A Keeper

Excuse the reference, but all I could think about as I pulled the incredibly tender and fragrant chunks of chicken from the slow cooker the other night was "I think I'm gonna like it here" (absolutely sung in true Annie fashion).

And although I probably lost some readers with such an antiquated musical reference, I really think there's something in here for just about everyone - so stick around.

Remember this? When I not so eloquently begged and pleaded for your slow-cooker suggestions... hints, and sage words of advice? Thanks to one of my favorite readers, I believe we will never go roasted-chicken hungry again in this house! But let this be a warning, from now on, don't get between me and a sale on whole chicken roasters in the Northern Virginia area.

Perhaps I'm still living on beginners' luck (though I really can't claim beginner status any longer), but it seems that risks in the slow cooker are well worth taking. If you start with this roasted, slow-cooked chicken, the options are limitless.

Slow-Cooked Roasted Whole Chicken

Whole chicken, rinsed and patted down to dry
2-3 TBSP olive oil
1 1/2 TBSP cumin
1 1/2 TBSP garlic powder
1 TBSP smoked paprika
salt and pepper, sparingly

Rub rinsed and dried chicken on breast side with olive oil. Sprinkle oiled chicken with 1/2 of all spices. Turn chicken over and place in slow cooker on top of 3-4 balls of aluminum foil (to act as a rack). Rub down the dry side of the chicken with oil and spices. Cook on low for 8 hours. Chicken will fall off the bone making it easy to separate the tender, juicy chicken.

I had seen these sandwiches in my Bon Appetit and thought that they would be perfect for gameday... and would be an ideal use for the roasted, shredded chicken.

The Warm Chicken Sandwiches with Spinach, Mushrooms, and Cheese did not disappoint - AND I was left with about half of the chicken. I was quite content to pop that portion into the freezer - and this weekend, I will add some BBQ sauce and a whole wheat crust and voila, instant BBQ chicken pizza. Yes, the slow-cooker DOES make (multiple) affordable and delicious meals - it's true!

And since this was such a delicious and EASY way of roasting chicken (and the added bonus of that incredible slow-cooked flavor and limitless versatility with the finished product), I'm submitting this to this month's Monthly Mingle: Healthy Family Dinners.

I know without a doubt, using this roasted chicken there are many more healthy dinners suitable for families, large or small, in our future.