Mexican Chicken Hotdish (Kathleen)

This was super easy to make and pretty yummy. I halved the recipe and it provided 4 adult servings.

4 oz can diced green chilies
2 cups shredded Jack cheese (8 oz)
2 cans (14 oz each) diced tomatoes
1 medium onion, chopped
1 large green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
2 cups uncooked rice (I used brown)
2 packages Taco seasoning
3 cups cubed cooked chicken
1 can (14.5 oz) chicken broth
1/2 cup cold butter (1 stick)
2 cups fritos corn chips
2 cups (8 oz) shredded Mexican cheese

Preheat the oven to 350.

Spray a 9 X 13 baking pan with cooking spray. In the greased pan, mix together the diced green chilies, Jack cheese, 2 cans of diced tomatoes, chopped onion, bell pepper and uncooked rice.

Sprinkle the taco seasoning over the top and add the chicken. Add the chicken broth and stir everything again.

Cut the butter into 8 pieces and place on top. Cover the pan with heavy duty foil (or a double layer).

Bake for 90 minutes @ 350 degrees.

Remove the foil and sprinkle the fritos and cheese over the top. Bake for another 10 minutes or until the cheese melts.

Let sit for at least 10 minutes before serving.

Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups chopped cooked chicken breast
2 cups (8 ounces) preshredded reduced-fat 4-cheese Mexican blend cheese
1 2/3 cups plain low-fat yogurt
1/3 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 (10 3/4-ounce) can condensed reduced-fat, reduced-sodium cream of chicken soup, undiluted
1 (4.5-ounce) can chopped green chiles, drained
8 (8-inch) flour tortillas
Cooking spray
1/2 cup (2 ounces) finely shredded reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 cup chopped green onions

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°.

2. Combine first 9 ingredients in a large bowl. Remove 1 cup chicken mixture; set mixture aside.

3. Arrange 1/2 cup chicken mixture down center of tortilla. Roll jelly-roll style; place filled tortilla, seam side down, in a 13 x 9–inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Repeat procedure with remaining 7 tortillas and remaining chicken mixture. Spread reserved 1 cup chicken mixture evenly over enchiladas.

4. Cover and bake at 350° for 20 minutes.

5. Uncover; sprinkle evenly with cheddar cheese and green onions; bake an additional 5 minutes or until cheese melts.

Buttermilk Oven-Fried Chicken with Coleslaw

Cracker meal gives the coating more crunch; look for it on the baking aisle of your supermarket. If you can't find cracker meal, make your own by pulsing 10 saltine crackers in a food processor until they're finely ground. Or place them in a zip-top plastic bag and crush them with a rolling pin.

Yield 4 servings (serving size: 1 chicken breast half and 3/4 cup slaw)

Ingredients
Coleslaw:
4 cups packaged cabbage-and-carrot coleslaw
3 tablespoons fat-free mayonnaise
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon celery seeds (I used 1/8 tsp celery salt instead)
1 1/2 teaspoons cider vinegar
1/8 teaspoon salt (I omitted this because of above celery salt)



Chicken:
1 cup low-fat buttermilk
4 (8-ounce) bone-in chicken breast halves, skinned
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup cracker meal
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons butter

Preparation
1. To prepare coleslaw, combine first 6 ingredients; toss to coat. Cover and chill.
2. Preheat oven to 425°.
3. To prepare chicken, combine buttermilk and chicken in a shallow dish, turning to coat.
4. Combine flour and cracker meal in a shallow dish. Transfer chicken from buttermilk to a work surface. Sprinkle chicken evenly with 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper. Working with one chicken breast half at a time, dredge chicken in flour mixture, shaking off excess; set aside. Repeat procedure with remaining chicken and flour mixture.
5. Melt butter in a large ovenproof nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken to pan, meat side down; cook 4 minutes or until golden brown. Turn chicken over, and bake at 425° for 32 minutes or until a thermometer registers 165°.

This Cooking Light recipe was so good and easy to make - I'll definitely be adding this to our summer meal rotation!

Shepherd's Pie

Ingredients
1 Tablespoons butter or margarine
1 cup thinly sliced carrots (I sub one can sliced carrots drained)
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 can (10 1/4 oz) Beef Gravy (I just make up one beef gravy packet instead)
1 1/2 cups cooked cubed beef (I use leftover roast)
2 cups hot cooked mashed potatoes (I use a pkg of instant mashed potatoes)
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese


Procedure
In a 2 qt. microwave safe casserole dish combine the butter, carrots, and onions. Cover with lid and microwave on high for 5 min., stirring once during the cooking time. Stir in the gravy and the beef. Cover and microwave on high 5 min. or until bubbly, stirring once during cooking. Spoon hot cooked mashed potatoes around edge of casserole dish and sprinkle them with cheese. Microwave uncovered on high for 3 min. or until cheese is melted.

