Crockpot Potato Soup

Crockpot Potato Soup

Ingredients

8 cups potatoes, peeled and chopped into small cubes

1 medium onion, chopped

1 can cream of chicken soup

2 cans chicken broth

1 (8oz.) package cream cheese, softened

½ lb. bacon, cooked and crumbled (or you can use real bacon bits if you want to make it quicker and easier)

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. parsley

¼ tsp. Pepper

2 cups shredded Cheddar Cheese

Directions

Place all ingredients in slow cooker except shredded cheese. Cook for 5 hours on high or 8 hours on low. Before serving, use a fork to slightly mash up the potatoes a bit, then stir well.

Stir in cheese and serve once melted.

Sweet & Spicy Bacon Wrapped Chicken Strips

I found this recipe awhile back and tried it out. We loved it, but I never did post it because I really didn't change anything about it to make it my own except the amounts of ingredients, but I decided it needed to be shared anyway. It is especially good served with ranch for dipping. 

Sweet & Spicy Bacon Wrapped Chicken Strips

Ingredients

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

8 slices of bacon

1 cup brown sugar

4 Tablespoons chili powder

2 teaspoons garlic powder

½ tsp. salt

½ tsp. pepper

Directions

Cut each chicken breast into 4 strips. Cut each strip of bacon in half. In one bowl, mix together spices. In another bowl, put the brown sugar. Roll each chicken strip in the spice mixture, and then wrap each one with the bacon. Take the bacon wrapped chicken strips, and roll them in the brown sugar. Place in a 9 x 13 baking dish sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Bake at 400 degrees for 35 minutes.

Chicken Tamale Pie

Chicken Tamale Pie

Ingredients

⅓ cup milk

1 egg

1½ tablespoon taco seasoning, divided

¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper

1 (14¾ ounce) can cream-style corn

1 (8.5 ounce) box corn muffin mix

1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chiles, drained

1 (10 ounce) can red enchilada sauce

2 cups shredded cooked chicken breast

¾ cup shredded Mexican blend cheese

Onion and bell pepper, chopped

Directions
Preheat oven to 400°. In a mixing bowl, combine the first 7 ingredients, using only tablespoon of the taco seasoning, stirring just until moist. Pour mixture into a round pie plate coated with cooking spray. Bake at 400° for 25-30 minutes. While the corn mixture is baking, toss the cooked, shredded chicken in the remaining 1 tablespoon taco seasoning. When the corn mixture is done, top with shredded chicken. Pour enchilada sauce over top. Sprinkle with cheese. Top with chopped onions and peppers. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes or until cheese melts. Remove from oven; let stand 5 minutes. Serve topped with sour cream.

Italian Meatball Sub Casserole

Italian Meatball Sub Casserole

Ingredients

1 (16 oz.) loaf french bread
12 oz. light cream cheese, softened
1 ½ tsp Italian seasoning
1 lb frozen meatballs, thawed (or you can use homemade meatballs, see my recipe below*)
1 jar spaghetti sauce
2 cups mozzarella cheese

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Slice french bread into one-inch slices, place on a cookie sheet, and broil until slightly golden.

Remove from oven and place in a lightly greased 9x13 baking dish.
Mix together cream cheese and Italian seasoning.  Spread over french bread.
Sprinkle meatballs over cream cheese mixture.  Pour spaghetti sauce evenly over meatballs.  Top with mozzarella cheese. Bake 20- 25 minutes, until bubbly and cheese is melted.

*I used frozen meatballs, because I have a two month old baby, so my cooking time is limited, but I think this would have been way better with homemade meatballs. I have a great homemade meatball recipe, so I will share it:

Ingredients

1.5 lbs. ground beef or chuck

1 cup fresh bread crumbs

1 egg

1/3 cup milk

½ tsp. salt

½ tsp. pepper

1 tsp garlic powder

2 Tbsp. minced onions

1 tsp. Italian seasoning

Directions

Mix above ingredients in a large bowl with hands. Roll into small balls. Place on a baking sheet lined with foil, and bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes. Remove from baking sheet and place on paper towels to absorb any excess grease.

Cheesy Chicken Noodle Casserole

I'm back! After spending the end of my pregnancy on bed rest, therefore, no cooking, then having a baby, I have had very little time to do much, cooking, much less experiment with new recipes, take pictures, etc. But, he is two months old now, and I am getting back into the swing of things, or at least trying to. So, here is a new recipe I managed to to try the other day...

