Crockpot Chicken with Black Beans and Cream Cheese

Have I told you lately how much I love using my crock pot? I love being able to dump a bunch of ingredients into the crock pot in the morning and have a yummy meal ready in a few hours.

I found this recipe on the message board that I frequent. A while ago many of us submitted favorite recipes to share with others. Someone was raving about this particular recipe but didn't mention who originally submitted the recipe.

It was really, really good. Next time I make this I will not use frozen chicken breast. I had to cook it almost 2 more hours. Thank goodness that I begin cooking it early in the day. I would also add some seasoning. It was a bit bland for me. But I always follow a new recipe exactly as written the first time. The next time I may play around with it a bit to suit my tastes. I also shredded my chicken. The breasts stayed intact so it could have been served that way. I chose to shred and I'm glad I did. The sauce was delicious and I liked mixing up the chicken and sauce with the rice. YUM!

This is not a great picture. I served it with brown rice and it looks really blah. Trust me that it was good.



Crock Pot Chicken with Black Beans and Cream Cheese

• 4 - 5 boneless frozen chicken breasts
• 1 can drained black beans (15 oz)
• 1 can drained corn (15 oz)
• 1 jar of salsa (15 oz)
• 1 package of cream cheese (8 oz)

Place 4 -5 frozen chicken breast in crock pot. Add drained black beans, drained corn and jar of salsa over the chicken. Cook on HIGH for 4 -5 hours. Add the cream cheese right on top and let sit for about 1/2 hour. Stir and enjoy!

Chicken Stew

I was craving chicken stew today. Not just any stew but the kind that Alberto would bring home for me from a place that is now closed.

I had limited items on hand since I am in need of going to the supermarket but I did what I could and it wasn't too bad. I would definitely like to revisit this dish on a day when I am well prepared with ingredients. But this was a good start.



Chicken Stew

• 4 chicken breasts cut up into large bite sized pieces
• potatoes (about 6) peeled and cut into large bite sized pieces
• small chopped onion
• 3-4 cloves of chopped garlic
• frozen or canned peas
• about 16 oz of tomato sauce
  
• 2 tbsp flour
• Goya Adobo
• 2 cups of water
  
• salt & pepper to taste

1. Sautee onions and garlic in olive oil until soft.
2. Meanwhile add about a tbsp of Adobo and flour to chicken and mix well.
3. Add chicken and brown.
4. Once chicken has been brown add water, sauce, potatoes and peas. Bring to a boil then cover and cook on low for about 30 - 40 minutes.
   

Check that potatoes and chicken are cooked through and adjust your seasonings if needed.

Roasted Chicken Drumsticks

I haven't been cooking anything new lately. I am uninspired to cook. Both of my babies are teething...Stephanie has been struggling with her molars and Evita with her first teeth. So for the past week they have been waking up crying from the pain. Never at the same time, though. One wakes up crying and once she has fallen back asleep and I think that it's safe to drift off into dreamland the other one wakes up crying. There isn't enough make up in the world right now to cover up the dark circles under my eyes.

I'm almost embarrassed to post this "recipe" for roasted chicken drumsticks since it's not really a recipe at all. I took my crappy pictures of the food but was just going to delete them when I received a text from Alberto the next morning praising my chicken. I won't tell him my secret but I will share it with you.

I was dreading cooking the chicken because I didn't know what I was going to do with it. I wanted something different than the usual salt, pepper, garlic, oregano & lemon. I opened the refrigerator door to get the chicken out when I saw this...



...and I knew what I was going to do.

Since this isn't a recipe I can't post how much of this or that I used but I will share what I did.

Preheat your oven to 350.

Place chicken in baking dish and pour about 1/2 cup to a cup of dressing over chicken.



I didn't marinate it this time but I plan to next time to see if it makes a difference in the flavor. I ended up sprinkling a bit of salt & pepper on top because I love flavorful skin.

Cover with aluminum foil and bake for about 1 hour. Remove foil and bake for another 10-15 minutes to brown.



