Crock Pot Turkey Breast

Wow, it's been a while! Happy New Year! I've been taking a little break from recipe blogging because I have a new sweet baby girl and life with 4 kids, ranging in age from 13 to 3 months, has gotten a bit busy. It's wonderful though. Oh how I love my kiddos!

So this is a new recipe that I tried for our Christmas Eve dinner. I am all about the Crock Pot lately. It is a life saver because "the witching hour" (read baby fussiness, older kids homework time, pick-ups from after-school activities, etc.) always happens right around the time to cook dinner and if dinner is already in the Crock Pot I don't have to worry about it. Nice. This turkey breast turns out so moist and tasty and the bonus is that we had enough left-over turkey to make sandwiches, turkey noodle soup, and turkey a la king. That makes it an awesome recipe!

Crock Pot Turkey Breast

5 1/2 lb bone-in turkey breast, thawed (from frozen it takes 3 days in fridge to thaw)
softened butter (about 1/4 cup)
1 envelope dry onion soup mix
3 stalks (or more) celery, chopped in big pieces
1/2 cup chicken broth
black pepper

Wash and pat dry turkey breast. Trim the meat if necessary to fit in your Crock Pot (I have a large oval Crock Pot so I didn't have to trim the turkey at all). Coat surface of the turkey with butter and then rub with dry onion soup mix. Sprinkle pepper all over the turkey. Place chopped celery in the bottom of the Crock Pot and add 1/2 cup chicken broth. Lay turkey breast, breast bone down, on top of the celery. Cook on high for 1 hour. Reduce heat to low and cook for 7 hours. Carve and serve.

I simplified our Christmas Eve dinner this year. Yep, no homemade rolls, deviled eggs, jello salad, or even pie (we had cookies for dessert), but it was still super tasty and no one even mentioned what was missing. Sometimes I think I stress too much about making the perfect holiday meal with everyone's favorites when really my kids just don't care that much. I think they just remember that we spent time around the table as a family and that is what really matters. That was a good lesson to learn.

Crockpot Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup

This is the best creamy chicken noodle soup!! So yummy and perfect for a cool fall or winter evening. I love it! The original recipe is from the Lion House Cookbook, but I tweaked it and made it into a crockpot soup (love crockpot meals). It is a simple classic that is sure to please your family and the leftovers are fantastic! I served it with homemade French bread, but just saltine crackers along side would be great.

Crockpot Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup

3 chicken breasts, cooked and cubed
5 cups chicken broth/stock
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup chopped onions
1 cup chopped carrots
1 cup chopped celery
1 can corn, drained
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1/4 cup evaporated milk
8 oz homestyle dry egg noodles
salt and pepper to taste

Melt butter in a skillet. Add onions, carrots, and celery and saute for about 4-5 minutes or until veggies are just soft. In a slow cooker combine chicken stock, cream of chicken soups, and evaporated milk. Whisk. Add cooked chicken, sauteed vegetables, and corn. Cook on low for 3 1/2 to 4 hours. Add noodles, cover, and turn slower cooker to high. Cook on high for 1 more hour. Serve with bread or crackers.

Cheap-O Broccoli Fettuccine Alfredo

This is the cheap and cheerful version of fettuccine alfredo with the biggest expense being the grated parmesan cheese. You can serve 6+ people with this for around 6 dollars and that is awesome! It also uses ingredients I tend to have on hand so it can be made as a last minute meal too. Make sure you season liberally with salt and pepper and you can switch out the broccoli with cooked chicken breasts strips if you'd like (but then it wouldn't be quite so cheap-o).

Cheap-O Broccoli Fettuccine Alfredo

1 lb dry fettuccine (or other pasta you have on hand)
16 oz frozen broccoli florets
1 clove garlic, minced
4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons flour
3 cups milk
1 cup grated parmesan
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
salt and pepper to taste

Boil pasta according to package directions. During last 5 minutes of boiling add frozen broccoli. Set aside 1/2 cup of pasta water and drain. Add drained pasta and broccoli bake to the cooking pot, put the lid on and set aside while you make the sauce.

Melt butter in a large saucepan. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add flour and whisk for about 2 minutes (just to give a little color to the roux). Whisk in the milk and cook, stirring, until it comes to a simmer and thickens. Remove from heat and add grated parmesan and nutmeg. Add this sauce to the pasta and broccoli in the pot and stir. Taste and season liberally with salt and pepper. Add reserved pasta water as need to give the sauce your desired consistency. Check seasoning before serving and serve with additional parmesan on top.

