Whole Chicken in a Slow Cooker

I always have difficulty with recipes that call for already "cooked" chicken.  I've had to cook chicken breasts before starting a recipe....not fun.  I've tried cooking a batch of chicken breasts in the slow cooker at one time and then shredding the chicken, which isn't too bad.  But then I found this recipe.  At first my husband and I were kind of skeptical.  However, if you want a whole chicken for dinner on a weeknight, this is totally the way to go.  Since first finding this recipe a few weeks ago, we've actually made it again.  The spice rub gives the chicken good flavor and the slow cooker keeps it moist.  Broiling it at the end crisps the skin up nicely.  We actually made this for a weekend dinner, and then I was able to  use the leftover chicken for another recipe.  This is definitely our go to recipe now for a quick and easy chicken dinner....and it gives us leftover chicken to use in another recipe later in the week!

Whole Chicken in a Slow Cooker
recipe adapted from The Little Kitchen, originally adapted from food.com

Ingredients:

Rub Ingredients
4 tsp salt
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder

3 1/2 to 4 1/2 lbs roasting or fryer chicken
2 garlic cloves

Directions:
Combine rub ingredients in a small bowl.

Remove chicken from packaging and remove neck and pouch with organs. Discard or reserve for later use in another recipe. Rinse chicken and pat dry with paper towels.

Rub garlic all over outside of the chicken. Put garlic inside the chicken. Rub the rub all over the outside and inside the chicken. Place chicken in slow cooker and cover. Cook chicken on low for 4-8 hours. Cook until the internal temperature of the leg is at 160 degrees F or use a pop-up thermometer as the original recipe calls for (cooking time will vary depending on the size of the chicken).

Remove chicken and place in a 9x13 glass baking dish. Place baking dish in the oven under the broiler for about 4-5 minutes. Allow chicken to rest after removing it from the broiler for 5-10 minutes.

Family Rating: 2 thumbs up!

This post is shared at:
Work it Wednesday @ High Heels & Grills
Back For Seconds Social Link Party @ Back for Seconds
Fabulous Friday @ Real Housemoms
Foodie Friday@ Simple Living and Eating

Crockpot Buffalo Chicken Lasagna

I'm still really behind on my postings.  If you can believe it, I made this recipe back in January!  It's been a really long time since I used the slow cooker.  Since I've become a stay-at-home mom it's not so much of a necessity anymore as much as a convenience.  I actually ended up making this recipe on a Sunday when I knew we were going to be busy but wanted us to be able to eat dinner at home.  I've had this recipe saved for so long but had never made it because I knew the kids would never eat it.  I was really craving something buffalo chicken flavored though and decided to go for it.  I cooked up some leftover lasagna noodles for the kids and served them with butter and cheese.  My husband and I were both glad that I finally made this.  It was really easy to put together and tasted really good!  There's definitely a kick from the buffalo wing sauce!  With the tang from the blue cheese this lasagna was really flavorful!    

Crockpot Buffalo Chicken Lasagna
recipe from Stephanie O'Dea's A Year of Slow Cooking

Ingredients:
uncooked traditional lasagna noodles
4 already cooked chicken breast halves
jar of prepared pasta sauce
1 cup buffalo wing sauce
15 oz. tub of ricotta cheese
2 cups shredded cheese (mozzarella and cheddar blend)
1/2 cup bleu cheese crumbles
1/4 cup of water (add at very end)

Directions:
In a large glass bowl, combine cooked and chopped chicken breast, the pasta sauce, and 1 cup of buffalo wing sauce.

Ladle a big spoonful of the sauce into the bottom of a 5 qt crockpot. Cover with a layer of uncooked lasagna noodles, breaking as needed to get a proper fit.

Add a smear of ricotta cheese to the top of the noodles. Sprinkle on a handful of shredded cheese.

Repeat layers until you run out of ingredients.

Add the bleu cheese crumbles, if desired. Put the 1/4 cup of water into your empty pasta sauce jar and shake. Pour the liquid over the top of the entire lasagna.

Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours, or on high for 4-5. When cooking time is complete, unplug and take off the lid of the crock. Let it sit for 20 minutes before cutting into.

