chicken and rice soup in the slow cooker

Busy, busy, busy.  Forgive my lack of posts!  How do these other bloggers do it?  For me, sitting at my computer for any kind of extended period of time while my children are awake is virtually impossible.  Forming a coherent thought between the hours of 6:00am and 8:00pm  is simply out of the question.  Am I doing something wrong???  Once the girlies go to bed, my husband and I can FINALLY catch up and have some quality time before one of us crashes (usually "the one" that has to get up at 5:00am is the first to go!).  I am usually not too far behind my hard working husband who leaves at the crack of dawn, but here I am tonight, up way too late, sharing my chicken and rice soup recipe for friends to enjoy!!!! I will regret this in the morning.  What are the chances my kids sleep in (i.e., past 5:05am)???? :)  Sleeplessness aside, it's so easy and so delicious! Please let me know what you think!

Prep Ahead Plan:  Toss everything in the slow cooker insert EXCEPT for the brown rice anytime before you want to cook it!  I like to do it the night before or up to one day ahead of time!   


Chicken and Rice Soup

Ingredients
1 onion, chopped
1 or 2 cloves garlic, minced or crushed
3 stalks celery, chopped
4 large or 6 medium sized carrots
2 bay leaves
1/4 cup or chopped fresh parsley or a few shakes of dried parsley
3 raw, boneless chicken breasts chopped up (You can use raw or cooked or the meat off of a store bought rotisserie chicken! Anything goes!) I used raw in the recipe pictured.
Fresh ground black pepper
salt to taste
3 (32 0z) cartons of Natures Promise low sodium chicken broth
1 boil in a bag brown rice*
Directions
1.  Add everything but rice to the slow cooker insert and cook on low for 8 or more hours. 2. Anytime before serving, cook rice according to package directions and add as much of the cooked brown rice as you like to the soup (I add the whole bag).
*You can buy regular brown rice and add it to cook into the soup instead of the bag. Sometimes I do this and it soaks up too much of the broth, or my timing is off so I like to cook the rice separate! 

Paula Deen's Snake Bites for Halloween!

***photo credit:  The Food Network***

Just thought I would share our dinner recipe for tonight!  You can make it ahead of time and leave it in the fridge until you're ready to bake it!  (I put the food coloring on right before baking!).  It's super easy to do with store bought crescent roll dough! I do half plain cheddar and half with ham and cheddar for my plain Jane's!

Here is the link to her video and recipe!  

Paula's Snake Bites!


Happy Halloween everyone!

Slow Cooker Collection

Breakfast Recipes

slow cooker porridge

Appetizers

slow cooker queso blanco

Soups and Stews and Chilis

slow cooker smoky turkey chili (weight watcher recipe)

slow cooker chicken tortilla soup

slow cooker minestrone soup

slow cooker pasta e fagioli -Olive Garden Style

slow cooker beef and barley soup

slow cooker (Weight Watcher) Italian beef and lentil stew

slow cooker beef stew

slow cooker garden vegetable soup

Chicken and Turkey

slow cooker chipotle lime chicken

slow cooker whole roasted chicken

slow cooker chicken and rice casserole

slow cooker chicken cacciatore

slow cooker (Wight Watcher) chicken paprikash

slow cooker creamy Italian chicken

slow cooker turkey and stuffing

slow cooker honey soy chicken

Pork

slow cooker sweet and saucy pork tenderloin

slow cooker carnitas
slow cooker kalua pork

slow cooker Thai pork with peanut sauce
slow cooker bbq ribs

slow cooker bbq pulled pork with homemade onion rolls

slow cooker maple glazed pork tenderloin

Beef

slow cooker beef burritos

slow cooker asian style pepper steak

slow cooker meatball parm grinders

slow cooker pepper steak over noodles

slow cooker steak fajitas

slow cooker tomato wine sauce 

Seafood

slow cooker jambalaya

Pasta

slow cooker mac and cheese

slow cooker ravioli  casserole

Baked Tomato Basil Shrimp

This shrimp dish has been a staple on Sunday afternoons since football season began!  It’s a great appetizer that’s easy to prepare and doesn’t require two pounds of cheese like most of my favorite football foods!  Although we have been generally trying to eat healthier, we are in no way foregoing some of our absolute favorite dishes including slow cooker queso blanco and Asian style wings!!!  I see those in our near future for sure!!!  We’ve been serving this shrimp as an app with a bowl of toothpicks on the side but it could just as easily turn into a nice light weeknight meal when served over rice or pasta with a steamed veggie on the side!  Hope you like it as much as we do!

