Chicken Cacciatore

This is another HEALTHY yet scrumptious meal that we've been enjoying the last few CHILLY weeks. It warms you up and just smells so YUMMY while it slowly cooks in your crockpot all day. When it's this cold outside, what could be better?

Chicken Cacciatore
8 or so chicken tenderloins
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped or sliced
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped or sliced
1/2 onion, chopped or sliced
1 to 2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can diced tomatoes, drained (I use flavored kinds, like sweet onion, italian, etc.)
1 small can tomato sauce
1 cup spaghetti sauce
Dried basil

Put the chicken and vegetables in a crockpot that has been sprayed with nonstick spray. Pour the sauce over top and sprinkle with desired amount of dried basil. Cook on low heat for 8 hours or on high heat for 4 hours. Toss with cooked spaghetti and serve. Or just spoon over individual servings of spaghetti. Whatever you prefer! Oh, and we like a healthy sprinkle of shredded Parmesan cheese over top too. :)

TIP: This recipe changes a little each time I make it. I kind of use what I have, ya know? Sometimes I do more sauce or more vegetables or more chicken. The good thing is that it always turns out yummy!

BBQ Chicken and Cilantro Lime Quinoa Salad

I've recently seen some RECIPES floating around for BBQ chicken and quinoa, and also some recipes for cilantro lime quinoa. I decided to COMBINE the two for my own special eating PLEASURE. It turned out pretty FABULOUS if I do say so myself!

BBQ Chicken and Cilantro Lime Quinoa Salad
8 to 10 chicken tenders
1/2 red onion, sliced
1/2 to 3/4 cup barbecue sauce
1 cup quinoa, uncooked
1 to 2 limes
1/2 cup chopped cilantro (plus more for garnish)
1 cup super sweet white corn
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
Shredded cheddar cheese, optional

1 avocado

Place the chicken, onion, and barbecue sauce in a crockpot on low heat and cook 6 hours or until done. Shred the chicken with two forks and then set aside.

Prepare the quinoa according to package directions; let cool slightly and then squeeze the lime(s) over top, add the cilantro, and then stir together. Scoop the quinoa onto a plate, top with the corn, black beans, barbecue chicken, cheese, avocado, and cilantro to garnish. Makes 4 servings.

TIP: I loved it with cheese, so don't be shy about adding any. White cheddar or even a smoky gouda or mozzarella would be tasty as well. I also think more lime squeezed over the top of the whole dish is a great addition. I could honestly eat this about every night of the week. I LOVED IT!

Bacon, Beef, and Barley Soup

This is the perfect HEARTY soup to serve one of these lovely FALL days! I would almost call it a STEW because its very thick and rich. I bet your FAMILY will like it as much as mine did. :)

Bacon, Beef, and Barley Soup

4 bacon strips, chopped

1 1/2 pounds stew meat, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1 medium onion, chopped

4 medium red potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1 1/2 cups fresh baby carrots, cut in half lengthwise

1 cup frozen corn

1/4 cup medium pearl barley

2 cans beef broth

1 can diced tomatoes with basil, oregano, and garlic, undrained

1 (12-ounce) jar home-style beef gravy

1/2 teaspoon pepper

In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Using a slotted spoon, remove to paper towels to drain. In drippings, cook beef and onion until meat is no longer pink.

In a 5-quart slow cooker, layer the potatoes, carrots, corn, and barley. Top with the beef mixture and bacon. Combine the broth, tomatoes, gravy, and pepper and then pour over top. Cover and cook on low heat for 8 to 9 hours or until meat and vegetables are tender. Stir before serving.


TIP: Serve this with some yummy crusty bread for a very rounded and fulfilling meal!

All Day Salsa Chicken

I've had several VERSIONS of this recipe, and actually LIKE them all. I made this one for dinner a week or two ago. It was the perfect WARM dish on a very snowy NIGHT. Hope you like it!

All Day Salsa Chicken
10 to 12 chicken tenders
8 to 12 ounces chunky salsa
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 heaping cup frozen corn
4 ounces cream cheese, cut into cubes

Spray a Crockpot with nonstick spray. Place the chicken tenders inside. Pour the salsa over the chicken. Cook on low heat for about 7 to 8 hours. Stir the chicken and salsa around a bit to break up the chicken. Pour in the beans and corn and then stir in the cream cheese. Let cook on high heat for about 30 minutes and give it all a good stir. Serve over rice or wrapped up in a warm tortilla.

