Crockpot Chicken and Broccoli Over Rice

Ingredients
Makes 4-6 Servings

• 3-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 14 ounce can Cream of Chicken Soup
• 14 ounce can Broccoli Cheese Soup
• 14 ounces Chicken Broth
• a pinch - Black Pepper, Celery Salt, White Pepper, Cayenne pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
• 6 cups steamed broccoli florets (Boiled in hot water for 3 minutes then drained)
• Shredded cheddar cheese (if desired - we use it to top)

Directions

1. Place soups, chicken broth, seasonings and garlic salt into a crockpot over low heat.  Whisk until smooth.  Add chicken, pressing to the bottom. Cover lid and cook on low for 6 hours or on high for 3 hours.
2. When chicken is cooked, use forks to shred into pieces.  Stir in broccoli
3. Serve over steamed rice and sprinkle with cheese if desired.

[pictures coming soon]

Super Easy Shredded Chicken Tacos

So, I really don't like meals that take me forever to put together, I usually realize I have no ingredients for most of what I want to make.  My favorite thing, is my crockpot.  This meal was totally made for me!  We've been in a funk lately.  Today, I decided to give chicken tacos a shot.  SO EASY!!  

This is what you need.
1 package Taco Seasoning (do not mix with water)
4 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts, (I used frozen)1 16oz jar Salsa (any kind you want)

1 can black beans

Dump all ingredients into a crockpot.  Cook on high for 4 to 6 hours or on low for 6 to 8 hours. When done, the chicken will shred easily with a fork.

Serve over tortillas (we used flour), with lettuce, cheese, avocado, whatever you love with your tacos!!

{photos coming soon}

Yummy Chicken Cream cheese in the crockpot!

I found this recipe via Pinterest.  I decided to try it and give it my own spin!

the Recipe calls for the following:
- Bag of frozen Chicken Breast Tenderloins (2.5-3lb bag)
- 8 oz block of cream cheese (don't use Fat Free! 1/3 less fat or regular is fine)
- Can of Black Beans, drained & rinsed. (or Pinto Beans if you prefer)
- Can of Corn, drained.
- Can of Rotel

Differences in mine:
I used two Large frozen breasts, 1/3 less fat cream cheese, and half jar Hot Salsa (I didn't have any Rotel).  But otherwise I used the black beans and the corn.  

Directions:
Put frozen chicken in the crock pot.
Put Cream cheese on top of the chicken.
Dump in the Black Beans (make sure they are drained & rinsed!!!)
Dump in the drained corn.
Dump in the Salsa.

Cover & cook in your Crock Pot on low for 6-8 hours.
I stirred it after 5 hours
You can shred the chicken when it is done, or just leave it as is.
This is what it looks like after 6 hours (shredded):

I served it on a 100% whole wheat tortilla with Cheese and spanish rice.  Hubby loved it!  I took photos, but must find them!

Cranberry Chicken - My #1 Favorite

I do not like cranberries, I do not like jellied cranberry on my turkey at Thanksgiving, but I absolutely LOVE cranberry chicken!  The flavor is so delicious and it is probably my #1 favorite chicken meal.  I think, no I know, that when my hubby and I were married the first year, it's pretty much all I made and he was so sick of it!  But that's what happens when you marry someone who doesn't have much sense in cooking unless she has a recipe.  I'm still that girl, but I'm getting more daring.

Here's what you will need:
Skinless Chicken breasts (I usually cook 4)
1/2 package of onion soup mix (shake to get mixed up)
1 -  14oz can of jellied cranberry
4-6 oz - French or Russian salad dressing (This will be up to you, I don't like mine so runny, I like a thicker sauce)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Mix:  Onion Soup mix, cranberry sauce, & dressing together.  Pour over washed chicken that has been patted dry with paper towels.  (I know there has been tons of debate as to whether or not you should in fact wash chicken, but I'm so diligent about keeping the juices off everything)  Bake for 45min-1hour.

I usually serve mine with Wild rice and Peas.  I love to smother the entire dish in the extra cranberry sauce.