Prep Ahead Plan:  Prepare the entire recipe the night before or several hours before and keep it in the fridge until ready to bake.  It tastes better when it has a few hours to marinate but it can be baked right away too. 

Baked Tomato Basil Shrimp

Ingredients:

3 garlic cloves, crushed

1 tablespoon olive oil

¼ cup tomato sauce

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

10 chopped fresh basil leaves

salt and pepper to taste

¼ teaspoon (or more) cayenne pepper

2 pounds raw, deveined shrimp

olive oil cooking spray

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a 9 X 13 baking dish with cooking spray.

2.  Mix the first 7 ingredients in the baking pan and mix well. Toss in shrimp and stir.

3.  Refrigerate until ready to bake or bake for 20 minutes and serve! 

honey glazed soy chicken in the slow cooker

Over the summer I had several failed slow cooker recipe attempts so I was excited to go two for two last week and add slow cooker meatball grinders  AND this honey glazed soy chicken to my repertoire!  I adapted this recipe from The Tasty Kitchen altering the cut of chicken and swapping out a few ingredients.  Success!!!!

Just a note about slow cooking boneless chicken breast…..

I have dried out chicken in the slow cooker many times!  I have learned that my slow cooker has a tendency to cook quickly!  Chicken breasts can cook no longer than 3 hours on low in my pot.   Yours may be 2 or 4.  Test it and see so you don’t end up with a dried out mess! 

Prep Ahead Plan:  This isn’t a “set it and forget it” cook all day kind of recipe BUT it’s perfect for those crazy, jam packed hours after school where everyone goes in 10 different directions and you are the taxi service that gets them to their designated locations!  Take 5 minutes and prepare the recipe in the slow cooker the night before and let the chicken marinate all night, which is even tastier.  Turn it on at 3:30 and eat at 6:30!

Honey Glazed Soy Chicken

Ingredients:

4-5 skinless chicken breast (not too thin)

ground pepper (to taste)

1 cup of honey

1/2 cup of low sodium soy sauce

1/4 cup ketchup

2 teaspoons vegetable oil

2 cloves of garlic, crushed

1 small onion, diced

1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes (or more)

1 tablespoon cornstarch

2 scallions

cooking spray

Directions:

1.  Spray slow cooker insert with cooking spray.

2.   Mix pepper, honey, ketchup, soy sauce, vegetable oil, garlic, onion and red pepper flakes in the pot.

3.  Place chicken in the honey/soy mixture, turning to coat and refrigerate overnight (or cook immediately).

4.  Cook on low for 3 hours adding 1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon of water during the last 30 minutes.  Serve over brown rice topped with scallions.

Slow Cooker Meatball Parm Grinders

I love having success with a new slow cooker recipe!  I found the original recipe on Pinterest and made some adaptations including the addition of herbs and red wine.  I also opted for 93% lean ground turkey rather than lean ground beef simply because lean ground turkey is lower in saturated fat.  It is true that beef has more iron than turkey meat but I'd rather save on the saturated fat and serve a spinach salad on the side of my ground turkey meatball grinder.  I guess once we loaded it with cheese all fat count considerations go out the window anyway!  Either way, I hope you enjoy these quick and easy meatball parm grinders!   

Prep ahead Plan:  I prepared the recipe the say before and let the slow cooker insert sit overnight until I was ready to bake it!  

