Slow Cooker Cajun Chicken Spaghetti ***

I made this basically as written, except that I added crawfish and used angelhair pasta in place of spaghetti. Oh, and smoked sausage in place of andouille. Those are all just personal preferences, though. It was amazing. It technically does take a bit of prep time, but it's worth it. For me, it helped that I had cooked chicken on hand and used a frozen fajita pepper blend in place of the peppers. All I really had to do was cut up the sausage. I actually need to make it again soon, now that I think about it!

SLOW COOKER CAJUN CHICKEN SPAGHETTI
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ Tablespoon)

10 oz (about 2/3 of a 1 lb box) dried spaghetti noodles
1 jar (15 oz) Alfredo sauce
1 medium (about 1 cup) yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1/2 lb andouille sausage, sliced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 can (14.5 oz) Muir GlenOrganic Diced Tomatoes Fire Roasted
1 1/2 tablespoons Creole seasoning
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon salt

To start, cut the chicken into bite-size chunks and slice the andouille sausage.
Dice the whole onion, chop the bell pepper and mince the garlic. (Prep work over.)
Pour 1/3 of the Alfredo sauce into the bottom of the slow cooker and stir in the onions and garlic. Layer the chicken pieces on top of the saucy onions and sprinkle half of your Creole seasoning over the chicken.
Layer the bell pepper and sausage pieces over the chicken, then pour in the whole can of tomatoes (including the liquid). Top tomatoes with remaining Creole seasoning and Alfredo sauce.
Close the lid and cook on low for 4 hours. After 4 hours, give everything a stir and add about 1/4 cup of heavy cream to the sauce. Season with salt to taste, and add additional Creole seasoning if desired.
Break the spaghetti noodles in thirds and place them in the sauce. Stir until noodles are completely coated and submerged in the sauce, with no pieces sticking out.
Increase heat to high and cook, covered, for 20-25 more minutes. Give your pasta a good stir or two, and enjoy! NOTE: Keep in mind that once you turn the slow cooker off, the sauce and noodles will continue to cook for a few minutes. If you're not going to eat immediately, reduce the time you cook the noodles so that they are not overcooked by the time you're ready to eat.
*Amy's notes: I subbed angelhair pasta, smoked sausage, and a frozen fajita pepper blend. I also cut back on chicken and added crawfish.

Crockpot Italian Chicken Thighs ***

My youngest's favorite meal ever is the Crockpot Mississippi Chicken Thighs. I figured this one probably had to be pretty good, and I liked that it was such a basic recipe. I just chopped it all up at the end and served it on Hawaiian buns. Definitely a winner for us. The boy says the Mississippi Thighs are still his favorite, but this is a close second. Good enough for me!

CROCKPOT ITALIAN CHICKEN
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ BeyerBeware)

2 lbs of chicken breast thighs, or combination
1 (12-oz) jar of pepper rings
2 (.7-oz) envelopes of Italian Salad Dressing and Spice Mix

Put chicken in the bottom of a crock pot. Pour pepper rings with juice over chicken. Sprinkle Italian mix over chicken. Cook on low for 8+ hours or on high for 4+ hours.
After chicken has cooked, remove any bones or skin and shred. Keep on low till ready to eat. Add chicken broth or water if chicken seems to be drying out.
Serve on buns.
*Serves 4-6

Crockpot Cheesy Chicken Spaghetti****

I really, really, really want to love chicken spaghetti, but I just can't stand Velveeta. For years, I've been trying to find a good recipe that didn't use Velveeta. This is it! At first, I balked at the amount of shredded cheese in there, but you really do need a lot for chicken spaghetti. I don't know exactly the amount that I used, since I just went by what looked right, but I do know it was less than the full 6 cups. Maybe around 4.5-5? Anyway, it was excellent. This is going to be my go-to chicken spaghetti recipe from now on. You could sub Rotel for the chilies, but since I'm not a huge fan of tomatoes anyway, as written works pretty well for us. The recipe on the website was only for 4 servings, which never works for us (two teenage boys and a hubby who takes leftovers for lunch!), so I doubled the amounts. I am so excited to finally have a non-Velveeta chicken spaghetti recipe!

