slow cooker honey mustard drumsticks with tangy apple slaw

i've mentioned before how big of a fan i am of my slow cooker. now that we're in the thick of winter, there are few things better than coming home to a big pot of soup, stew, or chicken, with relatively little work. the problem is that i quickly get sick of those things - there's only so much chicken breast i can eat. so i was pleasantly surprised when flipping through my copy of slow cooker revolution to find a couple recipes for drumsticks. these are delicious - just enough sweetness for my taste and crispy from the blast in the oven at the end. coupled with the slaw and a loaf of italian bread, it is a nice reminder of food to come in the summer.

looking for some other great slow cooker recipes? check out the archives or my slow cooker board on pinterest.

slow cooker honey mustard drumsticks
adapted from slow cooker revolution
10min prep, 6+ hrs cook, 30min finish; serves 4-6

about 4 pounds bone in chicken drumsticks
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoon dry mustard
3/4 cup dijon mustard
1/2 cup honey

1. place the drumsticks in a 4+ quart slow cooker. mix sugar and dry spices together and rub all over chicken.
2. mix dijon and honey together. pour about half of the mixture over the chicken and toss to coat. cover & refrigerate the remaining mixture.
3. cover and cook until the chicken is tender, at least 6 hours on low.
4. heat your oven to 450F and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. transfer chicken to the baking sheet. if the skin is falling off the chicken, you can either remove it completely & discard or try to put it back on the chicken. either way works.
5. brush the chicken with about half of the reserved dijon honey mixture. bake until crisp, about 10 minutes.
6. flip chicken and coat with the remaining dijon honey mixture. bake an additional 10 minutes until crisp. serve with the slaw.

tangy apple slaw
adapted from slow cooker revolution
10min prep, 1hr wait + 10min active, 1hr chill; serves 4-6

1 mini cabbage or half a head of green cabbage, chopped
1/4 cup cider vinegar
3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 1/2 teaspoons dijon mustard
pinch red pepper flakes
1 granny smith apple, cut into matchsticks
1 scallion, thinly sliced

1. toss the cabbage with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and let drain in a colander until wilted, about 1 hour.
2. in a small saucepan, bring the vinegar, sugar, oil, dijon, and red pepper flakes to a boil over medium heat. stir and simmer just until the sugar is dissolved. remove from heat.
3. while the dressing is boiling/cooling, prep the rest of the slaw. rinse cabbage with cold water, dry in a salad spinner, and transfer to a large bowl.
4. toss with the apple, scallion, and dressing to coat. chill in the refrigerator until cold, about 1 hour.

2014.03.10 this was ilona's kitchen's pick for the secret recipe club!