Crock Pot Chicken Tacos

Ok, so I got this great recipe off of Pinterest last year at some point.  It is SO easy, only 3 ingredients!  Plus, it's a dump and go recipe!  Those are some of my favorites.  We have made these several times.  I got the original recipe from here.

Ingredients:

• 6 boneless skinless chicken breasts (can be frozen)
• 1 packet taco seasoning
• 1 16oz jar Salsa (we usually use pace picante, I have used both medium and mild)

Directions:

1.  Place chicken in crock pot, sprinkle packet of taco seasoning over the chicken, dump the salsa on top.

2.  Cook on low for 4-6 hours.

3.  Remove chicken from crock pot and shred. (At this point you can serve it if you want to, but I like to put it back in the pot)

4.  Stir and cook a few minutes longer, so the chicken can absorb some of the sauce.

5.  Serve and enjoy.

You can add whatever you want to your tacos.  We used sour cream, onions (hubby), black olives, tomatoes, lettuce, and cheese.

Whole Chicken in the Crock Pot

I've always been a boneless skinless chicken kinda person, but with a family of 6, that's a lot of chicken!  I recently decided to buy some whole chickens, that I got a great price on.  I love my slow cooker, and what better way to cook a whole chicken then in the slow cooker?  Just dump everything in and let it cook while you go about your day.  I spent less then $4 on the whole chicken and we even have left overs.  Yesterday was a pretty busy day with Voting, grocery shopping and taking my daughter to Ballet, so it was the perfect day to use the slow cooker.  I had taken my chicken out of the freezer Monday morning knowing I wanted to cook it on Tuesday.


Whole Chicken in the Crock Pot

Ingredients:

• 1 whole chicken 
• 1/2 c chicken broth
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1/2 tsp ground thyme
• 1 small onion*
• 3-4 carrots*
• 3-4 medium russet potatoes*

*you can add or subtract the amounts of the veggies, these are just rough guidelines.  I just kind of eyeball it and stop when I think it's enough for all of us.

Directions:

After removing the neck and giblets from the chicken place it breast side up in your crock pot.

Next add the chicken broth and the spices.

Cut up the Onions, carrots and potatoes and add them to the crock pot. (the onions are hidden and there are more carrots under the potatoes, I decided to add extra carrots)

Cook on low for 4-6 hours.  

Mine cooked for 5 hours and when I went to take it out of the crock pot the legs, thighs and wings all fell off in the pot and had to be removed separately.

Serve and Enjoy ~

Chipotle Sausage and Rice

This is a recipe that I made up as I went LOL. I had gotten a BUNCH of Johnsonville chipotle and monterey jack chicken sausage because I got it for $.99 each. Everyone loved it and I have made it several times since.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups uncooked rice
• 1 package Johnsonville chipotle and monterey jack chicken sausage, sliced
• 1 cup corn
• 1 can black beans, drained
• 2 cans tomato sauce
• 1 can rotel, drained
• 1/4 c onion, diced
• salt
• pepper
• cumin
• chili powder

Directions:

1. Cook rice in separate pot according to directions on package.  This should yield 4 cups of cooked rice.  Do all other steps while the rice is cooking.
2. Use a skillet to cook the sausage and onion about 5-10 mins.
3. Once the sausage is cooked add the corn, beans, rotel, and tomato sauce.
4. Add salt, pepper, cumin, and chili powder, all to taste (can add more or less to change how hot/spicy you would like it)
5. Stir and bring to a simmer.
6. When the rice is done, pour everything in the skillet over the rice and stir.
7. Serve and enjoy.

Enjoy ~

Chicken Stew (crockpot)

We had Chicken Stew made in the slow cooker last night.  It was my 2nd time making this recipe that I found on Pinterest.  I wanted a really good stew, so I went looking for one.  I found this one, and then I tweaked it to fit what I wanted.  Austin claimed to 'not like it' last night when he sat down to eat....yet when offered with the prospect of having the 1 and only chocolate yogurt, he was able to down it without any issues.

