Crock Pot Chicken N Pasta Soup

Spray your crock pot with no-stick cooking spray. This makes for easier cleanup later.





Dust the crock pot with fresh cracked pepper (pre-ground pepper is for wussies).






Dust the crock pot with chili powder.






Boneless Skinless chicken pieces lining the bottom of the Crock Pot. (I used thighs this time, but I've used breasts too, either works fine).




Herb Garlic Marinade drizzled over the chicken pieces.






Assorted chilli's diced up and thrown into Crock Pot.






An Onion (whatever color your prefer, I like yellow) diced up, and some garlic (however many cloves depends on your tastes) minced.



A can of tomatoes with Jalapeno's, juice and all, poured in.





A box of chicken broth.







Fill empty tomato can with filtered water to help gather the remaining flavors left in can.





Pour water from tomato can into Crock Pot.






A pinch of Kosher Salt.







A pinch of Pre-made Italian Seasonings (I got this pouch at Vitamin Cottage in Colorado, and it's lasted me forever!)




Put Crock Pot on it's longest cooking setting, and leave it alone. My Crock Pot switches from "Cook" to "Warm" automatically when the time is up, so I'm going to leave it here til tomorrow evening after work, and it'll stay warm and continue to melt the flavors.........
Set aside pasta noodles to be added before eating. Tomorrow, I'll remove the chicken and dice it up, then return it to the soup, add the pasta, and wait another 30 minutes before eating.

Herb & Garlic Pepper Chicken

I tried a recipe from cooks.com that I thought I could make better for my tastes. My modified recipe is below. Here's a link to the original recipe.

1 bottle Herb & Garlic Marinade
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast
1 bell pepper, any color
1/2 of a medium yellow onion
2 tbsp butter or margarine
Basil
Fresh cracked pepper
Olive Oil

Place chicken in ziploc bag and pour in marinade. Set in fridge for at least 30 minutes, but the longer the better.

Heat a large skillet or wok over high heat. Slice the bell pepper and onion into strips (use of a food processor will speed up this process). Add butter to skillet or wok and allow to melt at least halfway. Add peppers and onion strips. Saute until well done.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking dish with tin foil. Sprinkle Olive Oil on the bottom of baking dish and then sprinkle basil and fresh cracked pepper lightly over the oil. Place marinated chicken in baking dish and sprinkle with Olive Oil. Using a brush, spread olive oil evenly over surface of chicken. Sprinkle more basil and fresh cracked pepper over the surface of the chicken, and use the brush to evenly distribute seasonings on surface of chicken. Pour saute'd peppers and onions on top of chicken, cover baking dish tightly with tin foil, and bake for 30-45 minutes.

Serve with rice or pasta.

Pico De Gallo

1 cup diced tomato
1 cup diced onion
1 cup diced bell pepper
1/2 of a jalapeño
Cilantro
Juice of 1 lime

Remove seeds and ribs from Jalapeño pepper. Dice jalapeño and mix together with bell pepper, onion, and tomato. Coarsely chop cilantro and stir into mixture.

Serve.

Bell Pepper Skins

2 bell peppers, any color
6-8 slices of bacon
1/4 of a medium onion
Shredded Cheese
Sour Cream

This is another take on the potato skins style appetizer.

Cut the bell peppers into 1 inch wide strips (one pepper usually yields 6). Boil the peppers in water for 10 minutes.

While peppers are boiling, fry bacon. When done, allow to cool. Cut up onion into strips.

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Arrange pepper strips on a greased cookie sheet, and top with bacon, onion, and cheese. Bake for 20 minutes.

Allow to cool. Serve with Sour Cream or salsa.

(Other pepper types could be used instead of Bell Peppers, such as Poblano, Jalapeno, banana, ect. Experiment to see what works best for you.)

Indiana Fried Chicken

1 egg
1/4 cup milk
3-4 slices of toast, or italian bread crumbs
Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast
1 cup milk
1/2 green bell pepper
1/2 medium onion
4-5 tbs butter
1/4 cup chicken or beef broth

(I call this "Indiana" Fried Chicken because I got this from a recipe book and changed the recipe to suit what I had at hand. The recipe I based this on is called "Maryland Fried Chicken" and it was published on page 10 of "Better Homes And Gardens Chicken And Turkey Cookbook" published in 1976. Since I live in Indiana at the moment, and not Maryland, my variation is called "Indiana Fried Chicken")

Beat together egg and 1/4 cup milk. Place toast in food processor and blend to make crumbs (if using canned bread crumbs, skip this step). Dip chicken breast in egg mixture, then roll in bread crumbs to coat.

Heat a skillet and melt 3 tbsp butter. When melted, place chicken in skillet and cook for 5-10 minutes until golden brown, turning often to brown evenly on both sides.

Dice bell pepper and slice onion. In a separate skillet, saute with 1 tbsp butter and 1/4 cup broth. Reduce broth down until just a small amount of a thin sauce remains, stirring often.

