Slow Cooker Garlic & Brown Sugar Chicken

Happy Saturday (although I must admit that I cooked this meal on Friday)! Slow cooker meals are perfect for weekends or days that I work from home, so this was a perfect meal to start off the weekend.  While working from home on Friday, I managed to get dinner started, fit in a trip to the post office, and get FIVE loads of laundry washed/dried/folded.  Talk about productivity!

If I haven't mentioned it before, a slow cooker was one of my most coveted wedding registry gifts.  I chose the Hamilton Beach 3-in-1 crockpot - with 2, 4, and 6 quart bowls for cooking.  I really do love my slow cooker, but (not so secretly) wish I had one with a timer.  Do you think having a timer is better than having multiple sized bowls? Tell me your thoughts!

I used frozen chicken and cooked it for 7.5 hours.  Although my picture shows a whole chicken breast, the chicken shredded easily and KK enjoyed mixing the chicken, sauce, and rice all together.  The sauce was deliciously sweet, but still had a nice garlicky taste.  Along with the rice, I served this chicken with a side salad and whole edamame.  I'm certain that KK will add this dish to the Repeat List.  Enjoy!

Slow Cooker Garlic & Brown Sugar Chicken
Adapted from Six Sisters
Time: 8 hours
Serves: 2

Ingredients
1 lb. frozen chicken breast
1 cup packed brown sugar
2/3 cup vinegar
1/4 cup lemon-lime soda
4-5 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
Brown rice, for serving
2 tablespoons corn starch
2 tablespoons water
Red pepper flakes (optional)

Directions
1. Spray slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray. Place chicken inside slow cooker.

2. Mix together brown sugar, vinegar, soda, garlic, soy sauce, and pepper together. Pour over chicken. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 4 hours.

3. With 30 minutes left to go on the slow cooker, cook the rice.

4. Take chicken pieces out of slow cooker, and pour remaining sauce into saucepan over high heat. Mix together corn starch and water, pour into saucepan. Bring sauce to a boil and let heat for 2-3 minutes, until it begins to thicken. Remove from heat and let sit for 2 minutes.  Serve over rice and, if desired, top with crushed red pepper flakes.