So I will apologize for the lack of a beautiful image, this bed rest thing makes it very difficult for my "keepers" to let me get up and photograph food.  Which is making me very sad!!  I'm going through a photography withdrawal.  But they also aren't "styling" my food before they serve it to me.

Firecracker Chicken Pasta

I love spicy pasta!  Who doesn't want to add a little spice to their life.  This was pretty easy to make, the sauce was a bit harder, but I always like my cream sauce to be a little on the runny side, so 2cups of half and half just wasn't enough for me.  You can also add in some grape tomatoes, but no one in my house eats those, so we omit them.

Veggies & Pasta

4 - 8 oz. Penne Pasta (I cook al dente in salt water according to pkg directions & we like less pasta)
2 tbsp. olive oil, divided
2 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts, cut in 1″ cubes (could also use shrimp)
¼ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper
½ c. Onion, diced
2 cloves Garlic, minced
1-2 Bell Peppers, long thin slices (I use yellow, red or orange)
1 c. Broccoli florets
1 c. Asparagus, chopped in 1″ pieces

Cook your pasta and let it drain.
Sprinkle the chicken breast with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tbsp. oil in a skillet over medium heat and cook chicken until done and golden on all sides. Remove and let rest in a large bowl.

Add the remaining olive oil and begin sauteing the onions for 2 min. Add in the garlic and bell pepper and saute another 2 mins. Then toss in any other woody veggies  (broccoli, asparagus) saving the tomatoes until the very end.

When everything is cooked, combine the veggies with the chicken in your big bowl.  Now its time for the sauce!

Spicy Cream Sauce

2 tbsp. butter

2 tbsp. flour 

2c. half & half  (I use more to make my sauce a little thinner)

1/4 tsp. of red pepper flakes

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

1 c. Parmesan cheese

Melt the butter over medium heat. Toss in the flour and stir, cooking 1-2 minutes.

Slowly add in the half and half while stirring to prevent any clumps from forming.  Sprinkle in the red pepper flakes and allow to simmer until you see boiling action.  Stir periodically.

When your sauce begins to thicken and bubble, turn off the heat and add in your cheese. Stir until melty

To assemble everything I like to add the pasta first so it gets nice and coated with sauce and then pour the rest of the goodies in.

Sprinkle cayenne pepper on top to add the firecracker flavor (you could probably add it to the cream sauce, but it is too spicy for my 3-year old so I do it after I have served him and put some aside for leftovers for him.)

Italian Chicken in the Crockpot!

I'm all about the crock pot!  Summer's here in Arizona are NOT meant for oven usage or grilling!  So while everyone else is happy outside grilling, all we'd have to do is throw the food on the sidewalk to cook it.  Sounds yummy right?  No, which is why the crock pot is such an easy thing!  It doesn't make the house hot like the oven, and you're not melting using the grill!  

This was an amazingly easy meal to make!  Even better was that my 3-year old tasted it!  How often does that happen?  

4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts (I did use frozen breasts)

16 Ounce Bottle of Italian Dressing (I used low fat)

1/2 Cup of Parmesan Cheese

Italian Seasoning

4-6 Potatoes scrubbed cut in half or wedges (you can peel if desired)

1/2 bag of mini carrots

Spray crock with Pam

Squirt a small amount of Italian dressing at bottom of crock-pot.

Place two chicken breasts in crock.

Pour some of the Italian dressing on the chicken.

Sprinkle half of cheese onto the chicken.

Sprinkle Italian seasoning onto the chicken.

Place next two chicken breasts into crock-pot, if possible not directly on top of the first breasts.

Sprinkle remaining cheese on top of chicken.

Pour carrots on top

Pour more of the Italian dressing on top of chicken and carrots.

Sprinkle Italian seasoning onto the chicken and carrots.

Place potatoes on top.

Pour the remaining Italian dressing on the potatoes.

Sprinkle Italian seasoning on the potatoes.

Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

I apologize now for the horrible plated photograph, this is what happens when the natives are restless.