Add 1 cup of milk to skillet, and stir in peppers and onions from other skillet. Cover tightly and simmer over low heat for 30 minutes, turning chicken at regular intervals (about every 5 minutes or so).

After 30 minutes, remove chicken and turn heat up to high, reducing down the remaining sauce to thicken it slightly. Pour sauce over chicken and serve.

Pepper Quesedilas

(I found this recipe online a few years ago, can't remember where)

1 poblano chile or bell pepper
1 medium onion
1 tsp cumin
2 tbsp cilantro
Salsa
Sour Cream
Flour Tortilas
Shredded Cheese

Slice pepper and set aside. Finely chop the onion, and set aside. Warm a large skillet over medium heat until warm, spray with cooking spray. Saute peppers, onions, and cumin (throw in a few hot chile's such as Jalepeno or Habernero for an added kick). When tender, stir in Cilantro, saute 3-5 minutes.

In another large skillet or griddle, warm over medium heat until warm and spray with cooking spray. Spread cheddar cheese into 1/2 of a tortilla shell, and spoon out pepper and onion mixture into shell. Fold in half and place on skillet. When 1 side is brown (30 seconds to 1 minute), flip and brown other side. Makes 6 quesedilas. Cut into slices and serve warm with sour cream and salsa.

Fajitas

1 package of your favorite flour tortillas
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast
1/2 bottle Herb N Garlic Marinade
1-2 Bell Peppers, any color
1 medium or large onion
Fresh Cracked Pepper
Cilantro

Rinse the chicken breast pieces and place between paper towels. With a cooking mallet or the bottom of a frying pan, smack the chicken breast to flatten it to about 1/4" or 1/2" thickness. Cut into strips about as wide as your pinky. Marinade them in the Herb N Garlic Marinade for 30 minutes or more.

Cut bell peppers and onions into strips. Sprinkle with Cilantro and Fresh Cracked Pepper. Cook in a buttered frying pan over medium-high heat.

Add chicken and remaining marinade (from the container used to marinade the chicken, not from the half empty bottle) to a separate frying pan. Cook chicken in frying pan over medium-high heat until no longer pink.

When peppers and onions are showing signs of caramelization, remove from pan and set aside in a large serving bowl. Cover with tin foil or plastic wrap to keep warm, but allow it to vent so they don't get too moist. Remove chicken from second frying pan and add it to the pan used to cook the peppers and onions. Stir the chicken around with a spoon, allowing it to be coated with the char marks on the bottom of the pan from the peppers and onions, as this adds flavoring.

Remove chicken strips from frying pan and place in a separate bowl.

To serve, place chicken, peppers, and onions on a flour tortilla. Top with your favorite garnishes such as salsa, taco sauce, shredded cheese, and sour cream. Fold tortilla up and enjoy!

Better than boxed Stuffing!

1 box chicken flavored stuffing
chicken broth
1 bell pepper
1 small onion

Dice pepper and onion. Prepare box stuffing according to package directions, substituting water for chicken broth. Add diced peppers and onions to broth before bringing it to a boil, allowing the peppers and onions to cook.

Omelet with Peppers & Onions

3 eggs
3 tbsp milk
1/4 of a bell pepper
1/4 of a medium onion
2-3 oz. Chicken Broth
2 tbsp butter
Shredded Cheddar Cheese

Dice bell pepper, and slice onion. Heat skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Coat with butter, and leave the rest of the butter in the skillet to melt. When melted, or partially melted, pour in peppers and onions. Cook for a few moments until the onions and peppers are loose and flexible, but don't burn them. Stir in Chicken Broth and reduce it until there is none left. Set aside.

Heat a separate shallow skillet over medium heat.

Open 3 eggs, and combine with milk in a bowl. Stir with a fork or wire whisk until well combined. Stir in peppers and onions.


Coat pre-heated skillet with butter, and pour in egg mixture. With a spatula, stir egg mixture to break up the stiffened eggs that will appear at the bottom of the skillet.

Cook omelet until cooked completely through. Top with shredded cheese, and fold onto plate. Top folded omelet with shredded cheese. When cheese on top has melted, serve. Garnish with salsa, sour cream, or any other toppings you wish.

Beer Fajitas

(I saw this recipe on food network, but steak was used instead of chicken. I used chicken, and it was great!)

1 lb Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast
1-2 bell peppers
1 onion
4 oz. your favorite beer
1 packet store bought fajita seasoning (1.15 oz)
Cheese
Salsa
Sour Cream
Flour Tortilla's

Flatten Chicken Breast by placing on top of a dry paper towell, covering with another paper towell, and pounding with a mallot or bottom of a skillet until about 1/4" thick. Slice Chicken into long thin strips, about the thickness of your index finger or pinky. Slice Onion and bell peppers.

Pour beer into a crockpot, and stir in fajita seasoning packet. Place Chicken, peppers, and onion into Crockpot. Stir mixture together if you like, but it's not entirely necessary. Cook in crockpot for 8 hours on low setting.

