Southwest Slowcooker Chicken

Wow! So I can't believe I haven't posted for a year! A lot has changed in that time! I've had a beautiful baby girl. She's the reason I am totally loving slow cooker recipes right now! She always seems the most awake during the late afternoon when I normally make supper! The slow cooket allows me to get my prep done earlier in the day so supper is ready when my husband gets home from work! I was pleasantly surprised by this recipe I've seen all over Pinterest. I've combined a few recipes to make one I like! Even better, it makes a ton so I leftovers for my husband's lunch and supper the next night! Give it a try tonight!

4-6 chicken breast
2 cans black beans, drained & rinsed
2 cans corn, drained
2 cups salsa
1 packet taco seasoning
1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese.
Tortillas and shredded cheese for serving

Place chicken in slow cooker. Top with black beans, corn, salsa, and taco seasoning. Cook on low for 5 hours or high for 3. Pull chicken out of slow cooker and shred. Put back in slow cooker. Cube cream cheese and stir into chicken mixture. Cook one additional hour. Serve with tortillas, cheese, and whatever else you like!

You can also use this as a freezer meal by throwing raw chicken in a freezer bag with corn, beans, salsa, and taco seasoning. I put this in my slow cooker frozen and it turned out wonderful!

Quick & Easy Chicken & Dumplings

I just tried this tonight and it was so good and so easy I had to share it right away! I had originally found this recipe here through Pinterest. It was supposed to made in a crock-pot but when I finally decided to think about making dinner at 4:03pm this afternoon, I didn't exactly have time for the slow cooker! I made this on the stove while modifying the recipe and it took about 25 minutes from start to finish! Serves 4.

• 2 cans cream of chicken soup
• 1 (14 oz.) can chicken broth
• 2 cups cooked, shredded chicken
• 2 Tablespoons Parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 Tablespoon minced onion
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 4 large biscuits from a can (1/2 can, and I used the buttermilk variety)

Bring all ingredients except the biscuits to a boil. Cut each unbaked biscuit into 9-12 pieces. Drop each piece into the soup and simmer, covered for 15 minutes. Stir occasionally. Serve hot.

Mine sat an extra 15 minutes while it waited for Dylan to get home from work. It got thicker as it sat longer.

Chicken Enchiladas

I am pretty excited about this recipe. This recipe was found on Tasty Kitchen. I made it quite awhile ago and I have been waiting to share it with you as I was doing a bit of an experiment. This makes a huge batch of enchilada filling. So much, that I was able to get 3 meals out of it with leftovers. Altogether, this made 16 enchiladas, and you could get more by not filling them so full.  I made this last fall and made it for two meals, one for a night with my friends and another for a night just with my husband. Overwhelmed by the amount of enchilada filling leftover, I froze the filling for a quick meal later. I was not sure how it would hold up in the freezer and I am telling you now that I am really impressed. This is an all around time saver recipe as it utilizes the slow cooker to cook the meat.

• 2 1/2 pounds chicken breast (I used four large breasts)
• 1 (16 oz.) bottle Italian Dressing (I used Kraft Free and it worked fine.)
• 1 Tablespoon Cumin
• 1 Tablespoon Chili Powder
• 3 teaspoons minced garlic

Place all these ingredients in a slow cooker on high for 3-5 hours, shred and place back in slow cooker until ready to use.

• 1 box Hamburger Helper Cheesy Enchilada Rice

Cook the rice according to package directions. Do not add the meat called for on the box or the sauce mixture. Just make the rice with the seasoning.

• 1 can black beans

Heat in a large microwave bowl in the microwave.

Combine the chicken mixture, rice, and black beans in the large bowl and mix well until combined.

• Tortillas (If you are making all at once, you will need at least 16. If you are planning to divide in half and freeze remaining filling, you only need 8. Just have on hand the number of enchiladas you plan to make)
• Enchilada Sauce (I used one 10 oz. can per pan of 5-6 I made)
• 3-4 cups shredded cheese

Fill each tortilla with 1/3 cup filling, roll and place seam side down in a pan appropriate in size for the number you are making. Pour enchilada sauce on top and sprinkle with cheese. If you have warm filling, bake at 350 for 20 minutes until bubbling around the edge of pan.

If you have leftover enchilada filling, place in a freezer safe Ziploc bag, label and date. Place in the freezer for a speedy dinner another night

To use: Thaw enchilada filling and heat in a microwave safe bowl. Fill each tortilla with filling, roll and place seam side down in pan. Pour enchilada sauce over enchiladas and sprinkle with cheese. If the filling is even a little bit cold, allow to bake for 30 minutes at 350 instead of 20.

