Crockpot Cream Cheese Chicken Chili and Thank You Baby Jesus… The Prednisone is WORKING!

Hey Y’all!

I am back today with one of the yummy crockpot recipes that I cooked up yesterday during my two crockpot Sunday! This Chicken Chili is one of the best things I have made this year… Hee, hee… well. It is ONLY January 13! No but really… this is so yummy. I plan on making it a staple in my freezer!

When I checked in yesterday with the ol’ blog I was still having some major issues with swallowing and ulcers in my esophagus. I am happy to report after being on prednisone since Saturday, I am feeling LOADS better. I am still having some pain, but I am able to eat most soft mushy things right now. I am hoping by tomorrow I will be be back to myself. I still can’t have carbonated beverages right now, so I am sticking to tea and water. But I am feeling so much better than I have been. Now if I can just get this sleep thing going… I was up at 3:45 a.m. this morning. Oh well. I will take eating over sleeping right now!

Now on to the recipe! I found this on Pinterest.. so you can go there and look too. I didn’t take my usual photos of me cooking.. sorry y’all. I just wasn’t up to it!

To make Crockpot Cream Cheese Chicken Chili you will need:

1 can black beans
1 can corn, undrained *You can use yellow corn or a mixture of sweet and yellow. I did the mixture!
1 can Rotel, undrained … if you don’t like Rotel you can substitute diced tomatoes without the green chiles. I had to do that this time. Rotel and esophagus ulcers REALLY don’t mix.
1 package ranch dressing mix
1 tsp cumin *I did not add this…. cumin and I DO NOT GET ALONG
1 Tbsp chili powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 8 oz package light cream cheese
2 chicken breasts *I added 3 this time. I was trying to get some more protein in since I haven’t been eating.

Drain and rinse black beans. Place your chicken at bottom of your crockpot, then pour out whole can of corn (undrained), Rotel, and black beans. Top with the seasonings and ranch mix. Stir all ingredients together. Place the cream cheese on top of the chicken. Cover with lid and cook on low for 6-8 hours. As it cooks, after about 3 hours, you may want to go ahead and blend your cream cheese into your mixture. After about 6 or so hours use tongs to remove the chicken breasts. Then  use 2 forks to shred chicken. At this point your chicken is really falling apart, so it won’t require a lot of effort to shred. Add the shredded chicken back into the crockpot and cook for 20 or so more minutes. Then serve!

It is really yummy! On piece of advice I would give is to double the recipe if you are cooking for more than 3. For me I got 6 Julia servings, which was about a cup and a half each. If you want to cook this and have leftovers, then I would absolutely double the recipe. When I added the third chicken breast it made it less liquidy, which is what I was wanting. If you want it more soup like and you are only cooking for a small group, then just add the two chicken breasts. But go ahead and print this one out y’all… It’s a GOODIE!

Here’s a my plate with a taste…. tomorrow I will be back with the Crockpot Chicken Fettuccini Alfredo… which is now tied with this recipe for recipe of the year!

 

Tootles!

JKP

I Survived the Dentist.. and Another Recipe!

Hey Y’all!

Well. I was a nervous wreck, but I survived my dentist visit. I love my dentist. He must be in his 70’s. But he is awesome. And he is very patient and kind with me. You see, the drill freaks me out. A bit. But my dentist talks to me the whole time and keeps me updated. Come to find out I have several things going on, all of which can be the culprit of the pain I am experiencing. Number one, I had a cavity, so he filled that hoping that would take away some of this gum pain I am dealing with. As my dentist was giving me the first of TWO Novocain shots, he also realized that I have very little jaw muscle left. And the bone that I have left is falling apart fast. He also noted that my gums around my molars are receding pretty severely  and that I have bone loss there as well. Now, receding gums are not new to me, I have dealt with this since I was diagnosed with Crohns. But the bone loss is a new thing. So I also earned myself a visit to the Periodontist too. I am going back for a cleaning in a month for another assessment and then on to the gum guy. Tonight my mouth is really sore and my jaw is killing me. But, there is some relief in knowing my dentist has checked me out and I now know what is going on. Whew.

