Slow Cooker Spicy Chicken Cacciatore

Anyone who knows my husband (his name is Richard) knows that he LOVES spicy food. And when I say LOVES (in all caps), I'm not exaggerating. At any given time in our house, you can look in the fridge or pantry and find at least one supremely spicy snack that Rich regularly devours when he returns home from work each day. Ghost pepper peanuts and Ass Kickin' Original salsa are among his favorites, I believe, but he'll pretty much take anything that totes an "insanely hot!" warning on its label. When I tell him something is (or should be) spicy, it's a bit of a double-edged sword; he's both excited to try it and doubtful that he'll actually agree. 

I'm telling you this as a bit of a warning; when I made this recipe, Rich said "this actually has some heat to it." So yes, it's a bit spicy. But it's also unbelievably good. Don't like spice? Reduce the crushed red pepper, or leave it out all together. I'm pretty sure you'll still love it. 

Cooking Light gets all the credit for this one, and I've linked the original recipe for you below; as you'll see, I really only made slight changes.  

Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore

Original recipe by Phillip Rhodes, Cooking Light (March 2014) - click here for original recipe

All-purpose flour

2 lbs skinless, boneless chicken thighs

1 tbs olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

2 large red bell peppers, chopped

8 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup dry red wine

1/2 cup tomato puree

2 tbs capers

2 tsp crushed red pepper

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp black pepper

3/4 tsp kosher salt

1 can unsalted petite diced tomatoes

2 tbs chopped fresh parsley

Add flour to shallow bowl and dredge chicken thighs in flour. Shake off excess.

Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and add olive oil, swirling to coat. Add chicken thighs and cook for 4 minutes on each side. 

Add chicken to slow cooker and reduce heat under skillet to medium. 

Add onion, bell pepper and garlic to skillet and cook for 4 minutes, stirring often. Add wine and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 2 minutes. Add to slow cooker.

Add tomato puree, capers, crushed red pepper, dried oregano, black pepper, kosher salt and diced tomatoes (with juice) to slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW for 4 hours.

Serve over mashed potatoes or polenta as desired and sprinkle with parsley. 

Until next time...

Cheers!

Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili

My oldest daughter, Zoey, absolutely loves to help me in the kitchen. I try to come up with different ways that she can help me with every dish that I make - easier said than done, sometimes. That's why we both love slow cooker recipes. Generally little to no prep, and hardly any technique required!

This slow cooker white chicken chili is a favorite in our house, and I love how easy it is to make and enjoy. It also freezes wonderfully, so feel free to double the batch and store some for later.

Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili

Recipe by Laura Taylor

1 large onion, chopped (about 1 cup)

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts

4 cups chicken broth

2 cans (15 oz each) cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

2 cans (4.5 oz each) Old El Paso chopped green chiles

1 tbs chopped fresh cilantro

1/2 tsp ground cumin

Dash ground red pepper (cayenne), if desired

Add all ingredients to slow cooker and cook on low 6 hours. Remove chicken and shred using 2 forks. Return chicken to slow cooker and stir to combine. 

Serve with sour cream, shredded cheese, sliced jalapenos, cilantro and tortilla strips.

Until next time...

Cheers!

Slow Cooker BBQ Beef Potatoes

Happy 2017, y'all!

2016 was a bit crazy, not gonna lie. I, for one, am glad for the opportunity to start a new year. I've got plenty of goals that I'd like to meet in the future, and there's no better time than now to get started.

I don't know that there is a more fitting recipe to post to start the year, because this is one that was declared a winner by my entire family not only the first night, but on leftover night as well. Heck, my husband even asked for it again later in the week - and I think he was legitimately disappointed that we didn't have any left.

Yes, it's that good.

It's also - wait for it - really easy. Seriously. Grab your slow cooker, do some easy prep, and go enjoy the game while the work is done for you.

It doesn't get much better than that.

BBQ Beef Potatoes

Adapted from Cooking Light January 2017

1/4 cup brown sugar

3 tbs tomato paste

2 tbs Worcestershire sauce

1 tbs chili powder

1 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp black pepper

1.5 lbs boneless chuck roast

1/2 cup sliced red onion

2 large russet potatoes

1 cup shredded sharp cheddar

8 tbs light sour cream

1/4 cup sliced green onions

Mix brown sugar, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, chili powder, salt and pepper in a bowl. Rub over roast. 

