Crock Pot Chicken and Broccoli

Another attempt at Chicken and Broccoli.  But this time was a little better than my last attempt.


I stopped in the market really quick the other day and picked up a package of chicken - 1 lb of chicken breast tenders.  When I got home, I realized that I had no clue what to do with it.  I had a bottle of stir fry sauce, but only peppers to go with it (not an onion to be found!).  Last week, I did Chicken Caesar Salad, so I didn't want to do that again so soon.  I browsed around online a little bit, and found what looked like a cool recipe for crock pot chicken and broccoli.  It had cream of mushroom soup and cream cheese, neither of which I had, so I ended up adapting it a bit...


In the crock pot, I threw together the following:

• 1 lb chicken breast tenders, cut in medium chunks (probably 4-5 pieces per tender)
• 1/2 bag frozen chopped broccoli
• 1 1/4 cups chicken stock
• 1 package Good Seasons Italian Dressing (just the dry seasoning)

That's it.  Cooked on low for 3 1/2 hours, and Viola!


Some notes on this:

1. It is better to cook the chicken, stock and dressing for about 2-2 1/2 hours, and THEN add the broccoli.  Because I cooked the broccoli the whole time, by the time we ate, it was like complete mush.  
2. I made this with brown rice.  I added a dash of salt into the water when I boiled it, and I would recommend NOT doing this.  With the concentrated flavor of the dressing mix, the salt was not needed.  Also - if you happen to have low sodium chicken broth, I would use it.  

Crock Pot Chicken and Broccoli

Enjoy!! :o)

Crock Pot Chili

A number of years ago, my sister came across a recipe for chili in the newspaper.  We have made it more times than I can count - it's so delicious.  The other day, I took out a package of ground beef (it was 2 lbs that I didn't split right after I bought it) and I needed a good recipe to use all of the beef.

While I love my sister's recipe, as I was looking over the card today, I realized I was lacking a few ingredients (like diced tomatoes).  So I decided to improvise.  Normally, my improvisations do not work out well.  Tonight, it was great!  Here's what I did:

The Ingredients

• 2 lbs ground beef (I used 90% lean)
• Chopped onion (I used 1/2 of a gi-normous onion)
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 3 15oz cans beans (I used 1 can small red kidney beans, 1 can large red kidney beans, 1 can white beans (Cannelini) - I used this mixture because it's what I had....The original recipe actually called for 4 cans of beans - which you can do by all means, but I find it to be too many beans)
• 1 6oz can tomato paste
• 1 bottle of beer (I used a Pale Ale because it was in the fridge)
• 4 Tbsp Chili Powder
• 2 tsp Cumin
• 1 Tbsp Salt (I used kosher salt, use more or less depending on your taste)
• Hot sauce (as much or as little as you want)

The Method

• Brown the beef and the onion in a large skillet.  Once browned, put all of the mixture into the crock pot liner
• Add in all of the seasonings, tomato paste, beans, and beer and mix well

Everything's in the pot - getting ready to cook!

• Set the crock pot for 4 hours on low.  You really just need everything to mix together, and for the seasonings to flavor the meat.  
• Enjoy with shredded cheddar cheese and sour cream!

This really is some great chili!!!  You can taste the beer, but it's a great flavor.  The chili serves 8 and is 8 points plus per serving (cheese and sour cream is extra).

I made this in bulk - but it is great for lunches!!! :o)

ENJOY!!!

Crock Pot BBQ Pulled Pork

I have been wanting pulled pork for a while now....So while at the supermarket, and raiding through the McCormic Seasoning packets, I came across the Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Pork Seasoning, I bought it straight away!

The Method:

• Mix together in a small bowl:  Seasoning packet, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup ketchup, and 1/3 cup cider vinegar.  
• Put a 2-3 lb pork loin in the Crock Pot (I had a 2.5 center-cut pork line which was still have frozen) and pour the mix over it.
• Set for 8 hours on Low, or 6 hours in High
• When cooking is done, use a fork to pull the pork apart, and mix well with the seasoning mixture

Seriously.  That's it.  We loved it!!!  I served it on potato-bread rolls with coleslaw (I bought a bag of coleslaw, added 1/4 cup of mayonnaise and a splash of vinegar, salt and pepper).  I enjoyed the coleslaw on the sandwich, or it can be eaten on the side!

NOTE:  It was good enough that Scott ate it 3 nights in a row!!!  It makes a lot, so it's better if you have a crowd!!

ENJOY!

Crock Pot Beef Stew

Beef Stew is one of my all time favorite comfort foods.  The last time I made it in the crock pot, it came alright, but it wasn't anything great.  According to my husband, everything I cut (the meat and potatoes, specifically) was too big.  So this time, I made sure to cut everything at a smaller size, so that it would actually be possible to get the beef, potato and vegetable all on the spoon at the same time.


The result:  Delicious.


I really can't take much credit for the recipe.  I actually can't take any credit at all.  It goes to McCormick Seasoning, if we're being perfectly honest.  I bought a packet of Slow Cooker Beef Stew Seasoning, and essentially followed the directions on the pack.

The Recipe:

• 2 lbs beef, cubed (I actually bought "stewing beef" at the market - it was delicious.  They had it already cubed up, but I cut the pieces even smaller)
• 5 cups chopped vegetables (carrot, celery, onion, potato) (I think that I actually had about 6 cups)
• 1 1/2 cups water, mixed with the seasoning (I used 2 cups water)

The directions say about 4 hours on high, 8 hours on low.  I cooked it for about 2 hours on high and 4 hours on low for a total of 6 hours. 

For about 6 servings, I calculated about 10 points plus.  For 4 servings, 16 points plus.


It also reheated really well.  I added a bit of water, put it on the stove and it was delicious!

Pot Roast

If you've never cooked a Pot Roast in a crock pot before, then your name is probably Camille.  Seriously.  It's one of the easiest meals I've ever made, and all it took was 5 minutes of prep.  I had originally planned on making a Pot Roast in a dutch oven (the child in me always laughs when I hear/say dutch oven).  This plan was based on a recipe in my Weight Watcher cook book.  However, I ended up setting the crock pot and using a recipe from a Crock Pot book instead.  Such an easy alternative.  It avoided the need for me to tend the stove...And when I got home this afternoon from doing laundry at my dad's, my house smelled delicious.

Today's recipe:

1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 3-4 lb bottom round (I actually had bought a 2-lb round, so this is what I used)
1 15-oz can beef broth (I bought fat free, low sodium)
1 Tbsp Salt (or however much you want)
1 Tbsp Pepper
1 Tbsp Garlic Powder
1 Tsp Paprika
Potatoes (I used fingerling potatoes and cut them in half)
Baby Carrots (I used baby carrots)
Onion (I used 3 small/medium onions and sliced them about 1/2")

Technically I was supposed to brown the roast in olive oil in the crock pot, and then take it out, put half the seasonings on it, put the onions in, and cook those a bit, and then add the roast back in with the veggies and broth.  

Yea, that didn't happen.  I started trying to brown the roast, but I saw that was going to take forever, so I took it out, dumped all the veggies into the crock pot, put in the seasonings, the stock, mixed it all together and then nestled the meat in everything.

6 hours on high later, pure deliciousness.  The one thing I found super amusing is how much the roast shrunk through the cooking process.  It looks so small!  But the flavor - OUTSTANDING!

Day one, and so far I'd say it's pretty easy acting like an adult.... :o)