Swiss Crockpot Chicken

Yay! Crockpot meals. I've got tons of crockpot recipes. Here's one I found not too long ago and you can even add your favorite vegies to it. This is easy and yummy!

For ingredients and directions, please click on the image above for a larger view.
Recipe courtesy of Sherelle Christensen. Don't you just love her recipe layouts? Cute, huh?

Chicken Enchiladas

I love enchiladas because you can add so many odds and ends to them. It is a great time to try new things in them. This is great for the family when you go out of town because you can freeze it and bake later. Im making this for a family who just had a baby. Im taking it uncooked and they can cook it whenever they are ready for dinner. This is one of Daves favorites. I make it half corn and half flour tortilla for us because thats how we like it.
Here is my basic recipie that I use.

Prep: 25 min
Cook Time: 30-40 min
Serves: 6

2 cups shredded chicken
1 pkg of Toco seasoning
1 15 oz. can beans drained ( i like black)
1 10.5 oz. can cream of chicken
1 3.5 oz green chiles diced or about 1/4 cup
1 14 oz of diced tomatos (drained)
1 cup of grated cheese (any kind you have)
10 - 20 corn tortillas or you can use flour if you like it softer.

Cook chiken on the stove with water till cooked. Using 2 forks shred the chicken into bite sized chunks. Add Toco seasoning and let it simmer in some water for about 3 min. To the pan on the stove add beans, cream of chicken, chiles, tomatos (drained) and 1/2 cup cheese. Preheat oven to 425*. In a 9x9 pan spoon some of the mixture on the bottom to coat. (Caserole version follows, start from here) Heat up the corn tortillas so that they are soft and wont break when rolled. you can do this in the microwave on a plate with a damp paper towel on top of stack of tortillas for about 1 min or so. Using a hand towel, (to keep your hand protected from hot ingredients) place warm tortilla on towel and spoon mixture into center of tortilla, about a little less than 1/4 cup. Roll the tortilla up and place in pan. Repeat until pan is full. I usually stuff it. Sprinkle cheese on top and bake for about 30-40 min or until the cheese is melted and golden brown. You can also do a caserole version of this.
Caserole instructions:
Cut Tortilas up like a pie so you have triangles. Spoon some mixture on bottom of the pan to cover. Place cut tortillas in pan overlaping. cover with 1/4 mixture. Repeat 3 more times. Sprinkle with cheese and bake the same.

Theme

I was thinking that it would be fun to have a theme each week or month for the blog. That way it can jog all of your memories and we could get some great dishes posted. I was thinking things like caserole, chicken, pasta, salads, potatos, crockpot dishes, etc. So if anyone has any theme they would like explored let us know. You can still post anything else yummy that you like even if it doesnt go with the theme.

Spinich and Garlic Bruchetta

I made this recipie up instead of putting my laundry away. Its really yummy and a more creative use of my time. If you cant tell yet, I put spinich in almost everything... even in my spaghetti.

Serves: about 12
Time: 5 min

8 oz. cream cheese
2 garlic cloves minced
1 cup packed fresh spinich
1/4 c. parmesan cheese
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp basil flakes
tomato chopped fresh or sundried (optional)
1 loaf french bread (you can use cheesey bread too.)

slice loaf into 1 inch slices on a diagnal. lay on cookie sheet and put under the broiler for 3-5 min till golden brown. you can also put slices on the grill for about 30 sec or till slightly charred on edges. meanwhile pack spinich in a food processor and finley chop. add garlic, parmesan, lemon juice, and basil and chop again. Add cream cheese and pulse till creamy and smooth. (It will turn a minty green color). Spread on toasted bread while still warm and add optional tomatos. Serve immediatly. ( Spread can be made ahead of time.) you can finish off with a sprig of parsley for looks.

Breakfast Casserole

This was the recipe I used for Emily's baby shower on May 24. Let's just say I ate like half of it myself... It's really similar to Heather's quiche (posted May 14).

It's a really easy one because you can just make it however you like it. I use bacon with a mixture of mozzarella, mild cheddar, and colby jack cheese. I think next time I'll add it some mushrooms too.
Breakfast Casserole

Serves: 8-10
Time: 1 hour

Ingredients:

1 large (30 oz) bag of frozen hashbrowns (shredded potatoes)
1 cup butter
4 cups cheese (any combination)
1 lb. (2 cups) bacon or sausage
6 eggs
2 cups half & half
1 tsp salt

Directions:

Thaw hashbrowns and pack into the bottom of a 9x13 pan (make like a crust). Melt 1 cup butter and pour over the top of hashbrowns. Bake for 20 minutes at 375 degrees. While the cust is baking, cook the meat. Drain excess grease, and mix with the 4 cups of cheese. Put meat and sasage mixture over the cooked hashbrowns crust. Whisk the half & Half, eggs, and salt together. Pour over the entire casserole. Bake at 375 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until the casserole looks set and starts to brown.

