Cheesy Chicken & Veggies - Crock Pot Meal

A good friend here in good old SC gave me this slow cooker chicken and veggies recipe, and it is our new favorite! Our kids request it all the time and actually eat it, which is the highest compliment a meal can receive at our house. It also makes great leftovers, so I usually make the full amount so we can enjoy it again later.

This is a make-ahead meal- start it as early in the day as you want. It takes 15-20 minutes to get everything in the slow cooker. 30 minutes before serving, add 3 cups dry rice to rice cooker, cover with 6 cups water and 2 T. chicken bouillon paste (or 6 bouillon cubes).

4-6 chicken breasts, cut into strips

2 8-oz pkgs cream cheese, cubed

2 pkgs dry Italian dressing mix (I make my own with this recipe. Use 4 T. to equal 2 pkgs.)

2 cans cream of chicken soup

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1-2 cans water

16 oz. frozen veggies of choice

Mix chicken, cream cheese, Italian dressing mix, soups, and 1 can water in the crock pot. Cook on low for 6-8 hours, or high for 3-4 hours. Stir once when cheese has melted to help it blend better. When finished cooking, transfer chicken to a plate and shred- mashing with the back of a fork works great. Stir in frozen veggies and add another can of water if mixture seems too thick. Add shredded chicken back to soup mixture and turn off crock pot. Serve over rice.

To cut meal in half, use 2 cans soup and half of a can of water. It took a couple of hours less time to cook on low. I've made it this way twice with good results. Enjoy!

Favorite Marinara Sauce

About a year ago, I got fed up with the cheap spaghetti sauces in a jar that always include corn syrup and other unnecessary, unpronounceable ingredients. I went on a quest to find a great marinara sauce that included only basic ingredients like tomatoes, basil, olive oil, etc. The closest I found was the Kirkland Marinara from Costco, however that sauce also tasted pretty basic and needed some extra help. I eventually found that making my own marinara is well worth the effort; the payoff is amazing flavor, as well as knowing what's in it!

2 (15 oz.) cans stewed tomatoes

1 (6 oz.) can tomato paste

1/4 c. chicken broth
1 1/2 T. dried parsley

1 t. dried oregano

1 t. Italian seasoning

1 t. salt

1/4 t. black pepper

Add these ingredients to a food processor or blender and blend until smooth.

1/4 c. olive oil

2 T. dried onion

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

In a large skillet, saute onion and garlic in olive oil until tender.

Add pureed ingredients to skillet and heat through. Simmer up to 30 minutes for best flavor, or use immediately if desired.

We usually use half the sauce right away and store the other half in the fridge. It stores well and works great for a quick meal later in the week. I'll never go back to store-bought sauce!

*Recipe adapted from "Best Marinara Sauce Yet" on Allrecipes.com.

GREAT SUMMERTIME MEAL

Dilled Chicken Sandwich Wrap                     8 servings

INGREDIENTS:

     8 ounces cream cheese, softened                        3 to 4 tomatoes, diced     

     4 teaspoons dried dill weed, divided                   Parmesan or grated cheddar (optional)

     2 Tablespoons minced garlic, divided                 1 leaf lettuce or spinach bunch (optional)
                            

     4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves,        1 package 10 inch tortillas
           cubed in bite size pieces                                                                              

         
     1/3 cup olive oil    

                                                                                            

         

DIRECTIONS:

1. Cream Cheese Spread:  Use a medium bowl.  Mix together softened cream cheese with half of the dill weed and half of the minced garlic.  Set aside.
2. Dilled Chicken Filling:  Use a ten inch skillet.  Mix olive oil and the other half of both the dill weed and minced garlic and preheat over medium high heat.  Add bite sized chicken pieces and brown, stirring frequently to cover with spices.  Reduce heat to medium and simmer chicken mixture until meat is firm and juices run clear. 
3. Preheat tortillas over chicken mixture 10 to 15 seconds per side to soften for wrapping. 
4. Use Cream Cheese Spread in a light layer over the inside of tortilla.  Add chicken, cheese (optional), tomatoes, lettuce or spinach (optional).

