Crazy Crockpot Chicken Thighs

CRAZY CROCKPOT CHICKEN THIGHS

PRINTER HAPPY VERSION >> > > > > 

This recipe was lovingly named by the elder of my two children.

He recently turned 11, and I am loving how much his quirky personality grows and changes each day... its growing and changing ALMOST as fast as he is Ha!      Any-who back to the business of food...

 

So what makes this Chicken "crazy" you ask? 

Well as I was preparing to make dinner, and getting all of my ingredients out- I pulled out our HOMESTEAD SEASONINGS SEAFOOD BLEND –the one with the little orange crab on the front, and set it on the counter by the fresh chicken thighs. He seemed a bit perplexed, looking back and forth between the spice and the chicken and with an all-too-familiar, are you loosing your mind again mom?... look and said “Mom, either you are confused or that meat came from one CRAZY looking crab. I laughed so hard Dr. Pepper almost came out of my nose, but it was worth it because that was the moment Crazy Crockpot Chicken was born!

 

In case you were wondering, I'm not TOTALLY crazy… the wonderful thing about ALL of the HOMESTEAD SEASONINGS Blends and Rubs is that they were created with a specific meat or dish in mind, BUT that doesn’t mean they aren’t amazing when you get a little crazy and mix it up. The seafood blend has a delicious mix of citrus and lemon and dill undertones. Which makes it delicious on seafood, chicken, baked potatoes, grilled veggies and even some cuts of pork. The possibilities are endless!

This recipe is about as easy as it gets. Its what I like to call a simple RUB>COOK>EAT situation and perfect for a crazy weekday meal…just how I like it- barely any prep, very few ingredients and the crockpot will do the rest of the work.

INGREDIENTS

4-5 Large Chicken Thighs, cleaned & trimmed (fresh or frozen will work)

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

2-3 Tablespoons HOMESTEAD SEASONINGS SEAFOOD RUB

1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice

¼ cup of water

HIMALAYAN Pink Sea Salt and Pepper to taste (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

Pour ¼ cup of water into bottom of the crockpot, place the Chicken thighs right side up in the crockpot and brush with olive oil. Cover each Chicken Thigh well with the HS Seafood Rub and sprinkle with the lemon juice and salt and pepper if you choose. Set the Crockpot on low and cook for 5-6 hours. At around the 6 hour mark, the meat will be so tender it will fall off the bone! Outstanding!

I love serving this CRAZY chicken with a nice Rice Pilaf or even Parmesean Cous Cous. 

It also goes great with our 

Salt–Free/ Flavor-Full Baked Squash Fries 

 which I will be posting later this week, so check back soon!!

You never know what might happen if you step outside the box, and if you make something crazy at your house with our seasonings we want to hear about it, send us your recipe and a few nice pictures and we might feature you right here on our Homestead Seasoning Blog!

Dang Cute! Personal Pot Pies

DANG CUTE PERSONAL POT PIES

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This recipe came about because I fell in love with a dish... or dishes in this case. My children and I were walking through the local dollar store when we stumbled upon the cutest little casserole dishes I have ever seen! Just the right height and depth for a personal sized pot pie.... and poof ! Just like that I knew they were coming home.


< < < < < < < < < < < < Look how cute they are!!

When we got home MY cutie-pie children were just as excited as I was to put our new dishes to work. Since making pot pies are a "fun for the whole family" activity, we washed our new dishes, (and of course -our hands) and got to work!






INGREDIENTS
2-3 cups Cooked and Diced Chicken Breasts
1 1/2 tablespoons HOMESTEAD SEASONINGS CHICKEN RUB
1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
1 teaspoon Oregano
2 Small cans Cream of Chicken Soup
1/4 cup Milk
1/4 cup All-Purpose Flour
1 12oz. bag frozen Peas & Carrots
1 can of (8) Refrigerated Biscuits (I like the home-style buttermilk kind) 

< < < <  DOUBLE DUTY ALERT : If you happened to make our recipe for BAGGY BAKED CHICKEN earlier in the week-- this recipe is a great opportunity to dice the left over chicken and use it up! Just reduce the HS Chicken Rub in this recipe to 1 tablespoon instead of 1 1/2 tablespoons. Now back to the fun! > > > >

NOTE: I am going to write the instructions for individual pot pies, but if you would rather make a family sized dish, and 8x8 square baking dish or 9 inch pie pan could be used as well. 