Creamy Chicken and Rice Casserole

I think my mom found this recipe in Taste of Home magazine a long time ago. If you are looking for ultimate comfort food, you have come to the right recipe. If you are looking for a healthy recipe, RUN AWAY AS FAST AS YOU CAN!!! This is so good though and does not contain any "cream of ... soups." A lot of times I make it for my friends who have babies. Actually, this is the only time I make it. It's a special occasion! I just brought this to a friend yesterday and she said her boys said it was the best food ever! So, now you have to give this a try. This can probably easily feed 8 people so that is why I make it for friends. I will make a small loaf pan size for my husband and I, then I put the rest in a 9x13 inch pan for friends! Works out great!

• 4 cups cooked rice (I used brown rice and you can't tell a difference. Great time to get some whole grains, may be the healthiest thing in this recipe!)
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/4 cup flour
• 2 cups milk (I used skim and it still thickened beautifully!)
• 2 teaspoons chicken bouillon granules
• 1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 4 cups chicken, cooked and shredded
• 12 ounces Velveeta cheese, cubed
• 2 cups sour cream

Optional Cracker topping:

• 1 1/4 cup crushed Ritz crackers
• 1/4 cup melted butter

Start out by spreading the rice in the bottom of a greased 9x13 inch pan. In a large saucepan, melt butter and stir in flour until smooth. Do this over medium heat as not to burn the butter/flour. Add milk, chicken bouillon granules, seasoned salt, garlic powder, and pepper. Bring to a boil and stir 2-3 minutes until thickened. Reduce heat and add Velveeta cheese and sour cream. Continue to stir until cheese is melted. Add chicken and mix well. Remove from heat and pour over rice. (At this point, if you are planning to add the cracker topping, mix crackers and butter and evenly spread over casserole.) Bake, uncovered, at 350 for 20-30 minutes until heated through.


***This dish can be made ahead and served later. Just keep these things in mind. First, you will need to add cooking time as it will be cold out of the refrigerator. Second, it will not be as creamy because the rice will absorb some of the cheese mixture. It still turns out great, but just a few things to keep in mind***

Taco Chicken and Chips

Do you have a lot of leftovers after Christmas? Do you anticipate leftovers after your New Years celebration? Looking for something yummy to eat before your New Years diet? This is a great way to use up your leftovers! I recently found this recipe in the most recent edition of my church's cookbook. I didn't have all the ingredients so I altered it to fit what I had in my kitchen. Feel free to do the same! I had leftover tortilla chips from a work potluck on Christmas, leftover cooked chicken in my freezer, and leftover shredded cheese and sour cream from an unknown time.

• 1 can cream of chicken soup
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 teaspoon taco seasoning
• 2-3 cups shredded, cooked chicken
• 2 cups shredded cheese
• 1/2 cup chopped onion (optional)
• 1/2 cup chopped pepper (optional, but oh so pretty if you use different colored peppers!)
• 3-4 cups crushed tortilla chips (mine were a little stale and this still turned out great! Finally a way to use stale tortilla chips! :-)  )

Combine cream of chicken soup, sour cream, and taco seasoning. Mix and set aside. In a ungreased 2 quart casserole dish, cover bottom with half of your chicken. Top with half of soup mixture and pepper/onions. Layer half and cheese and half of chips. Continue with rest of chicken, soup mixture, onions/peppers, cheese, and chips. Pop in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes.

***Time Saving Tip*** Whenever I am cooking chicken for a recipe and have some leftover, instead of throwing "extra" into the dish, I freeze it in a Ziploc freezer bag. I do the same thing with "extra" onions, peppers, ground beef, etc. Since I did this, it made the prep time for this meal FIVE minutes!!! This is also a great way to save a little money too. By not adding "extra" ingredients into your dish and instead freezing them, you may not need to buy a pepper at the store this week or a package of chicken and can just use what you alread have stored away in your freezer!

Honey Mustard Bacon Chicken

I have had awful cravings for bacon lately. When I saw this recipe on Pinterest, I knew I had to make it. It also reheated really well at work the next day and every one commented on how good it smelled. The chicken was really moist even after being reheated.

• 1/4 cup mustard
• 1/4 cup honey
• 2 Tablespoons mayonnaise (I used reduced-fat and it worked just fine)
• 5 strips of bacon
• 3-4 small chicken breasts (I used two large breasts and cut them in half width-wise with a kitchen scissors.)
• 1 cup shredded cheese (I used colby jack, it's what I had on hand)

In a large pan, cook bacon on the stove. Meanwhile, mix mustard, honey, and mayonnaise in a small bowl. When the bacon is done, set aside. (I always set my bacon on a plate lined with a couple pieces of paper towel to absorb some of the grease.) In the same pan briefly cook chicken each side. I did about two minutes on each side, just enough to start cooking the chicken. Pre-heat oven to 350. In a greased 11x7 inch pan or 9x13 inch pan, lay each piece of chicken in the bottom. Smother with honey mustard mixture. Top with bacon and cheese. Cover and bake for about 30 minutes or until juices run clear.

