As you know, I firmly believe that in order to turn an ordinary slow cooker recipe to extraordinary slow cooker recipe, you must add spices. You also know, I am a big fan of fast and easy. Lately, I’ve been enjoying the convenience and flavors from McCormick’s Recipe Inspirations World Flavors collections. I love the six pre-measured spices and herbs and there are so many spice mix flavor combinations that go beyond their intended meals. The McCormick’s Garlic Lime Chicken Fajitas combination also is delicious on beef for shredded beef tacos or enchiladas. Experiment with these mixes and rubs; you might be surprised as to what you’ll find! I like to mix and match the flavors or combine all six herbs into one bottle with a label on it like Tuscan Chicken Stew; this way, I can use as much or as little of the spices at a time. Be creative and use the spices on fish, steak or in a soup.
Spice mixes do amazing with my Rival Crock-Pot BBQ Pit recipes (*Check out my Indoor Barbecue post at http://www.hersutah.com/columnstory/indoor-barbecue for more information on the Rival Crock-Pot BBQ Pit). If you have a Rival Crock-Pot BBQ Pit, by all means, get it out and try some spice mixes with your favorite recipes! One of the recipes I’ve found to be extremely successful is my Beer Roasted Chicken. I’ve found that the McCormick’s Tuscan Chicken Stew World Flavor Spice Package is perfect with the beer to flavor the chicken. For additional flavor, I like to stuff the bird with some diced celery, onions and apples. The beer helps create a roasted chicken that is incredibly moist and tender, outranking your typical roast chicken in almost every way. The combination of the vegetable stuffing, beer and spices makes the chicken flavorful and juicy. And as my mom says, “It’s to die for!”
Roasted Beer Chicken
- 1 roasting chicken
- 1/4 cup diced onion
- 1/4 cup diced apple
- 1/4 cup diced celery
- 1 package McCormick’s Tuscan Chicken Stew World Flavor Spice package: garlic, rosemary, fennel, black pepper, basil and oregano
- 1/2 can of beer (I use good ole Bud Light)
- 2 tablespoons butter
- Salt to taste
Wash and dry the chicken. Mix the 6 spices together. In a separate bowl, combine the diced mix of onions, apples, and celery with a tablespoon of the mixed spices. Stuff the chicken with the mixture. Pour the beer in the bottom of the Rival Crock-Pot BBQ Pit and add a tablespoon of the mixed spices. Butter the chicken. Cover the chicken with the remaining spices and salt. For a milder chicken, use less spices. Slow cook on low for 8 hours.
For a complete meal serve the chicken with baked potato and a salad. If you have any leftovers, use the chicken to create an oriental chicken salad. This recipe has got to be the most tender and moist chicken I have every eaten. Be careful, even the bones are tender! Enjoy!