Mommy & Daddy Rating: 2 thumbs up.

This post is shared at:
Tasty Tuesdays @ 33 Shades of Green
Totally Tasty Tuesdays @ Mandy's Recipe Box
Back for Seconds Social @ Back for Seconds
Work it Wednesdays @ High Heels & Grills

Meatless Monday: Crock-Pot Huevos Rancheros Casserole

I'm always looking for slow cooker recipes. This recipe was a double plus because it was "breakfast for dinner" which the kids love so much.  I don't think I had ever made or eaten Huevos Rancheros before this, so I wasn't exactly sure what it was supposed to look or taste like.  I took the original recipe found here and adapted it to what I had and what I thought the kids would eat (the original sounded a bit spicy).  This was super easy to put together.  I had it prepared mid-afternoon and by the time we came home from tae kwon do it was ready.  I served this with yellow rice and we all enjoyed it. 

Crock-Pot Huevos Rancheros Casserole
recipe adapted from Crock-Pot Ladies

Ingredients:
8 Large Eggs
1/4 Cup milk
1 cup salsa
1 – 14.5 Ounce Can Black Beans, Rinsed and Drained
1 Teaspoon Cilantro
1/2 Teaspoon Black Ground Pepper
8 flour Tortillas, Soft Taco Size
sour cream (optional for topping)
1 avocado, diced (optional for topping)
shredded cheddar cheese (optional for topping)

Directions:
Spray non-stick spray inside of your crock-pot.

Crack eggs into medium bowl, add milk and pepper and whisk.

In another bowl, mix beans, salsa, and cilantro.

Place two tortillas at bottom of crock.

Spoon about a third of the salsa/bean mixture on top.

Pour about a fourth of the egg mixutre on top of that.

Top with two more tortillas and repeat layering 3 times so egg is your top layer.

Cover and cook on low for approximately 8 hours.

Cut and serve with desired toppings.

Family Rating: 1 1/2 thumbs up.

This recipe is shared at:
Mangia Mondays @ Delightfully Dowling
On The Menu Monday @ StoneGable
The Bulletin Board @ Mrs. Happy Homemaker

Orange Chicken for Dummies

This recipe has less than five ingredients AND is made in the slow cooker.  This was definitely on my to try list.  I have found and tried a lot of recipes from Mandy's Recipe Box and almost all of them have been really tasty!  So when I saw this one I decided to make it on one of our busy Monday weeknights.  My son, who is a really picky eater, ate all of his chicken.  Unfortunately, this was one of those recipes that I thought was just okay.  The catalina dressing was really strong and I think a bit too sweet. Unfortunately, as quick and easy as this was to make, I won't be making this dish again. 

Orange Chicken for Dummies
recipe from Mandy's Recipe Box

Ingredients:
1 envelope (1 oz.) onion soup mix
1 c. apricot preserves
1c. Catalina salad dressing
2-3 lbs Chicken tenders

Directions:
Place all in a slow cooker and stir to coat the chicken. Cook on low 6-8 hours or high 4-5 hours.

You can also put it in a 9x13 baking dish and bake it in the oven at 350 degrees for 45-60 minutes.

Serve over rice.

Family Rating: So-so.

Slow Cooker Chicken Cordon Bleu

Thanks so much Linda! This recipe was featured at: I first saw this recipe and wasn't sure how good chicken cordon bleu can come out in the slow cooker. I'm really glad that I tried this.  This was super easy to put together and tasted surprisingly good!  My daughter enjoyed this more than my son (even with the swiss cheese!) but my son even ate a couple of bites of chicken and all of the ham.  I would definitely make this again for a quick weeknight dinner.

Slow Cooker Chicken Cordon Bleu
recipe from Crock-Pot Ladies

Ingredients:
4-6 Boneless/Skinless Chicken Breasts
1 (10.75 Oz.) Can Cream Of Chicken Soup
1 Cup Milk
4 Oz. Sliced Ham 
4 Oz. Sliced Swiss Cheese
1 6 Oz. Box Herb Or Chicken Flavored Stuffing
1/4 Cup Butter, Melted
1/4 Cup Water

Directions:
In a bowl whisk together the cream of chicken soup and milk until combined.

