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Slow Cooker Chicken with Stuffing

November 12, 2013 Nicole

This recipe is pretty good but unlike the recipe I didn’t mix the stuffing and the liquids all together and I made it in the oven and not the slow cooker. I should have… mine was a bit dry because I didn’t. This recipe really is good but it could be great if I had mixed it right.

The recipe is super easy and it has a great flavor. It’s something different which I loved and the chicken was very tender. There are some things that are worth having dry and this chicken recipe was one of them.

I would certainly make this anytime. If you would like to make this in the oven follow the same directions just in a baking dish and baked on 400 degrees for about 1 hour.

Ingredients:

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1 cup chicken broth
1 (10.75 ounce) can cream of mushroom soup
1 (6 ounce) box stuffing mix
1/2 cup water

Directions:

Place chicken into bottom of a slow cooker
Pour broth over chicken
Mix soup, stuffing, and water in a bowl; spoon on top of chicken
Cook on Low for 7 hour

Original Recipe Source

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Recipes

Tortilla Taco Soup (Paula Deen)

November 8, 2013 Nicole

This recipe is delicious! I needed something extra to go along with dinner one night. At the last minute I decided to make this recipe. I had browned ground beef with the bell pepper, onion, and garlic in the freezer so that made it go super-fast, and after opening up a few cans and packets of seasoning my soup was in the crock pot ready to roll.

I let it cook all day. When we got home that night the house smelled amazing. We couldn’t wait to dive in. The soup ended up being the main dish instead of what had already been prepared. Yes, it was that good.

I love the ease of this recipe and it’s delicious too. You could easily leave the meat out and double up on the beans to make this vegetarian.

Ingredients:

1 pounds ground beef
1 medium diced onions
1 medium diced green pepper
2 garlic cloves minced
2 (15 1/2-ounce) cans pinto beans
1 (15 1/2-ounce) can black beans
1 (15 1/4-ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can Mexican-style stewed tomatoes
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can tomatoes with chiles
2 (4 1/2-ounce) cans diced green chiles
1 (1 1/4-ounce) package taco seasoning mix
1 (1-ounce) package ranch salad dressing mix
tortilla chips, for serving
Sour cream, for garnish
Grated cheese, for garnish
Chopped green onions, for garnish
Pickled jalapenos, for garnish
Hot Sauce

Directions:

Brown the ground beef, bell pepper, garlic and onions in a large skillet; drain the excess fat
Next transfer the browned beef mixture to a large slow cooker or a stockpot.
Add the beans, corn, tomatoes, green chiles, taco seasoning, and ranch dressing mix, and cook in a slow cooker on low for 6 to 8 hours or simmer over low heat for about 1 hour in a pot on the stove.
To serve, place a small hand full of tortilla chips in each bowl and ladle soup over them. Top with sour cream, cheese, green onions and jalapenos or whatever you would like. Allow to sit a few minutes so the tortilla chips can soften up.
Add hot sauce to give it a little heat if desired

Original Recipe Source (Adapted)

Recipes

What is a Chalupa?

November 5, 2013 Nicole

What is a chalupa? That is a question I get almost every time I add it to our menu plan either as a post or in an email. I didn’t realize that most people have never heard of a chalupa, or sometimes referred to as a tostada. I am in Texas and believe me you probably won’t find a native Texan who doesn’t know what a chalupa is.

The best way I can describe a chalupa is it’s kind of like a flat taco or at least along the same premise as a taco. You start with a corn tortilla that has either been fried or baked until it’s a crispy golden brown. You can bake it at 350 degrees for about 6 minutes on each side. You will want to watch them closely while they are in the oven or maybe not. When they get a deep brown (almost to the un-savable point) they have a nice flavor also.

Normally a chalupa will have a base coating of hot refried beans slathered over the top of the corn tortilla from one end to the next. I don’t really recommend just using the refried beans out of a can because they lack a lot of flavor. Here is a great recipe to jazz up a can of refried beans. Then from there you can add taco meat, fajita meat, or simply leave on just beans. You can also use fat free refried beans and make these vegetarian. Normally I just leave on beans unless I have some extra taco meat in the freezer.

