A few years ago my dear friend and owner of Native Roots Market created a crockpot challenge to benefit Dreamer Concepts: A Community Art Space. The event was a total blast and everyone was fighting for the top prize – CREAM OF THE CROCK! There were four categories: Meat Entree, Vegetarian/Vegan Entree, Dessert and Vegan Dessert. The rules are fierce and were not to be taken lightly.
1. The entire dish must be cooked in the Crock Pot, only in the Crock Pot, and stay in the Crock Pot.
2. Fill the Crock at least 3/4 full. The more people who get to taste your dish, the more votes you can get.
3. You don’t have to disclose your secret recipe, but please list your ingredients so we don’t have any allergy mishaps.
4. Contestants should arrive with their fully-cooked Crock Pot by 6:30 PM for set-up & pre-judging.
As the Executive Director of Dreamer Concepts, I couldn’t go down without a fight. After weeks of crockpot research, I found what I believed could take home the gold, Chicken with Macaroni and Smoked Gouda Cheese. HEAVEN!
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless chicken
- 2 small zucchini, halved and sliced 1/8 inch thick
- 1 package chicken gravy mix (approx. 1 oz.)
- 2 tablespoons water
- salt and pepper to taste
- pinch of ground nutmeg, fresh if possible
- 8 ounces smoked Gouda cheese, grated
- 2 tablespoons evaporated milk or light cream
- 1 large tomato, chopped
- 4 cups cooked, whole grain macaroni or small shell pasta
Cut chicken into 1 inch cubes, place in crackpot. Add zucchini, gravy mix, water and seasoning. Cover and cook for 5 to 6 hours on low. Add smoked Gouda cheese, milk or cream and chopped tomato to the crockpot during the last 20 minutes or while the macaroni is cooking. Stir in hot, cooked macaroni.
As a T1D, it’s often a challenge to figure out the carb ratio of an unfamiliar dish. Even though I’m not typically a rule follower, I really appreciated Rule #3 because it allowed me have a better guesstimate as to how many carbs were in my serving.
I have to admit, this “lick your bowl clean” recipe might not be the healthiest choice, but it did bring home 2nd Place. Please share (in the comment section below) should you have healthier substitutions because I would love to enjoy it again with a little less guilt.