Pour half of the soup & milk mixture in the bottom of a 6-7 quart oval crock-pot.

Arrange chicken breasts on top of the soup mixture.

Lay slices of ham and then slices of Swiss cheese over the top of the chicken breasts.

Pour remaining soup & milk mixture over everything.

Cover top of chicken, ham & Swiss cheese with the dry stuffing mix.

Pour melted butter and water over the top of the dry stuffing mix.

Cover crock-pot and cook on low for 4-6 hours or on high for for 2-3 hours.

Family Rating: 1 1/2 thumbs up!

Slow Cooker: Peking Pork Chops

I'm always trying out and looking for new slow cooker recipes.  I had just picked up some pork chops, so these caught my eye.  Now I know that my crock pot is tempermental and cooks things really fast.  So I adapt cooking times accordingly.  However, even shortening the cook time on these they still came out too dry.  They didn't get tender as they cooked longer....just drier. :(  The sauce was really tasty though and I spooned some on the rice that I served with these.

Peking Pork Chops
recipe slightly adapted from A Year of Slow Cooking

Ingredients:
6 pork chops
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon 5 Spice Powder
1/2 cup free soy sauce
1/4 cup ketchup
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 onion sliced

Directions:
Put pork chops in bottom of slow cooker. In a small bowl, combine sugar, 5 spice powder, soy sauce, ketchup, and garlic. Pour evenly over the top of chops. Lay onion rings on top of pork chops.

Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or on high for about 4. If your chops are frozen they will take longer to cook.

Family Rating: 1 thumb up.

Slow Cooker Garlic Ranch Chicken

I'm always on the lookout for new slow cooker recipes.  The slow cooker is a kitchen staple for a busy mom!  Honestly, most of the slow cooker recipes that I've made in the past haven't been that great.  I know that my slow cooker tends to cook things faster than the designated cooking time.  Now that I'm home and can easily check on the doneness of dishes I'm hoping to have less overcooked meals!  This recipe has only 5 ingredients.  Throw it in the slow cooker and let it do its thing.  I ended up cooking some egg noodles, shredding the chicken once it was cooked, and mixing it all together in the sauce as seen below.  I ended up serving it with some steamed veggies.  Easy....definitely.  Taste-wise it was okay.  I won't be making this again....but then again I don't make many recipes twice.  The kids enjoyed it, although my son, like usual, ate more noodles than chicken. 

Slow Cooker Garlic Ranch Chicken
recipe from Cookin' Mimi

Ingredients:
4-6 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 10 ounce can cream of chicken soup low sodium and/or low fat
3 cloves, garlic peeled, and lightly smashed
1 packet (approximately 2 Tablespoons) ranch dressing mix
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Directions:
1.Place chicken breasts in the bottom of a 4 to 6 quart slow cooker.

2.In a small bowl mix together the cream of chicken soup, garlic cloves, ranch dressing mix, and black pepper.

3.Pour over chicken breasts.

4.Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours or on high for 2-4 or until chicken is tender and has reached 165 degrees.

Family Rating: 1 thumb up.

Asian Style Country Ribs

It's definitely time to bring out the slow cooker.  The weather is getting cooler and since school has started, our lives have gotten much busier!  The slow cooker is invaluable to us on those busy days when it's impossible to get dinner on the table in a timely manner AND drive the kids to their various after-school activties, some which run into our usual dinner time.  There are lots of different slow cooker rib recipes out there.  I found this one, which used ingredients that I had already in the house.  Now, I've made many slow cooker recipes and many have turned out eh, kind of bland.  Both my husband and I were surprised out how tasty and flavorful these ribs were.  My daughter was eating hers right up and even had seconds.  My son, the picky eater had a couple of bites of these.  I don't often repeat recipes but I would definitely make these again! Rice and veggies completed this quick and easy meal.

