Slow Cooker Lemonade Chicken

I know it's almost fall and I'll have some wonderful fall recipes to post soon.  However, it seems that I've gone MIA for the past few months and am now a little behind!  I've just been so busy lately that everything seems to be continuing to pile up, making it very difficult to get ahead.

Therefore, I have an old recipe for you today!

I've always been a huge fan of lemonade, especially in the summertime, but when I chose to cut back on my sugar intake a few years ago, it was one of the things I decided to give up. However, just because I decided not to drink lemonade by the glass anymore, it in no way means I can't use it when I'm cooking.

So here's a delicious dinner for you to try!

Slow Cooker Lemonade Chicken
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Ingredients:

4 chicken breasts
1 (6 oz.) container frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed
5 Tbsp. light brown sugar
¼ cup ketchup
2 Tbsp. white vinegar
2 Tbsp. cornstartch
2 Tbsp. cold water
Brown rice (optional)

For the veggie portion:

1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 ½ cup broccoli florets
1/3 cup carrots, chopped
½ cup snap peas
1 green pepper, cut into chunk size pieces
½ a white onion, cut into chunk size pieces

Directions:

For the Chicken:
Evenly coat the inside of a crock pot with nonstick cooking spray.  Next, place the 4 chicken breasts on the bottom of the pot.  In a medium bowl, combine the lemonade concentrate, light brown sugar, ketchup, and vinegar.  Whisk together until well combined.  Pour the lemonade mixture over the chicken.  Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours.  Remove the chicken from the crock pot and place on a flat work surface.  Using two forks, shred the chicken into pieces and place in a bowl.  Cover with foil to keep warm.

In a small bowl, mix together the cornstarch and cold water.  Pour the remainder of the lemonade sauce from the crock pot into a skillet.  Simmer the sauce over a medium heat making sure to pour in the cornstarch mixture and then stir around until it’s completely combined.  Let the sauce continue to cook, over a medium heat for about 5 minutes, or until the sauce becomes thick or reaches your desired consistency.  Once ready, pour the sauce over the chicken and toss to evenly coat the chicken.

For the Veggies:

 

Place the olive oil in a medium to large skillet, over a medium heat, and allow the skillet to warm up for about a minute.  Now, add in all the vegetables and sauté until done.  This may take a few minutes, depending on how crunchy or soft you like your vegetables.

To assemble:
Scoop some brown rice onto a clean plate, top the rice with some veggies, and then place on top of that a spoonful of chicken.  Garnish with sesame seeds and enjoy!

Slightly adapted from Six Sisters' Stuff