Crockpot Chicken Enchilada Soup

I love chicken enchiladas and I love soup! This recipe is the best of both worlds. A friend of mine recently sent me this recipe and I’ve been dying to try it. BTW, it’s a Paleo recipe if you are interested. I was mainly interested because it sounded delicious! I love nothing more than cooking in the crockpot. It’s the best feeling (and smell) to come home from work and finding your dinner already cooked and ready to eat. Crockpots make me happy. I’m easy to please. Cupcakes and Crockpots make me happy.  If they don’t already make you happy, cooking this soup in your crockpot will make you happy. My husband absolutely loved this soup. He went back for a hearty second bowl. It makes me happy when he loves a recipe that much. This is a keeper. I’ll be making this again very soon. Here’s how to bring a smile to your family’s face too:

 

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 jalapeno, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 15-oz. can diced tomatoes
1 can Rotelle tomatoes
3 cups chicken stock
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp paprika
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped (garnish)

Directions:

Add the chicken to the bottom of the slow cooker. Add the onion, bell pepper, jalapeno, and garlic on top of the chicken. Pour the diced tomatoes and chicken stock over the top. Sprinkle with chili powder, cumin, oregano, paprika, salt, and pepper.

 

Cover and cook on low heat for 8 hours. Use a fork to shred the chicken before serving. 

Taste and add salt and pepper to your liking. I added a little bit more of each. Garnish with cilantro and serve.

 

Look how hearty this soup is! It looks more like a stew than soup. That is a lot of chicken in one bowl. I didn’t have fresh cilantro on hand so I garnished with dried. I’ll have fresh next time I make it though.

Easy Fettuccini Alfredo

I’m so excited! I made Fettuccini Alfredo! Yep, you heard me right! Are you proud too?  You really should be. You have to remember, I wasn’t always a good cook. This is all still fairly new to me so I get really excited when I make something yummy. Forgive me while I brag. What’s even more exciting is that this is such a quick and easy recipe. I had no idea Alfredo sauce could be so easy. My husband loves Fettuccini Alfredo but doesn’t order it often because it’s a pretty decadent dish. What’s so great about this recipe is that it’s a lower calorie version but no flavor is lost here. The sauce was creamy and bursting with flavor. I chopped up a grilled chicken breast and added it to the sauce to make a full meal. It would be great with shrimp too. Give it a try and let me know what you think. Here’s what you need to get started:

Ingredients:

·         1 tablespoon butter

·         2 garlic cloves, minced

·         1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

·         1⅓ cups 1 percent low-fat milk

·         1¼ cups (5 ounces) grated fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, divided

·         2 tablespoons ⅓-less-fat cream cheese (easy measure is about 1 inch of cube)

·         ½ teaspoon salt

·         4 cups hot cooked fettuccine (8 ounces uncooked pasta). I used whole wheat pasta.

·         2 teaspoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

·         cracked black pepper 

Directions:
Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic; cook 1 minute, stirring frequently. Stir in flour. Gradually add milk, stirring with a whisk. Cook 6 minutes or until mixture thickens, stirring constantly.

Add 1 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, cream cheese, and salt, stirring with a whisk until cheeses melt.

Toss sauce with hot pasta. This is when I also added my chopped grilled chicken.


Sprinkle with remaining ¼ cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and chopped parsley. As you can see, I was running low on fresh parsley. The plant is dying away for the winter, but  I had a little to garnish with. Add fresh black pepper, if desired. Serve immediately.

Roasted Chicken w/Garlic & Tomatoes

O-M-G! This is officially my new favorite chicken dish! I REALLY mean it this time. It was so delicious! I love dishes cooked with fresh tomatoes and thyme. It gives all of the other veggies such great flavor. One of my new girlfriends, Jess Seinfeld, taught me this recipe. I follow her on Twitter and Instagram so we’re friends, right? Shhhhh.....don’t tell me any differently. In my head we are friends and she tweets recipes to me. I did tweet her to tell her I made this dish. I’m sure she and Jerry will be coming over for dinner soon. I’ll blog about it when it happens. Until then.....back to this recipe.....I came home from worked, chopped up the veggies, threw the chicken on and popped it in the oven all in one pan. I love meals like that. It’s quick for a week night and it has all the food groups covered. No side dish needed. Check and check!!

