French Dip Sandwiches

This recipe, found HERE, wins on all counts. It is painfully easy. The hubby (and the rest of us) loved it. AND it cooks itself in my favorite appliance ever--the slow cooker. Ka-chow! That's a Lightning McQueen reference for those of you who don't have little boys :) Here's what you need:

INGREDIENTS

-buns, like hoagie sandwich buns
- a 2 to 4 lb beef roast (I got "eye of round roast" because it was on sale...just get something that says "roast")
-one packet McCormick Au Jus Gravy mix (usually on the soup aisle with the other gravy packets)
-swiss cheese slices
-OPTIONAL: sliced onion, green bell pepper, & red bell pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

(1)Put meat in slow cooker.
(2)Dissolve gravy packet in 3 cups cold water. Pour into slow cooker.
(3)Turn slow cooker on low*. Let it cook 6-8 hours. (If you want the peppers and onions, throw them in for the last hour.)
(4)Shred up meat. It should be very tender. Mine pretty much fell apart.
(5)Put it in your buns. Add a slice of cheese.
(6) Stick in the oven and broil for a minute or two to melt the cheese.
(7) Now for the "dip" part. Get a bowl and pour some of the leftover liquid from the slow cooker in it. Use it to dip your sandwich in and enjoy. Soooo good.

*My slow cooker is a new one, and is apparently nuclear. I NEVER EVER use the high setting. Even frozen meat is completely done in less than 5 hours in my slow cooker. So, if you find your slow cooker meals continually burning or being dry when you use the high setting, try it on low. Hopefully that will work and you can sit back and enjoy some effortless meals!

Bacon & Cheese Potatoes and Ranch Chicken

The reason I have not posted any recipes for nearly two weeks is that my week of recipe "winners" was followed by a week of "flops." It usually happens that way...not sure why. This week I am just cooking whatever to try to use up what is left in my pantry (as I usually do at the end of the month). But last night, we had a pretty good side dish, that was born entirely from the need to use up some random leftover ingredients. I had half a bag of potatoes, some shredded cheddar, and bacon...so I tried to go the restaurant-style cheese fries route, and it turned out really well, if I do say so myself. This is super easy. Here's what you need:

BACON CHEESE POTATOES INGREDIENTS

-enough potatoes cut bite-sized to cover a 13x9 dish in a single layer (I used about 1/3 bag of yukon gold potatoes...they are the best...you could use other potatoes, but I make no guarantees that it will be as yummy)
-1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (or as much as you want)
-3 or 4 sliced of cooked bacon, crumbled
-1/4 cup olive oil
-garlic salt to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

(1) Preheat your oven to 425. Put your potatoes in the 13x9 dish.
(2) Pour 1/4 cup olive oil over potatoes, and stir them around to coat.
(3) Season with garlic salt.
(4) Bake for 30-40 minutes, until potatoes are done.
(5) Add crumbled bacon and shredded cheddar over the top, and put it back in the oven for a couple minutes just to melt the cheese.

In other news, I tried the crock pot pork chop recipe with chicken, and (as expected) it was equally yummy. So go here for the recipe and just substitute chicken breasts for chops.

Creamy Italian Crock Pot Chicken

This is crock pot meal #2 for the week (from TidyMom, slightly modified), and it was Easy with a capital E. This got rave reviews from the husband and the kids wolfed theirs down, too. I have to admit, I was concerned that this was going to be a flop--the ingredients seemed too simple especially for plain old chicken breasts. BUT boy was I wrong! Even better, you probably have almost all the ingredients in your kitchen right now.

INGREDIENTS

4 chicken breasts (mine were frozen when I put them in the crock pot--they always are--but you can use thawed...whatever)
1 packet dry Italian dressing mix
1/4 cup water
8 ounces cream cheese (I use fat free)
1 can cream of chicken soup (I use Healthy Request)
1 pound pasta of some sort (spaghetti...penne for the kids...anything)

INSTRUCTIONS

(1) Put your chicken in the crock pot. Mix Italian dressing packet with 1/4 cup water and pour over chicken. Cook on low 3 hours.
(2) After 3 hours mix cream of chicken and cream cheese with a hand mixer until smooth OR you could do like I did (because I did not read the recipe) and put them in a pot on the stove over medium heat. Stir it until the cream cheese melts and combines with the soup.
(3) (Optional: At this point I took the lid off the crock pot and cut my chicken into smaller pieces--not bite-sized but smaller)
(4) Add the soup/cream cheese mixture to the crock pot and cook on low for an additional hour.
(5) Serve over pasta...cooked pasta, of course.

