Easy Peasy! Nice and Easy!

(Originally posted on Tuesday, December 7, 2010)

Well, after all of the crazy cooking that is associated with Thanksgiving (did you see how incredibly long my Thanksgiving blogs were? And it was in three parts!), I definitely want to take it easy cooking-wise for awhile afterward.

I blame the crazy title of this blog on a Starburst commercial. It was an insanely quirky commercial that made me laugh every time. I don't think many people liked the commercial though, because they didn't air it for very long. But it must have had a cult following, because you can still find it online...plus, there is an extended version that includes dance instruction and the phrase "Easy peasy...nice and easy." Ever since I saw that commercial, that phrase has been stuck in the back of my mind. I had to get it out here! In case you want to check out the commercial, click here. If you want to see the dance instruction and the phrase that lead to the title of this blog, click here.

Besides being easy dinners, these recipes have absolutely nothing in common. But they're all yummy. The first one is an easy sauce that is served over linguine. The second one is an easy sauce that is served over rice. The final recipe uses shredded chicken and puff pastry...yummy puff pastry.

I hope you like them and I hope it makes your dinner preparations easier!


Creamy Italian Chicken Linguine

Ingredients:

3-6 chicken breasts
1 can cream of chicken soup
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 pkg. Good Seasons Italian dressing mix

Directions:

Combine soup, cream cheese, and dressing packet. Pour over chicken in slow cooker and cook all day on low heat. Serve over linguine.

Source: I got this from my mom. I don't know where she got it from though.

Notes: You can serve the chicken whole over the linguine, or you can shred it. I prefer to shred the chicken. It makes the sauce heartier and it goes farther to serve more people. I also usually double this recipe. I've also found no reason to combine the soup, cream cheese, and dressing. I usually sprinkle the dressing mix directly over the chicken, pour the soup over the chicken and just place the cream cheese (un-softened) on top. When you shred the chicken, it mixes the sauce completely. Also, if you keep frozen chicken breasts in your freezer, this is a great pantry recipe that you can keep on hand and throw together any time.

Easy Peasy Foccacia Bread

Ingredients:

12 Rhodes Dough rolls
2 tbsp olive oil
Garlic salt, to taste
Rosemary, to taste
Parmesan, to taste

Directions:

I made this easy foccacia by thawing 12 Rhodes Dough rolls in a ziploc bag. Once the dough has risen and doubled in size, flatten it out in a rectangular shape like you would if you were rolling out a pizza. You can either do this with a rolling pin or with your hands. I stretched and flattened the dough with my hands. Place the dough on a jelly roll pan that is covered in foil and lightly dusted with flour. Brush the dough with a little olive oil and then sprinkle it with garlic salt, rosemary, and Parmesan cheese, to taste. Bake at 425 degrees for about 15 minutes, or until nicely browned.

Source: This just came from my mind when I realized that I hadn't planned any side dishes to go along with this dinner. I had Rhodes Dough rolls in the freezer, so voila! Lovely foccacia!


Mexican Pork

Ingredients:

1 pound pork boneless loin roast, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 jar (20 ounces) salsa
1 can (4 ounces) chopped green chilies, drained
1 can (15 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese (4 ounces), if desired

Directions:

Mix pork, salsa, and chilies in slow cooker.

Cover and cook on low heat setting 6-8 hours or until pork is tender. Stir in beans. Cover and cook about 5 minutes or until hot. Sprinkle with cheese.

4 servings.

Nutrition information: 345 calories, 10 g fat, 75 mg cholesterol, 900 mg sodium, 37 g carbohydrate, 10 g fiber, 37 g protein.

Source: Betty Crocker website.

