Creamy Italian Chicken

*101 Things To Do With A Slow Cooker*

By Stephanie Ashcraft & Janet Eyring

With Summer Here I Figured It Would

Be A Good Time To Share A Favorite

Slow Cooker Dish Of Ours. That Way

We're Not Heatin' Up The House

With Our Ovens Turned On!

Ingredients:

4 Frozen Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts

1 Envelope Dry Italian Salad Dressing Mix

1 Can Cream Of Chicken Soup

Directions:

Combine All Ingredients In Slow Cooker.

Cover & Cook On High Heat 6-8 Hours

Or On Low Heat 10-12 Hours.

Serve Over Rice Or Noodles &

A Veggie On The Side!

Yummy Rice Recipe

Rice Recipe

Ingredients:

1 cube butter

2 envelope packages of Lipton Noodle Soup

2 cups rice (can use short or long grain)

5 cups water chicken bouillon

Directions: Heat oven to 350. Make your chicken bouillon water and pour into a 9 x 13 casserole dish. Set aside. Get a fry pan, melt butter and then add rice and soup mix. Brown on medium heat. (like rice-a-roni) then quickly remove and add to casserole dish and stir together carefully without spilling. Then cover with foil. Bake for 1 hour. Water will be absorbed when done.

Note: I half this recipe for the two of us, because it makes a lot of rice.

Night Before Grocery Day Casserole

Where is everyone? I need new recipes. I'm getting bored enough to start experimenting, and that doesn't always turn out well. This, however, did.

As the name suggests, this is what I made tonight when we didn't have any food. You will need:

1 box of cheap, slimy, nasty, pre-packaged macaroni and cheese (Kroger Value Brand. $0.35. Woot!)
3 Tablespoons butter or margarine
1/3 cup milk (Or more. Eyeball it.)
5 frozen chicken tenders (about a pound)
1 cup frozen chopped broccoli
Extra-sharp cheddar cheese

1) Boil water, add macaroni and cook according to directions. Or accidentally throw away the box, don't worry about it, and cook it until it's finished and completely ignore the directions for macaroni and cheese.
2) While macaroni is cooking, thaw the chicken and then cook it. I threw mine on the George Foreman grill. A pan also works. I guess you could boil it, but I think it takes out all the taste.
3) In a bowl, whisk together the creepy pseudo-cheese mix packet, butter, milk, and broccoli.
4) Spray a baking dish with cooking spray and dump in the drained macaroni. Shred chicken and add to the dish. Then pour the creepy cheese mixture over your pasta and chicken, stir a little, and then grate some real cheese over the top. Put it in the oven at 400 degrees until it's bubbly and looks gourmet.

This actually turned out really well. It was good, and reminded me of the chicken penne dish I've gotten at Applebee's that I paid $8 for. It's a great way to stretch macaroni and cheese. I seriously considered chopping up the lone hot dog we had in the refrigerator, but I thought that might be overkill on the poor-man casserole. I was pleasantly surprised.

Non-Gross Granola

I'll start by saying that I don't really like granola. Actually, I hate granola bars. I think they're nasty. However, needing a different and healthy breakfast, I decided to make my own granola. I always like things better when I make it myself.

You'll need:
3 cups rolled oats (old-school)
*1/2 cup whole raw almonds
*1/2 cup walnuts
*1/2 cup pecans
1/2 cup (or more... I use more) real maple syrup
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
Raisins or something (highly optional. I never put in raisins because for some reason mine always explode in the oven.)

***Note about the nuts: they are expensive if you buy them in the packages you find in the grocery store. If you don't use them that often, either buy them like that and store in the freezer, or just buy what you need. I bought mine at the Sunflower Farmer's Market, and just scooped out a little portion and put it in my bag. It cost me less than $3 for all the nuts.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Chop the almonds, pecans, and walnuts and combine in a bowl with everything else. I like to add the maple syrup last. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray and spread your granola out in an even layer. Bake for about 15 minutes, stirring once. Let cool and store in an air-tight container.

Serving suggestions: eat it with milk (like cereal), combine with yogurt, eat with fruit, or just put it in snack bags and munch on it.

Quick Candy Cookies

From the Kitchen of Pioneer Woman thepioneerwoman.com

What you will need:

.

Refrigerator Cookie Dough (any kind or a varitey)

.

Miniature Chocolate candies (kisses, peanut butter cups, etc.)

.

Mini-Muffin Tin

.

.

First, Slice the cookie dough into 1 to 1 1/2 inch slices.

Next, lay the slices on their side and cut them into quarters (that means 4 equal slices)

Please each quarter into a greased mini-muffin tin.

Next, peel the wrapper from as many pieces of candy as cookies you will be making.

Don't be afraid to try different combinations of candies and dough.

Bake the cookies dough in a 350 degree oven for just a few minutes, about 6 to 8 at the most. You'll want to take them out just when they start to turn golden.

Now, this is important. Almost as soon as you pull the warm cookies from the oven, you'll want to begin lightly pressing one piece of candy into each cookie. The warmer the cookies, the better.

They'll grab onto the pieces of candy and work their magic, making the candy nice and soft and melty.

When they're all done, carefully remove from muffin tins with a spoon and arrange on a nice decorative platter.

I haven't actually tried this recipe yet, but I plan to this week. Cookies and Candy, I don't think you can go wrong.

Easy Baked Ziti

My Mom Gave Me This Recipe & We Tried It

For The First Time Last Night. This Is Now

A Family Favorite! ...And Once Again, Very Easy!

You Will Need:
12 oz Penne Pasta
1 Jar Of Your Favorite Spaghetti Sauce
1 Cup Grated Mozzarella Cheese
1 Cup Parmesan Cheese

Directions:
Cook Pasta. In Greased Casserole Dish, Mix Pasta,

Spaghetti Sauce & Cheeses. (I Just Mixed Everything

In the Pot That I Cooked The Noodles In) Top

With Any Leftover Cheese If You Have Extra.

Bake @ 350 For 15 Minutes

Slow-Cooker Taco Soup

I made this the other night and loved it... I found it on the Year of CrockPotting blog. You could make it on the stove top, or in your crockpot, or if you have an awesome Presto magic cooker like I do, you can do both. I added an onion, used black beans instead of kidney beans, and I actually used dried beans and soaked them the night before, but whatever. Cans would work.

The Ingredients:
1 lb lean hamburger. Or turkey. Or chicken? Or no meat at all.
1 onion
2 cans black beans
2 cans pinto beans
2 cans corn
1 large can of diced tomatoes
1 can diced tomatoes with chiles (aka Rotel)
1 packet taco seasoning (or seasoned salt, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, chili powder...)
1 packet ranch dressing mix (yes. I know this sounds weird. Trust me.)

Brown and drain the meat. Put everything in the slow cooker and stir it. Then cook on low for 8 hours or so or cook it on high for 4-5 hours. Add a little water if it looks too thick, and serve with sour cream and crunched tortilla chips.