Cheesy Chicken Noodle Casserole

Ingredients

½ cup chopped onion

½ cup chopped celery
3 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
2 (10 3/4 ounce) cans cream of chicken soup
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup milk
2 cups chopped cooked chicken
2 ½ cups cooked egg noddles

Salt & pepper to taste
¼ cup Ritz cracker crumbs

Directions:
In a large skillet, saute onions and celery in butter until tender. Add in soup and mozzarella cheese, then gradually stir in milk. Cook over medium heat until cheese melts. Stir in chicken, noodles, salt, and pepper. Transfer this mixture to a greased 9x13 baking dish. Sprinkle with cracker crumbs. Bake at 350° oven for 35 minutes or until heated through. Top with cheddar cheese and bake 5 more minutes.

Cheesy Chicken & Broccoli Alfredo Bake

I found this recipe a few days ago on Pinterest, and I decided to try it out using my own Alfredo sauce recipe instead of the kind from a jar. I also varied the amounts of some other ingredients. This is what I came up with.

Cheesy Chicken & Broccoli Alfredo Bake

Ingredients

2 cups half and half

2 sticks butter or margarine

8 oz. softened cream cheese

3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. garlic powder

½ tsp. Pepper

3 cups small pasta shells, cooked according to package directions

2 cups cooked/ shredded chicken

3 cups steamed broccoli

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Directions

Melt butter in medium saucepan. Add half and half, cream cheese, Parmesan cheese, salt, garlic powder, and pepper. Stir until smooth, then bring to soft boil and cook 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and let thicken. Once sauce has thickened a bit, stir in cooked pasta shells, chicken, and broccoli. Pour this mixture into a greased 9 x 13 baking dish. Top with shredded cheddar cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.

Chicken Stuffing Bake

This is a recipe my mom made that I really like from when I was younger. I never actually got her exact recipe, but I took the basics of her recipe and created this one. It's pretty quick and easy, and very flavorful and good.

Chicken Stuffing Bake

Ingredients

1 box chicken flavored Stove Top stuffing mix

½ cup water

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 cup sour cream

½ cup milk

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. onion powder

½ tsp. salt

½ tsp. pepper

Directions

Pour stuffing mix into a bowl, then moisten with the water. Set aside. Mix together cream of chicken soup, sour cream, milk, and seasonings. Spread this mixture across the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish. Lay chicken breasts on top of the spread out mixture. Top with stuffing mix. Bake at 375 degrees for 35 minutes.

Beef Enchiladas

Beef Enchiladas

Ingredients

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
1 tablespoon chili powder

2 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup water
1 lb. ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped
12 medium tortillas 
2 cups shredded cheddar or Mexican blend cheese

Desired toppings

Directions

In a medium saucepan, heat oil, then add tomato sauce, chili powder, cumin, and salt. Stir in water. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until hot. Do not boil. Remove from heat and set aside. In a separate skillet over medium-high heat, brown the beef, then drain. Add the onion and green pepper and cook until the onion is translucent (3 to 5 minutes). Moisten with half of the sauce. (The other half of the sauce will be used to top the enchiladas). Preheat oven to 400°F Begin filling tortillas with the beef mixture. As each one is filled, roll it tightly and place seam-side down in a 9 x 13 baking dish. Top enchiladas with remaining sauce, then cheese. Cover with aluminum foil and bake until cheese is bubbling, about 15 minutes. Let cool slightly, then serve.

I topped mine with lettuce, sour cream, and tomatoes, but you can serve as is or choose whatever toppings you like.

Baked Chicken Taquitos

This is a recipe that I found recently online and made only a few small adaptations to. These were easy and really good. They were both cheaper and better tasting than the frozen kind, but not that difficult. They could also be made with beef instead of chicken. Freezing them before baking would also make an easy meal later on.

Baked Chicken Taquitos

Ingredients

4 ounces cream cheese, softened
¼ cup salsa
1 Tbsp lime juice
1 tsp ground cumin
1 Tbsp chili powder
1 tsp onion powder
2 tsp garlic powder
3-4 sliced green onions
2 cups shredded cooked chicken
1 ½ cups shredded Cheddar or Mexican blend cheese
12 small tortillas
Cooking spray

Sour cream and/or salsa for dipping

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425˚F. Line a baking sheet with foil, sprayed with cooking spray.
In a large bowl, mix together all ingredients but the tortillas. Heat the tortillas in the microwave for a few seconds until they are soft enough to roll
Spoon 2-3 Tablespoons of the chicken mixture onto each tortilla. Roll the tortillas as tightly as you can.
Place the rolled tortillas seam side down on the baking sheet. Make sure the taquitos are not touching each other.
Spray the tops lightly with cooking spray. Bake for 15 – 20 minutes or until crisp and golden.
Serve with salsa and/or sour cream for dipping.

