The crockpot, or slow cooker, as it is sometimes called, is a wonderful device. We can be gone all day and still have dinner ready. Here are three new recipes to try.
Crock pot chicken veggie
1 (24 oz.) pkg. frozen egg noodles
2 (14.7 oz.) cans cream of chicken soup
1 stick butter, cut into pieces
1 (32 oz.) can chicken broth
frozen mixed vegetables – optional
1 TBS chicken flavored paste
6 small boneless, skinless chicken breasts or 4 large ones
salt and pepper and parsley to taste.
Salt and pepper chicken breasts and place in bottom of crock pot. Spoon soup over chicken. Cut butter into several pats and place pieces evenly over soup. Add paste to broth and spoon broth over soup. Place lid on pot and turn to low. Cook for 6 hours.
Remove chicken and tear into pieces. Add back to pot. Now add noodles and if adding veggies, add now. Cook for another 2 hours or until noodles are desired tenderness. Stir a few times during last 2 hours. (You may want to add more broth to thin out at end of cooking, as home made noodles thicken broth.)
Sprinkle with parsley and mix in, if using at the end of cooking. Salt and pepper if needed and serve.
––––
Chicken and cheese
1.5 lbs. fresh chicken breast fillets
½ tsp. sea salt
¼ tsp. garlic powder
¼ tsp. black pepper
1-½ tsp. dried tarragon
1 C diced white onion
2 C sliced mushrooms
1 C chicken broth
1 8-oz. pkg. cream cheese
½ lb. spaghetti noodles, cook according to package directions
1 8-oz. pkg. mozzarella cheese, grated
To the crock pot, add chicken, sea salt, garlic powder, pepper, tarragon, onions and mushrooms. Pour in chicken broth. Do Not Add Cream Cheese Or Spaghetti Yet. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours without opening the lid during cooking time.
Cut cream cheese into squares and add to slow cooker, cover. In the meantime, cook spaghetti according to package directions. After cream cheese has had some time to melt, remove chicken, and with 2 forks, shred it. Stir sauce and chicken together. Add cooked and drained pasta. Stir. Add mozzarella cheese over pasta and sauce. Cover for about 10 more minutes or until cheese has melted.
–––
Ham and cheese soup
1 32-oz. bag frozen southern style hash browns
1/2 C diced onion
1 32-oz. box chicken broth
2 C diced ham
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 8-oz. pkg. cream cheese
1 8-oz. block sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
bread and butter for serving
In a 6-quart slow cooker, add frozen potatoes, onion, chicken broth, ham, pepper, thyme and garlic powder. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours without opening lid during cooking time. When cooking time is up, add cream cheese to a blender, and scoop some broth and hot potatoes into blender with cream cheese, just enough to get blender moving, cover and blend until smooth. Add this mixture back to rest of soup in slow cooker. Add shredded cheese and stir. Serve with bread and butter.
––––
Thought – Take care of someone else; be there for someone else. A happy life is about giving more than you take.
If you would like to share a recipe with me, just send it to the J-T or email it to me.
(Melanie Behrens – melb@marysvillejt.com)