Kitchen Adventures 20.3

When I first purchased my slow cooker several years ago, I wasn't quite sure what to do with it. I grew up with my mom making dinner for the entire family in her slow cooker. I was just cooking for myself, so I wasn't quite sure where to start when looking for recipes that didn't feed an army. One year for Christmas my mom got me a little checkout stand cookbook full of great slow cooker recipes. The first one I tried was this recipe, which I still go back to for a quick and easy dinner.

A note about this one: make sure you watch it. Try to select chicken breasts that are of similar size and thickness so cooking is even. This last time they ended up pretty crunchy and dry because I was not paying close enough attention. When it smells done, it's done! Usually I pair this with some kind of green veggie, either a salad, green beans, or peas.

This came from PreventionGuide Slow Cooker Recipe Book.

Breaded Dijon Chicken Breasts

Ingredients:

1 c. dried bread crumbs
1/2 tsp. herbes de Provence (I just use Italian seasoned bread crumbs or threw in Italian seasoning)
1/2 tsp. paprika
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (1 1/2 lb. total)
1/4 c. Dijon mustard
1 T. olive oil
1/4 c. chicken broth

Directions:

1. Combine the bread crumbs, herbs, and paprika in a shallow bowl.
2. On wax paper, cover each chicken breast with mustard and then dip into the bread crumbs mixture, covering completely. Shake off excess crumbs.
3. Coat the slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray and place the chicken in a single layer over the bottom of the slow cooker. Drizzle with oil and add the chicken broth.
4. Cover and cook on low 6 to 8 hours. (I usually cook this on high 2 to 4 hours.)

Kitchen Adventures 20.2

During the winter months, I try to use my slow cooker on a fairly regular basis. I guess I should really use it more during the summer to cut down on heating from the oven; I'll have to try that this summer! I am fortunate to have a great slow cooker and many cookbooks to choose from when trying to decide what to make each week.  It's always interesting to find a recipe that would not normally be made in a slow cooker and try it this way. That's what this recipe is all about.

Chicken and dumplings just sounds like something a grandmother would make, right? The name alone conjures up images of home cooking and love in every bite. Well, I don't know that these had love in every bite, but it was interesting to make this in a slow cooker! I was wary to try it since my boyfriend had already vetoed dumplings (texture thing) but I tried it anyway. He said it was ok, which to me meant it was a success.

This recipe came from 3 Books in 1 Rival Crock-Pot, specifically the Winning Slow Cooker Recipes section.

Like Grandma's Chicken 'N Dumplings

Ingredients:

2 c. cooked chicken
1 10.75-oz. can cream of mushroom soup
1 10.75 oz. can cream of chicken soup
2 soup cans water
4 tsp. all-purpose flour
2 tsp. chicken bouillon granules
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 can refrigerated buttermilk biscuits (8 count)

Directions:

Combine all ingredients except biscuits in slow cooker. Cut biscuits into quarters and gently stir into mixture. Cover and cook on low 4 to 6 hours.

Kitchen Adventures 17.2

Branching out and trying something completely different can be intimidating. When it comes to my food, I tend to stick with the usual, or at least around the usual. I dread the thought of making something that I would hate, wasting the money and time I spent making the dish. Every now and then, though, just the right thing comes along to push me outside my normal comfort cooking zone.

This recipe is not extremely outside my zone, but it is a little different. I have not had dumplings very often, but I do know that I like them. My boyfriend, however, does not. Most weeks I make dinner during the week and he pays for or makes food on the weekends. It usually ends up balancing out. When I told him this involved dumplings he was not terribly excited about it, but we went on the quest for gnocchi at the store. However, we came up unsuccessful. We looked in the refrigerated section and frozen section to no avail. Later I found out they are probably on the pasta row, but at the time we did not think of that. So, we avoided the dumplings and instead used tortellini. It ended up being a good substitute, but I would still like to try this with the gnocchi.

I discovered that this dish definitely takes some time. I decided that I needed to switch the steps in the directions, at  least for what I did. The changes are below. Hopefully it makes sense when going through it.

This recipe came from Every Day with Rachael Ray.

