Crock pot cordon bleu

I've been trying to meal plan for the whole month, so I only have to go grocery shopping once and so I save money by sticking to my list and so I don't buy my pregnant self "treats" every single time I have to go to the store.
Yes, join the club...people think I am crazy.
We have only done it for 2 months now but I think we are doing pretty well.

Anywho, trying to plan 30 meals was a lot harder than I thought.
I started searching the WWW for new ideas when I came across this one.
We love Cordon Bleu so it was worth a shot.

Ingredients:
6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 cup milk
4 ounces sliced ham
4 ounces sliced Swiss cheese
1 (8 ounce) package herbed dry bread stuffing mix
1/4 cup butter, melted

Directions:
Mix together the cream of chicken soup and milk in a small bowl.
Pour enough of the soup into the crock pot to cover the bottom.
Layer chicken breasts over the sauce.
Cover with slices of ham and then Swiss cheese.
Pour the remaining soup over the layers, stirring a little to distribute between layers.
Sprinkle the stuffing on top, and drizzle butter over stuffing.
Cover, and cook on Low for 4 to 6 hours, or 2 to 3 hours on High.

Sounds easy, right?
It is and it wasn't too bad either :)

Original recipe found here.

And again, no picture! :( I'm sorry!

Vodka Pasta

When Kyle and I were first married, we had some friends invite us over for dinner and they made Vodka Pasta.
Kyle absolutely LOVED it!
Now we make it at least once a month.

Side note:
The original recipe called for 1 jar/can of Vodka sauce but we have only been able to find it at Target..and it was a bit pricey so we mix 1 can/jar or Alfredo sauce with 1 can/jar of spaghetti sauce until we like the consistency of the sauce.

Ingredients:
Pasta
1 can of Alfredo Sauce
1 can of Spaghetti Sauce
1 pkg of diced ham (Kyle likes a lot of ham so we always add more)
1 1/2 cup of cooked broccoli (cut into small pieces)

Directions:
Cook pasta and drain
Cook broccoli according to directions (I usually use the steamable bags because they are so easy) then cut up into tiny pieces
Mix in broccoli and ham
Then mix in sauces until you are comfortable with the consistency.

tada! that's it!

enjoy!

Cheesy chicken broccoli over rice (Crockpot)

My sister has been staying with us and she wanted to invite this boy over that she is kind of dating for dinner.
It was short notice and because I am 38 weeks pregnant I wanted something easy, fast and yummy.

I searched and searched and finally came across this recipe.

We had all the ingredients, it's made in the crock pot, and it was delicious!

We also had family in town for a wedding, so we had to hurry and eat before they all showed up. Therefore, I didn't take a picture! so sorry! I totally spaced.

Ingredients:

3-4 boneless chicken breasts
1 10oz can cream of chicken soup
1 10 oz can cheddar soup
1 14 oz can chicken broth
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon garlic salt seasoning

1 cup sour cream
6 cups broccoli florets, just fork tender (I just used one bag of steamable broccoli)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:
Place soups, chicken broth, salt, and garlic seasoning into a crock-pot over low heat.
Whisk until smooth.
Place chicken in, pressing to the bottom.
Cover lid and cook on low for 6 hours or on high for 3 hours
After the 3 or 6 hours, shred chicken and stir in sour cream and broccoli
Serve over cooked rice and top with cheese

Yuuummmmyyyy!!

Original recipe found here

Tator tot Casserole with Chicken, broccoli & Cheese

I found this recipe on Pinterest and decided I would give it a try because we had the ingredients and it looked easy.

The picture doesn't do it justice.
It turned out a little bit runny..Not quite sure what I did wrong but it still tasted good.

Ingredients:
2 small cans cream of chicken soup
2 small cans cheddar cheese soup
1 1/2 Cups milk
8-10 Cups broccoli florets
2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded (bake or I throw mine in the pressure cooker)
1 teaspoon hot sauce (Tabasco or Chalula)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
1/8 teaspoon Lawry’s Garlic Salt with Parsley
1/2 bag Ore Ida Seasoned Tater Tots, frozen
1/2 Cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Place soup and milk into a large pot over medium heat. 
Whisk until smooth and heated through, about 5 minutes. 
Stir in broccoli and cook for 5 additional minutes to soften slightly. 
Stir in chicken, salt, pepper and garlic seasoning. 
Pour mixture into 11×7 inch baking dish that’s been sprayed with cooking spray.
Top evenly with tater tots and cheese; bake for 20 minutes then cover with foil.
Bake for an additional 15 minutes with dish covered with foil. 
Remove from oven and serve. 

