Pepperoncini Beef - Crockpot

This comes from my friend Bethany Mott's blog (http://lollipoprecipebox.blogspot.com/2009/05/pepperoncini-beef.html) It's pretty good. I personally don't like the way it smells as it cooks (you all know my nose), but I DO like the taste. Jim says it's a keeper, and its way easy.

1 3-4 lbs roast
1 16 oz jar pepperoncinis (everything in the jar - juice, stems, peppers)
1 T garlic, minced

Put in crockpot, cook on low 6-8hrs (we did high 4 hrs). Shred (or cut in pieces as we did) and serve on a bun.

We let Jim eat our peppers for us.

Try it - sounds odd, but its good! It's NOT spicy like you think it will be!

Easy Tortilla Soup

Need:
1 onion
3 cloves garlic
1 Jalapeno Pepper
3/4 t. Oregano
1 t. Cumin
4 c. Chicken broth
2 cans diced tomatoes
Juice of 1 lime

Topping ideas:
Cooked shredded Chicken
sour cream
tortilla strips(baked)/chips
avocado
Cheese
cilantro

Sauté onion in oil. Add garlic and Jalapeno pepper. Sauté until soft. Add cumin and oregano stir until spices infuse their flavor. Add Chicken broth and tomatoes. Bring to a boil. Simmer for 10 min.
Add lime juice. Blend up the soup with an inversion blender or just in the blender. Serve with your toppings. Enjoy!!!

This soup freezes well, is very filling and healthy.

Spinach-Pasta Toss

It tastes like a restaurant dish, but is way easy! Originally from the Spring '09 Food & Family magazine, I adapted it to what I had. I'll post the original and then say what I did.

1 can (14 1/2 oz.) Italian-style diced tomatoes, undrained
2 C penne pasta, uncooked
1 C water
1 pkg (9 oz.) baby spinach leaves
1 C Kraft 2% Milk Shredded Italian 3 cheese blend

Boil tomato, pasta, and water in large saucepan. Stir. Cover. Simmer on medium-low heat 10 min. Uncover. Simmer 1 min. or just until pasta is tender. Add 1/2 of the spinach. Simmer, covered, 2min. or until wilted. Stir. Repeat with remaining spinach. Served topped with cheese.

*I only had a regular diced tomato can, so I used it and some italian seasoning (maybe 1 T or so). Also, we just put mozzarella and parmesan on it cause I didn't have the blend. It was good! Serve with some garlic bread and you have a meal!

Sour Cream Pound Cake

This recipe is from Brother Haire, in Longmont. It is SO GOOD! I love the taste of almond it gives. It is really good plain, but also good with berries and cream on top, or used in a trifle.

1 C butter/margarine
3 C sugar
4 eggs
1 t vanilla
1 t almond extract
1/2 t salt
1/2 t baking soda
3 C flour
1 C sour cream

Cream the butter/margarine and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well. Mix in remaining ingredients except sour cream. Add the sour cream last, in small amounts, stirring well. Put in greased pan or dutch oven (yes, outside, in the dutch oven). Cook at 350 for 50-60 minutes. (I use 2 loaf pans, but it looks cool if you have a bundt pan.)

Jim's Wahoo's Chicken

We call this Wahoo's Chicken. But, I've never eaten this at the actual restaurant. It is something you might find there, the same styleat least. All the credit goes to Jim on this one. This is his recipe.

You take a bowl and put white rice in it (or cilantro-lime rice). Then, you put on top: this chicken, shredded lettuce, salsa (we like fresh, homemade salsa-see separate recipe) and black beans (see below). Try to not over-eat!

To make the chicken, put your chicken pieces (4 boneless, skinless breasts usually serves 4-5 adults + 1 kid) on a very well pam-sprayed broiling pan. If some of the pieces are thick I cut them in 1/2. Then, generously sprinkle on the following:

Cayenne pepper (don't skimp too much)
Salt
Pepper
Onion (salt or powder)
Garlic (salt or powder)
a double-dose of Cumin (it smells stronger than it tastes)
*Is you are using onion or garlic SALT, be careful how much regular salt you put on

The chicken should be pretty "dirty" on top when its has enough flavor. Broil chicken on low, checking on it and turning it once. When it is done, cut it into bite-size pieces.

Black beans

Open can (we usually do 2), put in microwave-safe bowl. Add garlic salt. Lots. Warm up in microwave.

Chicken Salad

I fell in love with chicken salad when I was pregnant with Eric, and still eat it about once a month! This isn't an exact recipe - make the sauce and add whatever else you want! The sauce recipe is courtesy of the Crofts cousins.

