Cheesy Italian Chicken - CROCK*POT CAFE 16

Hey all! It has been really strange time hasn't it? 2020 has to be the oddest year of my life yet, and I am sure many of yours too. With pandemic happening, a civil rights movement sweeping the nation, murder hornets, and who knows what else, the last thing we have time to think about is what's for dinner. So I have a solution for you! This easy, 4 ingredient, tasty recipe that you can set and forget. I found the recipe on TikTok. Several users posted it so I am not sure where it originated from. But I am glad we tried it because now it is a household favorite!

Cheesy Italian Chicken

Ingredients:

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts ( you can easily double or triple the chicken in this recipe - or even sub boneless, skinless chicken thighs - and the other ingredients can remain the same)
• 1 block cream cheese
• 1 bottle Olive Garden Italian salad dressing (or sub whatever Italian dressing you like best)
• 1/2 bag shredded Parmesan (I would reserve the other half for topping)

Directions:
Place chicken in slow cooker. Cover with Italian dressing, cream cheese, and Parmesan. Cook on low for 4 hours. You can shred the chicken once cooked like we did or leave the breasts whole. Serve with rice or noodles & top with additional Parmesan if desired. Enjoy!

Cheesy Chicken and Rice Casserole - CROCK*POT CAFE 15

It's always a bonus when I am searching for recipes and I end up making one that quickly becomes a family favorite. This dish is definitely one of those. Because who doesn't want a creamy, cheesy, comforting dish in winter? Or anytime? Because really, we don't have a whole lot of winter here where I live. But hubs and I always want a creamy, cheesy dinner! And the best part about this one is that your slow cooker will do the majority of the work for you. It is so easy and delicious - and easily adaptable!

Cheesy Chicken and Rice Slow Cooker Casserole

Ingredients:

• 3 chicken breasts, diced
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 can condensed broccoli cheese soup
• 1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1 & 1/2 cups long grain white rice (NOT COOKED)
• 1/2 stick butter (4 TBSP) sliced
• 4 oz shredded cheddar

Directions:
Spray your slow cooker with cooking spray of your choice - do NOT skip this step. Mix together all ingredients EXCEPT shredded cheddar in a mixing bowl. Pour in to your greased slow cooker, making sure butter slices, chicken chunks, and rice are evenly distributed. Top with shredded cheddar. Cook on low for 4 hours. I serve it with a salad. ENJOY!

Creamy Lemon Chicken Pasta -Instant Pot Inspirations #1

I have had an Instant Pot for almost 2 years now. It literally took me a year and a half from when I got it to take it out of the box and use it. I was nervous about how the whole pressure thing would work. I am so glad I finally got up the courage because I absolutely love it! I have the 6 quart IP-DUO model. After watching endless YouTube videos, mostly from Pressure Luck, I have ventured into pressure cooking and it is going well. I made this particular recipe this week and both hubs and I loved it. He said it was the most tender chicken we've ever made. That's a pretty big deal! You definitely have to have an Instant Pot to exactly replicate this recipe. But you could also use the ingredients as a guideline to make a delicious pasta dish using traditional cooking methods. But really, get yourself an Instant Pot because it is really fun to cook in and does SO many things! You can find the original recipe, by Pressure Luck, HERE.

Creamy Lemon Chicken Pasta -Instant Pot Recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 chicken breasts, diced into bite size chunks
• 2 lemons, juiced
• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 2 cups garlic broth ***see note
• 1 box (12 oz) penne
• 1 tbs capers
• 1-2 cans artichoke hearts (I omitted this because hubs is not a fan)
• 4 tbs butter
• 1 shallot, diced (I used a small onion)
• 1 tbs garlic, minced (about 3 cloves)
• 1 cup grated Parmesan
• salt and pepper

***note - to make garlic broth you use a tablespoon of Better Than Bouillon garlic flavor in 2 cups of water. If you don't want to go to the trouble, just sub 2 more cups of chicken broth and add a sprinkly of garlic powder

