Chicken with Zucchini (crock pot)

So I didn't take a picture but this recipe was pretty tasty and easy.  I downloaded the Kindle Book 35 Slow-Cooker Chicken Recipes by Jean Pardue (mostly because it was free) and tonight I tried this recipe.  I like to have paper copies of my recipes and you can't exactly print from a Kindle book, or at least I don't know how to so I was planning on typing it out so I could print it and decided to put it on the never used blog.

Ingredients:
2-3 boneless chicken breasts
1 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/4 cup four
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 pound zucchini, cut into thin slices
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 (4 oz) can mushrooms, drained

Directions:
Sprinkle seasoned salt over chicken.
Mix flour, salt, pepper, cheese and paprika and coat mixture over chicken.
Put zucchini in bottom of slow cooker.  Pour chicken on top.
Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours or until tender.
Add mushrooms and turn to high.  Cook for an additional 15-20 minutes.  (I know most people don't like mushrooms and these could definitely be omitted and still be tasty but my whole family loves mushrooms)

Chicken & Corn Chili

Ok, let me start off by saying that I have been in a dinner rut for a while now. I never know what to make, deciding what to make for dinner is the most annoying decision of the day!  Ugh! I flip through my recipes and am always missing a key ingredient (usually produce or milk products), nothing sounds good, or it takes too long to make (since I usually have two adorable little boys pulling on my legs and demanding attention when I make dinner).  The key ingredient problem could probably be solved if I made a weekly meal plan but I tried that a while ago and when I made my lists the food sounded good but it didn't always sound good on the day I scheduled to make it, or we would unexpectedly be invited to dinner, or we would go out because I didn't feel like cooking, or bla bla bla.  The point is I would greatly appreciate some new dinner ideas!  I would also prefer quicker ideas, but I really just need some new ideas and will take anything.  Pretty PLEASE?!!

Let me also state that this tastes A LOT better than it looks!  I actually didn't think it looked appetizing but it sure tasted yummy (especially once you put the cheese on top).  I also didn't think to take a picture until I had dinner cleaned up, so you get a picture of Josh's lunch in Tupperware.

2 TBS Olive Oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, cored and chopped (I used colored peppers)
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander (I could have sworn I had this but I couldn't find it in my spice cupboard so I substituted for cayenne pepper which is probably not even close but hence it is what I used)
1/2 tsp chili powder
1 can (14.5 ounces) chicken broth
1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes, drained
1 1/4 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
1 box (10 ounces) frozen corn
2 cans (15 ounces) cannelli beans, drained and rinsed (I used great northern cuz it is what I had. Also it wasn't until I went to type this that I realized it called for two cans. I only put in one, must have read the instructions wrong.)
salt to taste
shredded cheddar cheese

1. Heat oil in large pot over medium heat. Add onion and pepper. Cook, stirring 5 minutes. Stir in cumin, coriander and chili powder; cook 1 minute.

2. Stir in chicken broth and tomatoes. Bring to a simmer. Add chicken. Cover and simmer over low heat for 10 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

3. Stir corn, beans and salt into pot. Heat through. Spoon into bowls and top with shredded cheese.

This recipe came from the FEB 2011 familycircle.com magazine that I ripped out quite a while ago but just made. Glad I finally got around to making it.

Spinach, Artichoke, and Ricotta Lasagna

Dear people, Hello! It has been a long time since there has been a recipe added. Tag, your it :) But please forgive the picture, I didn't think about taking one until it was all put away so you get a picture of Josh's lunch. This was delicious!!  Zach even ate a bunch of it, but maybe I am really lucky... he seems to eat most anything I make for dinner.  This recipe came from Precious For the Love of Lasagna cookbook.

