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

Crockpot Hoppin' John

Hey Y'all!

Did you catch that Carolina Football game yesterday? It gave me heart palpitations! But, it was a great game! I love to watch football games, especially when they are close. :)

I woke up yesterday and decided that the Christmas decorations had to come down. It made me very sad, but I knew with me going back to work today and the kiddies coming back on Thursday that all of my energy would be ZAPPED by this weekend. So I took my trees down. I leave up white lights on my entertainment center until February and of course, I have my snowmen out. I just can't go cold turkey!  I also have some "mini" trees with white lights that I like to leave in my kitchen window. The white lights bring a little light into the dark days of January and February. I love lights and wish I could have them all year long!

It is a tradition in the south to eat collards and Hoppin' John (black eyed peas and rice) on the first of January. I couldn't do the collards this year, (tummy issues) but I found a great recipe in one of my Christmas gifts for a crockpot version of Hoppin' John. Now, you can eat this other times of the year, it is just tradition to eat it on January 1st!

This is a really quick dish to throw together. Since it has sausage in it, I used it as my main meal this year. I added butter beans and yellow squash to my New Year's feast.

To make Crockpot Hoppin' John you will need:

Crockpot liners (this makes for quick clean up later!)
1 package of smoked sausage (I used Turkey Kielbasa)
2 and 1/2 cups of chicken broth (divided)
2 cans (about 15 ozs) of black eyed peas, drained and rinsed
1 box of dirty rice mix
1/2 cup salsa
*You can add 1/2 cup of lump crab meat if you wish. I didn't due to my MULTIPLE allergies.

Go ahead and slice and cook your sausage on medium heat for about 5 minutes. You really just want to make sure the sausage gets brown on both sides. Then, using a slotted spoon, place the sausage in the Crockpot.

Then place the pan back on the burner and add 1/2 cup of chicken broth. Stir it around to get all of the bits that the sausage left behind. Pour this over the sausage in the Crockpot.

Add your black eyed peas, 2 cups of chicken broth, 1/2 cup of salsa and the dirty rice mix. Mix all the ingredients together.

Cover and cook on low 3 to 4 hours or until your rice is tender. While this is cooking, make up some cornbread. You won't be sorry!

This is a great dish for New Year's Day or Sunday supper. It has just enough kick to it and it is very flavorful. I will be making this again!

And y'all! I was on Facebook today and discovered that Leslie Sansone (Walk Away the Pounds) is doing a mile a day challenge this year. You can join her site for free and have access to walking videos online! Since I can't Zumba with my foot and tummy issues, this is a good way to get some daily exercise in! I did one mile today streaming on my ipad! :) Check it out if getting more exercise is on your resolution list! Check it out here..

Let me run, I hope y'all are having a good day!
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

Christmas Sock of the Day.. 3! Turkey in a Crockpot and Corn Puddin' too!

Hey Y'all!

Wow. If you follow the Twilight series and you haven't seen Breaking Dawn 2 yet, Oh My. You need to. I had a lot to ponder after the movie yesterday so I didn't get back to post. Wow. It was good!

Any hoo... here's today's Christmas Sock of the Day... From now on I think I will call it.. CSOD..
This sock is an oldie but goodie. I technically wear them past Christmas because I think gingerbread is great year round! I love this sock because it has all of the baking ingredients for Gingerbread Men!

AND! Speaking of cooking... hee, hee... Did you like my segway?
Here are the Thanksgiving recipes I have been promising for DAYS. Oh. They are worth it. You can use them for Christmas!

As I told you in my last post, I, JKP have never, ever, ever, baked a turkey before. I know. GASP. But. I decided this was the year and my crockpot was going to do all of the work. :)

For Crockpot Turkey you will need...

