I am not a big drinker, but I am not against drinking. I think anything in moderation is fine...Jesus did drink wine, after all. I might have one mixed drink a year.
Cooking with alcohol is different. Wine is a great choice when cooking. I always have wine on hand, but I never drink it. I just do not like the taste. Never did. It adds such great flavor to so many dishes, though. I have a recipe for beef stew that uses red wine and it is heavenly!! I use white wine in my chicken spaghetti casserole that gives it that great twist to a classic recipe.
Beer, though?? I can stomach a sip of wine here and there, but I can't stand beer. It just tastes bad and I do not understand the appeal. I tend to avoid beer in any form. BUT, I came across on my beloved Pinterest a recipe for beer chicken. The claims were that it is the best chicken you have ever had. I am skeptical, but I LOVE trying new things. So, I sent my husband, who does like beer, to the store to pick me up a can of beer that "doesn't taste too much like beer". He chose Busch. I have to trust him. I am illiterate to this.
Now, I am sure you are thinking of the classic beer chicken (stick a can of beer in a whole chicken and cook), but no. This recipe involves a crockpot and I was instantly curious.
Interesting side note. The original recipe poster said that she always uses frozen chicken in her crockpot recipes because they come out more tender than when using fresh which comes out dry. Now, I have never heard this before, but thinking back to the many crockpot recipes I have used, I think she is right. I have used fresh chicken and frozen chicken and my frozen chicken recipes do tend to come out more moist and less dry (a common problem with chicken in the crockpot).
So, the journey began at 10:45 am. I put some frozen chicken breasts into the crockpot. The original recipe called for 4-6 breasts, but I had a lot of small breasts, so I just kind of eyed it. I poured the Busch beer on top and than proceeded to put in the seasoning. Now, if you are looking for exact measurements from me, you will be sorely disappointed. I just eye it, always. I'm a pretty good judge of what is needed. Here is her suggestion:
Cooking with alcohol is different. Wine is a great choice when cooking. I always have wine on hand, but I never drink it. I just do not like the taste. Never did. It adds such great flavor to so many dishes, though. I have a recipe for beef stew that uses red wine and it is heavenly!! I use white wine in my chicken spaghetti casserole that gives it that great twist to a classic recipe.
Beer, though?? I can stomach a sip of wine here and there, but I can't stand beer. It just tastes bad and I do not understand the appeal. I tend to avoid beer in any form. BUT, I came across on my beloved Pinterest a recipe for beer chicken. The claims were that it is the best chicken you have ever had. I am skeptical, but I LOVE trying new things. So, I sent my husband, who does like beer, to the store to pick me up a can of beer that "doesn't taste too much like beer". He chose Busch. I have to trust him. I am illiterate to this.
Now, I am sure you are thinking of the classic beer chicken (stick a can of beer in a whole chicken and cook), but no. This recipe involves a crockpot and I was instantly curious.
Interesting side note. The original recipe poster said that she always uses frozen chicken in her crockpot recipes because they come out more tender than when using fresh which comes out dry. Now, I have never heard this before, but thinking back to the many crockpot recipes I have used, I think she is right. I have used fresh chicken and frozen chicken and my frozen chicken recipes do tend to come out more moist and less dry (a common problem with chicken in the crockpot).
So, the journey began at 10:45 am. I put some frozen chicken breasts into the crockpot. The original recipe called for 4-6 breasts, but I had a lot of small breasts, so I just kind of eyed it. I poured the Busch beer on top and than proceeded to put in the seasoning. Now, if you are looking for exact measurements from me, you will be sorely disappointed. I just eye it, always. I'm a pretty good judge of what is needed. Here is her suggestion:
4-6 Chicken Breasts or 1 Whole or cut up Chicken
1 Can of any kind of Beer
1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
1/2 tsp Basil
1/2 tsp Paprika
1/2 tsp Black Pepper
1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
1 Can of any kind of Beer
1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
1/2 tsp Basil
1/2 tsp Paprika
1/2 tsp Black Pepper
1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
*You can use whatever spices you like
- Put all ingredients into crockpot
- If frozen cook on high 4-5 hours or low 8-10
- If fresh cook on high 3-4 hrs or low 7-8 hours if fresh
She points out that you can use whatever spices you like. I just dumped in some garlic salt (california blend), basil leaves, paprika, pepper, and oregano. I believe you should just do what you like.
So, now the bulk of dinner is done. I just need to think about what to serve with it.
It's summer and I am making beer chicken. So, how about a little cucumber salad?? I got this recipe on pinterest. Here's how it is stated:
INGREDIENTS
METHODCombine all ingredients in a bowl, toss to coat. Serve immediately, or make ahead (up to a couple of hours) and chill.
Serves 2-4
- 1-2 large cucumbers (or 4-5 lemon cucumbers), peeled, quartered lengthwise, then sliced crosswise
- 1-2 Tbsp chopped fresh dill, basil, or Thai basil*
- 2-3 Tbsp seasoned rice vinegar
- Salt and pepper to taste
METHODCombine all ingredients in a bowl, toss to coat. Serve immediately, or make ahead (up to a couple of hours) and chill.
Serves 2-4
As usual, I do not follow the directions on this. I thought I had rice vinegar, but I didn't. I used white wine vinegar instead because I had that. I think it might've been good with red wine vinegar, too.
The results of the dinner. Well, the chicken was touted on pinterest as the "best chicken". I would not qualify it so. It was tasty...no beer taste. My kids liked it a lot and Matt did, too. I would likely not make it again, though. It just wasn't special enough for my tastes.
Now, the cucumber salad will be made again. I will probably try the red wine vinegar next. Daniel devoured the cucumbers and left most of the chicken (a sign that the chicken was not "all that"). So, dinner was...well...kind of boring. Nothing too grand. Try it for yourself, though...and let me know what you think.
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