Enchilada Verde Soup

Some things my girls have done to amuse themselves while we had to stay at home . . . 

Taking glamour shots of each other on my iPhone

Lots of drawing (check out Art Hub for Kids)

Visiting local farms / produce stands

Jedi light saber battles

Painting random crap (she's getting really good!)

Studying (so glad we got the new desk set up before all this) 

Riding bikes

Swimming

Dyeing hair and holding the guinea pig

Back when it was raining while we were doing "stay at home" I was craving some comfort food.  From, chicken enchiladas are the ultimate comfort food but I had also been wanting to make white chicken chili - this is a combination of both. I had some of these ingredients, an old recipe and wanted to remake it for the Instant Pot.  I'll give the IP directions first using frozen chicken and then the way to make it in a slow cooker or on the stove.  I know that using the cooking liquid might seem a little gross at first but it just made a really flavorful chicken broth and since I was using boneless, skinless trimmed chicken breasts, it wasn't very fatty.

I served it with a sheet pan of nachos from the oven which was delish but tortilla chips to dip into it or crumble on top will also work great!

Enchilada Verde Soup (serves 6)

1 lb frozen chicken breasts
1 can of chicken broth (or about 2 cups)
1 can of diced green chilis
12 oz salsa verde or green enchilada sauce
1/2 cup diced onion
1 T cumin
1/2 T chili powder
1 cup frozen corn
8 oz block cream cheese

Place the frozen chicken breasts in the instant pot with the chicken broth and pressure cook at high pressure for 12 minutes.  Do a 5 minute natural release.  Leave the liquid in the pot and remove the chicken and shred it (if it's not shreddable, you can put the lid back on and pressure cook for 2-3 more minutes and do the natural release again.  Mine was good with this amount of time).

Put the shredded chicken back in the pot in the cooking liquid and add the green chilis, salsa verde, frozen corn, diced onion, cumin, and chili powder.  Pressure cook 3 more minutes and do a natural release.  Open the pot up and  add the cream cheese.  Put it on sauté and stir it until the cream cheese is melted and incorporated.  If it's too thick, you could add a little water or chicken broth.  Taste and add salt / pepper / something spicy (tabasco or cayenne pepper?) if desired.

*With chicken that's not frozen:  Adjust the initial cooking time (probably only 7 or 8 minutes)

*Without an Instant pot:  Cook the chicken in some broth on the stove top or in a slow cooker until it's super tender and will shred.  Then add the rest of the ingredients except the cream cheese and simmer for about 20-30 minutes on the stove top or slow cook for 2-3 hours on low.  On a low simmer, do the rest of the steps (stir in cream cheese / check seasonings).

Springtime!

We are taking advantage of the warm weather by jumping in the pool, climbing trees, riding bikes, and spending as much time outside as possible!

I made this in the crock pot the other night and it went over pretty well with the family.  The kids could pick out what they didn't like and mostly ate the chicken and sausage pieces and white rice separately.  The flavors were good and it was easy to toss in the slow cooker and come home to cooked dinner a couple of hours later.  I suggest serving it over white or brown rice and serving it with some hot sauce on the side.

Slow Cooker Chicken and Sausage Creole (6 servings)
from Skinny Taste

1.5 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into pieces
9 oz chicken Andouille sausage, sliced into rounds
1 cup chopped onions
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup chicken broth
1 can diced tomatoes
3 oz tomato paste
1/2 cup tomato sauce
2 tsp creole seasoning
dash of cayenne pepper

Place everything in the slow cooker.  Cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours or on high for 3-4 hours.

3sp/1 cup

Football season!

It's football season and that time of year where I usually bust out my crockpot to make my life easier. One of my easy Monday night or Sunday afternoon meals is to make sliders with shredded chicken.  I know a lot of people do this by making pulled pork, but if you use boneless chicken thighs, it's not dry, it's a little healthier, and just as easy.

I usually start by putting a combination of chicken breasts and thighs (boneless, skinless) in the crockpot, and I pour either half of a can of beer or about a cup of chicken broth over the top.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and if you want, add a thinly sliced onion and cook on low for 4-6 hours.

