Spicy Apricot Chicken Thighs

Posted on January 13, 2021 by Cindy Kerschner

Spicy Apricot Chicken Thighs slow cooked to even tenderness, topped with a spicy apricot preserve sauce. A great entrée to serve with pasta, rice, sautéed vegetables or your favorite side!

Spicy Apricot Chicken Thighs

This week on Monday 1/11, Wednesday 1/13 and Friday 1/15 our Festive Foodies group celebrates all thing slow cooked for #NationalSlowCookerMonth! All dishes needed to incorporate a slow cooker in some way. Don’t miss out on all the great slow cooker ideas and links at the end of the post.
Thanks Ashley from Cheese Curd in Paradise for hosting our event!

I’m a big fan of dark meat chicken. It stays moist and cooks up tender easier than white meat. Don’t get wrong, I do enjoy a good chicken breast recipe. But for slow cooking, it’s either a whole chicken or thighs for me!

Always brown meat before adding to your slow cooker. The browning process really draws out the flavor!

Spicy Apricot Chicken Thighs

This dish gets it’s spiciness from horseradish, brown mustard and a dash of granulated garlic. You can add heat with red pepper flakes or a bit of cayenne pepper. I would avoid any hot sauces or fresh pepper in this recipe.

Spicy Apricot Chicken Thighs

Spicy Apricot Chicken Thighs

Spicy Apricot Chicken Thighs

5 from 2 votes
Print Recipe

Ingredients
  

  • 4 boneless chicken thighs (about 2 pounds)
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 cups orange juice
  • sauce
  • 1/4 cup apricot preserves
  • 1 teaspoon brown mustard
  • 2 teaspoons prepared horseradish
  • 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic

Instructions
 

  • Season thighs with salt and pepper. Brown thighs in oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, for about 2 minutes per side. Place browned thighs in the slow cooker. Add orange juice. Cover and cook on low for approximately 3 hours until thighs reach 180 degrees. 
  • While chicken cooks, prepare sauce. Whisk together apricot preserves, horseradish, mustard and garlic. Set aside.
  • Place cooked chicken on a plate. Heat sauce in a microwave proof container or 1 quart saucepan until warmed. Spoon sauce over chicken. Serve.

Welcome to our #NationalSlowCookerMonth Celebration! 

This week we are celebrating all things slow cooker! We have delicious recipes from across the country to fill your meal plans with delicious slow cooker recipes!

Posted in chicken, slow cooker, What's For Dinner? | 12 Comments

Sweet Potato Lentil Soup

Posted on January 11, 2021 by Cindy Kerschner

Sweet Potato Lentil Soup slow cooked serves a hearty meal you can serve two ways. This soup can be served as a stew or puree.
sweet potato lentil soup

This week on Monday 1/11, Wednesday 1/13 and Friday 1/15 our Festive Foodies group celebrates all thing slow cooked for #NationalSlowCookerMonth! All dishes needed to incorporate a slow cooker in some way. Don’t miss out on all the great slow cooker ideas and links at the end of the post.
Thanks Ashley from Cheese Curd in Paradise for hosting our event!
I liked using a slow cooker to make this soup. Steady even temperature keeps the soup from boiling and getting mushy. Cooking lentils this way gives you a choice how to serve it. I preferred puree. The soup still has texture but all the flavors blend into one bite.
sweet potato lentil soup
Sweet Potato Lentil Soup
Keep the herbs of thyme and rosemary as sprigs so you can easily remove them before pureeing soup. I used an immersion blender but processing in batches in a regular blender works as well.
Heating the broth and tomatoes first before adding it to the slow cooker gives the vegetables a head start. Total time in the slow cooker was 3 hours.

Sweet Potato Lentil Soup

5 from 2 votes
Print Recipe
Servings 8 cups

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup lentils, cleaned and rinsed
  • 4 cups vegetable broth
  • 3 cups diced, peeled sweet potatoes
  • 1 cup diced onions
  • 14.5 ounces (14.5 ounce) can diced fire-roasted tomatoes or diced tomatoes
  • 3 sprigs thyme, extra for garnish
  • 1 sprig rosemary, extra for garnish
  • 1 teaspoon nutmeg, extra for garnish
  • 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
  • 1/2 cup pepitas for garnish, optional

Instructions
 

  • Bring broth and tomatoes with juice to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in nutmeg and salt.
  • While liquid heats, add lentils, sweet potatoes, onion, thyme and rosemary to the crockpot. Pour hot liquid over mixture. Cover and set
    for 3.5 hours on low. Check at 3 hours for doneness of lentils and sweet potatoes.
  • Remove herb springs. Puree to desired thickness. Garnish with pepitas and additional herb sprigs and nutmeg if desired.

