Crockpot Chicken and Dumplings

Ingredients:
Large Fryer Chicken (mine was about 4 pounds)
Gallon of Salted Water
3 cups All-Purpose Flour
1 tsp. Baking Powder
2 Large Eggs
Tap Water (about 1/2 cup)

 Kitchenware:
Crockpot
Large Mixing Bowl
Rolling Pin
Wooden Spoon


This recipe is easy peasy...

Set your crockpot on High. Pour in your water, and add in your chicken. (If you'd like to add seasoning right now you can.) I added in my seasoning and Bay Leaf. Cook, on High, for 4 hours. Take out your chicken and let cool, so you can debone it.

To make your dumplings:

Combine flour, baking powder, eggs and knead dough, adding water as needed. I eventually added in 1/2 cup of water, but depending on the consistency you desire, you may add less or more. Roll out dough on lightly floured board; cut in strips or squares.

Drop into crockpot. Cook for 20 minutes after the last dumpling has been added. (Cooking time for dumplings may depend based on the size and/or thickness) Add in deboned chicken; stir in GENTLY. Let cook another 10-20 minutes to reheat the chicken. Serve over rice.

This can also be frozen really well in quart containers or ziploc bags.

Italian Chicken with Mushrooms

Hey again! I figured that while I was wide awake, that I would go ahead and throw up a few more recipes. These won't have pictures to accompany them until I make the recipe, but I will add them soon enough.

This has to be one of my FAVORITE Crock Pot Recipes EVER.

You know how sometimes you have the craving for really great tasting rice and gravy, but just feel blah and don't want to cook... at all?

Well people, here is your EASY BUTTON.

This recipe literally has as little as two ingredients, but I added a few to enhance some flavors.

Seasonings Needed:

Salt

Pepper

Ingredients Needed:

6 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts or Thighs

Bottle of Italian Dressing

Mushrooms (as many or as little as you'd like)

To Half:

3 Chicken Breasts

1/2 Bottle Italian dressing (one cup)

Mushrooms (optional)

Kitchenware:

Crockpot

Rice Cooker or other vessel to cook rice in

Spoon

So this recipe really is cake. I usually half the recipe (3 breasts, half the dressing, and mushrooms) for Jason and I, but I could literally lick the Crock Pot clean after this is cooked. Let's say these leftovers don't last for long.

Turn Crock Pot to High.

Season chicken with salt and pepper, then put in Crock Pot.

Add Italian dressing and mushrooms, put on the lid and let cook for 3-5 hours.

And yes folks, That.Is.IT.

Around the 4 hour mark, you can go in with a spoon and chop up the chicken. It will be so tender by this point that it will almost shred.

Make your rice and choice of vegetable to go along with this and you have a complete meal.

Don't say I didn't warn you about how easy this was to make. Now hide the leftovers for yourself!

Chicken Quesadillas

So, after a long day of grocery shopping and an even longer battle with Marie's reflux today, time flew from me. I just finished reorganizing the pantry, got Marie down for a nap finally and then Jason walks in from work.

I had no idea what I was doing for dinner, but he said he was hungry, so make it snappy.

Chicken Quesadillas to the rescue! Super quick to make, and we ALWAYS have cheese, tortillas and chicken stocked.

Seasonings:


(I like to use my own mix of stuff, but you can just use taco or fajita seasoning here.)

Salt
Pepper
Garlic Powder
Cayenne Pepper
Paprika (optional)
Cumin
Chili Powder

Ingredients:

Chicken Breasts or Thighs (leftover chicken does well with this recipe!)
Tortillas (I used Mission's Whole Wheat Tortillas. They have extra crunch!)
Cheese (I used Monterrey Jack)

Various Condiments:
Not limited to, but may include:

Sour Cream
Guacamole
Salsa

Kitchenware Needed:

Cutting Board
Tongs
Knife
Spatula
Griddle or Large Skillet
Meat Mallet (or can substitute other heavy flattening object)


So let's go!

 All of the spices used, with the exception of the chili powder are above. Below are the chicken breasts awaiting annihilation, er, tenderization.

 Now that they are fully tenderized, it's time to season them. Start off with your salt and pepper first on each side. This way, they marry with the chicken and don't get hidden by the other spices you'll be using.

 Heat up your pan or griddle to Medium heat, or 350. When heated, get the chicken cooking!

 I do about 3-5 minutes per side. You want them browned, but not burnt.

Ah, the cheese!! While the chicken is cooking, you can grate your cheese. What the heck, I buy the stuff prepackaged, I can skip this step. No, listen! Ever wonder why the pre-grated cheese is so stiff? It's because the companies use cornstarch to preserve it. Thus, making it harder to melt quickly. Save money by spending a little time (about a minute) to grate some cheese! I promise, it makes a big difference. Easier to melt, and oh so fun to drop crumbs on the floor for the puppies to fight over!

 Get the cleaning fairy to either take care of your dirty pan/griddle or get a new one! While she's working, thinly slice up your chicken, and get your tortillas ready.

You HAVE to get your tortillas crispy. You know how when you make pancakes, you wait for the bubble to appear before you flip it? The same thing goes here. Wait until you see a few bubbles, and then flip. Look at that crispy goodness...

 Carefully, put your cheese and chicken on your tortilla, and not on the pan! Otherwise, you'll make a stinky mess. If there are other things you want to add, such as olives, onions, or the like, throw them on now.

 Throw the other tortilla on top, and you're done! Use a pizza cutter to cut the quesadilla, trust me, it makes it much easier!

Enjoy!


You could use a bunch of different leftover meats in this recipe. Once, I had half of a meatloaf leftover, and I crumbled it up in a pan, added some spices and water, and then made these!

Don't be limited by Cheddar or Monterrey Jack either! Experiment with cheese combinations