After that, take two forks and shred the chicken.  Drain off almost all of the liquid.  At this point, to accommodate my kids, I divide the meat into two batches and make BBQ chicken with one half (add a bottled bbq sauce and stir).  Then, I usually do something spicier with the other half.

Buffalo Chicken Sliders:  I use Frank's Red Hot sauce and stir it with the shredded chicken until it's well-coated. Then, I toast the slider buns under the broiler and melt crumbled bleu cheese onto half of the bun.  Top with the buffalo chicken and serve!  These little slider buns are from Trader Joe's but my kids also like the Hawaiian Rolls or flour tortillas with the BBQ chicken and melted cheddar or jack cheese.

Chicken Burrito Bowls

This quarter I'm working until 6 or 6:30 on Mondays and Wednesdays so I've returned to my crock pot as a main way to get supper on the table.  This was a new recipe that I came up with one day by tossing a bunch of stuff in a crock pot when I hadn't planned ahead very well but it turned out yummy.  This is a great filling for burritos but we ended up making "burrito bowls" - sort of a variation on a taco salad.  .  I bought the flour tortilla bowl / boat things from Vons and put a bunch of shredded lettuce on the bottom and topped it with the chicken filling.  My girls ate theirs in tortillas like tacos.

Chicken Burrito Bowls (serves 4-6)

1 can diced tomatoes

1 can diced green chiles

1 can black beans

1/2 cup chicken broth

1/2 cup salsa

1 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. chile powder

1/2 tsp. salt
1 T dried onion (some diced fresh onion would work too - maybe 1/4 cup)

4 boneless skinless chicken thighs
1 cup cooked white rice

For serving (optional):  shredded lettuce, tortillas, tortilla bowls, shredded cheese, sour cream, more salsa, avocados, cilantro

Place the tomatoes, chiles, beans, broth and salsa in the crockpot and stir.  Place the chicken thighs on top and sprinkle the spices over the top of everything.  Cook on low for 5-7 hours.  Shred the chicken with a fork and give the whole thing a stir.  Stir in the cooked rice.

Serve over lettuce, in tortillas, in bowls, or by itself.  We like to add cheese and more salsa or avocados if we have them!  It's good with tortilla chips to dip into it or as a nacho topping.

Slow Cooker Beef Ragout with Polenta

We've had some rain and cooler weather and I can't quite get over how dark it is by 5pm!  It's time to use your slow cooker, that's for sure.  Although this is similar to dishes I've made in the past, it's a little different take on it - super simple ingredients and a tasty result.  I'm making it again this week because we're going to have soccer playoffs in the evening!

Slow Cooker Beef Ragout with Polenta (6 servings)

1 lb lean ground beef
1 (14oz) can diced tomatoes with Italian seasonings
3 medium carrots, sliced 1/2 in. thick
2 medium onions, cut into thin slices
1 lg red bell pepper, cut into 1 in. pieces
1/2 cup beef broth
salt and pepper to taste
6 cloves of garlic, minced
1 (16oz) tube refrigerated polenta
Parmesan cheese
6 T prepared pesto (optional)

In a large skillet, brown the ground beef and drain the fat.  Transfer to a slow cooker and stir in the tomatoes, carrots, onions, bell pepper, beef broth, salt and pepper, and garlic.

Cook for 6 hours on low or 3 hours on high (give or take depending on your slow cooker).

Slice the polenta into 1/2 inch thick pieces.  Place on a lightly oiled cookie sheet and broil for 5-7 minutes or until lightly browned.  Flip over, sprinkle with parmesan cheese, and broil another 4-5 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the polenta is lightly browned.

Place the polenta on a plate, top with ragout, and about 1 tablespoon of the pesto.  Sprinkle with more parmesan cheese.

Not Leftovers . . . a new meal!