Strain mixture if you wish after cooking time is complete. Place mixture on flour tortillas, top with Sour Cream, Cheese, Salsa, and anything else you wish. Enjoy.

Skillet Potatoes

(Pictured on right served with rice)

2 bell peppers
1 medium onion
1-2 cloves garlic
4-6 potatoes
3 14-oz cans of chicken broth
2-3 tbsp butter
Fresh cracked pepper
chili powder
cilantro
Sour Cream
Shredded Cheese

Mince garlic. Dice bell peppers, onion, and potatoes. Pour chicken broth into large pot with the peppers, onion, potatoes, and garlic. Season with fresh cracked pepper, cilantro, and chili powder to taste. Bring to a boil.

Reduce chicken broth down until completely gone (typically takes 20-30 minutes) stirring occasionally. Be careful not to stir too much as this can cause the potatoes to break down and the end result will be more like mashed potatoes (unless you like it that way of course). When done, stir in butter until melted.

If desired, top with shredded cheese and sour cream.

Chunky Salsa

1 14.5 oz Can of Diced Tomatoes and Chile's
1 Bell Pepper
1/2 of a large onion
1-2 tbsp Cilantro (added to taste)
2-3 of Trappeys Tabasco Peppers
1 1/2 cups of water
2 Tbsp of Lime Juice

Dice the bell pepper and onion and place them in a large pot. Open the can of Tomatoes and Chile's and dump them in the pot (DO NOT DRAIN THE JUICE FROM THE CAN). Add the cilantro, water, Trappeys Tabasco Peppers, and lime juice. Put on a burner on medium low to medium high heat, stirring occasionally. Simmer until 2/3 to 3/4 of the water has cooked away.

Allow to cool in the fridge, and serve on any of your favorite dishes.

Red Hot Crock Pot Chicken

1 12oz. bottle of Franks Red Hot Sauce, or your favorite hot sauce.
1 large green bell pepper
1/2 of a medium red onion
Roughly 10oz of boneless skinless chicken breast, uncooked
Cilantro (optional)
Fresh Cracked Pepper (optional)
Sour Cream
1-2 cups instant white rice
Shredded Cheese, any variey

Cube the chicken, and cut the pepper and onion into chunks about the size of the cubed chicken. Pour the Franks Red Hot Sauce into the crockpot (Franks has less heat and more flavor, which is why I find it suitable for cooking situations. Feel free to use your favorite if you don't mind a lot of heat, as the cooking process can bring more heat out of it), and add the chicken, peppers, and onions. Season with your favorite seasonings (I use cilantro and fresh cracked pepper). Set the crock pot on low and cook for 8 hours.

Cook instant rice according to package directions.

Spoon a bed of white rice onto a plate. Using a ladle, spoon mixture from crock pot over rice. Top with shredded cheese and sour creme to taste.

Chicken Stuffed Bell Peppers

4 bell peppers, any color variey.
1-2 cloves garlic
1 medium size onion
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast
1 bottle Herb & Garlic marinade
Cilantro
Chili Powder
1 cup instant rice
1 cup (or so) shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Sour Creme
fresh cracked pepper

Marinate chicken in fridge for at least 30 minutes.

Fill large pot with water, and bring to a boil. In a small pot, cook 1 cup instant rice according to package directions. Set aside.

Cut tops off of 4 bell peppers. Remove stems from tops, and set aside. Remove pulp and seeds from peppers and discard. Set peppers aside until large pot of water comes to a boil. Place peppers into boiling water and boil for 10 minutes.

Mince garlic, onion, and pepper tops. If you have a food processor, you can mince them in this as it will retain the juices from the ingredients and enhance the flavor. If not, a knife and cutting board will do just fine. Mix all three ingredients together.

If using fresh cilantro, mince and add to peppers and onion mixture. If using dried cilantro, sprinkle on top of pepper mixture. Stir cilantro into mixture, add fresh cracked pepper and chili powder to taste. Set aside.

Remove chicken from marinade and set remaining marinade aside. Dice chicken into very small cubes. Cook chicken and remaining marinade in large pan or pot until chicken cubes are done.

In separate pan, cook minced pepper mixture.

When chicken is done, stir pepper mixture and rice into chicken pan, then cook until all remaining marinade has absorbed into rice. Take handful of shredded cheese and stir into chicken mixture. Remove from heat, and stir until cheese is melted.

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Line a 9x9 baking dish with tin foil. Remove peppers from boiling water, draining any excess water from peppers. Place all 4 peppers into baking dish.

With a large spoon, place spoonfuls of chicken pepper mixture into empty peppers until full. When peppers are full, sprinkle shredded cheddar cheese on top and place in oven for 20 minutes

When peppers are done, remove from oven and allow to cool for 15-20 minutes. Top with sour cream to taste. Serve.

Peppers could be served with spanish rice, or other southwest themed dishes. However, this recipe makes a great ala Carte dinner for two.