TIP: I like to stir in more salsa after the cream cheese is all melted so the taste has a little more zip to it. This version is fairly thick, so the extra salsa also loosens it up a bit more. If it is too thick for you, try stirring in half a can of cream of chicken soup, or a 1/2 cup of sour cream. It changes the taste a little bit, but is still yummy. You can also double the cream cheese if you want, just for fun!

BONUS TIP: This recipe is also great served as a dip with tortilla chips!

Favorite Pot Roast

This is a super EASY Crockpot recipe that I love love love! The gravy is so FLAVORFUL and the roast always turns out TENDER. I have a hard time not licking my plate CLEAN, or the Crockpot for that matter!

Favorite Pot Roast
1 (2- to 3-pound) beef roast
1 envelope brown gravy mix
1/2 envelope Italian dressing mix
1/3 cup water, plus more if necessary
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 cup cold water

Brown the roast on all sides and then place in your Crockpot. Combine the dry mixes with 1/3 cup water and pour over top. Cook on low heat about 8 hours. When done, remove the roast to a serving platter and slice; set aside. Combine the cornstarch and cold water and pour into the Crockpot to thicken the gravy; stir until smooth and thick. Add more water to the gravy if necessary. (Like if it tastes too strong or seems too thick, or if you just want more of it!) Serve with mashed potatoes and a favorite veggie.

TIP: Once I have the gravy to my liking, I usually put the sliced pieces of roast back in and let them soak up some of that gravy goodness before I serve it. Oh, and since my husband loves onions, I better say that adding some onion slices to the Crockpot while cooking the roast would be good too! :)

Easy Crockpot Chili

I always think a warm HEARTY dinner tastes best when it's COLD outside, don't you? I also think Crockpot recipes tend to be pretty EASY and almost always yummy! Well, I decided to perfect my CHILI recipe this year, and boy was it tasty. Hope you like!

Easy Crockpot Chili
2 pounds ground beef, cooked and drained
1 onion, chopped
1 can kidney beans, with liquid
1 can chili beans, with liquid (this is basically seasoned pinto beans)
1 can black beans, drained

1 (4-ounce) can diced green chiles

1 can diced tomatoes (leave whole or blend until smooth)
2 (8-ounce) cans tomato sauce
1 cup water
2 tablespoons chili powder
Dash of garlic powder
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
3 to 4 tablespoons ketchup

Here's the easy part: combine all ingredients in a 3- to 5-quart slow cooker and cook on low heat about 6 hours. Serve topped with grated cheddar cheese and a dollop of sour cream and, of course, some yummy cornbread on the side! Makes 6 to 8 servings.

TIP: You can try using cooked shredded beef roast instead of the ground beef, or you can use cooked ground turkey. Whatever you prefer! Also, another good topper to go with the cheese and sour cream is crushed Fritos or tortilla chips. SUPER GOOD!

Rosemary Chicken

This is another great recipe from my book, 101 Things to do with Cheese. Gosh, I really LOVE that book and all the CHEESY recipes in it! This dish is definitely no exception, and I HOPE you like the amazing flavor of the ROSEMARY—one of my favorite herbs!

Rosemary Chicken
4 chicken breasts
1 package dry Italian dressing mix (I didn't have this and substituted 1/4 cup Italian dressing)
4 tablespoons butter
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups half-and-half
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
2 sprigs fresh rosemary (or a heaping tablespoon of dried)
Salt and pepper, optional

Place chicken in a 3- to 5-quart slow cooker. Sprinkle with the Italian dressing mix and 2 tablespoons melted butter. (NOTE: Since I used the liquid dressing, I decided to eliminate this butter.) Cook on low heat for 4 to 6 hours.

Put remaining tablespoons of butter in a saucepan and melt. Add the onion and garlic and saute until soft. Add the half-and-half, chicken broth, and cream cheese; stir until smooth. Add mixture to the cooked chicken in the slow cooker and then sprinkle with the thyme and rosemary. Cook 1 hour more. Serve with mashed potatoes or rice and a yummy steamed veggie. Makes 4 servings.

