Zesty Slow Cooker Barbeque Chicken

This is one of my go to's when we have company. I love it! I always have the ingredients and it is always a hit. I made it for everyone after Connor's Blessing.

Zesty Slow Cooker Barbeque Chicken

Adapted from allrecipes.com

6 frozen chicken breasts

1 (12 oz.) bottle bbq sauce

1/2 c. Italian salad dressing

1/4 c. brown sugar

2 TBS Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp. liquid smoke

Place chicken in a slow cooker. In a bowl, mix the barbeque sauce, Italian salad dressing, brown sugar, and Worcestershire sauce. Pour over the chicken. Cover and cook 3 to 4 hours on High or 6 to 8 hours on Low.

Homemade Chicken Nuggets

I've had this recipe for quite awhile...it came from my friend Carrie C. It is just so good:)

Homemade Chicken Nuggets

Mix together:

3 TBS margarine, melted

2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

Cut 2 large chicken breasts into 1" pieces and dip them in the mixture.

Crush/blend together (I just stick the two ing. in a blender and blend away):

50 Wheat Thins, finely crushed

1/3 c. grated Parmesan cheese

Cover the chicken in the crumbs and bake at 450 degrees for 7-9 minutes.

Bajio Chicken

Horrible picture...yes, Best Crock-pot meal EVER...Absolutely! This has to be my new favorite meal. It made tons for our family so we had tacos one night and quesadillas the next. Seriously, it is amazing! I used corn tortillas with black beans, the chicken, cheese, sour cream. It would be great with avacados, on a salad...the list goes on:) This came from Real Mom Kitchen.

Bajio Chicken

5 chicken breasts
1/2 cup salsa
1 Tbsp cumin
1/2 cup brown sugar (more to taste, I added at least an extra 1/8 cup)
1 4 oz. can diced green chilies
6 oz. Sprite (1/2 can)

Combine all ingredients in a crock pot. Cook on low for 5-6 hours. Remove chicken and shred. Return to crock pot and cook 1 more hour. Thicken the juices with a little cornstarch mixed in water.
Serve with flour tortillas, lettuce, cheese, black beans and any other taco fixings.
If you want it spicier rather than sweeter add a hotter salsa and more green chilies.

Pizza Pretzels

These were so yummy! I found them on the Pillsbury website and thought they would be something fun for the boys. Sorry...this is the only picture I took. It is filled with pepperoni and ooey, gooey cheese. Dip it it Ranch or Pizza Sauce. Everyone loved it!

Pizza Pretzels

1 TBS Olive Oil

1 TBS cornmeal

1 TBS flour

1 can refrigerated classic pizza crust

28 slices pepperoni

8 pieces (1 oz. each) mozzarella string cheese

4 tsp. grated Parmesan cheese

1 c. pizza sauce, heated

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Brush large cookie sheet with 1/2 TBS of the oil. Sprinkle cookie sheet with cornmeal

Sprinkle flour over work surface. On floured surface, unroll pizza crust dough; starting at center, press dough into 16x10 inch rectangle. With pizza cutter, cut dough lengthwise into 4 (2 1/2 " wide) strips.

Evenly place 7 pepperoni slices on each dough strip, leaving 1/2 inch on each end uncovered. cut each sring cheese in half lengthwise. Place 4 cheese halves on pepperoni on each dough strip, overlapping ends to fit.

Bring up sides of each dough strip over pepperoni and cheese, and tightly pinch together, stretching dough as necessary to fully enclose cheese and pepperoni; pinch ends to seal. Lightly roll and shape into 16" logs. To make pretzel shape, form each log into U-shape, then cross the ends and fold dough over so ends rest on bottom of U-shape. Place pretzels on cookie sheet. Brush pretzels with remaining 1/2 TBS oil; sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Bake 13-17 minutes or until pretzels are golden brown. Serve warm with pizza sauce for dipping.

Hawaiian Meal...

Alright...This is probably my most favorite meal...EVER! All the recipes came from my friend Sara several years ago when we were in a Lunch group together. I have made it ever since. The Pani Popo (the bread) came from my sis-in-law, Wendy. AMAZING meal. Try it all! One thing not posted which is a MUST HAVE with this meal is the Grilled Pineapple...you can't stop eating it! Hope you enjoy the recipes!

Pani Popo (Hawaiian Coconut Bread)

(This is always the favorite...)

1 (12 oz.) pkg. frozen dinner rolls, thawed (if you can't find Rhodes Rolls, you can use frozen bread and cut it up)

1 (10 oz.) can coconut milk

3 TBS sweetened condensed milk

3/4 c. white sugar, or to taste

Coat a 9x13 " baking dish with cooking spray. Coat your hands with cooking spray or shortening, and roll the dough balls in your hands so they have a light coating. Place in the prepared dish. Set aside in a warm place to rise until doubled, up to 2 hours. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, stir together the coconut milk, sweetened condensed milk and sugar. Pour this mixture over the top of the rolls as evenly as you can. Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, until golden brown. Let cool for a few minutes before separating and serving.