CROCKPOT CHEESY CHICKEN SPAGHETTI
*Recipe below is doubled from website, to allow for 8 servings*
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ LaurensLatest)

4 chicken breasts (about 2 lbs)
1 cup diced yellow onion
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
2 small cans mild diced green chiles
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon garlic powder
salt & pepper, to taste
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
1.5-2 lbs cooked spaghetti
5-6 cups grated cheddar cheese
a few splashes chicken stock, optional

Place onion, bell peppers, green chiles, cumin, garlic powder, salt, pepper, chicken, mushroom soup and 1 cup of grated cheese together in a crock-pot. Stir to mix ingredients. Cook on high for 3-4 hours or until chicken is fully cooked. Remove chicken breasts, shred and return to crock-pot. Pour in cooked spaghetti and remaining cheese. Toss to coat pasta in sauce and melt cheese, adding in a few splashes of chicken stock where necessary to get sauce consistency you want. Cook another 20-30 minutes on low and serve.
**Freezer directions: Place onion, bell peppers, green chilies, cumin, garlic powder, salt, pepper, chicken, mushroom soup and 1 cup of grated cheese together in a large plastic freezer bag. Seal and freeze. To cook, defrost in fridge, place in crockpot and cook according to directions listed above.

Slow Cooker Spicy Chicken and Rice****

This was amazing. Hubby doesn't like black beans, so I usually sub pinto. This time, I went ahead and used the black, since it was such a small amount of the dish overall. We loved it! The only change I made was to sub a can of green chilies for the chipotle pepper. The rest of them would have liked the chipotle, but I'm just more of a green chilies kind of gal.  I needed a longer cook time for mine, so I started with frozen breasts and cooked for 6 hours on low. It was perfect! I am going to be making this one again soon.

SLOW COOKER SPICY CHICKEN AND RICE
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ 5BoysBaker)

4 boneless , skinless chicken breasts
1 can (14-1/2 ounces) Ro-tel tomatoes (mild or regular)
1 can (10 oz) mild enchilada sauce (I used Old El Paso)
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon chipotle pepper in adobo sauce , chopped
4 cups cooked rice (brown or white)
1 can (15 ounces) black beans, drained
3/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
3/4 cup shredded pepper jack cheese
Garnishes: Sour cream , avocado, cilantro, sour cream

Place chicken in a 4- or 5-qt. slow cooker.
In a large bowl, combine the tomatoes, enchilada sauce, garlic powder, paprika, salt, cumin and chipotle pepper; mix well and pour over chicken. Cover and cook on low for 3-4 hours or until chicken is tender.
Remove chicken to a plate and shred using two forks. Return chicken to the slow cooker. Add cooked rice and beans and stir well. Sprinkle cheese evenly across the top and cover. Let heat through about 20-30 minutes.
Garnish sour cream, cilantro and avocado, if desired.
*luckymommy/Amy's notes: I subbed a can of chopped green chilies for the chipotle. I also started with frozen chicken breasts and cooked on low for 6 hours.

White Chicken Chili (Crockpot) **

This was okay. I mean, it was good and all, but it just really wasn't what I was looking for in a white chicken chili. I have one that I love (see recipe here), but I was looking to find a good one for the crockpot. One that I love just as much as the stovetop version. This just didn't do that for me. I think the Rotel might have thrown it off a bit. I don't think I like the idea of tomatoes in a white chili. All in all, the flavor in this was fine. If I hadn't already had something different in mind, it probably would have been okay. Just not for me, lol.

WHITE CHICKEN CHILI (CROCKPOT)
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ PassionforSavings)

1 lb chicken breasts
1 white onion, diced
2 cans white northern beans
1 can whole kernel corn
1 (10-oz) can Rotel
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 (32-oz) container chicken broth
1 (8-oz) block cream cheese
1/4 cup half & half or heavy cream
Topping Ideas: cheese, avocado, fresh cilantro, sour cream, salsa, & tortilla chips

In a bowl combine salt, pepper, cumin, chili powder, cayenne pepper, garlic powder; stir.
Place chicken breasts in bottom of slow cooker.
Sprinkle seasonings over the chicken.
Top with onion, beans, corn, and Rotel.
Add the entire container of chicken broth to the slow cooker.
Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours (until chicken is fork tender).
Remove chicken and shred with forks. Return chicken to slow cooker.
Add in cream cheese and half & half.
Cook another 15 minutes on high.
Serve with your favorite toppings!

