Italian Chicken

Servings:  6

Prep Time:  5 minutes to crock pot;  30 minutes later

Cook Time:  8 to 10 hours

Katherine's Rating:  10 out of 10

Scott's Rating:  7 out of 10

Ingredients:

• 6 chicken breast; bone in, skin removed (I used 6 boneless, skinless breasts)
• 8 oz Fat Free Italian Dressing (you don't have to use fat free - I'm just trying to cut calories)
• 8 oz Fat Free Cream Cheese (same as above - your choice)
• 14 oz Reduced-sodium Chicken Broth
• 10.5 oz (1 can) 98% Fat Free Cream of Chicken Soup
• 1/2 tsp Rosemary
• 1/2 tsp Thyme
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• 12 oz angel hair pasta

Directions:

• Put the chicken breasts in a slow cooker and pour the Italian salad dressing over them.  Cook on low 8-10 hours.  If you use boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cook 5-6 hours instead.
• Remove chicken breasts from slow cooker and discard Italian dressing.  Put the cream cheese, chicken broth, cream of chicken soup, rosemary, thyme, and salt and pepper in the slow cooker.  Stir together as the ingredients melt.
• Meanwhile, remove the chicken from the bones and cut in small pieces (I just shredded using two forks).  Put the chicken back in the slow cooker with the sauce.  
• Cook together another hour.  Or, you can do this step on the stove to speed it up.  After it has cooked together; allow it to cool.  
• Serve over cooked angel hair pasta.  
• I topped mine with a sprinkle of Tastefully Simple Seasoning Salt and Tastefully Simple Spinach and Herb seasonings.  I also served it with a side of steamed broccoli and a slice of Tastefully Simple Beer Bread!

This can be a bit labor intensive in that you have to do a bit more after it's done in the crock pot.  Deboning can take a while and then shredding isn't necessarily quick.  So I made three batches of this at the same time using two crock pots.  Then I froze them in gallon size freezer bags after they cooled (minus the pasta - I made that fresh).  I pulled one out of the freezer and stuck in the refrigerator overnight.  All I had to do then was make the pasta and heat the chicken.  EASY!  And pretty quick!  One of my all time favorite recipes!

Baked Potato Soup

Adapted from:  Mama Loves Food

Servings:  A Lot, maybe 10-12

Prep Time:  30 minutes

Cook Time:  6 or 10 hours

Katherine's Rating:  8 out of 10

Scott's Rating:  9 out of 10

Ingredients:

• 5 lbs Russett Potatoes, washed but not peeled - cut into 1/2 inch(ish) cubes
• 1 large yellow onion, diced (I used white)
• 10 cloves garlic (whole, crushed, or minced) - (I used minced)
• 8 cups chicken stock
• 1 Tbsp seasoned salt or all purpose seasoning (I used Mrs. Dash)
• 16 oz cream cheese

Directions:

• Add potatoes, onion, garlic, seasonings, and chicken stock to 6 quart or larger slow cooker.
• Cook on high for 6 hours or low for 10 hours.
• Remove 1/3 to 1/2 of the soup including all the whole garlic cloves if you used them.
• Add cream cheese to the removed soup and puree the mixture.  Reintroduce to the remainder in the slow cooker.
• Stir until soup is well blended.
• Top with your choice of garnishes and serve!  I used green onions, cheese, and bacon.

Notes:

• I removed about 1/3 to puree but ended up having to add more to get the right consistency.  I used an immersion blender to puree the mixture.  It worked perfectly. 
• I used shredded colby jack cheese, bacon bits, and chopped green onion for garnish.  I also had to add a bit of salt.  Next time I'll probably add a dollop of sour cream as well.  

Best-Ever Roast

Servings: 6
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 5-6 hours on low
Scott's Rating: 9.5 out of 10
Katherine's Rating: 10 out of 10

Ingredients:

• 1 beef chuck shoulder roast (3-5 lbs)
• 1 can 10 3/4 oz. condensed cream of mushroom soup
• 1 envelope dry onion soup mix
• 4-5 med. potatoes, quartered
• 4 cups baby carrots
  

Directions:

• Place roast in crock pot
• Combine cream of mushroom soup and onion soup mix in a medium bowl. Pour over roast; cover
• Cook on low 4 hours
• Add potatoes and carrots; cover
• Cook on low 2 hours
  

Perfectly Potatoes and Ham

SOURCE: TastefullySimple.com
Servings: 6-8
Prep Time: 10-20 minutes
Cook Time: 5-6 hours on low, 2-3 hours on high
Scott's Rating: 10 out of 10
Katherine's Rating: 8 out of 10

Ingredients:

• 8 sliced potatoes
  
• 1 1/2 pounds cubed ham
  
• 2 tsp. Garlic Garlic
  
• 3 cups water, divided
  
• Perfectly Potato Cheddar Soup Mix
  

Directions:

• In a slow cooker, layer half the potatoes, ham, and Garlic Garlic.
  
• Repeat with remaining potatoes, ham, Garlic Garlic, and 1 cup water.
  
• Combine soup mix with remaining 2 cups of water; pour on top.
  
• Cook on low 5-6 hours or high 2-3 hours.
  

Tips:

• I think I accidentally set the Crock Pot on low and only cooked it for 3 hours but it turned out great. The settings on my slow cooker seem to run higher than most.

Kat's Ham & Bean Soup

SOURCE: I based this on another recipe I was told about but tweaked it to make it my own.
Servings: LOTS
Prep Time: 20-30 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes but it can simmer for hours
Scott's Rating:
Katherine's Rating: 10 out of 10

Ingredients:

• 3 slices of bacon, chopped
• 1 ham steak, chopped
• 2 cups sliced Conecuh sausage
• 1/2 small onion, chopped
• 1 clove minced garlic
• 6 cans navy beans, drained
• 32 oz. chicken broth
• 1 cup instant mashed potatoes
• 1 huge heaping teaspoon butter

Directions:

• Saute bacon, ham, sausage, onion, and garlic in a large pot.
• Add beans and chicken broth to the pot and cook for at least 30 minutes.
• Add the mashed potatoes (add more if you want it thicker) and add the butter.
  
• Cook until sauce has thickened.

Tips:

• The soup is great just by itself but I have also served it over rice which is yummy!
• Make some fresh made corn bread or beer bread to go with it... Wow is all I can say.