Easy Chicken And Stuffing Recipe For The Crockpot

I love my crockpot! It's been with me for several years now and has helped simplify my life and make me more efficient. I use it to make everything from soups and chili to Italian meatballs and roast beef. I love being able to just throw a couple of ingredients in and leave it to do it's magic while I get along with my day.

This morning I pulled out a recipe that I've made several times that the entire family loves. It's surprisingly healthy, yet at the same time hearty. I usually serve the dish with a vegetable side and tonight I'm baking a mocha chocolate cake for dessert.

Easy Chicken and Stuffing for the Crockpot

3 large or 6 small boneless chicken breasts

2 boxes of stuffing mix (sometimes I buy the chicken flavor, but today it's cornbread)

2 cans cream of mushroom soup (or any other cream soup such as celery or chicken)

1 cup chicken broth

Spray the inside of the crockpot with Pam cooking spray. Then place the chicken in the bottom. Next, in a large bowl, mix the stuffing mixes, cream soups and chicken broth. Simply spread the stuffing mixture over the chicken and cook for about 6-8 hours on low.

This makes enough to feed an army, and if you're like us, that's a good thing, but you can always cut the recipe in half if you're cooking for fewer. As is, the recipes makes 10-12 generous servings.

My Baking Experiment: Peach Cake Recipe

Okay, I'll admit it. . . I love to create recipes, throwing ingredients into a bowl, adding a touch of this and a hint of that. Sometimes, I'll admit, my creations come up a little short, but this time it was a success! David, the kids and I all loved it. Here's the recipe, if you're interested.

Peach Cake

Ingredients:
Cake:
1 box white cake mix
1 regular sized can of peaches, sliced into small pieces
1/3-1/2 cup orange juice

Frosting:
1 tub of fat free Cool Whip
1 T. peach jello mix (I used regular, but sugar-free might work too.)
1 small can mandarin oranges, mostly drained

In a large bowl mix the cake mix with the can of peaches (partially drained) and the orange juice. Put batter into a 13X11" pan and bake according to directions on the back of the cake mix box.
Let the cake cool completely. Meanwhile you can prepare the "frosting". Fold the peach jello mix into the Cool Whip. Then fold in the mandarin oranges. Spread the frosting on the cake and enjoy! The oranges and peaches really taste delicious together.

Easy Tator Tot Casserole The Kids Love

I found this recipe in my Four Ingredient Cookbook my mom bought me a few years ago. I believe in simplicity, and when you're short on time using only 4 ingredients really helps speed things along. The recipe actually called for ground beef, but I substituted fat-free hot dogs because all the beef was frozen.

Ingredients:
1 large bag of frozen tator tots
1 can cream of chicken (or celery, or mushroom) soup
1 cup shredded cheese (your choice)
1 package hot dogs, cut up OR lean ground beef, browned

Spray an 11X13" pan with cooking spray and line the bottom of the pan with the hot dog pieces. (If you have very small children, be sure to cut the hotdogs up into very little pieces.) Next, pour the soup over the top of the meat. Then sprinkle the shredded cheese and finally, top with the tator tots. Bake covered at 375 degrees for 15 minutes, then uncovered for 15 minutes. I served this with veggies and ketchup and the kids (and the parents) loved it!

Easy Bran Muffins Recipe-Enough To Feed An Army

If you have a big family like me, or you simply love eating muffins, here is a tasty recipe for you. You can prepare the mix and just store it in your fridge for a couple of weeks. They are very healthy and use heart-healthy olive oil.

Refrigerated Bran Muffins Recipe

Ingredients:
1 20-ounce box raisin bran cereal
2-1/2 cups sugar
5 cups unbleached flour
5 t. baking soda
2-1/2 t. salt
1/3 cup walnuts, chopped (I like to use pecans too)
1 quart low-fat buttermilk
1 (20 ounce) can crushed pineapple, packed in juice, undrained
2 whole eggs
3 egg whites
1/2 cup olive oil

Pour cereal into a large bowl. Add sugar and stir. Sift flour, baking soda and salt into cereal. Add walnuts and stir.

In a separate large mixing bowl, mix buttermilk, pineapple, eggs, egg whites and oil. Stir until completely mixed, then pour into dry mixture and stir completely.

Bake in sprayed muffin tins, filling each cup 2/3 full. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center of muffin comes out clean. The batter can be refrigerated fro up to six weeks. makes 5 dozen muffins (about 15 cups batter).

Each serving contains approximately: 131 calories, 3 grams fat, 8 milligrams cholesterol, 284 milligrams sodium, 25 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams protein and 1 gram fiber.

Lasagna in the Crockpot!

Sometimes I prefer to prepare the evening meal in the morning and let it cook in the crockpot. Since our afternoons are typically very busy with homework, practices, and other activities it really simplifies mealtime. I also enjoy to take an interesting recipe and use it for inspiration. I'm more of a "throw things in and taste it as I go" kind of chef. I use the ingredients that I want and add extras, when necessary.