Here is the original recipe that I got found on Pinterest....http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=7854  But I am going to post my ingredients and how I cooked it here in my blog.  The original recipe calls for mushrooms, but even tho I am a mushroom lover, I left it out of this recipe because I just don't see mushrooms as part of a stew.

The really great thing about this recipe is this is a dump and go!  Just dump it all in the crockpot, then let it cook, no extra steps.

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs chicken (skinless and boneless) 
• 2 cups carrots, chopped
• 4 cups potatoes, chopped
• 1 cup celery, chopped **
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1tsp basil
• 1 tsp marjoram
• 1 tsp thyme
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 2 cans cream of chicken soup
• 1 tsp lemon juice

Directions:

1.  Cut up the chicken, potatoes, carrots, celery and onion and dump it in the crock pot.

** I didn't have any celery in the house, so I left it out this time.

2.  Sprinkle on all the spices.

Spicy!

3.  Add the lemon juice, chicken broth, and cream of chicken soup.

4.  Cook on high for 4 hours, or on low all day.

5.  I use some cornstarch to thicken the sauce up a bit, this is really optional, but I prefer the sauce a bit thicker in a stew.  I just do it a little bit before serving, so it has time to thicken up, then I serve it.

Enjoy ~

Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches (Crockpot)

I found this recipe on Pinterest, I loved the fact that it was only 3 ingredients, and it was made in the slow cooker, bonus was being able to throw the chicken in frozen (because hey, sometimes I forget to defrost it over night!)

Every time I talk about having it for dinner, people ask about it and I type out the recipe.  I know it's a quick and easy recipe, but I figured I would share it here (and then I can just post the link!)

I didn't get any pictures last night when I made it, since I am still looking for the battery charger for my phone.

Here is the original post that I got it from on Pinterest (my pin linked back to this) http://myfindsonline.com/2012/03/20/crockpot-buffalo-chicken/

If you follow me on Pinterest I have this pinned on both my 'slow cooker' board and my 'pinned it tried it' board.  If you are not a follower, then click 'Follow me on Pinterest' in the top right of my blog!  What are you waiting for?

Now, onto the recipe!!

Ingredients:

3-5lbs of boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 packet ranch dressing
1 12oz bottle franks Red Hot Buffalo Sauce


Directions:

Place chicken on crockpot (can be frozen).  Pour bottle of Franks over the chicken.  Sprinkle ranch dressing packet over the top.  Place the lid on it and cook for 4-6 hours on low.

When it's done cooking, remove the chicken and shred it (I use 2 forks).  Caution, the chicken will be VERY tender and will fall apart on you when you try to remove it!  Once it is all shredded put back in the crockpot and mix it all together.  Let it cook a bit longer to soak up some of the yummy juices.

Serve on a bun or a roll.  We usually add Provolone or swiss cheese to it.  For a side we usually have chips, or a side salad.

See how quick and easy that was?!  And it tastes amazing too!!!

Enjoy~

Summer #BlogChallenge #18 A recipe I love

Today I get to blog about a recipe I love!  One of our families' favorite desserts is Cherry Cream Pie!  I've already shared this yummy recipe here on the blog, so all you have to do is click HERE to go read all about it!

Alfredo Sauce

For dinner tonight we are having Chicken Helper (Hamburger Helper for chicken lol) Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo. I L.O.V.E. Fettuccine Alfredo, but alas I do not know how to make it from scratch. I've tried a few different brands of bottled Alfredo sauces, made by some of the spaghetti sauce makers, but never found one that I liked. I know that if I did a google search there would be hundreds of recipes at my fingertips...but for something that could make or break your ENTIRE dinner, that's a pricey trial and error system to use LOL.

So, do any of you have a good Alfredo sauce recipe you would be willing to share with me? Or do I have to resort to trying who knows how many googled recipes lol.