Smoky Corn Chowder/Pan-Seared Dumpling Salad

I found a few great recipes in my Real Simple magazine a few weeks ago that we really enjoyed. Here's a great non-traditional combination for a soup & salad night.

Smoky Corn Chowder:

Serves: 4-6
Time: 25 minutes

8 oz sliced bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 lg sweet onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
2 10oz pkgs frozen corn
3 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1 cups half & half
4 scallions, trimmed & thinly sliced
salt & pepper

Cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Spoon off and discard all but 2 tbsp of the drippings and return the pan to medium heat. Cook the onion, stirring occasionally, until soft. Add the garlic, paprika, and red pepper and cook, stirring for 2 minutes. Stir in the corn, broth, and half & half. Bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Transfer half the soup to a blender and puree until smooth. Return to the pan, add 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper. Stir to combine. Divide the soup among individual bowls and top with the scallions and reserved bacon.

Pan-Seared Dumpling Salad:

Serves: 4

Time:25 min

2 tablespoons canola oil

12 frozen dumplings, pot stickers, or Japanese gyoza

2 shallots, thinly sliced

1 cup frozen shelled edamame

2 tablespoons grated ginger

2 bunches watercress, thick stems removed

1 tablespoon sesame oil

3 tablespoons rice vinegar

3 tablespoons soy sauce

salt

Heat 1 tablespoon of the canola oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the dumplings and cook until browned, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Add 3 tablespoons water and cook, covered, until cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes.Meanwhile, heat the remaining canola oil in another large skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the edamame, ginger, and 2 tablespoons water. Reduce heat to low and cook, covered, until the edamame are heated through, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add the watercress and 1/2 teaspoon salt and toss until just wilted.Divide among individual bowls and top with the dumplings.Whisk the sesame oil, rice vinegar, and soy sauce in a small bowl and drizzle over each salad.

Cheezy Chicken and Broccoli Calzones

Serves: 4
Time: 20 min

"This is so Blog-worthy" "I could eat this everyday!" "We should make these to impress our friends." "Everytime you make this meal it is good for 3 free footrubs." These are just a few of the things that Dave said about this meal. And it is so quick and easy to do!

2 (13 oz) pakages of pizza dough

2 cups cooked and cubed chicken

1 cup chopped broccoli

1 cup shreded cheddar cheese

1 can cream of chicken

2 garlic cloves minced

Cornmeal

Preheat oven to 425*. Cook and cube chicken (I cooked mine in the microwave for 10 min from frozen.) In a bowl mix all ingredents (not dough). Separate pizza dough into 4 eaqual parts. Roll out to make 4, 8" circles. On a cookie sheet lined with tin foil (for easy clean up) and sprinkle cormeal around sheet. Fold each circle in half and transfer to sheet. Open each and fill with 1/4 of mixture in center and away from edges of dough. Fold each in half again and pinch around edges to seal. Bake in oven for 10 min or until crust is a nice golden brown. Serve hot.

King Ranch Chicken

I've made this recipe for baby showers and other get-togethers and it always seems to be a big hit. My kids love this easy meal and it's one of our family's favorite dish. Sorry, I can't give the prep time, etc. I suppose it all depends on how fast you want to prep and cook it.

Ingredients:

¼ c. margarine or butter

1 medium green bell pepper, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

1 can (10 3/4 oz.) condensed cream of mushroom soup

1 can (10 3/4 oz.) condensed cream of chicken soup

1 can (10 oz.) RO*TEL Diced Tomatoes & Green Chilies (hot or mild), undrained

2 c. cubed cooked chicken

2 c. shredded cheddar cheese

tortilla chips

Toppings:

sour cream, shredded cheese, sliced olives

Directions:

Sautee onions and pepper in margarine, for about 5 minutes. Add soups, RO*TEL, chicken and cheese, stirring until well blended over medium heat. Heat until bubbling. Serve over tortilla chips, topped with sour cream, shredded cheese and olives (and anything else you'd like to add). Serves 8.

** FYI: I prefer to make this recipe in a crockpot. After the onions and peppers are sauteed in a pan, I transfer them into a crockpot and add the remainder of the ingredients, stirring until well blended. Heat on low or medium setting until bubbly. Serve with toppings. Best when it's served warm. There's also a baked casserole version of this recipe at: www.ro-tel.com. Enjoy!!! :)

English Muffin Pizza

1 pkg Thomas English Muffins
1 jar pizza sauce
8 oz Mozzarella cheese


Split the English muffins put 1-2 tsp sauce on each halve and sprinkle cheese. You can add any type of topping. I usually put pepperoni on for the kids and make mine with olives. Sometimes I like to add pineapple. Heat the oven to 350 and cook until the cheese is melted.

For a healthier version, i use the Light English muffins or the ones that have double fiber. Also instead of pepperoni, I sometimes get the turkey pepperoni. As for cheese I have use the fat free shredded but it doesn't melt very well.

Cinnamon Rolls

Does anyone have a good recipie for cinnamon rolls?