One of the things I love to use but not quite as much as I should, is my crock pot. I just love a dump’n’go meal and this Crack Chicken – Dairy Free | Paleo | Keto is exactly that ….a dump and go meal!
Truth be told, when I added the ingredients to the crock pot, I didn’t really know what I was doing. I literally plopped in some chicken, seasonings and at the last minute, I decided to toss in a tub of Kite Hill Cream “Cheese” Spread. When I shared this on my stories on IG, I got a handful of messages that I was making ‘Crack Chicken’. Hmmmm…..ok. I had never heard of Crack Chicken and I wasn’t even sure how it was served – I was merely prepping some chicken to have on hand for a quick lunch or dinner. Either way ….it’s been a hit at my house using the chicken in various ways.
Dairy vs. Non-Dairy
As mentioned, I do use a non-dairy cream “cheese”. It works well for me and honestly, I don’t really notice a difference in texture or taste. Since consuming dairy gives me a queasy tummy sometimes, I am so grateful that products like Kite Hill even exist. I will be dabbling with it in the upcoming months to make cheese cake or other fall flavored treats so all you non-dairy peeps can enjoy some treats! You can certainly use regular cream cheese if you prefer and can tolerate it, however …I suggest taking dairy out of your diet for at least 30 days.
Sometimes we aren’t even aware that dairy is effecting our system’s. Once you’ve rid yourself of dairy for a good month, you might notice how much better you feel and/or don’t feel bloated. Slowly reintroducing dairy and paying attention to your body will allow you time, to see if you do have some reactions to it. More often than not for me, I become a little bloated and start to feel a bit queasy….and that’s with a touch of dairy – I don’t even know how I’d react if I gave in to a lot of it. But I would have never even known this if I hadn’t eliminated it from my diet for a period of time. Frankly, I assumed that it was normal to feel bloated. I loved cream cheese and it was hard to take it out of my diet but it was worth it in the long run because I began to feel so much better and now, with brands coming out with various versions for us to substitute with, we can “have our cake and eat it too”! If you are looking for other fun ways to incorporate a non-dairy version, I do have this Keto & Paleo Lemon Pound Cake that is delish and has been a huge crowd pleaser!
Cook While You Work (or Play)
I often forget how easy it is to dump ingredients into a crock pot and leave, whether it’s heading off to work or getting out and enjoying the day. Either way, it’s such a convenient appliance to have and great to walk into a home filled with the aroma’s of food – ready to eat! I like this one because it’s simple and basic. I personally don’t need a bunch of bells and whistles but to each their own. I have a Paleo Crockpot Chili that is so freakin’ good and perfect for the upcoming fall and winter weather – so dust off your crock pot or if you haven’t got one, grab one and get this recipe ready for your whole family to love! I prep the chili on Sunday and it’s great to have on hand throughout the week.
I digress. Back to regularly scheduled programming – the Crack Chicken – Dairy Free | Paleo | Keto. It’s about a 3-5 minute prep and then you walk away for 8 hours and done. I’ve even tossed my chicken in frozen, so if you’ve forgotten to defrost your meat, don’t worry – it still works! If you have already been a fan of Crack Chicken, please let me know how this compares. My whole family is addicted to ‘my version’ but since we have nothing to compare it to, I don’t know what the difference is. Although – since it’s so addicting, we’ll still call it Crack Chicken and not really worry too much about the differences in traditional recipes. I’d still love to hear what you think so please …..do tell after you’ve tried this! Enjoy!
Crack Chicken
Ingredients:
4 chicken breasts – skinless/boneless
1 cup chicken broth
1 tub Kite Hill Cream “Cheese” Spread
6 thick slices of bacon
Bacon drippings
2 tsp onion flakes
1 tsp onion powder
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp dill weed
1 tsp paprika
1 1/2 tsp parsley
2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
Instructions:
Pour chicken broth into crockpot and add chicken breasts.
Shake on all seasonings over top of chicken and dollop the tub of cream “cheese” spread onto chicken.
Turn on crockpot to 8 hrs/low.
Cook up 6 pieces of bacon and set to the side. Cut into bits when cooled. Save bacon grease.
Once chicken is done, shred using a couple of forks while in crockpot, making sure cream “cheese” is mixed through. Drizzle bacon grease into crockpot and incorporate. Add bacon bits to chicken now …or wait and top off when ready to eat.
Serve with lettuce wraps, over cauliflower rice, on top of salads, with crackers …or on its own!