Notes: I usually double this and I serve it over rice. Also, it is great with fresh chopped cilantro on top as well. You can also top it with a dollop of guacamole or sour cream. The recipe suggests that you can serve it over tortilla chips, instead of the rice, if you prefer. Other substitutions suggested by the recipe are to vary the taste by using pinto beans instead of black beans and Cheddar cheese instead of Monterey Jack. It is soooo easy and very flavorful. I used Ortega medium salsa. Also, I think it is basically impossible to find a jar of salsa with exactly 20 ounces. I think most jars come in a 16 ounce size. This amount is totally fine. This dish creates a lot of liquid, so I think it actually works better to use only 16 ounces of salsa instead of 20 ounces. Finally, this dish would be very freezer friendly. You could freeze individual portions served over rice. Just defrost and microwave! Or you could freeze the pork mixture in a freezer friendly container or zip top bag. Don't forget to label and date it! When you are ready to use it, defrost it and reheat it in the microwave. Serve over fresh cooked rice. This is another great pantry recipe.


Buffalo Chicken Stromboli

Ingredients:

2 cups cubed or shredded cooked chicken
1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
3 tablespoons Frank's® RedHot® Sauce
1/2 of a 17.3-ounce package Pepperidge Farm® Puff Pastry Sheets (1 sheet), thawed

Directions:

Heat the oven to 400°F. Stir the chicken, cheese and hot sauce in a medium bowl.

Unfold the pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface. Roll the pastry sheet into a 10x14-inch rectangle.

With the short side facing you, spoon the chicken mixture down the center of the pastry. Fold 2 opposite sides of the pastry to the center over the filling and press to seal. Place the pastry, seam-side down, onto a baking sheet. Tuck the ends under to seal.

Bake for 30 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown. Cut the pastry in quarters to serve.

Source: Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry website (puffpastry.com).

Notes: The recipe suggests serving this with carrot and celery sticks, additional hot sauce, and blue cheese dressing. The blue cheese dressing is really yummy as a dipping sauce for the stromboli or drizzled on top of the stromboli. You can either poach and then chop or shred the chicken or you can cook the chicken in a slow cooker and chop or shred it. Also, I scored the top of the puff pastry (four small cuts) prior to cooking to allow the steam to escape.

Happy Cinco de Octobre

(Originally posted on Tuesday, October 5, 2010)

Who says you can only celebrate the tastiness of Mexican food on Cinco de Mayo? In my opinion, Italian and Mexican food are the easiest to replicate at home. Foods like Thai and Indian are often better/easier at restaurants because of the sheer number of ingredients and the time involved that it takes to create such feasts. However, Mexican food can be just as yummy and comforting at home as at a restaurant.

Now, as the two previous blog posts mentioned, we are now entering soup weather. So, I am including a recipe for white chicken chili (pictured above). I'm including the original recipe (which I found to be a little too bland for my tastes) as well as my adapted recipe (which is much more flavorful, and therefore satisfying). I'm also including a recipe for chicken chalupas (basically, enchiladas) that my family got from our next door neighbor. They aren't low-fat or low-calorie, by any means, but my oh my, they are tasty! I apologize that I don't have a picture of the chalupas. I made them for a family dinner and they got gobbled up before I could get a snapshot.

White Chili (Original Recipe)

This dish uses hot pepper sauce made from jalapenos; it's milder than the red hot pepper varieties. Stirring frequently toward the end of cooking time prevents the bean-thickened broth from sticking to the bottom and scorching.

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons canola oil
1 1/2 cups chopped onion (about 1 large)
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups fat-free, less sodium chicken broth
5 teaspoons green hot pepper sauce (such as Tabasco)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/4 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
2 tablespoons stone-ground cornmeal
1 (19-ounce) can cannellini beans or other white beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup plain fat-free yogurt
2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onions (about 1)
Lime wedges (optional)

Directions:

Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add chopped onion and garlic to pan; cook 5 minutes or until onion is tender, stirring occasionally. Add broth, hot pepper sauce, salt, and chicken to pan; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer 15 minutes. Remove chicken from broth mixture; cool.

Add cornmeal and beans to broth mixture, stirring with a whisk; simmer 15 minutes. Mash about 1/4 cup beans against side of pan. Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces. Add chicken to pan; simmer 5 minutes or until mixture thickens, stirring frequently. Top each serving with yogurt; sprinkle with green onions. Serve with lime wedges, if desired.

