Slow Cooker Chicken and Dumplings

Slow Cooker Chicken and Dumplings

2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast halves cut into chunks

1 cup onion, diced

2 cups celery, diced

2 cups carrot, diced

2 tablespoons butter

Parsley, Season Salt, Poultry seasoning and Garlic powder to taste

2 1/2 cups water or chicken stock, enough to cover ingredients

2 (10.5 ounce) cans condensed cream of chicken or celery soup

1 (10 ounce) package refrigerated biscuit dough

Place chicken, onion, celery, carrots, butter, and seasonings in a slow cooker

Pour condensed soup and enough stock to cover ingredients

Cover and cook for 5 to 6 hours on low or 4 hours on high

About 1-2 hours before serving, tear biscuit dough into pieces

Place dough in the slow cooker, I also push them down into the soup

Cook until dough is no longer raw in the center

Enjoy!

Salt Potatoes

My sister made these in her Instant Pot when I visited over the Summer.  I found a way to make them on the stove top.  Small potatoes work best for the most flavor!

 

Salt Potatoes

Makes 8 servings

 

3 pounds new white or yellow potatoes, smaller potatoes are best

1 1/2 cups kosher salt

8 tablespoons butter, melted

 

Wash the potatoes and set aside

Fill a large pot with water, at least 3 quarts

Turn burner to medium high heat

Stir in salt until it dissolves and no longer settles on the bottom

Place potatoes in the pot and bring to a boil

Reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are tender but firm, about 15 minutes

While the potatoes are cooking, melt the butter in a small pan over medium heat

Drain potatoes, but do not rinse!!!

Pour melted butter over potatoes and serve immediately

 

“Salt potatoes are a regional specialty of Syracuse, New York, a.k.a. The Salt City. Salt potatoes date to the 1800s, invented by local salt mine workers who created a simple and inexpensive lunch by boiling small potatoes in brine. The potatoes are still very popular today with the Central New York crowd, making an incredibly easy and delicious side dish.”

 

Egg Salad

Egg Salad

Makes 2 Sandwiches

2 hard boiled, chopped Eggs

2 Tablespoons Mayonnaise or Salad Dressing (Start with less, you can always add more)

1 teaspoon Mustard

1 teaspoon Relish or chopped Pickles

1/4 teaspoon Onion Powder

1/4 teaspoon Garlic Powder

1/2 teaspoon Sugar

Salt and Pepper to taste

Chopped Celery and Onion (Optional)

 

Mix all the ingredients together and let it set for 30 minutes so the flavors can blend before serving.

Spread on your favorite roll, bread or wrap.  Top with Lettuce, Tomato, Cheese or Sliced Onion.

 

We enjoyed ours with a side of Broccoli-Cauliflower Salad, Pickles, Carrot Sticks and Chips

 

Fried Chicken Bowl

My grandson loved this.  He said the chicken was the best he ever had.  Comfort food that he loved!  What more could I ask for?

 

Makes 3 Bowls

Popcorn Chicken

Corn

Mashed Potatoes

Gravy

Cheese

Salt and Pepper (Optional)

 

I took 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts and cut into chunks.  Dusted with flour, egg, and then bread crumbs.  I baked them in a 350 degree oven for about 15-20 minutes.  You can also use store bought popcorn chicken and cook according to package directions.

While the chicken baked, I warmed up a can of whole kernel corn, chicken gravy and made instant potatoes for a serving of 4

I layered the mashed potatoes, corn and chicken, then topped with gravy and a sprinkle of cheese.

My grandson loved this and said it was the best popcorn chicken he ever had.

Chicken and Dumplings

This soup is so flavorful.  My kids wouldn’t leave until they had some.

 

Chicken and Dumplings

6 servings

3 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed cream of chicken soup

3 cups chicken stock

3 cups chicken, cut into chunks

1 cup each celery and onion, chopped

2 tsp of onion powder

1 tsp of garlic powder

1/2 tsp of garlic salt

2 tsp of poultry seasoning

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 cup each potato and carrot, chopped

1 cup frozen green peas

1 1/2 cups baking mix (optional, see notes at end)

2/3 cups milk

 

In large, heavy pot, combine soup, stock, chicken, celery, onion and seasonings. Cover and cook over low heat about 1 1/2 hours.

Add potatoes and carrots; cover and cook another 30 minutes.

Add peas and cook only 5 minutes longer.

Add dumplings. To make dumplings: Mix baking mix and milk until a soft dough forms. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto BOILING stew. Simmer covered for 10 minutes, then uncover and simmer an additional 10 minutes.

*Helpful hint: DO NOT “drop” your dumplings to close together, to cook properly they need room to breathe and the liquid needs to bubble up between them.

