Slow-Cooker Chicken Chasseur

Bryan's critique?... "Unbelievable!"

8 slices bacon, finely chopped
vegetable oil
6 bone-in, skin-on split chicken breast halves (10-12 oz. each or 12 thighs at 6-8 oz. each)
salt and pepper
1 1/4 lbs cremini mushrooms, quartered
1 red onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 cups dry white wine
2 tablespoons tomato paste
14 1/2 ounces diced tomatoes, drained
2 cups low sodium chicken broth
1/4 ounce dried porcini mushrooms, rinsed thoroughly and finely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, minced (or 1 t. dried)
2 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup fresh parsley, minced

Directions

1. Cook bacon over medium heat until crisp, about 8 minutes. Add bbacon to the crockpot. Reserve the bacon fat separately. You should have at least 2 T. If not, use vegetable oil for the missing fat.

2. Dry chicken with paper towels. Season with salt and pepper. Add 2 t. bacon fat to the skillet. Heat over medium-high heat until just smoking. Brown half of the chicken on both sides, about 10 minutes. Put in the crockpot. (Remove the browned skin if using thighs.) Return the skillet to medium high heat and repeat with 2 more teaspoons of fat and the rest of the chicken. Discard any fat left in the skillet.

3. Add the remaining 2 t. fat to empty skillet. Heat over medium heat until shimmering. Add cremini's, red onion and 1/4 teaspoons salt. Cook until mushroom are brown, 10-15 minutes. Stir in the garlic. Cook for 15 seconds. Stir in wine and tomato paste, scraping up any browned bits. Simmer until the wine has reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Put in crockpot.

4. Add tomatoes, 1.5 cups broth, porcini's, thyme, bay leaves and red pepper flakes to crockpot. Cover and cook on low until chicken is tender, about 4 hours.

5. Transfer chicken to large serving dish. Tent loosely with foil.

6. Discard bay leaves. Set the crockpot to high. Whisk flour with remaining 1/2 cup broth until smooth. Stir into crockpot. Cover and continue to cook until sauce is thickened and no longer tastes of flour, 15 to 30 minutes longer.

7. Stir in parsley. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Spoon vegetables and some of the sauce over the chicken. Serve, passing the remaining sauce separately.

Sadie's Chicken Pasta with Gorgonzola, Sun Dried Tomatoes, and Pinenuts

Otherwise known as Dang Good Pasta. Discovered by my fabulous sister-in-law, Sadie. Go to her recipes, here.

1/ 2 cup chopped, drained, oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes (3 tablespoons oil reserved)
2 skinless boneless chicken breast halves (about 9 ounces total)
1/2 pound Penne or medium shell pasta. Using gnocchi is also an option. If you use fresh gnocchi use a full pound.
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil (It has to be fresh, believe me on this one)
1/2 cup canned low-salt chicken broth
3/4 cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese (about 4 ounces)
1/4 cup chopped prosciutto
1/2 cup Parmesan
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted

Heat 2 tablespoon oil reserved from tomatoes in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken to skillet and sauté until cooked through, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to plate and cool; do not clean skillet. Cut chicken into 1/2-inch pieces.

Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite. Drain pasta; transfer to large bowl.

Meanwhile, heat remaining 1 tablespoon tomato oil in same skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic; sauté until tender, about 1 minute. Add sun-dried tomatoes, chicken, basil, broth, cheese and prosciutto to skillet and bring to boil.

While doing all this, toast your pine nuts in the oven. I usually set the oven to broil, move the oven tray to the top, and keep a close eye on the pine nuts. They toast very fast!

Add sauce to pasta and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Top with pine nuts and parmesan and serve.

I've also thought about adding 1/2 cup of heavy whipping cream to give it more of a saucy texture. Next time I will add the cream and see how it goes.

Herbed Chicken in Pastry

LOVED THIS! Easy, fast, and YUMMY!.

