Homemade Crock Pot Chicken Pot Pie!

I am a sucker for a good pot pie.  I don't have the patience to make the actual pie crust, though... so I cheated.  I used a reduced fat buttermilk biscuit and cut it in half.  I am super impressed with myself! I decided to just wing it and make up the recipe as I went.  I'm so glad it came together well.  I can't wait for my hubby to try it when he gets home.

Ingredients:

2-3 lbs. of boneless skinless chicken breasts (frozen)

2 small bags of frozen mixed vegetables (peas, carrots, green beans, corn)

1 can of condensed cream of chicken soup

1 packet of low sodium chicken gravy mix

1 can of Pillsbury low fat buttermilk biscuits

Optional: season to taste with salt, pepper, garlic powder etc.

Recipe: 

Thaw the chicken almost completely, then cut into 2" cubes.  (TIP: I find it's easier to cut chicken when it's still partially frozen).  Place the chicken on the bottom of the crock pot.  Layer the vegetables over top of the chicken.  Spread the cream of chicken soup over the vegetables.  Lastly, pour the gravy mix over everything.  Mix well.  Make sure the chicken is covered by the vegetables and soup.  Cook on high for 4 hours.  After 4 hours, shred the chicken and return it to the crock pot.  There will be plenty of liquid from the frozen vegetables and chicken to make the gravy.  The mixture should not be runny, it should remain thick.  Cook on high for an additional hour.  In the last 20 minutes, pre-heat the oven to the temperature recommended on the biscuit mix.  Bake the biscuits according to the directions.  Remove to let cool.  Cut the biscuit in half and assemble the chicken mixture on the bottom half of the biscuit, then place the top half of the biscuit on the chicken.  Enjoy!

Here is everything in the crock pot before cooking:

Here is the shredded chicken when added back to the crock pot: 

Here is everything being assembled:

And the finished product is the first picture before the recipe begins :) There is plenty left for the week, which is exactly what I was aiming for! 

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Julia's Orange Pork Chops

A few years ago, I visited my friend Julia.  We used to breed chinchillas and we found out we had a lot in common and our friendship has grown throughout the years.  We were visiting to hang out and talk about our pets and she made the most amazing pork chops in the crock pot.  We didn't have a crock pot for the longest time so I just never tried to replicate them at home... until now ;)  And they came out GREAT! Just like I remember. They were so good, I nearly forgot to take pictures!!

Here's what you'll need:
-2 lbs. of boneless pork chops (ours were a really thin cut)
-1-2 cups of ketchup
-1/4 cup of Worcestershire sauce
-2 cans of condensed cream of chicken soup
-salt and pepper to taste

Recipe:
Place the pork chops on the bottom of the crock pot.  Drench the Worcestershire sauce over the meat, then spread the ketchup over top of the meat.  Add the condensed cream of chicken soup.  Stir the mixture well then spread over the meat.  The color should be light red to dark orange.  As it cooks and the sauce thickens, you will get a distinct orange color.  If you started with frozen pork chops, cook on low for 6 hours, stirring once every hour.  If the sauce has not thickened by hour 5, turn it up to high and do not stir for the last hour.  If you start with thawed chops, cook on low for 4 hours, stirring once every hour.  If the sauce has not thickened by hour 3, turn it up to high and do not stir for the last hour.  You will know the pork is done when it begins to fall apart when you try to pick it up with tongs or a fork, carefully.  

You'll end up with a wonderful thick, orange glaze/gravy that is delicious on mashed potatoes.  It also makes a fantastic dip for fries! You'll have plenty left over.

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Shredded Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches!

Normally I don't like spicy food.  If I want spicy, I gravitate toward mild spicy stuff in Mexican food.  For the past week or so I have been craving some sort of spicy chicken... and I decided to try my hand at homemade shredded buffalo chicken.  I cannot wait to see how hubby likes this.  He's going to be elated.  He loves spicy food and we hardly ever have any haha.