Ingredients:

For the Meatballs:

1 pound 93% lean ground turkey

1 ¼ cups of seasoned bread crumbs

2 teaspoons basil (dried)

2 teaspoons parsley (dried)

2 eggs

2 cloves of garlic, minced or crushed for meatballs

For the Sauce:

2 cloves for sauce, minced or crushed

2 28 oz. cans san marzano whole tomatoes

¾ cup red wine

1 Tablespoon sugar

1 bay leave

1 Tablespoon fresh basil or a handful of fresh basil leaves torn up

grinder rolls

garlic powder

olive oil cooking spray

sliced, fresh mozzarella

iphone pic

Directions:

1.  Spray the inside of a slow cooker insert with cooking spray.

2.  In a large bowl combine all of the ingredients for the meatballs.  Mix with hands and form into 1 ½ inch meatballs.  Place them in the slow cooker.

2.  Open the cans of whole tomatoes and squeeze each tomato over the meatballs.  Pour any remaining juice from the cans on top of the meatballs too.

3.  Combine remaining ingredients in pot and stir making sure not to mash up the meatballs.

4.  Cook on low for 8-9 hours.

5.  To make grinders.  Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Spray grinder rolls with olive oil spray and sprinkle them with garlic powder and bake for 5 minutes.

6.  Remove from oven and place meatballs in the roll and top with sliced cheese.  bake for another 5 minutes or so until the cheese is melted. Enjoy! 

Garden Quinoa

Quinoa has been a popular lunch item for us lately!  Mike prefers his with olive oil, lemon juice, feta, red onion, and red pepper while I prefer mine like this!  I keep a large container of garden quinoa in the fridge for a quick fix lunch.  MUCH better than the crusts of grilled cheese and left over pb&j triangles I find myself eating all too often!  

Quinoa is very healthy for you and an easy prep dish!  Here’s a little bit about this  “super food!”:

Quinoa (pronounced keen-wah) tastes very much like a grain; it is actually a seed and related to the spinach family. It also cooks like a grain, making it an excellent replacement for grains that can difficult to digest or for those on a gluten free diet!

Some of the nutrients in quinoa (one of the top super foods) include:

Complete protein. Quinoa contains all 9 essential amino acids that are required by the body as building blocks for muscles.

Magnesium helps relax your muscles and blood vessels and effects blood pressure. Quinoa contains high levels of this vital nutrient!

Fiber. Quinoa is a wonderful way to ensure that you consume valuable fiber!

Manganese and copper. Quinoa is a good source of these minerals that act as antioxidants in your body to get rid of dangerous, disease-causing substances.

Prep Ahead Plan:  Make this  dish and store it in the fridge for an easy pre-made lunch during the week! 

Garden Quinoa

Ingredients

2 cups water

1 cup quinoa

1 pinch salt

1/8 teaspoon of garlic powder

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup lemon juice

3 tomatoes, diced

1 cucumber, diced

2 bunches green onions, diced (or chives, or red onion diced)

1 handful fresh parsley, chopped

Directions:

1.  Rinse quinoa thoroughly (this prevents it from tasting bitter).

2.  In a saucepan bring water to a boil. Add quinoa and a pinch of salt. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 15 minutes.   Fluff with a fork.

3.  Cool to room temperature or stick it in the fridge to cool for a bit.

4.  Meanwhile, in a large bowl or storage container, combine olive oil, garlic powder lemon juice, tomatoes, cucumber, green onions, and parsley. Stir into cooled quinoa and refrigerate.

A fridge that encourages healthy eating...thanks Pinterest..

With a little help from Pinterest, I took the food we already had in the fridge and organized it in a way that would inspire healthier eating.  I thought I would share!

Over the summer we started to make an extra effort to eat even healthier than we already do and work out more.  I used to try to get on the treadmill a few times a week but nothing consistent.  My husband who now runs anywhere from 6-10 miles A DAY (if not more) has lost over 20 pounds since July 31st simply by eating healthier and exercising.  Impressive and very inspiring!  I try to keep up by doing yoga and squeezing in anywhere from 16-20 miles a week.  I have lots of running friends who probably don't consider that to be any big feat but it's good for me!