Directions:
Add butter to your Instant Pot and hit "saute". The saute function should be on the high setting. Once the butter melts, add your shallot/onion. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for 2 minutes and then add the garlic and the chicken. Cook an additional 2 minutes (the chicken will not be cooked through at this point. That's ok, the pressure cooking finishes the chicken completely). Add your broth and lemon juice. Add in your box of pasta on top and gently press down into the broth/chicken mixture but DO NOT STIR. Put your Instant Pot on the Pressure Cook setting on high for 6 minutes. Use the Quick Release when the 6 minutes is up. At this point stir in your artichoke hearts (if using), cream, and capers. Stir well. Serve with additional Parmesan. Enjoy!

Southwest Queso Chicken - CROCK*POT CAFE 13

I know a lot of you have busy lives and now that kids have recently gone back to school in the area, I know a lot of parents are looking for a lot of easy dinner ideas. I tried this recipe yesterday and I have to tell ya, it doesn't get much simpler than this. Not only that but it's very few ingredients AND it is super delicious. Plus, it cooks itself since this dish uses your slow cooker as the cooking vessel. Prepare some rice in a rice cooker and a heat up a veggie like corn in the microwave for side dishes and you have a complete meal in no time! I served mine with a homemade version of rice you would get at a Mexican restaurant (super easy, I will post that recipe in the near future!). You can also add some great additions like black beans to bulk the dish up with virtually no effort. Also, you can start the chicken from fresh OR frozen with no change to the cooking time. In addition, you can easily double, triple, or quadruple the recipe depending on your family size. How great is that???

Southwest Queso Chicken


Ingredients:

• 1 lb chicken breasts 
• 1 can Rotel (I use the one with fire roasted tomatoes, great flavor)
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 jar queso (I use Tostitos, it's the only one I like)
• 1 packet taco seasoning (use your favorite, I favor Old El Paso)

Directions:
Place chicken breasts in your slow cooker. Sprinkle on the packet of taco seasoning. Combine the chicken broth and Rotel, and pour over the chicken. Cook on low for 4 hours. Stir in the queso and let cook 30 more minutes. Serve with your favorite Southwest sides. Enjoy!

Stuffed Tuscan Chicken - Pinterest Pick #23

New ways to eat chicken are always on my mind when I am browsing the internet for recipe ideas. I came across this recipe and when I saw that it had both cheese and sundried tomatoes, I was in. This is a great low carb, gluten free option that is pretty filling. We had ours with salad and that was enough for a dinner.  You can find the original pin HERE and the recipe HERE. The one shortcut I took was instead of making the garlic herb cheese myself was that I used Alouette garlic herb cheese that you can find in your deli's cheese section. 

Stuffed Tuscan Chicken

Ingredients:

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 2 tbs olive oil
• 2 tbs Cajun seasoning (I use Slap Yo Mama - I find it at Walmart)
• 1 tbs Italian seasoning
• 1 tbs paprika
• 1 tbs onion powder
• 1 container Alouette garlic herb cheese spread
• 1 small container of sun dried tomatoes (chop all the tomatoes and reserve the oil)
• 1 10 oz pkg of frozen spinach, thawed & drained
• 1/4 cup shredded mozzarella
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan

Directions:
Butterfly all of the chicken breasts, being careful not to slice them all the way through. Rub the chicken with the reserved oil from the sun-dried tomatoes. Season the chicken with the Cajun spice, Italian spice, paprika, and onion powder. In a separate bowl, mix together the spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic herb cheese, mozzarella, and Parmesan.  Add a heaping tablespoon of the mixture to each chicken breast and press both sides together to close (use toothpicks to seal so the mixture doesn't come out. Bake at 350 for 30-40 mins (the original recipe calls for searing both sides of the chicken in a pan for baking but I did not find this step necessary, especially on a weeknight). Let rest 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

Chicken Paprikash - Home Cooked Recipe #81

Who isn't looking for new chicken recipes? If you're like me, I am always on the search for a new way to serve chicken. I came across a few recipes on the internet for Chicken Paprikash and made my own by blending the recipes I found. It's a fairly easy, one pot meal that takes right around 30 minutes to make.