A SLOW COOKER LINER (Do not skimp on this. You will be a very sad monkey if you do.)
1 packet of onion soup mix
1/2 cup of orange juice
1 can of WHOLE BERRY cranberry sauce
1 turkey breast (anywhere from 3 to 5 pounds. Mine was a 4 and a half pounder. I bought mine fresh not frozen. With all of my digestive issues, I don't need a 20% solution of who knows what in a frozen turkey sending me to the hospital!) ALSO take into account the size of your crockpot. That will really determine what size of turkey breast you can get.

Now. Line your crockpot with the crockpot liner. You can find these on the aisle with the aluminum foil and plastic wrap.
Take your turkey out of it's packaging. Check inside to make sure there are not any bits or pieces. Just in case. Place your turkey in your crockpot and WASH YOUR HANDS!

Now in a bowl, combine the orange juice, onion soup mix, and the  whole berry cranberry sauce. Mix well. Pour over the turkey. Put on the crockpot lid. Cook on low for 6 and 1/2 hours or until your meat thermometer measures 170 degrees.

 

Warning. Your house will smell so yummy!

I am also SAD to say.. we ate this so fast, that I did not get a final picture. But. It. Was. Oh. So. YUMMY!

 

Now every turkey needs a sidekick... right? I present you with Crockpot Corn Puddin'.

 

For Crockpot Corn Puddin' you will need....

 

 

 

2 cans (10 ozs) of whole kernel corn ( DO NOT DRAIN)

2 cans (14 ozs) of creamed corn

2 boxes of Jiffy corn muffin mix

1 stick of butter

1 8 oz container of sour cream

 

Combine all ingredients into a bowl and mix.

 

Then pour into a lined crockpot. Cook on low for 3 hours or high for 2 hours.

 

It is the perfect sidekick to your turkey! And, again, I was slack with the final pics!

 

I hope you enjoy these recipes. They are so easy and they taste like you went to a lot of effort. I will say, the turkey sammies we made from the left over turkey were just divine. The crockpot will make your turkey very juicy and moist. :)

 

And, one last thought...  I think the reason I never attempted a turkey before was because of the movie Christmas Vacation. You know the scene. The one where they cut the turkey.. AND it basically decompresses in front of the family? OH LAWD. I did not want that kind of failure. :)

 

Now. Guess who has been nominated to cook Christmas Dinner at my Mom's this year? I better start looking for recipes!

 

Tootles!

:) JKP





Cilantro Lime Chicken Tacos... Crockpot Style!

Hey Y'all!

I have been in paper writing mode for a few days now! I am so tired of writing papers. I am almost to the point where I don't even want to see my computer any more! But, I figured a blog post WITH a recipe would cheer me up tremendously! I submitted all SEVEN projects that are due on Sunday last night. I also went ahead and completed one of the projects I have due next week. So I figure that gives me today and tomorrow off.. just in time to go and hang at the beach! I also think that it is a crying shame that Friday was national flip flop day, and I had school work to do. Whah, whah, whah!


In true JKP fashion, this recipe is TASTY, CROCKPOTISH and EASY to throw together!
To make Cilantro Lime Chicken Tacos you will need:

1 packet of Taco Seasoning
1 jar of 24 oz mild or medium salsa (your choice!)
The juice of 1 lime
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro. Oh, how I LOVE cilantro!
4 boneless chicken breasts

Combine the entire jar of salsa, taco seasoning, lime juice and the cilantro in a bowl. Mix well.

Place the chicken breasts in the bottom of the slow cooker. Pour the salsa, lime juice, cilantro, taco seasoning mixture over the chicken.

Cover and cook on low for 6 hours or on high for 3.

About 30 minutes before serving, remove the chicken from the crockpot. Shred into pieces. Place shredded chicken back into crock pot and mix well.

When ready, scoop chicken into taco shells and top with sour cream. DEVOUR.

p.s. You don't have to shred the chicken, you can serve the chicken breast whole, but I love adding it to a taco shell! You could also serve this in a tortilla bowl and make a salad out of it too!

Tootles!

:) JKP

Go Forth and Dip! Crockpot French Dippies!