Creamed Chicken with Gnocchi Dumplings (or Tortellini)

Ingredients:

One 1lb. package potato gnocchi (or tortellini)
4 T. butter
1 onion, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
12 oz. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into thin strips
Salt and pepper
2 T. flour
1 c. half-and-half
1 c. chicken broth
2 scallions, chopped

Directions:

1. In a small saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook until toasted, about 3 minutes. Whisk in the half-and-half and chicken broth; bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer until thickened.
2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons butter over medium-high heat. Add the onion and bell pepper and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the chicken and cook, stirring continuously, until just cooked through, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Right before adding the chicken to the onion and pepper combination, prepare the gnocchi or tortellini according to the package directions. Make sure the water is boiling well before you add the gnocchi or tortellini. Drain when done and set aside.
4. When the sauce is thickened, stir into the chicken mixture and then add the gnocchi. Bring to a simmer, then season with salt and pepper and top with the scallions.

Kitchen Adventures 16.2

As fall approaches, I tend to turn to my crock pot. I really should use it during the summer when it's so ridiculously hot and turning the oven on just sounds like a terrible idea, but that's a change for next year. I have a couple crock pot cookbooks and though there is some overlap between them all, each has its perks. 

I usually stick to the same thing from each cookbook, but this time I decided to try something different. It was pretty good, but by the third day I was tired of it. Keep that in mind when checking this one out; it might be better for a family of three or more.

This recipe came from Rival Crock-Pot 3 Books in 1 cookbook that was published in 2007. There are a couple different versions and when I checked Google Books and Amazon all the copies were pretty expensive, so if you want a copy you'll either have to pay some big bucks, check the local bookstores/estate sales/ garage sales or your library.

Campbell's Nacho Chicken and Rice Wraps

Ingredients:

2 cans Campbell's cheddar cheese soup
1 c. water
2 c. Pace chunky salsa or picante sauce
1 1/4 c. uncooked regular long-grain white rice
2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts
10 flour tortillas (10 in. diameter)

Directions:

1. Spray the slow cooker with cooking spray or use a crock liner. Mix soup, water, salsa, rice and chicken in the slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 7 to 8 hours or high for 4 to 5 hours.
2. Spoon about 1 cup rice mixture down the center of a tortilla. Fold the ends up and roll the tortilla around the filling.

Unfortunately I do not have an image of this dish. Picture a chicken and rice burrito and you've got it. :)

Kitchen Adventures 16.1

Chicken and rice is a common combination. I know I've posted several recipes involving these ingredients as the main components. Still, I always look for different ways to use these ingredients together. They are things I always have on hand, so to me it makes sense to find recipes that use these items.

This recipe is another Campbell's product advertisement recipe. Again, sometimes these are the best part of food magazines. I got this one out of Every Day with Rachael Ray. This is an easy recipe with a short prep time but a longer cook time, so keep that in mind when preparing to make this. It is a good casserole and worth the wait, though.

Cheese Chicken & Rice Casserole

Ingredients:

1 can cream of chicken soup
1 1/3 c. water
3/4 c. uncooked regular long-grain white rice
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
2 c. frozen mixed vegetables
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/2 c. shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions:

1. Stir soup, water, rice, onion powder, black pepper and vegetables in 8"x11" (2 quart) baking dish.
2. Top with chicken and season chicken as desired. I suggest black pepper, salt, garlic powder and onion powder. Cover.
3. Bake at 375 degrees for 50 minutes of until chicken and rice are done. Top with cheese. Let contents stand to meld flavors and melt cheese. Stir the rice before serving.

Kitchen Adventures 15.1

Every month I look forward to finding my Every Day with Rachael Ray in my mailbox. Not only do I get great recipes from the magazine and find neat home and gift ideas, but sometimes the advertisements provide useful recipes as well. Occasionally these are all I cut out of the magazines! Mostly they show how to use a company's products to make a lovely dish, but you can of course use whatever brand you want. It's not like the company is going to track you down or anything. :)

I made this casserole in the heat of August. Why, I'm not quite sure, since it was still ridiculously hot outside. I guess I just wanted something easy to make and this seemed to fit. Of course, I hadn't read the recipe very closely because it of course took longer than I thought it would, but it still turned out ok. Just keep that in mind--you've got to precook your pasta and chicken before putting it all together, so build that time in to your prep time.

This recipe is from a Campbell's soup advertisement.