 INSTRUCTIONS

 1. Heat oven to 425 degrees. Grease the bottoms and sides of the individual dishes well. Press one biscuit into the bottom of each dish, and poke with a fork to release steam. Put the individual dishes on to a large cookie sheet, and place in the oven. Bake the bottom crusts in the oven for 10 minutes, or until they begin to brown. 

 Golden Perfection!

2. In a medium sauce pan combine Flour, HS Chicken Rub, Garlic, Oregano, Cans of soup and Milk. Bring to a Boil . Boil two minutes, stirring frequenly. Once sauce beging to thicken remove from heat and stir in the Diced Chicken and Peas & Carrots.

3. Spoon chicken mixture into the individual dished, giving each equal potions. Roll out the remaining (4) biscuits into a large, but thin circle. Place one biscuit gently on the top of the chicken mixture. Put the individual dishes on to a large cookie sheet in-case they boil over, and place in the oven. 

Bake for an additional 15 minutes or until the tops are golden brown.

4. Once the tops are golden brown, remove from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes. 

Grab a fork and enjoy!

SO......I don't know about you, but around these parts we love individual sized things.... there is just something more exciting about eating about a meal that is made just for you! These were a HUGE hit with the kiddos! (and the fact that they can be part of a DOUBLE DUTY DINNER made it a huge hit with the Mom too!)  Want to see more of our DD DINNERS? Check out our DDD LOG page and get ready to have some extra time on your hands~

Crockpot Peppercorn Beef Brisket

CROCKPOT PEPPERCORN BEEF BRISKET

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I have never been a big fan of Brisket or Corned Beef.... until recently. I was staying at my sisters and her husband, who is an amazing cook by the way, made it for all of us. I was BLOWN away!! I had always thought it had to be dry and fatty, too peppery and rubbery... pretty much GROSS- but like so many other things in my adult life, I was way WAY wrong.
It was tender, flavorful and it melted in your mouth. I was so excited to try his method of cooking brisket, but with the HOMESTEAD SEASONINGS Salt-Free spices!

INGREDIENTS

4 1/2 pounds corned beef brisket

3 tablespoons HOMESTEAD SEASONINGS BEEF RUB

1/4 cup black peppercorns

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 onion, peeled and quartered

INSTRUCTIONS 
Place the corned beef briskets into a large crockpot. Fill the pot with enough water to cover the briskets by 1 inch. Add the HS Beef Rub, peppercorns and garlic powder and quartered onions. Cover the crockpot and set on high for 1 hour. At the end of an hour the water in the crockpot should be boiling. Once the liquid comes to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cook for an additional 3-4 hours, checking hourly, and adding more water if necessary to keep the meat covered. Once the time is up-- carefully remove the meat from the pot, as it will be extremely tender. Set on a cutting board, and allow it to rest until it firms up a bit, about 10 minutes. Slice or shred to serve. I usually discard the cooking liquid, but it can be used to cook cabbage and other vegetables if needed. It will be so tender and juicy... it will literally fall apart in your hands! Serve with potatoes, cabbage or on hearty artisan rolls for a "grab and go" situation-- Pot Luck Dinners, Football Games, Office Parties the works!

 > > > > > > > > >  > > > YUMMY!!
Seriously... look how deliciously juicy it is! Even though its close to midnight... I'm starting to talk my self into a meaty midnight sandwich!

Crockpot Sticky BBQ Meatballs

CROCKPOT STICKY BBQ MEATBALLS
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This weekend we have a bunch of friends coming into town. Some will be staying with us which is awesome, but the kicker is that we never really know when they will be pulling into town. The drive from Salt Lake takes about 4 hours and they usually leave right after work, (without stopping for dinner,) so I always try to have something delicious and filling for them to nosh on when they get here. My crockpot is my weapon of choice in this situation. I can tackle dinner for my family AND our late night visitors in one fell swoop!

