Being back in German has its advantages. No stores open on Sunday, so life is slow and time for cooking up some recipes for the week. Plus, on Saturday, if you make it early to the open market down the street and are lucky enough to get a whole organic chicken, Sundays are even better! I just started creating by smell and my favorite flavors for this one. I love the tang of salted Italian olives, roasted red peppers, fresh lemon and lime juice and well, ok…fresh basil! This is so delicious and easy. Seriously! Place this baby in your crockpot for 8-10 hours while you are at work, shopping, soccer all day or sleeping and bam! There’s a pool of sassy broth in the bottom screaming for my gluten-free pasta noodles…(I just had to use them). Or you can cook up a batch of my Italian Zudooles. I’m sure it’s just as delicious but…sometimes a girl has to do what a girl has to do. I have to say, leftovers were totally amazing. The flavors grew more intense and were just divine!
You can use store-bought pesto and Italian seasoning but give my B&B Pesto and Bella Italian Seasoning homemade recipes a try…I imagine you already have everything you need to create them yourself!
Don’t throw those bones away! You can always make my Crockpot Chicken Boney Broth. It’s just as simple and so healthy!
CROCKPOT ITALIAN WHOLE CHICKEN
Ingredients
- 1/2 cups ghee, soft or olive oil
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary 1 trimmed from the twig.
- 2-3 tsp Himalayan salt
- 1-2 tsp ground pepper
- 3 cloves garlic diced
- 1/2 large fresh lemon juiced
- 1/4 cup fresh chopped basil save half for topping
- 1 tsp red chili flakes or more...
- 2 tsp Bella Italian Seasoning or store-bought
- 1/2 large fresh lemon sliced in rings
- 1/2 cup sliced roasted red peppers or more!
- 1/2 cups sliced roasted green peppers or more!
- 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes sliced
- 1 fresh lime in quarters
- 1/2 cup mixed Italian olives green and black
- 1 large red or white onion sliced in thin rings
- 2/3 cup organic artichokes in water
- 1/2 cups B & B Pesto or store-bought pesto
- gluten-free pasta optional
- spiraled zucchini or Italian Zudoodles
- grated parmesan optional
Directions
- Step 1 Wash your bird well and clean out all the innards! Pat it dry.
- Step 2 In a small bowl put your ghee or olive oil, 1 trimmed sprig of rosemary, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, garlic, Italian seasoning, and the juice from 1/2 lemon. Mix together until smooth.
- Step 3 Rub the entire chicken, inside and out with this amazing seasoned buttery mixture.
- Step 4 Lift the skin of the chicken as much as possible and spread the rub all over this baby. Place a few of the sliced lemon rings under the skin as well.
- Step 5 Stuff the remaining lemon rings inside the cavity of the chicken.
- Step 6 Add one sprig of rosemary to the cavity as well.
- Step 7 Bundle up this baby with roasting needles or string. Place this bundled buttery bird in your crockpot.
- Step 8 Add a bit more salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes to taste. Maybe one more dash of Italian seasoning.
- Step 9 Cover with the olives and artichokes.
- Step 10 Layer the red and green roasted chilies on to.
- Step 11 Sprinkle with the sun-dried tomatoes.
- Step 12 Top with fresh diced basil. Place the quartered lime in the bottom of the crockpot.
- Step 13 Cook on low for 8-10 hours.
- Step 14 Prepare your gluten-free pasta or zucchini noodles. Add a dollop of homemade B&B Pesto or store-bought pesto on top of the noodles.
- Step 15 There’s no need to use a knife for slicing this chicken up. It just falls apart. Select a juicy piece and place it on top of the pesto covered noodles. Scoop down to the bottom and ladle yourself a load of goodies and this sassy sauce. Avoid the quartered limes! Drizzle over the top of the most tender chicken you’ve ever bit into! Top it off with a dash of parmesan cheese if you eat dairy. Most of all…enjoy!
- Step 16 Oh yeah…another dab of pesto is a must!
I'm Melinda Stevens and living the life of a beach bum was inevitable since my father was a lifeguard for the city of Los Angeles. My memories of growing up on John Street in Manhattan Beach, California were filled with joy, excitement and adventures; until my world, as I knew it, fell apart when we moved to Del Mar, California. My father was offered the position as Captain of the lifeguards and we started the slow migration to the small deserted stretch of beach in 1963. At twelve years old, this seemed like the end of my life. Remember, I’m writing with clear hindsight now, ok somewhat clearer… Little did I know this would be the beginning of a new journey and give a bit more clarity to many of the events that led me to this new cooking adventure.