I served it with white rice and sauteed zucchini & onion. I had intended on adding a can of diced tomatoes to the zucchini but realized that I didn't have any. On a whim I added some of the salad dressing and it turned out great.

Herbed Chicken & Vegetables

The first time that I had this was at my friend's house. We were getting together with the kids and our moms. She made this chicken dish for the first time and I loved it and really wanted to make it at home for my family. I'm almost embarrassed to post it on here since it's not really a recipe but it was too good to not share.


Herbed Chicken & Vegetables

Ingredients

• 2 medium all-purpose potatoes (about 1 lb.), thinly sliced
• 2 medium carrots, sliced
  
• 4 bone-in chicken breast halves (about 2 lbs.)*
• 1 envelope Lipton® Recipe Secrets® Savory Herb with Garlic Soup Mix
• 1/3 cup water
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425°. In broiler pan, without the rack, add potatoes and carrots; arrange chicken on top.
2. Pour Lipton® Recipe Secrets® Savory Herb with Garlic Soup Mix blended with water and Olive Oil over chicken and vegetables.
3. Bake uncovered 40 minutes or until chicken is thoroughly cooked and vegetables are tender.

**This recipe can also be made in your slow cooker. I may try it that way but I would brown the chicken first and then add it to the slow cooker.

Ready to go into the oven


Just a bit overdone but still yummy.


My verdict: I liked it but I loved it at my friends house.

I used bone in chicken breasts like the recipe states but I wish I would have used boneless like Cecilia had. And I wish that I hadn't gotten distracted since I overcooked the chicken a bit and it was dry. I ended up using 2 envelopes of the mix because my bone in breasts were HUGE. I also used frozen sliced carrots since it was easier and I thought it looked nice with the ridges. But since I know how good it could be I will absolutely be making this again.

Lemon Chicken and Rice with Artichokes

Happy Sunday! What a fantastic weekend! The first two days of spring have been amazing with lots of sunshine. I am so happy that the cold wintry days are behind us. After running a few errands with the girls today I decided to go to the playground so that Stephanie could run around a bit while Alexandra chased her. I sat on a bench watching while Eva napped in her infant seat.

Stephanie getting a push from Alexandra


Wheeeee!


Shhhhh....don't wake the baby


I came across this recipe on the Cooking Light website a while back and finally decided to give it a try. It was very easy to make and after a long day with the kids this is exactly the kind of recipe that I was looking for.




Lemon Chicken and Rice with Artichokes


Ingredients

• Cooking spray
• 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into 1/2-inch strips
• 2 1/4 cups chopped onion
• 1 cup chopped red bell pepper
• 2 cups instant rice
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 (14-ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 1 (14-ounce) can quartered artichoke hearts, drained
• 2 tablespoons grated Romano cheese

Directions

Heat a Dutch oven coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add chicken, chopped onion, and red bell pepper; sauté 5 minutes. Stir in rice, lemon juice, 1/4 teaspoon salt, black pepper, and broth; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes or until rice is tender. Stir in artichokes, and cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated. Sprinkle with cheese.

My verdict: Not bad. I decided to also add some garlic and a few good shakes of Italian Seasoning. It needed a bit more salt and I think that next time I will squeeze a bit more lemon on top when serving. But we all really liked it and this will definitely make it into the dinner rotation.

Brunswick Stew

This is a very tasty and hearty stew from Cooking Light. Below is my version with a few adjustments made. If you'd like the original recipe click on the link above.

Depending on my mood I will sometimes serve this on its own in a bowl or like this time I served it over white rice. This picture is of my lunch the next day when everything is all mixed up....it was still pretty darn good.

This one is definitely worth a try.



