Slow-cooker Chicken and Dumplings

Okay, so I love Pinterest.  I have found some real winners as far as recipes go.  This one is one of them from Polish the Stars.  It is so simple, goes in the crockpot, and makes you feel really great when you eat it.  I have made this recipe quite a few times and my kids can't get enough.  I was worried that the biscuits wouldn't be good, but they hold their flakiness in the dish.  It is not the most health conscience, but on these cold windy Idaho days it is awesome.

1lb of Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts (3-5)
2 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
2 cans (10.5oz) Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup
1 can (14oz) Chicken Broth (I use two cans so I can add more biscuits)
1 medium White Onion, diced
4 Large Flaky Refrigerator Biscuits  (I use a whole can)

Place chicken in crock pot and top with butter. Add cream of chicken soup, chicken broth and diced onions. Cook on High for 4-6 hours.  Remove chicken from crock pot and use a fork to shred. Return chicken to the crock pot. Cut each uncooked biscuit into 9 pieces and stir into the chicken mixture. Continue to cook on High for 30 minutes. Serve hot.
Makes about 6-8 servings.

Mexican Chicken Chowder

 I got this recipe from a friend in Washington when we lived there.  I love when the weather turns a little colder so I can make this recipe.  I love this soup recipe.  It is a nice change from the typical soup recipe and the spice seems to warm me up even more. 

2 1/2 C. cooked, shredded chicken
1 11 oz. can whole kernel corn with sweet peppers, drained
1 10 3/4 oz. can cream of potato soup
1 4 oz. can diced green chilies
2 T. fresh cilantro
1/2  packet of taco seasoning
3 C. chicken broth
16 oz. sour cream
8 oz. Velveeta cheese spread with jalapenos, cubed

In a crock pot, combine chicken, corn, potato soup, undrained chili peppers, cilantro, and taco seasoning mix.  Stir in broth.  Cover.  Cook on high heat for 4 hours, or low for 8 hours.  Stir about 1 C. hot soup into bowl of sour cream.  Stir sour cream mixture and cheese into the crock pot.  Cover and let stand 5 minutes.  Stir until combined.  Serve with tortilla chips.

Slow Cooker Chicken Caesar Sandwiches

I love love love recipes that have a few ingredients and can be easily be prepared.  This is one of those recipes. I found it on The Girl Who Ate Everything and I couldn't resist.   It was so tasty and a quick inexpensive meal. 

2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast or thighs
1/2 to 1 cup of your favorite Caesar dressing
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley (if you don't have fresh use around 2 teaspoons of dried parsley)
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
2 cups shredded romaine lettuce
12 slider buns or 4-6 regular sized hamburger buns  (I used multi-grain ciabatta rolls from Sam's Club)

Place chicken in a 3-4 quart slow cooker with 1-2 cups of water, cover and cook on low heat for 4-6 hours.

 Remove chicken from cooker using a slotted spoon and drain the water from the slow cooker. Place chicken on a cutting board and pull chicken into shreds, discarding any fat.

Place chicken back in the cooker and pour dressing, Parmesan cheese, parsley, and pepper over the top. I really make sure that I discard any fat pieces so by the time I was done I only used about 1/2 cup of dressing but you make need more if you have more chicken. Stir until mixed evenly. Cover and cook on high heat for 30 minutes or until mixture is hot.

Spoon 1/4 cup mixture onto each slider bun if you are making sliders or more for regular sized buns. Top with extra shredded Parmesan cheese and lettuce to serve.  

**I added fresh tomato to the sandwich.

Cajun Chicken Pasta

I got this recipe from the Pioneer woman.  I adjusted it a little to fit my life.  It was good.  My kids were on the fence because they don't like spice, but it can easily be adjusted for your spiciness level.   It was a good dish to indulge in.



3 whole Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
3 teaspoons Cajun Spice Mix, More To Taste
1 pound Fettuccine or linguine  (I used whole grain)
1 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 Tablespoons Butter
1 whole Green Bell Pepper, Seeded And Sliced
1 whole Red Bell Pepper, Seeded And Sliced
1/2 whole Large Red Onion, Sliced
3 cloves Garlic, Minced
4 whole Roma Tomatoes, Diced
2 cups Low Sodium Chicken Broth
1/2 cup White Cooking Wine (If you don't want to use the wine, just add more broth)
1 cup Heavy cream
Cayenne Pepper To Taste
Freshly Ground Black Pepper, To Taste
Salt To Taste
Chopped Fresh Parsley, To Taste

Place chicken in crockpot and season with cajun seasoning.  Cook in crockpot on low for 6 to 8 hours or high for 4 hours.  take out of the crockpot and shred.  Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain when pasta is still al dente; do not overcook!

