Smoky Paleo Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken with Roasted Brussels, Bacon, & Apples

With Easter this past weekend I decided it was best to pick one crock pot recipe to make. I chose this recipe because there was little maintenance involved; I could have the chicken cooking during Easter dinner and I could bake the sweet potatoes while I did Easter dishes. Now I haven't made my own BBQ sauce in a while, so I was a little nervous, but the chicken turned out really tasty. Although the sauce is tomato based, I thought it still tasted very much like a smoky BBQ sauce. I also conveniently made the Roasted Brussels, Apples, & Bacon as a side for Easter dinner. That was a pretty simple side to throw together and paired perfectly with the BBQ chicken stuffed sweet potato. This is a typical meal I would go for when I don't have much time to spend in the kitchen or don't feel like spending all day doing meal prep. If you ever need to mix up your standard meal prep, this is an extremely simple and perfect recipe to try!

Smoky Paleo Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken
Ingredients:

• 1 and ½ lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 6 oz can organic tomato paste
• ⅓ cup water
• ¼ cup Coconut aminos
• 1 and ½ Tbsp pure maple syrup (I used honey instead)
• 1 and ½ Tbsp brown mustard (I use Woodstock Organic Dijon Mustard, found at local grocery store)
• 1 Tbsp raw apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp onion powder
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp smoked paprika
• ⅛-1/4 tsp chipotle powder (or adjust for spice preference)

Directions:

1. In a mixing bowl, whisk together all of the ingredients except for the chicken
2. Place chicken breasts in the slow cooker and cover with all the sauce. Cover and cook on low for 5 hours until chicken can be pulled apart/shredded with a fork.
3. To serve, take two forks and shred all the chicken, mixing with the sauce. Serve over baked sweet potatoes (you can pre-bake them the night before and then simply reheat when it's time to eat) or veggies/potatoes of your choice. Enjoy! Leftovers can be stored covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, or frozen if you want to keep longer.

Original recipe found here


Paleo Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon & Apples
Ingredients:

• 1 lb Brussels sprouts, washed, tops removed and cut in half
• 2 tsp olive oil + sea salt to taste (for roasting)
• 1 medium pink lady apple {or other tart/sweet crisp apple}
• 4-6 slices nitrate free, sugar free bacon (for Whole30)
• 1 Tbsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped
• Additional salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. For this recipe you will roast your Brussels sprouts while cooking the bacon and apples in a skillet on the stove top.
2. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Make sure the Brussels sprouts halves are uniform in size, if not, cut the larger pieces to ensure even cooking. Toss them with the 2 tsp olive oil + salt and spread out on a parchment lined baking sheet. Roast them in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes, until they're browning and fork tender.
3. Core the apple and chop into ½-1 inch cubes, set aside.
4. Heat a medium heavy skillet over med-hi heat and cut your bacon into one inch pieces.
5. Add the bacon to the skillet and cook, stirring until about ¾ of the way done (according to your own preference). At this point, add the apples and chopped rosemary and continue to cook and stir until the apples have softened and the bacon is fully cooked, adjusting the heat to avoid excessive browning if necessary. Remove from heat.
6. Once Brussels sprouts are done, add them to the skillet and toss to combine all the flavors. Sprinkle with more salt and pepper, if desire, and serve hot! This can be served as a side dish or with fried eggs for breakfast. Enjoy!

​Original recipe found here