I will add more pictures of our finished plates in a few hours.  We're going to have sandwiches with a side of rice.

Here's the progress:

Coating the semi-thawed chicken with ranch

Adding the wing sauce and mayonnaise

After adding milk to tone it down and shredding the chicken, I added 1/4 cup of margarine to the mix

All mixed together and cooked down, ready to assemble!  We didn't do anything special with our sandwiches.  Just added a piece of sliced cheese and put it on a store bought bun.  They were completely delicious, however! We had a side of herb and butter rice along with slightly cheesy steamed veggies.

TIP: thaw your chicken for a few hours before you start cooking, especially if you have really thick chicken breasts like we did.

Here is what you will need.

Ingredients:
-3 large boneless/skinless chicken breasts (at least 2 lbs. of chicken)
-1 12 oz. bottle of Frank's wings sauce (there is a sweet chile version that is milder if you would like to try)
-1 packet of Hidden Valley Ranch mix
-1 can condensed cream of celery soup
-1/2 cup low fat mayonnaise
-1/4 cup margarine (we have country crock on hand)
-Optional: 1/2 cup of 1% or skim milk to tone down the spicy factor- I chose to include it.

Recipe:
Place the semi-thawed chicken into the crockpot.  Cover the chicken with the dry ranch mix and the wing sauce.  Add the mayonnaise and celery soup and stir to combine.  Make sure the chicken is well coated.  Add the additional milk if desired and stir to combine.  Cook on low for 5-6 hours.  Poke the chicken with a fork.  If it slides off easily or begins to shred, it is ready to shred.  You can shred the chicken on a plate or cutting board, using two forks for stability.  Place the chicken back in the crockpot for an additional 45 minutes-1 hour to coat the shredded chicken.  Add the margarine when the chicken is placed back into the crockpot.  Serve on rolls, buns, rice, in taco shells, etc.  Enjoy! 

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Crockpot Ranch Porkchops With Vegetables

We made this for dinner last night and it turned out great! Our son, the picky eater, even ate some :) Made me one proud momma!

You can use chicken for this recipe, too.  It's a simple swap.  Everything goes into the crock pot together and a few hours later it's a delicious meal!  No sweat on your end ;)

I didn't get a chance to take pictures of the prep work or while it was cooking, but you can judge from the finished results.

Ingredients:
1 package of frozen pork chops (ours had 4 total)
1 package of frozen mixed vegetables (we had corn, green beans, carrots and asparagus)
1 can of condensed cream of chicken soup
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp paprika
1/2 package of Hidden Valley Ranch seasoning mix

Recipe:
Place the pork chops on the bottom of the crock pot.  Dump the frozen vegetables on top.  Spoon out the condensed cream of chicken soup and then add the seasonings and seasoning packet.  Spread the mixture evenly over the meat and vegetables.  Cook on low for 4-5 hours.  Check the pork to make sure it is cooked all the way through.  If needed, cook on high an additional 30-60 minutes.  The pork should come out super soft and cuts well with just a knife, not cooked enough that it shreds.  Serve with the gravy and vegetable mixture.

We had some mashed potatoes and wheat bread as our sides.  I used some of the gravy on my potatoes and put the veggies and gravy on the side.  It was a really filling meal!  Next time I am going to double the recipe so we have leftovers ;)

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Homemade Cinnamon Applesauce!

Originally from thefrugalgirls.com: http://thefrugalgirls.com/2010/10/homemade-crockpot-applesauce.html

We used the exact same recipe, only doubled.  It came out sooooo delicious!! We used a mix of Pink Lady apples and Fuji apples.  Next time I want to try a mix of apples and pears! I am so happy with the results.  We made it late at night because I wanted it for breakfast with pancakes in the morning :)  Even our son loves it!!

Here is a picture of the ingredients for the glaze as well as the chunked up apples in the crockpot.  We took the time to peel the apples and it's totally worth it.