Hearty Chicken & Noodle Casserole

Ingredients:

1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 c. milk
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1/4 c. Parmesan cheese
1 c. frozen mixed vegetables
2 c. cubed cooked chicken
2 c. medium egg noodles, cooked and drained
1/2 c. shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions::

1. Stir soup, milk, black pepper, Parmesan cheese, vegetables, chicken and noodles in a 1 1/2 quart casserole dish.
2. Bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes or until hot, then stir.
3. Top with the Cheddar cheese.

Kitchen Adventures 14.2

Life is busy. Sometimes, it doesn't even seem like there is time to breathe. So, if there's not time to breathe then making time for cooking is even more difficult. Now, I love eating, so of course I make time for that, but finding the time to cook is more difficult. So, when I went to the annual Cookbook Swap and Shop event at Norman Public Library and found a one dish cookbook, I snapped it up. I figured that if I only have to use one dish then it must not take very long to cook the meal, which fits perfectly into my busy days.

This was a pretty simple recipe. The only thing that caused a little confusion was finding the right kind of rice. Really, I don't think it matters that much after making the dish, so keep that in mind. It includes your meat, carbs, and veggies all in one, so overall it's a fairly balanced meal. It's deliciousness is another good factor. :)

This recipe is from Incredibly Easy One Dish cookbook on page 15. You can find a copy at Amazon or Barnes and Noble. You can also try your local library.

Creamy Parmesan Rice with Chicken

Ingredients:

1 T. oil
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 pound)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 c. white rice
2 cans (14 1/2 oz. each) chicken broth
1 c. grate Parmesan cheese
1 c. frozen peas, thawed

Directions:

1. Heat the oil in a medium-size skillet. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and cook over medium-high heat 5 to 7 minutes or until lightly browned on both sides.
2. Add the garlic to the skillet and briefly cook. Stir in the rice and chicken broth and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce the heat and simmer 20 minutes or until the chicken is no longer pink in center.
3. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the Parmesan cheese and peas. Cover and let set 5 minutes.

Kitchen Adventures 12.6

"It tastes like chicken." We've all heard this before. The trick is to make chicken NOT taste like chicken. I'm always looking for different types of chicken recipes to mix it up so I'm not eating the same chicken thing over and over again.
This is a pretty good chicken recipe. It uses a small number of spices, but it's just the right combination. The yogurt gives it a nice touch, too. It's an easy recipe to make, which also makes it more appealing. Remember to read the entire recipe as this will take longer than you anticipate since it has to refrigerate for 30 minutes. It's worth it, though!

This recipe is from  Every Day with Rachael Ray.

Spiced Grilled Chicken

Ingredients:

One 6-ounce container plain yogurt
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. chili powder
Salt and pepper
4 large chicken breast halves on the bone (I used boneless and it worked fine.)

Directions:

1. In a gallon-size resealable plastic bag, combine the yogurt, garlic, cumin, chili powder and 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Cut two slits in each chicken breast and add these to the yogurt mixture in the bag. Turn the bag and make sure the chicken breasts are thoroughly coated. Leave the chicken in the bag and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
2. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Place the chicken on  a rack and over a rimmed baking sheet and roast until cooked through, about 30 minutes.
*Note: only roast on the rack if bone-in. If boneless, just cook on the baking sheet and check them at about 20 minutes.

Kitchen Adventures 12.4

As I sit here getting ready to make dinner tonight, I am realizing that I need to start chipping away at this recipe backlog. So, here is my first attempt at getting this backlog down. (This sounds like work situations, too. Goodness.)

I am a big fan of quick dinners, and dinners that don't make a huge mess. One dish dinners are my favorite for both of these reasons.Many times you can find these recipes as advertisements for products in food magazines, and that is exactly how I found this one. There are always lots of ads in my Everyday with Rachael Ray magazines. Sometimes they look quick and easy (ok, most times) and most of them look pretty delicious.

This recipe was pretty good. If you are not a brown rice fan, though, you may want to substitute white rice instead as the brown rice is a key ingredient and component of this recipe.

Quick & Easy Chicken, Broccoli and Brown Rice

Ingredients:

1 T. vegetable oil
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 1/2 c. water
1/4 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1 1/2 c. uncooked instant brown rice
2 c. fresh or frozen broccoli flowerets

Directions:
1. Heat the oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Season the chicken with pepper and paprika, and some salt if you want, to taste, then place in the skillet and cook until well browned on both sides. Remove the chicken from the skillet.
2. Stir the soup, water, paprika and black pepper in the skillet and heat to a boil.
3. Stir the rice and broccoli in the skillet and reduce the heat to low. Return the chicken to the skillet and sprinkle additional paprika and black pepper over the chicken. Cover the skillet and cook five minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the rice is tender.