Sauce:
1/2 C mayo
1/2 C sour cream
1/2 t dry ranch dressing
1 T lemon juice
2 T chopped parsley
1/2 t salt
1/2 t pepper
1 C chopped green onions

mix, then add whatever you want of the following:
-a can or 2 of cooked chicken, drained or some cooked chicken, cut into bite sized pieces
-cooked pasta (I like the tube shapes or corkscrew or smaller pastas - NOT spaghetti)
-can pineapple, drained
-can mandarin oranges, drained (add very last, they fall apart if stirred for long)
-2 C grapes, cut in 1/2 (we prefer purple)
-apple, cut into bite-sized pieces
-celery, cut into small pieces
-nuts

Serve as is (with or without pasta), on a croissant or bread, or on lettuce. It is best cold, and within the first 24 hours or so.

Spinach-Tortellini Soup

2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 T. Butter
1 32 oz box chicken broth
8-oz. pkg. tortellini
1/8 t. cayenne pepper
1/4 t. pepper
1/4 t. cumin
10-oz pkg. frozen, chopped spinach, thawed
16-oz can stewed, chopped tomatoes, undrained
1 lrg. can tomato sauce
Bacon crumbled I usually do 5-6 slices
Garnish: grated Parmesan cheese


In large saucepan, over medium heat, saute garlic in butter for 3 to 5 minutes. Add chicken broth and tortellini, heat to boiling. Reduce heat, add peppers and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in spinach and tomatoes; continue to simmer an additional 5 minutes. Add bacon stir. Serve topped with Parmesan cheese to taste. Makes 6 to 8 servings

Swiss Chicken in the Crockpot

Chicken enough for your family
1 can cream of Chicken
1/3 c. milk
Swiss cheese slices
1 package stove top stuffing
1/2 a cube of butter

Spray crock pot with cooking spray. Put in chicken the cheese slices, the soup mixed with the milk, and then the stove-top. The slice butter and out over stove top. Cook on low for 4-6 hours or until chicken is cooked through. I love this recipe it was pretty tasty!

Salsa Chicken - Crockpot

This recipe came from my neighbor Chandra Farnsworth. It is good and easy - a great combination! We eat it on a tortilla with some cheese on top. Its also good with rice, either in the tortilla with it all or served with the chicken on top of rice.

1 C salsa
1 C sour cream
chicken

Put all in crockpot and cook. Shred chicken, put back in juice, and enjoy!

Oriental Chicken in the Crockpot

This is one of the easiest crockpot meals, and it tastes SOO good. My neighbor even said it tastes like something from Panda Express! However, it isn't so asian that you can't use the chicken in a chicken salad or something if you wanted to. Cook lots, cause you'll wish you had even more leftovers!

1/2 C honey
1/2 C soy sauce
chicken
optional (I never do it) 2 T sessame seeds

Put chicken in crockpot, sauce (with seeds mixed in) on top, cook till done. Maybe 4-6 hrs on low? I put my frozen chicken in the crockpot before noon, cook on low, and eat dinner around 5 or 6. This amount of sauce will be enough for more chicken than you think, but if you want more just do equal parts of honey and soy sauce.

Eat it with rice. Enjoy!

(FYI, it is from the "Fix It and Forget It" cookbook)

Chicken Cordon Bleu

This is great because you just cook it in a crock pot!

4-6 Chicken Breasts
4-6 Slices of your favorite Deli Ham ( I use Apple wood smoked Ham)
4-6 slices of Swiss Cheese
1 can cream of chicken
3 T. Milk

Pound out your chicken breasts until flat. Then layer with ham and cheese. Roll up and secure with a toothpick.

Brown Chicken rolls in a pan with a little olive oil.

Put browned chicken into the crock pot. Mix Cream of Chicken soup and milk together, pour onto the top of your chicken.

Cook on Low for 5-6 hours!

I usually serve this with a salad and some fruit!

Chicken Devon

I am sure we all have the recipe but it is a good way to use left over chicken and rice. So you need

• Rice
• Chicken
• Broccoli
• 1 can Cream of Chicken soup
• 1/2 t. lemon juice
• 1/4-1/2 t. curry powder
• 1/2 c. Mayo
• Cheese
• Bread Crumbs

Layer your pre-cooked Rice, Chicken and Broccoli. Mix the measured ingredients. Put that mixture on top of rice.chicken and broccoli. Sprinkle with cheese and bread crumbs (I never do bread crumbs.) Heat in oven or microwave.

This time when I made it I made two 9x9 pans. One I froze for some time when I may need it. It also used up all my left over rice that Adrian and Maddie made (Maddie told him how to make it, so we had a lot :) )