Ingredients: 

-12 medium apples

-1 cup of water

-2 tablespoons of cinnamon (or more/less to taste)

-2 teaspoons of sugar (or more/less to taste)

-1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Recipe: 

Core and peel and chop apples into 1/2 inch chunks.  Place the apples in the crockpot.  In a separate bowl, combine the water, cinnamon, sugar and vanilla extract.  Mix well.  Pour the mixture over the apples and spread it evenly, stirring around to coat well.  Cover the crockpot and cook on low for 4-5 hours.  Once the apples are soft, mash them up into the desired texture.  You can use a handmixer or food processor to make it super smooth.  We chose to leave it chunky.  Enjoy!

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Black Bean & Corn Salsa Chicken

I am making a HUGE batch of taco chicken for the week.  I plan to use it for tacos, nachos, eat it over rice, and over lettuce.  It's great for my husband to take to work and it gives us lots of options.  You can use this recipe for dinner if you'd like.  Just cut back on the amounts of everything for smaller servings and adjust it to your liking :)

I was inspired by my favorite dip for tortilla chips! My husband makes a killer black bean corn salsa with a jalapeno and he seasons it with cumin, garlic powder and chili powder.  It's so good.  I figure I would just do that and then add chicken to make a meal out of it! I'm constantly craving the black beans and corn ;)

Pictured above are all of the seasonings I used for this yummy dish.  Salt, pepper, chili powder, green chile tabasco sauce, cumin, crushed red pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder.

Here is the frozen chicken, the black beans and corn.  I drained the black beans AND the corn.  There will be plenty of natural liquid from the green chiles and chicken.

Here is the finished product before cooking with the cans of green chiles added and all of the seasonings on top.  The seasonings are what makes the dish.  I may need to go back and add more as it cooks, actually.

So it's only 2:15pm.  Hubby's not home from work til around 5pm tonight but he's running to the store to get a few things for the rest of the week, so I have about another 4 hours for this to cook.  It started just after noon on warm.  The thin chicken breasts are already softened.  I also had some thicker chicken that is very much still frozen.  I've adjusted the temperature to high for now to get the chicken cooked through.  At about 4:30pm I will put it back on low so we can have super moist shredded chicken.

Ingredients:
-3 lbs. chicken breasts
-2 cans of yellow corn
-2 cans of black beans
-2 small cans of green chiles
-equal parts cumin, garlic powder, salt, pepper, chili powder, red pepper flakes (makes about 4 tablespoons total, the same amount as a taco seasoning baggie)
-4-5 small dashes of green chile tabasco sauce
Optional: sour cream, shredded cheese, avocado, additional taco fixings

Recipe:
Place chicken breasts on the bottom of the crockpot.  We took our straight from the freezer.  Layer the corn, black beans and chiles on top.  Use the mixed taco seasonings next, creating a layer on top.  Add the dashes of tabasco sauce.  Mix well.  Cook on medium (or high if no medium setting) for 4-5 hours.  Stir occasionally to ensure the chicken stays moist.  After about 4-5 hours, remove chicken and cut into smaller pieces to make sure it is cooked thoroughly.  Cook an additional hour on high.  Shred the chicken and serve.  

I just made mine into tacos.  I used a good heap of the black beans and corn from the crockpot, the chicken, some shredded low-fat Mexican cheese, a few slices of avocado and a dollop of fat-free sour cream. It was DIVINE! I had tons of variety in every bite.  I decided not to make anything as a side dish since it was so filling.

My husband made enchiladas out of his :)  He put the shredded cheese, sliced avocado, and sour cream on the outside.  

And since I used 3 lbs. of chicken, we have PLENTY left for the week.  I can't wait to have it on lettuce, with some rice, and with some tortilla chips! 

Now I'm off to make some homemade applesauce in the crockpot ;)  Check back soon for that recipe!

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I challenge you...

To create a recipe with "hidden vegetables."  We are not a big vegetable eating family and we HAVE to break this bad habit.  So what are your ideas?  I can't wait to see what you come up with.  If you've already created a recipe, leave me a comment to the blog post so I can check it out!