Since I have been having trouble eating these past few weeks (because of my mouth, not my tummy!) I knew when I came home from the dentist that tonight’s meal was going to have to be easy to eat and tummy friendly. You see folks, when I go to the dentist I get sick to my stomach. Oh. Yes. I. Do. So I wanted something chicken soupy, but not chicken soup. While thumbing through my new magazine Southern Plate Classics, I came across a recipe for Chicken and Dumplings. That sounded heavenly to me, so in the crockpot it went this morning! What is really strange is that I am not usually a Chicken and Dumplings fan. Sometimes the dumplings are not good and let’s just say I haven’t had a good experience with this dish. But let me tell you, this recipe hits it out of the PARK!

To Make Crockpot Chicken and Dumplings You Will Need:

3 cups of chicken broth

1 regular can of cream of chicken soup

1 regular can of cream of celery soup

3/4 of a teaspoon of poultry seasoning

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon black pepper ( I was heavy handed. I LOVE my pepper!)

Now, the original recipe calls for 4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs and 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts. I am not a thigh girl. So I just used four skinless and boneless chicken breasts and cut them into 1 inch pieces. If you do combine the meats, just make sure you slice each piece into smaller1 inch pieces.

1 cup chopped carrot. I really chopped mine!

1/3 of a package of frozen dumplings, broken into 3 pieces. * You can find frozen dumplings in the freezer section where the biscuits are kept. I found mine at Kroger. They come in long rectangles. I just broke each rectangle in 3 pieces. I used about 7 long rectangles in my recipe.

I used a crockpot liner with this and I am glad I did. It made my cleanup very easy!

In your slow cooker combine the chicken broth, your cream soups, and seasoning. Stir your mixture well. Add in your chicken pieces and your chopped carrot pieces. Set your crockpot on low and cook for 4 hours.

After 4 hours, add your dumpling pieces. I added mine one at a time and then stirred the mixture several times. Continue to cook your chicken and dumplings for about an hour and a half more. Before I served mine, I added another sprinkle of pepper too!

And, let me just say. Very rarely do I go back for seconds on ANYTHING. But I could have hurt myself on tonight’s dinner. It is SOOOOOO good. It made 6 servings. I ate two. And then froze the other four. But. They won’t be in the freezer long! If you have a large family or you are making this dish to take to someone, it can very easily be doubled. Since I know how good this is, that is exactly what I am going to do next time. If it was this good in the summer, I predict it will be a staple for me in the fall and winter!

I am off to start a new book. I just finished reading Mary Alice Monroe’s Beach House series. OH. It was so wonderful. The perfect summer read! Tonight I am starting “The Girl in the Mirror” by the same author. I am too worn out from my dental adventure today to tackle any schoolwork. I figure if I go to bed early tonight, I will be up raring to go tomorrow morning.

Well, that is, if I don’t get sucked in to watching all of the “Royal Baby” footage on the morning shows!

Tootles!

JKP

So I Made Some Chicken For Dinner...

Hey Y'all!

Would you believe me if I told you that it has been too hot for socks? FOR REAL. I spent two afternoons this past weekend reading on my Kindle Fire and enjoying the sunshine on my patio. And this is December. :) They say that after tomorrow it will get cool again, so we will see. I have plenty of Christmas Socks of the Day to show off, so let's hope it cools down!

Today after school I hit the grocery store. Not my favorite place to go. I LOVE to cook, but I hate to grocery shop. I think it has something to do with me being so exhausted after school that I hate to battle the cart and go up and down the aisles. Even with a list, some days it is just too much. BOOO.

So. I got my groceries, came home, took Mr. Pitty Pat for a walk and then took a long nap. My normal afternoon routine this year. :) I found this recipe on Pinterest a few months ago and suddenly it sounded like a good idea for dinner tonight. I didn't do a regular ingredients picture, but I did get a before and after. And by after I mean, after I had devoured part of it for my dinner!

