Seher Suggests: Crockpot Queso Chicken Chili

Contributed by: Seher Peterson
Originally from: Pinch of Yum http://pinchofyum.com/queso-crockpot-chicken-chili-with-roasted-corn-and-jalapeno

Ingredients

• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 3 cups salsa, divided
• 1½ cups water
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 3 bell peppers, minced
• 1 14 ounce can corn, rinsed and drained
• 1 jalapeno pepper, minced (without ribs and seeds)
• 1 14 ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 4 ounces light cream cheese
• 6 ounces Pepper Jack cheese
• cilantro for topping
• blue corn tortilla chips for yummy dippin'

Instructions

1. Place the chicken breasts, 1½ cups salsa, water, cumin, chili powder and salt in the crockpot. Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-7 hours. When the chicken is done, shred the meat directly in the crockpot using two forks.
2. Pat the minced peppers dry with a paper towel. Place the bell peppers in a large nonstick skillet over high heat without oil. Cook for 4-5 minutes WITHOUT stirring. This creates the browned, roasted look out on the outside of the peppers. Stir once and repeat until the peppers are nice and browned. Set aside. Repeat this process with the corn and jalapeño together.
3. After the chicken has been shredded, add the roasted peppers, roasted corn and jalapeño, black beans, remaining salsa, and cream cheese to the crockpot. Stir and replace cover, allowing the cream cheese to melt. Adjust the consistency of the soup by adding another ½ cup of water if needed. Let the soup simmer for another 15-30 minutes until everything is smooth and melted. Just before serving, stir in the Pepper Jack cheese.

NOTES
I add some salsa at the begininng and some towards the end so that some of the fresh salsa texture is preserved in the finished product. Just a personal preference thing.

Lindsey's AMAZING TACO RING

Contributed by: Lindsey Vanderbosch
Originally from: Pampered Chef

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 lb lean (90%) ground beef
• 1 pkg (1-1.25 ounces) taco seasoning mix
• 1 3/4 cups (7 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese, divided
• 2 tbsp water
• 2 pkg (8 oz each) refrigerated crescent rolls
• 1   egg white, lightly beaten
•  Optional toppings: salsa, shredded lettuce, chopped onion and tomato, sliced olives and sour cream

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. 
2. Cook ground beef in (10-in.) Skillet over medium heat 10-12 minutes or until no longer pink, breaking beef into crumbles; drain. Transfer beef to Classic Batter Bowl. Stir in taco seasoning mix, 1 1/2 cups of the cheese and water. 
3. Unroll crescent dough; separate into 16 triangles. Arrange triangles, slightly overlapping, in a circle on Large Round Stone with Handles with wide ends 4-in. from edge of baking stone. (Points will extend off the edge of the baking stone.) Roll wide ends of dough toward center to create a 5-in. opening.
4. Using Large Scoop, scoop filling evenly over dough in a continuous circle. Bring points of triangles up over filling and tuck under dough at center to form a ring. (Filling will show.) Brush with egg white. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. 
5. Bake 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Serve with toppings.

Notes from Kate: SHUT UP. Was I not just talking about how Lindsey could not get any more awesome? Then I see that she has posted a recipe for a TACO RING? 

Susi Suggests Sticky Sweet and Spicy Asian Chicken Thighs

Contributed by: Susi Keefe
Originally from: http://www.seasonsandsuppers.ca/sticky-sweet-spicy-chicken-thighs/

Adjust the amount of Asian Chili Garlic sauce to your heat tolerance. If you don’t have Asian Chili Garlic sauce on hand, you could substitute 1-2 Tbsp. ketchup or tomato paste mixed with 1/8-1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes. Nice served with rice and a green vegetable, such as bok choy, snap peas or steamed broccoli.

Ingredients:

• 1-2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 5-6 bone-in or boneless chicken thighs, skin on or removed
• 2/3 cup water or chicken broth
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup orange juice (freshly squeezed is best, if you can)
• 1/4 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 1-2 heaping tsp. Asian Chili Garlic sauce
• 2 Tbsp. white or rice vinegar
• For garnish: Sliced green onions, sesame seeds and orange zest

Instructions

1. In a bowl, combine the water/broth, brown sugar, orange juice, soy sauce, Asian Chili Garlic sauce and vinegar. Stir to combine. Set aside.
2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Dry chicken thighs and season with a bit of salt and pepper. Place in hot skillet, skin-side down if using skin-on, and cook until golden brown, about 8-10 minutes. Flip and cook the other side for another 8 minutes or so. Remove chicken to a plate and discard any oil/fat in the pan.
3. Add sauce to pan and bring to a light boil. Return chicken to pan and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook, flipping chicken occasionally, until cooked through and sauce thickens and becomes syrupy, about 30-35 minutes.
4. Serve garnished with sesame seeds, sliced green onions and orange zest. Nice with rice.