Homemade Pizza Rolls

We made these today for lunch, and they are going to become part of our regular lunch rotation! They were so easy to put together, only took a few minutes to bake, AND the kids were able to help make them! The recipe is from HERE. These would, of course, also make a great quick dinner or even finger food for a party. Also, today this fed two adults and two toddlers for lunch--double it if you are feeding all adults :)

INGREDIENTS

1 refrigerated pizza crust
garlic powder
Italian seasoning (or if you, like me, don't have that--some combination of dried oregano, parsley, & basil)
1/2 cup shredded cheese (mozzarella, Italian blend...whatever)
1/2 cup pepperoni
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
pizza sauce for dipping

INSTRUCTIONS

(1) Preheat oven to 425 and grease a cookie sheet.
(2) Roll out your pizza dough on the cookie sheet. Sprinkle with garlic powder and seasoning.
(3) Add shredded cheese, pepperoni, and Parmesan.
(4) Roll it up tightly from one of the short ends. Getting it started was a little tricky, but once I got the roll going it was a piece of cake.
(5) Using a sharp knife, cut roll into one inch slices (your pizza rolls will have the same shape as a cinnamon roll. (Don't worry if they seem a little loose--when they cook everything will stick together fine)
(6) Arrange them on the greased pan and bake for 10-12 minutes.
(7) Serve with pizza sauce for dipping.

Slow Cooker Ranch Pork Chops

I think you know by now that I LOVE my slow cooker. This week I have two slow cooker recipes on the meal plan, and here's the first (I found it on the Picky Palate blog). Now, as I write this it is not actually dinner time yet, but I have already tasted it...and let me tell you, this is a keeper for sure. It is taking every ounce of self-control in me to not go ahead and eat one...or three. But wait it gets even better...guess how many ingredients this has? Three! And guess what you do with them? Dump them in the crock pot and turn it on! AND (yes there's another and) I am pretty sure that this would be pretty tasty with chicken breasts, too! Here you go:

INGREDIENTS

6 boneless pork chops (about 1/2 inch thick--the package I bought was a little less)
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 packet dry Ranch seasoning

INSTRUCTIONS
(1) Put everything in the slow cooker.
(2) Cook on low 6 hours or high 4 hours. E-N-J-O-Y!

And just so you know, we served these with tater tots...how's that for gourmet?

Onion Soup Roast (& Leftover Sandwiches)

First, I want you to understand what a monumental thing it is that I am posting a roast recipe. It is a rare day, indeed, that you find anything in my kitchen other than frozen chicken breasts and ground beef. Why? Because chicken and ground beef are cheap. BUT, this week we...(drum roll) switched grocery stores. That's right. We now shop at Save-a-Lot...because we can save a lot (sorry, I couldn't resist). I have always been a Wal-mart faithful because they are consistently the cheapest in EVERYTHING I buy. No worries, Wal-mart--I have not totally forsaken you. I will still be heading to Wal-mart for things that Save-a-Lot does not have, for instance onion soup mix...
...which brings us back around to this recipe. Thank you, Save-a-Lot. I can make a roast this week and still be happily within budget because of you. So, here's the roast recipe (modified from the link in yesterday's post) AND a second recipe to use up your leftovers and tickle your taste buds.