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: about 3/4 cup chili, 4 teaspoons yogurt, and 1 teaspoon green onions)

Nutrition information: 198 calories, 4.1 g fat, 1.6 mg iron, 56 mg cholesterol, 63 mg calcium, 14.3 g carbohydrate, 456 mg sodium, 24.8 g protein, 3 g fiber.

Source: Cooking Light, September 2008

White Chili (My Version)

1 tablespoon canola or olive oil
1 1/2 cups chopped onion (about 1 large)
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 jalapeno pepper, minced (ribbed and seeded, if you prefer less heat)
6 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth (about 3 cans)
5-10 teaspoons green hot pepper sauce, to taste (such as Tabasco)
2 lbs skinless, boneless chicken breasts, diced
5 tablespoons stone-ground cornmeal (heaping tablespoons, if you want to make the chili even thicker)
1 (4 oz) can diced green chiles
2-4 tablespoons lime juice (fresh or bottled), to your taste
3 (19-ounce) cans cannellini beans or other white beans--2 cans rinsed and drained, 1 can blended in a blender, undrained
1/2 cup plain fat-free yogurt or fat-free or low fat sour cream
2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onions (about 1), optional
Lime wedges, optional
Cilantro, chopped, optional
Favorite shredded cheese, optional

Directions:

Heat oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add chopped onion and garlic to pan; cook 5 minutes or until onion is tender, stirring occasionally. Add salt, cumin, chili powder, and minced jalapeno and stir just until fragrant (30 seconds to one minute). Add broth, hot pepper sauce and diced chicken to the pan. Bring to a low boil and continue until chicken is cooked through (about 15-20 minutes).

Reduce heat to low and add cornmeal, diced green chiles, lime juice, and beans (whole and blended) to broth mixture, stirring well. Simmer for 15 minutes (or until the cornmeal has thickened the chili and the beans are heated through).

Top each serving with the toppings of your choice (yogurt or sour cream, green onions, cilantro, lime wedges, cheese, etc.)

Notes: Obviously, my recipe makes a lot more soup (I like to have a lot of leftovers). Also, my version isn't as low calorie with the addition of more chicken and beans. Additionally, there is no reason to cook the chicken and then pull it out, cut it, and then return it to the chili. Adding diced uncooked chicken to the broth and allowing it to cook that way, adds more flavor and cuts out unnecessary steps. This version is much, much more flavorful. I love it and I hope you will too.

Carol Todd's Chicken Chalupas

Ingredients:

1 dozen flour tortillas
1/2 cup chicken broth (liquid from poaching the chicken breasts)
2 cans cream of chicken soup
4 green onions, chopped
1 pint sour cream
1 lb grated Monterey Jack cheese
1 lb grated Cheddar cheese
4 chicken breasts, cooked and cubed (poached in water--reserve water)
1 (4 oz) can chopped green chilis
1 small can sliced black olives

Directions:

Allow tortillas to come to room temperature so they will roll more easily.

Boil chicken breasts, and set aside 1/2 cup broth. Cool, de-bone, and cube chicken.

In separate bowl, mix together: soup, green chiles, green onions, sour cream, olives, and Monterey Jack cheese ONLY. Take 2 cups of this mixture and add to cubed chicken for filling.

Put generous portion in each tortilla dn roll up. Set in greased pan (9x13). After tortillas are filled, add the reserved broth to soup mixture without chicken and stir together, then pour over filled and rolled tortillas. Sprinkle grated Cheddar cheese over top.

Bake at 350 degrees for 40-50 minutes.

