Slow Cooker Cheesy Chicken and Rice

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Slow Cooker Cheesy Chicken and Rice

Recipe type: Main Dish

Prep time:  10 mins

Cook time:  6 hours

Total time:  6 hours 10 mins

Serves: 4-5 servings

With a handful of ingredients, you have a delicious all-in-one meal that your family will love!

Ingredients

• 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 1 (10.5 oz) can cream of chicken soup
• 1 (8 oz) box Zatarain's Yellow Rice Mix (or your favorite yellow rice)
• 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1 (15 oz) can whole kernel corn, drained

Instructions

1. Spray slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray. Place chicken in the bottom, then top with diced onion and green pepper. Spoon soup on top of vegetables and place lid on top of slow cooker.
2. Cook on low for 5-6 hours or on high for 3-4 hours.
3. While chicken is cooking, prepare rice as directed on package.
4. When chicken is finished cooking, remove chicken from slow cooker and shred using two forks. Return shredded to chicken to slow cooker, then add in cooked rice, cheese, and corn. Mix all together and serve.

Chicken Parmesan Sliders

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Chicken Parmesan Sliders

Prep time:  10 mins

Cook time:  18 mins

Total time:  28 mins

Serves: 12 sliders

Take your sandwiches to a new level with this delicious recipe from the new cookbook: Sandwiched!

Ingredients

• 2 lbs. ground chicken
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley
• ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
• ½ cup Italian-style bread crumbs
• 12 slices fresh mozzarella cheese
• 1 (26 oz) jar marinara sauce (or use homemade recipe below)
• 12 slider rolls

Homemade Marinara Sauce:

• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• ½ teaspoon dried basil
• 1 (14 oz) can crushed tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• ¼ teaspoon salt

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. In a bowl, combine chicken, herbs, parsley, Parmesan cheese, and bread crumbs. Mix by hand until blended. Shape chicken mixture into 12 patties. Place on lightly greased baking sheet.
3. Bake for 15 minutes, turning once. Top each slider with mozzarella slice and bake an additional 3 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and melted.
4. When sliders are ready and cheese has melted, place one slider on each roll. Divide marinara sauce among each slider (if using homemade sauce, see instructions below). If desired, sprinkle fresh basil over sliders just before serving.
5. To make homemade marinara, heat saucepan over medium heat. Heat oil, add garlic, and cook for 1 minute. Stir in pepper flakes and dried basil. Heat an additional minute. Reduce heat and stir in crushed tomatoes and tomato paste. Add salt, then continue to heat on low until warm.

Slow Cooker Beef Gyros

http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/2015/10/slow-cooker-beef-gyros.html

Author: Six Sisters' Stuff

Recipe type: Main Dish

Prep time:  10 mins

Cook time:  8 hours

Total time:  8 hours 10 mins

Serves: 6 servings

After cooking all day, the flavorful meat is so tender that it practically falls apart!

Ingredients

• ½ cup beef broth
• 2-3 lbs sirloin steak, cut into ½ inch strips
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground pepper
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• pita bread
• lettuce, tomatoes, and cucumber for topping

Tzatziki sauce:

• 32 ounces plain yogurt
• 2 cucumbers, peeled and seeded
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• ½ teaspoon dried dill weed
• salt and pepper, to taste
• olive oil, to taste

Instructions

1. Spray slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray. Pour beef broth in the bottom of the slow cooker.
2. Place steak in the slow cooker and top with onion slices.
3. In a small bowl, mix together olive oil, oregano, salt, pepper, and lemon juice. Pour on top of meat and place lid on top of slow cooker. Cook on low for 7-8 hours or high for 4-5 hours.
4. When finished cooking, place meat on a pita and top with shredded lettuce, tomatoes, and sliced cucumbers. You can drizzle homemade tzatziki (see instructions below) or cucumber ranch dressing.

Tzatziki instructions:

1. Strain yogurt using a cheesecloth over a bowl (if you don’t have that, a strainer lined with a coffee filter will work) for a couple of hours (I let mine strain for about 6 hours) or overnight to get out as much moisture as possible (I know that this step sounds funny, but I promise that if you don't do it, your sauce will be runny and not as delicious).
2. Shred or grate the cucumbers and blot them with a paper towel or clean kitchen towel to get rid of as much moisture as possible.
3. Mix together the strained yogurt, shredded cucumbers, garlic, vinegar and lemon juice. Add salt and pepper to taste. Keep in the fridge until serving (let the flavors come together for about 30 minutes before serving).
4. If you want, drizzle a little olive oil over the top before serving.