Now PAY attention cause I am going to throw a little curve-ball at you... For this particular recipe I actually use the HOMESTEAD SEASONINGS PORK RUB, and not the BEEF RUB. It has all those tasti-fied browns sugars & homestyle bbq flavors that I was looking for in this dish, and its a super simple SET & FORGET recipe, which I love!

INGREDIENTS
1 bag (48 ounces) frozen meatballs
1 bottle (28 ounces) your favorite BBQ sauce
3 tablespoons HOMESTEAD SEASONINGS PORK RUB
1/8 cup Apricot jelly or preserves (optional)
1/8 cup Honey

INSTRUCTIONS
Combine meatballs, BBQ sauce, HS PORK RUB, Honey and apricot preserves in a crockpot.  Heat on High until warmed through, then set to Keep Warm until your guests are ready to enjoy them.

Baggy Baked Chicken

BAGGY BAKED CHICKEN BREASTS

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I remember being a little gal in my moms kitchen helping her make "Shake & Bake" chicken, and how I was always blown away by the fact that she could put a plastic bag in the oven and it didn't melt or ruin the dish in any way?? Crazy oven voodo.... or was my Mama just magic? I never really found out exactly-- I still to this day think those plastic oven bags are made from kitchen fairy dust or something... so maybe I AM totally crazy. I realize that these OVEN BAGS are not a new thing, but I just recently began using them in my own kitchen, and was amazed at how juicy the food stays when I cook with them. Reynolds Oven Bags are my favorite. They are not super expensive but definitely worth their weight in gold when baking chicken- one of those dishes that is so easy to over cook.

INGREDIENTS

4 tablespoons HOMESTEAD SEASONING CHICKEN RUB 

1 1/2 cups Breadcrumbs or Panko 

1/2 tablespoon Basil

1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder

2 tablespoons Parmesan Grated Cheese

6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves 

(about 1-1/2 lbs.)

1/4 cup olive oil or vegetable oil 

1 Oven Bag

INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 400°. Combine HS Chicken Rub, bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, basil and garlic powder in a separate bowl.  Dip the cleaned and trimmed chicken in oil and then into the bread crumb mixture, coating both sides really well. Place the cooking bag inside a 13 x 9-inch roasting pan. Carefully arrange chicken inside the cooking bag and use the provided tie to loosely close the bag.  Bake 20 minutes or until chicken is thoroughly cooked. 

Once its ready I usually cut the bag open at the top and then slice it down the middle. This creates two flaps that will fold back easily, so you can get the chicken breasts out without making a big mess ha! I love serving this chicken with homemade mac & cheese and mixed veggies... I know it seems like a kiddie meal, but all of the adult (or whatever I am) love it just as much as the little ones!

< < < < < <   DOUBLE DUTY ALERT   > > > > > >
If you have the ability to make extra chicken, Set it aside because this recipe makes a perfect  DOUBLE DUTY DINNER when paired with our Dang Cute Personal Pot Pies or our Hearty Homestead Chicken Pot Pie recipes it can save you tons of time, preparing, cooking and dicing chicken!
LESS TIME in the kitchen means MORE TIME with the LOVED ONES you are cooking for!

Irish Beef Stew and Mashed Potatoes

IRISH BEEF STEW                      

PRINTER HAPPY VERSION< < < < < < < < < < 

INGREDIENTS:
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 pounds beef chuck pot roast cut into cubes
2 tablespoons Homestead Seasonings BEEF RUB-
1-2 tablespoons of flour
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon sage
6 cups beef broth low sodium
1 pound carrot cut into 2 inch pieces
2 cups mushrooms sliced or 2 cup fresh cut green beans
1 white onion chopped
1 pound of potatoes cut into large cubes
salt and pepper to taste
Servings: 10+
Prep Time: 15
Cook Time: 6-8 Hours on Low

INSTRUCTIONS:

In a large skillet, heat oil, add beef and saute on all sides until browned. Sprinkle beef with flour, HOMESTEAD SEASONINGS BEEF RUB, thyme and sage and then saute and additional two minutes. In the crock-pot add the beef and drippings from saute' pan, prepared veggies and and beef broth.... Stir and cover then cook on low for 6 to 8 hours. Salt and pepper to taste--- Delicious!

