Crocktober is coming to an end.
It's been a lot of fun. Exhausting, but fun. I'm not quite sure how I handled cooking and posting everyday in 2008, but it certainly was much easier in that I didn't have a crawling infant in the house.
Cooking every day for a year in a crockpot? Super easy compared to daily baby wrangling.
I'm a pooped mama.
We're having a houseful of people over today for Uncle John's 37th birthday. The crockpots will be all lined up, and guests can help themselves. I love entertaining with the crocks, I really do. Grandpa hates chicken? Cousin Sophia doesn't eat red meat?
no problem.
Most of us will be eating ropa vieja today, but I've got a chicken ready to go for the poultry people.
easy-peasy.
The Ingredients.
serves 4 adults and probably an extra 2 kids. save the carcass for broth!
1 (5-pound) whole chicken, skinned (you can read about my skin issues here)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup powdered Parmesan cheese (or grated. whatever.)
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon dried sage
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon garlic powder
The Directions.
Use a 6-quart slow cooker. Using poultry shears, skin the bird the best you can, and remove the neck and gizzards (oh ick) from the body cavity. In a small mixing bowl, combine all of the spices with the Parmesan cheese and set aside. Rub the olive oil all over the bird, inside and out, and place it into an empty slow cooker.
Sprinkle on the cheese and herb mixture, and rub it into all sides of the bird, shoving a bunch inside. Do not add water.
Cover and cook on low for 7 to 8 hours, or on high for 4 to 5. Check the internal temperature of the chicken with a meat thermometer to ensure doneness. The meat will be quite tender and fall from the bone easily.
The Verdict.
This is a great whole roasted chicken recipe, and a nice change of pace from the peppery flavor of rotisserie chicken (still a family favorite!). I prefer to cook my sides separately, but if you'd like, you can throw in some potatoes, carrots, and celery for an all-in-one-pot meal.
Or, after removing the chicken from the pot, you can cook rice as a side in the pan drippings (this makes amazing rice).
Happy Day 30 of Crocktober!