Crock Pot Mania: Chicken Straight Up or Enchilada Style

Well today we are getting back to my go-to kitchen appliance and making some goodness in the crock pot. This is another one that I made up out of my pantry one day in a pinch. The first time I made this I did not have cheddar cheese soup so I experimented with broccoli cheese soup and it came out great. I served the chicken whole and we had pasta and steamed vegetables. As I served that meal I told my husband this would be awesome shredded in an enchilada. 

So for this recipe I made a few simple changes and enchiladas is what I ended up with. This is what you will need: 

1 package of boneless skinless chicken breast
1 can Campbell's cheddar cheese soup
1/2 cup of chicken broth
1 package taco seasoning mix
1 can of RoTel tomatoes and chilies (or diced tomatoes)
1 cup Mexican cheese blend
A package of corn tortillas

Begin by washing patting dry chicken breast and placing them in the bottom of the crock pot. 

Whisk together in a small bowl the can cheddar cheese soup, taco seasoning mix and RoTel tomatoes, and 1/2 cup chicken broth. 

I use diced tomatoes if I'm serving this to the kiddies. Pour this mixture over the chicken and cook in the crock pot 3 to 4 hours on high, or 6 to 8 hours on low. 

Once the chicken is cooked take it out of the pot and place onto a cutting board, shred the               chicken with two forks the meat should fall apart. Add about 3/4 cup of the sauce to moisten           the chicken and use this to stuff the tortillas.

I warmed the tortillas on the skillet to make pliable, I then dipped one side of  the tortilla into the sauce in the pot. 

I filled it with chicken, rolled the tortilla and placed it seam side down in the pan.

 

Once rolled and placed in the pan I used a ladle to pour some of the sauce over the stuffed enchiladas (not pictured).

I covered with the Mexican cheese and then placed in the oven at 400 until melted and bubbly. I served this with the package Mexican rice my favorite is Mahatma Spanish rice.  

Truth be told I had some steamed broccoli on the side, I know it's not in keeping with the theme. If you prefer beans then I say go for it I think it would make a very nice plate. 

So there you have it easy chicken enchiladas.  I love that the crock pot does the hard part for me. Enjoy and remember to share with a friend.
        

        

The Snake In The Bathroom

You know how much I love to share the good, bad and the ugly so today I am going to share a little unplanned project that came about due to a momentary lapse in judgment. Not to discriminate against my male readers (thanks guys for checking in), but if you’re a woman who has her nails painted everyday of the week then you might want to look away. Me, I paint mine with clear for special occasions only. At present my favorite is a fast dry 30 second top coat that I can put on after getting dressed and before getting in the car for whatever special event I’m on my way to.

 Anyhow back to the story. So I was cleaning the bathrooms, quite efficiently I might add, with the tub and sinks all done I moved on to the toilet. With the task almost complete I went to wipe the rim with the cleaning wash cloth I had in my hand and that's when it happened, the commode made brunch out if my wash cloth.

 That thing slipped effortlessly down the toilet as if its sole purpose for existing was to stop my chores dead in their tracks.

Now before you judge me take a moment to Google the phrase 'flushed washcloth down the toilet' and see how many results you get.

I yelled down the hall, "HONEY!!!” which is husband-wife code for I just did something stupid. I shamefully admitted what I had done and immediately called my sister who lives close to see if she had a plumbing snake. I gave my husband specific instructions not to flush anything in the house.  I didn't want it drawn any further into the plumbing and somehow I thought flushing the other toilets would create a vacuum and suck my washcloth to places unknown. I was desperate to keep Roto-Rooter as far from my home and wallet as possible.

My sister was running the roads during my washcloth crisis and wouldn't be able to look until she returned from her errands. Alas she couldn't find her snake, but I told her I had two boys so surely this would not be the last time something unexpected would take a whirl through the plumbing. As I was reminded recently by one of my sister’s Facebook post that these things happen, her first was several solo cups that she keeps next to the sink for teeth brushing and most recently she fished out a plastic fork that was wreaking havoc on her otherwise pristine plumbing.