Serve with fresh melon and corn on the cob 

Nachos In A Hurry

We tried these nachos the other night when we were short on time, and I can tell this is going to become a fast week-night favorite. My favorite part is the avocado- it is the secret ingredient. This dish is versatile- you can add many different toppings according to your own taste. It's going to be hard for me to keep from making it more than once a week! I'll try to rein it in though so it doesn't get worn out too fast.

1/2 - 1 lb. extra lean ground beef

1 (1.25 oz.) package taco seasoning

1 cup water

1 16 oz. can re-fried beans

1 13 oz. bag tortilla chips

4 cups (I honestly used 2 cups) grated cheddar cheese

4 medium tomatoes, chopped

1-2 avocados

Sour cream

Salsa

Other topping ideas: 

Olives, bacon bits, bell peppers, green onion, etc.

Brown ground beef in a skillet. Add taco seasoning and water. Stir and let cook about 5 minutes. Stir in re-fried beans and cook until warm. Place tortilla chips in a greased 9x13 baking dish. Drop beef mixture by spoonfuls onto the chips and then sprinkle generously with cheese. Bake at 450 degrees until cheese is melted. Serve, adding toppings individually. 

Oven Roasted Potatoes

Oven Roasted Potatoes (Roast 'em, boil 'em, stick 'em in a stew)

4 large potatoes, peeled and cubed.

1/8 cup olive oil
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp. dried basil
1/2 tsp. dried marjoram
1/2 tsp. dried dill weed
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. dried parsley
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp. salt

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees

2. In a large bowl, combine everything except the potatoes, then stir in potatoes until evenly coated.  Place potatoes in a single layer on a roasting pan or baking sheet.

3.  Roast for 20 to 30 minutes, turning occasionally to brown on all sides.

Basic Potato Kugel

Basic Potato Kugel

We tried this the other night and it was a hit!  Even Jerry Lister liked it.  Note:   The traditional recipe does not have carrots, but I saw them added in other recipes and tried it - they were great (grate). Lynn

Potato Kugel, moist on the inside and crispy on the outside, is a staple of Eastern European Jewish cooking.

8 medium potatoes
2 onions
2 medium carrots
6 eggs
1/2 cup oil
4 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper


1. Preheat oven to 400 Fahrenheit

2. In a large bowl, mix eggs, oil, flour, salt and pepper.  Set aside.

3. Coarsely grate the potatoes, onion and carrots by hand or food processor.  Let stand 3-5 mintues.  One handful at a time, squeeze out excess liquid.  Add grated veggies to the egg-flour mixture.  Mix by hand only until smooth.

4.  Pour into a greased 9x13 inch baking dish.

5.  Bake uncovered, for 1 hour or until golden brown on top and a knife inserted into the middle comes out clean.

Serve warm or hot as a side dish with a meat entree such as roast chicken.

Lemon Chicken Italiano

This was the dinner I requested for my birthday on Sunday. When it's made with the Kirkland marinara sauce, it is easily in my top five favorite meals. Hint: for those who don't like butter, cut it and use 2-3 T. olive oil for the topping instead.

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1/2 cup flour

5 T. butter, divided

1 T. olive oil

salt & pepper to taste

2 cups Kirkland marinara sauce (or whatever you like)

4 T. chopped onion, or 1 T. dried

2 T. lemon juice

1/2-1 T. dried parsley (2 T. fresh chopped)

Pound chicken breasts between waxed paper until flat (or do what I do and slice them into chicken fingers). Put flour and chicken in a plastic bag and shake to coat. Melt 2 T. of butter and 1 T. olive oil in a large skillet (cut the butter if desired). Place chicken in skillet and cook over medium-high heat until cooked through. (5 min/side for chicken breasts.) Sprinkle with salt & pepper. Place marinara sauce in a 9x13 baking dish, top with chicken. Keep in a warm oven while making the lemon sauce.

For lemon sauce, melt remaining 3 T. butter (or use olive oil) in the same skillet, scraping up chicken bits. Add onion and cook until tender. Remove from heat and add lemon juice and parsley. Pour over chicken and serve.