LIPTON ONION SOUP ROAST INGREDIENTS

-1 (2-3lb) roast (I bought one that said "eye of round roast" because it was on sale...just buy something in the beef section that has "roast" in the name)
-1 box dry onion soup mix (1 box contains 2 packets...you don't have to buy Lipton--get the store brand)
-2 tablespoons olive oil
-3/4 cup water
-2 potatoes, cut bite-sized
-1 bag (12 ounces?) baby carrots

INSTRUCTIONS

(1) Get out your slow cooker, and put the potatoes and carrots in first.
(2) Get out a skillet and pour in your olive oil. Heat it over medium/high heat for a minute. Then CAREFULLY (it will sizzle and pop) put your roast in the pan (using tongs if you have some). Sear it on each side (put it in the pan and let it sit for a couple of minutes, then repeat on each side until you have browned all sides). Remove roast carefully and put it in the slow cooker on top of vegetables.
(3) Mix your water and both packets of soup mix in separate bowl. Pour it in the skillet (your heat should be off) and scrape up any yummy browned bits left in the bottom of the pan. Then pick up the skillet and dump the soup mixture over the roast in the slow cooker.
(4) Let it cook on low for about 8 hours (I cooked mine 7) or on high for 4 hours. I don't know why, but mine is usually more tender when I cook it on low. Enjoy! KEEP YOUR LEFTOVER MEAT. Don't forget to pour all the leftover liquid from the slow cooker in with your leftover meat!

LEFTOVER ROAST SANDWICH INGREDIENTS

-leftover roast, shredded (I use a couple of forks to pull it apart)
-american cheese slices (or provolone if you are feeling a little Italian)
-kaiser rolls or really any type of sandwich roll or bun
-butter

INSTRUCTIONS

(1) Preheat your broiler (500 or 550). Put some meat on you bun. Pour on some of the leftover liquid from the meat. (You can also pour some of the liquid in a bowl to dip your sandwich in)
(2) Add a slice of cheese.
(3) Put your sandwich(es) on a cookie sheet open-faced and stick it in the oven for just a minute until the cheese gets all melted and delicious.
(4) As soon as you take the sandwich(es) out of the oven, while everything is still hot: grab a stick of butter, unwrap one end, and rub it all over the inside of the top of your bun.

*If you live near a Bob Evans restaurant (Dear Bob, we miss you way down here in Georgia!), go there right now and order a Pot Roast Sandwich...it will change your life.

Taco Pockets

First, I need to let you know of a change to a previous recipe. Now, thanks to this recipe these Chicken Pockets are even easier and faster than they already were and equally as yummy. The original chicken pocket recipe used puff pastry, but now I use refrigerated biscuits instead.
Anyway, taco pockets--these passed on all points: fast, easy, cheap, delicious. And, while these taste very similar to Taco Pizza, these are much easier for the kids to eat without making a mess (well, without making as big of a mess). This is also one of those recipes that gives a lot of room for creativity.
One more thing, this recipe uses ground beef, taco seasoning, AND half a cup of salsa. The salsa made a BIG difference in the meat. From now on I will definitely be adding the salsa in with the taco seasoning and beef for any of our recipes from south of the border...

INGREDIENTS

1 can refrigerated biscuits (the big ones--usually a can of 8)
1 pound ground beef, browned and drained
1 packet taco seasoning
2/3 cup water
1/2 cup salsa (plus extra for garnish)
1/2 a bag of shredded cheddar cheese (4 ounces)
anything else you want in or on your taco pockets

(1) Preheat your oven to 375.
(2) Combine your ground beef (browned and drained), taco seasoning, water, and 1/2 cup salsa in a pan. Let it cook on medium/high heat until it thickens--about 5 to 8 minutes.
(3) Grease a cookie sheet. Flatten out your biscuits.
(4) Add a spoonful of the meat mixture and one tablespoon of shredded cheese to each biscuit. Don't overstuff!
(5) Fold the biscuits over and press the edges with a fork to seal in the filling.
(6) Bake for 9-14 minutes, until the biscuit dough is lightly browned and done.
(7) Garnish with some extra salsa, sour cream, cheese, whatever. I love to drizzle on some El Pato Mexican Tomato Sauce (it's a little yellow can at Wal-mart).

