Busy Days & Slow Cooker Cola Chicken

Is it me or did summer just flown by? It feels like it just began and already its over. I miss the lazy days of summer and this summer has been anything but lazy.

We were very busy over the summer by making friends, playing a lot and taking some family time to do some traveling and camping. However, we have been so busy that dinner is usually late and quickly put together. I started thumbing through my cookbooks to find something quick and easy for dinner and something that I knew my family would chow down on and eat at a more normal time. Plus with school now session this recipe is great for the busy nights of after school activities!

In a new cookbook purchased at my favorite little shop, Euna Maes in Springdale, "The Southern Pantry Cookbook" by Jennifer Chandler is a simple recipe for "Slow Cooker Cola Chicken." The picture looked good and I just happened to have all the ingredients, so I gave it a try.

Y'all, this chicken was so tender, it kept falling off the bone as I was trying to put it on a serving plate. Hence, no pretty photo of my chicken. The chicken was moist and it had that smokey BBQ sauce flavor that we all love but at the end you could taste a little bit of the cola. So yummy!! Plus my family ate at a normal time, I barely had to do anything to make it, the ingredients are cheap and I didn't have to stand outside in this unbearable heat to grill or heat up my house to cook in the kitchen.

Enjoy!!

(Sorry I have no photo of my end result, again, it kept falling off the bone, so it didn't look as pretty)

Slow Cooker Cola Chicken

Ingredients

4 split, bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts (about 3 pounds) or any cut of chicken

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 yellow onion, peeled and quartered

1 lemon, quartered

1 (18oz) bottle barbecue sauce

1 (12oz) can cola (not diet)

Rinse the chicken and pat dry with paper towels. Generously season with salt and pepper. Place the chicken in a slow cooker AKA crock pot. Add the onion and lemon. Pour the barbecue sauce and pop AKA soda over the top.

Cover and cook and low for 6 to 8 hours or on high for about 4 hours.

*You will need at least a 3 1/2 quart slower cooker for this recipe.*

**Slow cookers cook best when the lid remains tightly in place. Opening the lid often will require additional cooking time.**

Enjoy!