Chicken Ditalini Soup
4 cups chicken broth
1 chicken bouillon cube
1/2 cup ditalini pasta (or any other small pasta)
1 1/2 tsp. olive oil
1/2 cup diced onion
1 T. minced garlic
3 T. tomato paste or 5 T. tomato sauce
16 oz. cooked boneless skinless chicken (thighs or breasts)
3/4 tsp. salt
1 T. ranch dry dressing mix
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. italian seasoning
4 oz. cream cheese
4 T. sun-dried tomato bruschetta or pesto
1 cup chopped spinach
Bring chicken broth and bouillon cube to a boil – add pasta and boil approximately 11 mins or until soft.
While pasta is cooking, sauté onion and garlic in olive oil.
Add all other ingredients.
Drain pasta – add to soup
Heat through.
Enjoy
Recipe source: Revised from 365 days of crock pot
Cheesy Chicken Rolls
1 can refrigerated crescent roll dough (8 oz.)
2 cups cooked chicken, cut into bite-size pieces
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
½ cup cream cheese, softened
¼ tsp. garlic granules
1/2 tsp. dried parsley
Dash of seasoned salt
Dash of pepper
1 egg, beaten (for egg wash)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper for easy cleanup.
Combine all ingredients except crescent rolls and egg. Stir until everything is evenly coated and creamy.
Unroll the crescent roll dough and separate it into individual triangles on your counter.
Spoon a portion of the chicken mixture onto the wide end of each triangle, then roll it up tightly towards the point. (It will seem like there is a lot of chicken mixture but divide it evenly among the rolls.) I pinched any open ends together.
Place on baking sheet. Brush the tops with the beaten egg.
Bake for 15 minutes , or until golden brown.
Serve the rolls warm.
Great for an appetizer, light dinner or game day treat.
Recipe Source: found on Facebook
HONEY GARLIC CHICKEN
3-4 servings
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken thighs
2 – 4 oz. cans sliced mushrooms
2 T. honey
¼ cup coconut aminos
1 T. catsup
½ T. Sriracha
½ T. rice vinegar
½ T. minced garlic
1 T. cornstarch
1 T. butter (optional)
Place chicken and mushrooms in crock pot.
Mix all other ingredients except butter. Pour over chicken.
Place thin slices of butter on top.
Cook on HIGH for 2 – 2 ½ hours.
Shred chicken in pot.
Serve over rice or riced cauliflower. We like to steam asparagus or broccoli and mix in with the chicken.
FREEZE AHEAD: Place all ingredients except butter and cornstarch in a freezer bag.
Add cornstarch and butter on the day of cooking.
Recipe source: Corinne Allred
BEEF TIPS with GRAVY
1 pound stew meat
2 – 4 oz. cans mushrooms
1 T. butter
½ large onion – diced to 1”
2 tsp. minced garlic
¼ cup red wine (or apple juice)
1 cup beef broth (low sodium if you can find it)
2 T. Worchestershire sauce
2 springs of fresh thyme
Bay leaf
1 ½ T. cornstarch
1 ½ T. water
1 ½ T. brown gravy mix
- Pat meat very dry. Arrange meat in a single layer in a fry pan and sear meat until browned on one side. Remove meat to Instant pot. Add mushrooms.
- Add butter to the fry pan. Add onions and garlic. Saute for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
- Pour in wine and simmer for a few minutes. Add to beef.
- Add beef broth. Stir. Top with thyme springs and bay leaf.
- Pressure on HIGH for 25 minutes. It will take about 10 minutes to bring it to pressure.
- Once done, allow the pressure to release naturally for 15 minutes, then release any remaining pressure.
- Pour beef mixture into a large fry pan.
- Whisk the cornstarch and water. Pour into the beef mixture.
- Sprinkle in the brown gravy, stirring until the gravy is thickened to your liking. (about 10 minutes). Serve over noodles or mashed potatoes.
BBQ Ranch Ribs
2 pounds boneless country ribs
1 packet Hidden Valley ranch mix (.25 oz.)
1 ½ cups catsup
½ T. mustard
4 T. Worcestershire sauce
1 T. honey
3 T. light brown sugar
½ tsp. black pepper
Pinch of salt
Whisk together all ingredients except ribs.
Place ribs in the crock pot – pour sauce over.
Cook on low for 5 hours or high for 3 hours.
Recipe source: revised from Six Sisters
Mini Fruit Pies
1 puff pastry
Any flavor pie filling
Sparkling sugar
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Spray muffin tin GENEROUSLY with cooking spray.