Serve Stew all by its self.... (cause it's freaking yummy)
or at our house we really like it on top of mashed potatoes and garnished with shredded cheese.
Either way Enjoy!





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HEADS UP Ladies and Gentlemen
If you are familiar with our DOUBLE DUTY Recipes you can substitute leftover roast beef from our Homestead Seasonings Crock-pot Roast Beef Recipe for the 2 pounds of chuck roast in this recipe....
save your self time and money!!

Pan Seared Steaks with Browned Butter

PAN SEARED STEAKS WITH BROWNED BUTTER
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So fast and simple to make but the flavors will make you look like a pro in the kitchen!

INGREDIENTS:

4-6 small beef steaks skillet steaks
3 tablespoons Homestead Seasonings
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup beef broth low sodium
2 tablespoons butter optional


*SIDE NOTE- using a good heavy skillet will make a huge difference when getting a good crust on steaks

Pat each steak dry then rub each side fully with HOMESTEAD SEASONINGS BEEF RUB. Heat a heavy skillet on the stove add oil, and then the steaks. Cook 3 to 4 minutes (adjust heat if the oil starts to smoke) turn the steaks only once and cook another 3 to 4 minutes for medium. Remove the steaks from the skillet and keep warm. Increase the heat a little bits and add beef broth. Slowly scrape browned bits from the bottom of the skillet and let the broth boil 1 to 2 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and whisk in butter. Pour sauce over steaks and serve. Enjoy!!

Are you familiar with our DOUBLE DUTY Recipes? cook up a few extra steaks tonight and use them with our Beef Stroganoff Recipe later this week -- Save yourself time and money with Homestead Seasonings!!

Homestyle Meat Sauce

HOMESTYLE MEAT SAUCE
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This Sauce might be Gluten Free, but it is no where close to flavor free!
Perfect amount of spice wrapped around the zing of fresh tomatoes! Make life easier and double the meat when you are browning it and after you drain it -- tag and bag half for later in the week :)

INGREDIENTS:
2 pounds ground beef
4 tablespoons homestead seasonings Burger Blend
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion diced
2 cloves garlic minced
2 (15-ounce) cans tomatoes diced
2 (15-ounce) cans tomatoes pureed
1 cup water cold
1 tablespoon basil
1/2 tablespoon oregano
Servings 12
Prep Time: :15
Cook Time: :25
Yield: 10-12

 

INSTRUCTIONS:
 In a large skillet brown ground beef, breaking it apart as you go. Cook all the way through and then drain well ( I even rinse the meat sometimes to keep this recipe extra lean)

Add in HOMESTEAD SEASONINGS BURGER BLEND, mix into the meat really well and then set aside.
In a 2nd large skillet saute' onions and garlic in olive oil until tender.... about 5-7 minutes, or until onions begin to become transparent.  While the onions and garlic are cooking-- drain all the fluid out of all four of the cans of tomatoes and then blend just two of the cans of tomatoes in the blender or food processor until they are well processed. This will give your sauce a nice body without making it "too tomatoey" as my daughter calls it.

Once the onions and garlic are tender add the browned beef into the pan and then the diced tomatoes, blended tomatoes, and spices. Stir everything adding the water very last.... sometimes I find that I don't need it, and its easier to leave it out. Heat and stir the sauce until it begins to boil then the reduce temperature and simmer on low for 10-15 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve over Noodles or Pasta.... Enjoy!!

Hearty Homestead Chicken Pot Pie

HEARTY CHICKEN POT PIE
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INGREDIENTS:
3 cups cooked chicken diced*
2 tablespoons Homestead Seasonings Chicken Rub
1 cup frozen peas and carrots
1/2 cup frozen corn sweet/white
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1/4 cup sour cream
3 cups biscuit mix
1 1/2 cups milk
2 eggs
1/2 cup shredded cheese (optional garnish) 

Servings 10+
Prep Time:15 (plus time to cook/dice chicken)
Cook Time: 35



Note* Good Quality canned chicken or turkey is a great substitute for this recipe. If you are in a time crunch, opening a can could end up saving you an over an hour of prep time*