Mexican Cream Cheese Crockpot Chicken ***

Well, I just now noticed, while typing up this post, that I put the cream cheese in at the beginning instead of waiting until the end.  Honestly, I see no reason to wait.  It didn't curdle, and letting it cook with the ingredients the entire time lets it soak up more of the juices.  But I don't really think it matters either way.  I chose it off Pinterest because of the short list of ingredients and quick preparation.  I also liked that it closely resembles Crockpot Taco Soup, which is one of my most favorite winter-time comfort foods.  Considering it's the middle of a heat-ravaged summer, I couldn't possibly go the soup route, so this was a nice way of *almost* having it. 😉

I did double the recipe, but I think that it would be better to do more like 1.5 times the amounts. We wrapped ours up in tortillas, burrito-style, and filled them with lettuce and tomatoes and such.  The original recipe mentioned having it over rice, which would be really good in cold weather.  But whatever you choose, this sucker was a big winner for us!

MEXICAN CREAM CHEESE CROCKPOT CHICKEN
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ GonnaWantSeconds)

4 Chicken Breast Halves, Boneless and Skinless
1 (15 Ounce) Can Black Beans, Drained
1 (7 Ounce) Can Ortega Chiles, Chopped
1 (15.5 Ounces ) Can Diced Tomatoes, Undrained
1 (8 Ounces) Can Corn, Drained
1 (6 Ounces) Can Black Olives, Drained
1 Small Yellow Onion, Chopped
1 Envelope Taco Seasoning
8 Ounces Cream Cheese, Cubed

Add all ingredients to crock pot EXCEPT cream cheese.
Cook on high for 4-6 hours or low for 8 hours or until chicken is extremely tender.
Remove chicken and shred. Add back to crock pot. Add cream cheese, cover and continue to cook on high for 30 minutes.  Stir well and serve with tortillas or over rice.

*luckymommy/Amy's notes: I doubled the recipe and added the cream cheese at the beginning.

Crockpot Mississippi Chicken Thighs ****

We're big fans of the Crockpot Mississippi Roast, and we all love us some chicken thighs.  When this one popped up on my Pinterest board, it was basically a no-brainer that I would have to try it.  And I am so very glad that I did!  We all practically inhaled our dinner plates.  It was that good.  My local grocery store very rarely has the Au Jus packets, so I typically just use the brown gravy ones.  The Au Jus is definitely my preference when it's in stock, though.  There's nothing special about the recipe, but it's one of those that tastes like it takes a lot more effort than it actually does.  Always a good thing, lol.  I'm definitely going to be making this one again.  The kids have already requested that it go back on the menu for next week! 😊

CROCKPOT MISSISSIPPI CHICKEN THIGHS
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ RecipesThatCrock)

3 lbs Boneless, Skinless Chicken Thighs
1 envelope Ranch Dressing Mix
1 envelope Au Jus Gravy Mix or Brown Gravy Mix
1/2 Stick of Butter (1/4 Cup)
6 Pepperoncinis

Lay chicken thighs in the bottom of your slow cooker.
Sprinkle mixes on top.
Slice butter and place evenly on top.
Add peppers.
Cook on low for 4-5 hours.

Crockpot Chicken and Spinach Alfredo Tortellini ****

This is nothing special, but we all absolutely loved it.  I've made it twice now, and each time, it just seems to get better.  I love how simple it is, and you can use so many different add-ins to mix it up.  We like it as-written, though.  We're pretty plain-Jane when it comes to this one.  You could definitely use thawed chicken and just go for a shorter cook time.  My crockpot tends to run hot, so using frozen breasts gives me a little extra time to play with before supper.  I typically come home on my lunch break and throw everything in the crockpot, so I really need about a 6-hour cook time, if it's going to be ready to eat (and not overcooked or just warm) when we walk in the door after a full day at work and school and activities.  This one just works perfectly for us!

CROCKPOT CHICKEN AND SPINACH ALFREDO TORTELLINI
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy)

4 frozen chicken breasts
2 jars Alfredo sauce
1 bag fresh spinach
3-4 cups refrigerated cheese tortellini

Place chicken, sauce, and spinach in crockpot.  Cook on LOW for 6-7 hours or HIGH for 4 hours (until chicken is fully cooked).
Once chicken is fully cooked, prepare tortellini on stovetop as directed.  Shred chicken in sauce.  Combine cooked tortellini and sauce and serve warm.
Note: You can also add the uncooked tortellini to the crockpot and cook on HIGH for 15 minutes.