Chicken Paprikash

Ingredients:

• 1 lb chicken breasts, diced into bite sized chunks
• 2 tsp ghee (or butter or oil)
• 2 medium onions, sliced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tbs flour
• 1 tbs paprika
• 1 tbs smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp cayenne
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• salt & pepper
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 can petite diced tomatoes (14.5 oz can)
• 1/2 cup sour cream

Directions:
Heat pan with ghee (butter/oil) over medium. Add the onions and saute for 5 minutes until soft. Add in garlic and saute another 2 minutes. Stir in the flour and both paprikas and cook for a minute. Whisk in chicken broth. Add the tomatoes and turn heat to medium low. Season mixture with cayenne and salt & pepper. Stir in the chicken and simmer for 25 minutes. Turn off heat, remove pan, and stir in sour cream. Serve over rice or egg noodles. Enjoy!

Copycat Southwest Egg Rolls - Pinterest Pick #20

My friend Tanya is a HUGE fan of Chili's and their Southwest Egg Rolls. I enjoy them myself, and thought I would try to make a copycat recipe I found on Pinterest. I changed a couple of things. I left out the spinach (yuck, I am not a fan lol) & I just made regular ranch dressing as opposed to the Avocado Ranch to go with them. You could easily mash half an avocado and add it to some ranch dressing and you would have your Avocado Ranch. Also, I saute'd my chicken breast instead of grilling it as I already had a saute pan going and there's no point in heating up a grill for 1 chicken breast. I added onion powder and garlic powder to the spice mix because HELLO, flavor! I do prefer my ranch homemade and not out of a bottle, so I made it with a packet. These were delicious, and I cannot wait to try out more egg roll recipes as they are one of my favorite food items! You can find the original Pin HERE and the original recipe HERE.

Copycat Southwest Egg Rolls

Ingredients:

• 5 flour tortillas (I used the Mission Super Soft, Soft Taco size)
• 1 chicken breast, diced into small pieces
• 1 cup corn
• 2 tbs of red pepper, diced
• 1/2 cup black beans, rinsed
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced
• 2 tbs jarred jalapenos, diced
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• dash of cayenne
• salt & pepper to taste
• 3/4 cup shredded Monterrey Jack
• oil for frying, butter for sauteing chicken

Directions:
Saute chicken breast pieces in a tablespoon of butter over medium heat (or you can grill your chicken breast if your prefer). Once it is cooked through (about 5 minutes), add in corn, red pepper, black beans, green onions, and jalapenos. Saute another 5 minutes. Add in spices, mix very well, and cook an additional 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let filling cool completely. Stir in cheese. Fill tortillas with filling and wrap tightly into an egg roll shape (secure with tooth picks). The original recipe I used said to let them sit 4 hours to over night, and I chose to let them sit in the fridge over night. I deep fried mine at 375 for 12 minutes. Serve with ranch or Avocado Ranch.
Enjoy!

Restaurant Style Sweet and Sour Chicken - Home Cooked Recipe #79

When I was a kid, the only thing I would order from Chinese restaurants was sweet and sour chicken.  As I grew up, I branched out to ordering many other dishes, but I will always have a special place in my heart for that dish.  Recently I was trying to find a recipe online for restaurant style sweet and sour chicken.  I found one that comes pretty close, and the sauce tasted JUST like a restaurant version. THIS is the sauce I used.  

