Slow Cooker Garlic & Brown Sugar Chicken

I'm back!  One thing my grandma truly loved was food, and she would not want me to stop sharing recipes.  I may not have adopted her Southern ways of cooking, (no fat-back or collard greens for me, thank you) but I do share her love of all things food.  I even taught her a thing or two...for example, she thought she hated pumpkin until my pumpkin breads and muffins :-)

Today, I wanted to share a crock-pot recipe.  I love using my crock pot, and have been trying lots of different recipes to build up a good rotation.  For a while, it seemed like everything I slow-cooked (mainly chicken!) always came out tasting the same...bland.  Of course, a lot of the recipes have had similar ingredients, b/c I just can't be too creative with my family.  They have really boring taste buds ;)  This chicken dish, found at Six Sister's Stuff, was a hit with everyone. Except Mr. Three, who eats nothing worth mentioning.

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Slow Cooker Brown Sugar & Garlic Chicken 

adapted from Six Sisters' Stuff

4-6 chicken breasts *I used 2 lbs boneless/skinless chicken breasts
1 cup packed brown sugar *I used 3/4 cup
2/3 cup vinegar  *I used apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup lemon-lime soda *I used Sprite Zero
2-3 Tablespoons minced garlic *I used about 1 1/2 T. fresh minced garlic
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
2 Tablespoons corn starch
2 Tablespoons water
Red pepper flakes (optional) 

Directions:

• Spray slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray. (Crock pot liners are also great!)
• Place chicken (frozen, thawed or fresh) inside slow cooker. 
• Mix together the sugar, vinegar, soda, garlic, soy sauce, and pepper, and pour over chicken. 
• Cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 4 hours. (Frozen chicken will obviously need a longer cook time.)
• Remove chicken from slow cooker (it should basically fall apart) and pour remaining sauce into a saucepan over high heat. 
• Mix together corn starch and water, pour into saucepan, and mix well. Let sauce come to a boil and boil for 2-3 minutes, or until it starts to thicken and turns into a glaze. 
• Remove from heat and let sit for a minute or two (it will continue to thicken as it cools).
• Sprinkle red pepper flakes on top if desired.  

This can be served over rice or noodles, but we had ours with a baked potato on the side (It's good on top of the potato too!)

Verdict? Everyone enjoyed this.  I liked it because it was not too sweet like some of the other recipes I have tried, and the red pepper flakes gave it a nice little kick.  I bet it would be good with a little sriracha too!  The kids, of course, skipped the spice, and enjoyed it as is.  This, along with Sticky Chicken, will be made again.

I'm linking this up over at - Holly's Stamping Addiction, The Dedicated House, Homemaker on a Dime, Delightfully Dowling, Skip to My Lou, Making the World Cuter, Project Inspire, Moms Crazy Cooking; The Gooseberry Patch