Last week I made one of my favorite crock pot recipes here on the blog - the Green Enchilada Chicken Soup.  I made the full recipe even though I know my kids aren't the biggest soup eaters (Big only likes Chicken Noodle and Middle only likes Green Soup) because the leftovers are awesome.  This time, instead of thinning down the thick leftover soup, I warmed it and served it over hot biscuits.  My mom used to make creamed chicken over biscuits and it was so good.  This is a green enchilada twist on that idea.  It made the leftovers into a "new meal" and one I will make again.  

Green Enchilada Chicken Soup (I left out the corn this time)

A good biscuit recipe (or use a tube of Pillsbury ones)

DIY Indian Food

I have to admit, I was skeptical of this recipe but I decided to make it anyway.  I didn't think that Indian food that I made at home could taste at all authentic and sometimes my husband isn't a big fan of my crockpot chicken recipes.  BUT . . . this was awesome!  Chicken Tikka Masala is probably my favorite dish to order at an Indian restaurant and I absolutely loved how this turned out.  One of the differences from how it's served in a restaurant is that I shredded the chicken in the sauce but it was super tender and flavorful with a little kick of spice. If you don't want to shred it, cut the chicken breasts into chunks first, reduce the cooking time and skip the shredding step.  We ate it over basmati rice with garlic naan (thank you TJs).  The big girls ate it, the baby loved it and the leftovers were still delicious.  That's a success in my book!

Chicken Tikka Masala (serves 4)

2 garlic cloves, minced
1 T fresh ginger, minced
14 oz can of tomato sauce
3/4 c. plain yogurt
1 T olive oil
1 T garam masala
1/2 T cumin
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1-3 tsp. cayenne pepper (depending on how spicy you want it)
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
bay leaf
1/2 c. half and half
1.5 T cornstarch

 Place the first 12 ingredients (garlic through cayenne) in a large bowl and mix thoroughly.  Add the chicken breasts and stir to coat.  Pour it all in to the crockpot and add the bay leaf.  Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours.  Before serving, pull the chicken out and shred it.  Then, whisk together the half and half and cornstarch and gently stir.  Let it cook an additional 15-20 minutes to thicken.  Serve over a bed of basmati rice.

Creamy Green Chicken Enchilada Soup

Now that it's officially spring, it finally feels like a California winter and soup weather.  In addition to the Irish Onion Soup, this is a new soup recipe that we just tried and loved.  It's like a cross between the white chicken chili that I love and a corn chowder.  It was delicious and so easy to make in the slow cooker.  I was looking forward to leftovers (I only made a half batch), but alas, there were none.

Creamy Green Chicken Enchilada Soup (8 servings)
Original recipe here

32 oz chicken broth
4 cups green enchilada sauce (or tomatillo salsa)
1.5 lbs chicken breasts
4 oz can diced green chills
3/4 cup water
2 T ground cumin
1 T chili powder
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 cup frozen corn
1 8 oz block cream cheese (not fat free)
3/4 cup rice
salt & pepper to taste

Stir together the broth, enchilada sauce, chills, water and spices in the bowl of a slow cooker.  Put the chicken breasts on top and cook on low for 6 hours.  Remove the chicken and shred with a fork.  Add it back to the pot.

Add the corn, cream cheese, and rice and cook for another hour.  Stir together.  If you want it a little soupier, you can add a little more water.  If you want it thicker, you can dissolve 1 T of cornstarch in 1/8 cup water and stir it in and wait another 15 minutes for it to thicken up.

Cilantro Lime Chicken

I had some of extra cilantro and chicken a few months ago and made this meal and put it in the freezer for another time.  This week, busy with work, I pulled it out on Sunday and put it in the crockpot before work on Monday.  We ate it over rice but it would be a good filling for tacos or burritos.  All 3 girls liked it which is a bonus! 

You can make it right away or double the ingredients - one meal tonight and one in the freezer - or just freeze it for another time.  

Cilantro Lime Chicken (4 servings)

1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast
2 limes, juiced
1 cup or 1 bunch cilantro, chopped
1.5 cups frozen corn
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 red onion, chopped
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 tsp. cumin
salt and pepper

Make it now:  Put all the ingredients in the crock pot and stir to combine.  Cook on low for 6 hours or high for 4 hours.  If desired, shred the chicken before serving.