Quick Pasta Deliciousness!

Need to go to the grocery store?  Running low on everything?  I hear ya.  It's only Tuesday and it's already been such a long week haha.  My son couldn't figure out what to have for lunch today.  I looked in the pantry and saw some bow-tie pasta and had my AH-HA! moment.  As most of you know, we've been having food battles with our kiddo.  Well today's been going super well! He was on board with the bow-ties :)  I made a bow-tie pasta with butter, salt, pepper, garlic powder and Parmesan cheese.  One of his favorites.  Add a fruit, veggie, or other side and you have a wonderful and quick lunch!

Ingredients:
1 box of bow-tie pasta (or your favorite pasta!)
2 tablespoons of butter/margarine per serving (we used Country Crock spread)
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder
1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese (or to taste)

Recipe:
Cook the pasta according to directions.  Drain the pasta water, do not rinse the pasta.  Spoon desired amount of pasta into a bowl.  Mix the butter until it melts well into the pasta.  Season the pasta with the salt, pepper, and garlic powder.  Mix well.  Shake the Parmesan cheese on top, mix if desired.  Eat and enjoy!

Here's the messy photo of my son's creation :)  If you're feeling adventurous, you could boil vegetables in the pasta water (think dried beans, peas, asparagus, etc.)  We serve ours on the side but they could easily be mixed in the pasta and be totally delicious.  This is a staple in our house when we have that craving for pasta without red sauce.

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Breakfast was a bust :(

Trying to be an awesome mommy, feeding my son a balanced diet.  Boy... it's not going well.  I made him a waffle this morning and put some nutella spread on top and chopped up a banana.  I sure thought it sounded amazing.  He had other plans.  He threw a fit because he didn't want it at all :(  This is tough! I'm going to have to be super creative and get him to eat better.

For lunch today he's going to have a creamy potato and garlic soup.  I know he loves it.  I don't think I'll get a battle.  I'm just hoping I can get some fruit and vegetables in him.  This is the toughest thing I've ever tried to do.  He is definitely getting pickier by the day.  We're trying to let him make his own decisions and help us prepare his food.  It's not going well.  I'm already exhausted and it's only 11:10AM.  Wish me luck!

New Ideas For Toddler Meals

Recently our son has become the pickiest eater I've ever met.  We're also battling with him on eating actual meals and not just snacking throughout the entire day.  I think he will have a tough time adjusting to school days if we keep letting him eat all day long.  We are now working on toddler meals, limiting snacks, and incorporating an activity schedule (much like pre-school).

I am starting this tomorrow morning with breakfast.  I plan on taking some pictures and giving a rating scale of how successful each meal was and how the day went.  We're tired of being frustrated and having daily battles with our defiant 4-year-old.  I'm stressed and tired and pregnant haha.  It's not a good combination when I'm trying to get my son to eat.  Wish us luck!

A quick summer sandwich (chicken, tomato, avocado)

Rotisserie chickens are fantastic.  I don't have to worry about making chicken in the crock pot or baking it or anything.  We use them a lot in the summer time.  The bulk of the fat is in the skin so we just peel it right off and use the rest of the meat.  Sometimes stores near you may offer different flavors like honey BBQ, Jamaican Jerk, Herbs, etc.  We normally just get a plain one that hasn't been seasoned with anything special.

My pregnancy taste buds have been begging for meat this entire time.  Chicken is my go-to protein.  I can't tell you how much chicken I've already eaten and I'm only in my 18th week ;)  Did I mention we're eating this for dinner tonight? CAN'T WAIT!