Welcome to our #NationalSlowCookerMonth Celebration! 

This week we are celebrating all things slow cooker! We have delicious recipes from across the country to fill your meal plans with delicious slow cooker recipes!

Posted in lentils, soup, sweet potato, What's For Dinner? | 14 Comments

Smoked Sausage and Collard Greens

Posted on January 4, 2021 by Cindy Kerschner

Smoky beef sausage and tender, tangy collard greens pair perfectly. Cook collards ahead for a quick weeknight meal.

smoked sausage and collard greens

I’m a big fan of greens in any form. Greens like collards that hold up to slow cooking are perfect to make ahead or use in leftovers. I cooked some on a weekend for dinner and saved some to use with my beef sausage.

Classic collard greens with a sweet and sour flavor blend perfectly with smoky meats like bacon, ham and sausage.

Collards, chard and other hearty greens sometimes get a bad rap for being tough or stringy. Remember to remove the ribs and tough ends for best results.

Smoked Sausage and Collard Greens

Smoked Sausage and Collard Greens

Print Recipe
Servings 2 people

Ingredients
  

  • 4 cups chopped collard greens, ribs removed
  • 1 cup sliced onions
  • 1 clove garlic, chopped
  • 2 slices thick bacon, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 1 cup broth, chicken or vegetable
  • 1/2 pound smoked sausage, sliced (beef, pork or turkey)
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Instructions
 

  • Fry bacon with oil in a dutch oven over medium heat for about 4 minutes to render fat. Remove bacon pieces, set aside. Add onions and garlic, sauté for about 1 minute over medium high heat. Add collards and sauté for about 2 minutes to wilt greens.
  • Dissolve sugar into vinegar and broth. Add mixture and reserved bacon pieces to greens. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 60 to 90 minutes until collards are tender. Stir in red pepper flakes. Remove collards and keep warm.
  • Fry sausage pieces over medium heat in the same dutch oven, just until meat sweats and starts to brown, about 2 minutes. Return greens mixture, stir and heat thoroughly.
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Split Pea with Ham Soup

Posted on January 2, 2021 by Cindy Kerschner

Split Pea with Ham Soup serves hearty chunks of ham, carrots, celery and onion in a creamy legume based soup. Perfect on a cold day for lunch or dinner.

Split Pea with Ham Soup

Split Pea soup is one of my favorites. Although I’m usually skeptical of ordering out for the first time at a restaurant. I feel like Goldilocks tasting the bear’s porridge. Sometimes it’s watery, sometimes it’s too thick but sometimes, it’s just right.
Split Pea and Ham Soup

Legumes act as their own thickening agent. The trick is to let them do their thing and cook down. I simmer my split pea soup for about an hour, stirring frequently. Sautéing the veggies separately then add it to the peas about halfway through cooking. Vegetables stay firmer but still absorb the soup’s flavors. Add the ham with the veggies.
Split Pea and Ham Soup

Split Pea with Ham Soup

Split Pea and Ham Soup

Split Pea and Ham Soup

Print Recipe
Servings 8 cups

Ingredients
  

  • 16 ounces split peas, rinsed and drained
  • 7 cups chicken broth
  • 2 slices thick bacon, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 2 cups chopped carrots
  • 1 cup chopped celery
  • 1 cup chopped onion
  • 1 cup chopped ham
  • 2 sprigs thyme
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions
 

  • Brown bacon in a 3-quart saucepan with oil over medium heat. Remove cooked bacon. Add carrots, celery and onion and cook about 3 to 4 minutes to soften. Remove.
  • Place split peas and broth in the saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered for about 30 minutes, stirring frequently.
  • Add vegetables, ham, bacon and thyme. Simmer an additional 30 to 40 minutes until peas are soft, not mushy. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Posted in ham, soup, What's For Dinner? | Tagged | Comments Off on Split Pea with Ham Soup