Slow Cooker Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

original recipe: Chef Mommy

4 1/2 cups chicken broth
2 cups water
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup diced carrots
1 cup diced celery
1/3 cup long-grain wild rice
1/3 cup brown rice
2 tsp dried parsley
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp sugar
1/2 cup flour (or potato starch for gluten-free)
1/2 cup butter
2 cups milk


1. Combine first 12 ingredients (chicken broth through sugar) in a large slow cooker. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. Take out chicken and shred with two forks; add back into slow cooker.
2. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour a little at a time to form a roux. Whisk in cream 1/2 cup at a time until fully incorporated. Stir milk mixture into slow cooker and cook another 15 minutes.

Crock-Pot Vegetable Beef Soup

I've re-vamped this recipe so that we enjoy it much more than when I originally posted it over four years ago. This new version has been a staple in our house over the cold winter months. Serve with warm cornbread.

yield: 4 servings

1 lb beef chuck roast, trimmed and cut into bite-sized pieces
3 medium carrots, sliced
2 small potatoes, cut into bite-sized cubes
1 medium onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, sliced
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp tarragon
1/4 tsp pepper
2 14-oz cans diced tomatoes, undrained
2 cups beef broth
2 cups frozen corn
2 cups frozen baby lima beans or peas

1. In a large crock pot, combine all ingredients, stirring well to combine. Cook on low-heat setting for 8 hours.

Chicken Divan

    This has been a family favorite for awhile now, but due to the fact that I have to make homemade cream of mushroom soup, it doesn't get made very often. Six large servings, all major food groups, and a creamy sauce make this dish a winner all around.

Original recipe credit: www.passionatehomemaking.com

yield: 6 servings

a bunch of broccoli (4 cups chopped?)

3 cups cooked brown rice

3 cups shredded chicken

2 10-oz. cans cream of mushroom soup

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 Tbsp curry powder

2 tsp lemon juice

1/2 cup grated cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350°.

2. Lightly steam broccoli, 5-7 minutes or until a fork just goes through when poked.

3. In a large bowl combine soup, mayonnaise, curry powder, and lemon juice, stirring well to combine.

4. Coat a 9 x 13 baking dish with cooking spray. Layer rice, then broccoli, then chicken, then soup mixture, spreading evenly. Sprinkle the top with cheese. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until it starts to bubble.

Spiced Chicken

This is one of my favorite quick chicken recipes. It's super simple, super quick, and super delicious.

yield: 4 servings

2 1/2 tsp paprika
1 tsp dried thyme
3/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp ground red pepper
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
2 tsp olive oil

1. Combine paprika through red pepper in a shallow dish.
2. Pound chicken to 1/2-inch thickness. Sprinkle paprika mixture on both sides of chicken.
3. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add chicken; cook 5 minutes on each side or until done.

Baked Oatmeal

I originally found this recipe floating around on Pinterest and have made it a few times, modifying it each time (because the original calls for 3/4 cup sugar and it's only like 4 servings!). I've finally gotten it to a place where we still think it's great, and it's plenty sweet. Try your oatmeal this way...it's a bit hit around here!

Yield: 4 servings

Original recipe credit: On The Eastern Journey

2 eggs

1 cup milk

2 Tbsp sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

3 cups oats

2 cups chopped fruit of your choice (we like either apples or pears)

1/2 cup of raisins or dried cranberries (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350°.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs and next 6 ingredients (through cinnamon). Stir in oats, fruit, and raisins or cranberries. Pour into a 9 x 13-inch pan. Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until most of the liquid has been absorbed.

Chicken and Biscuits

Oooh, yummy. These are SO good! And easy! And healthy! I dare say you'll add them into your regular rotation of chicken dinners once you've had them.

yield: 6 servings

Original recipe credit: www.passionatehomemaking.com

Filling:

1 Tbsp olive oil

3 cups carrot, chopped (about 6)

1 medium onion, chopped

3 medium potatoes, washed and chopped

2 celery stocks, sliced (leaves too)

1 cup chopped green pepper

2 tsp salt

2 tsp dried thyme

1 1/2 tsp garlic powder

2 cups chicken broth

3 cups shredded, cooked chicken

1 cup milk

Biscuits:

1 1/4 cup white flour

1 cup whole-wheat flour

1 Tbsp baking powder

1/2 tsp dried parsley

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

3 Tbsp olive oil

2 Tbsp butter, melted

1 cup + 2 Tbsp buttermilk

1. Preheat oven to 350°.

2. In a large stockpot, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add vegetables and spices; sauté for 5 minutes. Add chicken broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes. Add shredded chicken and milk; cook 5 more minutes.

