I've always made this in a 9x13 Pyrex dish & baked in the oven, but I decided to see how it would do in the slow cooker since it is so much easier to transport in the insulated Crockpot bag instead of risking it leaking in the shallower Pyrex dish in the Pyrex Portable bag. I was very pleased to taste little difference between the two cooking styles! Here is my lazy version of the popular dip version (lazy because I used canned chicken instead of 3-4 cooked chicken breasts):
Ingredients
2-8 oz packages cream cheese (or Neufchatel works just as good as a slightly healthier substitute)
3 large cans (12.5 oz each) chunk chicken
1/2 cup Frank's Original Red Hot Sauce
1/2 cup Frank's Red Hot Wing Sauce (Buffalo flavor)
1 cup blue cheese salad dressing (the light version works nicely & is lower in fat)
2-8 oz bags shredded Colby Jack cheese (use 1 1/2 bags in the dip, reserve the remaining 1/2 bag to sprinkle on top 5 minutes before serving)
Mix all ingredients together in slow cooker. Cook on high 1 1/2 - 2 hours. Serve with celery and/or chips for dipping. Tostitos Scoops or Tostitos Multigrain chips hold up well under the weight of the dip.
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Classic Chicken & Dumplings
I've always considered chicken & dumplings to be one of the ultimate comfort foods, but little did we know how much comfort it would be bringing after today's US/Canada Olympic hockey match!
We began with this recipe from Today's Creative Crockpot Cookbook:
Ingredients:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 medium carrots cut into 1-inch slices
2 ribs celery, sliced
10 3/4 oz. can condensed cream of mushroom soup
10 3/4 oz. can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
16 oz. can refrigerated buttermilk biscuits
1/2 cup frozen green peas
Directions:
1. Place the chicken pieces, carrots, celery, soups, broth, garlic powder, thyme, salt & pepper in the slow cooker and mix to combine thoroughly.
2. Cut five of the buttermilk biscuits into quarters.
3. Add to the chicken mixture and lightly combine.
4. Cover & cook on Low 6 to 8 hours (or on High 3 to 4 hours).
5. Fifteen minutes prior to serving, bake the remaining biscuits as directed on can.
6. Add the peas to the chicken & dumplings about 2 minutes before serving, or until warmed through.
7. To serve, spoon the chicken & dumplings into individual bowls and top each serving with a warm biscuit. Ladle additional sauce over the top, if desired.
8. Makes 4 servings.
What we changed:
1. We doubled the entire recipe to make in a 5 1/2 quart slow cooker, so we ended up using 2 lbs. of boneless chicken breasts.
2. We're not fans of peas, so we substituted frozen white shoepeg corn for the peas & mixed the corn in with the other ingredients at the beginning.
3. We also left out the celery.
4. We found low-fat, low-sodium cans of both kinds of soup (Harris Teeter has a line of "Healthy" condensed soups that are also less expensive than their full-blooded cousins) as well as a reduced-sodium chicken broth (Harris Teeter brand too). Having less sodium did not make them any less tasty!
5. With doubling the recipe, we used 2 cans of jumbo buttermilk biscuits & used one full can to cut up in the slow cooker (8 biscuits) & baked the other can.
6. Because we got a late start today, we cooked on High for 3 hours & found that it was ready to eat.
Our impressions:
Very flavorful! The thyme gives a subtle kick to the broth & soaked into the chicken quite nicely. The biscuits puff up while cooking in the slow cooker, and by the time the meal was ready, they completely covered the top of the meal! It was really interesting how the biscuits really do end up tasting like dumplings after cooking in the slow cooker.
Ed's comment while ladling out a second bowl: "I'm not going to overstate things, but I could eat this entire pot." When I asked him if he was just that hungry, he replied, "No, it's just that good!"
We began with this recipe from Today's Creative Crockpot Cookbook:
Ingredients:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 medium carrots cut into 1-inch slices
2 ribs celery, sliced
10 3/4 oz. can condensed cream of mushroom soup
10 3/4 oz. can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
16 oz. can refrigerated buttermilk biscuits
1/2 cup frozen green peas
Directions:
1. Place the chicken pieces, carrots, celery, soups, broth, garlic powder, thyme, salt & pepper in the slow cooker and mix to combine thoroughly.
2. Cut five of the buttermilk biscuits into quarters.
3. Add to the chicken mixture and lightly combine.
4. Cover & cook on Low 6 to 8 hours (or on High 3 to 4 hours).
5. Fifteen minutes prior to serving, bake the remaining biscuits as directed on can.
6. Add the peas to the chicken & dumplings about 2 minutes before serving, or until warmed through.
7. To serve, spoon the chicken & dumplings into individual bowls and top each serving with a warm biscuit. Ladle additional sauce over the top, if desired.