 

8 oz. shredded mozzarella
15 oz. container ricotta
1 egg
2 cups onions, 1/4-inch dice (I used one whole onion because who seriously measures out two cups?)
10 oz. package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, and squeezed dry (I used a 12 oz bag)
4 1/2 cups bechamel sauce (see recipe below)
12 sheets no boil lasagna noodles
3 cups artichoke hearts in brine, quartered (bought from Costco)
3 oz. shredded Parmesan, about 1 1/2 cups
Preheat oven to 400. Mix ricotta and egg in a small bowl.
Saute the onions in oil in a large saute pan on medium until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the spinach and season with salt and pepper (I didn't).
Spray 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray. Spread 1 1/2 cups bechamel sauce on the bottom of the pan and top with four noodles.
Layer with 1/2 of the ricotta, 1/2 of the spinach mixture, 1/2 of the artichokes, 1 cup bechamel, 1/2 of the mozzarella, and 1/2 cup of the Parmesan.
Continue layering with 4 more noodles, the rest of the ricotta, spinach mixture, artichokes, mozzarella, 1 cup bechamel ( I only used 1/2 cup here so there was enough for the top), and 1/2 cup of Parmesan.
Cover with parchment and then aluminum foil.  Bake for 40 minutes until slightly bubbling.  Remove foil and parchment and continue to bake until top is browned, about 10 minutes more.  Cool 10 minutes before serving to allow lasagna to set up. 
{{I forgot the mozzarella and Parmesan on the first layer but did put it on the second layer and it still turned out delicious.. Mind you I didn't put all of it, just what was requested for one layer.  Maybe that made it healthier  ;) }}


Bechamel Sauce
5 Tbsp. unsalted butter (I used salted)
4 shallots or 1 medium yellow onion, minced
3 cloves garlic
1/4 cup all purpose flour
3 1/2 cups whole milk (I used 2%)
3/4 tsp. nutmeg, grated (umm is that just your normal spice nutmeg?  that's what I used)

Melt butter until foaming in medium sauce pan on medium.
Add shallots or onion and garlic and cook until soft and translucent, about four minutes.
Stir in flour and cook for about 2 minutes making sure not to brown.
Whisk in milk slowly and bring mixture to boil.  Stir in nutmeg.  Season to taste with salt and pepper (again I didn't do this, and it really didn't need it).
Reduce heat to low and simmer 10 minutes, whisking occasionally.

Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

I have my own recipe for chicken enchiladas that I've used for years but after making this one I don't think I can ever go back. SO GOOD! The only things I did differently were using colby jack cheese (when I went grocery shopping and looked at my list I thought I wrote Monteray jack on accident so I bought colby jack) and I used corn tortillas because Josh complains when they are flour.

*Serves 4-6

Filling:
3 cups cooked, chopped chicken
2 (4 oz.) cans of green chiles, lightly drained
1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese, cubed
1 can white or black beans, rinsed and drained (you can really use any type of bean you prefer here)

Sauce:
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup chopped onion (about 1/2 medium onion)
2 tablespoons flour
1/3 cup chicken broth
¼ cup milk
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
1 can (7 ounce) green chile enchilada sauce
½ cup sour cream

8 ounces (about 2 cups) Monterey jack cheese, shredded
8 medium (soft taco size) flour tortillas
Handful of chopped fresh cilantro

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a medium bowl, combine the softened cream cheese and green chiles. Mix well. Add the chicken and black beans. Mix to combine. Set aside.

In a large nonstick skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion softens and starts to turn translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the onions and stir well. Cook for 1 minute, stirring. Slowly whisk in the chicken broth and milk. As you whisk and the mixture cooks, the flour will get less lumpy around the onions and the mixture will become smooth. Cook over medium heat until the mixture is bubbling and has thickened, about 4-5 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the enchilada sauce and sour cream.

Lightly grease a 9X13-inch baking dish. Spread about 1/4 cup of the sauce on the bottom of the dish. Fill each tortilla with about ½ cup of the chicken/cream cheese filling. Top with a small handful of shredded cheese, a couple tablespoonfuls for each enchilada. Save at least 1/2 cup cheese for the top of the enchiladas. Roll the tortillas up and place seam side down in the prepared baking dish. Continue filling enchiladas until the dish is full (I can easily fit 8 enchiladas in one pan).