Spray slow cooker with cooking spray. Place red onion slices in the bottom of slow cooker and top with roast. 

Set to LOW for 7.5 hours, or until beef is tender.

About an hour before slow cooker is done, preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spray potatoes lightly with cooking spray and bake in preheated oven for 50 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes. Slice each potato in half lengthwise.

Remove roast from slow cooker and shred using two forks. Return to slow cooker and mix well with onion mixture. 

Split each potato half lengthwise and add beef/onion mixture. Top each potato evenly with sour cream, cheese and green onion. Serves 4.

I'm excited to share many, many more of these easy, wonderful recipes with you this year. I'm planning to make some big changes to the blog in the next couple of months - stay tuned!

Until next time...

Cheers!

Pulled Pork with Sriracha BBQ Sauce

Today I'm posting a recipe with no picture - hope that's okay! It's not like my pictures are super duper anyway, as you all know. Hopefully I'll get the camera that's on my Christmas wish list and that will change very soon!

Anywho...

Pulled pork? Yum. Sriracha? YUM. Pulled pork with Sriracha BBQ sauce...in the SLOW COOKER?? Double, triple, oh my goodness I want it now YUUMMMMMM.

This recipe just gives me another reason to LOVE my Cooking Light subscription.

Here you go...you're welcome!

Pulled Pork with Sriracha BBQ Sauce
Adapted from Cooking Light, December 2014

3 tbs brown sugar

1 tbs ground coriander

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp chili powder

3/4 tsp salt

1 3.5lb pork butt, trimmed and cut into 4 pieces

1/2 cup ketchup

1/3 cup rice vinegar

2/3 cup water

3 tbs Sriracha

1 tsp ground ginger

Hamburger buns

Combine first 5 ingredients in a bowl. Rub pork with mixture.

Combine ketchup, vinegar, 2/3 cup water, 2 tbs Sriracha and ginger in your slow cooker, stirring to combine. Add pork and toss to coat.

Cook on low 8 hours. Remove pork from slow cooker and shred. Stir in remaining 1 tbs Sriracha to slow cooker and return pork to slow cooker. Serve shredded pork on hamburger buns.

Slow Cooker Special: "Inside Out" Chicken Pot Pie

Hello friends, and welcome to September. You may remember that last year I devoted the entire month of September to slow cooker recipes...well, I hope you liked it (okay, I hope you LOVED it), because I've decided to do it again this year! Welcome to the 2nd annual Slow Cooker September! Stay tuned each Tuesday and Thursday of this month as I share more super easy, super yummy Crockpot meals with you. I know you're going to love them!

Now, before I get into today's recipe, I know that you're probably wondering where the heck I've been all these months. I know, I know. I disappeared. I've severely neglected the blog, and for that I'm truly sorry! I do, however, want to share with you the awesome and exciting reason why I've been MIA...

And here SHE is!

My husband and I are expecting! Our first little one is due January 1st, and we are so unbelievably excited to meet her! I'm right in the middle of my second trimester right now, and luckily I'm feeling a good deal better than I was...I dealt with some pretty nasty "morning" (HA!) sickness from 5 1/2 weeks until week 20-ish, and unfortunately for my husband, that meant I really didn't do much in the way of cooking. It also meant that I really had no recipes to share with you, since I wasn't spending any time in the kitchen.

Luckily, though, the sickness has now passed and I'm back in the swing of things! Today, I'm sharing with you a really flavorful twist on a classic comfort food. I hope you love it as much as we did, and I hope you'll come back and check out all of the great slow cooker recipes I'll be posting throughout the month!

"Inside Out" Slow Cooker Chicken Pot Pie

1 large can cream of chicken soup

1 regular can cream of celery soup

1 packet onion dip/soup mix

1 package frozen mixed veggies (peas & carrots, or whatever you like!)

1/2 cup chicken broth

1 cup baby red potatoes, quartered

4 boneless chicken breasts

1 can Pillsbury home-style biscuits

Put chicken breasts in bottom of slow cooker and top with remaining ingredients. Cook on low for 8 hours. Shred chicken with fork and stir all ingredients. Cook on low for additional 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, bake home-style biscuits as instructed. Spoon "pot pie" mixture over biscuits for serving.

Until next time...

Cheers!

Slow Cooker Special: Hearty Chicken Noodle Soup

Just out of curiosity, I'd like to know what each of you thought when you read the title to today's blog. I wouldn't be surprised if many of you looked at this post and thought "Chicken noodle soup? I can only eat that when I'm sick."