Hey Y'all!!

I know it has been a while since I posted a recipe.... AND this one has BFF Marie's seal of approval!
I have made this recipe a few times and it is always a big hit. My best friend Marie has been visiting this week and boy have we been busy! Yesterday we planned to spend the day on the beach and we wanted something yummy for supper, but we were tired of eating out. Enter Crockpot French Dippies. Easy, peasy with big yummy results! I found this recipe on Pinterest!

To make Crockpot French Dippies you will need....

1 Pot Roast or Rump roast. This week Food Lion has rump roast on sale. For last night's recipe, I used a tried and true pot roast. But in the pictures a rump roast was used. Either one works great!
1 packet of Onion Soup Mix
1 can of Beef Broth
Deli Rolls
Mozzarella Cheese
*This is not a messy recipe, but since you want to make sure you save all of the au jous.. if you use a slow cooker saver liner, it will be easier to collect the au jus at the end for dipping! I have made this recipe with and without the liner... no biggy if you don't have one.


Now. Get ready. This is hard! Combine the beef broth and onion soup packet in a zippy bag. Make sure it is mixed well. Then add your roast. Make sure it is really covered. Now, shake, shake, shake, shake, shake, shake... shake your booty. :) That's Pitty Pat's FAVORITE song!

Then dump the entire contents in your zippy bag into your Crockpot. Set it on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 4-5 hours. Then. Go shopping. Go to the beach. Whatever. When you return.... your house will SMELL SO GOOD!!!

Right before you are ready to eat, pull the roast out of the Crockpot. Now, this may be difficult because at this point, the roast is so juicy and tender, it will fall apart when you place a fork in it! Shred all of the meat. You have my permission to pick and eat the meat at this point. You won't be able to resist!

Once the meat is shredded, let it hang out for a few minutes. Cut your deli rolls in half lengthwise and place your rolls in the toaster and toast them well. While the bread is toasting.. drain the juice from the Crockpot into individual serving dishes.

Once the bread is toasted, place the shredded meat on top of the roll. I added mozzarella cheese on top. Place the top on the roll and then cut in half. Plate the sandwich, and don't forget the divine au jus!!!

Go forth and dip my friends!!!!

I hope y'all have a great day! I am heading back to the beach.. if I stay here all day I will be fetching tennis balls under furniture all day!

Tootles!

:) JKP

Hi. My Name is Julia and I Made an ENTIRE Steak Dinner in my Crockpot!

Hey Y'all!

This was not the post I had planned for tonight, but I came across a recipe this weekend and I just had to try it. And y'all. WINNER,WINNER STEAK DINNER!

Hi. My name is Julia Goolila and I like red meat. :) I don't know if that is "politically correct" to say these days. You would never know from that statement that I was a vegetarian for 5 YEARS. Um. Yes. I did it more to help with my Crohn's than as a statement. And it did help me. But I found myself at a party one night drooling over some chicken. So. I started eating meat again and I never looked back!
I love to eat steak, but I have to be very careful about eating it. Because of the stupid, stinkin' Crohn's, I have a hard time swallowing. It's not everyday, but it can be a pain. Hee, hee. Things like to get stuck in my throat and sometimes they get stuck in my windpipe. It can be scary, but I just make sure I chew very, very, very well. And sometimes it still happens. Ugh.

So, when I came across this recipe I was intrigued. I love to grill out steak, but then I have to cut it into tiny, tiny pieces. Well. No more my pretties! No MORE! SQUEEEE!!

And, let me preface by saying that this is a recipe you will use a lot. If you like to grill, this will not have that "grilled" charred flavor. But, if you like meat that is juicy, tender and you will have a whole meal to boot, than this is for you. And. If it is raining and you want a steak dinner. :)

This is what you will need to make Julia Goolia's Entire Steak Dinner in a Crockpot.......
(Legal disclaimer... I did not make up this recipe. I found it on several blogs that I stalk.)

