Homemade Spices and Such

I've recently came across a new homemade spice recipe that I'd like to share. It's simply called "Chicken Seasoning". It's from The Grocery Shrink blog and part of a delicious tuna noodle casserole recipe.

Chicken Seasoning:
3 Tbsp onion powder
3 Tbsp salt
1.5 Tbsp basil
1 Tbsp garlic powder
1 tsp oregano

Mix well and it makes a tastey seasoning salt for chicken, veggies or fish.

This find reminded me of my Papa John's "Magic Cajun Seasoning". Long before Emeril created his Essence, my grandfather created this combination. This is great on steak, brisket, porkloin, or even chicken. Compare it to Lawerys, but with more kick... and better... and less expensive.

Magic Cajun Seasoning:
1/3 cup salt
1/4 cup garlic powder
1/4 cup ground black pepper
1/3 cup paprika
3 Tbsp onion powder
2 Tbsp thyme
2 Tbsp oregano

Warning: It makes a bunch, because everything Papa John did was big. That was part of his charm and probably why we miss him so much. He was larger-than-life and left a big hole. Thankfully, he shared his recipes with me, some of them handed down from great-grandparents in Sicily, and I can keep a little piece of him and my heritage.

Just to have a reason to mix these spices up, here's a recipe that can use one or both.

Roticerie Chicken in the Crockpot::
1 whole chicken
3-4 Tbsp of Chicken Seasoning or Magic Cajun Seasoning (or both)
1 onion
2-3 cloves of garlic
Aluminum foil

Wash and pat the chicken dry inside and out. Cut onion into quarters and garlic cloves in half and stuff the chicken. Sprinkle generous helpings of your preferred seasoning (or both) to coat the chicken.

Role aluminum foil into approximately six golfball-sized balls and place in the bottom of the crock pot. Place chick on top of foil balls breast up and cook on low for eight hours. The chicken will come out fall-off-the-bone-tender and the skin will be brown and crispy, like it was roticerie roasted.

I'm currently looking for something reusable to replace the foil, like ceramic ramikins or a small muffin pan. Let me know if you find something that works.

This is a budget-friendly meal as you can usually find whole chickens for $0.79 - $1.59/lb. every day at any grocery store. If you have a smaller family, debone the chicken and freeze some of it for enchiladas or quesidillas.