Kitchen Adventures 11.2

Life has been busy this past month! Still, that is no reason for me to have a month-long break in posting. I have no excuses, that's just how it happened. So, here's a posting to start back up again and do some catching up. Thank goodness there's no work Monday; it should give me plenty of time to get all caught up.

At many grocery stores, samples are provided while you are shopping. This especially is true when you are shopping during the lunch hour. It's good advertising, really, because they get you when you're hungry and such you in to try something new. If you like it, you are much more likely to buy that unplanned product than you would be with just seeing the new product. I will admit, every now and then I get sucked in. With this particular instance that led to this recipe, I tried the product one week but did not buy it until several weeks later. I must say, it was well worth the wait.

The PHILADELPHIA cream cheese people have introduced a new cooking creme product. So, instead of mixing in spices and herbs with your cream cheese, it comes mixed in for you. Plus, it is not as thick as a regular block of cheese. I have tried two of the four cooking creme flavors and liked them both. PHILADELPHIA also made the smart move of putting out a recipe book using these products. This is one of those recipes.

I liked this because it was quick and easy to make, yet filling and delicious. It was also pretty light, which was nice with warmer weather approaching. I would definitely recommend checking out these products!

Creamy Italian Chicken & Orzo Skillet

Ingredients:

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-size pieces
1 small zucchini, chopped (I omitted this as zucchini were just too expensive when I made this)
1 tub PHILADELPHIA Italian Cheese & Herb Cooking Creme
1/2 c. chopped tomatoes ( I also omitted this as I'm not a big tomato fan)
2 c. hot cooked orzo pasta

Directions:

Cook the chicken and zucchini in a large skillet over medium heat for 6 to 7 minutes or until the chicken is done. Add the cooking creme and tomatoes to the skillet and cook and stir for 2 minutes. Serve the chicken mixture over the cooked orzo.
* substitute 2 cups frozen cut green beans for the zucchini (this is what I did).

Kitchen Adventures 10.4

I am always on the lookout for quick and easy dinner recipes. I'm not much of a cook--I much prefer baking- and most of my dinner recipes usually involve the oven. Typically, this means dinner takes a little longer. To compensate for a longer cooking (and waiting) time, I try to find things that do not take long to prepare. This recipe definitely falls into that category.

I have made several variations of this recipe, and I am sure there are many more to be made. I used this one since it had been on my list for awhile and I had cornflakes on hand. It proved to be quite yummy and very simple.

This recipe came for Every Day with Rachael Ray.

Crunchy Parmesan Chicken

Ingredients:

1 c. cornflakes, lightly crushed
3/4 c. grated parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper
3 large eggs, beaten
Four 6 oz. boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
5 T extra-virgin olive oil
1 lemon, cut into wedges (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a shallow bowl, combine the cornflake, cheese, and 1/4 tsp. each salt and pepper. Place the beaten eggs in another shallow bowl. Coat each chicken breast with the cornflake mixture, dip in the eggs, then back in the cornflake mixture and place on a wax paper-lined baking sheet.
2. Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a large nonstick skillet. Add the chicken and cook until golden brown, turning once, about 2 minutes per side. Place on a foil lined baking sheet. Bake the chicken until cooked through, about 10 minutes. Note: if some chicken breasts are larger than others they may need to bake longer. Serve with lemon wedges if desired.

The pictures did not turn out too well, but they give you an idea. These were some of the juiciest chicken breasts I have ever had. It made me think I had cooked them wrong!

Kitchen Adventures 9.3

Oh life, you art so busy! Of course, it's because I make it that way. No one is MAKING me go do all the things I do, except for work-related things, of course. All this socializing I do is of my own free will. It all puts things into perspective, though. Sometimes I think about the lives some of my other friends have, being married with babies or babies on the way. At times I think maybe this is the life I'm supposed to have, or at least what the world thinks I should have by this point in my life. But, then I get to go hang out with whoever, whenever I want and do lots of fun things like have girls night, listen to cover bands, watch sporting events and enjoy the company of my friends. I'm sure I could do all these things if I was married or have babies, but I'm quite content to enjoy this single, lovely life that God has given me.