3. While filling cooks, combine flours, baking powder, and spices in a medium bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Stir in olive oil, butter, and buttermilk with a wooden spoon, stirring just until moist.

4. Pour vegetable mixture into a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Spoon biscuit batter on top of vegetable mixture by 1/4 cupfuls. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center of a biscuit comes out clean.

Cranberry-Pumpkin Cookies

Mmm. I made these the other day with some pumpkin I'd roasted and they are yummy! I modified the original recipe a bit (less butter and sugar, dried cranberries instead of fresh, whole-wheat flour) and they are delicious! They're a bit like these cookies, but with more complexity. A great autumn cookie.

Yield: 4 dozen

Original recipe credit: www.allrecipes.com

1 cup dried cranberries

1/3 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup sugar

1 egg

1 cup pumpkin purée

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 1/4 cups white flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

1. Preheat oven to 350°.

2. Place cranberries in a small bowl and cover with warm water. Let soak.

3. In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar until well combined. Add in egg, pumpkin, and vanilla, beating well to combine.

4. In a small bowl combine flours, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt, stirring well with a whisk. Add flour mixture to pumpkin mixture; mix well.

5. Drain and squeeze excess water off of cranberries. Stir cranberries and walnuts into cookie dough. Drop cookie dough by tablespoonfuls onto cookie sheets. Bake at 350° for 10 minutes or until lightly brown.

Tuna Salad

In an effort to eat tuna once a week while pregnant, I went searching for a good recipe (since my standard "add mayo and pickle relish" won't work here since pickle relish is unheard of). This is adapted from frugalgranola.com. Most things are "to taste," so add as you like!

Original recipe credit: frugalgranola.com

yield: 2 servings

2 cans (the...normal-sized ones. 140 grams?) of tuna in water

4 Tbsp mayonnaise

1 Tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp dried basil (fresh would be great but I didn't have any)

salt and pepper to taste (maybe 1/8 tsp each?)

1 large red bell pepper, diced

1 large cucumber, diced

1. Drain tuna fish and combine with mayonnaise, lemon juice, basil, salt and pepper. Gently stir in bell pepper and cucumber. Serve on a bed of lettuce, on bread, or alone.

Crock-Pot Salsa Chicken

I originally got the idea for this recipe off of crockpot365. However, since the only things in her original recipe that we can get here are the chicken and frozen corn, I had to improvise. Here's what I came up with. (note: it needs some kind of spice. I put in maybe 2 teaspoons of homemade taco seasoning, but it still needed something more, which is why I'm not listing that in my ingredient list. However, if you make this, PLEASE add some spice...cumin, chili powder, taco seasoning...something. I'll update the recipe when I've found what's perfect.)

1 cup dried black beans

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

2 cups chicken broth

4 tomatoes, chopped

1 cup frozen corn

2 small jalepeños, finely chopped

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

3/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/4 cup cream cheese

yield: 6 servings

1. Place black beans in bottom of crock-pot; place chicken breasts on top of beans. Pour chicken broth over chicken and beans. In a small bowl combine corn, jalepeños, garlic, salt, and pepper. Pour over chicken in crock-pot.

2. Cook on HIGH for 4-6 hours. Remove chicken from crock-pot and shred; return to crock-pot. Add cream cheese; stir well, until cream cheese has melted. Replace lid, reduce heat to LOW, and cook an additional 2-4 hours. Serve over rice.