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
2 T. butter
1/2 pkg Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry Sheets (1 sheet)
1 egg
1 T. water
1 container (4 oz.) garlic & herb spreadable cheese
1/4 c. chopped fresh parsley

Season chicken with salt and pepper if desired. Melt butter in skillet. Add chicken and cook until browned. Remove chicken. Cover and refrigerate 15 min. or up to 24 hours.

Thaw pastry sheet at room temperature 30 min. Mix egg and water. Preheat over to 400.

Unfold pastry on lightly floured surface. Roll into 14" square and cut into 4 (7") squares. Spread about 2 T. of the cheese spread in center of each square. Sprinkle with 1 T. parsley and top with cooled chicken. Brush edges of squares with egg mixture. Fold each corner to center on top of chicken and seal edges. Place seam-side down on baking sheet. Brush with egg mixture.

Bake 25 min. or until golden.

Holly's Company Chicken

This is Holly's absolute favorite dinner. It is way easy except that you have to remember to put it in the oven 3 hours ahead of time. This is basically chicken, bacon, beef, and a creamy sauce. Talk about YUM! Bryan's exact word.. "Superb".

3 oz. dried beef
8-10 chicken breasts (I used 5 chicken breasts cut in half to make 10 little guys)
8-10 slices of bacon

SAUCE:
6 oz. cream cheese
1 c. sour cream
2 cans cream of mushroom soup

Lay slices of dried beef on bottom of 9x13 pan to cover entire bottom.
Roll one piece of bacon around each piece of chicken and lay over dried beef.
Combine sauce ingredients and pour over chicken.
Sprinkle with paprika.
Bake covered at 300 for 3 hours.

Tip: I had no idea what dried beef was until today. Dried beef is typically sliced and comes in a plastic bottle. It is usually found in the soup isle.

Holly's Enchiladas

4-8 oz. cream cheese (depending on how much you want)
1 t. ground cumin
1/8 t. salt
1 c. chopped chicken
12 (8in.) flour tortillas
1/2 c. shredded cheese

SAUCE:
1 (8 oz.) tub sour cream
1 (10 1/4 oz.) can cream of chicken soup
1 c. skim milk

Wrap tortillas in foil and place in warm oven to make them more flexible.
Blend cream cheese, 1 T. water, cumin, salt and pepper.
Stir in chicken.
Spray a 3 qt. rectangular baking dish with nonstick coating.
Spoon about 1/4 c. of chicken mixture onto each tortilla.
Roll up and place seam side down in baking dish.
Combine soup, sour cream, and milk.
Pour over enchiladas.
Bake covered at 350 for 40 minutes.
Sprinkle cheese on top and bake 5 more minutes.

Keri's Chicken Enchilada Soup

1 T. vegetable oil
1 lb. boneless chicken breasts (appox. 3 breasts), cooked & cubed
½ c. diced onion
1 garlic clove, pressed
4 c. chicken broth
1 c. masa harina
3 c. water
1 c. enchilada sauce
16 oz. velveeta cheese
1 t. salt
1 t. chili powder
½ t. cumin

In a large pot, place oil and diced onion; sauté until onions are soft and clear, about 5 minutes. Add chicken broth, garlic, salt, chili powder, and cumin; Bring to a boil. Combine masa harina with 3 cups water in a separate bowl; Stir until all lumps are dissolved. Add to hot cooked mixture and return to a boil. Once mixture starts to bubble, continue cooking 2 to 3 minutes, stirring constantly. This will eliminate any raw taste from the masa harina. Add enchilada sauce. After mixture return to a boil, stir occasionally and add cheese that has been cut into chunks. Cook, stirring occasionally, until cheese melts. Add chicken and heat through.
Makes approximately 6 servings.

Amber's Chicken Pot Pie

1/3 c. butter
1/3 c. flour
2 garlic cloves, minced
¼ t. pepper
½ t. salt
2/3 c. milk
1 ½ c. water
2 t. chicken bouillon granules
Celery seed
2-3 chicken breasts, cooked and chopped
2-3 c. frozen veggies (2/3 a bag of birds eye classic blend works great)

For filling:
Melt butter in large sauce pan, add garlic, salt and pepper.
Let cook for a few minutes. Add flour and cook for another couple min.
Slowly whisk in milk, water and bouillon.
Bring to a boil and boil for 2 minutes stirring constantly.
Remove from heat, stir in veggies and chicken.