Chicken Tortilla Soup

This is another of Pioneer Woman's recipes, and of course it was good! I did modify it in a few places, though. This recipe is a close cousin to Taco Soup...different, but I definitely wouldn't put them on the menu for the same week. I started this today during the kids nap. The long list of ingredients and instructions made me think this was going to be pretty labor-intensive (which I am not fond of), but (happily) it was quick and easy and most of the long list of ingredients were things I typically have in my pantry (spices, cornmeal, garlic...). Here's what you need for my shortcut version:

INGREDIENTS

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup onion, diced (about 1/2 an onion)
1/4 cup red bell pepper, diced
1/4 cup green bell pepper, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced (if you buy the jar of pre-minced garlic it is 1 1/2 teaspoons)
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder (unless you like it really spicy, I would start with 1/2 teaspoon and and more as needed at the end)
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 (12 ounce) can chicken, drained
1 can Rotel diced tomatoes and green chiles
32 ounces low sodium chicken broth
3 tablespoons tomato paste
4 cups hot water
2 cans black beans, drained
3 tablespoons cornmeal
crushed tortilla chips and shredded cheese for garnish

INSTRUCTIONS

(1) Add olive oil to pot on stove. Add diced onion, peppers, and garlic. Turn on medium/high heat and let it cook 3-4 minutes until onion begin to become translucent.
(2) Add in cumin, chili powder, and garlic salt. Stir to combine.
(3)Add Rotel, chicken, chicken stock, tomato paste, 4 cups hot water, and black beans. Stir it all up.
(4) Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and let it simmer, uncovered for 45 minutes.
(5)Mix cornmeal with a couple tablespoons of water in a separate bowl to moisten. Add mixture to pot and stir it up. Let it simmer for another 30 minutes. (The longer it simmers the thicker it will get. I simmered mine about 45 minutes after adding the cornmeal.)
(6) Let it sit 15-20 minutes before serving...I don't know why...because the Pioneer Woman said so, that's why.
(7) Add some crushed tortilla chips and cheese and serve it up. I dumped my chips in the pit and let them get soft. So good.

Bowtie Lasagna

This one is from Tasty Kitchen. This is another super fast, filling, and yummy recipe. The sour cream really differentiates it from your generic pasta and tomato sauce dish. My kids also LOVED this! Here's what you need:

INGREDIENTS

1 pound ground beef
1 pound bowtie pasta
3 cups of your favorite spaghetti sauce (I just dumped in a whole jar...I don't really know if that is 3 cups or not)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 (or more) teaspoons Italian Seasoning
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup light sour cream

INSTRUCTIONS

(1)Brown you ground beef in a skillet & drain. Meanwhile, cook your pasta as directed on package.
(2) After pasta is done, drain it, return it to the pot, and drizzle the olive oil over it.
(3) Add EVERYTHING else to the pot. Stir it well to combine.
(4) Cook over low heat for about 5 minutes, or until it is warm and cheese is melted.
(5) Optional: Dump everything in a 13x9" casserole dish, cover it with some more shredded mozzarella, and broil it until it gets all melty and delicious.Serve and enjoy!

Easy Hashbrown Potato Soup

This is super easy, super fast, and great for cold windy days like today! We usually pair it with grilled cheese or something along those lines...something that you can use to wipe the bowl clean when you finish your soup :) This was the soup that made my "soup is girl food" husband a "I like soup" person.

INGREDIENTS

2 cans cream of potato soup
1 bag frozen shredded hash browns
2(+) cups of milk (I use 1% because that's what we usually have)
salt & pepper to taste
crumbled bacon and shredded cheddar cheese for toppings

INSTRUCTIONS

(1) Dump your soup and hash browns in a pot on the stove.
(2) Add as much milk as you want...if you want thicker soup add less and if you like "soupy" soup then add more. I usually fill my pot until the milk just barely covers the top of the canned soup and hash browns.
(3) Season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir it all together to combine.
(4) Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally for 10-15 minutes or until it is hot.
(5) That's it! Serve it up and load it up with bacon and cheese!

Chicken Bacon Pizza & Sauteed Garlic Green Beans

We tried this tonight paired with some sauteed garlic green beans, and it was a winner. It was also really fast (minus the eternity it takes my oven to preheat). AND Elijah enjoyed helping!

CHICKEN BACON PIZZA INGREDIENTS

1 package refrigerated pizza crust (regular, not thin crust) OR 1 packet pizza dough mix (this is about $2.00 cheaper--follow instructions on packet)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon minced garlic (about 2 cloves)
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 6-ounce package Tyson pre-cooked grilled chicken breast strips (if you are not going to add other toppings I would do 1 1/2 or 2 packages of chicken and little extra bacon)
6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
whatever other toppings sound good to you!