 

Here’s what you need to get started.

Ingredients:

 

1 1/2 pounds red potatoes or Yukon gold – peeled or not, however you prefer

4-6 carrots

1 medium yellow onion

6 cloves garlic

1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes or 3 tomatoes diced

10 sprigs fresh thyme

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon sea salt

3/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

6-8 pieces cut up chicken. I only had 4 chicken thighs so that’s what I used. You can really use any combination you like.

 

Directions:

Heat oven to 425 degrees

Dice potatoes and carrots into 2 inch cubes. Throw in a baking dish, pan that can go in the oven or rimmed pan. Love the flexibility!

Chop onion into large chunks and add to pan. Smash garlic, peel and throw in with potatoes and carrots.  If you are using whole tomatoes, dice about same size as potatoes and add to pan. If using cherry tomatoes, just rinse and add to pan.

 

Come on, how beautiful is that??

Drizzle all veggies with olive oil. Add springs of thyme, half of the salt and pepper and red pepper flakes and toss the veggies to coat. Spread out into a single layer.

 

Once chicken is washed, season both sides with remaining salt and pepper and nestle in with all the veggies. Give the chicken and veggies a final drizzle of olive oil.

 

Place pan on middle rack in oven and cook for 50-60 minutes or until veggies are soft and chicken is fully cooked.

 

While is was cooking our house smelled divine!! This was so beautiful going in the oven I couldn’t wait to see it come out.....voila! It was just as pretty coming out! And let me tell you, this is just as good as I thought it was going to be. It was easy, one pan, veggies included, it met all my requirements. Oh, and delicious! Seriously, trust me on this one, give it a try. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did, and my girlfriend Jess.  Enjoy...we did!

Oven Fried Parmesan Chicken

I know, I know, you don’t have to even say it! I’m the worst blogger ever!!! We’ve just been so busy. Does it help that I think about it all the time and really want to blog?? Well, I’m here now with a delicious recipe so maybe that will make everything better! Who doesn’t like fried chicken?? Everyone loves fried chicken, but we know it’s not the healthiest meal in the world so we don’t eat it all the time. How about some oven fried chicken though?? I’ve made oven fried chicken before, but this version is probably the best I’ve ever made. Wanna know how to make it?? I thought you did. Here’s what you need to get started.

Ingredients:

1 clove crushed garlic

1 stick butter or margarine, melted

1 cup dried bread crumbs (I used whole wheat....even healthier!)

1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese

2 Tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (or course you can used dried if you don’t have fresh)

1 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1 chicken, cut into pieces. Or really whatever parts you like. I used all legs this time.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

In a shallow glass dish combine crushed garlic with the melted butter or margarine. In another shallow dish combine together the bread crumbs, cheese, parsley, salt and pepper.

Dip the chicken pieces into the garlic butter, then into the bread crumb mixture to coat.

It's like Where's Waldo....Where's the chicken??

Place coated chicken pieces on a greased baking sheet. Drizzle tops of chicken with any remaining butter mixture. You don’t want to waste that garlicky buttery goodness!

Bake for 1 – 1 1/4 hours or until chicken is cooked through and juices are clear. I turned mine over half way through cooking to make sure it got nice and crispy on both sides. Not sure if that’s necessary though. The skin was so yummy and crunchy. Don’t discard that yumminess because you are trying to be healthy and not each the skin. That’s just silly. Just pick another recipe....or save it for me! I hope you enjoy this one!

