Crock Pot Chicken

I've been eating this since I was a kid. Mom edited a recipe from a book that (to me, at least) looked to be at least 100 years old. It's simple - both in content and preparation - and is one of the kid-friendliest meals I've ever made. Even Braeden eats it, and he doesn't like anything that isn't mac & cheese or peanut butter.

You can use reduced-fat soup and fat-free milk with no problem if you so choose.

One caveat - the milk in this will curdle if you cook it too long or too fast. It's a good idea to make it the first time on a day you can be home to keep an eye on it. My first slow cooker burned it if I cooked it longer than 4 hours, even on low. The one I have now does well on low for 6 hours. It's hit-or-miss, so give it a trial run before you leave it on all day while you're gone.

Crock Pot Chicken

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 10-oz can cream of chicken soup, undiluted
1/2 c butter or margarine
1/2 c flour
salt & pepper to taste
2 c milk
cooked rice

Spray bottom of slow cooker with cooking spray. Cut chicken into large cubes (2 inches is good) and place in slow cooker. Pour soup over chicken and stir well to coat.

In a saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Whisk in flour, salt, and pepper until smooth. Gradually whisk in milk, stirring constantly. Cook over medium heat until thickened, about 2 minutes (keep stirring!). Pour over chicken and stir to mix well. Cook on low 6 hours. Serve with rice.

Serves 6.

Chicken Enchilada Pasta

Make this Pinterest Recipe #2 - tried and approved. (See, I am doing more than just look!) The recipe came from Pearls, Handcuffs, and Happy Hour (how hysterical is that?). I tweaked it ever so slightly - leaving out the pepper because I didn't have one, adding a can of kidney beans, and using the whole can of enchilada sauce - and ooooh, it was tasty! Super filling, too, especially since I used whole-wheat pasta. I also used a reduced-fat sour cream without any problem. You could try low-fat cheese, but it probably won't melt as well. I might give it a go next time, though. This is not the spiciest dish I've ever had, but you could use chipotle chili powder or cayenne to crank up the heat a notch or two.

For the record, this stuff makes a ton, but it sure is good!

Chicken Enchilada Pasta

2 tbsp canola oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 tbsp cumin
2 tbsp chili powder
2-3 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
1 10-oz can red enchilada sauce
2 10-oz cans green enchilada sauce
1 15-oz can beans, rinsed & drained (your choice - I used kidney but black or pinto would work too)
2 c shredded cheese (I used a Mexican blend)
1 c sour cream
16 oz penne
tomatoes, sour cream, avocado, and/or green onion for garnish

Cook penne according to package directions. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook onions in hot oil until nearly translucent. Add garlic and bell pepper; continue cooking until tender. Stir in cumin, chili powder, chicken, enchilada sauce, and beans. Bring just to a boil and stir in cheese until melted. Remove from heat and stir in sour cream. Add pasta. Garnish as desired.

Serves: at least 6, maybe 8.

Peanut Butter Pie

This ain't your momma's peanut butter pie, y'all.

Actually, it would be more appropriate to say this ain't my momma's pie... because it was her recipe I overhauled. The original was great - a super summery treat that I haven't had in years but have been craving something awful. I decided it needed to be, shall we say, edited.

And here's what I did: swapped out the graham cracker crust for a Nutter Butter crust, added caramel ice cream topping (because it really does go fabulously with PB), and added chopped Reese's cups. Mmmm....

Peanut Butter Pie

24 Nutter Butters
7 tbsp butter, melted
8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
1 c peanut butter
2 c powdered sugar
2/3 c milk
8 oz Cool Whip, thawed
8 oz bag Reese's minis, coarsely chopped
caramel ice cream topping

Crush Nutter Butters in a ziploc with a rolling pin. Stir into butter and press into ungreased 8x10 glass dish. Sprinkle all but 1/2 cup Reese's over cookie crust. Cream together cream cheese, peanut butter, powdered sugar, and milk with a mixer on medium speed until fluffy. Fold in Cool Whip. Spread mixture over crust and sprinkle with reserved Reese's. Drizzle with however much caramel you want. Refrigerate at least an hour to allow it to set up.

Serves 1. (Cause I ain't sharing!!! Okay... realistically it could serve 12, no problem. It's pretty rich. But still, that's only if I'm feeling really generous - which I'm not.)