Sweet and Sour Chicken

Ingredients:
<SAUCE>

• ¼ cup corn starch
• ¼ cup water
• 6 ounces pineapple juice
• 6 ounces water
• ½ cup brown sugar, packed
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ¾ cups apple cider vinegar
• ½ cup ketchup
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce

<CHICKEN>

• 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, diced
• 2 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 2 tbs oil
• 2 tbs cornstarch
• salt and pepper
• 1 egg 
• 1 1/2 cups water

Directions:
Combine flour, baking soda, oil, 2 tbs cornstarch, salt, pepper, and egg. Add 1 1/2 cups water gradually to make a thick batter. Stir to blend thoroughly. Add chicken pieces, and stir until chicken is well coated. Deep fry for 10-12 minutes in oil at 350 until golden brown and cooked through. Drain well on paper towels once chicken is cooked through.
Meanwhile, combine 1/4 cup cornstarch and 1/4 cup water and set aside.  Combine pineapple juice, water, brown sugar, regular sugar, vinegar, ketchup, and soy sauce in a sauce pot and cook over medium high til mixture comes to a boil. Cook for an additional minute, then add cornstarch/water mixture and remove from heat.
Coat chicken in sauce.  Serve over white rice. NOTE: I also sauteed some bell pepper, pineapple chunks, and onion; just like a restaurant would.
Enjoy!

GIRL'S CROCK*POT DAY #1 - CROCK*POT CAFE 11

A few weeks ago the girls and I did another crockpot day.  This time we only made one recipe I have made before, which was the beer chicken (you can find the original recipe HERE).  Then we also made smothered pork chops and beef stroganoff.  They all came out delicious! We served them with copious amounts of egg noodles and had plenty of leftovers.  All these recipes were winners so I advise you to try them!

Smothered Pork Chops

Ingredients:

• 8 boneless center cut pork chops
• salt & pepper (to taste)
• 1 tbs paprika (I used the smoked paprika, great flavor)
• 1 tbs garlic powder
• 1 small onion, sliced
• 2 8oz pkg sliced mushrooms
• 1 can cream of chicken soup
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• 1 cup low sodium beef broth

Directions:

Mix all ingredients except pork, mushrooms, and onions in a bowl.  Place onions on bottom of slow cooker, place pork on top.  Cover with mushrooms, then pour soup mixture over.  Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Beef Stroganoff

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs beef stew meat
• 1 onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 8oz pkg sliced mushrooms
• salt & pepper to taste
• 1 tsp ground thyme
• 1 to 2 bay leaves
• 2 cups beef broth
• 2 tbs worcestershire
• 1 tbs red wine vinegar
• 1 tbs mustard (I prefer Dijon)
• 8 oz sour cream

Directions
Place beef chunks on bottom of slow cooker. Top with mushrooms and onions.  Mix all other ingredients EXCEPT sour cream. Pour over beef.  Cook on low for 8 hours.

ENJOY!

GIRL'S CROCK*POT DAY #1 - CROCK*POT CAFE 10

Hello readers!

After a crazy last year of planning and having a wedding, I am finally getting back to normal. I have included pictures from the wedding (just a couple!) Now that I'm back in realty, that will mean more food blog posts, hooray! One of my first missions of 2017 was to organize a slow cooker day with 2 of my girlfriends who are interested in learning to make more delicious and healthy meals in their slow cookers. We all know how much I love a good crockpot dinner! For our first day of slow cooking, we made 3 recipes, one pork, one beef, one chicken.  These were all recipes that I have made prior, and I will provide the links at the end of this post. I wanted my girls to feel comfortable and I wanted to have us cook something I knew would taste delicious. The upcoming days we slow cook will be of mostly all new recipes, so I'll be trying new things along with them, and will be able to share the recipes with you, my dear readers! I hope you enjoy the pictures, we had such a fun day!!!

Cooking with Tanya and Kimmie!

Beef and Broccoli

Bourbon Chicken

Pork Carnitas

Find the recipe for Pork Carnitas HERE
Find the recipe for Beef and Broccoli HERE
Find the recipe for Bourbon Chicken HERE

Orange Chicken - Crock*Pot Cafe 9

As you know, I just love my slow cooker!  It is so easy to just throw some ingredients in it and let it cook dinner for me.  Oranges were in season when I made this, so I decided to devise my own healthy, fresh, orange chicken crockpot dinner! I used my small crockpot, but you can easily double, triple, or quadruple the recipe and just place it in a larger slow cooker.