Pour the white sauce over the top of the enchiladas. Top with remaining cheese. Bake for 20-30 minutes until the enchiladas are bubbling, hot and lightly browned. Sprinkle fresh cilantro over the top and serve.

Creamy Mushroom Soup

From Betty Crocker International Cookbook. Fresh mushrooms are key here. Just rinse them under water and pat dry. DO NOT soak them.

INGREDIENTS:

* 8 ounces FRESH mushrooms (not canned or dried)

4 tablespoons butter

1 medium diced onion

1/4 cup white all purpose flour

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp white pepper

1 can condensed chicken broth (~10 oz)

1 soup can water

1 cup half & half (or cream if you want a real creamy soup)

INSTRUCTIONS:

• Slice enough mushrooms to measure 1 cup.
• Chop remaining mushrooms.
• In 3 quart saucepan, saute sliced mushrooms 2 Tbs of the butter until golden brown & remove from pan & set aside.
• Cook remaining chopped mushrooms and onion in remaining butter until onion is tender.
• Stir in flour, salt, and white pepper.
• Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, about 1 minute then remove from heat.
• Stir in chicken broth and water
• Heat to boiling stirring constantly - boil for about 1 minute.
• Stir in half& half & sliced mushrooms & heat (but not boil).

Makes about 5-6 servings of the best mushroom soup you ever had.

This was delicious! I know a lot of you won't make this because way too many people don't like mushrooms and think of them as "fungus." Even my picky eater Zach ate and LOVED it! I gave him some in a bowl and gave him stick pretzels and told him it was "dip," but soon after he saw mom and dad eating with a spoon he also picked his up and ate with his spoon. He kept asking for more which is saying something. Yum Yum Yum :)

Zesty Chicken with Corn Salsa

I got this recipe from eatbetteramerica.com. I used the whole can of kidney beans not just 1/2 cup and I also used a regular size can of corn. Who has ever seen a 7 oz can of corn? not me :) This was a really fast, simple recipe and it tasted delicious! Josh thinks next time I make it he might grate some cheddar cheese to put on top but still told me I could make the recipe once a week and he'd still happily eat it. Zach ate all the veggies but I think the chicken may have had too much chili powder for him so maybe if your feeding children cut back a little on the chili powder.

Prep Time:15 min

Start to Finish:30 min

makes:4 servings

2	teaspoons chili powder
2	teaspoons brown sugar
1	teaspoon ground cumin
4	boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/4 lb)
2	tablespoons olive oil
1	can (7 oz) Green Giant® whole kernel sweet corn, drained
1/2	small red bell pepper, chopped
1/2	small cucumber, seeded and chopped
1/2	cup red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
3	tablespoons lime juice
1/4	teaspoon salt

1.	In cup, combine chili powder, brown sugar and cumin. Rub both sides of chicken breasts with the spice mixture.
2.	In large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Cook chicken in hot oil 12 minutes, turning occasionally, or until instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest portion reads 160°F and juices run clear.
3.	Meanwhile, in medium bowl, stir together corn, red pepper, cucumber, kidney beans, lime juice and salt.
4.	Evenly divide corn salsa onto 4 plates. Top each with a chicken breast.

Caramel Clumpies

Josh found this recipe on the Despicable Me blu-ray and thought it sounded good so we made them.

10 tablespoons butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
½ cup granulated sugar
1 egg
½ teaspoon vanilla
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
A pinch of salt
2 ½ cups rolled oats
7 oz chewy caramels, coarsely chopped

Directions: In a large bowl, beat together the butter and both sugars. Add the egg and vanilla and beat well until light and fluffy. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt. Add to the butter, sugar, egg and vanilla mixture and mix in well. Finally add the oats and caramels and stir. Chill dough for 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 350F. Drop by spoonfuls onto parchment paper lined baking sheets.
Bake for 10-12 minutes just until brown but do not over-bake or they will lose their “clumpiness”. Slide parchment paper and cookies onto counter top to cool. Enjoy!