(This makes lots of sauce...use your judgement on how much you want to use...)

Orange Almond Green Salad

Salad:

1/2 head Romaine lettuce

1/2 head iceberg lettuce

1 (15 oz.) can mandarin oranges, drained

2 celery sticks, chopped

3 green onions, finely chopped

1/2 c. slivered sugar* almonds

*to sugar almonds mix 2 TBS sugar plus a bit of butter with almonds in a frying pan then lay on aluminum foil until cooled.

Dressing:

1/4 c. oil

2 TBS vinegar

2 TBS sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

dash of pepper

Mix the salad and toss with dressing just before serving

Coconut Rice

3 c. long-grain rice

5 1/2 c. coconut juice**

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. sugar

Wash the rice and drain. Place in a sauce pan, add coconut juice, salt and sugar. Mix, cover and bring to a boil. Let it boil for 3-5 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 20 minutes, until done.

** For a richer flavor you can use coconut milk or a mixture of coconut milk and water.

Grilled Pineapple

1 fresh pineapple; peeled, cored and cut into 1/2 " slices (long ways, not circles)

1/2 c. brown sugar

1 TBS lime juice

1 TBS lemon juice (or use all lime or all lemon)

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

Combine brown sugar, juices and cinnamon in a small bowl until smooth. Spread this mixture on each side of each pineapple slice. (or put in tupperware and coat it by turning it around). Grill pineapple 4-5 " from medium coals for 5-10 minutes, turning once, until sugar mixture melts an dpineapple is heated. OR grill pinapple for 2-5 minutes on a George Foremna two sided grill until sugar mixture melts and pineapple is heated and tender.

Chicken or Steak Kabobs

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 pineapple

1 pepper (and any other veggies you like: squash, red onion, mushrooms, etc)

1 c. teriyaki sauce or Gourmet Sauce or Soy Sauce

2 TB brown sugar

1/4 c. pinapple juice

Mix sauce, brown sugar, and pineapple juice together. Cut chicken breasts into chunks and add to marinade for 3 hours. Cut pineapples and vegetables into chunks and skewer, alternating with chicken. Grill until chicken is cooked through.

Lemon Cream Pasta with Chicken

I found this recipe on allrecipe and had to try it! It was REALLY good. Blogilicious:) (meaning blog worthy). I'll give you the recipe as it is written, but I made a few changes: I didn't bake the chicken, I sauted it in a pan and then add the cream to the pan and deglazed it to get all the yumminess off. Next time I wouold add some veggies to it. I added some fresh Parm. cheese on top. This part is up to you...the boys and I thought it was really "lemony" and Ben thought it was perfect. I might take out the lemon you add to the chicken and cut down a bit on the lemon you add to the pasta. Just a thought. Overall, Ben thought this was the best meal ever. Let me know what you think!!

Lemon Cream Pasta with Chicken

• 3 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 1 lemon, quartered
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder, divided
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper, divided
• 2 (14.5 ounce) cans chicken broth
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 (8 ounce) package rotelle pasta
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Place chicken in a lightly greased baking dish. Squeeze lemon over both sides of the chicken breasts and season both sides using 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder and 3/4 teaspoon pepper. Bake for 40 minutes, or until juices run clear and chicken is no longer pink inside.
2. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, season the chicken broth with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Bring to a boil and add lemon juice and pasta. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until all liquid is absorbed, about 25 minutes.
3. Cut cooked chicken into bite-sized pieces and stir into cooked pasta, along with the cream and lemon zest. Cook, stirring, over low heat for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand 5 minutes. Stir thoroughly before serving.

Chicken Spaghetti

This is a favorite of mine...love all the chicken, all the cheese...yummy. This recipe came from one of my fabulous Aunts...either Aunt Dotti or Aunt Caryn. Who wants to claim it?? This makes a TON...so you can either half it, freeze it or share it:)

Chicken Spaghetti

6 chicken breasts

1 lb. spaghetti

1/2 stalk celery

1 onion

2 green peppers

1 lb. Velvetta cheese

1 lg. jar pimentos (opt.)

1 stick margarine

2 cans cream of mushroom soup (or cr. of chicken)

Cook and dice chicken. Let sit. Cook spaghetti in broth (add water if needed). In skillet put margarine, chopped peppers, chopped onion, celery and pimentos. Cook until tender and season with salt, pepper and Worcestershire sauce. Cube cheese and put in spaghetti and broth. Ad everything else and mix. Bakes 2 (9x13") pans. Bake at 350 degrees fro 30-45 minutes.

Chicken Cordon Bleu

I have been wanting to post this recipe for awhile...but keep forgetting. I got this off of Allrecipes, and I have to say....AMAZING!! I am one who loves anything with heavy cream though:) And the sauce...so good. We loved just dipping our bread in it!

