Slow Cooker Special: The Chicken Philly

Happy Tuesday! I hope you're all having a nice week so far. Mine has been quite productive, which makes me happy. You know what they say about finishing the way you start? Maybe, if I'm lucky, my productivity will last all week long...and not just in the workplace! I certainly have plenty to do at home, as I'm sure you can understand.

Today's super easy but oh-so-delicious recipe was inspired by a post I saw on Pinterest recently. I only saw the pictures, but they were enough to spark my interest. Quite honestly, I'm a little surprised that I'd never thought about doing it before! So here you have it, a slow cooker Chicken Philly that you will LOVE...made possible by Pinterest, at least by inspiration. I served them with baked garlic & paprika potato wedges (that recipe is for another day, but I promise I'll share it with you, too!).

By the way, I always said I'd never join Pinterest because I knew it would be a time sink...and guess what? I was right! I am now addicted.And that, my friends, is NOT good for productivity. Sigh. Such is life. ;)

Slow Cooker Chicken Philly Sandwiches

1 1/2 lb. chicken tenders

1 large green pepper, sliced

1 small vidalia onion, sliced

1 tbs McCormick Grill Mates Roasted Garlic Montreal Chicken seasoning

2 tbs water 

2 tbs butter

salt and pepper to taste

8 slices provolone cheese

4 hoagie rolls

Place 2 tbs butter in the bottom of slow cooker. Add onions and peppers, then layer chicken on top. Sprinkle seasoning, salt and pepper over all ingredients. Add 2 tbs water. Cook on low 6 hours. Shred chicken and stir to mix ingredients. Cook on low an additional 30 minutes. 

Spoon chicken philly mixture onto hoagie rolls and top with provolone cheese. To melt the cheese, place sandwiches under a pre-heated broiler until cheese is bubbly.

Until next time...

Cheers!

Slow Cooker Special: Broccoli Cheese Chicken

Alright, I'll admit it. I've been seriously slacking on the blog here lately. Truth be told, I've been otherwise engaged in another project of mine, a young adult fiction novel that I've been writing for the past year or so (want a sneak peak? you can check out a couple pages here). The end is finally in view, and I'm under a self-imposed deadline of November 3rd to finish the first draft...so I've pretty much been dedicating as much of my free time as possible to meeting that goal and getting it done! In the meantime, though, that unfortunately means that I haven't had as much time to spend here with you. I'm sorry for that, and I hope you'll understand and forgive me.

Today's recipe is one I threw together with pantry ingredients that I had lying around. With my nose constantly in my keyboard trying to wrap up all of loose ends for my novel, I've even slacked on my weekly menu-making and Sunday grocery store trip. But, a girl (and her husband)'s got to eat, so I did my best with what I had on hand. It worked out really well, and that's why I'm sharing it with you. Got a lot on your plate like I do (pun somewhat intended...;))? You'll love this recipe. It's another one of those super easy slow cooker meals that we ALL need in our recipe boxes. I served it with whole white potatoes and green beans, but you can use whatever side you want. Or, add some rice to the slow cooker during the last 30 minutes of cooking to make the main dish itself more filling and substantial. Have fun with it!

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts

1 can broccoli cheese soup

1 can cream of onion soup

1 can milk (use one of the empty soup cans to measure)

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp dried basil

1/2 tsp garlic powder

Place chicken breasts in the slow cooker. In a separate bowl, mix remaining ingredients until well-blended. Pour over chicken breasts. Cook on high for 1 hour, then reduce heat to low and cook for 4-5 hours more.

This recipe will serve 4. I hope you enjoy :)

Until next time...

Cheers!

Slow Cooker Special: Pizza Pasta

Remember Jack? That little kid who lives inside me and begs for junk food every chance he gets (if you have no idea what I'm talking about, you can read about him here)? Well, Jack loves me right about now, because last night I kicked my normal "Cooking Light" approach to dinner out the window and made a meal that most any kid will love.

Yes, it's important to eat healthy, but sometimes...well, come on. You just want to cheat. And if you ask me, cheating every now and then is absolutely acceptable. In fact, I encourage it (clearly, since I'm giving you this recipe!).

If you like pizza (and who doesn't?), you're going to LOVE this meal. It's so easy and delicious that you'll probably want to make it every night. Ok, not every night - but more often than you probably should.

True to form, I've included a spicy component in the dish; however, before you get scared, I do want to point out that the crushed red pepper you see in the ingredient list actually serves as more of a flavor infuser than an added blast of heat. If you really don't like spicy, you can leave it out - but if you're not afraid to try it, go ahead and make the recipe as is.

 1 lb uncooked macaroni (or any small pasta)

3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided (2 cups and 1 cup)

2 10 oz jars pizza sauce 

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1/2 cup water

1 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper

1 tsp italian seasoning

pepperoni (use your own discretion)

Add uncooked pasta, 1 cup mozzarella cheese, pizza sauce, soup, water, crushed red pepper, italian seasoning and pepperoni to slow cooker and stir to mix well. Cook on low for 3 1/2 hours.

Add 2 cups mozzarella cheese to cover the top of the pasta (do not stir) and top with additional pepperoni. Cook for another 30 minutes on low until cheese is melted.

Just like pizza, this pasta is also versatile when it comes to the flavors that you like. This is essentially a base recipe for the pasta, so feel free to add any of your favorite pizza ingredients - black olives, onions, green peppers, sausage, etc. Don't worry about cooking the pasta before you put it in the Crockpot - it will cook on it's own with the sauce, soup and water. 

Until next time...

Cheers!

Slow Cooker Special: Pot Roast

I think it's probably safe to say that we all have a favorite meal as a kid, something that we like so much that we beg our parents to make it over and over again without ever getting sick of it. Those meals can become a source of nostalgia once we get older and move out on our own because, let's face it, no one can ever make that recipe quite as perfectly as our parents did/do. Growing up, there were a few meals my mom made in regular rotation that I absolutely had to have once I left the house, and today's recipe happens to be one of them.

I can't picture doing an entire month of slow cooker recipes without sharing one for pot roast. It just wouldn't be right. So...here you go. This one is simple, requires minimal ingredients and will put a smile on the face of everyone who eats it. I promise.

As usual, this recipe includes an ingredient that can make this meal spicy or mild, depending on how much you use. I'll leave that part up to you.

2 cans whole tomatoes in juice

2 cans whole white potatoes, drained

1 large onion, sliced

3lb. pot or oven roast

McCormick "Grill Mates" Spicy Montreal Steak Seasoning*

*to taste

Place sliced onion in bottom of slow cooker and season with Spicy Montreal Steak Seasoning. Add pot or oven roast, tomatoes with juice and potatoes. Season with Spicy Montreal Steak Seasoning. Cook on low for 10 hours.

If you hadn't guessed, the spicy steak seasoning is the component of this dish that will take it from mild to spicy. Both ways are really delicious! I would suggest using at least a healthy 1/3 cup of the seasoning all over the roast and veggies to really add some flavor, but feel free to play with the ratios to fit your tastes. I usually serve with white rice, but my husband likes it by itself. It all depends on what you like!

Stay tuned for more slow cooker recipes in the month of September!

Until next time...

Cheers!