Clogging Lessons & Crockpot Mexican Chicken

On Thursdays, the kids have been taking clogging lessons. 

It is great for developing coordination and is a good work out too!  I haven’t been able to join them because of my hip pain & surgery.  But now that I am recovered it is time to try something new!  The only problem is that when I get home I am SO tired from the lesson that I don’t want to fix supper.

So my answer to this problem is to get out my crockpot!  She works so well to feed my family!  Last week we tried a new recipe & it is a keeper!  So next time you need a simple meal that is filling & ready to go when you walk in the door make this one or check out some of my favorite crockpot recipes!

Crockpot Mexican Chicken

3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut in to strips

2 T flour

2 T taco seasoning mix, homemade or store packet

1 green & 1 red pepper(or any color you have)

1 cup frozen corn, or 1 can corn, drained

2 cups salsa

Pour 1 cup salsa in the bottom of a medium crockpot.  Mix flour & taco seasoning.  Coat each strip with flour mixture.  Place each chicken strip in crockpot, and add the peppers and corn.  Top with remaining salsa.  Cover and cook on low for 6 hours.

Feeds 6-8 people.  We love to have this over brown rice with chips & sour cream.  You could also add beans &/or shredded cheese to stretch it further.

Turkey in a Pot

One of my favorite ways to cook a turkey is in my crockpot.  Now this isn’t your standard BIG bird like on Thanksgiving.  It is a turkey breast that I have caught on sale at some point & stuck in the freezer(with a friend or two).

My crew LOVES turkey but some of them ONLY like it this way.  When we go places at Thanksgiving, where the turkey is cooked in the oven, they think it is too dry.  Spoiled bunch of kids!  However, turkey in the crockpot is super MOIST and yummy.  We then cook & mash some taters, heat some green beans & we are ready to eat! 

Oh an did I mention it is in the CROCKPOT?  I love my slave in the kitchen.  She works all day and I can come home to a yummy meal with almost no effort on my part!

After we eat turkey for supper there are always leftovers.  I cut up the turkey & make this delicious soup for the freezer!  Usually there is enough for 2 or 3 batches!  There goes my other slave who just holds on to those premade meals for me until I REALLY need one on a busy day.  Love .. Love .. Love my freezer!

Turkey & Noodles—this was adapted from the 30 Day Gourmet

12 cups turkey or chicken broth

1/2 tsp salt

1 lb frozen egg noodles

1/2 cup flour

1 1/2 cups milk

3 cups cooked turkey

In a large, pot heat broth to boiling.  Add salt.  Add frozen noodles and bring back to a boil.  Turn down to simmer.  Cook for 10 minutes and then stir flour & milk together.  Mix in with the noodles & broth.  Cook until it seems to have reduced slightly and thickened.  Add the meat & salt to taste.

Serving immediately?  Just add a salad & some vegies and you are ready to eat!

Freezing?  Measure out in to appropriate size containers & let cool.  Freeze!  Don’t for get to label your container & date it!

Is it still cool & drizzly outside in your neck of the woods?  Enjoy these warm & nourishing soups!

Brown Jug Soup

3 Bean Soup

Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Freezer Meal: Beef or Chicken Chimichangas

I love to have a batch or two of these Chimichangas in the freezer for days I don’t have time to make lunch. 

Everyone in our house LOVES these & I have a hard time keeping them on hand. 

I need to make a double, triple, or quadruple batch in the near future!

Beef or Chicken Chimichangas

16 oz cooked chicken or beef(approx. 3 cups)

8 oz jar salsa

16 oz can refried beans

4-8 oz cheddar cheese, shredded(1-2 cup)--how cheesy do you like it?

10 tortillas(8 or 9 inch)--low carb for me(THM plan) & whole wheat for kids

Optional:  Brown rice, Sour cream

Cook meat (& shred chicken)  Mix:  meat, salsa, cheese.  Warm tortillas.  Spread 2-3 T of refried bean on tortilla and then spoon 1/2 cup meat mix on each tortilla, fold in sides(top & bottom;  left & right)  Place in 9 x 13 pan.  Bake uncovered on 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until crisp and brown.

To freeze:  Freeze unbaked.  Wrap chimis individually in foil.  Bake at 350 degrees 45 minutes if frozen, or 30 minutes if thawed.  Remove foil & bake additional 10 minutes—until crisp & brown.

Two other ways we eat this.

1.  We often place these in a crockpot for 3-4 hours on low.  They aren’t crispy but nice and warm and ready to eat as soon as we are ready.

2.  My children claim that they don’t “need” the tortilla so sometimes I just make up the filling and serve it over rice with sour cream & chips.  A very fast lunch!

Salisbury Steak

This is one of my oldest’s favorite meals.  Everyone in the house agrees on this one. 

We made a double batch last week & divided the extra in to College Food.  It has worked really well to have some smaller sized meals for Michael to take & use on days he doesn’t want to eat dorm food. 

He lives in a house with a BUNCH of guys not a dorm so he has access to a kitchen.  However, time is in short supply so quick, healthy, easy meals are just what he needs.

Salisbury Steak

1 1/2 lbs ground beef

1 egg

1 envelope dry onion soup mix

1 can cream of chicken soup or 1 batch of DIY cream soup mix

1 can cream of mushroom soup—I do use this to help “thicken” up the sauce

8 oz sliced mushrooms

Mix together ground beef, egg, onion soup mix.  Make into 12 or more patties, brown patties in skillet.  Mix together cream soups with 1/2-1 can of water(omit this if you are using the DIY cream soup mix). 

Layer patties & mushrooms in a 9x13 pan.  Then pour soup mix over the top.

If freezing prebake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.  Remove from oven, cool & freeze.  To bake after freezing thaw and bake for 20-30 minutes at 350 degrees or until sauce is bubbly.

If eating directly—bake for 30-40 minutes at 350 degrees.

Serve over rice or mashed potatoes.

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DIY Cream Soup Mix

My husband really doesn’t like food that has been over salted.  Even peanuts he prefers the ones lightly salted or unsalted.

I try making our meals lower in sodium by making my own cream of _____ soup.  It is also saves me $$$—have you seen how much a can of soup costs?  Yikes!

Use the mix below as a basis for your soup and then add the ingredient that forms the flavor of the soup.  Chop mushrooms, saute a bit in some olive oil & you have cream of mushroom soup with out the mega sodium & preservatives. Chop celery for cream of celery or chop chicken for cream of chicken.

DIY Cream Soup Mix

2 cups nonfat dry milk powder

3/4 cup cornstarch

1/4 cup instant reduced sodium chicken or beef bouillon granules

1/2 tsp dried thyme leaves

1/2 tsp dried basil leaves

1/4 tsp white pepper

Combine all ingredients and mix well with wire whisk until blended.  Store in an airtight container.

To prepare:

As a substitute for 1 can of condensed cream soup in recipes, stir together 1/3 cup dry mix & 1-1/4 cup water in a glass bowl or sauce pan.  You can microwave this—stirring every 30 seconds—for 2 minutes.  Also it can be heated on the stove while stirring.  I use the microwave because it is faster that way—just don’t for get to stir!  The mix makes the equivalent of 9 cans.  For cream of chicken you might want to use chicken broth instead of water to help with the flavor.

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Frugal Follies