This morning I browned some ground turkey (you could use ground beef), then added a large jar of spaghetti sauce. While the meat was cooking, I cooked some pasta in boiling water. In a separate bowl I mixed 1 cup of shredded pizza cheese, 1 cup cottage cheese, and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese. Then I added the pasta to the cheese mix. Next, I layered the ground meat and sauce, and the cheese/pasta mix until I was out of ingredients. Oh, and I also sprinkled a bit of oregano on top. Depending on your personal tastes, you could use different types of cheese (I love ricotta), leave out the meat for a vegetarian dish, or add colorful vegetables. It has been cooking all day and the house smells great! I will serve it with some garlic bread and Steamfresh broccoli. The kids love anything with pasta, so it's bound to be a hit!

Easy Delicious Taco Soup Recipe

I made this for my family last night and served it with grilled cheese sandwiches and baby carrots on the side. My kids love this and it's soooo easy! I put all of the ingredients in the crock pot and let it cook all day. Then, when dinner time rolls around. . . Voila! The recipe can be altered depending upon what kind of beans you have. Also, I use the mild Rotelle because most of our kids like it this way. Also, yesterday I didn't take time to thaw out ground beef (or ground turkey) so it ended up being a vegetarian main dish. Very satisfying, healthy, and budget-friendly! Oh yeah, my Mom gave me the recipe. . . Thanks Mom!

Chili or Taco Soup
1 pound lean ground beef (or ground turkey), brown and drain
1-15.5 ounce can navy beans, undrained
1-15.5 ounce can kidney beans, undrained
1-15.5 ounce can black beans, undrained
1-15.5 ounce can corn or hominy, undrained
2-14.5 ounce cans diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can Rotelle tomatoes
1 envelope Hidden Valley Ranch dressing mix (sometimes I use pkg. of onion soup mix)
1 envelope taco seasoning
2 cups water
Combine ingredients in crock pot. DON'T DRAIN ANY CANS! Cook on low all day.
This soup freezes well. Yield: 12 servings
If you do Weight Watchers, 1.5 cups=3 points.

Special Meals

David-steak, homemade creamed corn, hash brown casserole, and blackberry cobbler with ice cream.

Drew-supreme pizza, cooked cinnamon carrots, fruit salad, and oatmeal raisin cookies,

Cooper-hamburger pizza, corn on the cob, yellow sliced apples without the peels, chocolate cake with chocolate icing.

Maddie-spiral-shaped pasta with meat sauce, green beans, and apple pie with ice cream.

More Special Meals

Here are some more menu favorites from our family to yours. Please note that recipes are coming the near future!

David-scrambled eggs, hash brown casserole, and fruit salad.

Drew-tacos, peas, pineapple and apple slices, and vanilla milkshakes.

Cooper-hot dogs on buns, hash browns, corn on the cob, pears, and homemade chocolate cake with chocolate icing.

Maddie-pepperoni pizza, green beans, peaches, and chocolate chip cookies.

Lori-stuffed manicotti, Caesar salad, kiwi, and lemonade pie.

Past Special Meals

I'm busy gathering some of our past Special Meals and will be adding favorite recipes in the near future. If you're looking for a new menu, perhaps this will give you some new ideas. Please note that the menus were created and chosen by our four children and my dear hubby. Enjoy!

Special Meal's #1

Drew-soft tacos, cinnamon carrots, pear slices with peels, and white cupcakes with white icing.

Cooper-hot dogs with buns, corn on the cob, pears without peels, and strawberry shortcake.

Maddie-spaghetti and meatballs, cheesy broccoli, oranges, and ice cream sundaes.

David-roast beef, mashed potatoes with gravy, green beans, and Sawdust Pie (one of our favorites!)

What are Special Meals?

I originally came up with the idea of Special Meals to encourage some picky eaters in our family. The idea is to allow each child (and spouse) to choose a main course, vegetable side, fruit, and dessert. I usually write the menu on a sheet of paper and hang it on the fridge with a magnet. We try to create a new menu each month. That way the kids can look forward to their Special Meal each month. The only thing I ask is that they don't repeat more than one food a month. This encourages them to venture out a bit and try new foods. Each child gets to help prepare his or her Special Meal. This includes setting the table and cleaning up after mealtime. I try to make the entire process as special and fun as possible.

After implementing the Special Meal concept for a few years, I've noticed a dramatic change in the children, one in particular. Cooper, now 9, was our pickiest eater for several years. However, I'm happy to report that he now loves a variety of foods and will try just about anything!

Between soccer and t-ball, gymnastics and piano lessons it is so challenging for our family to make time to sit down together to a nourishing home cooked meal. We still hit the fast food drive-through's when time necessitates. However, in our busy little family of six, we have found our Special Meals to be. . . well . . . special.