Crockpot chicken.

The Friday following Thanksgiving, I awoke at an ungodly hour to go shopping. No, I wasn't in dire need of any Black Friday special. My family has tradition of where we get up and hit the mall at 7:00 a.m. We are at Chili's by 10:30 for an early lunch, then home by the early afternoon. It's great fun, and mostly a bonding experience.

I did, however, snag a fancy new crockpot for the low price of $19! (THANKS, TARGET!) I'd been wanting another one, and this one was slightly bigger than my old beat-up tried-and-true fella. Of course, I had to break it in immediately. I made gumbo on one night. The following night, I made a whole chicken.

I'd bought the chicken in anticipation of roasting it, but after perusing the small guide of recipes in the crockpot book, I knew I had to try it out.

The recipe for a whole chicken (per my adaptations and additions):
-1 whole chicken (4-6 lbs), rinsed, sans giblets
-half an onion, chopped
-one lemon
-butter
-thyme
-rosemary
-paprika

Stuff the cavity of the chicken with the chopped onion. Set the chicken in the crockpot base. Rub it all over with butter. Drizzle the bird with the juice of that  lemon. Sprinkle with the seasonings. (I don't measure, I just do it til it looks pretty.) I used fresh thyme because I had it on hand and dried rosemary, but any combination of seasonings to your liking would work. Cook on low for ten hours.

TADA!!!

On the side, I was in the mood for some fresh green beans.

Sauteed green beans recipe:
-Approximately one lb of green beans, cleaned and trimmed
-Half of an onion, chopped
-garlic, minced
-butter
-olive oil
-fresh grated parmesan

I boiled the beans in hot salted water for four minutes, then shocked them in cold water. While the beans were boiling, I melted one tablespoon of olive oil with one tablespoon of butter, then sauteed the onion and garlic. (I love a lot of garlic, so I used three smallish cloves, but you can do this to your taste.) After the onion began to appear clear, I tossed in the beans and sauteed for about 5-10 minutes. I like them still crunchy, not mushy, so cook until they are to your desired texture. I removed from heat, sprinkled with some sea salt and fresh grated parm, and it was delish!

Another Sunday dinner success!