Chicken Cordon Bleu

• 6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 6 slices Swiss cheese
• 6 slices ham
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 6 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon granules
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream

Pound chicken breasts if they are too thick. Place a cheese and ham slice on each breast within 1/2 inch of the edges. Fold the edges of the chicken over the filling, and secure with toothpicks. Mix the flour and paprika in a small bowl, and coat the chicken pieces.

Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat, and cook the chicken until browned on all sides. Add the wine and bouillon. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes, until chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear.

Remove the toothpicks, and transfer the breasts to a warm platter. Blend the cornstarch with the cream in a small bowl, and whisk slowly into the skillet. Cook, stirring until thickened, and pour over the chicken. Serve warm.

Sun-Dried Tomato and Chicken Pasta

Here is a meal I got from my friend, Ashley. This is some Good Eats! I could not stop eating it! I love ANYTHING with heavy whipping cream though:) If you don't like Sun-dried tomatoes, still put them in and then pick them out. It gives everything a really good flavor. I love them... This served a family of 4: me, hubby, 2 boys.

Thanks for another great meal Ashley!!


Sun-Dried Tomato and Chicken Pasta


1 tablespoon butter
2 cloves garlic chopped
1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes cut into pieces(dried or in oil) easy to find
1 cup chicken broth divided
1 cup cream
2 chicken breasts (shredded or chopped)
1 tablespoon exta virgin olive oil
4 leaves basil chopped(or dried to your liking)
1 1/2 cups bowtie or penne pasta
Parmesan Cheese

Cook pasta , drain and set aside. Meanwhile melt butter, add garlic, and cook for 30 seconds. Add tomatoes and 3/4 cup chicken broth. Turn heat to medium and boil. Reduce heat after boiling and simmer for 10 minutes until the tomatoes are tender. Add the cream and bring to a boil, stirring until thickens up. Season chicken with salt and pepper and warm the oil and saute the chicken until cooked and brown. Set chicken aside. In the same pan used for the chicken, bring the other 1/4 cup chicken broth to a boil and scrap the pan juices from chicken. Add this to the cream sauce and stir in the basil. Toss the pasta, sauce and chicken together. Sprinkle Parmesan Cheese on top.

Creamy Chicken

This has officially been dubbed Ben's favorite meal. It was so good. The sauce was absolutely to DIE FOR! The picture truely does not do this justice, for one thing it would not turn the right way, but it also looks kinda drab. But just know it tastes DELISH with some hot rolls, salad and rice. The recipe came from LuAnn Carver, who goes to church with me. Hope you enjoy!

Creamy Chicken in the Crockpot

4 chicken breasts or 10 tenders
1 env. Italian salad dressing mix
1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese
1 can cream of chicken soup

Put chicken in crockpot. Add remaining ingredients. Mix lightly. Cook on LOW for about 4-6 hours. Serve over rice.

French Dip Sandwiches

I'm really not much of a cook. Not that I don't know how, I would just rather bake something. So, when I came across this recipe, and it was good, and the crock pot does all the work...I was in heaven! Since we only have a family of 4, this makes tons of meat...but let me tell you how good the leftovers are! (Now, just so you know I DO NOT eat second day meat...it tastes disgusting to me. That's how good this is.) So first day are the sandwiches, second day we used it for fajitas with all the fixings, third day we made some quesadillas. It all tasted great and I got 3 different meals out of it! I hope you will try it! (This recipe came from allrecipes.com).

French Dip Sandwiches

1 (4 lb.) boneless beef roast
1/2 c. soy sauce
1 beef bouillon cube
1 bay leaf
3 whole black peppercorns
1 tsp. dried rosemary, crushed
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. garlic powder
20 slices French bread (or hoagies)

Remove and discard all visible fat from the roast. Place trimmed roast in a slow cooker. In a medium bowl, combine soy sauce, bouillon, bay leaf, peppercorns, rosemary, thyme, and garlic powder. Pour mixture over roast, and add enough water to almost cover roast. Cover and cook on low heat for 10-12 hours, or until meat is very tender. Remove meat from broth, reserving broth. Shred meat with a fork, and distribute on bread for sandwiches (add a slice of Provolone cheese if you want). Used reserved broth for dipping.

Chicken Noodle Soup

I just wanted to share a recipe...It is perfect for us sick people. It is a nice creamy, chunky chicken noodle soup. My mom always made this for us when me and my siblings were sick. Thanks Mom! I hope you enjoy!
Chicken Noodle Soup
(I think it may be from the Lion House Cookbook)

3 c. chicken broth
2 c. chopped carrots
2 c. chopped celery
4 c. chopped onion
2 cans cream of chicken soup
2 c. cooked chicken, diced or shredded
4 c. cooked noodles
salt and pepper to taste

Boil chicken in water. (You can add chicken bouillon to make the chicken broth). Cook vegetables in chicken broth, after chicken is done. Cook noodles after vegetables are soft for as long as directed on package. Add cream of chicken soup then add chicken. Add salt and pepper to taste. Don't boil/simmer for too long.

Serves a family of 4 sick people for several days! Enjoy!