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!

Crock Pot Nachos Supreme ****

We've had this one a bunch of times now, but it deserves another shout-out.  It's one of the few meals that I can make where everyone cleans their plates. It is so great that everyone can make their nachos however they want, and the topping really is "supreme," lol.  This time, I was able to find the real deal nacho cheese, but that's the first time that's happened.  I've had to get pretty creative with trying different combos to make my own nacho cheese.  The best has been mixing two cans of Campbell's cheddar cheese soup, a can of green enchilada sauce, and about 1/4 cup milk for the cheese sauce.  Second best is a can of Campbell's Fiesta Nacho Cheese soup with a little bit of milk.  Last time I made this, I made it stovetop, which worked just as well.  I just added a bit more water to the meat mixture, since it wouldn't be cooking down as much. I always sub ground turkey for the beef, and you honestly can't even tell a difference.  This time, I threw the meat in frozen (although I had browned it earlier and frozen it), and it was still perfectly done in 6 hours on low.

CROCK POT NACHOS SUPREME
(Cyndy ~ MyPB&Jelly ~ via Tried and True Cooking with Heidi)

1 lb ground beef, cooked and drained
2 cans refried beans
1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce
1 pkg. taco seasoning (I use low sodium)
1/2-3/4 cup water
tortilla chips
1 can (15 oz) nacho cheddar cheese sauce with jalapeno peppers (add after cooking)
topping of choice (lettuce, tomato, sour cream, black olives)

Mix all filling ingredients in crock pot. Cover and cook on low 6 - 10 hours. Serve over tortilla chips topped with warmed cheese sauce and toppings of choice.
* Can also be made stovetop.
*luckymommy/Amy's notes:  For my cheese sauce, I mix two cans of Campbell's cheddar cheese soup, a can of green enchilada sauce (or a can of diced green chilies), and about 1/4 cup milk and warm it on the stove.

No Name Cookies (Energy Bites) ****

We love these things!  I've been making them for a few years now, and they're always a huge hit with the kids.  The OP was a member on BabyCenter (this was back in 2008, I think), and she posted the recipe, saying that she could never think of a name for them.  Hence, the name "No Name Cookies," lol.

This time, I used natural peanut butter, and I couldn't tell any difference at all.  They're so easy to make, and I love that you can throw them into the freezer until you're ready to eat them.  That at least keeps me from eating them all in one sitting.  ;-)

NO NAME COOKIES (ENERGY BITES)
(ihave3cute1s ~ Emily)

1 cup peanut butter
1 cup honey
3 cups of Old Fashion Oats
1/2 cups ground flax seed
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup of your favorite nuts (optional)

Mix peanut butter and honey until smooth.
Gradually mix in oats.  Add flax seed, chocolate chips, and nuts, and stir until well combined.
Refrigerate for 30 minutes then wet hands (so it does not stick to your hands) and roll into balls. You can serve or eat right then but this is what I did. I put them on a cookie sheet covered and put in the fridge over night. The next day put them in a bag and put in freezer. You can eat them frozen or pop them in the microwave for 15 seconds.
*Emily's notes: They are soooo yummy. My sisters kids take one for lunch. In the morning she puts one in a container and by lunch it is good and soft to eat. ENJOY

Slow Cooker Chicken Parmigiana Sandwiches ***

These were yummy.  The 8-year-old (who rarely ever finishes a meal) devoured his.  He practically inhaled it.  I made a few changes, but nothing to really alter the basic recipe.  I forgot to thaw the chicken, so I mixed the sauce up and used 3 frozen breasts.  Then I added an extra hour to the cook time.  It was done perfectly in 7 hours.  I would probably use 4 breasts next time, though.  Tonight, it was just me and the boys eating, so 3 was perfect.  I'd need 4 to have enough for all of us plus leftovers for hubby's lunch.  I used some crusty bolillo rolls.  I didn't want to take the time to put them in the skillet, so I sliced them all in half, used a little spray butter, and stuck them under the broiler long enough to toast them up a bit.  I also added a small tub of sliced fresh mushrooms, since I had some in the fridge that needed to be used up.  I would totally do that again.  They were really, really good in there.  