Make-ahead freezer meal:
Write the cooking instructions on the outside of a gallon sized freezer bag.  Place all ingredients inside the freezer bag.  Seal bag and shake to mix the ingredients together.  Lay it flat and freeze.  To prepare:  Let it thaw overnight (24 hours is good) and dump the whole thing into the crockpot.  Cook on low for 6 hours or high for 4 hours.  If desired, shred chicken at the end and stir it all together.

Back to real life

After a great Christmas break and the luxury of staying in bed longer, visiting with friends and family, and some unstructured days, starting back to work and school was a little tough for us.  Here's a glimpse of my life with three girls these days:

She's getting so big - pulling herself up and getting into everything

Current favorite table food:  Kraft Mac & Cheese

She still remembers how to float!  How amazing is this January weather?!?

Riding her bike

Speaking of getting big . . . can hardly believe how big Big is.

And, sick kids are so sad.  Poor baby girl!

 I'm working afternoons this quarter and walk in the door at dinner time so I'm trying to be more organized so that we don't resort to take out or pancakes . . . once in awhile is fine, but not twice a week!

For my first week back, I made this new chili in the crockpot on Monday and on Wednesday, I left teriyaki marinated salmon for my husband to put in the oven.  This way, I get to come home to a hot supper after work!  The chili might not be earth-shattering (I like variations on chili like this lentil chili and this one with black beans and sweet potatoes), but it was tasty and super easy to throw together.  When I was growing up, we would eat chili on top of tortilla chips and topped with shredded cheese (we called it "Pepper Bellies") and to this day, that combo is comfort food to me!  The good news is that by itself, this chili is loaded with protein and low in calories (only about 150 calories/cup).

Crockpot Chicken Chili (makes 6 cups)
adapted from Skinny Ms

2 chicken breasts, cut into small pieces
1 can fire roasted tomatoes with green chiles
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 T tomato paste
1 T chili powder
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. ground pepper
salt to taste
1 can cannelini beans, drained and rinsed
1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
3 c. chicken broth
sour cream & shredded cheese for serving (optional)

Put everything except the sour cream and shredded cheese into a crockpot.  Cover and cook on low for 6 hours.

Slow Cooker Potato Soup

First, a little Mini update.  Mini girl is now 8 months old.  She weighs in at about 13.5 lbs and is still wearing 3-6 month clothes.  She can sit up and wave, she recognizes her name and the names of people in our family, and loves to be outside.  It's amazing to see similarities between my girls at this age and I've been feeling sentimental about my girls as baby lately, so here are some photos of all three at 8 months.

First, the youngest (and the most recent photos):

Next, middle when she was 8 months old (and already crawling everywhere):

And finally, from back in 2008, Big at 8 months old:

This is a super easy crockpot soup - you chop some stuff, put it in the crockpot, and turn it on.  There might be more depth of flavor if you browned the onion and leek first (maybe with garlic and olive oil?) but I threw it all in there raw and it turned out great without the extra step.

How big you chop the pieces depends on whether you plan on blending the soup or not . . . if you're going to leave it chunky, dice the potatoes, carrot, celery, and onion smaller.  Make sure you wash the leek well before adding to the soup.  I found that with low-sodium broth and the milk, I needed to add some salt before serving it.

Cream of Potato Soup (serves 8)

2 lbs red potatoes, cut into pieces
1 carrot, diced
2 celery ribs, diced
1 leek, sliced
1 onion, diced
4 cups vegetable or chicken broth
2 cups water
2 tsp salt (more to taste)
pepper to taste
1 bay leaf
1 cup evaporated milk

Optional garnish:
cooked chopped bacon
chives
fresh parsley
grated cheese

Put everything but the evaporated milk in the slow cooker.  Cook for 3-4 hours on high or 6-8 hours on low (I did 2 hours on high and then turned it to low for 3 more hours).  Add the evaporated milk and mash up the soup with a potato masher (or for a smoother consistency, use a blender).  Taste and adjust seasonings.  Bring it back to a simmer (the milk & blending will have cooled it off) and serve with bacon, chives, parsley, and cheese to garnish (if you want to).