Push pastry into each cup. (Original recipe said to use another muffin tin on top and push pastry into each hole but even though I sprayed the bottom of the muffin tin, it still stuck.)
Fill each cup 2/3 with pie filling.
With a pizza cutter, cut between the rows.
Take the corners and pull them together and twist.
Brush with an egg wash.
Sprinkle sugar on top of each pie.
Bake for 25 minutes.
Honey Sesame Chicken
HONEY SESAME CHICKEN – Crockpot
Makes 4 – 6 servings
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast or equal weight in thighs
½ cup honey
½ cup soy sauce or coconut aminos (less sodium than soy sauce)
½ cup diced onion
1/4 cup cup catsup
2 T. vegetable oil
3 cloves minced garlic or 3 tsp. garlic from the jar
¼ tsp. red pepper flakes, optional
4 oz. can mushrooms, optional
4 tsp. cornstarch
6 T. water
Sesame seeds
It would also be good to add cooked, carrots, or other vegetables added at the end.
Place chicken in the crockpot.
In a small bowl, combine honey, soy sauce, onion, catsup, oil, garlic, and pepper flakes. Pour over chicken. Add mushrooms if wanted.
Cook on low 3 – 4 hours or high 1 ½ – 2 ½ hours, or until chicken is cooked through.
Remove chicken, leaving sauce in the pot.
Dissolve cornstarch in water and pour add to the sauce. Replace lid and cook on high for 10 minutes or until slightly thickened.
Shred the chicken, then return to the pot and toss with the sauce before serving.
Serve over rice or noodles and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
FREEZE AHEAD: Add all ingredients to a ziplock bag, except cornstarch, water, sesame seeds and any other vegetables if adding. Thaw before adding to the crockpot.
Recipe source – Revised from Six Sisters
SHEET PAN CHICKEN TACOS
CHICKEN TACOS
1 pound boneless, skinless
1 T. olive oil, plus more for tortillas or olive oil spray
½ tsp. paprika
½ tsp. chili powder
½ tsp. garlic powder
½ tsp. onion powder
½ tsp. oregano or Italian seasoning
¼ tsp. cumin
½ tsp. taco seasoning
Squirt of green taco sauce (optional)
8 small tortillas (flour or corn)
Shredded cheese (any type you like)
CHIPOTLE CREMA
¾ cup sour cream
3 T. mayo (more if you find it too spicy)
1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce
¼ tsp. taco seasoning
Juice of 1 lime
Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Cut chicken into small pieces and mix with all the seasonings.
Sauté with olive oil. Cook until done.
Add a squirt of green taco sauce.
Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
Lay tortillas out on the counter and fill one side with chicken.
Top with cheese. Fold over and press to close.
Brush or spray with olive oil on the outside, turn and oil other side.
Lay on prepared pan and top with more cheese.
Bake at 400 degrees for 12 minutes.
While baking, prepare the Chipotle Crema.
Crema:
Mix all ingredients in a food processor or blender.
Can also be topped with lime, cilantro, guacamole, pico, pickled red onions.
WHITE BREAD
4 cups flour (500 g)
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp. instant yeast
3/4 cup milk
3/4 cup water
4 T. butter, melted
Whisk together the flour, salt and yeast.
Add milk, water and butter.
Stir until you have a shaggy dough ball.
Cover and let the dough rest for 30 mins. *
Put a little olive oil on your hands and stretch and fold the dough until you have a cohesive ball.
Place in bowl, drizzle with olive oil, cover the bowl and let the dough rise until it doubles in volume. *
Lightly oil the bread pan.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface.
Stretch dough into a rectangle the length of the bread pan. Roll it up and place in pan. Lightly oil the top.
Let the dough rise again until it crowns the rim of the load pan. *
Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes.
Turn the loaf out onto a cooling rack and let cool before slicing.
- NOTE: To help in the rising, I heat a mug of water in the microwave and then place the dough in the microwave to rise.
CAESAR PARMESAN CHICKEN
4 chicken breasts
1 ½ parmesan cheese, divided
1 cup Caesar salad dressing (less sodium is best)
½ cup sour cream
Heat oven to 375 degrees.
Line pan with foil.
Pound chicken to ¾ – 1” or use the thin sliced chicken breast.
Place chicken in pan and sprinkle with 1 cup parmesan cheese.
Mix Caesar dressing with sour cream – pour over chicken.
Sprinkle with remaining ½ cup parmesan cheese.
Bake 30 mins.
Then broil for 2-4 minutes until cheese is toasty – watch carefully.
Remove from oven and cover loosely with foil and let rest for 5-10 minutes
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