Brunswick Stew

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup chopped yellow onion
• 1 tbs EVOO
• 1 tbs all purpose flour
• 1lb skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 2 - 3 cups fat free, less sodium chicken stock (I sometimes use broth)
• 2 tbs no-salt added tomato paste
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 10 oz package of frozen corn, thawed
• 1 10 oz package of frozen Lima beans, thawed
• 1 10 oz package of frozen peas and carrots, thawed

Directions
Heat a large dutch oven over medium-high heat. Coat pan in EVOO, then add onions and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Combine flour and chicken in a bowl, tossing to coat. Add chicken to pan and cook until lightly browned. Gradually stir in stock and bring to a boil. Cook for 1 minute or until slightly thickened, stirring constantly. Add tomato paste and next 5 ingredients (through to Lima beans) to pan. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.

Cheesy Chicken & Salsa Skillet

My BFF Cecilia sent me this recipe from kraftrecipes.com. It looked so yummy and easy that I had to give it a try.



Cheesy Chicken & Salsa Skillet

What You Need!

2 cups multi-grain penne pasta, uncooked

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces

1-1/4 cups TACO BELL® HOME ORIGINALS® Thick 'N Chunky Salsa

1 cup frozen corn, thawed

1 large green pepper, cut into short thin strips

1 cup KRAFT Mexican Style 2% Milk Finely Shredded Four Cheese

Make It!

COOK pasta as directed on package.

MEANWHILE, heat large nonstick skillet sprayed with cooking spray on medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook and stir 2 min. Stir in salsa, corn and peppers. Bring to boil. Simmer on medium-low heat 10 min. or until chicken is done, stirring occasionally.

DRAIN pasta. Add to chicken mixture; mix lightly. Top with cheese. Remove from heat; cover. Let stand 1 min. or until cheese is melted.

My verdict: We all really liked it. I added the cheese as I was serving each plate. The picture above is of my cold leftovers so the cheese that I added didn't melt. I'm looking forward to having it for lunch!

Mac and Cheddar Cheese with Chicken and Broccoli

I've had this recipe for Mac and Cheddar Cheese with Chicken and Broccoli by Rachael Ray bookmarked for quite a while and finally decided to make it. I really think that this blog is inspiring me to cook more.



Mac and Cheddar Cheese with Chicken and Broccoli

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan
• 1 pound chicken breast tenders, chopped
• Salt and pepper
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 pound macaroni elbows or cavatapi corkscrew shaped pasta twists
• 2 1/2 cups raw broccoli florets, available packaged in produce department
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 3 cups whole milk
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 3 cups yellow sharp Cheddar
• 1 tablespoon prepared Dijon mustard

Directions

Place a pot of water on to boil for macaroni.

Heat a medium pan over medium to medium high heat. Add extra-virgin olive oil and chicken and season with salt and pepper. Saute a couple of minutes then add onion and cook another 5 to 7 minutes until onions are tender and chicken is cooked through. Turn off heat and reserve.

To boiling pasta water, add pasta and salt to season the cooking water. Cook 5 minutes, then add broccoli and cook 3 minutes more or until pasta is cooked to al dente and florets are just tender.

While pasta cooks, heat a medium sauce pot over medium heat. Add butter and melt, then add flour, cayenne and paprika and whisk together over heat until roux bubbles then cook a minute more. Whisk in milk and stock and raise heat a little to bring sauce to a quick boil. Simmer sauce to thicken about 5 minutes.

Drain macaroni or pasta and broccoli florets. Add back to pot and add chicken to the pasta and broccoli.

Add cheese to milk sauce and stir to melt it in, about a minute or so. Stir in mustard and season sauce with salt and pepper. Pour sauce over chicken and broccoli and cooked pasta and stir to combine. Adjust seasonings, transfer to a large serving platter and serve.

My Verdict: I did not love this recipe. Nobody did. The only thing that I did differently (as per the reviews that I read) was add more cheese and cut back on the stock. Oh and I left out the cayenne since I was hoping that Stephanie would eat it. It was kind of blah. I won't be making this one again.