Slow Cooker Chicken Fajita Pasta ***

We all really enjoyed this one.  It wasn't one of our favorites or anything, but it was quick to throw together and tasted pretty good.  I used angelhair pasta, just because it's our preference.  I also just threw in a frozen bag of fajita blend peppers and onions, to cut down on the prep time.  Mine cooked on high for about 6 hours, and it was perfect.  It kind of reminds me of my mom's recipe for Chicken Spaghetti, without the rotel and Velveeta.  I can't stand Velveeta, so this definitely played in its favor for me.  I would definitely make it again, but I think that next time I'll add in a can of diced green chilies.

SLOW COOKER CHICKEN FAJITA PASTA
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ MyHeavenlyRecipes)

1 Green Bell Pepper, diced
1 Onion, diced
1 Can Diced Tomatoes, drained
1 TSP Ground Cumin
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
salt & pepper, to taste
5-6 chicken breasts
2 Cans Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 Box Barilla Spaghetti or Angel Hair, cooked and drained
2 cups Cheddar Cheese, grated
3/4 C Chicken Stock (or water)

Place onion, bell pepper, cumin, garlic powder, salt, pepper, chicken, mushroom soup and 1 cup of grated cheese together in a crock-pot. Stir to mix ingredients. Cook on high for 3-4 hours or until chicken is fully cooked.
Remove chicken breasts from the crock-pot, dice and return to crock-pot. Pour in cooked spaghetti, tomatoes and remaining cheese. Using a pair of tons coat the pasta in sauce and melt cheese, adding in a few splashes of chicken stock (or water). Cook another 20-30 minutes on low and serve.
*luckymommy/Amy's notes: I used a bag of frozen fajita blend peppers.  Next time I'll add a can of green chilies.

Deconstructed Slow Cooker Chicken Parmesan Pasta **

This was just kind of "meh."  It wasn't bad by any means, but it just wasn't anything special.  I was pretty disappointed.  To me, it really wasn't reminiscent of chicken parmesan at all, but that is probably because there wasn't flavoring from any breading.  I don't see myself making it again.

DECONSTRUCTED SLOW COOKER CHICKEN PARMESAN PASTA

(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ FoodySchmoody)

1 onion, sweet, sliced

3 garlic cloves, smashed

3 chicken breasts, boneless, skinless

1 tbsp basil, dried

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

2 (24-oz) jars pasta sauce

16 oz rigatoni pasta

1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated

2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded

1/4 cup parsley, freshly chopped

Place onion and smashed garlic in slow cooker.

Season chicken with salt and pepper and place on top of onions. Pour sauce over chicken. Sprinkle dried basil on to the sauce. Cook on low for 5-6 hours.

When slow cooker time is up, remove chicken, shred and place back into sauce. Stir in Parmesan cheese.

Prepare pasta according to package instructions. Drain pasta and stir into slow cooker.

Sprinkle Mozzarella cheese over the top of pasta and replace cover just until cheese melts, about 10 minutes.

Garnish with parsley just before serving.

Crockpot Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole **

I think my 11-year-old said it best: "This is good, but it's definitely not my favorite."  It was tasty and filling, but it just kind of lacked something.  For one thing, the rice gets too mushy when it's cooked for so long.  If I did it again, I might try it on high for the shorter cook time.  I doubt I'll mess with it again, though.  It just didn't "wow" us enough.

CROCKPOT CHICKEN AND WILD RICE CASSEROLE
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ MostlyHomemadeMom)

6 oz box long grain and wild rice mix (unprepared)
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
8 oz sliced mushrooms
10 3/4 oz can cream of chicken soup
1 1/4 cup water
1/4 cup real bacon pieces

Pour dry rice into bottom of slow cooker, set aside seasoning envelope. Lay chicken over dry rice.
Sprinkle mushroom slices over chicken. In a small bowl, whisk soup, water, and contents of seasoning envelope.
Pour over mixture in crockpot. Sprinkle bacon pieces on top.
Cook on high for 3 hours or low for 5-6 hours or until chicken is cooked through.