Slow Cooker Orange Chicken

Ingredients:

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (mine were frozen)
• zest of 1 orange
• juice of 4 naval oranges
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1 clove grated garlic
• 1 1/2 inch knob of ginger, grated
• 1 tsp sesame oil

Directions:
Mix together zest, garlic, ginger, oil, honey, and juice together in bottom of your slow cooker. Add in chicken breasts.  Toss in sauce.  Cook on low for 4-6 hours.  Serve with rice.  Enjoy!

Garlic Lime Chicken - Pinterest Pick #15

Like a lot of people, I am always looking for new ways to prepare my boneless skinless chicken breasts for dinner.  I was perusing Pinterest as I do, and came across a recipe I had pinned awhile ago for garlic lime chicken.  I had all the ingredients on hand except the jalapeno.  It was quick and cheap to grab one at the store.  You can find the original Pin HERE and the original recipe HERE. The only tweaks I would make to the recipe is next time I would add the whole jalapeno instead of just half and I would add the juice and zest of another lime.  I have included these changes in the recipe below.

Garlic Lime Chicken

Ingredients:

• 2 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless
• salt and pepper
• Mrs. Dash original seasoning (my addition)
• 2 tbs olive oil
• 1 small red onion, finely diced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 medium jalapeno, de-seeded and diced finely
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 2 limes, zested and juiced
• 1 tsp dried cilantro (or 1 tbs fresh)
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/3 cup heavy cream

Directions:
Heat oil in skillet over medium.  Season chicken with salt, pepper, and Mrs. Dash on both sides.  Cook chicken 5 minutes per side then remove from skillet.  Add onions, garlic and jalapeno, saute for a couple of minutes.  Add chicken broth, lime zest, lime juice, cilantro, and paprika.  Stir well then add chicken back into pan.  Simmer chicken for 8 minutes in sauce, stirring occasionally.  Add in cream, and additional salt and pepper to taste.  Simmer another minute or two then serve.  I served mine with rice.
Enjoy!

Lemon Pepper Chicken - Pinterest Pick #13 BONUS RECIPE TOO

A post where you get TWO recipes at one time?  Yup, it's happening!  I was reviewing all my recipes to make that I had pinned on Pinterest, and I found two that complimented each other to make a great dinner.  So one night, I made them both!  The tangy lemon pepper chicken breaks up the creaminess and richness of the pasta.  This chicken is simple, and great for any dinner or lunch.  You don't have to serve it with pasta.  It would be great on a salad, with rice, or whatever side you want to serve it with. You can find the original pin for the chicken HERE and the original pin for the pasta HERE.

Lemon Pepper Chicken

Ingredients:

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 2 tbs lemon pepper seasoning (I use Lawry's)
• 1 lemon juiced
• 2 tbs olive oil
• 2 tbs grated parmesan

Directions:
Place all ingredients except parmesan in a ziploc bag or airtight container and mix well.  Marinate chicken for 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350.
Place chicken on foil-lined backing sheet and sprinkle with parmesan. Bake for 30-45 minutes.
Enjoy!

BONUS!!!
Four Cheese Garlic Spaghetti
Ingredients:

• 8 oz thin spaghetti
• 1 cup cooking water
• mix of chicken and broth in water to cook pasta in 
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 tbs butter
• 1 tbs olive oil
• 2 cups four cheese Italian cheese blend (shredded)

Directions:
Cook pasta in mix of chicken broth and water until pasta is al dente.  Reserve 1 cup of the cooking liquid.  Drain pasta.
Saute garlic in olive oil and butter for 1 minute.  Add in pasta, pasta water, and heavy cream.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce to a simmer and stir in cheese.  Cook for a couple of minutes so sauce can thicken.
Enjoy!