Sprinkle pie crust top and bottom with celery seed – bake in a 425 degree oven for 45-50 minutes until golden brown.

Lady and Sons Crust – Paula Dean

4 sheets frozen puff pastry
1 egg

Cut each sheet of frozen puff pastry into 1-inch strips, 8 inches long.
On a large cookie sheet, weave strips into a lattice large enough to cover pot pie. Brush beaten egg onto each lattice square.
Set oven to 350 and bake until dough rises and is a rich golden brown.
Place on baked pie and decorate with extra puff pastry.

You can make individual small pies to make it a little fancier and fun.

This is absolutely delicious.

White Chicken Chili

5 (15 oz.) cans Great Northern beans
5 cans chicken broth (8 c. or ½ gal.)
2 large white onions
1 tsp. garlic, minced
1 (4.5 oz.) can diced green chilis
1 t. salt
2 t. cumin
1 ½ t. oregano
½ t. cayenne (red) pepper
4 chicken breasts, grilled and cut into pieces

In a large pot, combine beans, broth, onions, garlic, and chilis.
Bring to a boil and simmer one hour.
Add salt, cumin, oregano, cayenne, and chicken to pot.
Let simmer another ½ hour.
Serve with sour cream and Monterey Jack cheese (with, of course, French bread).

BEST EVER!!!!!!!!

Macaroni Grill Chicken Scallopini

4 oz. lemon juice
2 oz. white wine
4 oz. heavy cream
1 lb. butter
6-8 (3 oz.) chicken breasts, pounded thin
Oil, for sautéing chicken
Butter, for sautéing chicken
½ -3/4 c. flour, seasoned with salt & pepper, for dredging
6 oz. pancetta, cooked
12 oz. mushrooms, sliced
12 oz. artichoke hearts, sliced
1 T. capers
1 lb. cappellini, cooked
Chopped parsley, for garnish

To make sauce:
Heat the lemon juice and white wine in a saucepan over medium heat.
Bring to a boil and reduce by one-third.
Add cream and simmer until mixture thickens (3-4 minutes).
Slowly add butter until completely incorporated.
Season with salt and pepper.
Remove from heat and keep warm.
Cook pasta and drain.
Heat a small amount of oil and two T. butter in a large skillet.
Dredge chicken in flour and sauté in pan, turning once, until brown and cooked through.
Remove chicken from pan and add to pan remaining ingredients.
Heat until mushrooms soften and are cooked; add chicken back to pan.
Place cooked pasta on each plate.
Add half of butter sauce to chicken mixture and toss.
Taste and adjust, adding more sauce if needed.
Place chicken mixture over pasta.
Garnish with parsley.
Alternately, mix pasta and chicken together.
Toss with butter sauce.

BEST EVER!!!!

Swiss Chicken

4-6 Chicken Breasts
4-6 slices of Swiss cheese
1 can cream of chicken soup
¾ c. milk
½ c. butter, melted
Seasoned croutons, slightly crushed

Put chicken breasts in long dish.
Put a slice of Swiss cheese on top of each one.
Mix cream of chicken soup with milk and pour over chicken.
Put croutons on top of chicken.
Top with butter.
Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 1 hour.

Keri's Fantastic Green Chili

Cooked pork or chicken pieces.
5 cans White beans
2 cans diced green chilis
1 can green enchilada sauce

Cook in the crock pot for a couple of hours
or you can cook it stove top for one hour

Regi's marinated chicken

1 c. oil
1 c. soy sauce
1 c. Sprite or 7up

Add desired amount of thawed chicken
into mixture. Marinate for 3-4 hours.
Grill or fry.

Regi's Lemon Chicken

9 chicken tenders or 4 chicken breasts
2 cans cream of chicken soup
½ c. milk
¼ c. butter
2 T. lemon and herb seasoning

Brown chicken in frying pan.
Mix cream of chicken, milk, butter, and seasoning.
Add browned chicken and mixture to crockpot.
Simmer 2 ½ -3 hours.
Serve over rice.

