BBQ Chicken Pizza

I love BBQ Chicken Pizza.  When I go to one of those fancy pizza restaurants it's always what I order.  When my sister-in-law Natalie mentioned that the Slow-Cooker BBQ Chicken from the previous post was great on pizza, I thought, "I have to make that!"  Most of the ingredients for the pizza are the same as the sandwiches, so save some of everything if you want to make the pizza later on in the week.  Of course, you could always just make the chicken for the pizza, too!

BBQ Chicken Pizza

2 cups BBQ Chicken
Pizza dough (see recipe below)
1/2 cup whole milk
4 T melted butter
1 T flour
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (the real stuff, people, not the kind in the green can)
2-3 T chopped red onion
1-2 T chopped cilantro
1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
Corn meal

Preheat oven to 425F.  Sprinkle corn meal in a 10" circle on a baking sheet.  Roll out pizza dough into a 10" circle and place on baking sheet.  Refrigerate until needed.
In a small saucepan, combine milk, butter, flour, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper.  Turn heat to medium-high and whisk continuously until mixture begins to bubble and turns thick.  Remove from heat and whisk in Parmesan cheese.
Remove pizza crust from refrigerator.  Spread warm milk mixture over crust.  Top generously with BBQ chicken, then red onion and cilantro.  Finally, top with shredded mozzarella cheese.
Pizza can be refrigerated until ready to use, or baked immediately.
Bake at 425F for 15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and slightly brown. 

Pizza Dough
Makes 2 10-inch pizza crusts

1 1/2 cups warm water
1 tsp sugar
1 T yeast
1/2 tsp salt
3 1/2 - 4 cups flour (I use 2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour, and the rest white, or you can use all white)

In a mixer combine water, sugar, yeast, and salt.  Add 3 1/2 cups flour and stir well.  If dough is very wet and doesn't come away from the sides of the bowl, add additional 1/2 cup flour.  Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 1 hour.  After 1 hour, turn onto lightly floured surface and divide dough into two.  Form into pizza crusts, add toppings, and bake at 425F for 15 minutes.
Makes 2 crusts.

BBQ Chicken Sandwiches

These are so amazingly delicious.  We had them at my sister-in-law Natalie's house a few weeks ago and I made them again the next week because I'd been thinking about them non-stop.  I really think that it's the combination of toppings that makes it so amazing.  You can double this recipe and save some of the leftovers for BBQ Chicken Pizza, which I'll post next. 

Slow-Cooker BBQ Chicken Sandwiches

Ingredients:
3 chicken breasts
Your favorite BBQ sauce
1/4 cup honey
1 T mustard
1/2 tsp garlic powder
Sandwich buns
Chopped cilantro
Chopped red onion
Avocado slices

Place chicken in slow-cooker.  Pour over enough BBQ sauce to coat chicken.  In a small bowl combine honey, mustard, and garlic powder.  Pour over chicken.  Cook on low for 3-4 hours.  Shred chicken 1 hour before serving.

To serve, place shredded chicken on sandwich bun.  Top with cilantro, red onion, and avocado slices.  Enjoy!
Serves 6.

Classic Sunday Pot Roast with Root Vegetables

Pot Roast is one of those things that brings back memories from childhood.  Although I'm sure it wasn't every Sunday, it seems like it's the quintessential Sunday Dinner from when I was a child.  My mom would put the pot roast in to cook before we went to church, and when we got home the smell would drift out of the house to greet us.  It's still one of my favorite dinners, especially served with some steamed green veggies or a salad and a basket of homemade rolls.

Classic Sunday Pot Roast with Root Vegetables

Ingredients:
1 Chuck or Pot Roast
1 envelope Dry Onion Soup Mix
2 Tbs minced garlic
1/2 cup dried mushrooms OR 8 oz fresh mushrooms, sliced
5 large carrots, peeled and cut into 2"-long pieces
2 large baking potatoes, cut into 2"-long pieces
1/4 cup water (omit if using fresh mushrooms)

Place mushrooms, carrots, and potatoes in slow cooker, then put roast on top.  Distribute the garlic on top of the meat, then sprinkle the dry onion soup mix on top.  Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours or on high for 3-4 hours. 
If you would like the turn the drippings into gravy, 30 minutes before serving combine 2 T cornstarch with 1/4 cup cold water in a small bowl.  Add to the slow cooker and stir in as best you can.  Finish cooking, and drippings will become gravy. 
Serves 6.

White Chicken Chili

This recipe is another Our Best Bites.  I promise I'm going to make something of my own soon.  Even next post. :)  This one is good and easy, especially if you make it in the slow-cooker, which is the directions I'm going to give you.  Serve it with sliced avocados, crushed tortilla chips, grated cheddar cheese, and a dollop of sour cream.  Delicious!

Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili
Recipe by Our Best Bites

Ingredients:
1 T olive oil
1 onion, diced
1 lb boneless skinless chicken, cubed
1 T minced garlic
1 (3.5-oz) can green chilies
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp salt
Ground pepper, to taste
4 cups (32 oz) chicken broth
2 (15-oz) cans Great Northern beans
1 lime, juiced
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the chopped onion.  Cook for 2 minutes until onion becomes translucent.  Add chicken and garlic and cook until the chicken is no longer visibly pink, about 4-5 minutes.  Transfer onion/chicken mixture to the slow cooker.  Add green chilies, cumin, coriander, salt, pepper, and chicken broth.  Cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours.  30 minutes before serving, add lime juice, cilantro, and beans. 
Serves 6.

Fauxtisserie Chicken

This recipe comes from the brilliant ladies over at Our Best Bites. It's great because it tastes like an oven-roasted chicken, but it cooks in your slow-cooker, so it's easy-peasy.  I am changing the recipe a little to what I personally do, but you can find their original recipe in their cookbook or possibly on their blog.  I served this with homemade rolls (these, also from Our Best Bites), salad, and mixed veggies. Delicious Sunday dinner.

Fauxtisserie Chicken


Ingredients:
1 whole roaster chicken (3-5 lbs)
5 cloves garlic, minced
4 T softened butter
1 tsp dried sage
1 tsp Herbs de Provence
1 onion
3 carrots
2 stems rosemary, each about 4" long

Make 3 balls of aluminum foil about 2 inches in diameter.  Place them in a triangular pattern on the bottom of the slow cooker.  These hold the chicken off the bottom of the dish so the chicken doesn't turn into shredded chicken.
Rinse chicken inside and out in cold water, discarding any chicken parts in the cavity. Pat dry (inside and out) with paper towels.
Place chicken on a plate with the breast facing up and the legs pointing towards you.  Loosen the skin of the chicken all around, gently separating it from the bird while keeping the sides attached. 
In a small bowl, combine butter, garlic, sage, and Herbs de Provence.  Use fingers to spread mixture under all the skin, including legs.  Spread a little bit over the outside of the skin as well.
Peel the onion and cut it into quarters.  Peel carrots and cut into 2-inch pieces.  Stuff two onion pieces and as many carrots as will fit into the chicken, and place the remaining pieces in the bottom of the slow-cooker.  Place the chicken in the slow-cooker.  I would recommend placing it breast-side down, so the juices run through that part of the bird, making them juicier.
Cover with the lid, turn heat to low, and cook for 6-7 hours.
Serves 6.

Slow-Cooker Thai Chicken

I love to use my slow-cooker.  I try to use it once a week, and pick my busiest day for it so I don't have to worry about making dinner that night.  Tonight we were able to enjoy this deliciousness.  This recipe came from a friend who got it from a blog devoted to slow-cookers.  I thought it was pretty good, but I've since been tweaking the ingredients to more closely mimic real Thai food.  I think the result is perfect!  We serve it over rice, but you could also use rice noodles or linguine.

Slow-Cooker Thai Chicken

2 cloves garlic, minced
2/3 cup peanut butter
1 cup chicken broth
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 cup shredded zucchini (I grate mine on a cheese grater)
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 Tbsp fish sauce
1 tsp brown sugar
1 red bell pepper, cut into thin, long strips
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
1 Tbsp lime juice
1/2 cup chopped cilantro, divided
Chopped peanuts, for garnish
Shredded sweetened coconut, for garnish

Add garlic, peanut butter, broth, chicken, zucchini, soy sauce, fish sauce, sugar, red pepper, and red pepper flakes to slow cooker. Stir to combine. Cook on low for 4-5 hours or on high for 2-3 hours. A half hour before you are going to serve, add in lime juice and 1/4 cup of cilantro. Serve over noodles and garnish with remaining cilantro, peanuts, and shredded coconut.

Asian Pork Wraps

This was the third recipe I made with the Shredded Pork.  The mixture of the sweet and hot flavors was delicious, and it took all of 10 minutes to prepare.  Delicious!

Asian Pork Wraps
(Recipe from Better Homes and Gardens)

Ingredients:
1 16-oz package frozen stir-fry vegetables
1 T olive oil
2 cups Pulled Pork (use recipe for Pulled Pork Sandwiches, but omit BBQ sauce)
1/2 cup hoisin sauce
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp garlic powder
8 10-inch flour tortillas, warmed
2 cups shredded napa cabbage or bok choy

In a large skillet, cook stir-fry vegetables in hot oil over medium-high heat for 4-5 minutes or until nearly tender.  Add shredded pork, hoisin sauce, ginger, and garlic powder.  Cook and stir until heated through.
Arrange meat and vegetable mixture along center of each tortilla.  Top with shredded cabbage.  Fold bottom edges of tortilla up and then fold opposite sides in, as for a burrito.
Makes 8.

