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. :)
Thursday, December 29, 2011
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.
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 15.2
Every few months or so I like to go through my cookbooks and recipes to select some recipes to try over the next couple months. Sometimes I faithfully follow this list, while other times I get a moment of inspiration (or am limited by what's in my cupboards) and make up something different.
This recipe is one I randomly selected while deviating from my list. I had hamburger that needed to be used and was looking through my beef recipes. This looked good, so I thought I'd give it a try. It is definitely a different take on a pot pie, that's for sure! In the middle of making these, which did take awhile and an extra set of hands, I realized I was making biscuits from scratch. Again, I don't read recipes close enough sometimes to realize what exactly I'm doing. To cut out the biscuits I used a jar because I had no cookie cutters at that time. Now, of course, I have plenty, but that's why I keep random things around; you never know when something can be used a different way.
For me, this was pretty strong on the tomatoes, but I am not a big tomato person. The biscuits were delicious, though.
This recipe is from Every Day with Rachael Ray.
Beef and Cheddar Potpie
Ingredients:
6 T. butter, chilled
1 small onion, chipped
1 1/2 lb. ground beef
One 28 oz. can diced tomatoes, drained
1 c. beef broth
Salt and pepper
1 1/2 c. flour
2 tsp. baking powder
2 c. shredded sharp cheddar cheese (8 oz.)
1/2 c. milk
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Great an 8"x12" banking dish and set aside. In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoon butter over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until softened but not browned, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add the beef and cook, breaking it up, until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Drain if needed. Stir in the tomatoes and beef broth and season with salt and pepper. Lower the heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid cooks out, about 20 minutes. Pour into the prepared baking dish and spread evenly.
2. Meanwhile, while the beef is cooking, make the biscuits. In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Using your fingertips or a pastry blender, blend in the remaining 4 tablespoons butter and the cheese until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Pour in the milk and stir quickly with a fork to form a dry dough. Gather the dough together and knead lightly in the bowl. Transfer to a floured work surface and roll into a large, 1/2-inch think round. Using a large round cookie cutter or a glass, cut out 8 biscuits. Gather the scraps and reform the round and continue cutting biscuits until the dough has bee used.
3. Place the biscuits on top of the beef mixture as close together as possible and bake until lightly browned, about 35 minutes.
This recipe is one I randomly selected while deviating from my list. I had hamburger that needed to be used and was looking through my beef recipes. This looked good, so I thought I'd give it a try. It is definitely a different take on a pot pie, that's for sure! In the middle of making these, which did take awhile and an extra set of hands, I realized I was making biscuits from scratch. Again, I don't read recipes close enough sometimes to realize what exactly I'm doing. To cut out the biscuits I used a jar because I had no cookie cutters at that time. Now, of course, I have plenty, but that's why I keep random things around; you never know when something can be used a different way.
For me, this was pretty strong on the tomatoes, but I am not a big tomato person. The biscuits were delicious, though.
This recipe is from Every Day with Rachael Ray.
Beef and Cheddar Potpie
Ingredients:
6 T. butter, chilled
1 small onion, chipped
1 1/2 lb. ground beef
One 28 oz. can diced tomatoes, drained
1 c. beef broth
Salt and pepper
1 1/2 c. flour
2 tsp. baking powder
2 c. shredded sharp cheddar cheese (8 oz.)
1/2 c. milk
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Great an 8"x12" banking dish and set aside. In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoon butter over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until softened but not browned, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add the beef and cook, breaking it up, until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Drain if needed. Stir in the tomatoes and beef broth and season with salt and pepper. Lower the heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid cooks out, about 20 minutes. Pour into the prepared baking dish and spread evenly.
2. Meanwhile, while the beef is cooking, make the biscuits. In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Using your fingertips or a pastry blender, blend in the remaining 4 tablespoons butter and the cheese until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Pour in the milk and stir quickly with a fork to form a dry dough. Gather the dough together and knead lightly in the bowl. Transfer to a floured work surface and roll into a large, 1/2-inch think round. Using a large round cookie cutter or a glass, cut out 8 biscuits. Gather the scraps and reform the round and continue cutting biscuits until the dough has bee used.
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.
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.
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Kitchen Adventures 14.3
Every week I get together with a handful of friends at a local establishment to relax, catch up and discuss a variety of topics (usually sports-centered). We typically celebrate things like holidays, big sporting events and other big days together. One event we almost always convene for is the MLB All-Star game. We have several faithful baseball fans in the group (and some others who are not so faithful) so this always provides a perfect excuse to get together.
This year, we celebrated the all star game a little differently. Normally we gather at a friend's house and have snacky food and beverages. This year, we decided to have a pie celebration for the event. We had a wide variety of pies, from blueberry to brownie with granola to apple to chocolate peanut butter. Needless to say we were quite full by the end of the evening!
This pie recipe comes from the Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book, 14th edition on page 445. You can find this in many libraries and bookstores as well as online.
This recipe is quite rich, so keep that in mind when slicing for serving. A tiny piece usually does the trick for most people.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie
Ingredients:
1 chocolate wafer crust (you can make this or buy one. I bought one to save time.)
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
3/4 c. peanut butter
1 c. powdered sugar
2 T. milk
1 tsp. vanilla
1 c. whipping cream
2 T. powdered sugar
3/4 c. miniature chocolate chips
Directions:
1. Prepare a chocolate wafer crust if you choose to make one. Chill a medium mixing bowl and beaters in the refrigerator.