Layered Taco Bake

I had bought one of those kits that was supposed to make something similar to this, but I was really disappointed with the kit. It just contained some tortillas, taco seasoning, and a very small packet of nacho cheese that would barely even cover one layer. So, I re-created the recipe, making some additions, which made it much better.
It doesn't make a lot, so I would recommend making two of them if you are feeding a family.

Layered Taco Bake

Ingredients

1 lb. ground beef

¼ cup water

1 packet taco seasoning

1 cup salsa

1 small onion, chopped

½ cup diced tomatoes

½ cup jalapeno slices

Shredded cheddar or Mexican blend cheese

3 (8 inch) tortillas

Directions

Brown ground beef, drain. Add water, taco seasoning, salsa, and most of the onions and jalapenos, leaving aside a few for topping. Cook and additional 5 minutes, or until beef mixture thickens and is well heated through.

Place one of the tortillas in an ungreased pie pan. Top with a later of the beef mixture, then a layer of cheese. Repeat layers twice. Top with remaining onions, jalapenos, and tomatoes. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes, and serve.

Individual servings may be topped with desired extra toppings, such as lettuce, sour cream, additional salsa, etc.

Crock Pot Ravioli

I found a recipe for Crock Pot Ravioli on Pinterest, and decided to try it today, with my own adaptations. It was very easy, and very good. This is definitely something I will be making again soon.

Crock Pot Ravioli

Ingredients

2 (25 oz.) jars of pasta sauce

1 (14.5 oz.) can of petite diced tomatoes

1 small onion, chopped

1 can of condensed cheddar cheese soup

2 teaspoons garlic powder

½ tsp. pepper

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, plus more for topping

1 (25 oz.) bag frozen ravioli- you can use meat or cheese filled, but I used cheese

Directions
Spray slow cooker with cooking spray. In a separate bowl, combine all ingredients except ravioli. Stir well. Spoon ⅓ of the sauce into the slow cooker, top with ⅓ of ravioli. Repeat layers three times. Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours. Serve with each individual serving topped with additional shredded mozzarella cheese.

Bisquick Bacon Egg Cheese Casserole

This is a recipe my mom has been making since I was a child. I have varied the amounts of certain ingredients a bit, but basically I make it the same way. It makes a great breakfast casserole, but we usually have it for dinner. It is also a great way to use leftover ham if you use that in place of the bacon.

Bisquick Bacon Egg Cheese Casserole

Ingredients

3 cups Bisquick

1 cup cold water

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

½ lb. Bacon- cooked and crumbled, or 1-2 cups of chopped ham, whichever you prefer

4 eggs

½ cup milk

½ tsp. salt

Directions

Heat oven to 425. Grease 9x13 baking dish. Mix Bisquick and water until soft dough forms. Beat vigorously 20 strokes. Gently smooth into ball on floured cloth-covered surface. Knead 10 times. Pat into dish, pressing up ½ inch on sides. Top with cheese. Sprinkle with bacon. Mix remaining ingredients, pour over top. Bake for 20 to 25 min.

Spicy Crock Pot Chicken Spaghetti

This is a recipe that was partially invented by my husband. He doesn't cook much, mostly because I take over in the kitchen since it's a hobby for me, but when he tries, he can cook pretty well. He decided he wanted to cook for me one evening. Since I love both spaghetti and chicken parmesan, he decided to come up with a chicken spaghetti sauce that he thought I would like. The spicy part he added because he likes spicy things. I ended up adapting his recipe by adding some small tweaks and adapting it for the Crock Pot, since I love the way chicken falls apart and is tender when slow cooked.
If you are not a fan of spicy things, but you think the idea of chicken spaghetti sauce sounds good, make the recipe just as is, except eliminate the crushed red pepper.

Spicy Crock Pot Chicken Spaghetti

Ingredients

1 jar pasta sauce

½ of an 8 oz. jar sun dried tomato pesto sauce

2 tsp. Garlic powder

1 tsp. Italian seasoning

2 tsp. Crushed red pepper

1 small red onion, finely chopped

1 tsp. Sugar

3 boneless skinless chicken breasts

Directions

Stir together all ingredients except chicken in Crock Pot. Place chicken breasts in sauce and cover with some sauce. Cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4-5 hours. Shred chicken with a fork and stir so shredded chicken blends thoroughly with sauce. Serve over prepared spaghetti noodles or other pasta of your choice.