Turn the Table Thursday 7/14

Around my Family Table is hosting Turning the Table Thursday

Hop on over, link up, or find a new recipe you'd like to try!

I linked up my Applesauce Pancakes.

Carole's Chicken

This is another recipe I got from my mom. It's super easy to make and the kids love it, even my picky eater! This is what we had for dinner tonight.

Carole's Chicken

Ingredients

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 T. vegetable oil (I use olive oil)
• 2 cans cream of chicken soup (or 1 family size)
• 1 1/2 c. milk
• 1 t. dried rosemary leaves
• 1 t. black pepper

Serve this meal with Rice

Directions

In large skillet, brown chicken in oil; remove. In same skillet combine soup, milk, rosemary leaves and pepper. Heat to boiling. Return chicken to skillet and simmer 10 minutes or until chicken is cooked.

My mom serves it over rice. I put the rice on the side with the sauce over it.

New York Roast Beef

This is a great recipe I got from my mom. We all love it and it's very easy to make.

Ingredients

• 1 Beef rib roast or eye of round roast
• 1 T. cooking or olive oil
• 1/2 t. garlic powder
• 1 t. salt
• 1/2 t. paprika
• 1/2 t. pepper
• 1 t. ground oregano

Directions

Rub oil over entire surface of meat. Combine remaining ingredients; rub over roast. Place meat in shallow baking dish with fat side up (I always trim the fat of all my roasts when I buy them before freezing)
Bake at 350* for 20 minutes per pound. The result will be a brown outer surface with an even rareness in the middle. Use a meat thermometer to cook to desired degree of doneness (i.e.rare, medium, well done).

Enjoy ~

Mexican Chicken Casserole

This is a recipe I saw in the Feb. issue of All You Magazine. It looked really good, it's a dinner for under $10, and it seems pretty healthy too! Everyone liked it, even the kids. So here ya go, I hope you like it too!

Mexican Chicken Casserole

Ingredients

• 12oz boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces.
• 1tsp taco seasoning
• 1 red or green pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1 1/2 cups prepared salsa*
• 2ozs cream cheese
• 1 15oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 tomato chopped
• 2 6-inch whole-wheat tortillas
• 1/2 cup shredded mexican cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375*F. Warm a large nonstick skillet over medium heat; mist with cooking spray. Add chicken and taco seasoning and cook, stirring for 2 minutes.

Add bell peppers and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in salsa; cook for 2 minutes.

Add cream cheese; cook, stirring constantly, until melted and blended, about 2 minutes. Stir in beans and tomato.

2. Spoon 1/3 of chicken mixture into an 8-inch square baking dish. **

Cover with 1 tortilla, then spoon in 1/2 of cheese. Top with remaining tortilla and chicken mixture.

3. Cover and bake until heated through, about 20 minutes. Uncover and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake, uncovered, until cheese has melted, about 5 minutes longer. Serve hot.

* 1 16oz jar when poured into my measuring cup measured out to 1 1/2 cups.
** I didn't have a square, so I used a rectangle baking dish, because of this, I used 1 1/2 tortilla's for each layer. Next time I think I will try my round one.

I'm not really a fan of green peppers, and neither are the kids. Hubby doesn't like tomatoes. So next time I will leave both of those out, since they are basically covered with the salsa.

Enjoy ~

Chicken Tortilla Soup

This is a great recipe I got from my dear friend Jaye. I had been looking online for a good recipe for it. Yet all the recipes I was finding only used chicken and salsa with some chicken broth and the cheese and chips. I had had this soup at restaurants before and it always had beans and or corn too. I wanted a recipe like that, I wanted a hearty filling soup. So I asked Jaye if she had a recipe for it, not only did she have one, it had all the things in it I wanted! I am sharing this recipe with Jaye's permission. This soup is "Nummy" as my 2 year old said when he was eating it lol.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Ingredients