8. Makes 4 servings.
What we changed:
1. We doubled the entire recipe to make in a 5 1/2 quart slow cooker, so we ended up using 2 lbs. of boneless chicken breasts.
2. We're not fans of peas, so we substituted frozen white shoepeg corn for the peas & mixed the corn in with the other ingredients at the beginning.
3. We also left out the celery.
4. We found low-fat, low-sodium cans of both kinds of soup (Harris Teeter has a line of "Healthy" condensed soups that are also less expensive than their full-blooded cousins) as well as a reduced-sodium chicken broth (Harris Teeter brand too). Having less sodium did not make them any less tasty!
5. With doubling the recipe, we used 2 cans of jumbo buttermilk biscuits & used one full can to cut up in the slow cooker (8 biscuits) & baked the other can.
6. Because we got a late start today, we cooked on High for 3 hours & found that it was ready to eat.
Our impressions:
Very flavorful! The thyme gives a subtle kick to the broth & soaked into the chicken quite nicely. The biscuits puff up while cooking in the slow cooker, and by the time the meal was ready, they completely covered the top of the meal! It was really interesting how the biscuits really do end up tasting like dumplings after cooking in the slow cooker.
Ed's comment while ladling out a second bowl: "I'm not going to overstate things, but I could eat this entire pot." When I asked him if he was just that hungry, he replied, "No, it's just that good!"
Monday, February 22, 2010
Bacon Beer Cheese Dip
We took this dip to a Super Bowl party where it was very well-received. I foresee it being very popular at other gatherings & tailgates!
Here is the original recipe:
Ingredients:
6-8 pieces bacon, crumbled
4-5 green onions, greens & whites, minced
8 oz. light cream cheese
8 oz. Velveeta (1/2 block)
1 Tablespoon garlic powder
1/2 Tablespoon dried red pepper flakes
6 oz. beer (1/2 can)
Directions:
1. Cook bacon crisply, remove from pan to drain on paper towels; reserve grease.
2. In hot grease, saute green onions until bright green and soft - drain on paper towels.
3. In your Crock Pot insert or microwavable bowl, combine cream cheese, Velveeta, garlic powder & red pepper flakes.
4. Microwave on HIGH for 3 minutes.
5. Remove from microwave and stir to combine and microwave again for 3 minutes or until cheese is completely melted.
6. Add beer and stir to "loosen" to a dippable consistency.
7. Stir in bacon and green onions and serve hot with corn chips or crackers. Serves 8-10.
What we changed:
1. We doubled the recipe to serve more people and to better fit in a 5 1/2 quart slow cooker.
2. We're not big on onions, so we left them out. Really didn't miss them.
3. Instead of Velveeta, we used 8 oz. of shredded mild cheddar cheese & 8 oz. of shredded sharp cheddar.
4. For the beer, we used a bottle of Hefeweizen. Wheat beer is nice & full-bodied & added a heartiness to the dip.
5. We had time before heading to the party, so instead of doing the microwave steps, we mixed everything in the CrockPot and cooked on high for approximately 3 hours. If cooking with this method, it is important to keep an eye on it and stir periodically.
6. We served with a thicker tortilla chip - Tostitos Gold or Multigrain work well & don't tend to break under the weight of a thick dip. Beer bread would also make for a tasty dipper.
Here is the original recipe:
Ingredients:
6-8 pieces bacon, crumbled
4-5 green onions, greens & whites, minced
8 oz. light cream cheese
8 oz. Velveeta (1/2 block)
1 Tablespoon garlic powder
1/2 Tablespoon dried red pepper flakes
6 oz. beer (1/2 can)
Directions:
1. Cook bacon crisply, remove from pan to drain on paper towels; reserve grease.
2. In hot grease, saute green onions until bright green and soft - drain on paper towels.
3. In your Crock Pot insert or microwavable bowl, combine cream cheese, Velveeta, garlic powder & red pepper flakes.
4. Microwave on HIGH for 3 minutes.
5. Remove from microwave and stir to combine and microwave again for 3 minutes or until cheese is completely melted.
6. Add beer and stir to "loosen" to a dippable consistency.
7. Stir in bacon and green onions and serve hot with corn chips or crackers. Serves 8-10.
What we changed:
1. We doubled the recipe to serve more people and to better fit in a 5 1/2 quart slow cooker.
2. We're not big on onions, so we left them out. Really didn't miss them.
3. Instead of Velveeta, we used 8 oz. of shredded mild cheddar cheese & 8 oz. of shredded sharp cheddar.
4. For the beer, we used a bottle of Hefeweizen. Wheat beer is nice & full-bodied & added a heartiness to the dip.
5. We had time before heading to the party, so instead of doing the microwave steps, we mixed everything in the CrockPot and cooked on high for approximately 3 hours. If cooking with this method, it is important to keep an eye on it and stir periodically.
