Easy Crockpot Lemon Rosemary Chicken

It's Marvelous Monday!!

It's the day after Easter, the sun is shining brightly, robins are flying all over my backyard and things couldn't be brighter.  The pool guys came to uncover my pool and "shock it".  They will come back Wednesday when they can actually see the bottom of the pool to clean it.  HOORAY!!!  This is the first official day of spring for me!!  Even though we have had abnormally warm temps for weeks I am happy when the pool makes it's official appearance.  Tomorrow I am scheduled to see the orthopedic doctor and hopefully he will remove the pin in my toe.  It has been four weeks and he promised me......4 weeks!!  Then I can get outside and clean the pool deck and enjoy the beautiful weather....before it gets too hot!!  I did get upstairs and worked on my quilt, "Simply Divine Nines."  I put the borders on it last night and cut out the leaves for the vines.  I am in the process of putting it all on now.  Will let you see it when I have it finished or at least enough done that you can tell what I am doing!!

This morning bright and early before I went outside I put on my Triple E Chicken to cook for the day.  Wanna know how I did it? ......Okay then....From start to finish.....

Triple E Chicken (Easy, Economical, and Excellent in Taste)

1 fryer chicken 3-5 pounds or you can use a roasting Hen which is usually larger (you will have to cook it a little longer)
2 lemons
Your favorite Herbs....today I used Rosemary
2 yellow onions
Seasoning Salt...your favorite...I used Paula Dean's house seasoning.  You can use salt and pepper only too.  Don't stress over it.

 First:  Unwrap chicken and give him a good rinsing with cold water inside and out.
Drain chicken in sink and sprinkle liberally with your choice of seasoning salt ---I used Paula Dean's House seasoning which is salt, pepper and garlic powder.

Then peel and chunk up the 2 onions and lemons. I used pre-chopped garlic( about 1/2 tsp)  in the mix because I was out of fresh garlic.  Use what you have.   If you have fresh use 2 cloves roughly chopped.   I always keep a jar of this in the fridg for when I run out of fresh.  I also use dehydrated garlic.  Then I went out and got a handful of rosemary from my herb garden which lasted through our mild winter.  Look at the size of that bush!!!  Incredible!!

Wash the rosemary ( or whatever other herb you have or like....thyme is great with chicken too)
Get out your trusty crock pot....What you don't have one?  Well then go get one cause you are going to love this chicken and I have many other great CP recipes to share.

I use my CP several times a week.  This one is fairly new and I got it at "THE BEST SALE OF THE YEAR" at Kohl's a couple of years ago.  I like it beacuse I can program it to start and stop.  Also the lid locks if I am taking it with me as I often do.

Now we stuff the bird!!!  Be sure you seasoned inside the bird with you "Salt and Pepper mix" too.  Then stuff her full of onion, lemon and rosemary.  I stuff completely till it shows on the outside.
Then use the remaining lemon, onion, and rosemary to make a "bed" for our "bird".

Now lay the bird on top of the goodies in the crockpot.  Isn't that a lovely sight?  It smells good to but wait it will make your whole house smell heavenly in about an hour or 2.

Carefully pour 2 cups of water on the side of the CP to cover the bed.  It will be just below the bird.  We want to cook the bird by slow heat and steam not BOIL the bird in water!

Cover, lock down it you can, and set to low.  LOW and SLOW my motto!!  It should take about 4-5 hours for your chicken to cook.  After 4 hours, uncover and jiggle the leg.  If juices run clear and the leg moves freely or my favorite .....falls off then it is done.  If not replace lid and cook 1 more hour then recheck.  Can you cook a CP chicken too long?  YES....then it will be dry, especially the white meat.  So carefully watch after 4 hours.  A large hen may take up to 6 hours on low.  Just keep checking by wiggling the leg.  You will know when it is done.  This bird below is DONE!!

   I used by

Remember those turkey lifters you bought for Thanksgiving well....they work great to lift the bird out of the CP.  Put the HOT bird on a sheet pan with sides because it is juicy!!   Let this cool for at least 30 minutes before you proceed with "picking" the chicken....otherwise well you can do it and you will figure it out!!! Remember HOT bird!!

When bird is cooled I start by removing the skin.  That usually goes to the dogs....if they have been good.  Then I remove the breast and tenderloins beneath to a platter, whole if I can.  Then I continue to pick, pick, pick.  The chicken is usually so tender it falls apart.  I remove the bones and keep picking putting all the edible pieces on a platter.

This is the wing.  Be sure and pick it.  There is a lot of good meat in the wing.  Yum!!

On the underneath side of the backbone on each side is the "oyster".  It is nestled in a piece of hard cartlidge.  The oyster is yummmmmmmy!!!  Don't miss them...there are two.

Finished product!!  A platter full of delicious lemon-rosemary chicken.  What to do next????  EAT!!
But if you want gravy or to save the stock, here's what you do.....

Take the remaining contents of the crockpot....liquid, onions, rosemary, onions...all the stuff left and strain through a strainer into a large bowl.

 The result is a large bowl of chicken goodness.  If you want to make gravy you can skim the fat from the top and use the liquid below or you can let it sit for about an hour then strain again this time through cheesecloth, put in container and put in fridge.  The next day you can lift the congealed fat from the top and use the remainder for cooking.  Adding it to soups or stews.  It will also be thick so you may need to add hot water to "loosen" it up for use.  Sometimes I save it and sometimes I don't.  YOU DON"T HAVE TO DO THIS STEP!!
Back to our yummy deliciousness....

Eat it now for dinner....save it for chicken salad tomorrow, chicken soft tacos at noon, chicken spaghetti, chicken tetrazini, chicken pesto pizza....the combinations are endless.  You now have a large amount of chicken to do with as you please.  It will keep in the fridg for 2-3 day easily.  But I wouldn't know mine never lasts that long around here!!  I do a chicken almost every week.  The cost is less than buying boneless skinless breast and the flavor combined with the moist dark meat is better in my opinion for using it in dishes like I listed above.  But you do as you please.......PLEASE DO!!!  Try a Triple E Chicken this week and see if you make it a habit like I do!!

I have stuffed my face with chicken and before spending time with the "fam" I came up to the sewing room to put down my new "grip liner" under my sewing machine.  Bonnie Hunter shared this tip yesterday on her blog, quiltville quips and snips.  What a great tip!!  I "dance" with my machine over a slick surface all the time.  I am so happy with my new found "gripper".  It even looks pretty (the surface beneath is scratched from all our "dancing together")  Thanks Bonnie!!


Headed downstairs for a little DVR'd Criminal Minds, our new favorite show.
Enjoy the rest of your Marvelous Monday and ......do the chicken!!

Happy Trails,

Mtn Mama