Easy Crockpot Fiesta Chicken

I'm going to start babysitting in August so my crockpot will become my best friend. When I saw this recipe I knew I had to try it. Sooo easy and it is really good, although it doesn't look it, believe me, it is.

4 chicken breasts, frozen or thawed

1 (15 1/2 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 (15 ounce) can corn, drained
1 (15 ounce) jar of your favorite salsa
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese (used fat free)

Take 4 frozen (or thawed), boneless chicken breasts put into crock pot. Add 1 can of black beans, drained, 1 jar of salsa, 1 can of corn drained.  Keep in crock pot on low for about 4-5 hours or until chicken is cooked. Once it is cooked, take it out and shred it. Return shredded chicken to the crockpot.

Add 1 package of cream cheese and let sit for about 1/2 hour then stir it in and you've got yourself a tasty dinner.


Serve over rice or in warm flour tortillas.


Recipe From: The Girl Who Ate Everything

Grandma Pat's Beef Barley Stew

I'm not sure if any of you other Mamas are having difficulties introducing solids to your wee one(s). Eddie wouldn't eat anything but breastmilk until he was ten months old, and then I tried being all crunchy and making him baby food out of our food, but he wouldn't touch it. He *loved* OTHER babies' homemade baby food (and storebought baby food, and cookies, and crackers and cheese...all that stuff we're not supposed to give him right away, of course!) but not mine.

But then I made that Tortilla Soup, and gave him a taste (PRE-hot sauce), and he LOVED it. I froze a bunch of it in an ice cube tray, and it's still a hit. I finally broke down and BOUGHT jarred baby food (sob :P) and he, of course, loved that too. The best laid plans of Mamas and wives, I tell you.

Also, he doesn't like the same thing twice in a row. If we had mango-peach-oatmeal for breakfast one morning, we'd BETTER have something different the following morning, or ELSE.

All this to say that I was so sad that I couldn't make food for my baby like I'd hoped and that I was afraid I was doomed to feed him pre-made food until he finally grew enough teeth to eat steak and green beans with us. UNTIL. We went to visit DH's parents and Grandma made her Beef Barley Stew, and I thought it was delicious and gave Eddie a bite, and then another, and the next thing I knew, he'd eaten half my bowl! :P Then he ate it for lunch the next day, and dinner, AND lunch the following day! So I had to get the recipe, and now that I've made it again, I'm sharing it here!


Beef Barley Stew

1/2 lb lean round steak, chopped in cubes
4 carrots, peeled and cut in 1/4" slices
1 c chopped yellow onion
1/2 c green bell peppers, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 lb fresh button mushrooms, quartered
3/4 c dry pearl barley
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp dry thyme
1/2 tsp dry sweet basil
1 bay leaf
5 c beef broth

Combine all ingredients in slow cooker. Cover and cook on low, 9-10 hours.

NOTE: I forgot to ask DH to unpack my slow cooker, and since I don't know where it is myself, I decided to brown the meat with the onions and garlic and throw it, along with everything else, in a heavy stew pot, and I've had it simmering for about half an hour now. I'll let it go until the meat is cooked through, and the carrots are tender. Then we'll store it for lunches and Eddie's meals! (DH isn't a big stew guy. :P)

Update: The stew simmered for about three hours before I was happy with the thickness and the taste.

BBQ Beef Sandwiches

This was a big hit and so easy.

Barbecued Beef
from Simply in Season (of course!)
2 lbs stewing beef, cut in 1 inch cubes
2 onions
Place in crockpot.

1/3 c water
1/2 c ketchup
2 T vinegar
2T Worcestershire sauce
1 T brown sugar
1 t each salt, paprika, chili powder

Mix together and pour on top of beef and onions.
Cook on low in crockpot until beef is tender and easily shredded with two forks. Cook with the lid OFF for the last hour to reduce liquid. Mine took about a total for 5 hours.

One Year

So we're having a gathering of family this Sunday to celebrate Charles. Because it will be his first birthday. So this is the menu we're planning.

Slower Cooker Italian Beef Sandwiches
rolls
Potato Salad
Cucumber Salad
chips
soda
some sort of jello-fruity dish
Eclair Dessert

I'm responsible for the sandwiches, cucumber salad, and dessert. So here are a few of the recipes.

Slower Cooker Italian Beef Sandwiches
3 lb round or shoulder roast
8 oz jar of pepperoncini with juice - no stems
3 cloves garlic
2 t oregano
1 can beef broth
1 can beer (optional)
S&P to taste

Place in slow cooker on low until done. I don't remember how long it takes and the recipe doesn't specify, so I'll try to come back and let you know. I'm going to check it at 5 hours. Shred beef and serve on (sweet italian) rolls with provlone cheese.

Eclair Dessert
my grandma's recipe
2 pkgs graham crackers
2 pkgs instant french vanilla pudding
8 oz cool whip
frosting:
2 squares unsweetened chocolate
2 T butter
1 1/2 c powdered sugar
4 T milk

Mix pudding with 3 cups of milk and beat. Add cool whip. Line a 9x13 pan with whole graham crackers. Pour 1/2 pudding mixture over crackers. Add another layer of crackers. Add remaining pudding mixture. Top off with a final layer of crackers.
Melt butter and chocolate together. Add sugar and milk, beat until smooth. Spread on top layer of crackers.
Keep refrigerated after preparation until serving, at least about 2 hours.