** I like to use this recipe when I have leftover roast from the To Die For Crockpot Roast

Chicken Cacciatore

Ingredients
3 to 3 1/2 lb. cut-up frying chicken, skin removed (I use chicken breasts)
1 (14.5 or 16 oz) can diced tomatoes, undrained (I use thediced tomatoes with garlic, basil, and oregano)
1 medium onion, thickly sliced
1 medium gree bell pepper, thickly sliced
1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper

** If serving over pasta - add 2 small cans or 1 large can tomato sauce

Procedure
Microwave Directions:
1. Arrange chicken in 12X8 (2 qt) microwave-safe dish. In a medium bowl, combine the remaining ingredients; pour over chicken. Cover with microwave-safe plastic wrap.
2. Microwave on HIGH for 22 to 26 minutes or until chicken is fork tender and juices run clear, rotating dish 1/2 turn and spooning sauce over chicken once during cooking. If desired, serve over hot cooked pasta.

Whole Chicken (Stephanie)

Ingredients
One Whole Chicken
Foil
Seasonings you like to taste

Procedure
You can also take a whole chicken and cook it in the crockpot all day. We love this one cooked on low. If you put some foil balls underneath thechicken it allows the fat to drain off and the chicken to sit on top rather than in it.
Then you can pull the rest of the chicken off for other recipes.

* Sometimes I use just salt and pepper, sometimes season salt,sometimes a little onion, garlic powder, etc. All depends on my mood.

To Die for Roast (Beth)

Ingredients
1 beef roast
1 package dry Italian salad dressing mix
1 package dry Ranch salad dressing mix
1 package dry brown gravy mix
water

Procedure
Put roast in crockpot. Mix all 3 dry package dressings together and put on roast. Pour water (or cooking wine - approx 1/2 cup) around roast. Cook on low all day. So good!

Stroganoff (Brenda)

Ingredients
1.5-2 lbs Beef stew meat*
1 small onion, chopped
1 Can Cream of onion
1 Can Cream of Mushroom
8 oz. Cream cheese
8 oz. Sour cream
Egg noodles

Procedure
Combine stew meat, soups and onion in crockpot and mix well until meat is coated. Cook on low 8-10 hours. Before serving, cut cream cheese into cubes, stir well. Add sour cream, mix well and let simmer till heated thoroughly. Serve over cooked egg noodles.

*Substitute - You can also use ground beef, cooked and drained

Smothered Porkchops (Erin)

Ingredients
1 package butterfly porkchops
2 cans cream of mushroom
salt
pepper

Procedure
I usually cut the porkchops in half (but you don't have to). Put chops in crockpot. Add two cans cream of mushroom soup. Add either 1 can of milk or 1 can of water (milk makes it a little creamier). Salt and Pepper to taste.

Put crockpot on low and cook all day (8+ hours).

Add porkchop gravy from crockpot over chops and serve. Can make mashed potatoes to pour gravy over too.

Pulled Pork (Crystal)

Ingredients
3-4lbs Pork Roast (my dad uses 5-7lb shoulder roast, but I find that too fatty)
1 finely cut up green pepper (I use my pampered chef chopper)
1 finely cut up onion
1-2 bottles of your favorite bbq sauce

Procedure
Quarter the pork roast (in half and then lenghtwise) and place in the crock pot.Put peppers and onions on top of roast.Pour one bottle ofbbq sauce over roast.Cook on low for 7-8 hours.
After 7-8 hours, take two forks and pull/shred the pork. At this time you may want to add more bbq sauce (I usually don't, my my dad does). Let it cook on low for another 30 minutes. Then serve on bulkie rolls with baked beans, coleslaw or potato salad.

Mild and Easy Chili (Crystal)

Ingredients
1 1/2 lbs hamburg/turkey burg
1 large onion chopped
1 large pepper chopped
1 large can of pink/red kidney beans drained
1 large can of black beans drained
1 cup frozen corn
1 large can "kitchen ready" Pastine's tomato sauce
1 small jar of your favorite salsa (optional)
1 packet of chili seasonings, I use McCormicks or whatever I find in the Mexican seasoning aisle.

