Slow Cooker Honey Sesame Chicken 2

I have previously made Slow Cooker Honey Sesame Chicken and it is still one of my favorite slow cooker meals.  This is version 2 of my original recipe since I made it for my mom-to-be friend as a make ahead meal/freezer meal.  I used chicken breasts instead of chicken thighs this time and left out the onions.  The sauce is basically the same, and since I froze this before cooking, I didn't add in the sesame seeds (which is for garnish).   My cousin made the first version with chicken tenders and she said it was "so delicious."  My friend is also allergic to nuts so sesame was on the safe food list, yay!  I hope she likes this dish as much as I do!


Slow Cooker Honey Sesame Chicken 2

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

1 pound chicken (I used 2 large chicken breasts)

½ cup honey

2 tablespoons soy sauce (I used low sodium soy sauce)

2 tablespoons ketchup

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

½ teaspoon sesame oil

¼ teaspoon ginger, minced

Directions

In a bowl, whisk together the honey, soy sauce, ketchup, oil, garlic, red pepper flakes, sesame oil and ginger.

Add chicken into a freezer bag and pour sauce into bag.  Mix together sauce and chicken in bag with hands.

Freeze until ready to cook in slow cooker.  I would suggest defrosting the night before to cook in slow cooker the next morning.

Cook on low for 3 to 4 hours or on high for 1 ½ to 2 ½ hours, until chicken is cooked through.

Serves 2.

Simple Peanut Noodles

I bought a jar of Smucker's Natural Peanut Butter recently and a recipe for Peanut Pasta Twists was on the lid of the jar.  Of course, I changed up the recipe and came up with this one.  It turned out pretty good and only took me about 15 minutes to put it all together (including cooking time for pasta).  These simple peanut noodles would be great as a side dish or as a main dish if you want to add in the optional ingredients to make it more hearty.  For those with peanut allergies, maybe you can substitute with Barney Butter (almond butter), SunButter (roasted sunflower seeds), or soy nut butters.  Just be sure to check labels for anything processed on shared equipment or in the same facility as peanuts.  This dish is great served warm or cold too.  Enjoy!

 

Simple Peanut Noodles
Printable Recipe

Ingredients

½ cup creamy peanut butter (I used Smucker’s Natural Peanut Butter.)

¼  cup ketchup

¼ cup warm water

1 tablespoon soy sauce

½ tablespoon rice wine vinegar

½ teaspoon sesame oil

½ teaspoon garlic powder

½ pound dry pasta, cooked (I used linguine.)

Optional Ingredients

red bell pepper, diced

sesame seeds, toasted

scallions, sliced

cucumber, sliced

firm tofu, diced

chicken, cooked and shredded/diced

Directions

In a bowl, whisk together the peanut butter, ketchup, water, soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, and garlic powder until well blended.

 

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain well.

 

Toss hot pasta with peanut sauce until evenly coasted.   Garnish with optional ingredients if desired.

 

Serve immediately warmed or serve chilled. 

Make Ahead Tip: Refrigerate for up to 2 days. To serve, stir in 2 tablespoons warm water per portion; serve cold or reheat in microwave.

Serves 2 as main dish or 4 as a side dish.

Top with some roasted sesame seeds.