Crockpot Orange Chicken--Tomorrow's Dinner

I haven't tried this recipe yet, so don't get super excited yet.  It is from Oprah.com so it must be good, RIGHT?

I need to start planning meals better. I usually just decide after lunch what I feel like making for dinner. That is not a helpful strategy for grocery shopping and even worse for cooking.  I have a list of things you should always have in your pantry.  Like hundreds of items.  I probably have 10 of them.

Time to turn over a new leaf and make real meals and have "fun" doing it.


Crockpot Orange Chicken
Serves 3 to 4

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds boneless chicken, cut into 2-inch chunks
• 1/2 cup flour (such as Pamela's Baking & Pancake Mix)
• Olive oil, for browning the chicken
• 1 Tbsp. kosher salt
• 6 ounces (1/2 can) frozen orange-juice concentrate, thawed (preferably little to no pulp, since the pulp can taste a bit bitter when cooked)
• 3 Tbsp. brown sugar
• 1 tsp. balsamic vinegar
• 3 Tbsp. ketchup

Directions

Note: Use a 4-quart slow cooker for best results.

Dredge the chicken pieces with the flour, and shake off the excess. Go ahead and throw away any remaining flour; we won't need it. Heat olive oil in a large skillet on the stove and brown the chicken on all sides. There is no need to fully cook the chicken, just sear it enough for the flour to stick to and coat it nicely.

Plop the chicken pieces into your slow cooker. In a small mixing bowl, combine the orange-juice concentrate, brown sugar, balsamic vinegar, salt and ketchup. Taste. If you'd like the chicken to be a bit sweeter, add a touch more sugar. Pour sauce mixture evenly over the chicken, and toss gingerly to coat.

Cover and cook on low for 6 hours, or on high for 3 to 4. Serve over white or brown rice.