Caramel Churro Chex Mix

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 7 minutes

Total Time: 22 minutes

Yield: 15 servings

Ingredients

• 4 1/2 cups Rice Chex™ cereal
• 4 1/2 cups Corn Chex™ cereal
• 1cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) salted butter
• 1/4 up light corn syrup
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Try Pork With Fresh Apples & Mushrooms

Recipes by Campbell's

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350. Place cereal in a large, heat safe bowl. Line a large baking sheet with foil and spray with nonstick baking spray.
2. In a small bowl, combine cinnamon and sugar and set aside.
3. In a heavy saucepan over medium heat, heat brown sugar, butter, and corn syrup until the mixture comes to a boil. Let boil for one minute, stirring constantly, then remove from heat and stir in baking soda. Pour over cereal and stir until cereal is coated.
4. Spread cereal on prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle evenly with cinnamon/sugar mixture. Bake for about 5 minutes, then flip with a spatula and bake for 3 more minutes, until cereal turns golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool completely, then break up and store in an airtight container.

Notes

Heavily adapted from chex.com

Sweet Corn Tamale Cakes-Cheesecake Factory Copy

Salsa Verde
2 tomatillos, roughly chopped
1 (4oz) can diced chilies, drained
1 green onion, thinly sliced
2 T chipped Cilantro
1 1/2 t sugar
1/4 t ground cumin
1/4 t salt
1/8 t black pepper

Pico de Gallo
1 lrg Roma Tomato
1 T Red Onion
1 T Fresh Cilantro, minced
1/2 t lime juice
Salt and Pepper to taste

Southwestern Sauce
1/2 c Mayo
1 t white vinegar
1 t water
1/2 tsp white sugar
1/2 t chili powder
1/4 t paprika
1/8 t cayenne pepper
1/4 t onion powder
1/8 t garlic powder

Corn Cakes
1 1/2 c frozen sweet corn
1/2 c butter, room temp
3 T sugar
1/8 t salt
1/2 c Corn Masa Harina-Corn flour in Mexican Food section
2 T flour
1 1/2 T olive oil

Garnish
Avacado
Cilantro
Sour Cream

Pico de Gallo
Combine all ingredients in small bowl. Toss and cover and chill at least 1 hour

Southwester Sauce
Add all ingredients in small bowl and mix until well combined. Cover and chill 1 hour

Corn Cakes
Add 1 c frozen corn in a food processor until coarsely pureed. In a medium bowl add the pureed corn, softened butter, sugar and salt. Mix until combined.
Add masa and flour and mix until no flour streaks remain.
Add remaining 1/2 c frozen corn and mix until evenly distributed
Measure 1/2 c portions and use hands to form into 3" wide patties
Add olive oil to large skillet and preheat over medium/low heat. Add patties to skillet and cook until golden brown, about 5-8 minutes.  Flip and cook on other side, another 5-8 minutes.
*They seem to get really mushy when cooking. Don't worry, they set up as they cool a little bit. Just be careful when flipping. Keep oil level down, it can get foamy.
Assemble by putting salsa verde on bottom, corn cake, pico de gallo, Southwestern Sauce, garnish

Pina Colada Cupcakes

Cake
1 box yellow cake mix
1/3 c melted butter, cooled
3 eggs
1 1/4 c crushed Pineapple with juice
2 tsp Vanilla

Cream Cheese Frosting
1/2 c butter, softened
8 oz Cream Cheese
1 tsp coconut
3-4 c Powdered Sugar

Coconut Curd
7-8 large egg yolks
1 1/4 c+2 T sugar
4 oz thick coconut cream or milk-just the thick part on top or coconut cream
Pinch of salt
1/2 c chilled, unsalted butter, cut up
You can add shredded coconut to this if you want

Maraschino Cherries and coconut for decoration

Cake
Preheat to 350 and line pans with cupcake wrappers.
Sift cake mix into bowl and set aside
In large bowl, combine butter, eggs, pineapple, and vanilla
Stir in cake mix until smooth
Fill liners 3/4 full and bake for 17-22 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean
Let Cool

Curd
In a double boiler, bring water in bottom to a boil over medium/high
In medium sized metal or glass bowl, beat yolks and sugar until smooth and well mixed
Add lemon juice and salt, whisking well
DO NOT ALLOW WATER TO TOUCH BOTTOM OF TOP PAN
Cook, whisking constantly until thickened-about 20-22 minutes. Mixture will change from transluscent to opaque lighter yellow. It should coat the back of a wooden spoon, but be runny enough to pour. DO not let it boil or it will curdle.
Remove promptly from heat. Add butter gradually, one piece at a time, whisking well to combine
Allow each piece to melt completely before adding another.
Allow to cool, cover by placing plastic wrap directly on top of curd. It will continue to thicken. Transfer to an airtight container for storage.