Notes: This recipe calls for A LOT of cheese. That's one of the things that makes it so scrumptious. You probably shouldn't have this main dish more than once or twice a year as a result! I haven't done this and I'll have to try it, but I think if half the cheese was used (1/2 pound of Monterey Jack and 1/2 pound of Cheddar), low-fat sour cream, and 98% fat free cream of chicken soup were used instead, it would still be yummy, but it would cut down on the calories and fat significantly. Also, if you have picky eaters, you can omit the green onions and olives in the filling and instead serve them on the top for those who do like them. Finally, I used boneless, skinless chicken breasts instead of bone-in chicken breasts and it still tasted great! Oh, and this is also a freezer friendly dish. Rather than cooking it, freeze it in an aluminum or freezer friendly casserole dish and cover it with aluminum foil (don't forget to label and date it!). When you are ready to cook it, either defrost it in the fridge overnight or place it frozen in the preheated oven (still covered with foil) and bake for 40-50 minutes. Then, remove the foil and continue to cook for an additional 25-35 minutes, or until the chalupas are hot and bubbly and the cheese is nicely browned. Adjust the cooking times accordingly depending on whether you cook it from frozen or defrosted.

Easy Chicken--Southwestern Style

(Originally posted on Sunday, April 11, 2010)

I know. There are an awful lot of chicken recipes on this blog. But the truth of the matter is that chicken is the least expensive protein out there and it is fast and easy to prepare.

These are two very simple southwestern style chicken dinners. For both, pair them with a side salad (perhaps with some salsa ranch or jalapeno ranch salad dressing) and you're set!


Southwestern Strudel

Thaw Time: 40 minutes
Bake Time: 30 minutes
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Makes: 6

Ingredients:

1 egg
1 tablespoon water
1 1/2 cups chopped cooked chicken
1 cup shredded Colby Jack cheese (about 4 ounces)
1 can (11 ounces) Mexican-style corn, drained
1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs
1 cup Pace® Picante Sauce
1/2 of a 17.3-ounce package Pepperidge Farm® Puff Pastry Sheets (1 sheet), thawed
2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley
1 package (about 5 ounces) mixed salad greens
Sour cream

Directions:

Heat the oven to 400°F. Beat the egg and water in a small bowl with a fork.

Stir the chicken, cheese, corn, bread crumbs and picante sauce in a medium bowl.

Unfold the pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface. Roll the pastry sheet into a 16x12-inch rectangle. With the short side facing you, spoon the chicken mixture onto the bottom half of the pastry to within 1-inch of the edges. Starting at the short side, roll up like a jelly roll. Place the pastry seam-side down onto a baking sheet. Tuck the ends under to seal. Brush the pastry with the egg mixture and sprinkle with the parsley. Cut 2-inch slits 2 inches apart in the pastry top.

Bake for 30 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown. Slice and serve warm on the salad greens with the sour cream, if desired.

Serving Suggestion: Serve with home-style coleslaw. For dessert serve chilled key lime pie.

Source: http://www.puffpastry.com/




Chicken Tamale Casserole

Ingredients:

1 cup (4 ounces) preshredded 4-cheese Mexican blend cheese, divided
1/3 cup fat-free milk
1/4 cup egg substitute
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 (14 3/4-ounce) can cream-style corn
1 (8.5-ounce) box corn muffin mix (such as Martha White)
1 (4-ounce) can chopped green chiles, drained
Cooking spray
1 (10-ounce) can red enchilada sauce (such as Old El Paso)
2 cups shredded cooked chicken breast
1/2 cup fat-free sour cream

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400°.

Combine 1/4 cup cheese and next 7 ingredients (through chiles) in a large bowl, stirring just until moist. Pour mixture into a 13 x 9–inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.

Bake at 400° for 15 minutes or until set. Pierce entire surface liberally with a fork. Top with chicken and pour enchilada sauce over top; sprinkle with remaining 3/4 cup cheese. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes or until cheese melts. Remove from oven; let stand 5 minutes. Cut into 8 pieces; top each serving with 1 tablespoon sour cream.

Yield: 8 servings

CALORIES 354 (36% from fat); FAT 14.1g (sat 7.1g,mono 3.3g,poly 1.2g); IRON 1.7mg; CHOLESTEROL 58mg; CALCIUM 179mg; CARBOHYDRATE 36.3g; SODIUM 620mg; PROTEIN 18.9g; FIBER 2.5g

Source: Cooking Light, http://www.myrecipes.com/

Notes: This dish is freezer friendly. Make the casserole in a freezer friendly casserole dish or aluminum casserole dish. After baking the cornbread mixture until it is set, top with chicken, enchilada sauce, and cheese as noted in the recipe. Allow to cool. Cover with foil and label and date it. When ready to use, defrost in fridge overnight or place frozen casserole in the oven and bake (covered) for 25-30 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 15 minutes or until cheese is melted and nicely browned. Adjust the cooking times accordingly depending on whether you cook it from frozen or defrosted.