Crock Pot Salsa Ranch Chicken Pasta ***

This was super yummy.  I found the cilantro lime dressing, but the 11-year-old is pretty adamantly opposed to cilantro (truthfully, I have to agree with him - yuck!).  Instead, I just went with the basic buttermilk ranch.  We all loved it!  It reminded me of some of the other ranch and chicken crockpot meals we've tried, but I really liked the addition of the salsa in this one.  The sour cream and salad dressing obviously soften the spice of the salsa, so I'm thinking that next time I might go with a hotter version (I typically stick with mild when it comes to salsa).  This took me all of 10 minutes to throw together on my lunch break, but the final result tasted like I spent some real time on it.  We'll definitely be having this one again soon!

CROCK POT SALSA RANCH CHICKEN PASTA
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ TheCountryCook)

5-6 frozen chicken breasts
1 (10 oz.) can cream of chicken soup, undiluted
1 cup salsa
1 tsp. minced garlic
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup Hidden Valley Ranch dressing
1 (1 lb.) box rotini pasta, prepared

Place frozen chicken breasts into the bottom of a 6-quart (or larger) slow cooker.
In a medium bowl, mix together cream of chicken soup, salsa and minced garlic.
Pour this mixture over frozen chicken breasts. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours.
About 30 minutes or so before this is finished cooking, begin preparing the rotini pasta according to package directions.
Once chicken is cooked, remove chicken breasts and shred them or cut into chunks.
Whisk sour cream and Hidden Valley Ranch dressing into cream of chicken/salsa mixture in the slow cooker. Add chicken back into the slow cooker and stir in prepared rotini pasta.
Stir well. Then serve with a yummy, green salad!

Creamy Crockpot Chicken and Rice ***

I couldn't even guess how many times I've made this over the past couple of years, but it's always a hit for us.  I don't follow any of the steps, but I stick to the ingredients list.  I just pop everything  except the cheese into the crockpot and cook on low for about 6 hours.  I've even thrown in the chicken frozen, and it still cooks perfectly.  I just add an extra hour or two on to the cook time.  Now, granted, the rice is softer when it's cooked the full time in the crockpot, but we actually prefer it that way for this one.  It soaks up more of the flavors of the dish.  One of my favorite aspects of this one is that it reheats so beautifully.  I like to double the recipe and freeze half.  Then when I'm ready to have the second portion, I just put the entire thing back in the crockpot.  Works well on the stovetop too, though.

CREAMY CROCKPOT CHICKEN AND RICE (FREEZER-FRIENDLY)

(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ SurvivalGuideByTheWorkingMom and SouthernPlate)

4-5 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 large Vidalia onion (chopped)

1 (8-ounce) box of Zatarain's Yellow Rice Mix (cooked - see notes)

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 can whole kernel corn (drained)
1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese

Trim all the fat off chicken breasts and add it to the bottom of the greased crockpot.

Add the chopped onion and cream of chicken.

Cook chicken in the crockpot on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-7 hours.

Check to make sure chicken is fully cooked.

Cook Zatarain's rice according to the directions on the box.

Add cooked rice, cheese, and corn to the crockpot and let it cook for about 5 minutes so the corn heats up and cheese melts.

Stir the ingredients all together and serve.

*luckymommy/Amy's notes: I mixed everything but the cheese into the crockpot and cooked on low for 6 hours.  Right before eating, I shredded the chicken and stirred in the cheese.
AMY'S FREEZER DIRECTIONS:  Double the entire recipe. It fit perfectly in my crock.  When finished cooking, serve half of the entree.  Take the second half and put it in a gallon Ziploc bag.  Lay bag flat in freezer so that it will not take up as much space.  To reheat, place in crockpot on HIGH for 4 hours or LOW for 6 hours.

