Don't Be Chicken: A Tutorial

Robbie's all-time favorite meal is chicken and noodles with blueberry muffins and purple hull peas.  When we first got married it was my goal in life to make chicken and noodles just like Robbie's mom.  After several times of chewing dried chicken, I thought I would try out the Crock-Pot.  I made the chicken just like I did on the stove, but threw it in the Crock-Pot instead, and it worked!!  Now I use this chicken to make casseroles, pot pies, chicken and dumplings, and the list just keeps going.  The best part?  You can freeze it in the broth, and it STILL tastes great, plus you have endless meals on hand in your freezer.
I have tried to tell a few people how I do this, but I don't have an exact recipe.  It's more of just chunking water, chicken, salt and pepper in the Crock-Pot.  So, I attempted to make a little tutorial of my 'method.'

Here's what you need:

~ chicken breasts with the bone still in

   doesn't matter if it has the skin or not...the skin will fall off once it's cooked

    I used a family pack because I have a big Crock-Pot

    if you're using frozen chicken (I did), make sure it's mostly defrosted before you start

~ 2 tablespoons kosher salt (you can use table salt, too, but I have a new obsession with kosher salt!)

~ 2 teaspoons black pepper

Put the chicken in the Crock-Pot and cover it with water

Pour the salt and pepper on top of the chicken (I don't stir it around or anything...I literally just dump it in there)

Set the Crock-Pot on high or low...I did mine for six hours on high, because we were going to be gone tonight, and I wanted it to be ready when I got home.  It really doesn't matter...I've done it on low and it turns out great, too. (sorry for the blurry pictures!)

Find three or four containers that you can live without for awhile because they'll be hanging out in the freezer.  I use the cups from Chinese take-out that the soup comes in...that should help you justify your next Chinese food run!

When the Crock-Pot has done it's thing, the chicken will look like this:

(don't worry...the pepper will spread around once you start pulling the chicken out)

Get your kitchen tongs and two bowls.  You'll pull the chicken out of the Crock-Pot and put it into one bowl...

...then using your tongs, you'll pull the good part of the chicken off the bone, and stick it in the other bowl.  Yep, it's pretty gross, but you get used to it!  (Obviously, the good chicken is on the left and the other ahem, parts, are on the right.)

Spoon the chicken equally into your containers.  Ladel the broth over the chicken (this is what keeps it moist).  Now, stick it in your freezer and you have three or four meals waiting for you!! 

It's midnight, so I am going to bed, but when I pull out one of these bad boys to make chicken and noodles, I'll post my recipe method for that!