easy dinners part 1

crock pt roasted chicken and veggies

So, I was asked a while ago about how I make dinners, since I am rarely home around the dinner makin' hour, off picking up K from school, then hanging, and trying to convince kids it is nap time does not allow for dinner making at the DuPonte home.  I often use my crock pot and plan out my menus accordingly, but I have been asked what I make and how I recycle it into something new, so here goes, a multi-part blog on our dinner plans:

Crock pot roasted chicken:
1 large whole chicken(I get the biggest I can find on sale)
5-6 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped plus 2 whole peeled ones
2tsp oregano
2tsp basil
1tsp thyme
2tbsp olive oil

First part is the yuckier part, you need to remove the skin and all visible fat from the chicken, as well all the innards, throw these away.  Then in a small bowl mix the olive oil, basil, oregano, and thyme and rub over the chicken and inside as well.  Sprinkle the chicken with the garlic, putting the whole ones inside the carcass as well.
Place the chicken into the crock pot on low, and leave it alone for 8-10 hours, do not open, this allows the chicken to remain moist and become very tender.  If you want to prepare this for guests you can remove it after 7-8 hours cooking, it will need removal with a large set of tongs, but will be nice for table presentation.  If you work long hours the 8-10 hours in the slow cooker is great, and the meat will fall off of the bone, literally, you will not need to carve it, just remove it and serve.  I served it the other night with roasted veggies, but stuffing or quick cook rice is good too, in a pinch.   Roasted veggies and potatoes are one of those great things that you can make days in advance, like on the weekend when you might be baking something else, then put into a sealed container in the fridge until you need them, the warm in the microwave, voila, yummy!!!
The next few meals all come from this chicken, so do not get rid of the juices left in the crock pot, and when the chicken is cooled debone it and bag it for the next meal, you can get 3 meals out of the meat for a family of 4-5(depends on how big your appetites are of course:-)
So this is my super easy fave chicken recipe, if you like you can change it a bit, try adding fresh lemon slices on top of the chicken before cooking,and a few inside as well.  Fresh herbs are a nice touch too, thyme looks pretty and tastes great on the chicken, pretty presentation.  My hubby's fave preparation is with beer, he gets the holiday mixed beers, and the Cranberry Lambic by Sam Adams is used to baste the bird(chicken or turkey does not matter), and we serve it with cranberry chutney and stuffing, and the trimmings, yummy and easy!