INSTRUCTIONS
(1) Preheat your oven to 400 for refrigerated dough or to whatever the packet says if you are using a packet of pizza dough mix.
(2) FOR PRE-MADE REFRIGERATED DOUGH: Roll your dough out on a GREASED cookie sheet or pizza pan. Press it out as big as you want. Mine took up most of our cookie sheet.
FOR DOUGH FROM A MIX PACKET: Follow instructions on packet until you get to the part where it says to add the toppings. Then continue with recipe here...
(3) Drizzle olive oil on and rub it around to coat the whole surface of the dough.
(4) Sprinkle minced garlic onto crust evenly.
(5) Add half of each kind of cheese to pizza.
(6) Add chicken, bacon, and whatever else you want.
(7) Add remaining cheese.
(8) FOR REFRIGERATED DOUGH: Bake 15-20 minutes. I baked mine 20 and (in my oven) it was a little too long. My crust was a little to brown on the edges. Just keep an eye on it.
FOR DOUGH FROM A MIX PACKET: Follow directions on packet for how long to cook after adding toppings.

Enjoy! Oh yeah, SAUTEED GARLIC GREEN BEANS:

(1) Get about 3/4 pound fresh greens beans and snap off the ends.
(2) Boil them for 10 minutes and drain.
(3) Add them to a nonstick skillet with 1 1/2 Tablespoons olive oil on med/high heat.
(4) Saute for about 3 minutes. Add 1 teaspoon minced garlic.
(5) Saute for another 2 minutes.
(6) Season with garlic salt and pepper to taste.

Chicken Pockets

I got this one from Leigh's blog, and, WOW are these good. When I originally posted this I used puff pastry, but I have now found that refrigerated biscuits are just as good and WAYYY easier. Anyway, this is so good. I kept eating the filling straight out of the mixing bowl...cold. It was that good--almost like a dip. I was very tempted to get out some Wheat Thins, call it a night, and go watch What Not to Wear with my "dip." BUT, thankfully I didn't, because these were so yummy. Here's what you need:

CHICKEN POCKET INGREDIENTS

1 can refrigerated biscuits (the big ones--there are usually 8 in a can)
1 8-ounce tub chive and onion cream cheese
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 1/2 cups shredded cooked chicken breast (I used a 12 ounce can of white meat chicken)
1/3 cup bacon, cooked and crumbled (make it easy on yourself and get the microwaveable kind)
salt and pepper to taste (I didn't add any salt)

INSTRUCTIONS

(1)Preheat oven to 375.
(2)Soften cream cheese in microwave for 20 or 30 seconds.
(3)Combine cream cheese, mozzarella, chicken, and bacon in a bowl. Salt & Pepper to taste.
(4)Don't eat it yet.
(5)Flatten out each biscuit into about a six-inch round.
(6) Put some of your chicken mixture on each biscuit and fold the biscuit over the mixture into a half moon shape. Press the edges with a fork to seal in the filling.
(7)Bake 9-14 minutes until golden brown. Y-U-M.

Poppy Seed Chicken

I realize that everyone and their momma has their own version of this. This is our version...I don't know where I got it, but James says it's his favorite so I keep making it. This is a good one to make Saturday night and pop in the oven for 30 minutes when you get home from church the next day:

POPPY SEED CHICKEN INGREDIENTS

3 cups chicken breast, cooked and chopped bite-size
1 can cream of chicken soup (I use Healthy Request)
1 8-ounce tub light sour cream
1 sleeve of Ritz crackers (I use the store brand...you are going to cover them in butter anyway)
5 tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon poppy seeds*

INSTRUCTIONS

(1) Preheat your oven to 350. Mix your soup and sour cream in a bowl.
(2) Add in your chicken, and spread it into a 2-quart casserole dish.
(3) Crush up your crackers in a separate bowl and add your melted butter. Stir to combine.
(4) Spread your buttered crackers on to of casserole. Sprinkle on the poppy seeds.
(5) Bake about 30 minutes and enjoy!