Previous Posts
UPDATE (10/6/13):  I just posted this a few days ago, and I mentioned that accidentally made WAY too much.  So I took half of it, loaded it in a gallon Ziplock bag, and threw it in the freezer.  After lunch today, I took it back out and put it in the crockpot for 4 hours on HIGH.  Every bit as good as it was the first time around.  I'm changing the recipe to add the freezer directions, because I am absolutely doing that from now on.  It's no extra trouble, and it saves me from having to make dinner an extra night.  Perfect!
ORIGINAL POST (9/30/13): This was actually really good.  I could have sworn the recipe said it served 4 people, so I doubled it, in order to have enough leftovers for lunches.  Oops.  Made LOTS, lol.  That's okay, though. We'll just throw some in the freezer for weekend lunches.  Anyway, we really enjoyed it.  I'd never had the Zatarain's Yellow Rice, and I was pleasantly surprised by it.  The oldest (10) said it tasted like "gold," whatever that means, lol.  It's perfect comfort food for these cooler fall nights.  I stuck to the recipe, but I used frozen chicken breasts and cooked on low for 7 hours.  When I got home from work, I shredded the chicken, threw the corn and cheese in the crockpot, and let those warm while the rice cooked.  All that was left to do was to stir in the rice when it was finished.  Perfect!

Crockpot Stacked Enchiladas ****

We love this more and more each time I make it.  I know that a lot of people don't like the doughy texture that tortillas get in the crockpot, but honestly, it's one of our favorite parts.  The 10-year-old even picked his tortillas out and ate them first before finishing the rest, lol.  I'm sure the corn tortillas would hold up much better than the flour, though.  We just happen to like the flour.  They all told me over and over how much they loved it.  I personally had to fight the urge to go back for seconds. ;-)

CROCKPOT STACKED ENCHILADAS
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy)

1 (14 ounce) package taco-size corn or flour tortillas
1 (20 ounce) can red enchilada sauce
3 cups shredded cooked chicken or cooked pot roast
1 (10 ounce) can corn
1 teaspoon cumin
1-1/2 cups light cream cheese
1 (4 oz) can green chilies
1 onion, chopped fine
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 can refried beans
1 can sliced black olives (optional)

Mix cooked meat, cumin, cream cheese, green chilies, corn, and onion together.
Spray inside of crock pot with nonstick spray, then pour a little enchilada sauce on the bottom.
Place one tortilla in the bottom of the pot.
Spread 1/4 of the beans on the tortilla.
Cover with 1/4 of the meat mixture.
Pour 1/5 enchilada sauce on top of meat.
Sprinkle some cheese on top of sauce.
Add another tortilla and continue layering until you run out of meat mixture.
You should still have some cheese and sauce left.
Top with a tortilla, then pour remaining enchilada sauce over all.
Cook on HIGH for 4 hours.
When it's done, sprinkle remaining cheese (and black olives, if desired) on top, and replace lid until cheese melts.
Cut into wedges with plastic spatula to serve.

Previous Posts:
4/16/12 ~ We've had this several times, but it's been a few years.  I'm still going through and trying to work some old favorites into our menus, to see how our tastes have changed.  The last time we had this, Monkey 1 was 4, and Monkey 2 was 2.  They're now 8 and 6.  How time flies!  They loved it this time around.  The recipe has changed so much over the years that I'm no longer even sure where I got it.  I do love it, though.  We prefer the flour tortillas, because they soften up so well.  Others may not be as fond of that and would prefer the texture of the corn.  Either way, you can't go wrong.  :)  This time, I used b/s chicken thighs, since I had some on hand.  In the past, I've used frozen shredded chicken and cooked it 6 1/2 hours on low.  It was still delicious!  It's a very forgiving recipe, which is always nice.  As usual, I served it with my Quick Spanish Rice.

Slow Cooker Enchilada Quinoa ****

We've never had quinoa.  Well, I've had it in salads and such, but I've never really tried it.  Hubby is on a diet and watching his calories and all, so I figured it was a good time to give quinoa a shot.  I knew it had a sort of "different" flavor when by itself, so for the first time we had it, I knew I wanted it in something with a long cook-time and enough levels of flavor that we wouldn't be able to judge the quinoa unfairly.  I also knew it needed to be a type of recipe that was familiar to us.  We love Mexican-type recipes, so this was my choice.  It has a long cook-time, so I knew it would kind of soften the flavor as well as the texture.