*Instead of making dumplings you can use refrigerated buttermilk biscuits.  Cut each biscuit into eights with a pair of scissors right into the pot of broth and simmer as stated above.

Baked Cheese Ravioli

Baked Cheese Ravioli

 

Frozen Cheese Ravioli

Pasta Sauce

Mozzarella Cheese

Parmesan Cheese

 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Spread a layer of pasta sauce on the bottom of the baking dish

Place frozen ravioli on top of pasta sauce

Top with more pasta sauce

Cover with foil and bake in the preheated oven for 50 minutes

Uncover and top with Mozzarella Cheese

Place dish back into the oven for about 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbly

Served with Parmesan Cheese, Garlic Bread and a Caesar Salad

Enjoy!

 

You can use the recipe as a base to expand with vegetables, meats and other seasonings.

Roast Sticky Chicken-Rotisserie Style

If you ever wanted to make Rotisserie Style Chicken at home, you will love this recipe!  It comes out so flavorful each time I have made it.  I hope you enjoy it too.

 

Roast Sticky Chicken-Rotisserie Style

 

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1 onion, quartered

2 Tablespoons minced garlic

1 (4 pound) whole chicken

Butter

 

In a small bowl, mix together salt, paprika, onion powder, thyme, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and garlic powder

Rinse chicken cavity, and pat dry with paper towel

Place pats of butter, coated with seasoning, under the skin of the chicken

Rub chicken inside and out with spice mixture

Place onion and minced garlic into the cavity of chicken

Place chicken in a re-sealable bag or double wrap with plastic wrap (I placed it right in my crock)

Refrigerate overnight or at least 4 to 6 hours

Lay uncut carrots and celery on bottom of crock pot as a rack for holding the chicken up out of the liquid

Set cooker to high for 4 hours

Occasionally baste the chicken with the liquid from the bottom of the crock

Internal temp should be at least 160 degrees

I placed the chicken in the oven on broil for about 5-8 minutes to give it a crisp coating

While chicken is standing, melt 1/4 stick of butter in a small pan

Add 4 tablespoons of flour, stir to thicken

Add 1-2 cups of pan juices or stock to make gravy

Easy Casserole

My daughter calls it Pot Pie with No Crust, I call it Easy Casserole.  Whatever you call it, it’s Comfort Food!

 

Easy Casserole

Serves 6-8

This casserole can be made with any cooked meat you have on hand.

Pictured casserole was made with roasted turkey.

 

20 ounces of cooked diced meat (Chicken, Turkey, Ham, Tuna, Beef)

2 cans cream soup, I used cream of celery for this casserole

1 cup milk

1 cup frozen peas

1 cup frozen carrots

12 ounce bag of wide noodles

 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Cook noodles a bit firm, according to package directions

Drain and rinse with cold water to stop them from cooking

In a large bowl, mix together the meat, soup, milk, peas, carrots and noodles

Spread into a greased 9×13 casserole pan

Cover and bake for 20 minutes

Uncover and top with bread crumbs and shredded cheese

Bake another 10 minutes or until cheese melts

Enjoy!

Pancakes

Pancakes

Recipe makes about 6 servings

 

2 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup and 2 tablespoons powdered milk

2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoon salt

 

1 1/2 cup water, add more if needed

2 eggs

3 tablespoons oil

 

Mix well and drop by spoonfuls onto a hot skillet

Watch for the bottoms to get brown and flip to brown the other side

Enjoy!

 

Dry mix can be stored in an airtight container for later use.

Left overs can be frozen for a quick snack.

Ham and Broccoli Casserole

Made this for dinner tonight.  I had the ham jarred up and broccoli was in the freezer from a recent trip to the Farmers Market.

 

Ham and Broccoli Casserole

Makes about 4 servings

 

1 1/2 cups pasta cooked according to package directions

1/2 cup frozen or cooked broccoli, broken into small pieces

1/2 tablespoon olive oil

1 cup diced fully cooked ham

1 (15 ounce) jar Alfredo sauce

1/4 cup milk (add milk to empty sauce jar, shake and add to skillet to get all the leftover sauce)

Black pepper to taste

1/2 cup shredded Colby-Monterey Jack cheese

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat; cook and stir the diced ham in the hot oil until the edges start to brown, about 5 minutes

Stir in the broccoli

Cook and stir until any excess water has cooked away and the ham and broccoli are hot

Pour in the jar of Alfredo sauce and the milk; stir to blend, sprinkle with pepper, and add the cooked pasta

Stir everything together to coat the pasta with sauce and bring to a simmer

Spread the bubbling pasta mixture into the prepared baking dish, top with shredded Colby-Monterey jack cheese

Bake in the preheated oven until the casserole is hot and the cheese is melted and starting to brown, about 30 minutes