Here's what I did for the side salad:

Mexican Side Salad

Ingredients:

Romaine lettuce, cut or torn into bite size pieces
Grape tomatoes, halved
1 can corn, drained
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
2 tablespoons lime juice
Ranch dressing (favorite bottled or homemade)
Salsa

Directions:

Mix together the corn, black beans, cumin, chili powder, ground red pepper, and lime juice. Place Romaine lettuce on your plate and top with grape tomatoes, corn/black bean mixture, Ranch dressing, and salsa.

Source: This was inspired by a simple southwestern salad I found on the Kraft Recipes website. I simply embellished it by adding tomatoes, spices, and lime juice. Their recipe used sliced red peppers in place of the tomatoes.

One Pot Light Chicken Dinners

(Originally posted on Wednesday, April 7, 2010)

Above: Chicken Chilaquiles


Above: South Beach Lemon Couscous Chicken

I would like to share two very simple and light recipes that have a pretty short ingredient list. One of the things that I like about these recipes is that they are fast and easy (I am all about fast and easy dinners because my 14 month old little guy does NOT like it when I cook).

I also like that apart from poaching the chicken, everything else is done using only one large skillet pan.

The first recipe is a South Beach Diet recipe. I am not a fan of the diet itself, but my in-laws like to follow the diet, so I try to make at least one South Beach recipe a week for their sakes. Now, while I don't like the diet myself, I must say that I have run across a number of absolutely fantastic South Beach recipes. So, that has been a plus.

The second recipe is a Martha Stewart Everyday Food recipe. I made it after my sister raved about it and my mom made it after I raved about it. It's one of those recipes that has basic pantry ingredients and it sounds so simple that you don't think it will be as yummy as it actually is. But it is oh so good!

Enjoy!

South Beach Lemon Couscous Chicken

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups water
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 cups broccoli florets
1 package Near East Roasted Garlic & Olive Oil Couscous mix
1 1/2 cups chopped cooked chicken
Juice of 1 lemon (about 3 tablespoons)
1/4 teaspoon lemon peel

Directions:

In a large skillet, bring the water, oil, broccoli, and contents of the spice sack from the couscous mix to a boil. Stir in the couscous, chicken, lemon juice, and lemon peel. Remove from the heat. Cover and let stand for 5 minutes. Fluff lightly with a fork.

Serve warm or chill well and serve cold.

Serves 4.

Nutrition information: 311 calories, 24 g protein, 39 g carbohydrates, 7 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 478 mg sodium, 48 mg cholesterol, 3 g fiber.

Notes: I usually double this recipe. I also add salt and pepper to taste. Also, if you microwave the lemon for about 20-30 seconds first, it will be a lot easier to juice and it will produce a lot more juice.

Source: South Beach Diet book.



Chicken Chilaquiles

Prep: 30 minutes
Total: 30 minutes

For an authentic touch, use fresh Mexican cheese (queso fresco) or aged (queso anejo) in place of feta.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 can (28 ounces) whole peeled tomatoes in puree
2 canned chipotle chilies in adobo, finely chopped (about 1 heaping tablespoon), plus 1 tablespoon adobo sauce (from same can)
Coarse salt
1 small cooked rotisserie chicken (about 1 3/4 pounds), skinned and shredded (about 4 cups), carcass discarded
1/2 cup lightly packed cilantro leaves, chopped, plus 4 sprigs for garnish
4 cups (about 3 ounces) tortilla chips
1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream
1.75 ounces feta cheese, crumbled (about 1/4 cup)

Directions:

Combine oil and garlic in a large (3-to-4-quart) saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until fragrant and sizzling, 1 to 2 minutes.