Asian Style Country Ribs
recipe slightly adapted from A Busy Mom's Slow Cooker Adventures

Ingredients:
3-4 lb. Country Ribs
1/2 cup low-sodium Soy Sauce
1/2-3/4 cup brown sugar
1 Tbsp. Garlic powder
1 tsp. sesame seeds
2 Tbsp. Rice Vinegar

Directions:
Mix together the soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic powder, sesame seeds and rice vinegar.
Place the ribs in the slow cooker.

Pour the sauce over the ribs.

Cover and cook on LOW for 7-9 hours or on HIGH for 4-5 hours.

The last half hour, add some scallions.

Family Rating: 2 thumbs up!

Crockpot Hash Brown Breakfast Casserole

Although I have had this breakfast casserole bookmarked for awhile, I recently made the Velveeta Cheesy Bacon Hash Brown Bake first.  This was only because I was trying to use up a block of velveeta.  I figured the family wouldn't mind another breakfast casserole so soon though because the kids are such big fans of breakfast for dinner. Although this was super quick and easy, I have to say that we enjoyed the other breakfast casserole a lot more.  This lacked quite a bit in flavor.  The kids were dipping their casserole in ketchup while my husband and I were pouring hot sauce on top of ours.  Overall, it was just okay and I recommend the other slow cooker casserole over this one.

 Crockpot Hash Brown Breakfast Casserole
recipe from Stephanie O'Dea's A Year of Slow Cooking

Ingredients:
30 oz package of plain frozen shredded hash brown potatoes
4 chicken and apple sausage links, sliced
1/2 onion, diced
1 1/2 cups shredded cheese
12 eggs
1 cup milk
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp black pepper

Preparation:
Spray the inside of crockpot with cooking spray. Pour hash browns in bottom, breaking up any clumps.

In a mixing bowl, mix the dozen eggs with the milk, salt and pepper, cheese, cut up sausage, and onion. Pour everything on top of the hash browns.

Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or on high for 3-4. This is done when the eggs are fully cooked and the edges start to brown a bit.

Family Rating: 1 thumb up.

Around the World: Turmeric Braised Chicken (Lawang)

As we continue our adventure in Afghanistan cooking these next three days of recipes actually made up one meal.  As my husband commented, this was like a supper club dinner, but you did all the cooking.  Yes, the day before Mother's Day I spent cooking this dinner. 

The main dish was this Turmeric Braised Chicken.  A plus to this recipe was that is was made in the slow cooker again.  A negative, on my part, was that I didn't have turmeric.  I tried substituting with some dried mustard and saffron, but I didn't get that deep golden yellow color that turmeric adds.  So, although the chicken came out tender, it lacked in flavor.  Luckily, mixed with rice and the other dishes that we served with this the dinner was tasty.  I wouldn't make this recipe again though, unless I had the turmeric! 

Turmeric Braised Chicken (Lawang)
from Afghan Culture Unveiled

Ingredients:
1/4 cup olive oil
2 large onions, finely chopped or pureed in food processor
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped or pureed with the onions
3 lbs skinless, bone-in chicken legs and thighs, separated
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
1 tbsp. ground turmeric
1 1/2 tsp. ground coriander
1/2 cup chicken broth or water
1 ½ cups Greek-style yogurt, room temperature
1 cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped

Preparation:
 Put the chicken in the crock pot.

Heat the oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pan. Cook the onions and garlic over medium-high heat for 15 minutes until deeply browned. Add the salt, pepper, turmeric, coriander and water to the onions and stir well. Spoon the onion mixture over the chicken, stirring it to evenly cover the chicken pieces. Put on the lid and set the slow cooker on low for 4 hours.

When the chicken is cooked, stir the yogurt and add it along with the cilantro to the crock pot. Give everything a good stir to make sure the yogurt dissolves in the sauce.

Family Rating: So-so.

Slow Cooker Afghan Risotto

This was the first Afghan recipe that I made.  Shohla, also known as Afghan Risotto, can either be sweet or savory.  This one is savory, made with meat and split peas.  I thought I'd start out easy, with this one, since it uses the slow cooker.  I have a finnicky slow cooker that usually cooks dishes much faster than recommended cook times.  Unfortunately, I ended up cooking this a little later than I had planned.  To get dinner eaten in time I served it, though the rice still had a little "bite" to it.  I modified the original recipe by omitting the jalapeno, so it wouldn't be too spicy for the kids (though I think it would have added more flavor to the dish).  The recipe also called for dried mung beans, which I could not find.   I served this with store-bought whole wheat naan.  As our first recipe I thought this was okay. My daughter ate hers but my son only ate a bite but devoured his naan. 