Ingredients:
-your choice of bread (we use fresh kaiser rolls made at our store's bakery)
-1 large haas avocado
-1 large beefsteak tomato
-salt and pepper to taste

Recipe: 
Shred your chicken or chunk it up into bite size pieces.  Slice the tomato into 1/4" slices or to your preference.  Scoop out the avocado and cut it into chunks.  TIP: create a grid in the avocado with a knife, with as many vertical lines as you can about 1/8" thick, then follow up by creating as many horizontal lines about 1/8" thick so you end up with what look like several cubes inside the avocado.  It scoops out easily with a spoon as chunks!
Spread the avocado onto the bread and season with salt and pepper to taste.  Layer several pieces of chicken on top, then place the tomato slice on top.  Enjoy!

We usually have a side of flavored rice, pasta salad with fresh mozzarella and tomatoes, chips and salsa, or corn on the cob with these sandwiches.  They go with anything!

TIP: If you are going low carb, don't use a bun! It's just as delicious :)

 

Applesauce Brownies? These sound amazing

http://www.musselmans.com/Recipes/DisplayRecipe.aspx?RecipeID=138&SearchTerm=applesauce

I just stumbled across this recipe.  I totally want to try it but I don't have any applesauce in the house!! I plan on making these sometime this week.  I can't wait to try them!

Homemade Banana Bread

I love banana bread.  It's one of my favorites for breakfast. I usually can't make it at home because I'm always missing a dry ingredient.  This is the easiest version I've ever found and it comes out so moist and tasty! There's enough for two loaf pans.  It turns out fantastic if your loaf pan is ceramic.  If it is metal or glass, adjust the time to a little bit less to avoid burning (learned this one ourselves).

Ingredients:
1 box of pre-made cake mix (your choice! Vanilla, lemon, chocolate, etc.)
2 eggs
1/2-1 cup of chocolate chips by preference
3-4 super ripe bananas
meatloaf pan liners or cooking spray/butter & flour to coat the pans

And that's it!! No oil, no other dry ingredients. We chose a box of funfetti vanilla cake because it's the only one we had in the pantry.  Plus it's fun for our son :)

Recipe:
Mash the bananas with a spoon or potato smasher into a mixing bowl.  Combine the cake mix and two eggs and stir all together.  Pour in the chocolate chips and give it another quick stir.  Be sure to coat the pans well with a disposable foil liner, or butter/cooking spray and a little bit of flour to prevent sticking.  Pre-heat the oven to 350F and bake for 30-40 minutes until golden brown.

Here is the end result.  Perfectly golden brown, very moist and delicious!

Cheesy Meaty Pasta {Homemade Hamburger Helper}

I have to admit that I absolutely love Hamburger Helpers.  So does our son.  But I know that they aren't that healthy for us.  So today I decided I would try to make our own version in the crockpot.  I don't have any ground chuck on hand, but I did find some frozen pre-cooked meatballs with italian seasonings.  I think they'll work just fine.  This is an easy dump and go meal if you are home during the day or looking for a quick crock pot meal.  The pasta softens within 2-3 hours and the meat crumbles nicely.

It's cooking now and so far it looks great! Dry pasta is in there too.  Everything started frozen or in it's natural state.  I'll update later tonight with the recipe and we'll let you know how it turns out!

This recipe calls for an entire box of pasta so there will be plenty of servings.  Since we have a family of 3, that means plenty of leftovers for us :)

Here's a sneak peek; I know it's hard to tell, but there are broken up meatballs in the mix too:

Ingredients:
-1 box of whole wheat pasta (we had penne in the house)
-1.5 lbs. of hamburger or 1 (14 oz.) bag of frozen pre-made meatballs
-1 jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce
-1 jar of water (fill up the spaghetti sauce jar)
-2 tablespoons minced garlic
-1 tablespoon of oregano
-2 teaspoons of onion powder
-1 full bag (2 cups) of shredded reduced fat cheddar cheese
-4 slices of sharp cheddar cheese (optional; we like it extra cheesy)

