Crock Pot Taco Chicken

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 pkg taco seasoning (I used the Epicure Taco Seasoning)
1 1/2 cups Salsa
1 Red Pepper, chopped
3 Green Onions, chopped
Grated Tex Mex Cheese
Sour Cream
Put crock pot on HIGH setting.
Place chicken in crock pot, pour salsa over top.
Let cook for 4-5 hours, or until chicken is shreds easily.
Shred chicken, mix in taco seasoning. Sprinkle red pepper and green onion over top. Let cook for additional 45-60 minutes.
About 10 minutes before serving, sprinkle cheese on top of chicken mixture. Continue to cook until cheese is melted.
*Optional* Mix in sour cream if desired.
* Add whatever you want! I just used what I had on hand, but red onion, yellow/orange peppers, diced tomatoes, etc., would make excellent additions as well.

Serve in a warm tortilla (recipe for these posted below!)

 

Tortilla's

Tortilla's

Once you have home made, you'll never buy these at the store again!!

Ingredients - can be doubled for larger tortilla's (this ones makes ones roughly 8" in size)

1 1/2 cups unbleached flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp white sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
5 tbsp vegetable shortening (I am looking into coconut oil as an alternative? Anyone have any input?)
3/4 cup HOT water

Directions

* In a large bowl combine all dry ingredients. Add vegetable shortening and mix in with your fingers until little pea-sized balls begin to form. Gradually add the hot water, while using your other hand to mix with a wooden spoon (I use my fingers to mix). When dough can no longer be mixed with the spoon, use both hands to gently knead the dough in the bowl. Shape dough into a ball, and place in a clean bowl (just deep and wide enough to fit the dough ball, it doesn't expand, so no need to worry about using a huge bowl), cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let rest for at least 1 hour.

* Next, line a baking tray or dish with parchment paper, sprinkle with flour. Uncover the dough and pinch off gold ball sized pieces. Roll the dough in your palms to form smooth spheres. Dust lightly with flour, set on parchment paper and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Repeat with remaining dough. Set tray aside, covered, for another hour.

* Lightly sprinkle counter top with flour. Set ball of dough in the center, pressing lightly to flatten. Roll the ball out with a floured rolling pin, working from the center and rolling outwards to the edges, to form an 8" round. Repeat with remaining dough and stack between sheets of wax or parchment paper (I just lightly brush them with flour and stack them on top of one another with nothing between them.)

*Heat a cast iron pan or electric frying pan or electric griddle on med-high heat. Brush lightly with oil (I don't usually do this), and cook tortilla on the first side until you start to see bubbles forming *(this does not take long! literally 30 seconds). Flip over and cook until slightly golden (again, only a few seconds).

* Wrap tortillas in foil and keep in a warm oven until ready to serve! (LOW heat in the oven!)

Mom's Meatloaf

Mom's Meatloaf

 Ingredients:

1 package lean ground beef

2-3 packages Lipton Onion Soup Mix

2 eggs

1- 1 1/2 cups fine bread crumbs

1/4 cup katchup

1 8oz tin tomato paste

Grated cheese of your choice (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350F

2. Mix all ingredients, except cheese together (by hand is easiest). If mixture is too dry, add more katchup, too moist add more bread crumbs. You want the mixture to stick together without falling apart.

3. Pack into ungreased loaf pan, cover with tin foil. Cook for one hour, then for 15-20 minutes uncovered.

4. Sprinkle cheese on top of meatloaf, return to oven until melted. Let cool for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Banana Bread

Banana Bread

This is a denser, moister banana bread than most. The kids love it, as do my neighbors!

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar

4 tbsp butter

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup light buttermilk

3 ripe bananas (perfect if they are starting to turn black)

1 cup chocolate ships (optional)

*Preheat oven to 350F

* Mix all ingredients until well blended. Pour into greased loaf pan.

*Bake 45-60 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.

Crockpot Honey Mustard Chicken

Crock Pot Honey Mustard Chicken

Ingredients:

1 whole chicken, defrosted
1/3 cup grainy mustard
1/3 cup honey
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup butter, softened

Directions:

Put whole chicken in slow cooker. In a small bowl, whisk together mustard, honey, olive oil, and butter, and pour over chicken. Set slow cooker on HIGH for 6 hours or LOW for 8 hours. Remove from slow cooker and pour some of the leftover juices over the chicken to serve.

Turkey Stew and Dumplings (My favorite!)

I looooove Turkey Stew! This can also be done with leftovers from a whole chicken! As always, add more spices if you like!
Turkey Stew from Scratch (and Dumplings!)

Broth:

Turkey carcass, stripped of all the meat (keep the meat!)
2 tsp Cinnamon
2 tsp Sage
2 tsp Cumin
1/2 tbsp Seasoning Salt
1 small bunch fresh Thyme
1 onion, coarsely chopped
4 garlic cloves, cut in half
3-4 tbsp Cornstarch*
1 cup water*
*only if not making dumplings

Additions after broth is made: (some or all, whatever you'd like)

Chopped Carrots
Corn
Green Beans
Peas
Diced Red Pepper
No-Yolk noodles

Dumplings: (I have never successfully made these from scratch!)

2 cups Original Bisquick Mix
2/3 cup water

*******

Place Turkey carcass in a large stock pot, fill with enough water to sufficiently cover. Add all ingredients, bring to a boil then simmer covered for at least 4 hours. ( I start mine in the morning and simmer it all day.)

After broth is done, pour through strainer into bowl. Discard everything in strainer, return broth to stock pot.

Add meat, any additions you want, and simmer for an additional hour. If you are not making dumplings, once the stew has simmered for an hour, mix the cornstarch and water together in a glass or bowl. Turn heat to high and bring stew to a boil, add cornstarch/water, stirring constantly, turn heat to just under Med heat and simmer until it thickens, continuing to stir.

If adding dumplings: (I LOVE dumplings! A great way to thicken any stew!)

Mix Bisquick and milk until soft dough forms. Spoon by tablespoon onto stew (do NOT drop them into it!). Simmer for 10 minutes uncovered, and then 10 more minutes covered.

 

 

Roasted Garlic, Chicken & Herb Pizza

Ingredients
1 pound pizza dough (*see note below)
1 Tbsp butter
8 cloves roasted garlic, minced (*see note below)
2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
½ tsp black pepper
½ cup skim milk
¼ cup half and half
¼ cup Parmesan cheese
1½ cup boneless skinless chicken breast, cooked and shredded
¼ cup red onion, diced
¾ cup Mozzarella cheese
1 tsp fresh thyme, chopped
½ tsp dried oregano
1 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

Instructions
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Prepare a baking sheet with a siplat liner, or grease and sprinkle with cornmeal. Melt butter in a small saucepan. Saute roasted garlic for 1 minute. Add flour, and mix until well blended. Cook for 1 minute. Slowly whisk in the milk and half and half. Mix in the pepper. Cook for about 3 minutes, or until it starts to thicken. Remove from heat, and stir in Parmesan cheese. Spread dough into roughly a 12 inch circle on prepared baking sheet. Spread white sause over the dough. Top with chicken, red onions and cheese. Bake for 17 minutes, or until the crust is golden, and the cheese is melted. Remove from the oven, sprinkle with herbs. Cut and serve immediately. 

* If using the Pizza dough recipe I have posted on this blog, it makes enough dough to cover a large cookie sheet, so you can make a rectangular pizza rather than a circular one. Also, make sure you change the cooking temperature to 350F if using dough recipe from here!!!!*