Frosting:
Beat butter and cream cheese for 2 minutes until smooth
Add vanilla slowly
Add p. sugar until you get the consistency you want
If it gets too thick, add milk or cream a little at a time
Pipe on top of completely cooled cupcakes
Roll sides in coconut and top with cherry

Garlic Noodles

1.5 pkg dry Ramen
2 T Butter
1 T Brown Sugar
1 T Soy Sauce
1-2 Clove Garlic

Boil noodles approximately 4 minutes, until soft. Drain and rinse.
Combine remaining ing. in 8" nonstick pan and heat until hot and bubbly.
Add noodles and toss to coat well. Press into pan and cook on meduim/high until brown and crispy on one side-about 2 minutes.
Flip onto plate then slid back into pan to brown other side.
Stirr the noddles well to mix up the crispy bits.  Press down and fry 2 more minutes.
Flip onto plate then slide back into pan for 2 more minutes.
Repeat flipping one more time on both sides. You will have flipped 3 times. You can do more if you want them crispier.
I added broccoli to the water for the last minute of boiling and a fried egg in pan before cooking.

Tortellini with Spinach, Mushrooms and Goat Cheese

Ingredients:
1 bag frozen tortellini (You could use fresh too if you are near a good market- either works. But this is a nice meal to make since you can have the frozen tortellini on hand anytime!)
5 cups of baby spinach spinach (sounds like a lot but trust me, it cooks down to nothing)
1 small, 8 oz. log of goat cheese
2 containers of baby bella mushrooms, sliced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 small onion, minced
2 Tablespoons butter
3 Tablespoons olive oil salt and pepper
balsamic vinegar

Directions:
1. Heat olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium high heat. Add garlic and onion and sauté until translucent. Add butter until melted. Add mushrooms until tender and slightly browned. Add the spinach in handfuls, adding more to the pan as it begins to wilt and shrink.
2. While the spinach is wilting in the sauté pan, bring a pot of water to a boil. Add tortellini and cook according to package directions (mine only took 3 minutes hence making the pasta at the end instead of the beginning like most recipes).
3. Drain tortellini and add to the sauté pan with the spinach and mushrooms. Crumble up the whole log of goat cheese on top and toss lightly. Season with salt and pepper and Balsamic vinegar

Penne with Acorn Squash and Pancetta

Serves 2 to 4

Penne with Acorn Squash and Pancetta
1 acorn squash (approximately 1 to 1 1/2 pounds)
1 small head of garlic*
1/2 pound penne
2 teaspoons olive oil, plus more for coating garlic
1/2 pound pancetta, sliced 1/4-inch thick and diced
1/2 cup chicken or vegetable stock
1 teaspoon chopped, fresh rosemary
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 400°Fahrenheit.

Slice the squash in half and remove the seeds with a spoon. Cut each half crosswise into long wedges, about 1/2-inch thick. Toss the wedges with the olive oil until coated, and spread on a baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper.

Slice the top off the garlic head so the tops of the cloves are exposed. Drizzle on a bit of olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and wrap in aluminum foil. Place on the edge of the baking sheet with the squash.

Bake the squash and garlic for about 30 minutes, turning the squash once, until both are soft and slightly caramelized. (Depending on how big the head of garlic is, it may take longer. Leave it in the oven while you peel and chop the squash.)

Allow the squash to cool slightly. Then, peel each wedge of squash and cut into large chunks.
Bring a pot of water to boil to cook the pasta. In a large, wide saucepan (you'll add the pasta to this pan at the end) sauté the pancetta until most of the fat is rendered and the meat is crispy, about 15 minutes. About halfway through, cook the pasta, making sure to salt the water.
When the pancetta is finished cooking, remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. Deglaze the pan with the broth, scraping up any brown bits on the bottom. Stir in the rosemary and about four cloves of the roasted garlic, mashing them up in the liquid with the back of a spoon or spatula.
Add the chunks of squash and pancetta to the pan. Drain the pasta, reserving about 1/2 cup of the cooking water, and add the pasta to the squash/pancetta mixture. Toss everything to coat, then stir in the Parmesan. Add a bit of the pasta water if the mixture seems too dry.

Recipe Notes

• Our head of garlic was small (only about four large cloves). If you are roasting a regular-sized bulb, save the other cloves for another use. Or roast peeled cloves on their own,using this technique.

Eva's Notes:

Notes: 1.) I substituted butternut squash for acorn squash. 2.) Pancetta is Italian ham. You could use regular ham or substitute thick-sliced bacon. To achieve a more pancetta taste from the bacon, boil the bacon for two-three minutes, drain, then use as called for in the recipe. 3.) If you do use pancetta, I used a fresh pan for the final steps because I thought there was too much fat to include in the dish. Alternately, I could have just poured off some of the fat and continued to use that pan.

Easy Slow Cooker Mac & Cheese

• 
• Easy Slow Cooker Mac & Cheese Recipe photo by Taste of Home
• 2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
• 1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed cheddar cheese soup, undiluted
• 1 cup 2% milk
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup butter, cubed
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded fontina cheese
• 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded provolone cheese

Directions

1. Cook macaroni according to package directions for al dente. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, combine soup, milk, sour cream, butter and seasonings; cook and stir over medium-low heat until blended. Stir in cheeses until melted.
2. Drain macaroni; transfer to a greased 3-qt. slow cooker. Stir in cheese mixture. Cook, covered, on low 1-2 hours or until heated through. Yield: 8 servings.