don't judge me  for using paper plates..I didn't want to do dishes that night ;)

crockpot spaghetti & chicken

Ingredients:
3 lb. chicken pieces (I guesstimate that 3-4 breasts equal one pound? I could be wrong though??)
1 (2/3 oz.) pkg. Italian salad dressing mix
4 tbsp. melted butter
1 small onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 (10 1/2 oz.) can cream of chicken soup
8 oz. cream cheese
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 lb. of spaghetti

Directions:

Place chicken pieces in crock pot and sprinkle Italian seasoning over chicken.
Sprinkle with 2 tbsp. melted butter.
Cook on low for 4-6 hours.
(We shredded the chicken after the 4-6 hrs)

Melt 2 tbsp. butter in a saucepan and sauté onion and garlic.
Add Cream of Chicken Soup, cream cheese, and chicken broth.
Stir until smooth.

Add this mixture to crockpot and cook on low for an additional hour.
Prepare spaghetti according to package directions.
Put chicken mixture on top of cooked spaghetti.

Crockpot Creamy Italian Chicken

This recipe was amazing!! We liked it so much that we made it 2 days in a row! And guess what? I forgot to take a picture BOTH time! Fail! I blame it on the pregnancy brain.

This recipe reminded me a lot of "Hawaiian Haystacks" if you have ever had those before. So you could probably add the toppings on and it would be exactly the same, but a million times easier.

Ingredients:
2 lbs of boneless, skinless chicken breasts (I guesstimate that 2-3 breasts equal 2lbs?!)
1 pkg Good Seasons Italian dressing mix
1/4 cup water
1 8oz pkg low fat cream cheese
1 can cream of chicken soup
3 cups cooked rice

Directions:
1. Place chicken in crock pot
2. Mix together Italian dressing mix and water. Pour over chicken.
3. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours OR low for 8 hours.
AFTER THE 4 or 8 HOURS
4. Mix together cream cheese and soup in separate bowl.
5. Carefully remove chicken from crock pot to plate.
6. Pour cream cheese/soup mixture into crock pot and mix together with dressing in bottom.
7. Return chicken to crock pot and mix gently to shred the chicken.
8. Cook on LOW until heated through.
Serve with rice or noodles.

Crockpot Chicken Ragu

I made this on one of those nights when I didn't have anything planned and we didn't have much in our pantry. It was easy, fast and yummy.

Ingredients:
18 oz. Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast
1 jar Ragu Spaghetti Sauce (I didn't use Ragu..just whatever brand I had)
1 1/2 cup Kraft Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

Directions:
Place chicken in crock-pot. Pour sauce over the chicken and cook on low for 6-8 hours. About 15 minutes before serving, sprinkle shredded cheese over the chicken and sauce. Cover and let cheese melt.

Easy peasy!

Maple Pretzel Chicken

I was a bit nervous to try this recipe but I went for it anyway and it actually wasn't too bad.

I tried frying the first few piece but just found that the pretzels fell off or started to burn (even if I turned the heat down)
so I baked the rest. The only problem with that the pretzels became a little soggy.

I think I will have to try it again when I am not in a hurry.
Seeing as I was in a hurry, I forgot to take a picture
:(

Ingredients:
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 egg
1/2 cup Maple Syrup
1-1 1/2 cups crushed pretzels
1/4 cup canola oil

Directions:
In a shallow bowl whisk the egg and syrup
Place the pretzel in a separate bowl
Dip chicken in egg mixture and then into pretzels
In a large skillet cook the chicken in medium heat until juices run clear.

Crockpot BBQ Chicken

They had an amazing sale on Chicken Breasts here, so the hubs and I stocked up. I'm not lying when I say the only thing we had in our freezer was chicken. haha.
So being pregnant, in the dead of summer, with no AC, I have been using the crockpot about every night for recipes. And most of those are chicken!! ;) It's a good thing the Mr. loves food or I think he would be sick of all the chicken we have been eating.

Ingredients:
4-6 pieces boneless skinless chicken breasts (I always put mine in frozen)
1 bottle BBQ sauce
1/4 c vinegar
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/4 c brown sugar
1/2 - 1 tsp. garlic powder

Directions:
Mix BBQ sauce with all ingredients listed under it. place chicken in crockpot. pour sauce over it and cook on LOW for 4-6 hours.

Easy, right?

And quite tasty for a summer night

Crockpot Chicken Noodle Soup

Being pregnant and always starving, but nothing, I mean absolutely nothing, sounds good has been a bit difficult for me (and the hubs). I didn't cook anything for the first few months besides box Mac & Cheese in fear I would gag and barf my brains out at the first weird smell/texture. There was one day I craved my Grandma's homemade Chicken Noodle Soup. 1. I didn't have her recipe. 2. I didn't want to stand in front of a hot oven all day to make it. So....I compromised. :)
Crockpot Chicken Noodle Soup. Crockpot=I don't die of heat and I still get my soup!
Well, this recipe made a LOT and we ended up throwing some of it away after we ate it for about 3 days straight. But it was yummy, so I do recommend it. Still not as good as Grandma's, but what can ya do ;)

Ingredients:
5 cups of chicken broth (boxed or can is fine)
One can Cream of Chicken soup
1/2 cup onions chopped fine
1/2 cup celery
1/2 cup carrots
1/2 cup green onions
One can of whole kernel corn
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 1/2 cup Egg noodles
2 cups cooked chicken chopped or 2 cans canned cooked chicken

Directions:
Add everything but the noodles and cooked chicken to the crock pot on Low for 5-6 hours, the last hour turn on High, and add noodles and chicken. Remember, if you do this in the morning, and don’t have a timer on your crock pot, use a lamp timer, they work wonderful.

I boil 4 chicken thighs in about 8 cups of water, make sure they are cooked through.
Cool, remove skin and bone and shred with forks. Cool, cover and refrigerate.
I like thighs. If you need, add water to the broth to make 5 cups. Add cream of chicken soup. Chop the vegetables, I like everything about the same size, celery, carrots, onions, green onions.
Add everything to the pot and forget it for the afternoon, do not add the chicken and noodles. (Will add them the last hour or so) The smell will take over the house.

I always add more noodles that the recipe calls for, I like it like a stew, do what you and your family likes.

**once again, no pic! sorry!!!!

Chicken & Broccoli Cresent Pockets

Oh.my.word.

I was amazed at how delicious these were.

They were a bit messy to make and we bought the cheap crescent rolls so we had to keep pinching them together.
(we are poor college students, give us a break)

I doubled the recipe, because, lets face it, I have a husband that likes to eat & my brother and his friend were over. After we all ate, we still have a TON left over.

So for future references, don't double the recipe unless you have a crowd coming over ;)

But take my word for it, they were quite delicious.

Ingredients:

2 packages crescent rolls

1 package frozen steam-in-a-bag broccoli

1 8-ounce package softened cream cheese

1/2 cup sour cream

2 cups cooked chopped chicken

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Pinch two crescent rolls together to make a rectangle, for four rectangles per package. Steam the broccoli in the microwave two minutes shy of the time suggested on the bag.
In a large bowl, stir together cream cheese and sour cream. Add chicken, cheese, and partially steamed broccoli, and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Scoop some filling into each crescent rectangle and seal shut completely. Place on a baking sheet.

Cook for 15 to 17 minutes or until golden brown.

recipe found here

My oven is older and so the tops were really brown but they still turned out delicious!

Crockpot Sesame Chicken

This recipe was pretty yummy but I wasn't "in love" with it. I don't know if I would stick it in the cookbook though.

2 1bs. skinless, boneless chicken thighs.
1/2 c. low sodium soy sauce
1/3 c. packed brown sugar
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1 Tbsp. ketchup
1 Tbsp. toasted sesame seeds

Place chicken thighs in the slow cooker. Whisk together remaining ingredients in a bowl and pour over chicken. Cover and cook on low 6 to 8 hours or on high 3 or 4. Serves 4 - 6.

As you can see, we didn't have any sesame seeds so we went without ;)

Breakfast Casserole

Man oh man! This was yummy & the husband loved it!
He ate almost the entire thing
I definitely recommend this for either breakfast or dinner

Ingredients:
4 cups of frozen shredded hash brown potatoes
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 cup of chopped (cooked) bacon
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 can of evaporated milk
1 egg
1 1/2 tsp season salt
Directions:
PREHEAT oven to 350° F. Grease 8-inch-square baking dish.
LAYER 1/2 potatoes, 1/2 onion, 1/2 bacon and 1/2 cheese in prepared baking dish; repeat layers.
Combine evaporated milk, egg and seasoned salt in small bowl.
Pour evenly over potato mixture & cover.
BAKE for 55-60 minutes.
Uncover; bake for an additional 5 minutes.
Let stand for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

Lion's House Sweet & Sour Chicken

I've decided that we eat a lot of chicken and rice at our house.
We both really like chicken and when it's on sale, we stock up!
So here is another yummy & easy chicken recipe for you that I found on Pinterest.

Lion's House Sweet & Sour Chicken

Ingredients:
Garlic Salt
Pepper
Corn Starch
Ketchup
Vinegar
Sugar
Chicken Broth
Soy Sauce
7-8 Chicken Breasts

Sauce:
3 Tbls. cornstarch
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup vinegar
1 cup chicken broth
7 Tbls. ketchup
2 Tbls. soy sauce

Directions:
Layer raw chicken breasts in 9x13 glass backing pan, sprinkle with garlic salt and pepper.
Mix all sauce ingredients in a medium bowl and pour over chicken
Bake uncovered at 325 for 1 1/2 hours or until sauce is thick and dark
Turn chicken twice while baking
Serve over Rice, Baked Potato, in a Bun or in a Tortilla.
It was even really yummy just alone.

Sorry the pictures aren't the greatest, I had dinner with Mr. Husband at his work. I only had my phone with me.

Original Recipe found here

BAKED sweet & sour chicken/fried rice

OH MY WORD!
This is by far the best chicken I have ever had.
I crave it

I could have convinced the Mr. that I picked it up from an Asian Restaurant.



BAKED Sweet n' Sour Chicken

Ingredients:
3-4 boneless chicken breast
1 cup Cornstarch
2 Eggs
3/4 cup Sugar
4 Tbs Ketchup
1 Tbs Soy Sauce
1/2 cup White Vinegar
1 Tsp Garlic Salt
Salt & Pepper
Canola Oil

Directions:
Cut chicken into bite size pieces
season with salt & pepper
dip chicken into cornstarch and then into the eggs
Heat oil in large skillet & brown chicken
Place browned chicken into 9x13 baking dish
Mix Sugar, Ketchup, Soy Sauce, Vinegar & Garlic Salt in a bowl and pour evenly over chicken

Bake for one hour on 325
Flip chicken every 15 minutes


I know everyone has their own spin on Fried Rice but this is how we make ours

3 Cups of Cooked rice in a bowl
add mixed veggies or just your fav. (Mr. hubby likes peas)
Ham, however much you would like... (again Mr. Hubby likes a lot)
Bacon (opt.)
Eggs
Soy Sauce

I just guess and add more if I need more of the above ingredients.

ENJOY! :)

Chicken Rollups

This is another recipe I found on Pinterest.
It was delicious and so easy!!
The only thing I would do better is cook for a little longer..SOME of the crescent rolls weren't quite done.

Ingredients:
2 (8 ounce) cans Reduced Fat Pillsbury Refrigerated Crescent Dinner Rolls
1 (10 3/4 ounce) can 98% fat free cream of chicken soup, undiluted
3/4 cup grated cheddar cheese (or any cheese of your choice)
1/2 cup milk

Filling:
4 ounces cream cheese (very soft)
2 tablespoons butter (soft but not melted)
1/2-1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tsp minced onion flakes
2 large cooked chicken breasts, finely chopped
1/2-3/4 cup finely grated cheddar cheese
1/2 tsp seasoning salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
2 Tbsp. milk
1-2 cup grated cheddar cheese (for topping)

Set oven to 350°F. Spray a 9x13 dish with cooking spray. Mix together milk, 3/4 cup cheese and undiluted chicken soup (can season with black pepper if desired).

For the filling (make sure that the cream cheese and butter are very soft) in a bowl, mix the soft cream cheese with butter until very smooth, then add in garlic powder. Add in the chopped chicken, onion and cheddar cheese; mix well until combined. Add in 2 tablespoons milk; mix to combine (add in a little more if the mixture seems too dry). Season with seasoned salt or white and black pepper to taste. Unroll the crescent rolls. Place 1 heaping tablespoon chicken mixture (or a little more) on top of each crescent triangle, then roll up starting at the thicker end.
Drizzle a small amount of soup mixture on the bottom of the dish. Then place the crescent rolls seam-side down on top of the creamed mixture in the casserole.
Drizzle the remaining sauce on top and sprinkle with 1 cup (or more) grated cheese
Bake for 30 minutes

Mr. Husband posing ;)

Original Recipe found here

Cordon Bleu Casserole

I LOVE Chicken Cordon Bleu
When I found this recipe I knew I had to try it
It turned out so good!
Because Mr. Husband had to go to work, we ate is as soon as it came out of the oven..that's why it looks kind of runny in the picture.

Ingredients:
Rice (cooked)
Chicken
Swiss Cheese
Ham
Cream of Chicken Soup
Milk
Sour Cream
Saltine Crackers
Paprika
Garlic Salt
Parsley


Directions:
Spray 9x13 pan with cooking spray
Spread 2 cups COOKED rice on the bottom of the pan
Spread 3 cups of COOKED chicken over rice
Layer 6 slices of Swiss cheese over chicken
Layer 10 slices of CUT UP ham over cheese
Mix 2 cans of Cream of Chicken soup, 1/2 cup milk & 1/2 cup sour cream together
Spread on top of ham
Crush 10 saltine crackers then add 1/2 tsp paprika, 1/4 garlic salt, 1/2 tsp parsley (mix together)
Sprinkle on top of soup mixture
Bake @ 350 for 30 minutes





Original Recipe found here

Crock Pot Orange Chicken

I found this recipe on Pinterest
(oh, how I love pinterest)
It looked DELICIOUS and I couldn't wait to try it. In the original recipe (found here) didn't specify how much chicken so I guessed..thinking I would just double the recipe. It turned out alright, but too much orange. I will definitely try it again, but follow it EXACTLY.

Ingredients:
3-4 boneless chicken breasts, chopped into small chunks
1/3 cup flour
olive oil
1/2 T salt
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
3 T ketchup
6 oz. frozen orange juice concentrate (thaw or throw it in the microwave for 45 seconds)
4 T brown sugar

Directions:
In a bowl, mix the orange juice, brown sugar, vinegar, salt, and ketchup
Pour the flour in a small bowl
Cover the chicken breast chunks in flour and shake off the excess.
Pour a small amount of olive oil in a skillet and brown the flour-covered chicken.
(The chicken doesn't need to be fully cooked since it's going in the crock pot)
After the chicken is done cooking, pour the pieces into the crock pot.
Then cover the chicken with your sauce mixture

Cook on low for 5-6 hours or on high for 2-3


Serve over rice

Parmesan Chicken

This is definitely an easy Parmesan Chicken recipe, but didn't turn out like I expected.
Still good, but not delicious.

Ingredients:
4 chicken breast halves, sliced in half
3/4 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon Italian seasonings
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tbsp butter, melted
3/4 cup mozzarella cheese
1 cup marinara sauce
cooking spray

Preheat oven to 450°.
Line a large baking sheet with foil and spray lightly with cooking spray.

Directions:
Combine breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, garlic powder, and Italian seasonings in a shallow bowl.
Melt the butter in another bowl.
Lightly brush the butter onto the chicken, then dip into breadcrumb mixture.
Place on baking sheet and repeat with the remaining chicken.

Lightly spray chicken with a little more cooking spray (this makes it crispy) and bake in the oven for 20 minutes. Remove from oven, spoon sauce over chicken and top with shredded cheese. Bake 5 more minutes or until cheese is melted and chicken is done. Serve over spaghetti or with a salad.

Chicken in Honey Sauce

I found this recipe online and was so excited to make it.
It was really easy but didn't turn out like I expected.
I'll have to try it again


Ingredients:
3/4 pound chicken (of your choice)

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. black pepper

1/2 cup honey

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/8 cup chopped onion (or 1/16 cup onion flakes)

1/8 cup ketchup

1 Tbs. vegetable oil

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes

Directions:
Season both sides of chicken with salt and pepper, put into crock pot.
In a small bowl, combine honey, soy sauce, onion, ketchup, oil, garlic and pepper flakes.
Pour over chicken.
Cook on low for 3 hours or on high 1 1/2 hours.
Chicken into bite size pieces, then return to pot and toss with sauce.
Serve over rice or noodles.
To bake chicken as a 30 minute meal:

Dice chicken and season both sides with salt and pepper, place in 8x8 pan.
Pour sauce over chicken and bake at 350 for 20 minutes, stirring after 10 minutes.