Afghan Risotto
recipe adapted from Afghan Culture Unveiled

Ingredients:
2 large yellow onions, peeled and quartered
5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 lb. beef stewing meat, cut into medium chunks
1 tbsp. tomato sauce
1/3 cup olive oil
2 cups beef broth
¼ cup yellow split peas
2 cups short-grain white rice, rinsed and drained in a colander
½ tsp. ground black pepper
2 ½ tsp. dried dill
6 cups water
Plain yogurt


Preparation:
Puree the onions and garlic in a food processor. Put the onion/garlic puree, meat, tomato sauce, olive oil and beef broth into the slow cooker. Mix well and cook on low for 4 hours until the meat is cooked through and most of the liquid is absorbed. The sauce be aromatic and it will have a rich brown color.

Add all the rest of the ingredients except the yogurt to the slow cooker. Stir thoroughly; continue to cook on low for 2 more hours. Cook until the meat is tender enough to easily cut with a fork and all the water is absorbed. If all the water is absorbed but the rice is still crunchy, add another cup of water, stir well, and cooks for another 15 minutes. Serve hot with a spoonful of plain yogurt.

Family Rating: 1 thumb up.

Orange-Apricot Pork Chops in the CrockPot

I haven't used the slow cooker in awhile.  It's been slowly gathering dust in the upstairs closet.  When I was looking for a pork chop recipe to use up some that I had in the freezer I found this.  I love how quick and easy this recipe was.  My slow cooker tends to cook things super fast, so I ended up cooking this recipe on low for 4 1/2 hours, but I left the original cooking time from Stephanie's recipe below.  It's really difficult for me to give a recipe two thumbs up.  It means that everyone in the family loved it (or sometimes just my husband and I, but we LOVED it if we give it two thumbs up!).  So, mostly desserts make the two thumbs up rating.  This recipe was so close though!  When my son eats all of his dinner and tells me what a good cook that I am, then I know that I have a winner.  Unfortunately, my daughter, who loves fruit, has a thing about "warm" fruit and so, she only thought that this dish was okay.  She ended up giving her oranges to her brother, who was more than happy to eat them for her.  I served this with rice and veggies.  This was a super quick and tasty dinner!

Orange-Apricot Pork Chops in the CrockPot
recipe adapted from Stephanie O'Dea - A Year of Slow Cooking

Ingredients:
6 pork chops
1 cup apricot jam
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 (11-ounce) can mandarin oranges, undrained

Directions:
Use a 4-6 quart crockpot. Put pork chops into your crockpot. In a small bowl, combine jam, brown sugar, and spices. Spoon over pork chops. Add the entire can of mandarin oranges evenly over the top. Cover and cook on low for about 8 hours, or on high for about 4.

Serve with rice to soak up the juice.

Family Rating: 1 1/2 thumbs up.

Crockpot: Asian-Style Country Ribs with Black Bean Garlic Sauce

I'm always on the lookout for quick, easy, and tasty slow cooker recipes.  I saw this one and immediately bookmarked it so I could make it one day.  Well, that one day finally came.  I haven't cooked a lot with black bean garlic sauce.  The jar in the fridge with the markered date of last February can attest to that! (Yes, after we open almost anything refrigerated we write the date that we opened it on it with marker.  I'm a little anal about not eating things past a certain amount of days after opening...unlike my husband!). So, I bought a new jar of black bean garlic sauce and made these.  I didn't cut up the ribs as the recipe calls for, since I forgot to defrost them.  Instead I just put them in the slow cooker frozen. The ribs ended up having a nice flavor and it was very kid-friendly since the sauce had no spice/heat to it.  Now I still have at least half a jar of black bean garlic sauce sitting in the fridge.  Any recipe recommendations before it ends up getting chucked?!