"If you keep GOOD FOOD in your fridge, then you will eat GOOD FOOD."  I recently came across this quote on Pinterest and I couldn't agree more!  I find that when healthy snack options are easily accessible, Mike, the kids and I will opt for those over something pre-packaged and/or processed.  Having an organized fridge where everything is visible has really helped us to eat healthy and stay on track!

Prep Ahead Plan:  Over the weekend, take some time to wash and cut fruit, boil eggs, roast meat, dice cheese and do any other prep work that lets you have lots of grab and go healthy options during busy weekdays!

Grab and Go Snacks:
On the top left you'll notice a selection of "ready to eat" foods that we can literally grab and go.  Washed carrots and snap peas, hummus, pineapple chunks, cucumbers and red pepper.  The kids know that they can help themselves to any of those "ready to eat" foods on the top shelf at any time!

Healthy Beverages:
Skim milk, water with lemon, water with cucumber and mint (great for your skin!),  kids water bottles, orange juice (reduced sugar with no added sweeteners), 100% cranberry and pomegranate juice which tastes yummy with Pellegrino are pretty typical weekly selections around here.

Fruit:
Always fully stocked with apples, oranges, pears, lemons, etc...

Deli:
I'd like to stay from deli items on a more regular basis.  They're loaded with sodium and nitrates and using our own roasted meats (even an all natural rotisserie turkey or chicken from your local market would work!).  This week we have sliced roasted chicken and cubed reduced fat sharp cheddar.

Quick Protein Snacks:
On the bottom left we have lots of protein packed snacks and/or meal options like cottage cheese, hard boiled eggs, almonds, pecans, walnuts, etc...

Berries and Lunch Box Items:
My kids LOVE any kind of berry.  We keep blueberries, strawberries and raspberries next to packable lunch box items like apple sauce, yogurt and Fruitable juice boxes.

Soft Cheese Drawer:
Mozzarella for make your own pizza night, feta for salads, etc.  (And yes, we have real butter.  It's a must on our popcorn during the occasional family movie night!  NOT healthy but SO good!)

Veggies:
These are the veggies that we have with meals.  This week they include different types of squash, broccoli, asparagus, salad fixings, green beans, peppers, eggplant,  garlic, etc.


I'm certainly no expert on fitness, health and nutrition but I thought I would share what works for us!  Enjoy the weekend!

Pumpkin Pancakes

I hate saying farewell to summer but as that cooler, drier air moves in and the mornings and evenings require a light sweater, I start remembering all of the things I love about fall!  If we can't swim in the pool all day then we might as well drink pumpkin lattes and light cinnamon candles!  Well, my girls don't drink lattes but they do love anything and everything pumpkin!  These have been a weekly dinner menu item since labor day.  They're easy, delicious and loaded with everyone's favorite flavors of fall!  I hope you like them as much as we do!

Prep Ahead Plan:  Mix the dry ingredients the night before or even a few days before and store it in a ziploc bag.  When you're ready preheat your griddle and quickly mix up the wet ingredients in a bowl and mix in the dry!

I heart my Cuisinart Griddler.

Pumpkin Pancakes

Ingredients

1 3/4 cups milk

1 cup pumpkin puree

1 egg

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 tablespoons vinegar

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups flour

3 tablespoons brown sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon ground allspice

1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves (optional)

1/2 teaspoon salt

non-stick butter spray

Directions:

1.  Preheat a griddle over medium high heat.

2.  Mix the wet ingredients (the first 6 ingredients) in a large bowl.

3.  Mix the dry ingredients in a medium sized bowl.

4.  Stir dry ingredients into wet, just to combine.

5.  Spray the griddle with non stick spray and drop a 1/4 cup of batter onto the griddle (drop as many 1/4 cups of batter on the griddle that will fit).  When the pancake starts to bubble, flip and brown the other side!  Serve with confectioners sugar or syrup!   

Playdate Mac and Cheese (In the slow cooker)

Summertime is fast approaching and we can’t wait!  As the girls and their friends spend the day swimming and playing, they work up quite the appetite!  I try to choose menu items that won’t take me away from lifeguard duty and overall backyard patrol!  That’s why this slow cooker mac and cheese is one of my favorite summertime lunch options!!