Add olive oil and butter. When heated, add peppers, onions, and garlic. Sprinkle on remaining Cajun spice, and add salt if needed. Cook over very high heat for 1 minute, stirring gently and trying to get the vegetables as dark/black as possible. Add tomatoes and cook for an additional 30 seconds. Remove all vegetables from the pan.

With the pan over high heat, pour in the wine and chicken broth. Cook on high for 3 to 5 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pan to deglaze. Reduce heat to medium-low and pour in cream, stirring/whisking constantly. Cook sauce over medium-low heat for a few minutes, until cream starts to thicken the mixture. Taste and add freshly ground black pepper, cayenne pepper, and/or salt to taste. Sauce should be spicy!

Finally, add chicken and vegetables to sauce, making sure to include all the juices that have drained onto the plate. Stir and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until mixture is bubbly and hot. Add drained fettuccine and toss to combine.

Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken

We have been so busy at our house lately that I have been using my crockpot almost 3-5 times per week.  It has been my sanity at dinnertime.  I found this recipe at a Year of Slow Cooking and I adapted it a little for my family.

3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup ketchup
1/3 cup honey

Put the chicken into your crockpot. In a small bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients, then pour evenly over the top.  Cook on low for 6 hours or high for 3-4.  Shred or slice the chicken and serve with rice and steamed or roasted vegetables.

Beef Pepperoncini Sandwiches

I had a roast that I needed to use and I found this recipe on Tasty Kitchen.  It was so easy and so good!    I couldn't believe how much flavor it had and I ate way more than I should have.  I also made this recipe again and substituted the beef for chicken.  It was equally delicious!

4 pounds Beef Pot/Rump Roast
2 Tablespoons minced garlic
1 jar Pepperoncini's, sliced
Italian Hoagie Rolls
Sliced or shredded cheese of your choice
Mayonnaise

With a sharp knife, puncture holes around roast multiple times. After each time you pull the knife out, use your finger to stuff the garlic deep into the roast. If you love garlic make lots of punctures, if not then do less.

Place the roast into a crock pot. Dump juices from the pepperoncini jar over the roast.  Throw the sliced pepperoncini’s in the crockpot with the beef and juice.
Cook roast on high for 5 hours or low for 8 hours until you can easily shred the beef.  Toast rolls.  Add cheese and mayo if desired. Fill with beef and enjoy warm.

Kansas City Sue's Chicken

This was easy and good.  I like it because it was quick and ready at dinner time. 

Adapted from My Kitchen Cafe

4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/4 cup ketchup
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 onion, diced
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1 cup low-sodium beef broth

Put the chicken in the slow cooker. In a large bowl, combine all the other ingredients. Whisk well. Pour the sauce over the chicken. Cover the crockpot and cook on low for 6 hours. Serve with rice or noodles.

Cafe Rio Chicken

This is a new favorite at our house. It is so good. We have made it twice in the last two weeks, which hardly ever happens. Port loves to take it and put it on salads or in wraps. My four year old said, "Mom, this is dad-blasted good!"

From Kitchen Cafe

1 (16 oz.) bottle Kraft Zesty Italian Dressing
1 Tbsp chili powder
1 Tbsp cumin
3 cloves garlic, minced
5 skinless, boneless chicken breast

Cook all together in a crock pot on low for 4 hours, shred meat and cook 1 additional hour.

Crockpot Cheesey Salsa Chicken

This is another recipe and picture from "Cooking Mamas". So easy and I loved that there are only a few ingredients.

1 16 oz. jar of salsa

5 large chicken breasts

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 c. grated cheese

2 c. rice

Put chicken in crock pot. Combine salsa and soup and mix together and pour over chicken. Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours. 15 minutes before serving stir in cheese.

Garlic Chicken Farfalle

From Real Mom Kitchen

1 lb. Bowtie pasta
1 cup heavy whipping cream (I used whole milk)
3-4 chicken breast
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbs. pepper
1/2 cup butter
1 lb. bacon,cooked and crumbled (I am not a huge fan of bacon so I halved this)
1 cup shredded parmesan cheese
1 (12 oz.) bottle Lawry's Mesquite marinade with lime juice

In the crockpot, cook chicken and marinade on low heat for 6-8 hours. Pull marinated chicken out of the juices, allow to cool a bit and shred. Set a side. About a half hour before serving, boil the pasta. In a small saucepan, melt butter. Add garlic, cream, pepper, parmesan and curmbled bacon. Whisk together on low heat for 3-4 minutes. In a large bowl, pour over cooked, drained pasta. Add chicken and stir to combine. Sprinkle a little bit more shredded parmesan cheese on top.