Add tomatoes with their puree (breaking tomatoes up), chipotles and adobo, and 1 cup water.

Bring to a boil; season with salt. Reduce heat and simmer rapidly until lightly thickened, 6 to 8 minutes.

Add chicken and cook, stirring, until hot, about 1 minute. Remove from heat; stir in chopped cilantro.

Divide chips among four shallow bowls; top with chicken mixture and sauce. Garnish with cilantro sprigs, sour cream, and feta. Serve.

Notes: I've tried both and I actually prefer the bite of feta cheese to the more authentic queso fresco. Also, rather than using a rotisserie chicken (I tend to think that they are pretty messy to get the meat off of), I poached and thickly shredded some chicken breasts. One last thing--this is a spicy meal. If you don't like spicy foods, reduce (but don't omit) the amount of chipotle chilies and adobo sauce you add.

Source: Martha Stewart website and Everyday Food cookbook.

Recipes Tried & True, One Old One New

(Originally posted on Monday, March 29, 2010)

My family has varied tastes. Because of that, one of my great triumphs is to find a recipe that all of them like. If I find one that everyone raves about, then I feel I have hit one out of the park. I think it's that adrenalin high that keeps me searching for the newest, the best, the greatest recipe.

Here are two that have been hits, one that we've been making for a while and it's become a standby. The other I tried just Sunday and everyone liked it. Score 1 for the mom!

Slow Cooker Smoky Chipotle Soft Tacos

Prep Time: 30 Min
Start to Finish: 6 hr 30 minutes
Makes: 18 tacos (probably not....these go fast if you pile on the meat)

3 lb. lean ground beef or turkey
1 large sweet onion, chopped (1 cup)
1 Anaheim Chile, chopped (1/3 cup or more)
3/4 c. chili sauce (not ketchup or salsa)
1/2 c. mole sauce (from a 9 oz. container, found in the Mexican or Latino portion of your supermarket)
3 T. chopped chipotle chiles in adobo sauce (from 7 oz. can--save the remainder for another recipe, found in the Mexican or Latino portion of your supermarket)
1 teaspoon cumin
3/4 teaspoon salt
18 6 " flour tortillas
2 c. shredded cheddar cheese (8 oz.)
3 medium tomatoes, chopped (1 1/2 c.)
Toppings as desired: sour cream, cilantro, black olives

1. In 12" skillet, cook beef, onion and Anaheim chile over medium heat about 15" minutes, stirring occasionally, until beef is brown. Drain.
2. In 3-4 qt. slow cooker, mix beef mixture, chili sauce, mole sauce, chipotle chiles, cumin and salt. Add at least 1 c. water.
3. Cover and cook on low for 6 - 7 hours. This will need to be stirred during cooking or it will burn and stick to the sides of the crock pot.
4. To serve, spoon 1/3 c. beef mixture into each tortilla, top with cheese, tomatoes and other toppings as desired.

Source: Betty Crocker website

Notes: This is very freezer friendly. Simply freeze cooled meat mixture in a freezer friendly container (don't forget to label and date it!). When ready to use, defrost in the fridge overnight and reheat in the microwave.



This one was tried just Sunday, but everyone really, really liked it.

Buffalo Chicken and Potatoes

1 1/2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1" strips
1/3 c. buffalo wing sauce
6 c. frozen (thawed) southern style hash brown potatoes
1 c. ranch or blue cheese dressing (we used ranch)
1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
1 can. condensed cream of celery soup
1/2 c. corn flake crumbs
2 T. butter or margarine, melted
1/4 c. chopped green onions

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees (375 for high altitude). Spray a 13x9 in baking dish.
2. In medium bowl, stir together chicken strips and wing sauce.
3. In a large bowl, stir together potatoes, dressing, cheese and soup (add 1/4 c. water for high altitude). Spoon into baking dish. Place chicken strips in a single layer over potato mixture.
4. Stir together crumbs and butter. Sprinkle in baking dish.
5. Cover with foil. Bake 30 minutes; uncover and bake 20-25 minutes longer or until potatoes are tender and juice of chicken is no longer pink when centers of thickest pieces are cut. Sprinkle with green onions.
6. Serve with additional ranch or blue cheese dressing, if desired.