I love making baked mac and cheese!  If you were hoping to see a recipe for the baked variety you can find it here! The one I’m sharing today is a little different! I HATE to admit that although my kids will eat the baked version, they prefer the box!  Yup…Annies, Kraft, doesn’t matter what the brand is, they like it better!  Yuck!  I was THRILLED to finally find a recipe that is homemade but tastes like it’s from the box, only better!  Did I mention you can make it ahead in the slow cooker?  Perfect!  I call it playdate mac and cheese!  Enjoy!

Prep Ahead Plan:  This mac and cheese takes about 2 hours in the slow cooker.  I usually throw it in the slow cooker at around 10 in the morning so it’s ready for the hungry crowd at noon! 

Playdate Mac and Cheese (In the slow cooker)

Adapted from Paula Deen

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni (an 8-ounce box isn't quite 2 cups)*

4 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces

2 1/2 cups (about 10 ounces) grated sharp cheddar cheese**

1/2 cup sour cream (I use low fat)

1 (10 3/4-ounce) can condensed Cheddar cheese soup

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup whole milk

1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

* I use regular elbows not the casserole ones

**I noticed if you shred the cheddar yourself, the cheese melts creamier!

Directions

1.  Boil the elbow macaroni for 6 minutes and drain.

2.  Melt the butter and cheddar cheese in a saucepan.

3.  Combine macaroni, cheese and butter mixture and remaining ingredients in the slow cooker and cook on low for 2 -2 ½ hours, stirring occasionally.

Beach Shrimp

Here is a perfect summer recipe from Southern Living!  It’s quick and easy to throw together and bakes up in no time.  I have served it both hot and cold and both were a hit!  Perfect for a picnic on the beach or an easy app at your backyard BBQ!  Welcome summer!  We’ve been waiting for you!!!

Prep Ahead Plan:  I have found the shrimp is more flavorful if you let it sit in the marinade for several hours in the fridge before baking!

Beach Shrimp

Recipe adapted from Southern Living

Ingredients

3 pounds unpeeled, large raw shrimp (I use the deveined, easy peel, large shrimp)

1 (16-oz.) bottle Italian dressing

freshly ground black pepper (as much or as little as you like-I use about one tablespoon)

3 garlic cloves, minced or crushed

2 lemons, halved

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

3 tablespoons of butter

Directions

1. Place first 4 ingredients in a 13- x 9-inch baking dish, tossing to coat. Squeeze juice from lemons over shrimp mixture, and stir. Add lemon halves to pan. Sprinkle evenly with parsley and dot with butter.

2. Bake at 375° for 25 minutes, stirring after 15 minutes. Serve right from the pan!

Herbed Chicken with Lemon

Here is an easy light dish that makes great use of those freshly planted herbs on your deck or in your garden.  I like to serve it over sautéed vegetables and brown rice.

Prep Ahead Plan:  Combine all of the ingredients in a baking dish the night before.  Bake the next evening when you get home!

Ingredients:

cooking spray

4 boneless, chicken breasts

salt and pepper to taste

1 teaspoon olive oil

juice of 1 lemon

2 teaspoons fresh rosemary (use more or less to taste)

2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped (use more or less to taste)

¼ cup chicken broth

Directions:

11. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 X 13 baking dish with cooking spray.

  2. Combine all ingredients, except for the chicken, in the baking dish.  Stir to combine.

  3.  Add chicken into the mixture and turn to coat with the herbs.  Refrigerate until ready to bake or bake for 30 to 35 minutes immediately. ( Cook longer if the chicken is a little thicker. If the chicken is on the thinner side, cook for a shorter time.)

Guinness BBQ Chicken for St Patty's Day

I really want to like corned beef and cabbage and get into that whole St. Patty's Day dinner tradition but I just can't seem to do it!  I do need to have something festive on the menu for tomorrow and I think anything with Guinness on the ingredient list qualifies!  With the weather forecast calling for mostly sunny skies and temps in the 60's, Guinness bbq chicken will be the perfect "summer is so close I can almost taste it" kind of meal!  Take five minutes tonight and prepare this chicken for tomorrow night's St. Patty's Day feast!  Enjoy!