Recipe:
Spread about 1/4 of your spaghetti sauce on the bottom of the crockpot. Layer the meatballs on top of the sauce (still frozen), or place the frozen ground beef on top of the sauce.  Pour the rest of the sauce overtop of the meatballs.  Place the pasta over top of the rest of the sauce, then fill the spaghetti sauce jar to the top with water and pour in the saucy water to moisten the pasta.  Sprinkle about 1/2 the bag of the shredded reduced fat cheddar over top of the pasta.  Cook on low for 3-4 hours.  Be sure to stir often and break up the meat as it cooks.  As it softens, it will break up easily with a wooden spoon.  When there are only about 20 minutes remaining, place the rest of the shredded cheese on top and turn off the crock pot.  If you'd like to have yours extra cheesy, lay the 4 slices of sharp cheddar cheese on top of the shredded cheese.  

I'll update with pictures of our plates tonight after hubby gets home in about an hour!

Snacks and meals for toddlers

Conrad is totally going through a growth spurt right now.  His little body must know he's turning FOUR tomorrow! <3 =]

I'm looking for some meal ideas and other snack items for him.  Here's a list of some of his favorite foods.  I want to make sure I incorporate the healthiest options for him, so if you have suggestions, please share!!

Breakfast:
-scrambled eggs with cheese
-yogurt and a nutrigrain bar (apple cinnamon is his favorite)
-applesauce

As you can see, breakfast is what we struggle with the most.  He doesn't like cereal (dry or with milk) and he won't touch oatmeal or toast.  I totally need some more ideas here.

Lunch:
-leftovers from dinner are usually a hit
-pasta of any kind including macaroni and cheese or pesto (his two favorites)
-soups! he loves soups
-lunchables (homemade or otherwise)- he loves the crackers, meat, and cheese being separate
-grilled cheese
-shredded chicken
-peanut butter & jelly sandwich
-pizza (homemade or otherwise)

Dinner: 
-pretty much anything we make he will eat, which I'm SO thankful for! We rarely have to cook something separate for him.  We will on the occasional night we have something spicy that we know he won't want.

Snacks/Sides:
-bananas
-applesauce
-carrots (only if they are canned or steamed.  He likes them super soft)
-pretzels
-goldfish
-yogurt covered raisins
-yogurt
-smoothies
-mashed potatoes
-rice
-CHEESE *his absolute favorite*

We can normally find a way to give him a well balanced meal.  I just wish there was more variety.  He is entirely too picky.  We've tried re-introducing foods he did not like in the past and he continually will not eat them.  It's tough on a super tight budget.  We can't afford to waste food at all right now.  Vegetables are the hardest.  Thankfully he will eat them when they are in soup.  We have soup quite often for lunch.  I'm totally running out of ideas recently.  I want to introduce new things and make them staples.  Any ideas?


Thanks!

Crockpot South Of The Border Chicken

Mmmm this smells soooo good!! So it's a really stormy day and I decided that I would just throw together a quick crockpot meal on the fly.  We tend to have a lot of Mexican ingredients around the house since that's my biggest craving this pregnancy ;)

Here's a picture of everything I used, and everything going into the crockpot.

Here are the ingredients:
-4 frozen chicken breasts
-1 bag of frozen mixed vegetables (Mexican style; we found zesty corn and black bean blend from our local Giant Eagle)
-1 (4.5 oz) can of chopped green chiles (do not drain them, you'll need the liquid for cooking)
-2 tablespoons of minced garlic
-2 tablespoons of Cumin
-1/2 jar of Mild Salsa
-Salt and pepper to taste

I'm also making a side of Spanish Rice (Rice-a-Roni).  I'm not a big rice maker.  My husband normally does this.  So I'm hoping it turns out well.  I'm going to adapt the box version to a homemade version next time and I'll let you know how that goes!  This time I just followed the recipe exactly as it was listed.

    

           

Hubby is on his way home! As soon as we have our plates all set to go, I'll get a final picture :) I'm topping my chicken with sour cream and shredded low fat Mexican blend cheese.  Can't wait!

He put his in tortillas and when I went back for seconds, I asked him to wrap my chicken in a tortilla too :) So yummy!