Regi's Chicken Supreme

4 chicken breasts browned in frying pan
1 zucchini sliced and browned in frying pan
1 can cream of celery soup
½ c. canned tomatoes
½ c. water

Simmer all together for 15-20 minutes.
Serve over rice.

Poppy Seed Chicken

Poppy Seed Chicken

4 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
1 lrg can (or 2 sm cans) cream of chicken soup
1 lrg sour cream (approx. 1 ¼ pint)
3 pkgs Ritz crackers (crumbled)
2 sticks margarine
3 T. poppy seeds

Place chicken in bottom of 9x13 pan.
Mix soup and sour cream.
Pour over chicken.
Mix crackers with melted margarine.
Put on top of soup mixture.
Sprinkle poppy seeds on top.
Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes.
Serve over rice (add more chicken if desired.)

Keri's Chicken Salad

2 ½ c. cooked chicken, diced
1 c. celery, finely chopped
1 small can crushed pineapple
1 c. chopped nuts
2 t. minced green onion
1 t. salt
1 c. salad dressing or sour cream (no mayo)
1 c. cool whip

Mix and chill a day ahead.

Remember this really IS better after it's been chilled overnight. The secret ingredient in this recipe is the pineapple. Yum! This is best in crescent rolls or popovers.

Keri's Chimichangas

5 lb. beef roast or pork (or combo)
3 T. vegetable shortening
3 onions
1 (4 oz.) can chopped green chilies
2 (7 oz.) cans green chili salsa
¼ t. garlic powder
4 T. flour
4 t. salt
1 t. ground cumin
Juices from roast

Cook roast covered at 200 for 12 hours. Don’t add anything.
Drain meat. Reserve juice in the fridge.
Grease will come to the top – take off.
Cool meat, shred, and set aside.
Melt shortening in large skillet. Add onions and green chilies.
Saute 1 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients.
Cook 1 minutes on med-low.
Add juices and meat.
Cook 5 minutes until thick.
Cool. Put in containers.
Put in tortillas with toothpick.
Fry.

Absolutely Delicious!

Wonton Salad

4 c. cooked chicken
1 head lettuce
½ c. toasted almonds
2 green onions
½ pkg wonton wraps, fried and crumbled

Dressing:
4 T. sugar
1-2 t. salt
¼ t. Pepper
4 T white vinegar
½ c. Oil
1 t. accent

Love this! Crunchy, fried... what more could you want. Momma always made it.

Chicken Pillows

2 pkgs crescent rolls
1 (8oz) cream cheese
¼ c. butter
2 green onions
2 cups cooked, cubed chicken
1 (4oz) can mushrooms
¼ cube melted butter
1 c. bread crumbs

Mix together cream cheese, butter, green onions, chicken, and mushrooms.
Put mixture in middle of each crescent roll dough.
Make pillow and seal.
Dip in butter and roll in crumbs.
Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.
Serve with gravy.

Bryan's favorite dinner EVER!

Chicken Enchilada Soup

1 T. vegetable oil
1 lb. boneless chicken breasts (appox. 3 breasts), cooked & cubed
½ c. diced onion
1 garlic clove, pressed
4 c. chicken broth
1 c. masa harina
3 c. water
1 c. enchilada sauce
16 oz. velveeta cheese
1 t. salt
1 t. chili powder
½ t. cumin

In a large pot, place oil and diced onion;
sauté until onions are soft and clear, about 5 minutes.
Add chicken broth, garlic, salt, chili powder, and cumin;
Bring to a boil.
Combine masa harina with 3 cups water in a separate bowl;
Stir until all lumps are dissolved.
Add to hot cooked mixture and return to a boil.
Once mixture starts to bubble, continue cooking 2 to 3 minutes, stirring constantly.
This will eliminate any raw taste from the masa harina.
Add enchilada sauce.
After mixture return to a boil, stir occasionally and add cheese that has been cut into chunks.
Cook, stirring occasionally, until cheese melts.
Add chicken and heat through.
Makes approximately 6 servings.