Next it’s time for your toppings. I like cheese, lettuce, guacamole, tomatoes (in that order), but you can add hot sauce, sour cream, salsa, onions, Spanish rice, or whatever makes you happy.

I like to use this as a quick and easy go to meal. You will always find corn tortillas in my freezer, either a can of refried beans or a frozen bag of cooked pinto beans in my freezer, and you will certainly always find lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, and sour cream in my refrigerator. Those items are staples in our home.

So there you have it! That’s what we call a Chalupa or in other words a flat taco, or a quick and easy go to meal! Enjoy!

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Recipes

When Life Gives You Cheese… Make Lemonade …. No That Doesn’t Sound Right!

October 22, 2013 Nicole

OK so I didn’t make lemonade but I did make a huge mistake that turned out to be an awesome surprise. I started off making cheesy vegetables as a side dish, but I ended up adding too much milk and too much cheese and my vegetable side dish turned into fantastic vegetable cheese soup. It’s nice when a disaster turns into something wonderful.

Everyone in our house loved this “soup” no one even had a clue that this soup side dish was a mistake. I got so many compliments on something that should have never been.

Easy and delicious… what more could you ask for?

Ingredients:

8 ounces frozen mixed vegetables (I used broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots)
¼ cup milk
4-6 ounces of processed American cheese (Velveeta)
Season salt (to taste)

Directions:

Cube American cheese and place inside a medium sized pot along with the vegetables and ¼ cup of milk.
Next add a few dashes of season salt.
Water inside the frozen vegetables will help thin the soup but add more milk as needed to thin.
Put your heat on medium and allow to get warm. Stir every minute or so. Do not allow the milk and cheese to boil. If the milk and cheese boil the cheese will separate and will curdle. Whatever you do you do not want that. If you noticed a bunch of little bumps and balls into of your soup it has seperated.
Continue to stir
Serve when cheese has melted and vegetables are tender.

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Recipes

Easy Beef and Broccoli (Crock pot or Stove top)

October 8, 2013 Nicole

This recipe is super easy. I forgot to put it in the crock pot so I decided to make in on the stovetop. It turned out fantastic! I thought it was better than any takeout I have had.

I love how easy it is and the flavor is wonderful. I found this recipe on someone’s Facebook post but it didn’t link to any place so I can’t give anyone credit.

I actually made a few changes but I think they were good changes. I added a bit more liquid to make up the sauce because I wanted to make sure there was plenty for the rice. My entire family loved this recipe. No doubt this will be made again soon.

Ingredients:

1 pound boneless beef chuck roast, sliced into thin strips (Slice partly frozen for the thinnest slices)
1 cup beef broth (reduced salt is best because of the soy sauce)
1/2 cup water
1 cup soy sauce
⅓ cup brown sugar
2 tablespoon sesame oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. garlic powder
¼ tsp. ground ginger
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons cooled sauce from the crock pot after being cooked
12 oz. Fresh broccoli florets
Hot cooked rice

Stove Top Directions:

In a small bowl, combine broth, soy sauce, brown sugar/honey, oil, and garlic. Place beef in a large pot and pour sauce over beef.
Stir all together and then bring to a boil
Once your pot begins to boil turn down the heat until your pot is simmer between medium to medium low
Cook until meat is tender about 1 hour)
Once your meat is tender add broccoli then cook until broccoli is tender
If your sauce is not thickening, try bringing your sauce to a boil and add corn starch to a bit of the sauce then combine all to the mixture. Boil until your desired consistency is reached
Serve over hot cooked rice.

Crock Pot Directions:

Place beef in a crock pot.
In a small bowl, combine broth, soy sauce, brown sugar/honey, oil, and garlic. Pour over beef. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.
In a cup, stir cornstarch and sauce form the crock pot until smooth. Add to crock pot. Stir well to combine. (If your sauce is not thickening, try bringing your sauce to a boil on the stovetop with the corn starch mixture. Boil until your desired consistency is reached).
Add broccoli to the crock pot. Stir to combine.
Cover and cook an additional 30 minutes on high (the sauce has to boil for it to thicken).
Serve over hot cooked rice.