Procedure
This is a favorite around here - I don't like spicy, but I do love chili. Brown hamburg/turkey with onion and peppers. Drain fat and place in crock pot. Layer the rest of the ingredients and mix in the season packet. Cook on low for 8-10 hours. Serve with cheddar cheese on top.

Kona Chicken (Ceci)

Ingredients

I have a new one, just had it last night - it tastes like Teriyaki chicken - very yummy!

2 (2 pound) broiler chickens, quartered or 4 boneless/skinless breasts
1/2 cup chopped green onion (optional)
1/4 - 1/2 cup soy sauce (depends on how salty you like it)
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup honey
1tbs garlic (optional but yummy!)

Procedure
Place chicken into a slow cooker. Stir together the onion, soysauce, white wine, water, honey and garlic in a cup or small bowl. Pour over the chicken. Cover, and cook on low for 4 hours.

Guinness-Braised Beef Brisket (Kathleen)

Ingredients
2 cups water
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped carrot
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup Guinness stout
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup tomato paste
1/4 cup chopped fresh or 1 tablespoon dried dill
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can low-salt beef broth
6 black peppercorns
2 whole cloves
1 (3-pound) cured corned beef brisket, trimmed

Procedure
Combine first 11 ingredients in a large electric slow cooker, stirring until well blended; top with beef. Cover and cook on HIGH 8 hours or until beef is tender. Remove beef; cut diagonally across grain into 1/4-inch slices. Discard broth mixture.

Glorious Mess

Ingredients

2 lbs ground beef
2 onions
1/2 bunch of celery
1/2 qt tomatoes with juice
1/4 tsp marjoram
1/2 tsp thyme
1/4 tsp oregano
1/2 bay leaf
salt to taste
1 can cream of mushroom soup
3 cans of chili beans or kidney beans or any combination of beans you desire




Procedure
Brown hamburger, onions and celery. Add remainder of ingredients and cook on low for at least 4 hours. Remove bay leaf and serve over corn chips. top with shredded cheese, olives, tomatoes, lettuce, sour cream and salsa.

Foil Packet Tilapia (Year of Crockpotting)

Ingredients
--3 or 4 filets of Tilapia (or other favorite white fish)
--1/4 cup mayonnaise
--1/2 cup shredded cheese (I used cheddar. I've made it before with parmesean and it was amazing. If I was planning a trip to the store specifically to get ingredients for this dish I would pick parmesean.)
--juice of 2 lemons
--4 chopped garlic cloves
--pinch each of salt and black pepper

Kathleen note - I used parmesean and it was soooo good.

Procedure
--mix all ingredients (except for the fish. definitely not the fish.) in a bowl
--lay out a piece of foil--rub sauce mixture on both sides of fish
--fold foil over and make a little packet for the fish
--put all the packets into the crockpot
--cook on high for 3-4 hours; fish should flake easily with a fork

PLEASE take care when taking the packet out of the crockpot and when opening it. It will be hot.
http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2008/02/foil-packet-tilapia-crockpot-recipe.html

Easy Santa Fe Chicken (Stephanie)

Ingredients
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
2 cans whole kernelcorn, drained
1 cup bottled thick and chunky salsa
5 skinless boneless chicken breasts (can use frozen)
1 8 oz brick cream cheese, low fat is fine
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Procedure
1. In a 3.5 or 4 quart electric slow cooker, mix together the beans, corn, and 1/2 cup salsa. Top with the chicken breasts, then pour the remaining salsa over the chicken.
2. Cover and cook on the high heat setting 2.5-3 hours, or until the chicken is tender and white throughout; do not overcook or the chicken will toughen.
3. Remove the chicken and cut into bite sized pieces. Add back to the slow cooker.
4. Add the cream cheese (cut into cubes to melt faster), and turn slow cooker to high heat. Heat until cream cheese melts and blends into sauce.
5. Serve over rice. Top with shredded cheese. Or serve in tortillas with sour cream

Easy Crockpot Chicken Chili (Hillary)

Ingredients
Put the following in no special order into the crockpot and stir.

