of the crockpot. As if that wasn’t enough, you can throw the bones back in, add a little water (and some spices/veggies if you want) and make your own homemade chicken broth.

When it comes to cooking the chicken, I keep mine very basic with just adding a little salt and pepper and maybe some garlic and here’s why. I often cook up a whole chicken, save some for a few meals that week and then freeze up pieces for later use. I don’t want the chicken to take on any one particular flavor since I like to use it in several dishes. Here are some of the ways that I use the chicken that I’ve cooked in the crockpot:

You should end up with a container of super moist chicken like this one which you can pull apart for…

Chicken Salad Toppers

Throw it in with pasta for extra protein

Homemade BBQ Chicken Pizza – (I recommend the pizza crusts and Organicville BBQ Sauce they have on Vitacost. They still have the $10 credit if you haven’t signed-up yet. They also have a Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free Pizza Mix. All great ways to make quick pizza at home.)

And of course, you can make the chicken broth afterwards.

Other uses:
~Chicken Tacos
~Chicken Burritos/Wraps
~Chicken Sandwiches with Cheese Melted on Top
~Added to Stir-Fry Recipes

Here are the basic instructions:
1) Wash the chicken and remove any giblets inside.
2) Put chicken in crockpot. Spice it like you would one you cook in the oven. I simple sprinkle it with salt and pepper. Maybe adding some garlic.
3) Turn the crockpot on High for 4 hours. (Probably 8 hours on low, but I’ve never tried it.)
4) Either way, make sure it meets the proper temperature for chicken before you remove it.
5) When it’s done, you are going to have to be super careful getting it out of there. The thing will crumble fast! I use Oxo Good Grips Tongs and a fork to get it out and take off the meat. (after it’s cooled some!)
6) As I’m taking off the meat, I’m throwing any bones back into the crockpot, including the carcass.
7) Add water (and any spices/veggies–typically things like onion, celery, carrot, bay leaf, etc.) like you would making any broth. Mine takes about 5 cups of water Yours may vary.
8 ) Heat overnight on low or for several hours on high until you get a consistency you want.
9) Cool and freeze/refrigerate broth appropriately after it’s cooled.
10) Freeze any chicken meat you might not use that week.

If you want a recipe with more spices/details, just Google “Whole Chicken Crockpot” and you’ll get several recipes, enough reading for days, probably!

Hoping that you’ll be able to use this as a way to avoid convenience foods and get some quick meals on the table (and broth stored for homemade soup!) Just be sure that you use proper cooking and handling procedures when making this!

How do you make your chicken in a crockpot? What kinds of spices do you add? In what ways have you found to use in it meals? I’d love to hear all your tips!

I was blog-hopping one day and somehow I stumbled onto this Tuna Salad Lettuce Wraps Recipe that has added a new, quick lunch to my weekly menu plans.

While, I’m not a big fan of mayo or mustard, I did take the idea of making a mix with Tuna and putting them down the middle of Romaine Lettuce Leaves. The mix is easy and the kids often help me make it. All you’ll need is salsa and a good quality tuna (My favorite is Wild Planet Tuna. It’s a bit pricier but oh so good!) I typically buy the salsa in the deli area. It seems to be fresher and has less additives.

All you do is put your tuna in a bowl and add a spoonful or two of salsa and mix together. You can also add a scoop of pickle relish, but it can tend to make it taste saltier. After it’s mixed, just add some of the mix down the middle of a Romaine lettuce leaf. You just fold in the sides and eat like any other lettuce wrap. It might be a little juicy so you might want to let it drip a second before you take a bite. The kids love these but they prefer theirs unwrapped and they call them “tuna boats.” (to which I say, whatever gets them to eat them, right?!) You could top with some cut-up olives for more color.

They are super quick to make and if you buy the right salsa, they can be fairly healthy. We usually just add a side of fruit and we are good to go for lunch.

You can take any leftover Romaine lettuce leaves and chop them up and store them in a Produce Saver so you’ll have salad ready to go for another meal.

I’m hoping that you end up liking them if you try them!  You can also check out my older posting on How to Make Asian Lettuce Wraps.

What types of foods have you made with Romaine Lettuce? Do you have a good homemade salsa recipe that you like to make?

UPDATE: My reader friend, Kim, shared that she has tried this with mashed up avocado and slivered almonds with the tuna and salsa and it was good. Can’t wait to try it! 🙂

With Easter right around the corner and BBQ season coming up soon, I thought that I’d share a recipe that has become a favorite in our family. While the base of the recipe of the veggies is healthy, the condiments that are added make this recipe definitely not so healthy. You can opt for some fat-free versions of the items to make it a little better. I’ve been wanting to substitute Greek yogurt for some of them but I haven’t tried it yet to get the right blend. When I do, I’ll update the recipe.

If you are lucky, you might be able to find the purple and orange cauliflower to make it more festive for Easter but regular cauliflower works just as well.

What You’ll Need:

~Cauliflower – How much you use depends on its size. Overall, a little less than one average size cauliflower. I used parts of two colored ones. You might be better off starting with less and adding more if you need it.
~1 package of Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing/Dip
~3 oz. of Cream Cheese, softened (a little less than half a box)
~1 cup (8 oz.) of Sour Cream
~1 cup (8 oz.) of Mayo
~Cucumber – cut into smaller cubes – I only used 1/2 for mine
~Radishes – cut into slices – I used about 4 – 6. Adds some color
~Green onions (optional) – chopped small- Adds a little flavor

The fun part begins–wash and cut up all your veggies! Now, if you are going to make your salad for much later in the day, I wouldn’t add your cucumbers and radishes to the dish just yet. Cut them up ahead of time and keep them separate. Add them maybe an hour before so they get mixed in. The reason for this is that their water content might make your salad a little watery if added too early.

You’ll need to mix the mayo, softened cream cheese, sour cream and ranch dip in a separate bowl to blend. Just add them to your veggies and you’ll get something like this:

This is one of those salads that should be chilled for awhile before serving so it blends well. If it’s a little thicker, you might be able to add some more sour cream/mayo to blend it out more. If it’s a little watery, add some extra cauliflower, if you have it. Sometimes I have to do that, other times it’s perfect. Don’t forget to add your cucumbers/radishes if you’ve left them out.

Now….what do you do with that leftover cauliflower, if you have it? I used two heads so I could get a mix of purple and orange cauliflower. I saved some for salad toppings for the week and the rest, I blanched in bowling water for about 3 minutes, cooled in cold water and then froze for a side dish for later:

This is one way to make sure that you don’t waste any food. If this isn’t something you are bringing to a party but for your own party, just put your extra cauliflower on a veggie platter, if you have one.

I hope that you end up enjoying this cauliflower salad recipe if you try it. My family makes this every year at Thanksgiving. One of our traditions!