• 1 onion, chopped

• 3 cloves garlic, minced, less if it's too much

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 2 teaspoons chili powder

• 1 teaspoon dried oregano

• 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes

• 1 (10.5 ounce) can condensed chicken broth, or 2 chicken bullion cubes, which is what I use because I prefer the flavor

• 1 1/4 cups water

• 1 cup whole corn kernels, cooked

• 1 cup white hominy**

• 1 (4 ounce) can chopped green Chile peppers if you want to add them

• 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained, I actually like to use a half can of black and a half can of light red or pinto beans

• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

• 2 to 3 boneless chicken breast halves, cooked and cut into bite-sized pieces if you prefer the white meat, which for this soup its preferred

• crushed tortilla chips

• shredded Monterey Jack cheese

• chopped green onions, if you like

Directions

1. In a medium stock pot, heat oil over medium heat. Saute onion and garlic in oil until soft.

Stir in chili powder, oregano, tomatoes, broth, and water. Bring to a boil, and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes.

2. Stir in corn, hominy, chilies, beans, cilantro, and chicken. Simmer for 10 minutes.

3. Ladle soup into individual serving bowls, and top with crushed tortilla chips, cheese, and chopped green onion.

** That is Jaye's recipe as she gave it to me. I left out the hominy, because we're not fans of it. So instead I used 1 whole can of Black Beans and 1 whole can of Pinto beans, instead of a half can of each. We also didn't top with green onions, since my husband is the only fan of green onions...but he thinks they would be awesome on top 8)

Enjoy ~

Red Beans and Rice

This is a great slow cooker recipe I got from my mom. My mom is so awesome...I requested several of my favorite recipes she made when I was growing up, so she made me a cookbook of her recipes. She made one for my brother too and my friends Kris and Terri.

Red Beans and Rice

Ingredients

• 1-2lbs smoked sausage (I use hot links for extra kick)
• 1 med. onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 1/4 c. chopped green peppers (optional)
• 1 can (28oz) crushed tomatoes
• 2 cans (15 oz) red kidney beans (I use 1 light and 1 dark for presentation)
• 1-2 (15oz) cans tomato sauce
• 2-3 Tbsp chili powder
• 2-3 Tbsp cajun seasoning
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Slice sausage and place in slow cooker together with onion, garlic and green pepper (optional). Cook until meat starts to brown. Drain grease from pot. Return slow cooker to base. Add all other ingredients and stir until blended. Cook on medium until done (2-3 hours). Serve over rice.

Notes

Season with chili powder and cajun seasoning to your own personal taste. I personally only use 1 tbsp of each because I use hot links.

Enjoy ~

Baked Boneless Pork Chops

When I was younger I wasn't a huge fan of park chops. I hated the bones, and they were usually greasy (sorry mom, I still love your cooking!). So I was looking for some easy pork chop recipes. I only buy the boneless since I hate the bones. I found this recipe on cooks.com. I have also wrapped the pork chops with bacon when I added them to the baking dish.

Baked Boneless Pork Chops

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup al purpose flour
• 2 tsp paprika
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 2lbs boneless pork chops
• 1/2 cups butter
• 1 minced small onions
• 1/2 cup minced green peppers
• 1 can (4oz) sliced mushrooms, drained
• 2 cups milk
• juice of 1 lemon (2 tbsp lemon juice if you don't have any lemons)

1. Mix 1/4 cup flour, paprika, salt and pepper. Dredge chops lightly in mixture. Brown chops on both sides in butter.

2. Transfer to shallow baking dish. Add onion, green pepper and mushrooms to skillet. Cook until onion is soft and golden. (I don't normally use green peppers)

3. Stir in remaining 1/4 cup flour. Blend in milk, stirring constantly and cook until sauce is smooth and thickened. Remove from heat; stir in lemon juice. Pour sauce over chops.

4. Bake, uncovered, in preheated over 350*F for 1 hour.

Enjoy ~