Alot has been going on around here lately. A newborn baby, obviously. But also, a new house. We’ve been busy packing up our lives here for the past month, and we’re headed “down the county” for settlement this morning.
We’re taking the family back to where we started, Chincoteague Island. It’s a great house (that’s not cut up all funny as many old Eastern Shore homes are), with plenty of room for this growing family. A huge kitchen with three times the cabinet and counter space I currently have here. It was Jon’s best friend’s house growing up, in fact – Jon even drove a few nails into it when Ron (said best friend’s father) was building it. So, needless to say – we’re already feeling an emotional attachment to the place before we even move in.
Naturally, I also have many emotional attachments to this house. I brought all my babies home to this house, Christmases, Halloweens, first days of school, birthday parties, and neighborhood cookouts. I pretty much learned to cook (for real reals) in this house. Jon taught himself how to brew in this house. So many great memories here! I’ll miss our neighbors, fireflies (they don’t have fireflies on Chincoteague Island – the amount of salt in the air, maybe?) my lush backyard teeming with flowers from bulbs that were planted 50 years before we moved here, my fig trees, and my kitchen that we revamped. But, we’ll have a new version of those things in our new home, except the fireflies – and I’m excited about that.
Needless to say, dinner preparation has kind of fallen by the wayside the past couple weeks with everything getting packed up and whatnot. That’s where a slow cooker can come in handy! Now, I know most folks don’t associate a slow cooker with the summer months. But, it’s very versatile for preparing delicious meals year-round. And, it won’t heat up the house the way an oven does!
This takes just a few minutes to throw together, and the results at dinnertime are absolutely delicious. I seasoned chicken breasts (next time I’ll try boneless thighs in the mix as well) and seared them off, then sauteed some peppers and onions. Threw it all in the slow cooker with a bit of chicken broth and let it cook all day. At dinner time, I just shredded the chicken and threw it on some sub rolls, added some provelone cheese and toasted them in the oven for a few minutes.
They were delicious, satisfying, and super duper easy. The leftover filling was k-i-l-l-e-r in a quesadilla the next day for lunch. I know we’ll be making this one again very soon!
I know I’ve been slack on posts lately, but just bear with me. The slackage will probably continue through next week, until we get internet arranged in the new house, and my studio set up. Until then, later Pocomoke – it’s been real! Thanks for giving me such a great spot to call home and raise this little family of ours for 7 years!
Slow-Cooker Chicken Cheesesteaks
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp black pepper
2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp dried thyme
1 green pepper, sliced
1 red or orange pepper, sliced
1 large white or yellow onion, peeled and sliced into half moons
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
Sliced provolone
sub rolls
olive oil
In a small bowl, combine the paprika, pepper, salt, garlic powder, coriander, red pepper flakes and thyme.
Sprinkle the chicken with 3/4 of the spice mix, coating well on all sides.
Heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the chicken and brown well – about 4 minutes on each side. Remove chicken to slow cooker insert.
Add some additional oil to the pan if necessary and add in the peppers and onions, as well as the remainder of the spice mixture. Saute until just starting to soften, about 3 minutes. Pour in the chicken stock and scrape up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Off heat, and pour the pepper mixture into the slow cooker on top of the chicken.
Cover and cook on low for 5-7 hours until the chicken is tender. Remove the chicken from the slow cooker and shred into pieces. Set aside.
Using a slotted spoon, remove the peppers and onions to a plate. Pour out all the liquid into a bowl or liquid measure.
Place the chicken, peppers and onions back in the slow cooker and toss. Pour in enough liquid to keep the chicken moist (but not soggy) – about 1/4 cup to start and add as needed. Keep the slow cooker on warm or low until ready to serve.
Toast the buns under the oven broiler. Place chicken and peppers on each half of a bun and top with Provolone cheese. Broil until the cheese is melted and slightly bubbly. Serve warm.
Source: Adapted from Food Family & Finds via Mel’s Kitchen Cafe