So 2 hours after my mishap I returned home with a $20, twenty foot snake from the Naylor’s around the corner. I like to support local businesses and for one or two things it's easier than maneuvering the big box hardware stores. Yes I did get a little sidetracked and came home with two pretty yard flags, guilty as charged.

Plumbing snakes have gotten a lot more compact over the years and aren't as intimidating as I remembered. The man at the store said to continue to feed the snake into the plumbing until I felt resistance and then lock it and turn clockwise.

My husband thought I lost my mind a little when I yelled out, "honey, come take pictures of this." I did as I was instructed and fed the snake and turned at each resistance I met, I would say 15 feet in I told my husband if I didn't have it by now it was long out of the way, and probably a lost cause.

I pulled in the snake and twisted each time it felt stuck, the final resistant tug brought forth my sad little thin and worn wash cloth. Victory! I had met the plumbing challenge head on and emerged victorious. I have pictures, but I decided to spare you all. I will say that I am glad that I had just finished cleaning. I did need to use a cleaning pumice stone to clean the metal on porcelain stains and I finished the whole process with a splash of bleach.

I learned two very important lessons 1) use a flush-able wipe to give the rim a wipe down and 2) the proper way to use a plumbing snake.

So there you have it my new experience. I love learning new things but maybe next time not so much with the business end of my plumbing. I promise I’ll be back with some yummy recipe or thrifty project for you next, but with all those Google results I figured this was something we had to address. Come back soon.

What Came First? Chicken or the Dumplings?

Hey howdy everybody, I haven't dropped off the face of the earth. It's just your regular crazy winter weather in the South, new responsibilities at work, and winter boogies that are keeping this momma very busy. I have a quick post today that's so simple and I hope that you all will get to try it before the cold weather leaves us. Today I'm going to make the world's easiest chicken and dumplings.  

This used to be an all day process that began with me boiling a whole fryer, seasoning broth with onions and vegetables, deboning chicken and straining broth, but this is much faster and has lots of flavor.  I start by getting a rotisserie chicken, try and get the plain or “savory” one, any other seasoned chicken is too overpowering for this recipe. You will need:

1 carton of chicken broth (plus one can if you prefer it thinner)

Onion powder

Garlic powder

2 tbsp dried parsley

Salt and pepper

1 can of biscuits

1 tbsp butter

Flour

Begin by deboning the chicken; add this and the broth to good deep stock pot.

 I like to cut the corner off a flap of the broth carton if I'm going to use the whole thing, this eliminates the glug, glug and gives me a nice smooth pour.

Season with a few sprinkles of onion powder and garlic powder and bring to a gentle rolling boil.

While the broth comes to temperature get out the biscuits, a rolling pin, flour and a pizza cutter. Be careful not to buy butter flavored biscuits, I did this once in college and ended up with an inch of yellow colored, butter flavored grease product floating on top of the pot, blagh! 

Open your biscuits and coat both sides with generous amount of flour, this will thicken your broth when you add them to the pot. Roll the biscuits very thin and stack them up. I use a pizza cutter to cut my biscuits into thin small strips.   

Once your broth has come up to a boil gently add handfuls of the biscuits to the pot, use the back of the spoon to push them down into the liquid. 

Once they've all been covered put the lid on top and wait for them to cook. They will all puff up and float to the top; it looks a bit like a science experiment. 

Then when they are all cooked they will sink down into the bottom. Once the dumplings are cooked they will distribute evenly throughout the chicken and broth when you stir.  

 After the dumplings have cooked turn it down to a medium low, add a couple of pats of butter for richness and some dried parsley and you are ready to serve. 

There you have it quick and easy chicken and dumplings.  You will get a feel for how you like it, thick or thin, other seasoning, what have you.  Give this one a try, you'll be glad you did, and remember to share it with a friend.  Be sure to come back for some organization tips, more recipes and a little building project I have going on for 'Harry the Dog'.