Homemade Chicken & Dumplings

Homemade Chicken & Dumplings

Ingredients (For broth)

4 cups chicken broth

2 cups water

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 medium onion, chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. onion powder

½ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. pepper

2-3 boneless, skinless, chicken breasts

Ingredients (for dumplings)

3 cups four

¾ tsp. salt

¾ tsp. baking soda

5 Tbsp. shortening

1 cup milk

Directions

In a Dutch oven, stir together chicken broth, water, cream of chicken soup, onion, celery, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Add raw chicken breasts. Bring to a boil, cook until chicken breasts are cooked all the way through. Reduce heat to medium. Remove chicken breasts, shred, and return to pot.

In the meantime, mix flour, baking soda, and salt together in bowl. Cut shortening into flour mixture with your fingertips. Add milk ¼ cup at a time, and stir until a ball of dough just begins to form, being careful not to over-mix. Roll out the dough onto floured surface that you don’t mind cutting on. Roll about ¼ inch thick. Using a pizza cutter, cut dough into strips, then cut across the other way to form rectangles about 1-2 inches wide. Drop dumplings into simmering chicken mixture. Cover and simmer for about 20 min., or until dumplings are cooked through.

Loaded Baked Potato Casserole

I adapted this a bit from a recipe I found for a baked potato casserole. It turned out to be a great side dish, but it is hearty enough it could also be served as a main dish. 

Loaded Baked Potato Casserole

Ingredients

5 large baking potatoes

1 cup evaporated milk

¾ cup sour cream

¼ cup butter or margarine

1 tsp. Garlic powder

1 tsp. Salt

¼ tsp. Pepper

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

4 green onions, chopped

Real bacon bits

Directions

Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Poke holes in potatoes with a fork, wrap in foil, and bake for one hour. After taking potatoes out of the oven, reduce temperature to 350 degrees. Place potatoes in a large bowl. Leaving the skins on, mash potatoes with a fork. Add the evaporated milk, sour cream, butter, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and one cup of the cheddar cheese. Mix together with a hand mixer. Do not overmix. The consistency should not be creamy like mashed potatoes, but thicker. Spread potato mixture in a 9 x 13 baking dish sprayed with non-stick spray. Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Top with remaining cup of cheese, chopped green onions, and bacon bits. Return to oven and bake for 5 addition minutes.

Stromboli Bake

Stromboli Bake

Ingredients

2 cans Pillsbury crescent rolls

1 lb. Italian sausage

1 medium red onion, chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. Italian seasoning

1 (14 oz.) jar pizza sauce

1 package sliced mozzarella cheese

Pepperoni

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spread one package of crescent rolls across the bottom of a 9 x 13 baking dish. Place the Italian sausage, onion, pepper, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning in a skillet and cook until sausage is browned. Spread sausage mixture on top of the crescent rolls in the 9 x 13 baking dish. Next, cover the sausage mixture with a layer of pepperoni. Spread the pizza sauce evenly over the top of the sausage/ pepperoni. Lay the cheese slices over the top of the pizza sauce until completely covered. Spread the second package of crescent rolls over the top of the cheese. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil, then bake for an additional 20 minutes.

Breaded Cheddar Chicken

 I finally have a new recipe up. I apologize for the long delay. What happened was, I am pregnant now, and for the first few months, I have been so exhausted that even when I did have the energy to cook, taking the extra steps to type the recipe, take the pictures, etc. was too much. Combined with the fact that I was having some food aversions and only wanted to eat the same things for awhile, it just really wasn't the best time to be blogging about food. But, now, I am in my second trimester, I am feeling better, and for now it seems the aversions are gone, so I am back at it again, Unfortunately, I missed the holiday season, which is a great time for cooking, but I will get over than and just move on to more new recipes.
So, here is a delicious one I made last week...

_{Breaded Cheddar Chicken}

_Ingredients

_{2 cups Italian seasoned breadcrumbs}

_{2 cups shredded cheddar cheese}

_{1 egg}

_{2 Tablespoons milk}

_{4 uncooked chicken breasts}

_{4 Tablespoons butter, melted}

_Directions

_{Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray non-stick cooking spray in a 9 x 13 baking dish. Mix breadcrumbs and 1 cup of the cheese in a bowl. In another bowl, whisk together egg and milk. Dip the chicken in the egg/ milk mixture, then roll in the breadcrumb mixture. Lay in the baking dish. Top each chicken breast with remaining cheese. Drizzle melted butter over the top. Bake for 40 minutes.}