Spicy Chicken Legs

 

I'm baaaaack! I’m sorry to keep you hanging for such a long time, but hopefully I can get back to regular cooking and blogging soon. I know you’ve missed me.  :-) Okay, well at least I’ve missed telling you about my latest and greatest recipes that I’ve found. This one is from one of my favorite cooks now, The Pioneer Woman. She cooks some great and simple stuff. Love her show and her cookbooks. I wish I had a little extra house like she does too. I’ll live in her “lodge” any day of the week!

 

I love chicken and dark meat chicken is just the bomb! It’s so juicy and delicious. Yes, I know the white meat is better for me, but if I want some awesome flavor I’m going for a thigh or a leg. That’s what the money is! As my friend, Guy, would say. Let’s get to cooking some spicy chicken legs......

 

Ingredients:

 

• 24 whole Chicken Legs
• 2 sticks Butter
• 1 Tablespoon Hot Salt or Cayenne (or your favorite seasonings)
• 1/2 cup Lemon Juice

Instructions:

Melt 2 sticks of butter in a saucepan. Pour ½ cup of lemon juice (fresh or bottled). Now add your seasonings. In this case, 1 tablespoon of Morton’s Hot Salt (which I did not have). You can use whatever seasonings you have on hand. You could use minced garlic, salt and Cayenne pepper. If you want them spicy, like the name says, then go with Cayenne if you don’t have Hot Salt. Stir it together until combined.

Rinse and pat your chicken legs dry. With metal tongs, transfer them one by one into the butter mixture and place on a baking sheet.

 

Once all of the chicken legs are coated and on the baking rack, take a pastry brush and give them one last coating of the butter mixture. Sprinkle them with some more of your seasonings.

Place them into a 400-degree oven for 30 minutes. If they need a bit more color, turn on the broiler for a couple minutes and watch them closely. Remove them when they are nice and golden brown.

Wasn’t that easy? You and your family will thank me later. You can adjust the heat by adding more or less seasoning. I would go with a little more because the butter dilutes it a bit. I'll shake a little more on before I put them in the oven next time. Either way, they are delicious though! Enjoy!

Easy Crockpot Chicken Stock

It seems that I am always using chicken stock these days. Who knew that when you started trying out more recipes that you would go through so much stock?? Well, I had no idea, but it is great to have it on hand when you need it. I was getting tired of constantly buying it and remembered that one of my friends, Ina (aka The Barefoot Contessa) showed me how to make easy homemade stock. She made hers on the stovetop, Ina probably doesn’t own a crockpot, but she should! It’s one of the best inventions known to mankind! I love love love mine! Can you tell??  This is so easy. If you aren’t already making your own stock, you’ll wonder why. They greatest thing about it is that you can use all the left over chicken bones, neck, livers, whatever parts you aren’t using to make the stock. I usually do this after I’ve cooked a whole chicken. I’ll save all of the bones, neck and any skin that as discarded and throw it in the crockpot. However, If I know I’m going to be making something with the whole chicken like chicken noodles soup, then I’ll use the whole chicken and kill two birds with one stone….no pun intended. Well, maybe a little. Okay, let’s get started:

                                                                                    

Ingredients:

1 whole chicken – or left over pieces and parts

2-3 large yellow onions, just cut in half. Nope, you don’t have to peel.
4-6 carrots, unpeeled and halved
4 stalks celery with leaves attached, cut in half
A bunch of fresh parsley (if you have it)
10ish sprigs of fresh thyme
1 head garlic, unpeeled and cut in half
1 Tablespoon sea salt
1 Tablespoon whole peppercorns
2 bay leaves

 

Directions:

 

Place the chicken or pieces and parts in the crockpot (or in pot on stovetop). Throw in everything else and cover with water. Turn the crockpot on low and cook for 6 – 8 hours. I usually turn it on when I go to bed, turn if off in the morning, let it cool for a few hours and then strain. After it has cooled, strain the entire contents of the pot through a colander and discard all the solids left behind. At this point, you can chill overnight so that you can remove the fat on the surface, but I’m usually to impatient for that. I go ahead and pour into containers and remove the fat each time I pull out a container. These will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months, but I’m sure I’ve pushed the limit on that.