Sour Cream Chicken

From Dinner's Ready

2-4 chicken breasts

1 can cream of chicken soup

½ c mayo

2 Tb chopped onion or sprinkled dry onion

½ pint sour cream

1 cup cheese

1 tsp lemon juice

salt and pepper

Place chicken, cream of chicken soup, onion, lemon juice, salt and pepper in crockpot and cook on low 6-8 hrs or high 3-4 hours. During the last hour of cooking time, shred chicken then add mayo, sour cream and cheese. Serve over rice and sprinkled with shredded cheese, salt and pepper.

Slow Cooked Teriyaki Chicken

From Put a Lyd on It



12 boneless skinless chicken thighs, or 6 chicken breasts, sliced or shredded
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup soy sauce
6 T cider vinegar
3/4 tsp. ground ginger
3/4 tsp minced garlic
1/4 tsp. pepper
4-1/2 tsp cornstarch
4-1/2 tsp. cold water


Hot cooked rice, optional

Place chicken in a 4-quart slow cooker. In a larg bowl, combine sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, ginger, garlic, and pepper. Pour over chicken. Cover and cook on low 4-5 hours or until juices run clear.Remove chicken to a serving platter; keep warm. I shredded the chicken and then added it to the thickened sauce. Transfer cooking juices to a small sauce pan. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Serve with chicken and rice.

Cafe Rio Pork

Night before:
3 ½-4 lb. pork roast
2Tbs brown sugar
1 to 1 ½ tsp. red pepper (cayenne pepper)
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp salt
Mix together and rob on to pork roast. Put in crock-pot on low overnight.

Next morning:
Add to crock-pot
1 can coke
1 cup chicken broth
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion. Chopped


About 1 hour before you serve: (I ususally cook until about 4 p.m.)
Shred roast and add 1 cup brown sugar, put back in crock-pot.

Rumbi Island Easy Mango Chicken and Rice

From Sister's Cafe

4-5 chicken breasts (boneless and skinless)
1 can corn, drained
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
3 cups mango salsa
Cumin to taste
Lemon Pepper to taste

Put chicken breasts in crock pot. Add spices. Cover and cook chicken until tender. Shred chicken on a plate and return to crock pot. Save juices in separate bowl. Add corn, beans and salsa. More salsa can be added to taste. If mixture seems dry, add some of reserved juices.
Serve over coconut jasmine rice for that Rumbi Island Grill taste. Garnish with cilantro or parsely, if desired.
*You could use regular salsa for a Mexican taste and serve over regular rice or tortilla chips.

Crockpot Chicken & Rice

1 block cream cheese
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/3 cup milk
1 pkg dried Italian dressing
3-4 chicken breasts

Combine all ingredients in crockpot and cook on low for 6-7 hours. Can use over rice or noodles, but I prefer it over rice.Cook rice separately

Spicy Crockpot Chicken

From Recipe Swapalooza

2 boneless chicken breasts
1 1/2 cups ketchup
3 T. brown sugar
1 T. Worchestershire sauce
1 T. soy sauce
1 T. ground red peppper flakes
1 T. cider vinegar
1/2 tsp. garlic powder

Mix everything in crockpot. Cook for 2-3 hours on high. Shred chicken and put back in crockpot on low until ready to serve. Serve over baked potato or rice.

Savory Slow-Cooked Salmon

3 lbs. salmon fillets (you can also use red snapper)
1 Tbsp. garlic, minced
1 large onion, sliced
1 green bell pepper, cut in 1 inch pieces
2 unpeeled zucchini, sliced
14-oz. can diced tomatoes
1/2 tsp. dried basil
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/4 cup white grape juice (or water)1.

Rinse fish and pat dry. Place in slow cooker sprayed with cooking pray.2. Mix remaining ingredients together and pour over fish.3. Cover. Cook on high for 2-3 hours, being careful not to overcook the fish.

Slow Cooked Pork Roast with Vegetables

21/2 to 3 lbs boneless pork loin roast (other cuts will work as well- you can also do this with a beef roast)
2 tsp minced garlic
5-6 potatoes, scrubbed and cubed
1 large onion, sliced
5-6 carrots, peeled and sliced
1 can cream of mushroom1-2 T soy sauce
1 T Worsteshire sauce
Sprinkle of garlic powder, onion powder, celery salt, salt, and pepper

Sprinkle roast with salt and pepper and lay on the bottom of crockpot. Top with veggies. In a bowl, stir together remaining ingredients, and pour over the top. Cook on low for 6-7 hours. (Low makes the meat nice and tender.)