***If you think about it, soak your black beans overnight before cooking them in this recipe. Mine were still a little crunchy, but it was a last-minute decision to make this for dinner. Or if you have canned black beans, those would be good too. If you do either of these options, you can probably just mix the beans with the tomato mixture and pour over the chicken.***

Oven-Fried Chicken Breasts

I've never been much of a fried-food lover, mainly because I know it's really, really bad for you. But nobody can deny that sometimes fried chicken just sounds good. Here's a way to make it taste fried without actually having to fry it. I think even the Colonel would be proud.

yield: 4 servings

1 cup buttermilk
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1/3 cup flour
1/3 cup cracker meal
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 Tbsp butter

1. Combine buttermilk and chicken in a bowl; let marinate an hour, rotating chicken occasionally.
2. Preheat oven to 425°.

3. Combine flour and cracker meal in a shallow dish. Transfer chicken to a plate and sprinkle evenly with salt and pepper. Dredge each chicken breast in flour mixture, shaking off excess.
4. Melt butter in a large ovenproof nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken to pan; cook 3 minutes or until golden brown. Turn chicken over; cook an additional 3 minutes. Transfer skillet to oven and bake at 425° for 30 minutes or until chicken is done.

Sweet Cornbread

I've been trying to come up with a good cornbread recipe since moving here, since we can only find corn flour and not corn meal. All cornbread recipes out there use corn meal! This is an adaptation of an allrecipes.com recipe that uses corn flour instead. And it's pretty good if I do say so myself!

Original recipe credit: allrecipes.com

yield: 15 servings

2 cups corn flour

3/4 cup white flour

3/4 cup whole-wheat flour
2 1/2 cups milk

1 Tbsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

6 Tbsp white sugar

2 eggs

1/2 cup oil

1. In a large bowl combine flours and milk, stirring with a whisk. Let sit for 10 minutes.

2. While flour mixture sits, preheat oven to 400°.

3. Add remaining ingredients to flour mixture, stirring well with a whisk. Pour into a greased 9 x 13 baking dish. Bake at 400° for 35-40 minutes or until a knife inserted in center comes out clean.

Buttermilk Quick Bread

This bread is just a little sweet and it's got a spongy texture. It uses things you probably have in your pantry/refrigerator, and is so quick and easy to make. It may be a new staple around here when I want a quick bread to go with dinner!

Original recipe credit: Cooking Light
yield: 1 loaf

2 cups flour
2 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 egg

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Combine flour through salt in a large bowl; make a well in the center. Combine buttermilk, butter, and egg in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add to flour mixture, stirring just until moist.
3. Spread batter into a loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes or until a a knife inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack; remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack.

Braised Balsamic Chicken

I made this for dinner tonight and it. is. yummy. Kind of tangy but not too tangy. Light and healthy. (We ate it over brown rice and with green beans.) Easy. Delicious. I will be making it again.

Original recipe credit: allrecipes.com
yield: 6 servings

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 Tbsp minced garlic
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1 14.5-oz can diced tomatoes
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano

1. Heat olive oil in a large, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; sauté 1-2 minutes. Sprinkle each chicken breast with pepper and place on top of onions/garlic; cook 5 minutes on each side.
2. While chicken cooks, combine balsamic vinegar, diced tomatoes, basil, and oregano in a small bowl, stirring well. Pour over chicken, reduce heat to medium, and simmer 15-20 minutes or until chicken is done.

Coleslaw

I've been trying for awhile to perfect my coleslaw recipe... something not too runny, not too sweet, not too onion-y (I don't like raw onions), etc. Here's the final result. Yum.

yield: 12 1/2-cup servings

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup milk
1 Tbsp vinegar (I used apple vinegar)
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
6 cups shredded cabbage
2 carrots, finely shredded

1. In a large bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, buttermilk, and next 6 ingredients (through pepper). Stir in cabbage and carrots. Refrigerate 1-2 hours before serving.

Tarragon Chicken "Pot Pies"

This is one of our favorite dishes around here these days: it's quick and easy to make, features three food groups, and just tastes fabulous. Even our 14-month-old loves it!

yield: 4 servings

2 Tbsp flour
1 cup milk
1 cup chicken broth
1 Tbsp olive oil
2/3 cup chopped onion
1 lb chicken breast cut into bite-sized pieces
3 carrots, sliced
2 medium zucchini or yellow squash, halved and sliced
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp tarragon
4 kaiser rolls*

1. Place flour in a small bowl; slowly add milk, stirring with a whisk until well blended to form a slurry. Add chicken broth, stirring well.
2. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat; add onion and chicken. Sauté 2 minutes; stir in carrot and next 4 ingredients. Cover, reduce heat to low and cook 4 minutes. Stir slurry into chicken mixture. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer until thick (about 10 minutes), stirring occasionally.
3. Cut the tops off of the rolls. Hollow out, leaving 1/2-inch shells. Spoon chicken mixture into each shell.