2. To make the filling: in a large mixing bowl beat cream cheese and peanut butter until smooth. Add the 1 cup powdered sugar, milk and vanilla, beating until combined.
3. In the chilled mixing bowl beat the whipping cream and the 2 tablespoons powdered sugar with the chilled beaters of an electric mixer until small peaks form. Gently fold one-third of the whipped cream into the peanut butter mixture. Fold remaining whipping cream and miniature chocolate chips into the peanut butter mixture. Spoon into the chocolate wafer crust. Cover and chill about 2 hours or until set.
I unfortunately do not have a picture for this pie. It is extremely delicious, though!
This year, we celebrated the all star game a little differently. Normally we gather at a friend's house and have snacky food and beverages. This year, we decided to have a pie celebration for the event. We had a wide variety of pies, from blueberry to brownie with granola to apple to chocolate peanut butter. Needless to say we were quite full by the end of the evening!
This pie recipe comes from the Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book, 14th edition on page 445. You can find this in many libraries and bookstores as well as online.
This recipe is quite rich, so keep that in mind when slicing for serving. A tiny piece usually does the trick for most people.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie
Ingredients:
1 chocolate wafer crust (you can make this or buy one. I bought one to save time.)
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
3/4 c. peanut butter
1 c. powdered sugar
2 T. milk
1 tsp. vanilla
1 c. whipping cream
2 T. powdered sugar
3/4 c. miniature chocolate chips
Directions:
1. Prepare a chocolate wafer crust if you choose to make one. Chill a medium mixing bowl and beaters in the refrigerator.
2. To make the filling: in a large mixing bowl beat cream cheese and peanut butter until smooth. Add the 1 cup powdered sugar, milk and vanilla, beating until combined.
3. In the chilled mixing bowl beat the whipping cream and the 2 tablespoons powdered sugar with the chilled beaters of an electric mixer until small peaks form. Gently fold one-third of the whipped cream into the peanut butter mixture. Fold remaining whipping cream and miniature chocolate chips into the peanut butter mixture. Spoon into the chocolate wafer crust. Cover and chill about 2 hours or until set.
I unfortunately do not have a picture for this pie. It is extremely delicious, though!
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.
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 14.1
During the summer, I try to look for light dishes for dinner. Heavy dishes are delicious, but when it's literally 110 degrees outside, cranking up the oven and making a casserole just doesn't sound appetizing.
Occasionally these light recipes come in unexpected forms. Take spaghetti. Normally spaghetti has a rich marinara sauce and can sit heavy in the stomach. When I found this particular spaghetti recipe, I was excited to try it out. It makes this traditional favorite a light and summery dish. The bacon is a nice touch, too, thought it can be left off for a vegetarian version. When I made it my boyfriend was a little wary, but after tasting it he was converted. I even shared the recipe right after making it with someone who had an excess of basil.
This recipe is from Every Day with Rachael Ray.
Summer Herb Spaghetti with Crumbled Bacon
Ingredients:
1 pound spaghetti
8 slices thick-cut bacon
1 c. flat-leaf parsley leaves
3/4 c. fresh basil leaves
5 T. olive oil
5 T. fresh lemon juice
1/4 c. finely chopped chives
Salt and pepper
1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese
Directions:
1. In a large pot of boiling, salt water, cook the spaghetti according to package directions. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup pasta water, and transfer spaghetti to a large bowl.
2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook the bacon over medium-high heat until crisp, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain on paper towels when done. When cool enough to handle, crumble into large pieces.
3. While the pasta and bacon are cooking, puree 1/2 c up parsley, 1/2 cup basil, olive oil, lemon juice and 2 tablespoons chives in a blender or food processor. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Add the herb oil, Parmesan cheese and reserved 1/2 cup pasta water to the pasta and toss. Chop the remaining 12 cup parsley and 1/4 cup basil and add to the pasta along with the crumbled bacon and remaining 2 tablespoon chives. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Occasionally these light recipes come in unexpected forms. Take spaghetti. Normally spaghetti has a rich marinara sauce and can sit heavy in the stomach. When I found this particular spaghetti recipe, I was excited to try it out. It makes this traditional favorite a light and summery dish. The bacon is a nice touch, too, thought it can be left off for a vegetarian version. When I made it my boyfriend was a little wary, but after tasting it he was converted. I even shared the recipe right after making it with someone who had an excess of basil.
This recipe is from Every Day with Rachael Ray.
Summer Herb Spaghetti with Crumbled Bacon
Ingredients:
1 pound spaghetti
8 slices thick-cut bacon
1 c. flat-leaf parsley leaves
3/4 c. fresh basil leaves
5 T. olive oil
5 T. fresh lemon juice
1/4 c. finely chopped chives
Salt and pepper
1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese
Directions:
1. In a large pot of boiling, salt water, cook the spaghetti according to package directions. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup pasta water, and transfer spaghetti to a large bowl.
2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook the bacon over medium-high heat until crisp, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain on paper towels when done. When cool enough to handle, crumble into large pieces.
3. While the pasta and bacon are cooking, puree 1/2 c up parsley, 1/2 cup basil, olive oil, lemon juice and 2 tablespoons chives in a blender or food processor. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Add the herb oil, Parmesan cheese and reserved 1/2 cup pasta water to the pasta and toss. Chop the remaining 12 cup parsley and 1/4 cup basil and add to the pasta along with the crumbled bacon and remaining 2 tablespoon chives. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
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