  

If you give this recipe a try, let me know what you think!

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Herb and Cheese Stuffed Burgers. I don't want my burgers any other way now!

We made Herb and Cheese Stuffed Burgers for dinner tonight with a side of steak fries.  I am totally stuffed and they were so delicious.  I have one left for tomorrow and I'm totally looking for lunch!  The original recipe came from a Taste of Home 2011 cookbook and was uploaded on the blog Full Bellies, Happy Kids.  I'm in love with everything on her blog :)  Please click the link for the full recipe.  Since we did not change anything, I would rather have the recipe remain on the blog I found it, originally :)

http://fullbellies.blogspot.com/2010/11/herb-cheese-stuffed-burgers.html

We followed the recipe except we added a slice of cheddar cheese, a slice of tomato and a couple slices of avocado on the top of ours.  We didn't make homemade buns, but they were delicious on freshly made kaiser rolls from our local grocery store. My husband agrees that we may not make our burgers any other way now!

  

Here you can see the toppings and the cheese mixture in the middle.  It is so delicious.  I love savory burgers.  The burger itself got a little bit of char on it from our skillet.  And the char is added flavor, in my opinion.  You can make these burgers on a grill, a griddle, or in a skillet with a tiny bit of extra virgin olive oil.  These can be adapted to turkey burgers as well, although I would recommend using egg in the breadcrumbs mixture as a binding agent.  

Let me know what you think! I'm going to write this recipe on a card so I never lose it!! 

Crockpot Chicken Dump For Dinner!

So it's about 2 o'clock in the afternoon and my husband will be home around 5:30 or earlier.  I have no idea what to do for dinner... so I head to the kitchen pantry and lazy susan and start looking around.  We have some frozen chicken breast, a can of corn, a can of white beans, a can of diced tomatoes that are seasoned with roasted garlic and onion, a can of sliced carrots, some cream cheese and some sour cream if I need it.  Sounds good, right?  It's in the crockpot all together now with some salt and pepper.  I have no idea how this will turn out, but I will post pictures as soon as it's done!

If it's a hit with the family I will post the entire recipe :)

It is totally delicious!! Like I said, I literally just scoped out the kitchen for the ingredients we had and the results are sooooo yummy.  Here's what we used:

Ingredients:
4 large frozen chicken breasts
1 can of diced tomatoes seasoned with roasted garlic and onion
1 can of no salt added golden whole kernel corn
1 can of small white beans
1 can of sliced carrots
4 tablespoons of cream cheese (I had whipped in the fridge, plain is just fine)
salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste

Optional:
Mashed potatoes, instant rice, or thick sliced bread
(I had this on top of instant rice that was cooked in low sodium chicken broth for extra flavor.  It was divine. Hubby had his over mashed potatoes and then also decided to spread some on top of bread for an open faced sandwich.  All three options are really tasty, or you can just eat it without anything else and it's still yummy!)

Recipe:
Place the frozen chicken in the bottom of the crockpot.  Layer the tomatoes, corn, white beans and carrots on top of the frozen chicken.  Top with 4 tablespoons of cream cheese, and season to taste.  (We used about 3 big pinches of salt, 3 big shakes of pepper, and 3 big shakes of garlic powder).  Put the crockpot on low for the best results for about 4-6 hours.  Stir every hour or so and break the chicken up as it gets softer. You can shred the chicken if you would like to or leave it cubed.  It will be very moist either way.

Here's what it looks like when you pile everything in before cooking:

And this is the final result with rice that I gobbled up :)

I hope you give this a try! If you do, let me know if you like it! And remember, you can do this yourself with ANY canned or frozen ingredients you already have on hand!