Balsamic Glazed Pot Roast

Do you ever have those moments when you look at your kids and think, "they just grew up so much!"  Recently, I was looking through some photos on the computer and couldn't believe how huge my 3 girls seemed.  It happened right in front of my face!  Since my next recipe doesn't have any photos (I bet you can close your eyes and picture a pot roast), here are the ones that made me think my girls are changing again and growing up too fast:

Big lost her first two baby teeth!

Who is this big sister??

I know she's still really little but she's changing so much so fast.

Everything here makes me smile - crazy hair, their own accessories, baby girl's expression

And, on to the food.  I love a good pot roast - slow cooked vegetables, tender beef . . . I could probably make it once a week.  These days it's a good meal to put together before my running to swim lessons, gymnastics, and Target begins.  Then, my house smells awesome and I can spend nap time actually napping (or sitting still).

My favorite way to make pot roast has been with  Lipton Onion soup mix but I'm trying to be more aware of the msg and other nasty stuff that I've been feeding my family (more in another post) so I tried this version with broth, tomato sauce, and vinegar.  It was delicious and easy.  I didn't always brown my roast before putting it in the crockpot but I really like how it turns out - worth the extra few minutes.

Balsamic Glazed Pot Roast

3 lb chuck roast
1 onion
2 russet potatoes
some carrots
1 cup beef stock or broth
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
salt, pepper, garlic powder, other spices

Sprinkle the meat with whatever seasonings you want.  Heat a pan over medium high heat and add a little olive oil.  Add the roast and brown it on all sides.  It'll take a few minutes - don't turn it too soon.  You want a nice dark crust on all sides of the roast.

While you're doing this, slice the onion into thick rings, peel the potatoes and slice them into quarters.  Put the onions on the bottom of the crockpot and then put the potatoes and carrots in a layer on top.

Remove the roast from the pan and put it on the potatoes and carrots.  Deglaze the pan with the beef broth and let it cook until it's reduced by half.  Stir in the tomato sauce and balsamic.  Pour the glaze over the roast.  Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Pesto Chicken Two Ways

Well, I tried to think of something that would be really awesome to post about for my 400th post but these days, it's just normal everyday food with the goal of making something that my whole family will eat.  So, before I begin, if you're reading this I really appreciate your support of my blog!  I can't believe I've made it to 400 posts . . . here's to 400 more!!

I love pesto - the garlic & basil flavors - but not necessarily on pasta.  It's a little too oily and sometimes too heavy for me.  But, one of my favorite ways to grill chicken is to marinate it in pesto and this week, I made a crock pot version of that same dish.

I have made my own pesto before (mini-chopper doesn't work so well but my hand blender works awesome) and bought it from the store (Costco sells a large container that's a great value but if I'm not going to use that much, I go for Trader Joe's) and honestly, there's not a huge difference in the end result for the recipes I've made.  Keeping some chicken in the freezer and a jar or two of pesto in the pantry will give you an easy dinner option - either on the grill or in the slow cooker.

The other night, I used chicken thighs n the slow cooker, because the organic ones were on sale this week and I served it over cous cous with broccoli on the side.  It was a hit with my picky eaters!

Pesto Chicken Skewers

Cut boneless skinless chicken breasts into 2-3 inch pieces and put them in a large ziplock bag.  Add pesto to cover and marinate in the refrigerator for a couple hours (I've also done it as long as overnight).  Take the chicken out of the marinade and put it on skewers.  If you are using wooden skewers, soak them in water for about 30 minutes before threading the chicken on the skewers.    Discard the pesto.  Grill until the chicken is done - length of time will depend on how thick your chicken chunks are.

Slow Cooker Pesto Chicken

6-8 boneless skinless chicken pieces
6 oz jar of pesto (or about 3/4 cup homemade)
1-2 cups chicken broth

Put the chicken in the bottom of the slow cooker and cover with the pesto.  Pour the chicken broth over so that the chicken is barely covered (you're not making soup) and give it a stir.  Put the lid on and cook for 3-4 hours on high or 6-8 hours on low.