1 pound chicken, cut into cubes
1 can northern beans
1 can of corn
1 jar of salsa (16 oz)
1 tablespoon chili seasoning


Procedure
I cooked it for about 4 hours on high since I started it later than I initially planned. But I'm sure you could cook it on low, probably about 8 hours, if you started it in the morning (but I figured you all knew more about cooking time than I do...so you all would know how long was long enough to cook the chicken if you did it on low)

I have to say, if it was successful in my crockpot it will work in everyone's. This is the first thing I've actually made that was good enough that Todd had seconds and took leftovers to work. Although, next time I make it, I'm going to double the recipe b/c this really didn't make enough for more than just one dinner and one small helping for leftovers. I was really counting on two days of chili (well at least lunch for both Todd and me the next day)

Hope you guys enjoy

Crockpot Sour Cream Salsa Chicken (Stephanie)

Ingredients
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1 pkg. Reduced sodium taco seasoning mix (I use 1/2 pkg)
1 cup salsa
2 Tbsp. cornstarch (I usually omit)
¼ cup light sour cream

Procedure
1. Spray the crockpot with cooking spray.
2. Add the chicken breasts.
3. Sprinkle chicken breasts with taco seasoning.
4. Top with salsa.
5. Cook on low for 6- hours. (I cook on high for 6 hours if I throw them in frozen)
6. When ready to serve, remove the chicken from the pot. Then place 2 Tbsp. cornstarch in a small amount of water. Stir well and then stir the mixture into the salsa sauce in the crockpot. Stir in ¼ cup of sour cream. Mix well and place the chicken back in the crockpot.

Notes:

This makes 4 servings. Each serving is 4 points.

The chicken can be completely frozen and thrown in the crockpot. It will come out perfect. I don't add the sourcream till 10-20mins before I serve it, I usually take the chicken out, shred it, then put the corn starch mixture in and then add the chicken and let it cook a little longer before adding the sourcream.

This makes good taco filling or quesadilla filling with some cheese.

Crockpot Layered Dinner (Year of Crockpotting)

Ingredients

This is what I used. You can use whatever meat or vegetables you have in the house. The trick is to not use too much liquid when cooking the meat, so the potatoes and the corn (or whatever you're using) isn't floating in juice.
--1 1/1 lbs rib eye steak
--1 T of your favorite seasoning rub
--1 T dried onion flakes (a fresh onion would be fine. I wasn't in a chopping mood.)
--2 T Worcestershire sauce
--1/4 cup tequila (or broth, apple juice, etc.)
--2-4 potatoes
--2-4 ears of fresh corn
--aluminum foil

Kathleen note: I used asparagus because corn was out of season. It tasted ok but was pretty limp. If I do asparagus again I'll wait at least 2 hours before adding those packets to the crockpot.

Procedure
Put meat in the bottom of the crockpot. Rub with seasoning and onion, and flip over to get the other side. Add tequila and Worcestershire sauce.

Wash potatoes and cover with foil. Add to the pot. Shuck the corn, and wrap each ear in foil. Add to the crockpot.It doesn't seem to matter if the potatoes are closer to the meat, or the corn. The new crockpots heat from the sides as well as from the bottom, so everything will cook through regardless of location.Cover and cook on high for 5-7 hours, or on low for about 8. I cooked our dinner for 6 hours on high. My crockpot was quite full.

Kathleen note: my crockpot was less full and so it was probably done closer to 4.5 or 5 hours. Toward the end of the cooking time I started to wonder if I should have pierced the potatoes before wrapping them in foil. I crept closer to listen for sounds of exploding spuds and shattering glass. Not to worry - the potatoes don't need to be pierced and cooked perfectly. Bill didn't believe the entire dinner came out of the crockpot.

http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2008/08/crockpot-layered-dinner-steak-potatoes.html

Crockpot Chili (Stephanie)

Ingredients
1 large onion, chopped and cooked with beef
1lb. ground beef or turkey, browned (I used 1 1/2 lbs hamburger)
1 smoked sausage link, cut into small pieces, browned
2 cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed or 1/2 bag dry, soaked overnight (I used 2 cans pinto beans instead, we are not big fans of red beans)
2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed or 1/2 bag dry, soaked overnight ( I only used 1 can)
2 cans white beans, drained and rinsed or 1/2 bag dry, soaked overnight
2 cups frozen corn (I used one large drained can of whole kernel corn)
2 jalepeno peppers, chopped and seeded (I left these out)
48oz tomato sauce
2 14.5oz cans crushed or diced tomatoes, undrained
4 t. cumin (I left this out)
1/3 cup chili powder
3 t. garlic powder
1 t. black pepper
1 t. oregano
1 t. sugar
1/4 t. cayenne pepper

Procedure
Fills the huge crockpot to to the top (you can half recipe)

Add some water if you need some more liquid. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours if using canned beans or 9 hours if using dried beans.