Recipes of the Week

It's time again for crockpot craziness!

I made this Cranberry Barbecue Chicken and Garlic Rice for dinner Sunday evening. The chicken was great, I used bone-in chicken breast (I removed the skin) that were not quite totally defrosted. I cooked them on low for around 6 hours. The rice was a perfect pairing. The chicken made a lot of sauce and you need to have something to soak it all up.

Did you know you can make baked potatoes in the crockpot? Yes, you can! It's so easy. And what to do with those baked potatoes? How about Twice Baked Potatoes!

Crockpot Cranberry Barbecue Chicken

3-4 lbs chicken pieces
1 can whole berry cranberry sauce
1 cup barbecue sauce
1/2 onion, chopped
salt & pepper

1. Throw it all in the crockpot. Cook on low for 4-8 hours, depending on the cut of chicken and if it's frozen or not.

Easy Garlic Rice

2 TB olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup rice
2 cups chicken broth
1/2 tsp thyme
1 bay leaf

1. Cook the onion and garlic in olive oil until golden.
2. Add the rice, broth, and spices. Bring to a boil.
3. Cover and simmer 25 minutes, or until the liquid is absorbed.

Crockpot Baked Potatoes

Potatoes, 4 or more

1. Scrub the potatoes and dry them thoroughly.
2. Poke them with a fork and then wrap in foil.
3. Place in the crockpot and cook on low for 11 hours or high for 6.

Twice Baked Potatoes

4 Baked potatoes
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
garlic powder
salt & pepper

1. Slice a 1" strip across the top of each potato.
2. Carefully scoop out the pulp from each potato, leaving the skin intact, and place it in a large bowl.
3. Mash the pulp along with the butter.
4. Add the milk, sour cream, cheese and seasonings.
5. Place the mixture back into the potato skins, piling high.
6. Bake at 400 for 15 minutes.