Steak. You want to at least purchase steak that is 3/4 inch thick. I put in four small pieces. But, you can go big, or go home. It's just me, so I stayed on the small side.
3 to 4 potatoes. You can even do sweet potatoes.
A veggie of your choice. It can be frozen. I went with corn. :)
3/4 cup of Heinz 57 or A1. Or your favorite steak or Barbecue sauce.
Tinfoil

Place your steak on the bottom of your crockpot. If you want to put a rub on it, go for it. Add your steak or barbecue sauce and make sure it gets on both sides of the steak.

Now. Add a piece of tin foil OVER the steak. Just do it.

Wash up your potatoes. I salted mine and then wrapped them in tinfoil. Place the potatoes on top of the tinfoil layer.

Do the same thing with your corn, or veggie of your choice. Place it with the potatoes.

Now. Put on the cover and cook on low for 5 to 6 hours. Then toss up a salad, make some bread and get your sweet tea ready. You've got a meal!

And. After cooking your potatoes this way, you will never put a potato in the microwave AGAIN!!!

Now. Go forth and make a steak dinner!
Tootles!
:) JKP

Hawaiian Chicken in My Belly.. Crockpot Style

Hey Y'all!

Well, here it is. The end of spring break. Sigh. I do have the Sunday blues just a wee bit tonight, but knowing we only have 35 school days left in the year kind of makes it just a little bit easier. However, I know one furry buddy that is going to have a temper tantrum when I leave to go to work tomorrow. And. I know he is just plotting to get me back for that bath I had to give him this afternoon too!

Thanks to Pinterest, I spent a good deal of this week trying out some new recipes! Crockpot friendly, of course! When I saw this Hawaiian Chicken recipe on a board, I just knew I had to make it! I love any chicken that has the word "jerk" or "Hawaiian" in it! Say those words to me and my mouth instantly starts to DROOL. The best jerk chicken I have ever had was in Key West, Florida. Seriously. It has been 8 years and I still dream about that chicken! Also, when you see all that you need to make this chicken dish, you will be AMAZED. Are you ready?? Are you sure? Get you pen and pencil ready. The ingredient list is LONG. NOT!!!

All you need to make this yummy dish is......

1 jar of Hawaiian Style Barbecue Sauce (I got mine at Target and it was delish!)
1 can of pineapple chunks (drained. I saved a wee bit of the juice to add back into the sauce at the end.) If you don't like "chunks" you can get the crushed pineapple too.
4 to 6 chicken breasts (as usual, mine were in the fridge)

Now. All you do is add the chicken to your crockpot, add the entire jar of barbecue sauce and then add the pineapple chunks. Set your crockpot on low for 6 hours... or if you were like me and chasing daylight.. and wanted dinner in your belly... I put mine on high for 3 and 1/2 hours. Woot.

Just throw it all in!

And it is cooking! It smells so good!!!

Now, you can opt to do this next step or not. It is entirely up to you. You can leave the breasts in and not shred them. I took mine out about an hour before they were scheduled to be done and I shredded them with a fork. That way, I could eat this as a sandwich or as a meal! :)

Shredding the chicken!

Now, place the shredded chicken back into the crockpot for another hour. Mix well with the sauce in the crockpot. At this point I added a wee bit of juice from the drained pineapple to make it juicier! I am glad I did!

Right before the chicken finishes, you can boil up some rice. I am not proud. I use the "Success Rice" method. This girl can burn rice in a pot in a hot minute. So. For the safety of my beloved cookware....I use the cheater's rice. :) It also comes in brown rice if you want to be really healthy. My tummy can not tolerate brown rice at the moment.. so I had to go with regular.

Add a side of your favorite veggie.... and VIOLA. You are instantly transported to Hawaii. Or. Your favorite vacation spot! Well. At least your tummy is!!!

YUMMY in my BELLY!

Also, do you know what I did this weekend? Besides scour my kitchen from top to bottom? The inside of my fridge is so shiny that you can see your reflection!