I'm not quite sure what that all has to do with my recipe posting, but it was just a rumination that came to me. Anyway, back to the recipe, which I know is what most people look for on this blog. Well, not to disappoint, here it is! This is another recipe that came from the Wheat State Manor cookbook my mom gave me a few years ago for Christmas. The nice thing about this recipe is that you can substitute some of the ingredients to fit what you have. For instance, I did not have the right kind of potatoes because the shredded hash browns were all sold out from the store. Apparently this is a vital item right before a snowstorm. Anyway, the chunk potatoes worked just as well. It's all about making what you have work for you. Hope you like this yummy casserole!

Chicken Potato Casserole

Ingredients:

1 32 oz. pkg. frozen shredded potatoes, thawed
6 chicken breast halves, cooked and diced
1 c. melted butter, divided
1 can cream of chicken soup
12 oz. shredded cheddar cheese
1 sm. onion, diced (I omitted this)
1 tsp. salt
1 8 oz. pkg. sour cream
Corn flakes, crushed

Directions:

Spread the potatoes in the bottom of a greased 9x13 baking dish. Place the chicken over the potatoes. Combine the remaining ingredients with the exception of 1/2 c. butter and the corn flakes, and then pour this over the chicken. Mix together the remaining butter and the crushed corn flakes. I don't have an exact measurement for the corn flakes, but just crush enough until the butter is all absorbed. Spread the corn flake mix on top of the other ingredients and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Kitchen Adventures 8.1

Here's to the first post of 2011! It's belated, I know. I seem to be doing lots of things belatedly thus far this year. Hopefully that will soon change! It's not that I haven't had time--three working days off in the past two weeks is really no excuse--but other more pressing issues always seem to arise to fill the days. And it's not even shopping (though a new pair of shoes would be nice, and maybe some jeans...). But I digress.

The first recipe contribution of the year comes from my trusted Triple T youth group cookbook, Homemade with Love. This recipe is one I have used for several years now, and every time I think about adding in spices and never do. So, if you make this, add in some different spices and let me know how it goes! This recipe was contributed by a family friend, and it was one of her family recipes. I hope you enjoy it!

Sunday Chicken Casserole

Ingredients:

1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of celery soup
1/4 lb. melted butter (1 stick)
1 1/2 c. minute rice
1/2 c. milk
6 chicken breasts
paprika
salt and pepper

Directions:

Mix together the soups, butter, milk and rice in a fairly large bowl. Pour this mixture into a greased 9"x13" baking pan. Place the chicken on top and season with paprika, salt and pepper. Be generous with the salt and pepper; I never seem to use enough. Bake covered with foil for 1 hour at 325 degrees, then remove the foil and continue baking for another 20 minutes.

Kitchen Adventures 5.1

I have been trying to mix up my recipe usage recently, not repeating recipes very frequently. However, due to time constraints and available ingredients, I had to duplicate. Luckily, I was cooking for different events, which made it a little better.

A couple weeks ago I wanted something quick and easy for dinner. I found a good recipe in one of my Rachael Ray magazines and decided to try it out. Then this weekend I needed to make an appetizer for about 5 or 6 people, and I was low on ingredients. Fortunately, I still had all the ingredients to make this, and it works well as an appetizer as well. We needed good food for our OU/Texas watch party, after all. Gotta say, BOOMER SOONER!!:)

With this recipe, I ended up having to alter it slightly as I thought I had a key ingredient when I actually didn't. It still worked out, though, so I'm sure making it with the right ingredients would be delicious as well.

Cajun Chicken Fingers

Ingredients:
1 c. cornmeal (I used bread crumbs)
2 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. dried oregano
Salt and pepper
2 large eggs
1 lb. chicken tenders
6 T. vegetable oil (omit this if you go the baking route as I did)

Directions:
1. In a shallow bowl, combine the cornmeal, chili powder, oregano, 1 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. pepper. In another shallow bowl, beat the eggs. Working with one at a time, coat the chicken tenders with the cornmeal mixture, dip into the egg, then coat again with the cornmeal. Transfer to a foil-lined baking sheet.
2. In a large skillet, heat 1/4 c. oil over medium heat. Add half of the chicken and cook, turning over, until golden, about 5 or 6 minutes. Transfer to a plate and tent with foil to keep warm. Repeat with the remaining oil and chicken tenders.
*If you choose to bake rather than fry, place the chicken on a foil-lined baking sheet and pop in a 450 degree oven for about 12 minutes.