Crockpot:  Asian-Style Country Ribs with Black Bean Garlic Sauce
from One Perfect Bite

Yield:  6-8 servings

Ingredients:
3 to 4 pounds boneless country-style pork ribs, cross cut in 1-1/2-inch pieces
3 tablespoons prepared black bean garlic sauce from a jar (i.e. Lee Kum Kee)
1/4 cup low-sodium soy salt
1/4 cup mirin or chicken stock
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger root
1 tablespoon coarsely chopped fresh garlic
1/2 teaspoon coarsely cracked black pepper
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 teaspoons dark sesame oil
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons chopped scallions (white and tender green)

Directions:
1) Spray interior of slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray. Place pork cubes in slow cooker. Combine black bean garlic sauce, soy sauce, mirin, honey, ginger, garlic, pepper and cornstarch in a small bowl; stir to dissolve cornstarch. Pour over ribs.

2) Cook, covered, on LOW setting for 5 to 6 hours until ribs are tender but still hold their shape. Transfer ribs to a rimmed serving platter; tent with foil to keep warm. Strain liquid into a small pan. Bring liquid to a boil over medium-high heat; cook until mixture begins to thicken and is reduced by half. Stir in sesame oil. Add sauce and 1/4 cup scallions to pork cubes. Mix well. Garnish with reserved 2 tablespoons scallions.
 
Family Rating: 1 1/2 thumbs up.

Crazy Cooking Challenge: Creamy Chicken Marinara

I am so happy to be participating in the "Crazy Cooking Challenge" this month, hosted by Tina at Moms Crazy Cooking.  This month's challenge was to make a spaghetti with red sauce recipe that was found on another food/cooking blog. I knew that I didn't want to go with a traditional marinara sauce.  After perusing a few food and cooking blogs I found this recipe at the Stolen Moments food blog.  Kate is a mom to 5 kids and creates delicious and budget friendly meals.  Please take a minute and stop by her blog and let her know that I sent you!

What I loved about this recipe was that it could be made in the slow cooker!  There was very little work involved and it was really good.  The chicken was a nice variation on traditional meat sauces.  I liked how the cream cheese helped flavor the sauce and give it a creamy texture.  Knowing my tempermental slow cooker and since I was using thin chicken breasts, I only cooked my sauce on for two hours on low before adding the spinach and cream cheese.  It could probably have even cooked for less time since my chicken was a little tough when shredding.  Overall I enjoyed this dish.  Like I said, it was definitely a quick and easy meal to put together. My kids gave me a hard time about eating it, which I can't understand, since they love spaghetti and chicken. 

 

Creamy Chicken Marinara
recipe slightly adapted from Stolen Moments blog
 
Ingredients:
2 - 8 oz cans tomato sauce
1 - 15 oz can diced tomatoes
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons Penzy's Pasta Sprinkle
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 bay leaf
1 lb boneless chicken breasts
4 oz block cream cheese, cut into cubes
1 - 10 oz box frozen spinach, thawed and excess water squeezed out
1 lb. spaghetti, cooked according to package
grated parmesan cheese
 
Directions:
1.  Combine tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, garlic, and seasonings in a bowl and stir until mixed.
 
2. Place the chicken breasts in a crockpot or casserole dish.  Pour sauce on top. Cook on high for 3 hours in a crockpot or bake at 250 degrees for 3 hours.
 
3. Add the cream cheese and spinach. Continue cooking using preferred method for another hour.
 
4.  Remove chicken and bay leaf.  Stir sauce until creamy.  Shred chicken and add back into the sauce.  Serve over spaghetti.  Garnish with parmesan cheese, if desired.
 
Family Rating:  1 thumb up.
 

Slow Cooker Chicken Breasts with Cranberry Sauce

I saw this recipe and the super short ingredient list and wanted to try it.  However, the original recipe called for a 4-6 pound frozen turkey breast.  I didn't have a turkey breast so I thought that I'd try it with chicken breasts.  Like I've mentioned in previous posts, I have difficulty with the cooking times on my slow cooker.  It tends to overcook food, so I often program the slow cooker for less time than recipes call for.  I think even using frozen chicken breasts (they were cut thin) this recipe cooked in less than 4 hours. The flavors were good, a little on the sweet side from the cranberry sauce.  Talk about easy and with so few ingredients, it was super easy for a weeknight meal.