6. We served with a thicker tortilla chip - Tostitos Gold or Multigrain work well & don't tend to break under the weight of a thick dip. Beer bread would also make for a tasty dipper.
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Southwestern Pork Tenderloin
When Harris Teeter puts seasoned pork tenderloins on sale, that is a sign that it's time for another pork tenderloin done in the slow cooker!
This week we picked up a 1.7 lb tenderloin that was seasoned with southwestern spices for 50% off ($4.49) and also 2-16 oz. jars of Ortega salsa (one Extra Chunky Medium and the other Garden Vegetable Mild) that were on sale 2 for $3.00. Normally for this amount of meat, the recipes call for 1 jar of salsa, but we wanted to be sure that there was plenty of liquid, given that we were cooking in a 5 1/2 quart slow cooker instead of a 3 quart one.
After putting the meat in the slow cooker & pouring both jars of salsa over it, we chopped up some jalapenos and added the peppers along with 1/3 bag of frozen corn to the salsa, stirred & spread the mixture over the meat, and cooked on high for 3 hours. Then we shredded the pork with 2 forks, stirred the shredded meat with the bubbling salsa, and served in bowls, kinda like a pork stew. We heated up some leftover rice as a side and served the pork with low-carb wheat tortillas (wrapping up some of the pork stew in a tortilla was quite tasty!).
There's definitely enough left over for another full meal for 2, and possibly for one more serving on top of that. So for about $8.00 we have a meal to serve 5. Not too shabby...both economically and gastronomically!!
This week we picked up a 1.7 lb tenderloin that was seasoned with southwestern spices for 50% off ($4.49) and also 2-16 oz. jars of Ortega salsa (one Extra Chunky Medium and the other Garden Vegetable Mild) that were on sale 2 for $3.00. Normally for this amount of meat, the recipes call for 1 jar of salsa, but we wanted to be sure that there was plenty of liquid, given that we were cooking in a 5 1/2 quart slow cooker instead of a 3 quart one.
After putting the meat in the slow cooker & pouring both jars of salsa over it, we chopped up some jalapenos and added the peppers along with 1/3 bag of frozen corn to the salsa, stirred & spread the mixture over the meat, and cooked on high for 3 hours. Then we shredded the pork with 2 forks, stirred the shredded meat with the bubbling salsa, and served in bowls, kinda like a pork stew. We heated up some leftover rice as a side and served the pork with low-carb wheat tortillas (wrapping up some of the pork stew in a tortilla was quite tasty!).
There's definitely enough left over for another full meal for 2, and possibly for one more serving on top of that. So for about $8.00 we have a meal to serve 5. Not too shabby...both economically and gastronomically!!
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Garlic-Herb Pork Tenderloin
We began with this recipe from bigoven.com:
Ingredients:
We mixed the ingredients & then followed the bigoven recipe instructions and cooked in a 5 quart slow cooker on low for 4 hours.
For sides, we had loaded mashed potatoes & garlic bread.
For gravy, we made regular brown gravy, and found that the meat drippings made for a tangy gravy as well.
Results:
We found the meat to be moist & tender & very flavorful. The meat drippings were a great gravy for the mashed potatoes. Using the garlic-herb seasoning added a lot of flavor, but may be too overpowering in combination with the red wine for some tastes.
On a scale of 1 to 5 (5 being the highest), we'd give this dish a 4.5.
Ingredients:
- 1 (2 lb) pork tenderloin
- 1 (1 ounce) package of dry onion soup mix
- 1 cup of water
- 3/4 cup of red wine
- 3 Tablespoons of minced garlic
- 3 Tablespoons soy sauce
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
- Replaced onion soup mix & minced garlic with 1 package of garlic-herb buffalo wing seasoning (mild).
- Added a few shakes of dry Italian seasoning.
We mixed the ingredients & then followed the bigoven recipe instructions and cooked in a 5 quart slow cooker on low for 4 hours.
For sides, we had loaded mashed potatoes & garlic bread.
For gravy, we made regular brown gravy, and found that the meat drippings made for a tangy gravy as well.
Results:
We found the meat to be moist & tender & very flavorful. The meat drippings were a great gravy for the mashed potatoes. Using the garlic-herb seasoning added a lot of flavor, but may be too overpowering in combination with the red wine for some tastes.
On a scale of 1 to 5 (5 being the highest), we'd give this dish a 4.5.
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