Chicken Chili--Slow Cooker Style!

(Originally posted Saturday, March 20, 2010)

I love slow cookers. I love the ease of preparation and clean up. The main reason I love slow cookers these days is because I have a one year old little boy who HATES it when I cook. He feels left out because he knows something is going on up there on the counter and stove and he gets frustrated that he can't see what is happening. My husband is getting his MBA in business right now, so he is gone a lot of nights. As a result, he can't watch my little guy while I cook. We live with his parents, and I cook three nights a week for my in-laws.

So, I find myself doing dinner preparation around my son's naptimes. Slow cooker dinners are perfect for this because I can put everything in the slow cooker at about 10 a.m. when he goes down for his first nap.

I know it's getting warmer, so it's not really soup or chili weather anymore, but I discovered two very good chicken chili recipes this past winter that I would like to share.

Oh, and before I share the recipes, let me just say that if you have never used Reynold's Slow Cooker Liners, you SHOULD! They are great. They make clean up soooo much easier. Previously, the drawback to slow cookers was that it would be easy dinner prep, but then you would have a crusty, juicy slow cooker to clean up. The great thing about these liners is that you just pull them out and throw them away. You only really have to wipe out your slow cooker--if even that.

Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Chili (pictured above)

Ingredients:

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 medium onion, chopped (about ½ cup)
1 medium yellow or green bell pepper, chopped (about 1 cup)
2 cans (14.5 oz each) stewed Mexican-style tomatoes (or stewed tomatoes with garlic and onion), undrained
2 cans (15-16 oz each) chili beans in sauce (mild, medium, or hot, to your taste), undrained
1 can (10 ounces) enchilada sauce
1/3 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:

Spray 4-5 quart slow cooker with cooking spray (or use a Reynold's Slow Cooker Liner). Mix all ingredients except sour cream and cilantro in slow cooker.

Cover and cook on low heat setting 7-8 hours.

Stir mixture to break up chicken. Top each serving with sour cream and cilantro.

Makes 6 servings (1 2/3 cups per serving)

Nutrition information: Calories: 370, Fat: 11g, Cholesterol: 65mg, Sodium: 1690mg; Carbohydrate: 38g, Dietary Fiber: 8g, Sugars: 14g, Protein: 30g. Exchanges: 2 starch, 0 other carbohydrate, 2 vegetable, 3 very lean meat.

Source: Betty Crocker website.

Notes: I found that only 1 lb. of chicken thighs wasn't quite enough. I added an entire 2.5 lb. bag of frozen boneless, skinless chicken thighs and it was just right! I also added a second bell pepper to make the soup go a little farther too. I also added a little shredded cheddar cheese too, because what chili isn't great with a little cheese on top? But if you want to save the calories, this chili is still fantastic without the cheese.


Slow Cooker Red and White Chili

Ingredients:

1Reynolds Slow Cooker Liner
6 cups cubed cooked chicken or turkey
2 cans (15.5 oz. each) navy beans, drained
1 cup chicken broth
1 large onion, chopped
1 large red bell pepper, finely chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon each salt and cayenne pepper

Directions:

Open slow cooker liner and place it inside a 5- to 6 1/2 -quart slow cooker bowl. Fit liner snugly against the bottom and sides of bowl; pull top of liner over rim of bowl.

Place all ingredients in the slow cooker liner; stir gently to mix. Place lid on slow cooker.

Cook on LOW for 6 to 7 hours OR on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours until hot and sauce thickens slightly.

Carefully remove lid to allow steam to escape. Serve food directly from slow cooker liner. Do not lift or transport liner with food inside. Cool slow cooker completely; remove liner and toss.

Number of Servings: 6-8

Source: I originally found this recipe in the insert of free recipes provided when you buy a box of Reynold's Slow Cooker Liners. They have more recipes on their website: http://www.reynoldspkg.com/reynoldskitchens/en/recipes/recipe_search.asp?Search=slow+cooker&Step=textSearch