Crockpot Cheesy Chicken and Rice

This is a great, easy, comfort food, crockpot meal. I got the recipe from Southern Plate and modified it just slightly. I'm always amazed at how many variations there are on chicken & rice! But the combination is definitely a family favorite. My kids gobbled this up.

Crockpot Cheesy Chicken and Rice

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (frozen is fine)
1 large onion, chopped
1, 8oz box Zataran's Yellow Rice Mix, cooked according to package directions
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1, 15 oz can corn, drained

Place chicken (fresh or frozen) in the bottom of slow cooker. Scatter chopped onions over the top. Spoon soups over that. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours. Break up chicken with a fork, add cooked rice, cheese, and corn. Stir, heat through, and serve.

Symphony Brownies

Okay, so that is not the best picture, but my oh my these brownies are SO yummy. They are fudgey and so rich with the added chocolate bar in the center. DELICIOUS! And so easy to make. I have a feeling these brownies will be requested a lot for FHE treats.

Symphony Brownies

1 box Betty Crocker 9x13 Fudge Brownie Mix
Ingredients to make brownies
2 large Symphony bars (the King size ones)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Mix the brownie batter according to package directions. Grease only the bottom of a 9x9 or 8x8 square baking pan. Spread half of the brownie batter into the pan. Break up the chocolate bars into 4-piece sections and distribute evenly over the batter. Cover with remaining brownie batter and smooth out evenly.

Bake for 35-40 minutes, until top is set. Remove from oven and place brownie pan on a wire rack to cool completely. To serve top with whipped cream if desired.

Cheddar Bacon Ranch Chicken Pasta

This is a great pasta dish that your family will be sure to love - I know mine did. The sauce is creamy, cheesy, and ranch dressing-y. Yum. I got the recipe from Half Hour Meals and changed it just slightly to suit my family's tastes (a splash of heavy cream makes everything better:)). For a faster meal you can use shredded rotisserie chicken. I served it with a spinach salad with dried cherries, almonds, and crumbled blue cheese.

Cheddar Bacon Ranch Chicken Pasta

3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
olive oil
1 lb mostaccioli or penne pasta
6 strips bacon
1 1/2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 packet dry ranch dressing mix
2 cups milk
heavy cream (a couple tablespoons)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
salt and pepper
1/4 cup sliced green onions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Rinse chicken breasts and pat dry with paper towels.  Rub a little olive oil on both sides of the chicken breasts and place in a baking dish. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and bake for 30-35 minutes or until chicken is cooked through (it should still be nice and moist - don't over cook). Shred chicken with 2 forks, place in a bowl and cover with foil to keep warm. Set aside.

Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

While chicken and pasta are cooking, start making sauce. In a large skillet fry 6 slices of bacon until crispy, turning half way through. Remove bacon to a plate lined with paper towels to drain. Chop up the bacon into small pieces and set aside.

Add 1 1/2 tablespoons of butter to the bacon fat in the skillet. Whisk in flour and ranch dressing powder. Whisk in milk and cook, stirring, until thickened. Add a splash of heavy cream and season with salt a pepper. Add shredded cheddar, stirring until all cheese is melted. Add cooked pasta, bacon pieces, and shredded chicken to the sauce. Add sliced green onions and stir until mixed in. Check seasoning, adding more salt and pepper as needed.

Walking Tacos

Walking Tacos are super fun, especially for kids, and they are a great main dish for a picnic or family get together. I've seen Walking Tacos on Picky Palate and Pioneer Woman, but this is my take on it. You can serve this meal inside the Fritos bag (so you can walk around with it :)) or you can serve it like a taco salad. The meat mixture would also be great on scones/fry bread for Navajo tacos or served over a square of corn bread. So delicious and fun to eat.

Walking Tacos

1 lb ground beef
1, 15 oz can chili beans
1, 14.5 oz can petite diced tomatoes
1 packet taco seasoning
1 teaspoon chili powder
small bags of Fritos

Toppings:
shredded cheese
shredded lettuce
sour cream
diced tomatoes
diced avocado or guacamole
sliced green onions

Brown the ground beef in a large skillet. Drain off fat. Add beans, petite diced tomatoes, taco seasoning, and chili powder. Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

To serve, open Fritos bags and add a scoop of the meat mixture, top with desired toppings, and enjoy. Or you can place Fritos in a pile on your plate, top with meat mixture and desired toppings. Either way is great!