A Simple Brisket

I don't know about you, but pulled meats are one of my most favorite things ever- pulled pork, brisket that you don't even need to pull because it's been cooked low and slow, pulled chicken, there's something about that shredded goodness that just makes me happy.  I think the main reason I love it so much is because it is just so stinking easy.

In keeping with my crock pot recipes that I've promised, here's the easiest (and I do mean easiest) brisket recipe you will ever make.  Yes, I said ever, and I totally mean, wholeheartedly, that a blind man with one hand could make this dinner.

Crock Pot Brisket
You'll need:

• 2 lb Brisket (Don't trim the fat, it keeps it super juicy.  Remove the fat with a slotted spoon when it's done cooking.)
•  Beef Broth-3 cups, or just enough to cover the brisket (or water with beef boullion cubes, whatever you have on hand)
• 2Tb garlic powder
• 2Tb onion powder
• 2Tb ground black pepper
• 3Tb salt (I used sea salt, and added more to taste)
• 1Tb ground coffee
• 1Tb brown sugar
• 1tsp paprika
• 3 leaves of sage, finely chopped

Instructions:

Put all of the ingredients in the crock pot.   Set the crock pot to the lowest setting. Cook either overnight, or start it in the morning and enjoy for dinner that day! 

**This freezes really well.  Put in tupperware and pop it in the freezer.  It'll be good for about three months, depending on how cold your freezer is (if you have a deep freeze it can last longer!)

Crock Pot BBQ Chicken

I don't know about you, but I absolutely love fall.  Maybe it's because Kyle finally stops looking at me strangely for eating a lot of soup (he deems soup to be a seasonal food, while I can eat it all the time, any time), or maybe it's because the air gets a little more crisp, and the clothing tends to be just a little more comfy.

One of my favorite things about fall is the food.  Pumpkins, hearty meats, sweet potatoes, gravy, baked apples.  I could go on for longer than this post would allow!  But the best thing, the single best foodie thing for anyone that wants to come home to a delicious, flavorful, healthy meal at the end of a hard day, is almost always made with a crockpot.

Now I know that there are two types of people when it comes to the crock pot.  The one type is the kind that values and loves their crockpot almost as much as their dog.  A good one is hard to find and trust me, you don't want to get rid of it.  (I had my old crockpot for ten years, and still used it when it had a small crack in it until Kyle finally made me get a new one.  I still stand by the fact that it was the best crock pot ever and none have ever cooked so evenly since. *sigh*)

The other type of person thinks that cooking with a crockpot isn't really cooking.  I am dedicating my week to crock pot recipes.  And these aren't your grandma's recipes man  (unless she's a super awesome, savvy cook like my grandma.  If so, rock on with her recipes!)  I challenge you to try each of these recipes, and tell me if they don't knock your socks off.

Let's get crockin'

I'll start you off easy with some crock pot barbecue chicken.

Crock Pot BBQ Chicken

You'll need:

• 6 oz BBQ sauce
• 4 large chicken breasts or 8 boneless chicken thighs (you can do bone in- I just like to go for the quickest, easiest type to serve/eat/cook)
• 1 cup water

Add all of the ingredients to the crock pot.  Cook on low.  I usually start this in the morning, and serve it for dinner.  It's one of those meals that tastes better with time, so if you want to make extra so you have leftovers, do it!

*This is a GREAT meal to freeze.  I bought individual serving containers and froze the chicken so that Kyle could bring them to work for lunch.

*You have the option to cook this on low and then serve it as is.  Personally, I enjoy my BBQ chicken better pulled.  When the chicken is done, just get two forks and gently pull at the bbq chicken.  It will be so tender, it should just fall apart on the fork.  Delicious!!