*I entirely made up that measurement. Just sprinkle them on until you think it's enough. Honestly, I have been out of poppy seeds for a good two months and have not bought anymore because I don't think it tastes any different without them :) James hasn't noticed either that our poppy seed chicken has been poppy seedless.

Farm Style Spaghetti and Meatballs

Y'all didn't know I live on a farm? Just kidding, I really live in a zoo... (My husband is embarrassed right now because I am not funny. Love you, sweetie!). Anyway, I don't know where this recipe got it's name, but I got the recipe here. I knew it would be awesome because it had Lipton onion soup mix in it...I was right. This is not normal spaghetti--not like Italian spaghetti. It has a whole different, rich flavor--I can't describe it. Just try it. Trust me. It's good. When I made it, I halved the recipe (I am making it again tonight). Let's start with the meatballs:

MEATBALL INGREDIENTS

2 pounds ground beef
1/2 of one envelope of Lipton onion soup mix
1 egg
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning (I did not have this so I just threw in some dried oregano, parsley, and garlic powder totaling 1 1/2 teaspoons)

INSTRUCTIONS

(1) Preheat your broiler to 500 or 550.
(2) Use your hands to mix your ingredients and shape into ping-pong sized balls.
(3) Place the balls on a cookie sheet and broil for 8-10 minutes.
(4) Then place meatballs into a large pot or dutch oven.

SAUCE INGREDIENTS*

1 29-ounce can tomato sauce
1/2 can of water
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning (again, I kind of made my own)
1 envelope Lipton onion soup mix
1 pinch ground cloves

INSTRUCTIONS

(1) Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and add to pot over meatballs.
(2) Bring to a boil. Then reduce heat to medium/low. Cover and cook for about 40 minutes. The longer you cook it the thicker your sauce will be.
(3) Serve over spaghetti!

*Warning: DO NOT wear your favorite light colored shirt while eating this...don't let your husband either...unless you have an excellent stain remover :)

Sundried Tomato Pesto= 2 Meals

This is a regular a our house...it would be more regular if Wal-mart kept sun dried tomatoes in stock. I guess I shouldn't complain--I am glad they have them at all. I ONLY buy sun dried tomatoes at Wal-mart, because they will cost you an arm and both legs anywhere else. At my Wal-mart they are $3.48 for and 8-ounce jar...at Winn Dixie and Fresh Market they cost at least twice that. CRAZY! Anyway, this is a Giada di Laurentis recipe that I got from James' mom. It is so good...Elijah occasionally eats this with a spoon. What can I say? The kid loves garlic. Anyway, this pesto is the key element of two* of our very favorite dishes and it is Easy with a capital 'E'! Here it is:

SUN DRIED TOMATO PESTO INGREDIENTS

1 8-ounce jar sun dried tomatoes in olive oil
2 cloves garlic
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup fresh basil leaves, packed (honestly I don't know exactly how to measure basil leaves in my measuring cup, so I just grab a big handful)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

INSTRUCTIONS

(1) Prepare yourself--this is so easy. Dump everything EXCEPT the Parmesan cheese into your food processor and turn it on. That's it! Let it go until the tomatoes and basil are finely chopped and everything is mixed up. It only takes a few seconds.
(2) Dump your pesto into a bowl and mix in the Parmesan.

*FOR PASTA: Brown one pound ground beef and drain. Cook 12 ounces of penne pasta as directed on box and drain. Then stir your meat, pesto, and pasta together.

*FOR PANINIS: Grab a loaf of Asiago Cheese Bread (It sounds fancy, but you can find it in the bakery section of Wal-mart most days...you can get it at other stores too or at Panera Bread, but you will pay for it!). Slice it into 1/2-inch thick slices. Spread pesto on one side and add cooked, sliced chicken breast. Brush some olive oil on the outside and put the sandwich in a pan. Now, find something heavy--I use a slightly smaller pan and a can of whatever I have in the cabinet--and put it on top of the sandwich to press it down (if you are super-cool and have a panini press, then you could use that, I suppose). Turn your stove on medium/high heat and cook each side for a couple of minutes until it begins to brown a little. Enjoy!