Emily's Green Chili and Chicken Enchiladas

Contributed by: Emily Tong

Ingredients:

• 3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts 
• 2 cans diced fire roasted green chilis
• 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
• 1 8 oz package cream cheese
• 1 can white or pinto beans (drained)
• 1 large can green enchilada sauce
• 1 ½-2 cups shredded Monterey jack cheese
• 8 medium soft taco size tortillas
• 1 handful chopped, fresh cilantro

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 375. 
2. Cook chicken breasts (boil, grill, bake) and shred. Put shredded chicken into large skillet with green chilis, garlic and cream cheese. Stir until melted. Add beans. 
3. Lightly grease bottom of 9x13 Pyrex dish and spoon about ½ cup of enchilada sauce on bottom.
4.  Fill each tortilla with a large spoonful of the chicken mixture and place into dish seam side down. 
5. Pour remaining enchilada sauce over filled tortillas. Top with shredded cheese. 
6. Bake for 20-30 minutes or until enchiladas are bubbly and lightly golden. Top with fresh cilantro.

Notes from Kate: I think I'll try this with leftover rotisserie chicken! I love both of Emily's recipes because enchiladas and lasagne are both things that I (1) LOVE but (2) think of as labor intensive so I never make them. These recipes actually seem do-able! 

Emily's Crock Pot Lasagne

Contributed by: Emily Tong

Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground Italian Sausage 
• 1 jar of your favorite pasta sauce (I love Classico Tomato Basil)
• 1 cup water
• 1 15 oz container of ricotta cheese
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella
• ½ cup shredded parmesan 
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley 
• 1 egg
• 6-8 regular lasagna noodles (uncooked)

Instructions:

1. Brown sausage in large skillet; drain.  Stir in spaghetti sauce and water.  
2. In separate bowl mix ricotta, 1-1/2 cups shredded mozz, ¼ cup parmesan, egg and parsley.
3. Spoon 1 cup meat sauce into slow cooker; top with 3 lasagna noodles, broken to fit; and half of cheese mixture.  
4. Cover with 2 cups meat sauce.  Top with remaining noodles, broken to fit; cheese mixture and meat sauce.  Cover with lid.
5. Cook on low 4-6 hours or until liquid is absorbed.  Sprinkle with remaining cheese; let stand, covered, 10 min. or until melted.

Notes from Kate: Just when I think I can't love Emily more, she gives us a crock pot lasagne recipe. I can't wait to try this! I especially love that you don't have to cook the noodles - this looks actually doable for a week night! YUM!

Lindsey's Lazy Breakfast Smootie

Contributed by: Lindsey Vanderbosch

Ingredients:

• 1/2-1 frozen banana (turns it into a milkshake, trust me!)
• handful of fruit (frozen mixed berries, strawberries, blueberries, whatever you have and like)
• milk (almond, skim, whatever you like)
• frozen spinach or other green (leftover clamshells of spinach are great in the freezer!)
• oatmeal (optional)
• nuts (optional)

Instructions:

Drop nuts, oatmeal into your blender/ninja first and spin til blended down. This adds more bulk.  You can sub a tablespoon of a nut butter or skip it altogether.  Add frozen fruit and spinach, fill with milk, spin til smooth.  I like mine really thin, but you might like it more like a milkshake, so I left the measurements out. Enjoy!

Notes from Kate: So, Lindsey called these "lazy" smoothies, but there are at least five ingredients. So I am not sure a agree with her characterization. :)

Lindsey's Crock Pot Fajitas

Contributed by: Lindsey Vanderbosch

Ingredients:

• 2-3 lbs of chicken, beef or pork (whatever you have, I've used boneless chicken breasts and a bone-in rib roast, really, whatever you have)
• Fajita/meat seasoning - I prefer one fajitas packet, plus cumin, abodo seasoning and some pepper flakes
• Onions - I'd say 2-3 small or 1-2 large onions, quartered
• Peppers - About 2-3 large or a bunch of smaller peppers, halved or quartered depending on their size
• Tortillas
• Limes, Avocados, Cilantro, Lettuce, any garnishes you like and/or have on hand

Instructions:

1. Put meat in crock pot, either rub generously with spices you like or just sprinkle them on top, whatever you feel like.  Coarsely chop a few onions and peppers and dump in on top.  Cook on low all day or on high for a few hours.  Before serving, use two forks to break up the meat.  Maybe grab some kitchen shears and chop coursely to break up the peppers/onions more if you have time and care.  If you want it to look fancy, just do the meat and sauté veggies on a pan with some olive oil right before serving the meat instead of cooking along in the big crock pot.
2. Serve with warmed tortillas, lime wedges, cilantro, lettuce, avocado, cheese, whatever you have on and and your family will eat.  Enjoy!  Leftovers taste even better.  And you can serve as a salad, on top of rice, or add broth and rice and make a soup too.  Yum.  We eat this at least once a week.