Other great recipes (from my blog) with pesto:

Pesto Potato & Green Bean Salad

Pappardelle with Scallops & Pesto

Pesto Stuffed Zucchini

Lasagna Stacks

Too tired to cook

It's a combination of the holidays and entering the third trimester but by about 4 or 5 in the afternoon, I'm exhausted.  Dinner has been pretty sad lately . . . turkey sandwiches, canned soup, Rainforest Cafe, Caesar salad from a bag with spaghetti from a jar . . . I know my family deserves healthier food and I'm turning back to my slow cooker.   For me, this soup is right up there with the White Chicken Chili - I love it and the leftovers disappear pretty quickly.

This is the combination of a few recipes - one from my sister in law where she makes it with rotisserie chicken on the stove top.  If you want to sub the chicken breast for cooked chicken, you can do the whole thing on the stove and only cook it for about a half hour.   This version take a bit longer but then I can make dinner while I still have a little energy.

Hope you enjoyed your holidays as much as we enjoyed ours - Happy New Year!

Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup
(6 servings)

For the slow cooker:
1 lb chicken breast
15 oz can sweet whole corn kernels, drained
15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
15 oz can diced tomatoes (Mexican style with green chiles)
5 cups chicken stock
3/4 cup chopped onion
3/4 cup chopped green pepper
1 jalapeno pepper, minced or small can chopped green chiles (optional)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp. ground cumin
salt
pepper

For topping the soup:
chopped cilantro
shredded jack cheese
avocado, diced
4 corn tortillas
olive oil spray

Add the slow cooker ingredients to your slow cooker.  Season with a little salt and pepper.  Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6-8 hours.

Remove the chicken breasts and shred the meat.  Season with a little more salt and pepper. Return to the slow cooker.  Sometimes I also squeeze a lime into the soup at this point and adjust the seasonings (usually for me, that means more heat - red pepper flakes, tabasco etc).

Heat oven to 400 degrees.  Spray a baking sheet with olive oil spray.  Cut the corn tortillas in half and then in strips.  Put them on a single layer on the baking sheet.  Spray with olive oil spray and sprinkle with salt.  Cook for 5-10 minutes or until light brown and crunchy.

Top bowls of soup with tortilla strips, a little avocado, some cheese and cilantro.

Sweet & Sour Chicken

My girls love this stir fry that I make about once a week (really basic soy marinade, chicken breasts, carrots, snap peas & red bell pepper) and I thought that this new recipe might qualify as "good China food" so I can put it in rotation.  A bonus is that you make it in the crockpot and other than buying the chili sauce (Heinz makes one but I bought a more natural version with fewer ingredients), you'll probably have everything you need on hand.  Double check your chili sauce but with gf soy sauce, this would be an easy gf meal.  We ate it over rice with steamed broccoli and the girls actually liked it!  Big said that the "usual China food" I make is better but she did eat her whole serving.

Sweet & Sour Chicken (6 servings)
from Baked Bree

6 chicken breasts
olive oil
1/2 c. apple cider vinegar
1/4 c. chili sauce
1/4 c. brown sugar
1 T soy sauce
1 T dijon mustard
1 (14oz) can petite diced tomatoes
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes

Heat a large skillet and add a little olive oil.  Brown the chicken breasts, about 2-3 minutes per side.  In a bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients.  Put the chicken breasts in your slow cooker and pour the sauce over the top.  Cook on low for 6 hours.  Shred the chicken with a fork.

Spanish Rice in the Crockpot

My cousin has a cooking blog and I always look forward to reading what she's made on Tuesday nights.  She's a great cook, way more daring than I am (check out her mad bread making skills).  In one post, she reminded me of  the spanish rice in the crockpot that my grandma and mom used to make.  I have my own homemade (that is, not from a box with a seasoning package) version of this, but the crockpot is really convenient sometimes.