 

My crockpot isn’t huge and this is a perfect sized batch for us. I usually get 12-14 cups out of a batch. I freeze in 2 cup containers or zip lock bags and make sure I always have one thawed in the fridge. I’m sure this is obvious, but if you are pouring in zip lock bags, make sure the stock is cooled thoroughly.

 

Now you can make your own broth too! Enjoy!

 

Italian Chicken & Pasta Bake

You might have noticed that I love pasta with red sauces. I love them both dearly! I can't live without my carbs! When my friend, Paula Deen, tweeted me this recipe, I had to give it a try. It sounded like a chicken lasagna, but without the fuss of lasagna noodles, which caught my attention. Who doesn't love lasagna, right? If you don't, something must be wrong with you! It wouldn't be a Paula Deen recipe without butter, but I substituted olive oil and will do so in the recipe below. I made this for dinner tonight and we both loved it! We both went back for seconds and I think David went back for thirds, but don't tell him I told you that. Let's get cooking....

Ingredients:

3 T olive oil
 1 cup chopped onion
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
2 (14.5-ounce) cans diced tomatoes with basil, garlic, and oregano
1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
3 cups chopped cooked chicken
4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 (16-ounce) package bow tie pasta, cooked according to package directions and kept warm. I used tri-color because they were pretty.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°. Spray a 13x9-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

In a very large skillet, add olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 6 minutes or until onion is tender.

Add flour, and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Stir in milk, diced tomatoes, and tomato sauce; cook for 5 to 6 minutes or until slightly thickened.

Stir in chicken, 3 cups cheese, salt, pepper, and sugar. Stir in pasta. Spoon mixture into prepared baking dish; sprinkle with remaining 1 cup cheese.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until hot and bubbly.  This made a very large casserole! We'll be having left-overs tomorrow.

Doesn't that look like a yummy dinner? It was! Be sure to serve with some nice crusty bread. Delish. Enjoy!

Perfect Roast Chicken

One of our favorite and most perfect meals is a simple chicken roasted in the oven with some root vegetables. Nothing really beats the perfection of a roasted chicken and veggies. It’s easy to throw together and so satisfying. I mean, who doesn’t love a roasted chicken?? A crazy person, that’s who! Such a yummy meal. One of my dear friends, Ina (aka the Barefoot Contessa) taught me how to make the perfect roasted chicken. Well, she didn’t really have to teach me too much because it’s quite simple. Now I’d like to teach you how to make the perfect roasted chicken. Everyone should keep this recipe in their back pocket and pull it out when needed. Let’s get started:

Ingredients:

• 1 (5 to 6 pound) roasting chicken
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 large bunch fresh thyme, plus 10 sprigs
• 5-6 sprigs of fresh rosemary
• 1 lemon, halved
• 1 head garlic, approximately
• 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter, melted
• 1 large yellow onion, thickly sliced
• 4 carrots cut into 2-inch chunks
• 4-6 red potatoes, halved
• Olive oil for drizzling
• 1/2 (or a little more) cup white wine or chicken broth

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Remove the chicken giblets. Sometimes I forget this step, so this is an important reminder. Rinse the chicken inside and out. Remove any excess fat and leftover pin feathers and pat the outside dry. Liberally salt and pepper the inside of the chicken.

Stuff the cavity with the bunch of thyme, a few rosemary sprigs, both halves of lemon, and about 5 – 6 cloves of garlic, whole. Brush the outside of the chicken with the butter and sprinkle again with salt and pepper.

