Easy Crockpot Herbed Shredded Chicken

Honestly, when I posted this, I posted under the hashtag #mykitchenjudgesmewheniusemycrockpot, because I used to have a mad love affair with my crockpot until my life exploded and people made me feel very embarrassed about my adoration of protein cooked at a measured pace. Crockpot love is nothing to apologize for- you can make simple vegan minestrone, tender beef and cheesy macaroni while you tend to all the things which need tending. People who have no idea how hard it is to make pork shoulder edible without a backyard smoker, tittered politely behind napkins, about how country mouse Clare thought crockpot pulled pork was suitable to be served at tailgates….i am my own mouse for every season and I shudder to think of all the important people who could be minimized if this meanness caught on, for their love of wild places and spaces- sometimes shoes optional. Obviously, , they have not ever been to a tailgate because crockpot pulled pork is the most appropriate thing to serve.so there. I was not cooking for the Queen of England; I was cooking for people who wore beer hats by their own choice (and not just for photo ops- they wore them for sheer pleasure) and deep fried turkeys after wingbowl. Mic drop. Buy yourself a crockpot- everybody likes beef stew.

I comfort myself with the fact that though people might have judged my crockpot love, they have yet to make decent braised beef from scratch. This recipe is pretty foolproof and I know at this juncture, some proteins are in stores at spotty intervals, but store it away if you got to the store 5 minutes after the family pack of chicken breast sold out at your local grocery stores. You could also use boneless chicken thighs instead of breasts if you like dark meat. Honesty, I am digressing but I insist on taking this moment to urge people to use their local sm stores. Family /community owned grocery stores are small businesses too, so SUPPORT! Visit them if you can because my two local community grocery stores have a better produce and protein selection (not to mention cheese) than the big stores I sometimes go to in order stay within my leaner corona budget.

The herbs add a level of sophistication to what would be simple shredded chicken and they make you feel so fancy, ma. Certainly, I am not from the south, but this proud New Yorker loves me some chicken salad with very little guilt and while this recipe uses traditional low fat mayonnaise you could joyously use Miracle Whip, with wild abandon and get good results. Yes, this chicken salad is where it’s at, son. Say this last sentence like, well, you are from New York and you know how you’re supposed to pronounce son. I included the buffalo chicken recipe because it added some joyous spice to my life, and I will make it again and might post a “from scratch” recipe for the sauce. In addition, though no photo is included, I also made a very satisfying massive Chicken Cesar Salad, Use the chicken however you want - in soup, in salad, in sandwiches, hell, put it on ice cream,…but make this recipe! It is still bikini season, so think about eating healthy and if this for you includes eating meat based protein, this recipe is your perfect mate!

Serving suggestion: As quick chicken salad on crackers

Ingredients

5 boneless skinless chicken breasts

6 cups of chicken broth

medium onion

3 crushed cloves of garlic

sprig of rosemary

tsp of thyme

*other herbs - at your discretion

Plan of Attack

Clean your chicken breasts of fat and sinew

Cut your onion into decent sized pieces which be easy to remove once cooked and additional and the crushed garlic cloves to the crockpot with the 6 cups of chicken breast.

Add the chicken breasts and herbs

Cook for 3-5 hours on high on your crockpot (or until the chicken easily shreds with your fork).. remove the vegetables - the herbs make the onions look green…and not like a charming Emerald City green…you did nothing wrong...it’s all green gravy be-be

Pictured: a Single chicken breast, shredded….yes, i also wish it photographed better!

Recipes using chicken breast….

Pictured: Lower Carb Chicken Salad Lettuce Wraps

Quick Chicken Salad

Ingredients

Slow Cooker Herbed Chicken Breast, cooled and shredded

2 tsp of reduced fat mayonnaise

0.25 cup of dried cranberries

tsp of ground black pepper

0.5 tsp of salt (optional)

3 green onions, diced

Plan of Attack

Combine shredded chicken, mayonnaise, pepper, cranberries, green onions and optional salt if using. Mix throughly.

Serve on crackers, romaine leaves, wraps, or bread…whatever your pleasure!

Buffalo Chicken

Ingredients

Shredded Herb Chicken Breast

tbs of spicy barbecue sauce (from scratch or the bottle)

2 tsp of Siracha

blue cheese dressing

*To make into a salad instead of to be served as a sandwich, reserve a heart of romaine, torn into bite sized pieces

Plan of Attack

Mix together the chicken, barbecue sauce, and Siracha

For Wrap: Sandwich, add to bread palette, add a bed of romaine and drizzle with bleu cheese

For Salad: Create a bed of Romaine, add the seasoned chicken and drizzle with Bleu Cheese dressing or bleu cheese crumbles…

Pictured: Buffalo Chicken