Crockpot Chicken Jambalaya

I've made this twice since we've been married. I made it for Daniel the first week back from our honeymoon and then we had our first dinner guests last night, my parents, and they requested it. This dish has all the right seasonings with it not being too hot. I did some adjusting with the ingredients but I'm sure it would be just as tasty as it's listed below.

I highly recommend this dish. It's sure to please.

• 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch cubes (I only used 3)
• 1/2 lb Kielbasa sausage, sliced (I used a whole pound)
• 1 can 14oz tomatoes, undrained
• 1/2 green bell pepper, chopped (I used a whole pepper)
• 1 stalk celery, chopped
• 1 onion, diced
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp cajun seasoning

Put everything in the crockpot on low for 7 hours. Serve over rice with a side of corn bead and you'll have a delicious dinner! Depending on your crockpot size the time may vary. Mine is a decent size so I only cook it for 6 hours and it turned out perfect both times.

Serves 6

Potato Soup

I cannot believe that I haven't posted this recipe yet...I guess because when we started this blog it was too hot for soup. That is not the case today. As the snow continues to fall up here in Chicago-land, I deemed it the perfect day for soup. Especially this super simple, delicious soup from our childhood.

Potato Soup
6-7 Idaho potatoes, peeled
2 large carrots, peeled, chopped
1 stalk of celery, chopped
3-4 buillion cubes, chicken or vegetable
1/2 stick butter
1 can evaporated milk
optional: cheese, bacon

1. Put first four ingredients in a slow cooker, fill with water until just covered. Place butter on top. Cook on low all day or until potatoes are tender. Add canned milk just before serving. Place in blender or food processor and puree. Top with grated cheese and/or bacon bits, if desired.

Recipe credit: my mom

This truly is a great slow cooker recipe for someone working outside the home because it really can cook all day, even 12 hours and it's still going to taste great!

Cooking Slow

This was kind of fun. Laura and Dan are on their way up here as we speak, and I figured I really ought to have something to offer them. Something Friday-friendly and quick. Then I saw this on my daily slow cooker calendar (Fix It and Forget It). Also this was my first slow cooker attempt at something that wasn't soupy or casserole-ish...it was fun!! Maybe I'll bake a cake in it next...

Parmesan Garlic Quick Bread
1 1/2 cups buttermilk baking mix*
2 egg whites
1/2 cup milk
1 T minced onions**
1 T sugar
1 1/2 t garlic powder
1/2 c Parmesan cheese

1. Combine baking mix, egg whites, milk, onions, sugar, and garlic in a mixing bowl.
2. Spray slower cooker with cooking spray. Pour dough into cooker.
3. Sprinkle Parmesan on top of the dough.***
4. Cook on high 1 hour.****


*I used Bisquick...it worked. I think that's what they meant.

**I used dried onion flakes b/c I'm out of onions.

*** I would also recommend sprinkling some salt on top, if you like salt. I wish I had thought to sprinkle salt on it before it cooked, but I did it afterwards.

****Lastly, the timing - always the hardest part with slow cookers. An hour and the middle was still doughy. I cut out the done pieces and put the top back on to let the center finish baking...took about 20 more minutes.

A Hit!

On Friday night the O'Neils had a going away party at their apartment. I made a nacho dip which was a big hit...at least with my husband! :o) I liked it because it was a crockpot recipe - low maintenance.

Quick and Easy Nacho Dip

1 lb ground beef, browned
dash of salt, pepper and onion powder (if you have it)
2 cloves of garlic, optional (but really...who doesn't love garlic?!)
2 16 oz. jars of salsa (throw in homemade salsa if you want to)
15 oz. can of refried beans
1 1/2 c sour cream
3 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
tortilla chips

Add salt, pepper and onion powder to ground beef. Combine beef, salsa, bean, sour cream, and 2 cups of the cheese in the slower cooker. Cover and heat on low for 2 hours*. Just before serving sprinkle with the last cup of cheese. Serve with tortilla chips.

*My shredded cheese was still frozen, so two hours wasn't quite long enough to really melt it into the mixture...be sure to thaw your cheese first if you want it melted.

For the Festival

A crockpot recipe and a long time favorite from my childhood to help celebrate the Crock Pot Festival at Bless Us O Lord, hosted by Barbara! This makes a good Friday meatless meal, too. It’s very simple to put together, and like all good crockpot recipes, ready to eat when you are!

Potato Soup
about 6 potatoes, peeled and chopped up
2-3 stalks of celery, chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
½ stick of butter
4 bullion cubes (chicken or vegetable)
water
1 can evaporated milk

Place the potatoes, celery, and carrot in the crockpot. Just cover them with water. Then add the bullion cubes and place the butter on top. Cover and cook on low all day, until potatoes are tender. Add the evaporated milk, mix together. Puree in a food processor and garnish with shredded cheese of your choice.
Optional: add ½ a sweet onion with the other veggies

Dad's Specialty

I planned our meals for the next week as I'll be returning to work and need to be prepared if we're going to eat well. I look forward to letting you know about the success and failure of the new recipes that I try. Monday's meal, however, is a tried and true classic in my parents' home, and it's easy which makes it perfect for my first day back to work. There's really not much of a recipe. But I'll post it anyway:

Dad's Specialty
1 package skinless smoked saugsage, sliced
1 bottle of your favorite Bar-B-Q sauce

Place sausage in crockpot. Pour BBQ sause over sausage. Fill BBQ bottle 3/4 full with water, shake and pour into crockpot. Cook covered on low setting for 6-8 hours, or until sausage is tender.

We always serve this with mashed potatoes and some sort of green vegetable. Quick, easy, and yummy! I love crockpot recipes!