Asian Chicken Pasta

We actually call this "teriyaki chicken" at our house, but there is not actually any teriyaki sauce in it, so I gave it a new name. Anyway, this is easy and James and the kids love it. Scroll down to the bottom for slow cooker instructions!

ASIAN CHICKEN PASTA INGREDIENTS

2-3 boneless skinless chicken breast, cooked and sliced
1/2 bottle Kraft Light Asian Toasted Sesame dressing
3 Tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
pinch of red pepper flakes (or more if you like it spicier)
1 pound of your favorite whole grain pasta (we like spaghetti best, but penne is easier for the kiddos to eat)
1 broccoli crown, chopped into bite-size florets
chopped peanuts for garnish

INSTRUCTIONS

(1) Boil a large pot of water for the pasta.
(2) While you are waiting, combine the dressing, soy sauce, ginger, garlic powder, and red pepper flakes in a separate saucepan. Bring to a boil. LEt it boil for 1-2 minutes, then remove from heat.
(3) Add your sliced chicken to your sauce.
(4) Add your pasta to the boiling water and cook as directed. Add a little olive oil to the water to keep your pasta from sticking together.
(5) When your pasta has about 3 minutes left to cook, add in the broccoli.
(6) Drain your pasta and broccoli. Pour your sauce and chicken over top. Sprinkle on some chopped peanuts and dish it out!

SLOW COOKER INSTRUCTIONS

(1) Add chicken, dressing, soy sauce, ginger, garlic powder, and red pepper to the slow cooker.
(2) Cook on high* 4-5 hours.
(3) At dinner time, cook you pasta and broccoli (frozen, fresh, "steam in a bag," whatever). Drain both and dump it all in the slow cooker with the chicken. Stir it up and serve! (If you want more sauce you can always squirt some more dressing in at the end.)

*Maybe I am just being paranoid, but I always like to cook chicken on high in the slow cooker to insure that it reaches a proper internal temperature. If you are not paranoid, then I guess you could cook it on low for 7-8 hours.

Taco Soup

Apparently I had been under a rock most of my life, because I did not have taco soup until our sweet friends the Sachitanos introduced me to it. From what I am told this is a fairly common dish like, say, spaghetti...well, somehow I missed it for 20+ years, but it has now changed my life. Soooo, just in case there are any other people out there who have also been missing out on this easy, delicious, slow cooking wonder--here's the recipe, Sachitano style (well, sort of--I use a pound less meat):

TACO SOUP INGREDIENTS

2 cans diced tomatoes and green chiles (aka Rotel)
1 can diced tomatoes
2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can corn, drained and rinsed
1 can chili beans
1 can dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 packet Ranch dressing mix
2 packets taco seasoning
1 pound ground beef, browned and drained
chips, cheese, and sour cream to garnish

INSTRUCTIONS

(1) Brown your meat and drain it.
(2) Dump everything in your slow cooker and stir.
(3) Turn it on high for about 3 hours.
(4) Go find something to do while your dinner cooks itself. I love my slow cooker.

Chicken Noodle Casserole and Brown Sugar Carrots

Tonight James got home at 5:30PM. I thought he was going to be eating supper at work--wrong! So I was planning something like leftover macaroni for the kids and cereal for me, but thankfully I had all the ingredients for a 30-minute meal (really it took 40 minutes if you count preheating the oven). This is another one where I have to give the credit to Leigh and her blog of weekly menu plans...she has over 50 of them! First up, the Chicken Noodle Casserole:

INGREDIENTS*

3 cooked chicken breasts, shredded
6 ounces of "No Yolks" egg noodles
1 can cream of mushroom
1 can cream of chicken
1 8-ounce tub of light sour cream
pepper to taste
1/2 stick unsalted butter
1 cup crushed Ritz crackers

INSTRUCTIONS

(1) Preheat your oven to 350. Put a pot of water on the stove and bring to a boil.
(2) While you are waiting, mix both your soups, the sour cream, and a little pepper in a bowl.
(3) Drop your egg noodles into the boiling water and cook until done.
(4) Mix you shredded chicken and cooked noodles in a separate bowl.
(5) Pour your soup mixture over the noodles and chicken and gently mix.
(6) Pour it all into a 2-quart casserole dish.
(7) Melt your butter in the microwave, and mix in the crushed crackers. Spread that over the top of your casserole and pop it in the oven for 30 minutes.