This past weekend I made a crockpot of Chipotle Carne Asada and a crockpot of the rice.  However, I  made a bit of a mistake . . . I used Thai Jasmine rice instead of a regular long grain rice and it got sort of mushy.  But, I added some spices to the family recipe and really liked the overall flavor.  I used 2.5 cups of rice and 5 cups of liquid and it made a crockpot full . . . we had 20 guests and I had tons of leftovers (maybe because it was so mushy??)

Spanish Rice (6 side dish servings)

1.5 c. raw long grain rice

1/4 c. olive oil

1.5 c. tomato juice (I used low-sodium V8)

1.5 c. water

1 small onion, chopped 

1 small green bell pepper, finely diced

2 tsp. chili powder

1 tsp. ground cumin

1/2 tsp. ground chipotle pepper (or paprika or for a kick, 1/4 tsp. cayenne)

1/2 tsp. salt

Saute the rice, onion, and bell pepper in the olive oil until the rice is golden brown and the onion & pepper are soft.  Put it in a crockpot with the rest of the ingredients.  Stir well.  Cover and cook on low.  My cousin's instructions say low for 4-6 hours or high for 2-3 hours.  My crockpot is notoriously hot / fast and I checked it when the liquid was absorbed at about 2 hours on low and it was done.   

Some fall sights around our house

Big sister doing some rock climbing

Little sister typically carries around and wears a bunch of accessories

Bike rides down the driveway

Crockpot meals

For the last year or so, big transitions have taken me awhile and with each one, I'm sure my blog isn't going to survive.  But, the dust settles, we get into a routine, and I'm back writing and posting.  I started back to work with fall quarter a couple of weeks ago and the new schedule has taken awhile for us all to get used to.  I'm blessed that my husband watches the girls while I work and that I have work in this economy so I can't complain but we're still adjusting.

One of the rough things are our dinners from Sunday - Wednesday.  On Sundays, we get home from church around 6:30, on Mondays and Wednesdays, my husband starts dinner and I get home from work around 7pm and on Tuesdays, we go to the gym until about 6:30.  The crockpot has been really coming in handy and this is a new dish I made up a few weeks ago.  Perfect for fall, gluten free, and easy to add / change the veggies to what your family will eat.  Hope it helps you out during this busy time of the year!

Chicken and Butternut Squash Stew (6 servings)

1.25 pounds boneless skinless chicken pieces (I used thighs)

1.5 cups butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1 in. pieces 

1 small onion, diced

3 ribs celery, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 14 oz can chicken broth

3/4 c. tomatoes (I put these in the blender so it was more like juice - you could use V8 or leave them chunky)

1 T Worcestershire sauce

1/2 tsp. paprika

1/4 tsp. pepper

1/8 tsp. allspice

1 c. frozen peas

Put the butternut squash, onions, and celery in the crock pot.  Put the chicken pieces on top.  Cover with the garlic, broth, tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce and spices.  Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 4-5 hours.  Cooking time will vary depending on your slow cooker but you want the squash to be soft and the chicken to start to shred.  Stir in the frozen peas, stir, and cook for another 15 minutes or so.  If you want the stew to be more soupy, add a little water (or more broth) when you add the peas.

Italian Crockpot Chicken

I was trying to come up with a creative way to make potatoes and chicken for dinner.  Then, I realized that it was ballet night for big sister and roasting them would take too long so I put everything in the crockpot.  This is what I used:

Instead of using white wine and olive oil like I might have done, I used a prepared vinaigrette that was in the refrigerator and added some other seasonings.  Baby sister loved the cooked carrots and although this wasn't fanciest meal ever, it was tasty and filling.  

It might not seem like much liquid, but the chicken will render more as it cooks and you don't want it all floating in a lot of broth.  You can adjust the seasonings according to your taste (and according to how much herbs are in the dressing you use).  If you don't have a dressing you want to use, sprinkle a little olive oil, add a little red or white wine, and use more seasonings.