TIP: I used whole milk instead of half-and-half because that's what I had in the fridge. I'm guessing 2% percent would be fine as well. Feel free to stir the thyme and rosemary into the cream cheese mixture before pouring it over the chicken. Oh, and this would also be yummy served over some sort of noodle, maybe something like angel hair.

Meaty Spaghetti Sauce for the Crockpot

I know it seems too HOT to have a meal in the CROCKPOT, but it's actually smart to use the HANDY appliance during the SUMMER because it doesn't HEAT up your kitchen!

(P.S. I know the photo isn't amazing since it just looks like plain old spaghetti sauce, but I wanted to show how the sides of the crockpot get all toasty with sauce. I try to scrape it off and stir it into the sauce because those browned bits just taste sooooo good!)

Meaty Spaghetti Sauce for the Crockpot
1/2 pound ground beef, browned and drained
4 Colosimo mild Italian sausages, cut into bite-sized pieces
25 to 30 (or so) pepperoni slices, halved or quartered
1 jar meat-flavored spaghetti sauce (I prefer Prego)
1 can tomato sauce
1/4 cup water
Italian seasoning
Garlic salt

Put all of the meat in a 2- to 3-quart crockpot.  Pour the sauces and water over top. Sprinkle with Italian seasoning and a few shakes of garlic salt. Stir everything together and then cook on low heat for 6 to 8 hours. Serve over cooked spaghetti noodles or any other pasta.

TIP: If you can't find Colosimo sausages in your area, just brown 1/2 pound Italian sausage and throw it in instead. You could also slice up some polish sausage as a substitute as well. Also, if you prefer your sauce to be a little more liquidy, just add more spaghetti or tomato sauce!

Sweet and Spicy Meatballs

This is from a BOOK I edited once called 101 Things to do with Meatballs, although I converted it to the CROCKPOT and adjusted it slightly. Super EASY and serves a big crowd!

Sweet and Spicy Meatballs

1 (12-ounce) jar chili sauce

1 can jellied cranberry sauce

1 to 2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 to 2 tablespoons lemon juice

50 frozen, precooked meatballs

In a bowl, combine all but the meatballs. Put the frozen meatballs in a large crockpot and pour the mixture over top. Cook on low heat for 5 to 6 hours and then serve over rice when done.

TIP: You can also serve this as an appetizer with toothpicks!

Italian Pork Chops

WOW! Will you even believe how EASY this recipe is? What's even more AMAZING is that it tastes fabulous! My family EATS this with wild rice and a green veggie, like asparagus. YUM!

Italian Pork Chops
4 pork chops

1 can diced tomatoes, drained

1/2 (16-ounce) bottle Italian dressing (I use light)

Spray a 3- to 5-quart crockpot with nonstick spray. Put the pork chops inside. Pour the tomatoes and dressing over top. Cook on low heat for 8 hours. Stir and break up chops if desired, or just leave whole. Makes 4 servings.

TIP: Sliced onion would be a great addition to this recipe, as well as mushrooms!

Sweet and Sour Meatballs

This time of year is usually full of parties and fun holiday get togethers. One of the best things about those parties are the YUMMY appetizers! Last week I posted my husband's favorite appetizer, and, over the next couple of weeks, I'll be posting my favorites. You'll be able to serve them at ANY party, and, of course, they will all be SUPER EASY to make! This week's recipe is from Natalie, a friend of mine. She brought these little beauties to just about every potluck lunch we had at work.

Sweet and Sour Meatballs

1 pound ground beef or turkey

3/4 cup breadcrumbs (or rolled oats)

2 eggs, slightly beaten

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1/4 cup milk

1 teaspoon salt

Sauce

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup vinegar

1 teaspoon mustard

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1/4 BBQ sauce (any kind will work)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix together all the meatball ingredients. Form into 1-inch balls and place in an 8 x 8-inch baking pan.

Mix sauce ingredients and pour over meatballs. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until done.

TIP: These little meatballs go pretty fast, so doubling the recipe is definitely something you should consider! If you do make double, just bake it all in a 9 x 13-inch pan instead. And, if you want to keep the meatballs warm throughout your party, pour them into a crockpot and leave them on warm. Also good over rice for a yummy dinner!