Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken Sandwiches

The Super Bowl usually falls right around (if not on) my birthday each year.  Which means, I'm pretty blessed with excuses to eat everything I want on that day/week.  This year, I want to try frying pickles, this pizza, and these cupcakes are pretty incredible, too.  Also, the sandwich above!  If you're feeding a crowd for the big game, you must try this fantastically easy recipe from Weelicious.  I think  your family pet could throw this together, that's how simple it is.  Four bone-in, skinless chicken breasts (the butcher at the grocery store can remove the skin for you), 1 cup of good BBQ sauce and a slow cooker.  Done.  Cook on low for 2 and a half hours, shred, serve.  I had leftovers for days which we turned into pizza, quesadillas and simply picked at with our fingers.  Here's the recipe if you need further information, but your pet is making this and your pet can't read, so...

p.s. Super Bowl snack ideas from last year.

p.p.s. Corn on the Cob Cupcakes

Slow Cooker Short Rib Ragu

I can't believe how early school starts these days.  Mid-August and summer is over for kids.  What happened to Labor Day buttoning off the season??  I suppose when my kids are grown and bored, I'll be anxious to send them off to school early.  But for now, I'm trying to cling on to every last minute of warm weather and lazy days outside.  Durrrr, except for this meal I made the other night that SCREAMS fall and was absolutely delicious...

I'm a short ribs girl.  If they're on a menu, I will order them.  So when a reader sent me this recipe for a Short Rib Ragu that you throw in the crockpot and forget about, I instantly bookmarked it.  I was trying to wait until fall to make it, but I am not a very patient person when it comes to food.  Listen, whatever month of the year it is, make this recipe.  Very few ingredients, simple as can be, and a total crowd pleaser!  Now go to school.  (Recipe here.)

p.s. If you can't find boneless short ribs like the recipe calls for, use bone-in ones like I did.  The meat will just slide off the bone once it's done cooking and it only adds to the flavor : )

Crock Pot Ribs

Want to impress everyone you know?  I mean it, absolutely everyone you know in the world, minus maybe your vegetarian friends, but even they will be impressed because they secretly want to eat ribs too.  I know I often push that something is very easy to do, but these ribs, they are SO EXTREMELY SIMPLE.  A child could make these, no really, go get your child and I'll explain...

Child?  H e l l o  c h i l d!!!  Ok, have your mommy go get the crock pot, because it might be heavy for your iddy biddy arms.  Now Child, you can do this part, spray the pot with cooking spray, all over the bottom and sides (I like to use the olive oil kind).  Now, take a rack of pork ribs from the grocery store - what?  Pork comes from pigs.  Yes, pigs.  Yes, like Wilber.  Are you crying??  Ok, make your mommy come back and p.s. bacon comes from pigs too.

Cut the ribs into 3 or 4 slabs and generously season with salt and pepper.  Ok, here comes the most important part... you can not layer the ribs.  The skin must be touching the bottom and sides of the crock pot.  If you're making this for a large group, I recommend borrowing extra crock pots.  If you don't want to listen to me, and you do end up layering them, the result will still be tasty but you won't get that crispy exterior which is to die for.     

That's all you do.  Cooking spray, ribs, salt and pepper.  I like to cook mine on high for half the time and low for half the time - between 6 and 8 hours.  Just keep and eye on them, and when they start to fall off the bone yet have that crispy exterior, they're done.  

You can serve with your favorite BBQ sauce, but they don't need it.  We eat these plain.  They are succulent and moist and juicy and crispy all at the same time.  Now off you go, impress your friends, and I'm sorry I scarred your child for life.  

Slow Cooker Squash Stew

Happy Weekend.  It's cooling down here, slightly.  The tree in our front yard is changing colors and the coffee shops are selling their pumpkin drinks (see, there are seasons here).  I've whipped out the slow cooker and I bought some squash.  We even had a family dance party to the song "Ghostbusters"!  

If all of the above applies to you, or at least the slow cooker part, you should make this stew.  Vegetarian friendly (or you could be like me and add some turkey sausage at the very end), hearty, comforting, the perfect autumn weekend meal.  To be served with an Oktoberfest beer.  

Recipe HERE.    

Rich Chicken Stew

I know this sounds like a winter meal, but it was surprisingly light and refreshing.  Most likely because I found it on EatingWell.com - those bastards know how far just 1/4 cup of cream will go in a pot of stew.  Not sure why I called them bastards.  Anyway, here's the recipe.  I used boneless skinless chicken breast instead of thighs, and I opted for the quicker dutch oven stewing method over the crock pot.

*Come back tomorrow (if I get my act together) for a GIVEAWAY.  YAY.  

Slow-Cooker Pulled Pork Stew

I'm not on my game today.  I'm exhausted, Jack is trying to show me that the 'terrible two's' really do exist, these pictures are blurry, Advil isn't working, blah, blah, blah.  You should see my face.  I look as happy as Ben Stein does when he's sad.  So I'll wrap this up - I don't want you to catch my horrible mood. 

Pulled out the slow cooker last night for it's inaugural autumn usage.  Found this recipe (HERE) and really enjoyed it.  I used a 4-pound pork shoulder (recipe calls for 2), added 2 extra cups of water but otherwise did everything the same.  8 hours on low = 8 hours of your house smelling scrumptious.

Ok, I'm going to go force myself into a happy place by stuffing my face.  FRIDAY.