The Rival crock pot makes chicken slow cooker recipes easy as 1-2-3
If you’re like many who spend any time in the kitchen at all, then you know that there are times when it can be a struggle to come up with new and exciting recipes for you and your family. It really doesn’t need to be this way though, and utilizing your Rival crock pot makes meal preparation as simple as 1-2-3.
Let’s start with chicken, as it’s easily the most versatile protein you’ll probably ever have the privilege to cook with. If you’re like me, then you’re going to be using your Rival crock pot to make these chicken slow cooker recipes as simple as can be. The slow cooker is a wonderful and versatile option for everyday use, because you can literally set it, then walk away from it and forget it.
Chicken slow cooker recipe
Slow cooker recipes range from the incredibly simple, to the relatively involved and complex. Personally, I prefer to keep things simple. Often, I’ll simply throw in some chicken thighs or some thick pork chops, add a couple cans of Campbell’s soup, add some herbs and spices to taste, set the temperature setting and then walk away. 4-8 hours later, depending upon the temperature setting, You’ll have a wonderfully simple and delicious meal waiting for you to enjoy, and all without so much as breaking a sweat.
So, as you noticed from the above recipe example, there are really only a few components to a great crock pot dish, although I’ve been known to throw in some rice near the end of any given recipe in order to help thicken the sauce. The sauce will tend to get a little thin as the cooking progresses, as the meat will bleed into the sauce. of course, you can cook the meat a little bit before adding it to the recipe, but then things start to get a little more involved. I prefer to throw it all in and let the flavors marry with time. If needed, I add some rice or a corn starch slurry (corn starch + cold water) at the end of the cooking process.
OK, so what are the three main components of a great chicken slow cooker recipe…?
1 – Chicken (DUH…!)
2 – Liquid
3 – Herbs and spices (to taste)
Chicken – I prefer to cook with thighs. the meat is tasty, rarely drys out and this is an extremely cheap cut of meat. Most grocery stores run sales on chicken thighs, and I’m right there to take advantage of their generosity.
Liquid – Stocks work great, as do cans of condensed soup. Many like to add BBQ sauce to the chicken mix, while others prefer to go with a Buffalo wing style concoction. I find that chicken stock and vegetable stock work great as a flavor enhancer. Stocks are also quite healthy. Cans of Campbell’s soup are ideal for almost any chicken recipe, and there are so many to choose from.
My girlfriend scoffed when I told her that I was mixing tomato rice soups with cream of mushroom. Now, she begs me to make that recipe at least once a month. You’d be surprised how good a couple cans of Campbell’s can make the chicken taste. Also, don’t skip the liquid portion of these recipes, as the liquid makes it much easier to get the chicken evenly cooked. Crock pots are really designed for stews, so these recipes are really just a variation of that theme.
Herbs and spices – Again, this is totally up to you, although I can’t remember the last easy slow cooker recipes I made without adding at least some salt, pepper and garlic salt to the mix. I’ve been known to just keep throwing stuff into the pot, until I run out of options. I also tend to add things like hot sauce, cooking wine, beer, chopped garlic, and all kinds of other stuff to my concoctions. In fact, I can say with absolute confidence that I’ve never made the same recipe twice, although they may vary only slightly from time to time.
There you have it, some chicken slow cooker recipe ideas that should keep you busy for months and years to come. Seriously, by my estimation it is impossible to run out of ideas if you just stick to the 1-2-3 recipe idea, and add ingredients that you find tasty and exciting. Your family will think you’re a genius, and you’ll lighten your culinary workload by a lot.
Once you have all the ingredients ready to go, simply cook your recipe for a few hours on high, or for up to 8-10 hours on low, depending on the portion size and the thickness of the chicken pieces. Have fun with it, and learn how great the slow-cookin’ lifestyle can be for your mental health. You’ll be surprised at how simple it is to follow some basic guidelines, while also creating some wonderful dishes. Healthy slow cooker recipes are as limitless as your imagination. For other great home and garden ideas, be sure to visit our Rival crock pot home page, and see how others are learning to live the slow-cookin’ lifestyle…
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