If you like oatmeal and caramel then you'll like these cookies :) I've eaten way too many already!

Chicken Pot Pie Crumble

I got this recipe from http://www.favfamilyrecipes.com/

1 1/2 Lbs chicken
3 cups chicken broth
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 onion , chopped fine (about 1 cup)
3-4 carrots, peeled and sliced (about 1 cup)
1/2 c. celery, chopped fine
salt and pepper (to taste)
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 c. flour
1 c. milk
3/4 c. frozen peas

Crumble Topping:
2 c. flour
2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
6 Tbsp unsalted butter , cut into 1/2-inch cubes and chilled
3/4 c. Parmesan cheese
1 c. heavy cream

FOR THE CHICKEN: Bring chicken and broth to simmer in covered Dutch oven over medium heat (If you don't have a dutch oven, just use a stock pot). Cook until chicken is just done (8 to 12 minutes). Transfer cooked chicken to large bowl. Pour broth through fine-mesh strainer into liquid measuring cup and reserve. Do not wash Dutch oven.

FOR THE TOPPING: Combine flour, baking powder, salt, pepper, and cayenne in large bowl. Sprinkle butter pieces over top of flour. Using fingers, rub butter into flour mixture until it resembles coarse cornmeal. Stir in Parmesan. Add cream and stir until just combined. Crumble mixture into irregularly shaped pieces onto a baking sheet. Bake at 450-degrees until fragrant and starting to brown (10-13 minutes). Set aside.

FOR THE FILLING: Heat 1 tablespoon oil in now-empty Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, celery, salt and pepper. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until just tender (about 5 minutes). While vegetables are cooking, shred chicken into small bite-size pieces. Transfer cooked vegetables to bowl with chicken; set aside.

Heat butter in empty Dutch oven over medium heat. When foaming subsides, stir in flour and cook 1 minute. Slowly whisk in reserved chicken broth and milk. Bring to simmer and stir until sauce thickens, about 1 minute. Add salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat and stir chicken-vegetable mixture and peas into sauce.

Pour mixture into 9x13 pan (or if you have small individual-sized oven-safe dishes, you can use those-- see picture above). Scatter crumble topping evenly over filling. Bake on rimmed baking at 400-degrees sheet until filling is bubbling and topping is well browned (about 12-15 minutes). Serve hot and enjoy!

We LOVED this recipe, it got the stamp of approval from Josh, Steph and even Zach! I omitted the celery and put in a few more carrots.

Spinach and Rice Casserole

I got this yummy recipe from eatbetteramerica.com

2 teaspoons olive oil
3 medium carrots, chopped (1 1/2 cups)
2/3 cup chopped celery
1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 3/4 cups water
1 can (10 3/4 oz) condensed cream of mushroom soup
2 boxes (9 oz each) frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained
1 1/2 cups uncooked instant brown rice
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 cup diced cooked ham
3/4 cup shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese (3 oz)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray.
2. In 3-quart saucepan, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add carrots, celery, onion and garlic; cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add water and soup; heat to boiling. Add spinach, rice, Italian seasoning and pepper; return to boiling. Remove from heat; stir in ham, 1/4 cup of the Cheddar cheese and the Parmesan cheese. Spread in baking dish. Cover with foil.
3. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until bubbly. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup Cheddar cheese. Let stand uncovered 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

This recipe was delicious! I had two 12 oz packages of spinach that I used because it was what I had. I also omitted the celery(gross!). Plus my family is a cheesy family so I put on more than the recipe suggested.
The website also gave this tip...For this recipe, be sure to use instant brown rice. Regular brown rice requires a different amount of liquid and takes longer to cook.
However I have a ginormous bag of brown rice that I got from Costco that will go bad if we don't start eating it so I think next time I may attempt to use less water and use precooked brown rice, it may not turn out but its worth a shot.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Bread Bowls

I got this recipe from melskitchencafe.com

For the Chicken and Sauce:

