I have to say, I do not know how the Crock Pot Girls do it. As much as I love my crockpot, I could not eat meals soley from the crockpot. (Which is probably why it took me longer than anticipated to cook my way through all your fabulous recipes!) I will say that I am excited about the winning recipe. Why? It makes a slow cooker recipe FRESH. That doesn't happen often, because as great as the crockpot works to tenderize meat and add depth of flavor, the food rarely tastes light and fresh. Adding the fresh greens and vegetables in this Southwest Salad with Tropical BBQ Chicken did just that. Thank you Amber from the awesome blog, Chocolate Broccoli for submitting this great recipe! Below is her original recipe with my notes for how I tweaked it . (Most tweaks were based on sheer laziness on my part!) Stay tuned for the runner up annoucement...think versatile!
Here's What You Need:
4-5 (4ounce) chicken breast halves
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 1/2 cups bottle barbecue sauce of choice (I used an organic version to cut out the high fructose corn syrup)
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 1/2 cups bottle barbecue sauce of choice (I used an organic version to cut out the high fructose corn syrup)
1 cup pineapple juice (I used mango nectar because I couldn't find pineapple)1/4 cup Worchestershire sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons ketchup (I used organic to cut out the high fructose corn syrup)3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
Dressing (I skipped the dressing and used leftover sauce and a big squeeze of a lime and blended it all together-Didn't even miss it!)2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
4 Tablespoons Red Wine Vinegar
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
The juice of one lime
Salad
4 cups Mixed Greens
1 cup tomato, diced
1/2 cup red onion, sliced
2 green onions, diced white and light green parts only (I omitted)1 cup (4 ounces) reduced fat cheddar cheese, shredded
1 (15 ounce can) black or pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 (14 ounce can) whole kernel corn, drained and rinsed (I used frozen and warmed it up with the beans on the grill pan for 2 minutes)1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1/2 cup chopped avocado
2 cups tortilla chips, crushed (I used whole grain)
Here's What You Do:
For the chicken: layer breasts in the bottom of your crockpot. Sprinkle with garlic powder, paprika, and chili powder. Combine the remaining ingredients in a medium sized bowl, make sure sugar dissolves. Pour over chicken breast. Set on LOW for 6-8 hours. (I put it on high for 3 hours and then low for one). Removed chicken from pot and shred. Reserve.
For the dressing; combine all ingredients in a food processor or whisk together in a small bowl. Set aside. To build the salad, combine the lettuce, tomato, red and green onions, cheese, black beans, corn, and cilantro to a serving bowl. Drizzle with the vinagrette and give it a good toss- making sure all the greens are dressed. Portion out about 2 cups salad to each of 6 bowls. Sprinkle the diced avocado evenly over the bowls, about 1 tablespoon each. Top with about 3/4 cups shredded chicken (about 3 ounces) and drizzle 1 tablespoon extra BBQ sauce. End with about 1/3 cup crushed tortilla chips on top for some crunch!
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons ketchup (I used organic to cut out the high fructose corn syrup)3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
Dressing (I skipped the dressing and used leftover sauce and a big squeeze of a lime and blended it all together-Didn't even miss it!)2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
4 Tablespoons Red Wine Vinegar
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
The juice of one lime
Salad
4 cups Mixed Greens
1 cup tomato, diced
1/2 cup red onion, sliced
2 green onions, diced white and light green parts only (I omitted)1 cup (4 ounces) reduced fat cheddar cheese, shredded
1 (15 ounce can) black or pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 (14 ounce can) whole kernel corn, drained and rinsed (I used frozen and warmed it up with the beans on the grill pan for 2 minutes)1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1/2 cup chopped avocado
2 cups tortilla chips, crushed (I used whole grain)
Here's What You Do:
For the chicken: layer breasts in the bottom of your crockpot. Sprinkle with garlic powder, paprika, and chili powder. Combine the remaining ingredients in a medium sized bowl, make sure sugar dissolves. Pour over chicken breast. Set on LOW for 6-8 hours. (I put it on high for 3 hours and then low for one). Removed chicken from pot and shred. Reserve.
For the dressing; combine all ingredients in a food processor or whisk together in a small bowl. Set aside. To build the salad, combine the lettuce, tomato, red and green onions, cheese, black beans, corn, and cilantro to a serving bowl. Drizzle with the vinagrette and give it a good toss- making sure all the greens are dressed. Portion out about 2 cups salad to each of 6 bowls. Sprinkle the diced avocado evenly over the bowls, about 1 tablespoon each. Top with about 3/4 cups shredded chicken (about 3 ounces) and drizzle 1 tablespoon extra BBQ sauce. End with about 1/3 cup crushed tortilla chips on top for some crunch!
Kid Tip:
I think there are a ton of ways to make this kid friendly. You can cut the chicken into little pieces and then serve it with a side of beans and/or corn. You could also take all the great ingredients and make a little quesadilla or top whole grain chips and then cover them with melted cheese. What kid doesn't love nachos?!
I think there are a ton of ways to make this kid friendly. You can cut the chicken into little pieces and then serve it with a side of beans and/or corn. You could also take all the great ingredients and make a little quesadilla or top whole grain chips and then cover them with melted cheese. What kid doesn't love nachos?!
Yaay!!! I love it! And so glad you enjoyed one of my personal favorites:)
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