Slow Cooker Fiesta Chicken

Yuuummm!  This recipe might not be the best looking dish you will ever prepare, but it sure is good.  It's a great recipe for when you are short on time (for me that's every single day) and it only has a few ingredients.  It got major bonus points for being a slow cooker recipe....but.....you can also just throw your chicken in frozen!  Insert happy dance ;-)
I served mine over some white rice, and my hubby went nuts over it.  I usually have these ingredients on hand, so I can throw this together anytime I'm having a busy week. (Which is more often than not)


I originally found this recipe from one of my favorite bloggers (Christy, The Girl Who Ate Everything).  You can find the link to her original recipe HERE!  


4 chicken breasts, frozen or thawed
1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15 oz) can corn, drained 
1 (15 oz) jar of your favorite salsa
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese


Place chicken in slow cooker.  Add black beans, salsa, and corn.  Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours, or until chicken is cooked.  Once chicken is cooked, remove from slow cooker and shred it using two forks.  Return shredded chicken to slow cooker.  Add 1 package cream cheese.  Seriously, just throw it on top of everything!  Cover and cook for 1/2 hour.  Don't worry if things look a little strange at this point.  Just stir in the cream cheese and everything will come together.  
Serve over rice, or in warm four tortillas!

Crockpot Creamy Italian Chicken

I'm not really sure how I'm the last one to know about this recipe?!  But on the off chance that you guys have not tried it, I'm passing it along!  

I'm all about meals that are easy to prepare...you get bonus points for being able to throw it in a slow cooker.  This recipe is not only easy, it's creamy and super yummy.  I found this recipe on several different websites, but I ended up using the recipe from one of my fav bloggers...Christy from The Girl Who Ate Everything.  You can see her original post HERE!   I also used the bowtie pasta becuase I think it's prettier than other pastas :)

4 Chicken Breasts  (I used tenderloin strips because it's what I had on hand. One package has about 10 strips)

1 Packet Dry Zesty Italian Dressing Mix  (trust me...use the zesty!!)

1-8oz Pkg Cream Cheese, Softened

1-2 Cans Cream Of Chicken Soup  (I used 1.5 cans)

Place chicken is slow cooker and sprinkle whole packet of italian seasoning over it.  Combine cream cheese and cream of chicken soup in small pot over low heat.  Let cheese melt and pour over chicken.  Cover and cook on low for at least 4 hours.  When ready to eat, take out chicken and shred with forks.  Place back in slow cooker and stir to combine.  Serve over pasta or rice.  If you feel your sauce is too thick, you can thin it to desired consistency with a little milk.

Wassail

*My favorite wassail spice blend!

*A snowy evening outside the Biltmore Home in Asheville, NC!

Fall is here!! I'm so excited that the weather has finally gotten a little cooler...and the leaves are starting to change colors. It just makes me want to surround myself with pumpkins and the smell of cinnamon and cloves. Since I have been a little under the weather this week I decided to break out the slow cooker and steep some wassail. It is so warm and comforting to a sore throat...and the cinnamon is a great antioxidant!
On our vacation to the Biltmore Home in Asheville, NC we picked up a bunch of their wassail mix. It is a really great blend of mulling spices with a little extra orange zest flavor. I usually mix several tbsp fulls with apple juice or apple cider (my fav is the Simply Apple Juice) and let it steep for a few hours on low in the slow cooker. You can also just pick up a package of mulling spices at your local grocery store to blend with the apple juice/cider. I still place a few extra cinnamon sticks in...just for a little added cinnamon~ey taste :)

Crockpot Cajun Boiled Peanuts!

This is another recipe from my fall cooking that I forgot to post! Sorry again!!

I am from the South. And being from the South I LOVE me some cajun boiled peanuts! They are such a great snack. But they can really be a labor of love. I found this recipe while searching around on Recipezaar.com. I added a good bit of cajun seasoning and hot sauce to spice things up a bit! I have a large crock pot with a lid that locks in place for transporting. It really came in handy with this recipe. As the peanuts cook and water fills the shells...it will begin to lift the lid!
**Original recipe from PugsandHugs on Recipezaar.com**

1 1/2 quart green uncooked peanuts (I used 1 lb peanuts in shell)
1/2 cup salt
2 1/2 quarts water (I just added enough water to cover the peanuts)
*4 tablespoons cajun seasoning
*hot sauce to taste (I like things spicy so I added just over 1/2 cup of Franks Red Hot)

Wash peanuts until water runs clear. Place peanuts in crock pot. Add salt, seasoning, hot sauce, and water. Cook on high for 6 hours. Then cook on low an additional 4-5 hours.
Add additional water during cooking to keep peanuts covered.

My Mother's Quick Chili

When I was growing up I can remember my Mom making the best chili in the world. It was nothing fancy..but it would fill you up...and warm you up when the weather was cold! After spending way to much time trying to figure out meals for this week...I thought I would make this and see what my hubby thought. Well....it was a huge hit! Thanks for coming through in a pinch Mom :)


1 lb. ground chuck
1 pkg. Frenches Chili~O mix
1 can Bush's chili beans
1 can dark kidney beans
1 can chili ready tomatoes
1/2 cup water

Brown and drain ground chuck. Drain and rinse kidney beans. Toss in slow cooker with remaining ingredients and cook on low for 4 hours. Enjoy :)

**Like I said...short and sweet!**