Part of Foodie Friends Friday!
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http://wifeofthecolonel.blogspot.com/

One Skillet Taco Pasta

Tonight we had no idea what to do for dinner.  I looked through all of the cans and spices we had lying around and started looking on Pinterest for ideas.  We came across a taco pasta recipe and used what we had at home. If you are using a taco seasoning packet, you really only need to use about half of it.  Reserve one half for when the meat is browning, and the other half after some of the ingredients have been mixed together, as shown in the recipe. Since this recipe uses the entire box of pasta, there will be plenty leftover!!

This recipe can easily be adapted to a healthier version with either Boca crumbles or ground turkey!

Here is the original recipe: http://www.overworkedsupermom.com/2012/03/supermoms-sunday-recipe-taco-pasta.html
Here is our version:

Ingredients:
1 box of medium shells pasta
1-1.5 lbs. of ground chuck
4-5 tablespoons of minced garlic
1 packet of taco seasoning (or make your own like we did! Equal parts cumin, chili powder, salt, garlic powder, and pepper)
1 (14 oz) can of Rotel Mild diced tomatoes and green chiles
3 oz of cream cheese
1/2 cup of sour cream
1/2 small can of tomato sauce
shredded cheddar cheese (optional)

Recipe: Bring a large pot of water to boil, cook the shells according to the package directions, drain and set aside with the lid on to keep the moisture in.

Additionally, in a large skillet (we used a very deep skillet), brown the ground chuck over medium-high heat. Season the meat while cooking with some of the taco seasoning.  Reserve the rest for later.  After the meat is browned, drain out the fat.  Add in the can of Rotel, the minced garlic, and the remainder of the taco seasoning.  Simmer over low-medium heat for 3-5 minutes to let the flavors meld.

Stir in the cooked shells, the cream cheese and sour cream.  Keep stirring until the cream cheese has melted well and you end up with a smooth and creamy sauce.  If you find that your sauce is too thin or there isn't enough, add 1/2 can of tomato sauce.  Simmer on low-medium heat to let thicken.  Place into serving bowls, add a sprinkle of cheese to each bowl if desired.

Homemade Stuffed Pancakes!

  

For brunch today, my husband decided to bring iHop home to the kitchen table. I didn't complain :) We had stuffed pancakes with a side of cheesy scrambled eggs and some turkey sausage links. My pancakes were topped with strawberry pie filling from a can and his were topped with a sliced banana. My son and I opted to add chocolate chips to our pancakes as well. I'll admit this wasn't the most healthy brunch we've made, but it certainly was a delicious treat. This is a very simple recipe that can be adapted to make any type of stuffed pancake. In the recipe I included how ours were assembled and what optional ingredients were used. If you give this a try, let us know how it turned out! I hope you enjoy!

If you do not have a recipe for pancakes and would like to make them from scratch, here is a good recipe to use: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/good-old-fashioned-pancakes/

 Ingredients:
-one jug of bisquick pancake mix (or use a made from scratch pancake recipe)
-one small banana one 14 oz can of strawberry pie filling (you only use about 3 tablespoons per serving)
-one can of Duncan Hines buttercream frosting
-one bag of chocolate chips (optional)
-maple syrup (optional)

 Recipe: Make pancakes according to the directions. If you are adding chocolate chips, wait until the pancake is cooked on one side. Sprinkle in as many chocolate chips as you would like on the uncooked side after your first flip. Be sure to flip the pancake once more to ensure the chocolate chips nest inside the pancake. You can assemble the stuffed pancakes anyway you would like. I chose to use one pancake on the bottom, then spread about 2 tablespoons of cream cheese frosting on top, placed another pancake on the top of that and added about 3 tablespoons of strawberry pie filling on top. My husband's version, triple stacked: one plain pancake, 2 tablespoons cream cheese frosting, one plain pancake, 2 tablespoons of cream cheese frosting, a third pancake, 2 tablespoons of cream cheese frosting and then one sliced banana placed all over the top layer. He also used a few tablespoons of maple syrup drizzled on top for extra flavoring.

Part of Foodie Friends Friday!
http://wifeofthecolonel.blogspot.com/
http://www.foodiefriendsfriday.com/