Slow Cooker Chicken Breats with Cranberry Sauce
recipe adapted from Cooking Light Message Boards, posted by Molli526


Ingredients:
2 pounds chicken breasts, frozen
1 can cranberry sauce
1 package Lipton Onion Soup

Directions:Put all of the ingredients in the slow cooker and cook on Low for approximately 4 hours.

Family Rating: 1 thumb up.

Meatless Mondays: Slow Cooker Parmesan Risotto

For real risotto lovers, this is not the recipe for you!  However, if you're in a rush and like risotto but don't have the time to make it, you may enjoy this tasty recipe. This only takes two hours to cook on high, so it's not a great recipe to make if you're at work all day.  This is great though if you're going to be around the house or just have a few errands to run and need a quick dinner. My kids love rice so this was a hit with them.  My husband thought it had a funny texture. It doesn't have the "bite" normally expected from risotto. However, the flavor is good.  From the picture you can see it lacks in color! 

Parmesan Risotto
found on Cooking Light Message Boards, posted by SallyT
originally from Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Cookbook


Ingredients:
1/4 cup olive oil
2 medium shallots, minced
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 1/4 cups Arborio rice
3 3/4 cups chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Directions:In a skillet over medium heat, warm the oil. Add the minced shallots. Allow them to soften, but not brown. Add the wine and stir for a minute or so. Add the rice and cook for about four minutes. Using a heat-proof spatula, transfer the rice to a slow cooker. Add the chicken broth and salt. Cook on high for two hours, or until the rice has absorbed all the liquid but is still moist. Add in 1/2 cup of the cheese, using the remaining 1/4 cup for garnish. Serve immediately.

Family Rating: 1 1/2 thumbs up.

Slow Cooker: Honey Garlic Chicken

Here's another fast and easy slow cooker recipe.  I actually made this over the weekend.  My daughter had a birthday party and my husband was out with our son.  So, as soon as we got home from the party I stuck this in the slow cooker and my daughter and I were able to go out and play.  Next time I would definitely make only half the sauce because it made way too much!  I liked using the boneless thighs since the chicken was so tender (but didn't fall apart as I took it out!) and the kids could easily eat it.  The kids enjoyed this.  My son especially liked the pineapple chunks!

Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken recipe adapted from allrecipes.com - by TORA.V

Ingredients:
10 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
3/4 cup honey
3/4 cup lite soy sauce
3 tablespoons ketchup
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 (20 ounce) can pineapple tidbits, drained with juice reserved
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 cup water

Directions:
1. Place thighs in a slow cooker.

2.In a bowl, mix honey, soy sauce, ketchup, garlic, and reserved pineapple juice. Pour into the slow cooker.

3.Cover, and cook 4 hours on High. Stir in pineapple tidbits just before serving.

4.Mix the cornstarch and water in a small bowl. Remove thighs from slow cooker. Blend the cornstarch mixture into remaining sauce in the slow cooker to thicken. Serve sauce over the chicken.

Family Rating: 1 1/2 thumbs up.

Slow Cooker: Baked Chicken Breasts

I'm always looking for new slow cooker recipes that actually taste good!  I love looking through the cooking light message boards where people post crock pot recipes that they've tried and enjoyed.  That's where I found this one. I left out the tarragon/rosemary because I didn't have any.  I served this with rice pilaf and peas.  The chicken breasts I had were pretty thin and I find that my slow cooker cooks things fast.  These were done probably in 3 1/2 hours or so on low and then I had to keep them on warm and eventually turn the slow cooker off for fear of really overcooking them. The kids enjoyed this, minus the mushrooms!