INSTRUCTIONS:
Preheat Oven to 400 degrees
Grease the bottom and sides of a 9x13 glass dish really well.
In a medium bowl add:
Cooked/diced chicken, HOMESTEAD SEASONINGS CHICKEN RUB, sour cream, and frozen veggies together and mix well, then spread mixture into the bottom of the 9x13 baking dish.
In a separate bowl:
mix Biscuit baking mix, milk and eggs (should be the consistency of a thin cake mix) Spread mixture evenly over chicken pot pie-- make sure you go all the way to the edges!
Bake at 400 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. Now the mixture will rise and spread so its always a good idea to protect the bottom of your oven with a second pan covered in foil. ( I have unfortunately learned the hard way..many, many, many times.) Once the Pot pie is all golden brown and delicious, let it sit for at least 5-8 minutes. This will give the mixture a chance to thicken and set. Slice and serve.... dinner in a dish-- It doesn't get much better than that!

Dreamy Beef Stroganoff

DREAMY BEEF STROGANOFF
PRINTER HAPPY VERSION  < < < < < < < < < < < < < < <

INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 pounds eye of round cut into strips

>>or<<

3/4 pound lean ground beef

{this recipe is good with either}

3 tablespoons HOMESTEAD SEASONINGS Burger Blend
1 tablespoon flour
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup mushrooms sliced
1 medium onion diced
1 (10 3/4-ounce) can beef broth low sodium
1 (10 3/4-ounce) can cream of mushroom
1 cup sour cream
1/4 cup cream cheese
salt and pepper to taste
1 package of egg noodles cooked
Servings 8-10
Prep Time: 10-15 min
Cook Time: 20 min

--COOK EGG NOODLES ACCORDING TO INSTRUCTIONS ON PACKAGE--DIFFERENT BRANDS REQUIRE DIFFERENT COOK TIMES AND DIFFERENT METHODS OF COOKING--

INSTRUCTIONS:
Heat 1 tbls of oil and 1 tbls of butter in a large skillet. Season the steak strips WELL with HOMESTEAD SEASONINGS BURGER BLEND, dust with flour and add into skillet.
Brown meat on all sides, but do not overcook. Once meat is browned, set aside.
In a 2nd LARGE saute' pan heat remaining oil and butter and saute' onions and sliced mushrooms until tender.
Once tender, add browned steak strips, mushroom soup, beef broth and mix well and then cook over low heat for 10-15 minutes
Uncover mixture and stir in sour cream and cream cheese (use milk to thin if necessary)
Serve immediately over egg noodles.

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HEADS UP FOLKS *In these pictures I choose to use ground beef instead of the steak strips* Usually I like to plan my menus for the week so that I can make this as a 2nd day  DOUBLE DUTY RECIPE. I like to make the Homestead Seasonings Pan Seared Steaks Recipe earlier in the week then cut-up the left over steaks and use them for this recipe! Saves me time and money :)

Crockpot Roast Beef and Carmelized Onions

Crock-pot Roast Beef and Caramelized Onions
Servings 8-10 servings
Prep Time: 15-20

Amazingly tender roast beef, just prep it and forget about it till dinner time!


4 pouches beef chuck pot roast
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 onions sliced into rings
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup ketchup (low sodium-optional)
2 cups beef broth low sodium-optional)
3 tablespoons Homestead Seasonings BEEF RUB
2 cups baby carrots
4 Potatoes cut into large cubes

Yields: 8-10 servings

 In a large crock-pot lay the meat in first and rub with the olive oil, then cover well with HOMESTEAD SEASONINGS BEEF RUB. Place onion rings on top of beef. In a separate bowl mix: brown sugar, vinegar and ketchup and then pour on top of the meat and onions. Toss in carrots and potatoes around the beef.

 

 Carefully pour in beef broth around the edge of the beef and veggies without disturbing the sauce and spice on top of the onions and beef too much. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or until meat shreds easily. 

Check at 6 hours and if the meat is still tough it means it needs to cook longer.

 I like to cook it about 7 hours, so it is tender, but I can serve it in chunks instead of shredded.

This makes a delicious and easy weekday meal that pleases even the pickiest eaters. Think about buying a little bit bigger roast and use the leftovers as DOUBLE DUTY in one our other great Homestead Recipes like our: Irish Beef Stew or Dreamy Beef Stroganoff.