Chicken Noodle Soup

I love, love, love this recipe for chicken soup. It's so quick and easy to put together and so yummy. I think that the addition of vegetable broth is the key to making it taste so special. I am not up for making chicken soup from scratch but I think that this recipe is a great fake out. I really think that it tastes like it took all day to make.



Quick and Easy Chicken Noodle Soup

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 4 (14.5 ounce) cans chicken broth
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can vegetable broth
• 1/2 pound chopped cooked chicken breast
• 1 1/2 cups egg noodles
• 1 cup sliced carrots
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 can of cannellini beans (optional)
  
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. In a large pot over medium heat, melt butter. Cook onion and celery in butter until just tender, 5 minutes. Pour in chicken and vegetable broths and stir in chicken, noodles, carrots, basil, oregano, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes before serving.

My verdict: I've made this several times already and we all love it. I usually add chick peas or cannellini beans to bump up the fiber but you don't have it and it isn't included in the original recipe. I love hearty soups so I always add more celery, carrots and chicken than the recipe calls for.

Autum Roasted Chicken and Sausages with Balsamic Drizzle

I was watching Rachael Ray a few weeks ago when she made Roasted Chicken and Sausages with Balsamic Drizzle and it looked so yummy that I went online and bookmarked the recipe. I love a dish where I can throw everything into a pan and forget about it for an hour. Just add a salad and dinner is ready.

I did a few things differently because I didn't have everything. I used dried herbs instead of fresh and used the big red potatoes because my supermarket didn't have the baby ones. The shallots that I bought were a bit gross when I cut them in half so I used a regular yellow onion and I wasn't interested adding the black grapes.

Sorry about the bad picture...I took it with my cell phone. I ended up adding more of the balsamic drizzle to my dish....yummy!

Autumn Roasted Chicken and Sausages with Balsamic Drizzle

Ingredients

• 4 pieces bone-in chicken thighs with legs attached
• 1 pound Italian sweet sausages
• 3 tablespoons EVOO - Extra Virgin Olive Oil, divided
• 3 to 4 sprigs fresh rosemary, 2 finely chopped
• 7 to 8 sprigs fresh thyme, 4 finely chopped
• 12 baby potatoes, such as baby Yukon gold
• 8 shallots, halved through root and peeled or 4 small red onions, quartered through root end
• 1 pound bunch black seedless grapes, snipped into small clusters
• Balsamic drizzle, to garnish

Preparation

Preheat oven to 425˚F.

In a large, shallow roasting pan, dress chicken and sausages with about 1 tablespoon of EVOO. Season with chopped rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper.

Toss the potatoes, shallots and black grapes with remaining EVOO, salt and pepper and add to the roasting pan. Bundle the rosemary and thyme sprigs and toss them in the pan as well. Roast 45-50 minutes until the meat juices run clear and the chicken skin and sausage casings are crispy.

To serve, arrange meat, sausage, potatoes, shallots and grapes on dinner plates and garnish with pan juices and balsamic drizzle.



My verdict: It was good. I looooved the balsamic drizzle as did everyone else. The next time that I make it I will definitely season the potatoes more since they were a bit bland. I will definitely make this again.

Roasted chicken leg quarters

Tonight I'm making one of my favorite and easiest dinners: roasted chicken leg quarters and buttered bow tie pasta (farfalle).

This isn't a real recipe so I don't have any measurements and it's really very easy to use different seasonings. First I coat the bottom of the roasting pan with olive oil and then I add the chicken leg quarters. I choose to leave the skin on to cook but you can remove it if you want. Second I season the chicken with salt, pepper, garlic powder, oregano and paprika for color and about 1/2 cup of chicken broth. I've used water when I'm out of broth and it comes out fine. Bake it for about an hour at 400* and don't forget to baste the chicken a couple of times while cooking.

I'm making pasta tonight but if you'd like you can also quarter some potatoes and add them to the baking dish along with the chicken and squeezing the juice of a lemon over the chicken also adds great flavor. Play around with your favorite seasonings. You really can't go wrong!