Ok, ok. It's kind of true. What do we eat when we have the flu? Chicken noodle soup, of course. When it comes to feeling under the weather, this dish is a key factor for recovery.

But what about the REST of the time? Unfortunately, I know several people who can't (or won't) eat things that they directly associate with illness. Even asking about particular dishes usually results in a disgusted face and a firm "no, thank you" head shake. This is especially true of today's soup variety. Let's face it: of all the soups out there, chicken noodle gets a bad rap.

For round three of Slow Cooker September, I'm sharing a recipe that I hope will change your mind about this "only when I'm sick" soup. This version is so hearty and flavorful that it truly trumps the watered-down, bland mess that comes out of the can. In fact, you might even find that it rivals some of your favorite comfort foods.

3 boneless chicken breasts

1 bag frozen mirepoix soup mix

1 tsp seasoning salt

1 1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 tbs dried parsley flakes

1/2 tsp dried marjoram

1 bay leaf

6 cups chicken broth

2 cups water

2 cups wide egg noodles (uncooked)

Add chicken to bottom of slow cooker and cover with frozen vegetables. Add spices and top with chicken broth and water. Cook on low for 6 1/2 hours. 

After 6 1/2 hours, remove bay leaf and shred chicken breasts finely with a fork. Add 2 cups egg noodles and stir to cover with liquid. Cook on low for an additional 20 minutes or until noodles are tender. If noodles need to be cooked longer, check for doneness every 10 minutes until ready.

Here's to making chicken noodle soup an enjoyable dish - even when you're NOT sick!

Until next time...

Cheers!

Slow Cooker Special: Buffalo Chicken Sliders

September is here, and I couldn't be happier. I've been chomping at the bit in anticipation of Fall and all of the wonderful things that come with it - if you couldn't tell from my last post. I'm even more excited about it because I've declared this month "Slow Cooker" month, meaning that everything I'm cooking is coming from my best friend, the Crockpot. To me, this means that the meals I cook this month won't just be easy; they'll be affordable, too. And, like most everything that comes out of the slow cooker, they will be absolutely delicious.

You can't see it, but I'm doing a happy dance. Seriously.

Tonight's recipe is not only a great dinner dish for you and your family - it also doubles as a perfect party plate for football season. Plus, it's versatile! Keep it simple with ranch or bleu cheese dressing or dress it up with tomatoes and lettuce if you'd like. Either way, this chicken comes out so tender and delicious that whoever is eating it will most definitely be back for seconds.

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1/2 packet dry ranch dressing mix

1 bottle buffalo sauce

2 tbs butter

Slider buns

Ranch/bleu cheese dressing, lettuce, tomato*

Place chicken breasts in slow cooker and sprinkle ranch dressing mix on top. Add 3/4 bottle buffalo sauce and cook on low for 7 hours. After 7 hours, add butter and shred chicken. Allow to cook for 10 more minutes and serve on slider buns. *Dress with optional toppings.

This recipe will serve six, so if you're planning on having more you'll want to increase the ratios as necessary. Keep in mind that these can be quite spicy, considering the fact that the chicken is cooking in the sauce all day - you may want to cook the chicken in a "milder" buffalo sauce and keep a spicier version on hand for those who like a "kick."

Until next time...

Cheers!

Happy St. Patrick's Day: A Holiday Feast

Good morning, and Happy St. Patrick's Day! Before you start your day of activities and celebration, have you considered what you're going to make for dinner tonight? I've got an easy, slow cooker recipe that you can set and forget until you're ready to dig in. Just a few steps and you're on your way to a meal fit for the Irish!

Slow Cooker Corned Beef and Vegetables

2 carrots, peeled and chopped into bite size pieces

1 small onion, sliced

1 can whole white potatoes, drained

2 lbs corned beef, with spice packet

2 cups beef broth

6 oz beer

1/2 head cabbage, chopped*

Place all vegetables into the bottom of your slow cooker. Season with salt and pepper and add beef broth. Add corned beef and sprinkle with spice packet. Pour 6 oz. beer into the slow cooker and cover. Set to low for 8-9 hours. 

*If using cabbage, cook corned beef on low for 7 1/2 hours. Add the cabbage and cook for an additional hour.

So there you have it - an Irish feast for an Irish kind of day! Enjoy!

Cheers!