Bless Her Heart

We are busy enough during the week to not have to cook chicken so that we can then coo, the chicken into whatever meal we’re making.

So I’ve started cooking chicken and ground beef on the weekends to use during the week.

This makes preparing dinner during the week so much easier…not to mention the fact that we’re letting the slow cooker do all the work for us and not standing in front of the stove wishing that we were somewhere else…

Crockpot Shredded Chicken Ingredients:

Chicken breasts: You can use either boneless skinless chicken breasts or boneless skinless chicken thighs. Thighs have a little more fat…meaning that they are usually more flavorful and moist than chicken breasts are leaner.

Bone-in chicken would take longer to cook time. Not to mention the fact that you’ll have to take the time to debone the chicken after you cook it. Kinda defeats the purpose.

Not to mention the fact that if somebody does find a bone in whatever it is they’re eating later on that week, they have nobody to blame but you.

(Ingredients)

Chicken broth: Always use low-sodium chicken broth. This gives you more control over the flavor of your foods.

Seasoning salt: You do not want the chicken to have any overwhelming flavor to it. The purpose is to have cooked chicken on hand during the week to make anything and everything that contains chicken. So limit the amount of seasonings that you use.

I personally find myself using Italian seasoning for almost everything that I make. So why not add a little bit of Italian seasoning here. But remember a little pinch will do you.

• 2# boneless skinless chicken
• ¾C  low-sodium chicken broth
• 2tsp Italian seasoning

Place chicken in the crockpot. Add the chicken broth and Italian seasoning.

Cook the chicken on low for four hours or on high for three hours, until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.

To store: Refrigerate, tightly sealed, for up to four days. Freeze in an airtight container or zip-top freezer bag for up to six months.

Ground Beef

Not only can you save time during the work/school week by cooking chicken for the week ahead, you can also use the slow cooker to cook ground beef.

Ground Beef: The less fat your ground beef has, the less grease you will end up having to drain. I typically choose 80-20 or 93-7…depending on what other groceries I have to buy that week.

Seasonings:  I typically have no idea when I start cooking my ground beef what I will be using it for. I mainly cook it so that it won’t go bad before the expiration date.

• 3# ground beef
• ¼C water
• 1½tsp salt
• 1tsp pepper

Crumble the ground beef into your crockpot. Add ¼C water per pound of beef, salt and pepper.

Cook on low for 4-6 hours or on high for 2-3 hours, until the beef is no longer pink and cooked through.  Cooking time will vary depending on how many pounds of beef you are cooking. Breaking up the browning meat with a spatula about every 45 minutes will ensure that the meet cooks thoroughly.

Use a slotted spoon to remove the meat from the crockpot onto a paper-towel lined plate.

Let the ground beef cool for about 30 minutes.

Spoon the drained meat into quart-size Ziplock bags. Refrigerate for up to five days. Freeze for up to three months.