Shredded Chicken Week: Slow Cooker Cajun Chicken and Rice

Well Shredded Chicken Week has come to an end and we are going out with a bang!

I love spicy food.  Growing up in Southern California I've been exposed to spice through Mexican food with different types of chilis. Nothing better than a good salsa, or a dish made with spicy peppers. Spicy doesn't have to mean heat, although in a lot of cases it does. But having that kick of spice in your food livens up your palette and your life!

The Easy Shredded Chicken I made earlier in the week can be used into soooo many dishes that we haven't even touched upon.  How about enchiladas, quesadillas, flauta, or taquitos?  You can add them to soups, stir frys, lettuce cups, wraps, and sloppy joes.  Make BBQ chicken sandwiches or a Mediterranean quinoa salad.  The ideas are endless.

Today's recipe is about spice and ease of cooking.  Yes, another slow cooker meal is on the horizon. This one is Cajun style and I love the blend of flavors from the bell peppers and the cajun seasoning. It does have red pepper flakes for a little heat but you can certainly adjust that to your family's taste.  Slow Cooker Cajun Chicken and Rice is the perfect meal the whole family will love. 

This is another dump and go meal that only needs about 4 hours of cooking on low.  Again I used my favorite multi cooker, the Breville Risotto Plus, it saute's, steams, is a slow cooker, and a risotto maker.  It's just awesome!  But you can do this in a regular slow cooker, you don't need anything special here.  

Kitchen Note: I made the rice separate from the other ingredients as I find it doesn't cook all that well in a slow cooker.  (some rice is left crunchy!)  Plus rice has a tendency to soak up all the juices, so leaving it separate allows for better leftovers!

Enjoy!

Slow Cooker Cajun Chicken and Rice

serves 4

1 cup celery, sliced 

1 cup yellow onion, diced 

1 orange bell pepper, diced 

1 tablespoon minced garlic 

1 can (14.5 oz) stewed tomatoes, undrained 

1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained 

1 cup low sodium chicken broth 

1 tablespoon cajun seasoning 

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes 

1 bay leaf 

1 tsp salt 

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

3 cups shredded chicken breast (cooked) 

1 cup long grain rice 

Add cut vegetables to the slow cooker. Add the garlic, tomatoes, broth, cajun seasoning, red pepper flakes, and bay leaf. Cook on low 4 hours. 

About 30 minutes before serving, add the shredded chicken to the slow cooker. Meanwhile, on the stovetop in a medium saucepan cook rice according to package directions. Remove the bay leaf, test for seasoning and serve over hot cooked rice.

Shredded Chicken Week: Chinese Chicken Salad

It's Shredded Chicken week and here is my second recipe using the scrumptious shredded chicken I made in my slow cooker to use in different meals.

Hands down, Chinese Chicken Salad has to be my favorite salad.

I have had a love affair with this salad since my teens.  I think it really is all the juicy mandarin oranges, and I love a sweet Asian dressing.  They make the best Chinese chicken salad in my book!  

I love this salad so much that if it's on the menu, I'm sure to order it.  The best salad I've had was at a wonderful restaurant called Stanley's in Sherman Oaks.  It was famous, I mean it actually had a following.  Tender chicken tossed in a romaine salad with crunchy bites of won ton noodles along with sweet mandarin oranges.  All of this was doused in a sweet Asian dressing.  Heaven!  Sadly Stanley's has closed after many many years.

So what's a girl to do?  Make my own version that's what!  I dare say that this salad is just to my liking.  It's easy to put together using my Easy Slow Cooker Shredded Chicken and the whole family will love it.

Hope you enjoy this as much as I do!



Chinese Chicken Salad

serves 4

4 cups chopped romaine lettuce
1 8 oz can of mandarin oranges, drained
1/3 cup sliced almonds
2 cups of shredded chicken
1/3 cup chow mien noodles
3 Tbls green onion, chopped
1/3 cup Chinese Chicken Salad Dressing (I used Girard's)

In a large bowl or platter place chopped lettuce.  Add oranges, almonds, shredded chicken and toss to combine. Toss with dressing and plate.  Top with green onions and chow mien noodles.  Serve.

Shredded Chicken Week: Chicken, Broccoli, and Cheddar Rice Bowls

I'm a slacker.

I know...last week was supposed to Shredded Chicken Week.  Well, to be honest I caught a nasty bug and it was all I could do to get up and move to the couch in my PJ's and watch episodes of The People vs. O.J. Simpson (I'm so behind!) and then crawl back to bed.

So zapped of all energy I didn't get to post the fabulous chicken dishes using the excellent Easy Slow Cooker Shredded Chicken.  But not to fret, I'm back and ready to go! Today is the 1st of three dishes you can make quickly on a weeknight using your pre-cooked shredded chicken!

Let's talk about rice bowls.  They are everywhere aren't they? And let's face it...who doesn't love a good rice bowl.  For lunch or dinner, they are ohhhh so good, filling, and comforting.

Today I'm bringing you a quick 30 minute meal that's kid friendly, weeknight friendly, and adult friendly too!  These Chicken, Broccoli, and Cheddar Rice Bowls are the bomb! They provide you with that comfort feeling and satisfy all your cravings.  I love the cheesy rice and sneaking in the broccoli gets you a serving of vegetables.  Add in some of the warmed shredded chicken that you have from your batch of Easy Slow Cooker Shredded Chicken  and dinner is ready in under 30 minutes.  Love that, and you will too!

Kitchen Note:  I used white long grain rice but you can substitute brown or any other rice you like.  I also used chicken broth instead of water for extra flavor.  I also used a sharp cheddar cheese but you could use a milder one or a white cheddar if you prefer.  For the broccoli, you can either steam your own in a pan or microwave, or buy a bag of frozen broccoli steamers for convenience.

Enjoy!

Chicken, Broccoli, and Cheddar Rice Bowls

serves 4

Rice:

2 cups of white long grain rice

3 cups of chicken broth

2 cups of broccoli florets, steamed and cut into small pieces

Cheese sauce:

2 Tbls unsalted butter

2 Tbls flour

1 3/4 c 2% milk

1 1/2 c sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

Chicken:

2 1/2 cups of shredded chicken, heated

In a medium dutch oven heated over medium high heat, add rice and chicken broth.  Bring to a bowl, reduce heat and cook 20 minutes or until water has evaporated and rice is fluffy.

While rice is cooking make the cheese sauce.  In a medium saucepan over medium heat add butter and melt.  Add the flour and whisk until combined.  Stir until a thickened paste is formed.  Add in the milk and whisk to combine.  Heat at a simmer (not a boil) until bubble form on the edges whisking frequently.  Add cheese and whisk until melted.  Add salt and pepper to season.  Continue to cook until sauce has slightly thickened.  

Fluff the rice with a fork and add the broccoli.  Pour the cheese sauce over the rice and stir to combine.  Add warmed shredded chicken to the rice and mix or place rice in bowls and add chicken to the top.  Serve immediately.