SLOW COOKER CHICKEN PARMIGIANA SANDWICHES

(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ FoodFamilyFinds)

29 ounces canned tomato sauce

14.5 ounces canned petite diced tomatoes

12 ounces canned tomato paste

2 cups sweet yellow onion, finely diced

1 tablespoon garlic, finely chopped (about 2 cloves)

1/2 teaspoon dried parsley leaves

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves

2 bay leaves

4 tablespoons fresh basil, finely chopped (about 6 leaves)

3-4 large THAWED/FRESH boneless, skinless chicken breasts

sliced or shredded mozzarella cheese

grated Parmesan cheese

4-6 hard rolls

butter

Start the slow cooker on low heat.

Add tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, tomato paste and stir until combined.

Add onions, garlic, stir.

Add parsley, oregano, bay leaves, basil and stir.

Set chicken breast on top of the sauce, sprinkle generously with salt/pepper, cover and cook on low for 6 hours.

Use two forks to shred the chicken.

Slice the hard rolls in half and toast on a hot buttered skillet.

Use tongs to grab chunks of the chicken, tapping the excess sauce into the pot before adding to your roll.

Top with a generous sprinkling of grated Parmesan, sliced mozzarella and serve.

*luckymommyto2boys/Amy's notes: I used frozen breasts and cooked on low for 7 hours.  I also added a small package of sliced fresh mushrooms.

Slow Cooker Chicken Philly Sandwiches ***

This is not the first time I've made this one, but I wanted to update with some changes.  I forgot to thaw the chicken overnight, and it was way too busy this morning, with rushing around to ball games.  I instead just threw the chicken breasts in the crockpot with everything else (no mixing) and stuck that baby on high for 4 hours.  I shredded the chicken when it was done, and everything was perfect.  That's how I'll be doing it from now on (using the frozen breasts), because it really makes things so much easier.  Oh, I also threw in one of those bags of frozen three-pepper and onion blend.  I do seriously love those things.

SLOW COOKER CHICKEN PHILLY SANDWICHES
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ Food, Family, & Finds)

2 tablespoons butter
1 large sweet onion, sliced
2 green bell peppers, sliced
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced
2 tablespoons Dale’s Steak Seasoning
sliced Mozzarella cheese
hoagie rolls

Spray a 3 – 4 quart slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray and turn to LOW heat.
Add butter, onions and green peppers.
Toss chicken with steak seasoning, salt and pepper, then add to slow cooker.
Cover and cook for 5 hours.
Serve on hoagies with a slice of cheese melted on top.
*luckymommy's notes: I dumped frozen chicken breasts in the crock with everything else and cooked on high for 4 hours.  I put the rolls on a cookie sheet, opened them, and added a slice of cheese to each.  Then I stuck them under the broiler for a couple minutes, just long enough to melt the cheese and toast up the bread a bit.

Previous reviews:
8/8/13 ~ I've had this on my "to try" list for a while now, but when someone posted it on the BBC Recipe Swap board the other day, it reminded me to put it in the lineup.  So very glad I did!  It was really yummy.  I had never even heard of Dale's Steak Seasoning before, but I was able to find it on the aisle with A-1 at Walmart.  I love it!  It reminds me of A-1, without the little kick to it.  It has more seasonings in the flavor as well.  It's hard to describe, but it's really good.  In fact, my only change that I would make to this would be to add about one extra tablespoon of the sauce next time.  I don't think the flavor carries through to it enough.  Also, I cut my chicken in small chunks and used my 6-qt crock.  It was done in about 4 hours.  I put the rolls on a cookie sheet, opened them, and added a slice of cheese to each.  Then I stuck them under the broiler for a couple minutes, just long enough to melt the cheese and toast up the bread a bit (to prevent sogginess).  My kids who have sworn against green peppers said that they actually enjoyed them in here.  Probably because they are so softened by the slow cooking.  I'll definitely be making this one again!