Alfredo Lasagna Rolls

I made this the day I was going to eat it but it could be made the day before. I do not recommend freezing this though. These were super simple to make and reheated the next day at work great. They were also pretty because of the rolled lasagna noodles. I tried to take a picture for all of you but as I warned, I am an awful photographer and I am very embarrassed of how awful I am! I will not post that picture! This recipe could easily be doubled for a larger family. This makes 8 rolls so could feed about four-six people. If you have teenagers/big appetites, I would double it. I also like these because they are great for people who are watching their portions!

• 2 cups shredded cooked chicken
• 2 cups Alfredo sauce (homemade or store-bought)
• 2 Tablespoons parsley
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 cup ricotta cheese (I used low-fat)
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 8 lasagna noodles, boiled and drained.

Spoon enough Alfredo sauce on the bottom of an 11x7 inch pan to lightly cover the bottom.  In a separate bowl combine the ricotta cheese, chicken, mozzarella, garlic, and parsley. It will be a crumbly, dry mixture. Next, I placed all my lasagna noodles flat on a cutting board but you could use any flat, clean surface. I divided the cheese/mixture between the eight noodles. I spread the mixture across each noodle so each noodle was completely covered. Next, roll each noodle and place seam side down in the Alfredo sauce pan. You may need to stuff some of the filling back into the noodle. Cover the rolled noodles with the remaining Alfredo sauce. You can also add some additional mozzarella cheese on top if you choose (I did not). Cover and bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes. (You may want to add 5-10 minutes if you had these refrigerated).

Cream Cheese Crock-Pot Chicken

I have recently discovered the joys of using a Crock-Pot. I have a list of recipes I would love to try using my Crock-Pot! So you will be seeing many more in the future!  This recipe was a big hit with my husband who loves Alfredo sauce. Although different from Alfredo sauce, it does have similarities. I like to think it is not as bad for me as this does not include heavy cream! Is cream cheese any better? I used reduced-fat! This chicken is great served over noodles. You could also serve over biscuits, rice, mashed potatoes, baked potatoes... basically any carb you can find! The possibilities are endless!

• 2-4 chicken breasts (I put mine in frozen! I didn't know this until I was reading her blog)
• 1 can cream of onion soup (or whatever "cream of" soup you want. Chicken, mushroom, celery, potato...)
• 1 packet italian dressing mix (I found this at Meijer in the condiments aisle by the ranch dressing mixes)
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 package reduced fat cream cheese
• 1/2 cup chicken broth or white wine (I say stick with the white wine :-) You will sleep better.)
• Hot noodles or other carb of choice

Start by putting the chicken broth/white wine in the bottom of the Crock-Pot. Add chicken. Cover with cream of onion soup, italian dressing mix and garlic. Cook on low for 5-7 hours, depending on how warm your Crock-Pot is. Mine cooks fast, probably because it is big and I never fill it full enough. About a half hour before you are ready to eat, cut cream cheese into cubes and stir everything together. Heat an additional 20-30 minutes until cream cheese is melted.  In the meantime you can boil noodles, rice, or mash some potatoes!

Do you hate to clean your Crock-Pot? I know I sure do! There is nothing worse. My mom introduced me to these handy bags. Sometimes you can find coupons for them too. I always buy them at Meijer (they are much cheaper there than online) and they are found by the plastic wrap and tin foil.

Pizza Chicken

I found this recipe on Tasty Kitchen. I have made a few small substitutions. This was even better the next day when I took it with me to work for lunch. Make sure to make an extra couple of chicken breasts solely for leftovers! I also fully prepared this dish the day before and baked the next day.

• 4 whole boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 (28 ounces) can diced tomatoes
• 4 ounces Neufchatel cheese (light cream cheese)
• 1 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese
• 2/3 cup pizza/spaghetti sauce
• 15 slices pepperoni
• salt and pepper to taste
• Parmesan cheese to taste

Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper and place in a 9x13 greased baking dish. Drizzle some olive oil in the bottom of a large skillet. Saute onion until tender but not brown. Add garlic and diced tomato. Simmer for about 10 minutes (until your tomatoes are cooked down how you like, I like mine cooked down quite a bit). Sprinkle in salt and pepper to taste. Stir in cream cheese. Pour cream cheese/tomato mixture over chicken. Spread pizza/spaghetti sauce over chicken as well. Top with cheese and add the pepperoni. Bake covered at 350 for about 35-40 minutes. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese before serving.


I served this over pasta. I had a green salad on the side. Don't forget to make enough for leftovers as this was so good the next day!