Shredded Pork Big Bowl

I bought a recipe magazine produced by Better Homes and Gardens, and one section had shredded meat recipes that you then use to make several other things.  So you can cook the shredded meat on day one, and then make different dinners with it for the next three or four evenings.  I thought that sounded not only easy but delicious.  The first night (Sunday), I used the crockpot to cook the meat and we ate my own Pulled Pork Sandwiches.  Yesterday, with some of the leftover pulled pork, I made this recipe.  It was better than I thought it was going to be.  It was chock full of vegetables, and had a delicious flavor.  Two of my three kids loved it, and I'm sure the third one would have if I could have convinced him to try it!

Shredded Pork Big Bowl

Ingredients:
1 T minced garlic
1 T grated fresh ginger
1 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (or less to desired level of spiciness--this amount was a little spicy but not on fire)
1 T oil
1 14-oz cans chicken broth
1 14-oz can coconut milk (unsweetened)
2 cups shredded carrot
2 cups broccoli florets
1 medium red bell pepper, cut into 1" chunks
2 3-oz packages ramen noodles, coarsely broken
2 cups Pulled Pork (use recipe for Pulled Pork Sandwiches, but omit the BBQ sauce)
2 cups snow pea pods, cut in half
2 T soy sauce
1 T lime juice
1/2 cup sliced fresh basil
2 T chopped fresh cilantro

In a large cooking pot, saute garlic, ginger, cumin, and cayenne pepper in oil over medium heat for 30 seconds.  Stir in broth, coconut milk, carrot, broccoli, sweet pepper, and noodles (discard noodles' flavor packets).  Bring to boiling; reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 3 minutes.  Stir in shredded pork, pea pods, soy sauce, and lime juice.  Heat through.  Stir in basil and cilantro.  Serve in soup bowls.
Serves 6.

Pulled Pork Sandwiches

I made this for dinner on Sunday, and we did an impromptu invite of another family from church, which meant that there weren't a ton of leftovers.  Like, not enough for a weeks worth of meals like I was hoping.  And then I ended up taking the leftovers to a friend who just sprained her ankle, which meant that there weren't ANY leftovers for me.

I've been thinking about it non-stop since then, so when I was at Costco today I bought the meat to make it again.  Really, since it was Costco, I bought enough meat to make it again tonight as well as three more times in the future.

This is so easy, and sooo delicious.  Just thinking about it now is making me drool.  Really.  My keyboard is slippery with slobber. Try it.  You'll thank me.

Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Ingredients:
1/2 pork shoulder (even half of it is a huge chunk of meat)
1 packet dry onion soup mix (I use Lipton)
1/2 cup water

Sandwich buns (I like whole wheat with poppy seeds)
Barbecue sauce (your favorite brand)

Spray a 5- or 6-quart slow cooker with cooking spray, then put in the meat.  Sprinkle the onion soup mix on top, then pour in the water.  Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours, or until meat falls apart when touched with a fork.

Using two forks, shred the meat, removing fatty bits as you go.  Spoon about a half a cup onto a sandwich bun, then top with a good drizzle of barbecue sauce.  Enjoy.  Finger lickin' good.

Serves about 8, unless everyone goes back for seconds.  Which they will.

Cran-Apple Pork and Sweet Potatoes

This is a recipe I got from our church's ward cookbook, submitted by Cherie Jones.  I thought I'd try it because it was a Crockpot recipe, and even though I have a Crockpot I don't use it often because I don't usually plan far enough ahead.  Anyway, it was a great dinner, although it did turn out looking a bit stewy, if that's a word.  But the flavors went well together.  We ate it with some more apple sauce and some mixed frozen vegetables on the side (cooked, of course!).  How easy is that?  The simplest-to-prepare meal I've made in a long time.  And I enjoyed it thoroughly!

Cran-Apple Pork and Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients:
1-2 cups apple sauce
3 large sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced into 1/4"-thick slices
2 lbs boneless pork chops (I used about 8 thinly sliced top loin chops)
1 can whole cranberry sauce
2-3 T brown sugar
Salt and pepper

Pour the applesauce into a 3-qt or larger Crockpot (mine is 5 qt).  You want enough to cover the bottom of the pot.  On top of that, spread out the sweet potatoes.  It doesn't matter if they form more than one layer.  Sprinkle the brown sugar on the sweet potatoes and a little bit of salt and pepper.  Put the pork chops on top of the sweet potatoes; season with salt and pepper.  Spoon the cranberry sauce on top, covering it all.  Cook on low for 7-8 hours.  (Mine was actually done by 6 hours but was still good at 8).  Enjoy!