Baked Chicken Breasts
posted on the Cooking Light Message Boards by mrswaz, from Fix It and Forget It

Ingredients:
6 boneless skinless chicken breast
2 tablespoons butter
1 can cream of chicken soup, condensed
1/2 cup dry sherry
1 teaspoon dried tarragon -- or rosemary
1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
4 ounces mushrooms, canned

 Preparation:
Place chicken breasts in slow cooker.
 
In a saucepan, combine remaining ingredients. Heat until smooth and hot. Pour over chicken.

Cover. Cook on low 8-10 hours
 
Family Rating: 1 thumb up.

Slow Cooker Pork

I had a pork shoulder in the freezer that I wanted to use and found this recipe.  I love using the slow cooker, especially on those days when I don't really feel like cooking.  Once the pork was cooked, I shredded it and served it in tacos.  I had both hard and soft shells for variety and served this with yellow rice and frozen veggies.  My kids love tacos so this was a hit with them.  This was also their first time having hard taco shells which they loved.  Their was very little hands-on cooking for this recipe.  We served it with mexican blend shredded cheese, sour cream, and salsa.  I am giving it two thumbs up though because everyone enjoyed the meal, and that doesn't happen very often!

Slow Cooker Pork
recipe adapted from allrecipes.com - by 2obies

Ingredients:
3 pounds pork shoulder
1 (1 ounce) package low-sodium taco seasoning mix
chili powder to taste

Directions:
1.Place pork shoulder in a slow cooker.  Rub with taco seasoning. If desired, add chili powder. Place lid on pot and cook on low for 8 hours.

2.Remove pork shoulder from pot and shred.

*Note:  I did not add any water to this recipe.  As the pork cooks it provides enough liquid.

Family Rating: 2 thumbs up.

Slow Cooker: Smothered Buttermilk Chicken

Today seemed like a good day for the slow cooker.  Like I mentioned in my previous post, the kids had a playdate today and I'm going to be going out in a little bit to have dinner with one of my girlfriends.  I wanted my husband and kids to be able to have something healthy (but also quick and easy!) for dinner.  I've had this recipe bookmarked for some time now, which was found while perusing the cooking light message boards.  I'm finally beginning to learn the cooking speed of my slow cooker.....it cooks things very fast! Even on low!  So, even though this recipe calls for cooking 6-8 hours on low, the chicken was done in 4 1/2 hours.  That's when I added the gravy mix and the buttermilk mixture and cranked the temp up to high.  It probably could have cooked on low longer, to meld the flavors a little more, but I was being super cautious since I've felt the slow cooker has been overcooking meals.  I also used cut up chicken parts that my husband had froze when he was making homemade chicken stock last weekend, instead of the boneless thighs.  I of course had to take a tiny taste of this dish when I served it to the kids and I thought it tasted good.  Kind of like a pot pie without the crust, although I did serve it with mashed potatoes and biscuits!  My daughter thought it was okay and my son wouldn't even try it.  I'm giving it a one thumbs up though since I thought it was tasty and it was quick and easy!

Smothered Buttermilk Chicken
Found on the Cooking Light Message Boards, posted by mrswaz (originally found in Pillsbury's Slow Cooker Favorites)

Ingredients:
1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs
3 medium carrots -- sliced
1/3 cup onion -- chopped
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 bay leaf
1 package roasted chicken gravy mix
1/3 cup buttermilk
2 teaspoons flour
1 cup frozen peas

Directions:
In a 4 to 6 quart crock pot, combine chicken, carrots, onion, water, butter, salt, pepper and bay leaf; mix well.

Cover; cook on low setting for 6 to 8 hours. High setting for 3 to 4 hours.

ABout 20 minutes before serving, stir gravy mix into crock pot. Remove and discard bay leaf.

In a measuring cup, blend buttermilk and flour until smooth. Stir flour mixture and peas into chicken; mix well.

Cover, increase heat to high; cover and cook an additonal 25-20 minutes or until peas are cooked.

Serve with rice or biscuits.
NOTES : **You can use frozen bone in chicken thighs as well. Just turn up the heat to high for the first hour, then down to low for the remaining 6 hours. Before stirring in gravy mix, remove the skin from the chicken. The chicken will fall apart and meld nicely with the rest of the dish- just be sure to remove the bones before serving.