Long story short, we absolutely adored it.  I kid you not, my oldest (12) had seconds and is taking leftovers to school tomorrow.  That has never happened.  Literally.  In his entire school career, he has never asked to take leftovers.  So that tells you how much we loved this thing.  Since we were already going out on a limb with a new ingredient, I knew I couldn't get away with a meatless meal as well.  I bought a rotisserie chicken and shredded it to add to the beginning with the beans.  Honestly, you couldn't even tell it was in there, but Hubby would know.  He's definitely not a fan of meatless meals, lol.  I let it cook for right at 7 hours on low.  I will be making this one a lot, though.  I served it with Roasted Asparagus.  Yum!

SLOW COOKER ENCHILADA QUINOA
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ LeCremeDeLaCrumb)

1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15-ounce) can yellow corn, drained and rinsed
2 (15-ounce) cans of mild or medium red enchilada sauce, divided
1 (15-ounce) can of diced fire roasted tomatoes and green chilies
1 cup un-cooked quinoa + 1/2 cup water
4 ounces cream cheese (light or fat free is okay)
salt and pepper to taste (I used about 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper)
1 cup shredded Mexican style cheese
optional: chopped cilantro, diced tomatoes, diced avocado, sour cream

Add beans, corn, 1 can of enchilada sauce, diced tomatoes and chilies, quinoa, water, cream cheese, and salt and pepper to the slow cooker. Stir everything together.
Pour remaining can of enchilada sauce on top, then sprinkle with shredded cheese. Cover and cook 4-5 hours on high or 5-7 hours on low.
Uncover, top with tomatoes, avocados, sour cream, and chopped cilantro and serve.
OP'S NOTES: For added flavor, I like to add 1 teaspoon each cumin and garlic powder.
*luckymommy/Amy's notes: I shredded a rotisserie chicken and added to crockpot with the beans.

Creamy Mushroom Chicken (Crockpot) ***

We just love this one.  It's been several years since I've made it, though.  I have no idea why, since it's so darn easy, and the kids just love it.  My stores never carry jars of the mushroom gravy, so I just use two packets of the dry mushroom gravy mix and then put it and the required two cups of water directly into the crockpot. After the chicken is done cooking, I shred it and put it back in the gravy.  I then cook a bag of egg noodles and add them directly to the crockpot.  I also like to sprinkle a little shredded cheddar on each serving.  Really good comfort food.  The chicken totally takes on the flavor of the gravy, so there's lots of flavor in each bite.  The chicken stays amazingly tender and didn't even dry up the time that I put it in frozen and cooked it for 8 hours.  This would be a perfect weekend lunch for us.  It's great as a supper, but it's just so convenient for everyone to be able to grab a quick bowl when they're ready to eat.  Simple!

CREAMY MUSHROOM CHICKEN
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ from "Fix It and Forget It")

4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
12 oz jar mushroom gravy
1 c milk
8 oz pkg cream cheese, cubed
4-1/2 oz can chopped green chilies
1 pkg dry Italian salad dressing

Combine all ingredients in slow cooker.
Cover. Cook on Low 6 hours.
Serve over noodles or rice.
* Amy's notes: I mix two packets of dry gravy mix and two cups of water along with the other ingredients, except for the chicken, into the crockpot.  I stir until mixed well, and then add the chicken.  I've also subbed frozen b/s chicken breasts and then upped the time to 8 hours.  I like to shred the chicken after it's cooked and add cooked egg noodles to the crock.  I then sprinkle a little shredded cheddar on each serving.

Slow Cooker Bacon Ranch Chicken and Pasta ***

This was the second time I made this one, and I made so many changes that it's just easier for me to post the recipe as I did it.  The original recipe is in the link under the title, though.  I definitely did not come up with this amazing dish, so I want to give credit where credit is due. :-)

We loved it even more the second time.  It's just so simple to throw together.  It makes a ton, so you can easily halve the recipe for a smaller crock.  I always make extras so that we have enough for lunches or a weekend meal.  The addition of mushrooms this time around was just an afterthought to use up some that I had on hand, but I will never make it without them again!  Canned mushrooms wouldn't be the same, though, so if you don't have fresh on hand, I'd probably just leave them out.  I'm definitely making this again soon!