Tie the legs together with kitchen string and tuck the wing tips under the body of the chicken. If you don’t have kitchen string, like me, then you can cut a little slit in the chicken and tuck the legs inside. See my photo. It’s a nifty trick. Place the onions, carrots, potatoes and garlic in roasting pan. Toss with salt, pepper, about 10 sprigs of thyme, a few sprigs of fresh rosemary and drizzle with olive oil. Spread around the bottom of the roasting pan and place the chicken on top. Pour wine or chicken broth in the bottom of the pan. If you had to use a giant pan like I did, you might need to use a little more liquid to cover the bottom of the pan. I think it's time I buy something smaller than a roasting pan for a giant turkey!

See how the legs are tucked through the side skin? Cool trick, right?

Roast the chicken for 1 1/2 hours, or until the juices run clear when you cut between a leg and thigh. Remove the chicken and vegetables to a platter and cover with aluminum foil for about 20 minutes.

Doesn't that look delicious?? Slice the chicken onto a platter and serve it with the vegetables and you are ready for the perfect dinner! Enjoy!

Chicken Florentine Pasta

Who knew I’d be posting so many recipes that contained spinach?? If you ask my parents, they sure wouldn’t think it would be me. I was such a picky eater and never tried anything new. Now I love all veggies....once you cook them. Don’t try to serve me raw veggies. I’ll break out in a rash! ;-)  Now I love sautéed spinach, I especially love it wilted in pasta. Yum-my! Throw in some cooked tomatoes and then you’re in business. That is such a yummy combination! Look at that photo, how beautiful is that??

I just happened to be browsing my girlfriend, Ree’s (aka The Pioneer Woman), blog the other day and found this delicious recipe. It had all of my favorite ingredients....Pasta (#1), tomatoes, spinach and cheese. Ree used parmesan cheese, but I changed it up to feta because there is nothing better than pasta with tomatoes and feta. That perks up my taste buds! One of my all time favorites!

This is an easy dish to make, yet it is so full of flavor and so good for you too. Again, I shock myself when I post healthy recipes. I’m practically a licensed nutritionist and a chef.

Get ready for one of your new favorite recipes too....

Ingredients:

• 1 pound rotini (or you could use penne)
• 4 whole Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
• Salt And Pepper, to taste
• 4 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 4 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 3/4 cups Dry White Wine
• 3/4 cups Low-sodium Broth, More If Needed
• 1 bag Baby Spinach
• 2 cups Grape Tomatoes, halved lengthwise
• Feta for garnish (or shaved parmesan)

Instructions:

Cook pasta according to package directions in lightly salted water. Drain and set aside.

Cut chicken breasts into chunks and sprinkle on salt and pepper.

Heat olive oil over high heat in a large skillet. Add chicken chunks in a single layer and do not stir for a minute or two in order to allow the chicken to brown on the first side. Turn the chicken and brown on the other side. Cook until done, then remove chicken from the skillet.

Turn heat to medium. Add garlic and quickly stir to avoid burning. After about 30 seconds, pour in wine and broth, stirring to deglaze the pan. Allow the liquid to bubble up, then continue cooking until it's reduced by at least half (most of the surface of the liquid should be bubbling at this point.)

Add tomatoes and let cook a couple of minutes to soften.

At this point I like to smash the tomatoes with a fork a little so the juices are added to the sauce. Add spinach, chicken, and cooked pasta to the skillet. Toss to combine. The spinach will wilt as you toss everything. Turn heat off.

Help, I'm wilting......

Dish up in a nice giant bowl. This is so delicious, you’ll want to make sure you have a large enough bowl. If you have fresh basil, garnish with a few chopped leaves. I love feta cheese so I garnish with feta as well. Okay, it’s a little more than a garnish, it’s a heaping helping of feta. Toss the feta in the bowl, it mixes with the sauce and makes a delicious creamy sauce. If you don’t love feta, toss with parmesan shavings. No matter what, garnish with some type of cheese!

Now, do your best to just eat one serving....I lost on that! And I might have added more feta after I took this photo.