Sweet and Sour Chicken!!!

This recipe is great and works every time.  You can cook it two ways - baked in a casserole dish or throw it in the crock pot.  If you haven't already noticed by my previous posts - I LOVE my crock pot.  I use it at least once a week.  It's so easy and makes my house smell delicious all day. 

Sweet and Sour Chicken

1/4 cup butter or margarine

1/2 cup coarsely chopped green pepper

1/2 cup chopped onions
1/2 cup coarsely chopped carrots
1 Tbsp soy sauce
3/4 cup ketchup
1 cup pineapple juice
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp ground ginger
2 Tbsp vinegar (I prefer balsamic but white and apple cider work just as well.)
1/4 cup brown sugar
dash ground red pepper
1 cup pineapple chunks - drained
3 lbs chicken (I use chicken breasts but you can use tenders or whatever chicken you have.)

Cooking Instructions:

Baked:  In medium skillet, heat butter until melted, add onion, green pepper and carrots; cook and stir 5 minutes.  Stir in ketchup, pineapple juice, vinegar, sugar, soy sauce, garlic slat, salt, pepper and ginger.  Cook, stirring constantly until mixture boils.  Add pineapple chunks.  Arrange chicken in baking dish.  Pour sauce over.  Bake in 400 degree oven, covered with aluminum foil for 45 minutes.  Uncover and bake 30 minutes longer until chicken is done.  Serve over rice.

Crock Pot: Place frozen chicken in the bottom of your crock pot and pour the pineapple over the top.  Mix the other ingredients in a large bowl and then pour that over the chicken.  Cook on high 2-4 hours (until chicken is completely cooked and tender).  Cut the chicken into bite size pieces and return to the crock pot.  Serve over rice.

*You can make this a sugar free dish by trading the brown sugar for your favorite brown sugar substitute.

*The sauce is also great as a dipping sauce.  Add 2 Tbsp corn starch to 1/4 cup cold water.  Add this to the boiling sauce an stir.  Then puree in a blender.  Wonderful with won tons or egg rolls.  Enjoy!