All you need for this ... I think I will call it One and Done is...(I like one and done... you only use one dish!)
Chicken Breasts. I like to get the hormone, antibiotic free ones. My stomach is much happier.
Green Beans. I got fresh ones, because I have an aversion to canned beans. Yes. I am weird. And. I feel all pioneery when I get to snap the green beans.
Red Potatoes. I washed mine up and quartered them.
1 packet of Italian Dressing. Dry. Not mixed.
1 stick of buttah. (Butter.)
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees

Place all ingredients in a 9 by 13 baking dish. Sprinkle the packet of Italian dressing evenly over the beans, chicken and potatoes. Then take the melted stick of butter and pour that evenly over the ingredients. Cover with foil and cook for an hour at 350 degrees.

Oh yes. This one is a winner. The chicken and potatoes are seasoned perfectly and the green beans are not soggy. The best part of this dish is that I have two more meals to enjoy. WINNER WINNER CHICKEN DINNER!

On the knitting front there is a lot going on with my needles. But a few of these projects are Christmas prezzies and I can't quite show them off yet. This weekend was the first weekend since my birthday that wasn't jam packed. Friday night I had my faculty Christmas Party and then the rest of the weekend was blissfully peaceful. I only have 6 more days of school until Christmas break.

I hope y'all are doing well!
Tootles!
:) JKP

Fuh-Get About It Chicken... and Summer is FLYING By!

Hey Y'all!

These past few weeks have FLOWN by! I had a visit from BFF Marie last week. By last Sunday, I was on the road again meeting my Mom in Mt. Pleasant so she could pick up Pitty Pat for the week! Monday I had my third cortisone shot in my foot (YAY, it is soooo much better!). After my shot, I drove to Sumter to visit with my Grandparents. I had dinner with my Granny and then headed over to my Granddaddy's and Step Grandmother's house. My step grandmother Marge had eye surgery on Tuesday, so I was on hand to drive them around and help around the house. By Wednesday afternoon, I was back on the road to Beaufort. Which is where I am hanging out now. I am not sure when I am heading home, all I know is that I can't get back in my car and drive a long distance for a couple of days... I am tuckered out folks! But I am so glad to be back with my Pitty Pat! :)

Yesterday I did a little back to school (sob) clothes shopping here in Beaufort. Then Mom and I ate at a VERY yummy restaurant with some friends called Dockside. If you are ever in Beaufort, you must eat here! The cornbread is like cake! :) Also, this is the best seafood I have EVER eaten. Yup. It was that good!

Anyhoo, now that I have caught y'all up on my adventures, I thought I would give you a great and EASY recipe for the weekend! Y'all, this recipe is so easy and so yummy that I could eat this once a week. In fact, I am cooking it for Mom tonight!

It is called... FUH-Get About It Chicken (insert Jersey accent here!)
Here's what you will need......

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2 cups of Minute Rice
1 can of Cream of Chicken Soup
1 can of Cream of Celery Soup
1 packet of Onion Soup Mix
4 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
Water

Start by mixing the soups, rice (uncooked) and 1 can of water in a bowl. Mix well. Pour mixture into a buttered baking dish. Place the chicken breasts on top of the rice mixture. Open the packet of Onion Soup Mix and sprinkle a bit on top of each chicken breast.

Now cover with tinfoil and bake at 350 degrees for an hour and a half. Here's a disclaimer... this stuff smells so good, you will not be able to wait to eat it! :)

Make a salad or some veggies and enjoy dinner! :)

Oh and one more note..... You know how I was talking about how much I love my new shoes by Orthaheel? Well, they had a little sale on their website.. so I stocked up on some shoes for school! This is my rainbow of Orthaheels! If you have foot problems, you have to get some of these!

Alrighty!
Y'all have a great Friday!
Tootles!
JKP

p.s. Pitty Pat says he is having a great time at Granny's house! :)