Crockpot Teriyaki Chicken

I found this recipe on food.com, click here for get to their page.

Ingredients:

5 chicken breasts (about 3 pounds)
1 1/2 cups water
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 teaspoon granulated garlic
1 teaspoon sesame oil (optional, but wonderful)
3 tablespoons cornstarch
4 tablespoons cold water

Directions:

Spray the inside of your pretty crock pot with cooking spray.

Place chicken breasts into the pot. If you are using chicken that has been frozen, be sure that it is completely thawed before you add it to the crock pot.

In a separate bowl combine water, brown sugar, soy sauce, garlic and sesame oil. Stir to combine and then pour it over the chicken.
Cover the crock pot and cook on high for 4 hours, or on low for 7. 

When the chicken is cooked remove it from the crock pot and place in on a plate. 

In a small bowl combine corn starch and cold water. Pour it into the crock pot and stir it in thoroughly.
Take two forks and break the chicken breasts up a bit. I don’t like to shred mine up too much, just enough that the sauce has a chance to spread through the chicken. 

Place the chicken back into the crock pot and stir it around allowing the sauce to mix with the chicken.*

Cover the crock pot and let the mixture cook and thicken for 30 minutes.

Serve over rice. Enjoy!

Serves: 8
*My sauce never thickened so I made half a batch of sauce on the stove top and it was amazing!

Chicken and Dumplings

Ingredients:

3 cups chicken, cooked and shredded (I use one full bag of frozen tenderloins 2.5lbs)

2 quarts chicken broth

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp. baking powder

2 tbsp. salted butter, cubed

milk (a little less than a cupful)

Directions:

Cook and shred chicken. 

I cook my chicken in water, with a few celery stalks, poultry seasoning, garlic powder, thyme, salt and pepper. Once the chicken is cooked I strain and add to chicken broth.

 

Make dumplings,

In a medium bowl, combine flour and baking powder and cubed butter with either a fork, pastry cutter, or your fingers
I also like to add a bit of garlic powder and thyme probably about 1/4 tsp of each

Add milk

Dust your counter with a generous amount of flour

Place your dumpling dough on the counter and dust it with more flour

Roll out and cut dough into squares (about bite size)

Add shredded chicken to broth
Heat up broth to a boil

Drop dumplings in 1 at a time to prevent them sticking together, stir often

Cook 15-20 minutes, until dumpling dough does not taste doughy, and broth has thickened

Pizza Dough

We have been trying out different pizza dough recipes. This one comes from Epicurious.

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup warm water (105°F to 115°F)
• 1 envelope active dry yeast
• 2 cups (or more) all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons olive oil

In addition to their ingredients I added

1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp Italian seasoning
Fresh Oregano

Directions

Pour 3/4 cup warm water into small bowl; stir in yeast. Let stand until yeast dissolves, about 5 minutes.

Brush large bowl lightly with olive oil.

Mix 2 cups flour, sugar, and salt in processor. 

Add yeast mixture and 3 tablespoons oil; process until dough forms a sticky ball. 

Transfer to lightly floured surface. 

KNEAD dough until smooth, adding more flour by tablespoonfuls if dough is very sticky, about 1 minute. 

Transfer to prepared bowl; turn dough in bowl to coat with oil. 

Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let dough rise in warm draft-free area until doubled in volume, about 1 hour. 

PUNCH down dough. 

ROLL out dough. Start in center of dough, working outward toward edges but not rolling over them.

Top with your favorite toppings
Bake 425F for 11-14 minutes

*DO AHEAD Can be made 1 day ahead. Store in airtight container in refrigerator. 

Rigatoni

Besides homemade pizza, this is my most requested dish in our house.

Warning...this recipe may be difficult to follow or understand because I do NOT measure when I cook. Most recipes I can estimate on the amounts, however this one I add or don't add based on who I am cooking for, on smell, and on taste! But if your willing to take the chance, I promise you and your family won't regret making this recipe!

This dish is great to eat the day of, or if you like to plan ahead, make it 1-2 days, and store in refrigerator.

Ingredients

1 pound ground Italian sausage, mild or hot
1 pound ground beef
1/4 - 1 pound pepperoni (amount based on preference. Our family prefers Dietz Watson Pepperoni Sticks found at Albertsons in the deli department )
1/2 to ? garlic, minced (amount based on preference)
28-48 oz tomatoes, (type and amount based on preference. Most of our family are not fans of tomatoes so we use 2- 28 oz cans of crushed tomatoes.)
6  oz tomato paste
1/2 - 1 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 - 1 tsp Thyme, dried
1/4 - 1 tsp Oregano, dried
1/4 - 1 tsp Sage, dried
Salt
Pepper
Sugar
1 - 2 pound Rigatoni Pasta *Use less pasta if you prefer meaty dish

Directions

Brown Italian sausage and ground beef.
I like to add a bit of seasoning to my meat as it's cooking, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4-1/2 tsp Italian seasoning, 1/4 tsp garlic powder.
Drain grease.
Slice pepperoni to bite size pieces. Add to browned meat. *You may need to drain off additional grease.
Add garlic.
Add canned tomatoes, ONE can at a time, stir in, Add additional cans until sauce is the consistency you prefer.
Add tomato paste, if needed (I find that if I use crushed tomatoes I don't usually need to use paste).
Add seasonings, salt and pepper. *If you use seasoned tomatoes and paste, you may want to reduce amount of seasoning!
Simmer on low for 15-20 minutes.
TASTE sauce, if bitter add sugar, 1/2 tsp at a time, as needed.

Boil pasta as directed. *For those who have little mouths to feed, we find using Penne pasta works best for those 'little' mouths.

Serve sauce over pasta, top with grated Parmesan cheese.

To bake: place pasta in bottom of large baking dish, pour sauce over the top, and store in refrigerator up to 2 days. Bake at 350 degrees 30-45 minutes or until center is hot.

Chicken Enchiladas

Ingredients

2 pounds chicken (about 8 chicken tenders or 4 chicken breasts)
4 Tablespoons cream cheese (optional)
2 cans cream of chicken soup
Green onions*
2 Tablespoons chili powder OR 1 package taco seasoning mix
1/4 cup milk
1/2 to 1 cup sour cream
Green chilies, chopped (I use a 7oz can)

Cheese*
Tortillas


Directions
Cook chicken, then dice or shred
Mix cream cheese, soup, green onions, chili powder OR taco seasoning, milk, sour cream, and half the chopped green chilies in a sauce pan
Add chicken

Spread small amount of mixture in bottom of pan (I use 9x13)
Spread about 1/4 cup mixture down center each tortilla
Sprinkle cheese over mixture
Roll tortillas and place seam side down in pan
Poor remaining sauce over rolled tortillas and top with additional cheese and chopped green chilies
Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes or until hot
Top with your favorite toppings, such as guacamole, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, sour cream.

Extra Notes

*Add your desired amount or not at all.
Use your favorite cheese(s)

This meal works great to make ahead, if cooking the next day bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes or until hot

Makes 12 enchiladas
Nutritional info (per serving): 343 calories, 37 grams of carbs , 14 grams of fat, 18 grams of protein