Italian Crockpot Chicken (4 servings)

2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts (appx 3 large)

1/2 c. broth

1/4 c. italian dressing or vinaigrette 

8-10 small red or yellow potatoes

1 large shallot, chopped (or 1/4 c. chopped onion)

1 cup baby carrots

oregano, basil, bay leaf, salt pepper

Mozzarella or parmesan cheese (optional).

Put the potatoes and carrots in the bottom of your slow cooker.  Pour the broth on top of the vegetables.  Put the chicken breasts on top of the vegetables.  Sprinkle with the shallot (or onion).  Drizzle with the dressing or vinaigrette.  Sprinkle with the seasonings.  Cover and cook on low for 6 hours or until the potatoes are soft and the chicken is cooked through.  When you plate the chicken, sprinkle with mozzarella or Parmesan cheese.

Indian-spiced Chicken in the Crock pot

You know how I love my crockpot!  I have this indian curry recipe with chicken and sweet potatoes in the crock pot that I've had mixed results with and this is the new version - adapted from a Family Circle recipe that I read in some random waiting room.  This is much better and I think for a few reasons - the chicken is in the crock pot a shorter amount of time, the thighs aren't as dry as chicken breasts (still very lean, boneless, skinless but the dark meat makes a difference), and thickening the sauce at the end worked really well.  If you don't like curry or spicy stuff, still give this a try - it's mild and although garam masala is a main ingredient in most curries, it's not overwhelming.  If you like spicier, add a little cayenne or red chili flakes.

I served it with a coconut brown rice (substitute half the water for unsweetened coconut milk) and a cucumber salad (recipe coming soon - it was a winner).  You could used chunks of sweet potato in place of the carrots if you want or leave the carrots out altogether.

Indian Spiced Chicken Thighs (serves 4)
adapted from Family Circle

1.5 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 cup baby carrots
1 onion, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 3/4 tsp. garam masala (divided)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
3/4 c. low-sodium chicken broth
1/3 c. plain yogurt
1 T cornstarch

Put the carrots, onion, and garlic on the bottom of the slow cooker.  Put the chicken thighs on top and pour the broth over it all.  Sprinkle it with 1/4 tsp. of the salt, the pepper, and 1 teaspoon of the garam masala.  Cover and cook for 3 hours on high or 5 hours on low.

After that time, remove the chicken and cover.  In a small bowl, stir together the remaining 3/4 tsp. garam masala, 1/4 tsp. salt, yogurt, and cornstarch.  Whisk it into the slow cooker bowl and cover; cook an additional 15 minutes or until sauce has thickened.  Serve sauce and vegetables over the chicken.

Crockpot Lasagna

I've been wanting to try lasagna in my crockpot for awhile and finally made it.  The recipe I used was from one of those email recipe exchanges and I made it just like it was written.  I've never substituted cottage cheese for ricotta in a lasagna before and it wasn't bad but I love ricotta and will probably change the recipe a little next time.  I like the method but it would be good with ricotta instead of cottage cheese, some additional spices, and maybe sausage instead of the ground beef.

The day I made it, I was really distracted because my sister in law was having a baby (my new little nephew is just perfect!) so I forgot about dinner until late afternoon.  I did one hour on high and then 2 hours on low and the noodles were soft.  I think the 4 hours on low would work perfectly.  My husband and big sister both really liked it and the leftovers were good too.

Crock Pot Lasagna
1 pound lean group beef
1 jar spaghetti sauce
2 cups cottage cheese
2 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
6 whole Lasagna noodles, uncooked
1/4 cup water

Brown ground beef in frying pan and drain fat.  Line the bottom of the crock pot with a small amount of spaghetti sauce.  Add the rest of the jar of sauce to the ground beef in the frying pan along with the water.  Stir until well blended.  In the crock pot, place 2-3 uncooked lasagna noodles that are broken to fit the shape (some overlap is fine).  
Cover the noodles with half of the cottage cheese, Mozzarella cheese, and Parmesan cheese, then top cheeses with half of the meat sauce mixture.  Repeat the layers with the other half of the ingredients.  Cook on low for 4 hours.