Prep Ahead Plan:  Prepare the chicken tonight and leave it in the fridge until you're ready to bake it tomorrow!  Alternatively, the chicken can be grilled!  Reserve the marinade, boil it and baste the chicken while cooking!  


Guinness BBQ Chicken
Ingredients:
1 teaspoon seasoned salt
4 split chicken breasts (bone in)
1 bottle of Guinness
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 tablespoons dark molasses
1 teaspoon garlic powder
crushed red pepper (to taste)
cooking spray


Directions:
1.  Spray a 9 X 13 baking pan with cooking spray.   
2.  Season chicken with seasoning salt.  Place remaining ingredients in the baking pan and stir to combine.  
3.  Place chicken in the pan and spread sauce all over the pieces.  Make sure the pieces are skin side down in the pan.  Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.  
4.  Preheat oven 350 degrees.  Bake the chicken, uncovered, for 30 minutes.  Flip the chicken and bake for an additional 30-40 minutes.  

Slow Cooker Italian Beef and Lentil Stew

We were feeling a little guilty after indulging in the shrimp Alfredo dish over the weekend and I decided to plan some lighter menu items for the week including baked salmon, grilled chicken and this Italian beef and lentil stew I adapted from the Weight Watcher website.  My adaptations included different vegetables and the addition of seasonings which do not alter the Points Plus Value for any counters out there! 

Prep Ahead Plan:  Combine all ingredients except the basil and lentils in the slow cooker the night before.  Refrigerate until ready to turn on!  Before cooking, mix in the lentils.

Slow Cooker Italian Beef and Lentil Stew

Ingredients

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves of garlic, minced or crushed

2 carrots, chopped

½ pound of green beans, chopped

½ teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon parsley

2 pounds lean stew meat

14.5 ounce can petite diced tomatoes

1 tablespoon tomato paste

6 cups low sodium beef broth

1 teaspoon salt

dash of black pepper

¾ cup dried lentils

¼ cup fresh basil, chopped

Directions

1.  Place all ingredients in the slow cooker except for the fresh basil.  Cook on low for 6-7 hours.  Stir in the basil during the last 5 minutes of cooking. 

Each 1 1/2 cup serving = 5 WW Points Plus 

Creamy Shrimp Alfredo with Fire Roasted Red Peppers

We like to balance out our lighter side menus with this kind of weekend indulgence.  This shrimp dish comes together quickly and is perfect for entertaining! Doing a little bit of the prep work ahead of time limits the amount of time you need to spend in front of the stove. I used jarred Alfredo sauce but you could easily whip up your own and use that if you prefer! 

Prep Ahead Plan:  Chop the onion, garlic and roasted red pepper ahead of time and store in a small container or Ziploc bag.  I like to buy the EZ peel raw, deveined shrimp.  Do the peeling ahead of time and store the raw shrimp in the fridge (in an air tight container) until ready to use. 

Creamy Shrimp Alfredo with Fire Roasted Red Peppers

Ingredients

12 ounces penne pasta

1/3 cup butter

1 ½  tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 fire roasted red peppers from a jar, diced

1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 (15 ounce) jar Alfredo sauce

1/2 cup grated Romano cheese

1/2 cup light cream

a couple dashes of crushed red pepper (optional)

Salt and pepper to taste

1/4 cup chopped parsley

Directions

1. Cook the pasta according to package directions.

2. Meanwhile, melt butter together with the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in onion and garlic. Cook until softened and translucent, about 2 minutes. Stir in the roasted red pepper and continue to cook a few minutes more.

3. Stir in the shrimp, tossing around in the pot so it cooks evenly. Cook until firm and pink.

4.  Add in the Alfredo sauce, Romano cheese, and cream. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until thickened (just a few minutes). Season with crushed red pepper, salt, and pepper to taste. Stir drained pasta into the sauce, and serve sprinkled with chopped parsley.