SLOW COOKER BACON RANCH CHICKEN AND PASTA
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ original recipe by FamilyFreshMeals)

4-5 chicken breasts, frozen
1 packet real bacon pieces
1 carton sliced fresh mushrooms
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
2 (1 oz) packets dry ranch dressing mix
2 (10.75 oz) cans condensed cream of chicken soup
2 cups sour cream
1 teaspoon of pepper
1/2 cup water
16 oz. angel hair spaghetti, cooked

Spray 6-quart slow cooker with cooking spray; place chicken breasts in cooker.
Combine remaining ingredients (except pasta) on top of chicken and stir well.
Cook on low 6-7 hours (until chicken is fully cooked).  Shred chicken and combine well; stir in cooked pasta and serve warm.


Previous posts:
4/15/15 ~ This wowed all of us.  It's unbelievably quick to throw together, but it tastes like you spent longer.  I doubled the recipe so that we'd have enough leftovers for lunches, but it was a little too much.  I think next time I'll multiply it by 1.5 instead.  I used the real bacon pieces in place of strips of bacon, since that's what I had on hand.  I also went with angelhair pasta in place of spaghetti, because that's just our preference.  It seemed senseless to me to dirty an extra dish, so when I threw it all together, I put the chicken in the bottom of the crock and mixed the other ingredients right on top of it.  Worked out perfectly.  I'll definitely be making this one again.

Crockpot Pizza Tortellini ***

This was really good.  I have an old BBC recipe for Crockpot Pizza that we love, but as I was shopping for the ingredients, I decided to remake it into a tortellini dish.  The kids and I love tortellini, so when coupled with pizza, it was just bound to be a slam dunk.  I originally made it with more water and more tortellini, but I've lowered the amounts in the final recipe.  I used the frozen chopped peppers and onions.  You can obviously sub in ground beef.  Ground turkey is just our preference.  I definitely want to make this again!

CROCKPOT PIZZA TORTELLINI
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy)

12-oz dried spinach and cheese tortellini, uncooked
1-1/2 lbs ground turkey, browned and drained
8-oz can sliced mushrooms
8-oz can sliced black olives
1 packet sliced pepperoni
3 (14-oz) jars pizza sauce
1 cup diced onion
1 cup diced green pepper
14.5-oz can diced fire-roasted tomatoes
2 cups water (enough to cover the mixture)
Shredded mozzarella cheese

Mix all ingredients together in crockpot.
Cook on low 7 hours.
Top each serving with a sprinkle of mozzarella.
Serves 6-8

Crockpot Angel Chicken Rotini****

Holy.freaking.cow.  This is dangerously delicious.  I based it off of our old favorite Angel Chicken recipe, but I made a few changes.  Screw the old recipe.  This new one is our go-to from now on.  The rotini soaks up the sauce beautifully, while still maintaining it's firmness.  My kids rarely ask for leftovers, but they are already asking if they can have the rest for lunch tomorrow!

CROCKPOT ANGEL CHICKEN ROTINI
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy)

4 large uncooked chicken breasts (rotisserie chicken also works well)
1/2 cup butter
8 oz garden vegetable flavored cream cheese (chives and onions is also good)
2 (1-oz) packages dried Italian salad dressing mix
2 (10.75-oz) cans Campbell's Golden Mushroom soup
1 (14.5-oz) can chicken broth
1 container sliced fresh mushrooms
1-1/2 lbs rotini pasta (cook according to box directions)

Place the chicken in crock pot. Cube cream cheese and butter over chicken.  Pour in soup and broth, and then stir in the salad dressing and mushrooms.
Cook on low 5-6 hours.
While pasta cooks, shred chicken in crockpot.
Before serving, stir in cooked rotini pasta.

Crockpot Cajun Chicken Spaghetti ***

We loved this!  I based it off of a recipe on Tablespoon, but I made so many changes that would affect the end result (good or bad) that it felt wrong using their recipe here.  So anyway, this was great.  I will most definitely make it again.  Even the kids were begging for seconds.

CROCKPOT CAJUN CHICKEN SPAGHETTI
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ inspired by Tablespoon)

3-4 uncooked large chicken breasts, diced
1 lb turkey Polish sausage
30 oz reduced-fat Alfredo sauce
1 package frozen fajita blend green peppers, red peppers, and onions
28 oz fire-roasted diced tomatoes
3 cloves minced garlic
1 tablespoon Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning
1 lb dried angelhair pasta

Combine all ingredients except pasta in crockpot.  Cook on low for 5-6 hours.
Follow directions on package for cooking pasta.  Drain and add to crockpot.
Stir until all noodles are covered.