*You can also use regular French bread...just tear in into pieces and put in the bottom of a bowl and spoon chicken mixture on top of the bread*

Black Beans

We can't get black beans in Turkey, but I have a small supply thanks to some friends who brought me some out of Russia. I hoard them until we have Mexican food for dinner. And then I make a vat. These are simple to make, full of fiber, and make a complete protein if you serve them with rice. Yum.

yield: about 4 cups

2 cups dried black beans
1 large onion, chopped
2 1/2 tsp salt

1. Place beans in a large stockpot and cover with at least 3 inches of water. Let soak overnight.
2. Rinse beans and return to pot. Add onion, salt, and water to 2-3 inches above the beans. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 2 hours, or until soft, adding more water if necessary.

Easy Marinara Sauce

Homemade marinara sauce is the perfect addition to lasagnas, spaghetti, or even as pizza sauce. You can use this sauce anytime a recipe calls for jarred pasta sauce, like Prego or Ragu. This sauce is extremely easy to make, uses basic pantry ingredients, and tastes better than store-bought sauce.

yield: 5 cups

2 14.5 oz cans tomatoes
2 14.5 oz cans tomato pureé
1 Tbsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp sugar
2 1/2 Tbsp basil
2 tsp oregano
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp salt

1. Place diced tomatoes in a food processor; pulse 5 times or until chunky.
2. In a medium saucepan, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add garlic and sauté until it begins to brown. Add tomatoes, puree, and remaining ingredients, stirring well. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to low and simmer for 30-40 minutes or until sauce begins to thicken.

Lentil Vegetable Soup

Low in fat, high in veggies, and utilizing simple ingredients, this soup is a great addition to your winter soup repertoire.

yield: 6 servings

1/2 cup dried red lentils
1/2 cup dried green lentils
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup chopped onion (about 1 medium/large)
2 stalks celery, sliced
2 large garlic cloves, minced
2 cups chopped carrot (about 4)
2 cups shredded cabbage
4 cups chicken broth
2 14.5-oz cans diced tomatoes
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp basil
1/2 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp curry powder

1. Place lentils in a bowl; cover with water. Soak for at least an hour, or overnight (this step is not necessary, it just reduces the cooking time, therefore saving time and energy). Drain and rinse lentils.
2. Heat olive oil in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Add onion, celery, and garlic; sauté 5 minutes or until tender. Add remaining ingredients and pre-soaked lentils; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 1 hour or until lentils and vegetables are tender.

Easy Spaghetti Sauce

This spaghetti sauce is very easy and involves no chopping, using simple pantry ingredients. Add chopped mushrooms if you like.

yield: 6 servings

1 pound ground beef
2 Tbsp dried onion flakes
1 tsp salt
1 tsp oregano
3/4 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp garlic powder
2 14.5-oz cans diced tomatoes
1 1/2 14.5-oz cans tomato sauce (600 grams)

1. Brown ground beef in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Drain off fat; rinse well.
2. Combine beef and remaining ingredients in a large stockpot; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove lid, stir, and simmer uncovered for 1 hour or until slightly thickened, stirring occasionally.

Basil Chicken Spaghetti

This recipe is deliciously easy.

yield: 4 servings

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 large garlic cloves, minced
3 cups chopped tomatoes
2 chicken breasts, cooked and chopped
1/4 cup sliced, fresh basil
1 tsp salt
12 oz spaghetti, cooked
1/4 cup fresh Parmesan cheese

1. Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; sauté until tender. Add tomatoes, chicken, basil, and salt; stir well. Cover saucepan, reduce heat to medium, and cook 5 minutes or until tomatoes are soft, stirring occasionally.
2. Add spaghetti to tomato mixture; toss to combine. Top each serving with 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese.