Green Bean Casserole

I made this at Thanksgiving time, it was FANTASTIC! Pretty similar to normal green bean casseroles, but with a few upgrades. So yummy! This is a Paula Dean recipe.

Ingredients

• 1/3 stick butter
• 1/2 cup diced onions
• 1/2 cup sliced fresh mushrooms (I didn't have any, so these were omitted)
• 2 cups sliced green beans 
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 1 (10 3/4-ounce) can cream of mushroom soup
• 1 (2.8-ounce) can French-fried onion rings
• Pinch House Seasoning, recipe follows (I just added in the seasoning, didn't make the whole recipe)
• 1 cup grated Cheddar
• 1 dash of worcestershire sauce

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Melt the butter in a large skillet. Saute the onions and mushrooms in the butter. Boil green beans in chicken broth for 10 minutes and drain. Add the green beans, mushroom soup, onion rings, and House Seasoning, to taste, to the onion mixture. Stir well. Pour into a greased 1 1/2-quart baking dish. Bake for 20 minutes, then top the casserole with the Cheddar and bake for 10 minutes longer, or until the casserole is hot and cheese is melted.

House Seasoning:

1 cup salt

1/4 cup black pepper

1/4 cup garlic powder

Restaurant Style Queso Blanco

I made this last night for our Polar Express party and it was a huge hit and so yummy! I think that next time I am going to substitute the Monterrey Jack for some Pepper Jack cheese next time to give it a little kick! I found it on this website.

• 1 Tbsp cooking oil (veggie, olive, canola - whatever you have)
• 1/4 cup white onion, diced
• 1 large jalapeno or serrano, seeds and stem removed; diced
• 12 oz white American cheese (I have the deli give me 3 slices on 10), shredded
• 4 oz Monterrey Jack cheese, shredded (optional; don't use pre-shredded)
• 1/4-2/3 cup cream, half-and-half, or whole milk
• 1 roma tomato, seeds removed and diced
• 1 small bunch cilantro, roughly chopped

1. Heat the oil in a saute pan. Cook the onion and pepper until softened and reduce heat to medium-low.
2. Add the shredded cheese and 1/4 cup of the cream. Stir until mostly melted.
3. Add the tomatoes, cilantro, and additional cream a little at a time until you reach desired consistency.
4. Serve with chips. I think it would be yummy with bread too.
   

Spicy Honey Chicken

This is one of my most favorite meals.  I copied the recipe right from Our Best Bites, so this is all their instructions and pictures.  The first night I made this our grill ran out of propane, so I had to do it all inside.  I did not use an indoor grill pan or a broiler like they suggest.  I prepared the chicken with the rub and then I put the chicken pieces in a baking dish.  I then just poured the glaze(all of it) over the chicken and cooked it for 45 minutes or so on 350F, turning the chicken over every 15 minutes or so.  I am positive that this would taste better grilled, but we still don't have propane so I still just bake it.  It is soooo yummy! And I have to agree, it is best with thighs.

Spicy Honey Chicken

 Recipe by Our Best Bites

8 boneless skinless chicken thighs, about 2lbs (Yes, Thighs!!)
everyone is always asking me if they can use breasts for this. Sure you can, but I’m tellin’
ya right now it’s better with thighs.

 2 t vegetable oil
Rub

2 t granulated garlic
2 t chili powder
1/2 t onion powder
1/2 t coriander
1 t kosher salt
1 t cumin
1/2 t chipotle chili powder

Glaze
1/2 C Honey
1T Cider Vinegar

Combine the rub spices in bowl and mix well.

Use kitchen shears (or a pair of clean scissors) to trim off any excess fat from the chicken pieces.Pat dry. Drizzle oil over chicken and rub in with your hands to lightly coat all the pieces. Then toss chicken with the spice rub to coat all sides well. Use your hands and get in there! Grill chicken for 3-5 minutes on each side, until cooked through.

While chicken is cooking, warm honey in the microwave so it’s not so thick. Add the vinegar and combine well. Reserve 2T honey glaze for later. Take the rest and brush on chicken (both sides) in the final moments of grilling.

I’m gonna warn you that this can make a hot mess, literally. It’s sugar, and it’s gonna drip. But the smelly smoke is worth it for a minute or two. Just leave your grill on for a few minutes after the chicken is done to burn off any excess glaze. It’s totally worth it once you taste this stuff.

If you don’t have a bbq, try it on an indoor grill pan or use your broiler. Just be sure to open a window in case you burn your glaze!

Remember how I had you reserve that extra couple tablespoons of glaze? Ya, drizzle that on top now. Your taste buds will thank you.

 

Chicken & Spinach Pesto Lasagna

I love lasagna!  Love, love, love it.  I also really love pesto, so when I found this recipe on the back of my shredded cheese bag, I knew I had to try it.  We all liked it a lot!  I will make it again, but must record the recipe or it will be in the garbage with the empty cheese bag.  If you don't like pesto, you won't like this.  If you don't like spinach, you really won't like this.

Ingredients:
12 uncooked lasagna noodles
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 c onions, chopped
3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 packages (12 oz each) frozen chopped spinach
3 c cooked diced chicken breast
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 c ricotta cheese (I used cottage cheese.  I ALWAYS use cottage cheese in my lasagna.)
1 large egg
1 1/2 c prepared pesto sauce,
   plus 2 Tbsp
3/4 c grated parmesan cheese
2 c shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2.  Spray 13x9-inch casserole or lasagna pan with nonstick cooking spray.
3.  Heat oil in large skillet over med-high heat.  Cook and stir onions and garlic until transparent.  Add spinach, cook and stir about 5 minutes.  Add chicken and stir about 5 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper.
4.  In large bowl, mix together ricotta cheese, egg, pesto, and parmesan cheese until thoroughly blended.  Add chicken and spinach mixture to bowl and stir to combine.
5.  Spread 2 Tbsps pesto in bottom of prepared pan.
6.  Layer 4 lasagna noodles, slightly overlapping.  Top with one third of spinach ricotta mixture and on third of mozzarella.  Repeat layers twice.
7.  Bake about 35-40 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

Chicken Marinade

This is very similar to Joe's worcestershire marinade and can be tweeked however you like.

1 1/2 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/3 cup lemon juice
2 tbsp dry mustard
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp black pepper
1 1/2 tsp finely minced parsley

I made this marinade on the fly and it was only able to marinade for about an hour and still had a lot of flavor (I was marinating chicken tenders not full chicken breasts).

Sugar Cookie Bars

Another Pinterest recipe. From this website that looks really yummy.

1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
5 cups flower
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp soda

Cream the butter and sugar together until fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time mixing well after each addition. Meanwhile, mix the dry ingredients together in a separate bowl. Add the vanilla to the creamed mixture and then slowly add the dry ingredients.

Press into a greased 13X18 inch pan and bake at 375 for 10-15 min. (Warning the dough will be sticky add a little flour to your hands when pressing into the pan. I added way too much flour to the dough to try to unstick it, don't do that)

Cool and frost.

Frosting:

1/2 cup unsalted butter room temperature
1/2 cup shortening
1 tsp vanilla
pinch of salt
4 cups powdered sugar
5 tablespoons milk

In a mixing bowl beat the shortening and the butter until creamy. Add the vanilla and powdered sugar. Gradually add the 5 tbsp of milk until you reach your desired consistency.

Chill and cut.

Cinnasticks

I got this recipe from Pinterest it is super yummy!!! The original recipe suggests getting the pre-made pizza dough from Papa Murphy's. I just used a pillsbury pizza dough though and I am sure that any homemade pizza dough recipe would work just fine. It also suggests using a butter flavored oil like the kind meant for popcorn, I just melted some butter and added it to my oil and it tasted just fine.

dough rolled out into a square or circle
buttered flavored oil
2 tsp cinnamon (more if you are a cinnamon fan)
1/2 c. sugar

Icing:
several cups of powdered sugar (I did like 3 and had plenty of icing)
small splash of milk (just keep adding milk until it is the consistency you like)
1 Tbsp melted butter
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Using a pizza cutter cut the dough into strips. Brush the dough with the flavored oil. Bake for about 15 min until cooked through, keeping a close eye on it so it doesn't over bake. Remove from oven. Wile the dough is baking prepare the icing and set aside.
3. Combine the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and stir together well. Sprinkle the mixture over the warm dough. Drizzle with the prepared icing. Serve warm

I did let my refrigerated dough rise a little bit before baking. But these were so delicious!!!

Penne Pasta with Sun Dried Tomato Cream Sauce

I found this recipe on Pinterest it is soooo yummy and super easy!

2 cups dry penne pasta
8 sun dried tomatoes chopped, about 1/3 cup
1 can (12oz) evaporated milk
2 cups (8oz package) shredded Italian style cheese blend
1 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp ground black powder

Prepare pasta according to package directions. Add the chopped sun dried tomatoes for the last two minutes of cooking time. Drain.

Meanwhile combine evaporated milk, cheese, basil, garlic powder, and pepper in a medium saucepan on medium low heat, stirring occasionally until the cheese is melted. Remove from heat.

Add pasta and tomatoes to the cheese sauce, stir until combined

You can add chicken to this dish which would be super yummy but it was delicious without it too.

| Cheesy Chicken Pot Pie Cups |

- 1 can of reduced fat biscuits (10 count)
- 1 cup cooked chicken breast, diced
- 1 (10 1/2 ounce) can reduced-fat cream of chicken soup
- 2/3 cup shredded low-fat cheddar cheese
- 1 cup of frozen mixed veggies (I use broccoli, cauliflower, corn, peas...anything)
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
- 1 teaspoon of onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper


1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Separate biscuits and place each biscuit in a cup of a lightly greased 12-hole muffin pan, pressing dough up sides to edge of cup.

3. In a medium bowl, combine chicken, chicken soup, veggies, cheddar cheese, parsley flakes, and black pepper. Mix well to combine.

4. Evenly spoon chicken mixture into prepared biscuit cups.

5. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown.

6. Remove from oven. Place muffin pan on a wire rack and let set for 2-3 minutes. Serve at once.

I doubled this recipe. We like leftovers. It was really yummy, and fairly quick too.

One-pot Chicken & Penne Parmesan

I couldn't figure out what to make for dinner last night so I pulled out a bag of penne, and found this recipe. It was SO good. I altered it a bit since I didn't have the veggies it called for. Seriously SO SO SO GOOD! Bryan couldn't stop telling me how good it was ;) (maybe that is because he rarely gets a made from scratch meal these days)

1 T Butter or margarine
3/4 lb. boneless, skinless ckn breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes
1-3/4 cups (14 oz can) chicken broth
1/2 package (8 oz) Penne Rigate, uncooked
1 pkg (16 oz.) frozen broccoli, carrot and cauliflower mix (I used fresh cut carrots and frozen green beans)
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
3/4 cup milk
3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese, divided

In 5 qt saucepan over medium heat, cook chicken till no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Add broth; heat to boiling. Add uncooked pasta, veggies, and pepper, stirring to coat pasta with liquid. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer 13 minutes, stirring every 2 minutes or till pasta is barely tender and most liquid is absorbed. Meanwhile, in medium bowl, stir together soup, milk, and 1/2 C cheese till smooth; stir into chicken mixture. Heat till mixture just comes to a boil; sprinkle with remaining cheese.


Serves 8. Or 2 if you are hungry :)

Italian Sodas

These were at the Move Over Martha dinner too and were so yummy and a lot of fun!

2 TBSP Torani Syrup
Deli Ice
Club Soda
Half and Half
Whip Cream

Fill 16 ounce glass with ice. Add the syrup, then fill glass 3/4 the way full with club soda. Followed by Half and Half. Top with whipped cream and stir a little with your straw. You can get the syrup at Harmons or any Italian market. We had raspberry, peach, and strawberry all were very yummy! Pics here.

Peasant Bread

I belong to a group in our neighborhood called Move Over Martha. It is a cooking group more on the gourmet side. We had a dinner last Friday and this bread was part of it. It was delicious. So delicious that I attempted bread making yesterday. This recipe is so easy that even I didn't mess it up! Perfect with any Italian entree. YUM YUM!

1 package quick rise yeast (2 1/4 tsp)
1 TBSP sugar
2 cups warm water
4 cups flour
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
3 TBSP melted butter

In bowl mix yeast and sugar. Add water and let the yeast dissolve (about 3 min). In mixing bowl add flour, seasoning, and salt. Then add yeast mixture. Mix for about 5 minutes. Spray hands and cookie sheet with cooking spray. Divide dough into two balls and form into balls. Cover with towel and let raise for 30 minutes. Reshape dough, and brush with 3 TBSP melted butter. Sprinkle with a little more Italian seasoning and a little sea salt. Bake at 425 for 10 minutes then lower temperature to 375 and cook for 15 more minutes. Serve as is, or dip in olive oil and balsamic. Click here for pictures.

BBQ Beef Sandwiches

I tried these a few weeks ago and they were YUMMY! I found the recipe here.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup ketchup

1/4 cup vinegar (cider, white wine or red wine vinegar)

1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar

6 oz tomato paste

2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons yellow mustard

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4-1/2 teaspoon chipotle chili powder (to taste)

3 lbs or so beef roast (pork would work great too!)

Directions:

Mix together all of the ingredients, except for the meat, in the slow cooker, stirring well to combine.

Cut the meat into large chunks and place into the slow cooker, turning the pieces to make sure everything is coated with the sauce.

Cook on low for 6-8 hours, or until the meat is tender and falling apart. Shred the meat and return to the sauce to keep warm.

To serve, toast your favorite buns until golden brown and pile with meat! Also great with a few slices of cheese thrown onto the bread before you toast it... yumm!

Easy Homemade Ice Cream without a Machine

This recipe has been going around the blog world.  I have seen it a couple of times. THIS was the first place that I saw it.
We decided to try it for our FHE treat one evening.  It was good.  I am not really of fan of homemade ice cream from a machine.  I felt like this was closer to store bought than the machine kind is, but it is still different.  If I were to make it again I would make it the day before so that it is in the freezer longer.  It tasted better the next day when it was harder. 
Here is our version.  We made S'mores ice cream(check out the link for other flavor ideas):

2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup marshmallows
1/2 cup graham crackers broken up
3 Tbs melted butter
1/2 tsp vanilla

Whip heavy cream in large bowl with an electric or stand mixer until light and fluffy. In a separate bowl, whisk together sweetened condensed milk, butter, marshmallows, and vanilla in large bowl. Mix well. Stir in chocolate chips, then gently fold in whipped cream.

Pour into a 2-quart container and cover. Freeze at least 6 hours or until firm. 

Dipping Chicken

This recipe was super easy and yummy. It will be added to my list of quick, easy, go-to's for when I forget to plan a meal.  It reminded us of Rumbi's rice bowls.  Next time I will add stir fry veggies to it.  I used boneless, skinless chicken thighs not legs, but you could use chicken breasts as well.

Ingredients:

8 Chicken legs, bone in

1/3 cup soy sauce

Brown sugar

Garlic salt

Black pepper

Directions:

1.      Pull skin of chicken legs (less greasy)

2.      Pour 1/3 soy sauce in glass measuring cup.

3.      Add brown sugar to soy sauce until cup reads 2/3 cup.

4.      Put chicken in pan and sprinkle with garlic salt and black pepper.

5.      Pour brown sugar/soy sauce over chicken

6.      Cook at 350° for 1 hour uncovered.  Rotate chicken legs every 15 minutes.

7.      This chicken can be served on or off the bone.  Serve chicken over rice.

Southwest Super Nachos

This is one of my new favorite "it's 5:00 and I haven't thought about dinner yet" meals.  Quick and easy and almost everything is on hand in my food storage.

Shredded chicken
1 can corn
1 can black beans
1 can diced tomatoes w/ green chiles (or regular tomatoes and a can of green chiles)
1/2 packet of taco or chili seasoning
 *simmer*

Top chips with shredded cheddar and microwave until cheese is melted.  Top with chicken mixture, sour cream, and fresh salsa.  

Rolo Brownie Bites with Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting

These are SOOO good. I made them the other night for a party. Not anything too grand done with this recipe, but super yummy. Just the way I like it!

1 box fudge brownie mix plus necessary eggs, oil & water per package instructions (or your favorite homemade recipe) 


24 Rolo candies plus extras for the cook's snack 


4 TBS. butter, softened at room temperature 


4 oz. cream cheese, softened at room temperature 


2 TBS. caramel sauce 


1 cup confectioners sugar

Remove all the wrappers and refrigerate the Rolo candies. Pre-heat oven to 325F. Prepare brownies according to package directions. Grease a 24 cup mini muffin tin with cooking spray and fill each cup 3/4 full with batter. Bake for 15-20 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Remove from oven and immediately press a Rolo, smaller side down, into the center of each brownie bite until the top of the Rolo is even with the top of the brownie bite. Cool for a couple of minutes then carefully remove the brownie bites from the pan to a cooking rack. Allow to cool completely.

To make the frosting, whip the butter and cream cheese together until smooth. Add the caramel sauce and blend. Add the confectioners sugar and whip until creamy and smooth. Using a pastry or plastic bag with a piping tip, pipe the frosting onto the top of each brownie bite. Chill in the refrigerator to set the frosting a bit before serving

Kahuna Burgers

Drew and I love Rumbi's Kahuna burgers (it is a double patty so is a little much for me) but they sure are tasty. Last summer we tried to recreate it on our own and they turned out yummy.

Hamburger Patties (fresh ground beef tastes the best) or chicken breast
Teriyaki Marinade
Pineapple slices
Swiss Cheese

Marinade the the patties/chicken breast in the teriyaki sauce for at least a few hours (we usually do ours overnight)
Grill the patties/chicken breast (or you can cook the chicken in the oven) as the meat nears getting done add a pineapple slice with a piece of swiss cheese on top of it. Allow to melt.
Serve on yummy kaiser rolls or hamburger buns with Mayo, Tomato, and Lettuce and whatever sides suit your fancy.

We LOVE these as burgers and as chicken sandwiches.

Vegetable Tortelini Soup

This is from Our Family Treat my neighbor does this blog and it has some super yummy recipes and fun giveaways too. You can cook this in a crock pot as well just don't add the tortellini until 10 minutes before you are ready to serve the soup otherwise it will be overcooked.

1 pound Italian Sausage
1 cup onion-chopped
2 garlic cloves- minced
1 cup carrots-diced
1 cup zucchini-diced
1 green pepper- chopped
3 13 oz cans beef broth
1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 28 oz can whole tomatoes
1 15 oz can tomato sauce
1/2 cup dry red wine (optional)
1 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon parsley flakes

Brown sausage. Set aside and cook saute onions and garlic, until translucent. Then add broth, red wine, tomatoes, carrots, and spices. I used a potato masher and mashed the whole tomatoes a little bit. Stir and bring to a boil. Then reduce the heat and let simmer for about 30 minutes. Then add pepper and zucchini. Cover and let simmer for another 20 minutes. Add tortellini for the last 10 minutes of simmering. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

Baked Ziti

I made this for dinner co-op last week. It was delicious and made A TON!

1 pound dry ziti pasta

1 pound lean ground beef (I use 85/15)

2 jars spaghetti sauce -one jar of Prego Meat flavored,
one jar of Prego tomato, onion & garlic flavored

1 small tub of ricotta cheese

12 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add ziti pasta, and cook about 10 minutes until tender then drain. In a large skillet, cook ground beef over medium heat. Drain grease. Add spaghetti sauce, and simmer 15 minutes. Use a 9x13 inch baking pan. Layer as follows: 6 Tb of sauce mixture, thin layer of shredded mozzarella cheese, 1/2 of the ziti, entire tub of ricotta cheese spread across, 1/2 remaining sauce mixture, remaining ziti, remaining sauce mixture, a thick layer of shredded mozzarella cheese. Top with grated Parmesan cheese.
Bake for 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until cheese is melted.

I got this from this blog

Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos

I made these tonight for Cinco de Mayo. They were SO yummy. I would probably use this same recipe to make enchiladas the next time I do. It had such a good flavor. YUM.


1/3 C (3 oz) cream cheese
1/4 C green salsa
1T fresh lime juice
1/2 t cumin
1 t chili powder
1/2 t onion powder
1/4 t granulated garlic
3 T chopped cilantro
2 T sliced green onions

2 C shredded cooked chicken
1 C grated pepperjack cheese

small corn tortillas
kosher salt
cooking spray


Heat oven to 425. Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly coat with cooking spray.

Heat cream cheese in the microwave for about 20-30 seconds so it's soft and easy to stir. Add green salsa, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, onion powder and granulated garlic. Stir to combine and then add cilantro and green onions. Add chicken and cheese and combine well.
You can prepare up to this step ahead of time. Just keep the mixture in the fridge. 

Work with a few tortillas at a time and heat in the microwave until they are soft enough to roll without cracking. It helps to place them between damp paper towels. Usually 20-30 seconds will do it. If you find yours are cracking when you roll them or come unrolled right away, just try heating them longer and try the paper towel thing.

Place 2-3 T of chicken mixture on the lower third of a tortilla, keeping it about 1/2 inch from the edges.

Then roll it up as tight as you can.

Place seam side down on the baking sheet. Lay all of the taquitos on the baking sheet and make sure they are not touching each other. Spray the tops lightly with cooking spray or an oil mister and sprinkle some kosher salt on top.

Place pan in oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until crisp and the ends start to get golden brown.

Dip 'em in salsa, sour cream, guacamole.


Recipe by OurBestBites.com

Cookie Pizza

I got this recipe from Pillsbury.com. They call it Rocky Road Pizza and they add peanuts to the top, but nuts tend ruin desserts at our house so we omitted them.

2 cups of ready made cookie dough (if you buy the bigger tub you can get two pizzas out of one tub)
Chocolate Chips
Marshmallows
Caramel (like ice cream topping caramel)

Coat the pizza pan with cooking spray. Break the cookie dough into chunks and place all over the pan. Then using floured fingers push the cookie down into the pan to create the crust. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 min. Take out of the oven and add the chocolate chips (sprinkle to your liking) and the caramel (drizzle to your hearts content). Then put back in the oven and cook for an additional 3 minutes. Remove pizza again and add the marshmallows (again to your liking). Bake for another 3 minutes. Remove from oven drizzle more caramel over the marshmallows and let cool completely before serving, about an hour and a half.

**If you like the marshmallows more melty then you can add them to the top when you add the chocolate chips. We like ours more fluffly so we don't cook them as long as the other toppings.

Chicken in Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Sauce

My neighbor made this for our dinner co-op and it was absolutely delicious!

2 cans cream of chicken soup & herbs
1 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup coarsely chopped pitted kalamata olives
2 tbsp drained capers
2 cloves minced garlic
1 can (14oz) artichoke hearts drained and chopped
1 cup drained chopped sun-dried tomatoes
8 skinless boneless chicken breast halves (about 2lbs)
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves (optional)

Mix soup, chicken broth, olives, capers, garlic, artichokes, and tomatoes in 3 1/2 quart slow cooker. Add chicken and turn to coat.

Cover and cook on low 7-8hrs or on high 4-5hrs, or until chicken is no longer pink. Sprinkle basil, if desired, serve with rice, noodles, or mashed potatoes.

Pork Street Tacos

These are soooo yummy! I will take a pic tonight after dinner and add it to the post (if I remember)

1-2lb pork loin roast
1 can chicken broth
1 tbsp chopped cilantro
1 tbsp cumin
1 bay leaf
1 1/2 tsp minced garlic
1-2 tsp minced onion
1-2 tbsp lime juice
2 c water/2 buillion cubes

Salt and pepper both sides of pork roast. Put all ingredients into crock pot and cook 7-8hrs on low or 4-5 hrs on high. Once cooked, take meat out of crock-pot and shred into bowl. Put shredded meat into casserole dish with some of the crock pot juice. Cook at 450 for 20 min. Serve onions, cilantro and salsa.