...now for the BROWN SUGAR CARROTS

INGREDIENTS

2 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/3 cup brown sugar (dark or light)
one 16-ounce bag of baby carrots

INSTRUCTIONS

(1) Bring a pot of water to boil, and add your carrots. Cook until tender when stuck with a fork.
(2) Drain the water from the pot.
(3) Add the butter and brown sugar to the pot with the carrots and cook on low/medium heat for about 10 minutes.

*By the way, I shop at Wal-mart, and I pretty much ALWAYS buy store brand everything because it tends to be significantly cheaper.

Fruit Salad, Chicken Croissants, and Bowtie Lasagna

Today you get three recipes for the price of one. First things first--this month it was my turn to bring food to our WMU meeting at church. Now, I don't really do girly food...I don't really care for anything that might be described as a salad, except for the occasional green leafy one with a bunch of fried chicken on top. Now let, me tell you about our WMU group. I have eaten more salad--salad of any and every kind-- since joining WMU than I had eaten in my entire life up to that point. Now that is not a bad thing about our WMU group--I realize I am the weird one here. Anyway, this was going to be a challenge. But my attempt at girly food was a success thanks to Mom and my friend Emily. First, my mom's fruit salad:

FRUIT SALAD INGREDIENTS

1 20-ounce can crushed pineapple
1 cup sugar
8 ounces cream cheese (I used fat free)
1 cup apple, unpeeled and diced
1/2 cup pecans, chopped
1 cup whipped cream

INSTRUCTIONS

(1) Pour the pineapple and sugar into a saucepan and bring to a boil, and let it boil for three minutes.
(2) Remove from heat and stir in the cream cheese. Allow to cool completely.
(3) Add your apple, pecans, and whipped cream.
(4) Pour into a 9x9 dish, cover, and chill in the refrigerator overnight.

...next up Chicken Croissants. I got the inspiration for this from this recipe on my sweet friend Emily's blog. These are really easy, and they are definitely going to be on our lunch menu regularly.

CHICKEN CROISSANT INGREDIENTS

1 package deli sliced chicken breast(I used Oscar Mayer Rotisserie Seasoned)
2 cans jumbo crescent rolls (8 per can)
1 8-ounce package chive and onion cream cheese (I love this stuff)

INSTRUCTIONS

(1) Bake your crescent rolls as directed. Then let them cool and slice them (top and bottom to make a sandwich) with a sharp serrated knife.
(2) Spread as much cream cheese as you like onto both sides of your crescent roll.
(3) Add a couple of slices of chicken, and voila!

I said there would be three recipes didn't I? Well, tonight we are eating leftovers of one of The Pioneer Woman's (love her!) "16-Minute Meals". Click here for the recipe for Bowtie Lasagna!

Slow Cooker Chicken BBQ

This is a favorite at our house, and I cannot even begin to tell you how easy it is. You cannot mess this up. And my husband loves it because it has A1 sauce in it--I think he would drink A1. This is not actually what we are having for dinner tonight (we are having taco soup--I'll post that one later), but I already have this recipe typed...so here it is:

INGREDIENTS

2 or 3 frozen (you can use fresh, it just cooks faster) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 a bottle or so of your favorite BBQ sauce (I use Walmart brand Honey BBQ)
1/2 a bottle or so of A1 (again, I use the store brand because it is way cheaper)
your favorite buns

INSTRUCTIONS

(1) Place the frozen chicken breasts in your slow cooker.
(2) Pour your BBQ sauce and A1 sauce over the chicken.
(3) Turn the slow cooker on high and cook about 4 hours.
(4) Grab a couple of forks and shred your chicken in the slow cooker. Turn you slow cooker down to the "low" or "keep warm" setting if you have that on yours. Leave it alone for 20 or 30 minutes to give the time for the chicken to soak up all that wonderful BBQ flavor.
(5) Spoon it onto your buns (we like to toast ours in the toaster) and refrigerate your leftovers!