4 TBS butter

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts cubed

1/2 cup minced yellow onion

2 cloves garlic, finely minced

2 TBS flour

1/2 cup apple juice

1 1/4 cups chicken broth (can use 1 3/4 chicken broth if you don't have apple juice on hand)

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

2 TBS prepared yellow mustard

1 TBS dried thyme

2-3 cups broccoli florets

salt and cayenne pepper to taste

To Assemble:

4-6 medium round regular or sourdough bread bowls (I bought some from the store and it came in a 3 pack which was perfect because there wasn't enough for 4 when I made this)

8-10 thin slices smoked ham

1 cup grated Swiss cheese

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (I had some in the freezer that I pulled out, but I am sure its better with fresh)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil and lightly coat the foil with cooking spray.

Place the broccoli florets in a microwave-safe bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Microwave on high for 3-4 minutes until tender but still bright green. Remove the plastic wrap and set aside.

In a 10-12 inch skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the chicken and saute until the chicken begins to brown but isn't cooked all the way through, about 3-4 min. Stir the onions and garlic in and cook, stirring often, until softened (when chicken is slightly pink), about 2 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the chicken/onion mixture and stir to incorporate. Cook, stirring, constantly for 1 min.

Gradually add the chicken broth and apple juice, stirring constantly to avoid any clumps from forming. Stir in the cream, Parmesan, mustard and thyme. Simmer for about 5-6 min, until the mixture is thickened and bubbly. Stir in the broccoli; season with salt and cayenne pepper to taste. Remove from heat.

Hollow out the inside of the bread bowls by cutting off the tops and tearing out the insides. Leave about 1/4 inch edge along all sides of the bread bowl. Compress the remaining bread together to firm up the sides and make room for the filling. Place the bread bowls on the prepared baking sheet and toast them for about 5 min in the preheated oven.

Remove the toasted loaves from the oven and arrange the ham slices in the bottom of each loaf. Using a slotted spoon divide the chicken mixture evenly between the loaves, reserving about 1-2 cups sauce in the pan for serving (there was probably only 1 or less cups left when I made this, I might use more liquids next time I make this). Top chicken mixture in each loaf with shredded Swiss and a sprinkle of Parmesan.

Bake the bread bowls until the cheese melts, about 10-15 minutes (I checked mine @ 8 min and they were done). Serve each bread bowl with reserved cream sauce.

Josh and Steph really really liked this recipe but they like mustard. Don't get me wrong, I thought it was yummy but it could've been yummier without the mustard (yuck). Next time I make this I plan on leaving it out.

Harvest Chicken & Potatoes

I got this recipe from the magazine but I believe you can find it on their website familycircle.com

Makes:6 servings

Prep: 20 Min

SLOW COOK: 5 hrs on HIGH or 7 hrs LOW

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast cut into 1-inch pieces

3 TBS flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

12 ounces small red potatoes, scrubbed and halved

2 cups baby carrots, cut into thirds

2 celery stalks cut into 1/2 inch pieces

1 large onion chopped

1 can (4 oz) sliced mushrooms, drained

2 cloves garlic, minced

3/4 tsp dried thyme

1/2 tsp dried sage

1 cup low-sodium chicken broth

1 TBS unsalted butter, softened

1)In a medium bowl stir together chicken, 2 TBS flour, 1/4 tsp of the salt and pepper; add to slow cooker. Stir in potatoes, carrots, celery, onion, mushrooms, garlic, 1/2 tsp of the thyme, the sage and broth. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6 hours.

2)In a small bowl, stir together remaining 1 TBS four and the butter until a paste forms. Push the chicken and veggies to one side and whisk paste, remaining 1/4 teaspoon of both salt and thyme into the slow cooker. Cook one more hour or until thickened.

It was a lot more tasty than the picture makes it look :) I don't have unsalted butter so I used normal butter and normal chicken broth (but I love salt!). I also didn't add celery because I detest it. Lastly my crock pot seems to burn everything I cook in it so I added more broth than it called for and it turned out great. Zach even ate everything but the potatoes from his bowl.