Crockpot Chicken Taco and Crockpot Rotisserie Chicken
So, we like to picnic. For us picnics are a great way to get the family out of the house in a hurry and with as little fuss as possible. It’s no easy feat getting a family of this size out of the house on the weekend. You have to get them up, showered, dressed, fed, toileted, sunscreened, hair done, hats, take part in The Amazing Shoe Hunt, toileted, pack water, snacks, supplies for our little diabetic, toileted, referee over who sits where in the van, wait while someone goes to the toilet again, and duck back inside for the keys that you left on the fridge before doing a last minute head count. All in all, it’s no picnic! (if you’ll pardon the pun). And when you toss in the fact that I am not, by nature, an early riser, it screams a need for organization.
The trick is to plan ahead, and by that I mean Friday. To be honest the one thing that drives me crazy on the weekend is the lunches. I have been planning and packing lunches all week and while I usually know what we will be having for dinner, I tend to neglect our weekend lunches. Vegemite anybody? But if I think ahead and toss some chicken breasts or a roast into the crockpot on Friday afternoon we have lunches on-hand all weekend whether we are planning to eat at home or go on a spontaneous picnic. So here are a couple of our favourites, Crockpot Chicken Taco and Rotisserie Chicken. The girls love taking them school in their lunch boxes, and The Vegemite Kid even ate some Crockpot Chicken Taco on our picnic, which is definitely a good sign that it’s kid friendly. You can use these recipes for Chicken Tacos, tossed through a salad or in wraps and sandwiches. And they freeze well. I can’t remember exactly where I found the Taco Chicken recipe, but I have a sneaky suspicion it was posted somewhere on the 30 Day Gourmet Message Boards, and Rotisserie Chicken comes from A Year of Crockpotting. I’m learning to love my crockpot, and I’m thinking that pre-prepping needs to become my new Friday habit. It makes for a much more relaxed weekend.
These pictures are from last weekend’s trip to the secluded and quaint Spring Bluff Railway Station. Spring Bluff is just a quick 20 minute trip down the Range from us, which is great when you a van full of munchkins all chiming in unison “Are we there yet?” There is a huge grassy area for the kids to run around on, new barbeques, short bushwalks, a waterfall (lots of fun with a 3 year old!) and of course the lookout to the railway where the kids can watch the trains round the mountain and blow their whistles as they pass through the station. The engine drivers actually looked like they were having just as much fun as the kids as they waved out of the windows like celebrities. And if you have a teenager intent on a career in the Armed Forces, you can fill him or her in on the military history of Spring Bluff. My mum used to tell me this story every year around Anzac Day.
Crockpot Chicken Taco
5-7 Large Skinless, Boneless Chicken Breasts
1/4 Cup Chopped Onion
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Chilli Powder (The kids will never know it’s there)
1/2 tsp Cornflour
1/2 tsp Chilli Flakes
1 tsp Freshly Minced Garlic (approx. 2 cloves)
1/3 tsp Dried Oregano (but you could use fresh)
1/2 tsp Cumin
1 Cup Chicken Stock
Directions:
Place your chicken breasts in your crockpot.
Combine the remaining ingredients in a bowl and stir to combine.
Pour this mixture over your chicken breasts, put the lid on and set your crockpot to low.
Now, I find every crockpot I have had has cooked at a different rate, so my advice is to leave that lid on until your chicken looks cooked, then pierce the breasts or slice one open at the thickest end to make sure they are no longer pink inside.
Reserve the crockpot liquid.
Allow your chicken to cool and then slice or shred the breasts and place back into the liquid to soak up all of that flavour until you are ready to use the chicken.
I keep my shredded chicken in the liquid in the fridge until we are packing our picnic. Then I drain the chicken and squeeze as much liquid out of it as I can using a fork. So far we haven’t had soggy sandwiches.
Crockpot Rotisserie Chicken
Ingredients:
1 whole chicken skin removed,
or 5-6 large Bonesless, Skinless Chicken Breasts (I always use Chicken Breasts)
2 tsp Salt
1 tsp Paprika
1 tsp Onion Powder
1/2 tsp Dried Thyme
1 tsp Mixed Herbs
1/2 tsp Cayenne Pepper
1/2 tsp Black Pepper
Pinch Chilli Powder
4 Whole Garlic Cloves (optional)
1 Onion, quartered (optional)
Directions:
Combine all of the dry ingredients in a bowl and then massage this mixture into your chicken.
Place your chicken into your crockpot, breast-side down if using a whole chicken.
Do not add any liquid, the chicken will cook in it’s own juices.
Set your crockpot to Low and cook until chicken is no longer pink inside and the juices run clear. Times will depend on your crockpot. I find it’s all trial and error.
If you live in Queensland and you’re wondering what to do with your family this weekend, why not put the crockpot on tomorrow then pack a picnic and make the most of what’s left of the wonderful Picnic Weather we have been having. I’m about to go and search for our next destination right now! Happy Picnic-ing Everyone!