I brought out my Amish Friendship Bread starter out of my freezer. Oh. Yes. I. Did. In fact, I just finished baking up two loaves and my house smells so good. I needed some "comfort" to go back to school with this week! And, y'all know how JKP loves to bake!

Interested in some starter or some Amish Friendship Bread? Don't live near me and want to make your own? Visit The Friendship Bread Kitchen. There's tons of recipes! Also, READ THE BOOK! Friendship Bread. It's a great read! And. The main character's name is Julia. Enough said. It comes out in paperback May 1st! Or support your local library and check it out there!

Alrighty. I have school tomorrow. So I must go to bed. I've got to get back on schedule! Pitty Pat is already sound asleep. Or at least I think he is!

Tootles!

:) JKP

Spaghetti Casserole... Get in My Belly!

Hey Y'all!

Wow. I have missed the blog! School has been keeping me very busy and on top of it, I am exhausted. My iron level is really low, so I have started on some super duper vitamins and supplements. I have a condition that causes my iron to run really low anyway, but the Crohn's doesn't help. It should take a few weeks, but hopefully I will have lots of energy soon! Most days I make it home from school, walk and play with Pitty Pat and then it is to the sofa I go.

Also, Mom came and visited me last weekend! It was the first time she has visited us since February when I had to get Mitzi Mazda. We had a great weekend of shopping, playing with Pitty Pat and eating out! We even (well, I say we... Mom and her friend Tom) worked some magic on my yard too! Bushes were cut back, the grass was edged and my flower beds were filled with mulch and they are now even surrounded by fancy bricks! My yard looks SO good! I know my neighbors are relieved. I just haven't had much energy to get out and do those kinds of things. So YAY for a nice yard and not being the sketchy yard of the neighborhood!

I also finally started cooking again this week! While Mom was here, she picked up Taste of Home's new cookbook... Fall Freezer Meals. Y'all. I want to cook and eat every recipe in this booklet! You should be able to find it at your grocery store or bookstore. It is worth it! This week I made a Spaghetti Casserole that I have literally eaten off of all week. And. Some of it was SUPPOSED to make it into the freezer. It didn't.
So here ya go!

And let me just say before I get into this recipe.... I am a child of the 70's. That was when everything my Mom seemed to cook had cream of mushroom soup in it. I was not a fan of the cream of mushroom soup. In fact, until this recipe, I actually avoided it in foods  if I could help it. But, after eating this casserole.... cream of mushroom is now yummy. In my tummy!

To make this spaghetti casserole you will need..

1/2 package of angel hair pasta
1 pound of ground beef
1/2 of a jar of spaghetti sauce
1 can of tomato sauce
1/2 can of cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup of sour cream
1 cup of shredded Colby-Monterrey Jack Cheese
*All ingredients can be doubled to make two casseroles at once. One can be baked and the other frozen to bake later. I only made one because I wasn't sure how I would like the cream of mushroom soup.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
To start, fix noodles as directed on the package. Also, brown meat and drain.

Here's a tip... once the noodles are finished cooking... leave them in the water and drain them right before you start your noodle layers. It will make them easier to use and they won't clump on you!

After the meat is browned, add 1/2 a jar of spaghetti sauce and 1 can of tomato sauce to the meat. Mix well.

Then combine 1/2 cup of sour cream to 1/2 can of cream of mushroom soup.

Next, it is time to start you layers. Using an 8 by 8 dish, start with a layer half of the meat sauce on the bottom. Then follow with half of the pasta, half of the soup and sour cream mixture and then finally a layer of cheese. Repeat the layers once more topping with cheese.

Cover the dish with tinfoil and place in a 350 degree oven. Bake for 55 to 65 minutes. I took the tinfoil off for the last 10 minutes to make it golden and bubbly.

I served mine with a salad. If you added some garlic bread it would be extra yummy!

Enjoy! I am off to a back to school party. See y'all tomorrow!

:) JKP