Slow Cooker Chicken Casserole

Slow Cooker Chicken Casserole

3 to 4 chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces
2 (10 3/4 ounce) cans cream of mushroom soup
1 (15 ounce) can evaporated milk
2 cups macaroni, uncooked
3/4 cup sour cream

Spray the inside of the slow cooker with cooking spray for easy clean up.  In slow cooker, combine chicken, cream of mushroom soup, evaporated milk, and macaroni.  Mix well.  Cover with lid.  Cook on low 6 to 8 hours.  Add in sour cream.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Mix well.  Makes 6 servings.

When I opened the door after being gone all day, I was met with the a delicious aroma of a home cooked meal.  This recipe tastes like chicken stroganoff.  It is creamy and hardy and was waiting for me when I got home.    

I love slow cooker recipes that are quick to prepare.  For this recipe, I cut up the chicken the night before, and  place it back in the refrigerator.  I gathered all the ingredients needed for the recipe (that don't need to be refrigerated) and put them on the counter, along with the slow cooker and all of the utensils that are needed to prepare it.   By doing this, it takes only five minutes of prep time in the morning, to create a tasty family pleasing meal.

Stop back by on Tuesday, for my 

Tuesday's Tips & Tricks post!

Visit my friends blogs!

You will love Bo and his blog,  Bo's Bowl.  Not only does he host great giveaways,  his recipes are incredible!  One visit to his blog and you will see why I faithfully follow it.

Also visit my friend Pam's blog, Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner,  for more great recipes!  Once you read her blog, she will be your friend too!

Tostones and Nicaragua

Tostones AKA Flattened Fried Plantains

2 plantains
Oil for frying
Salt

Slice plantains into 1 inch pieces.  

Pour 1/2 inch of oil into a large skillet.  Heat over medium high heat.  When oil is heated, add plantain pieces.  Fry 2 minutes on each side.  Remove plantain pieces to paper towel.

Place plantain pieces on a cutting board.  Flatted plantains with the bottom of a glass or ramekin.

Place the plantains back in the hot oil.  Fry until golden brown. Drain on paper towel. Salt to taste.

I just returned from a mission trip with, Passion Play Ministries International, to Nicaragua.  While we were there, we ate Tostones with breakfast, lunch, dinner, and for the occasional snack.  I think the Tostones are a little bland by themselves, so we would spoon a little salsa on them to add some flavor.

Have you ever seen the movie, "Romancing the Stone"?  Nicaragua reminded me of that movie. 

 We traveled on roads that were steep and narrow.  We even drove through a stream that was around 80 feet wide.  

On the way back down the mountain, just as we crossed this stream, it began to rain.  I have never seen it rain so hard, for so long.  If we hadn't crossed the stream before the rain hit, we would have been stuck sleeping in the van all night on that steep narrow road.  The stream becomes too high to cross when it rains.

The food in Nicaragua was delicious!  

We went to a restaurant one day for fresh fish.  The server showed you the fish before it was cooked.

The fish was served with sauteed onions and tomatoes on it.

It was also served with the head on it.

It was one scary looking fish when it was cooked!  Everyone who ordered the fresh fish, loved it.  I tried a bite of the fish off of my friend's plate.  It was tasty, but I just don't like to eat a fish with it's head still attached.  It creeps me out!  The glassy eyes staring at you as you munch away at it... YUCK!

This was not our first mission trip,

so my husband Stan and I

ordered our fish breaded

and fried.

 

One night for dinner, we ate beef skewers that were cooked on a grill made from a tire rim. 

The beef had been marinated in fruit juice and spices.  It was tender and full of flavor.  I think we all went back for seconds, and a few went back for thirds.

On Friday, I will be posting my 
Slow Cooker Chicken Casserole recipe.

Visit my friends blogs!

You will love Bo and his blog,  Bo's Bowl.  Not only does he host great giveaways,  his recipes are incredible!  One visit to his blog and you will see why I faithfully follow it.

Also visit my friend Pam's blog, Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner,  for more great recipes!  Once you read her blog, she will be your friend too!

Buffalo Chicken Soup

Buffalo Chicken Soup

3 cups shredded cooked chicken
3 (10 3/4 ounce) cans cream of chicken soup
4 cups milk
1 cup sour cream
1/4 cup hot wing sauce

In large saucepan, combine all ingredients. Simmer on low 15 minutes. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Recipe can be found on page 55 in  
MY KIND OF COOKING COOKBOOK.

I have been traveling since the end of July.  Currently I am in Nicaragua.  As I was thinking about what to post while I was out of the country, I decided to go back to the first few posts that I made when I began my blog. 

I created this recipe to be on the mild side of spicy. For me, the spice in the soup is perfect. Lots of flavor but mild enough to please almost anyone. My husband likes lots of spice so I add extra hot wing sauce to his bowl of soup.


Serving Tip:
I like to serve this soup with a dollop of sour cream on top of each bowl and slightly crushed tortilla chips.


Time Saving Tip:
If you don't have time to cook chicken needed for a recipe, purchase a cooked rotisserie chicken.


Visit my friends blogs!

You will love Bo and his blog,  Bo's Bowl.  Not only does he host great giveaways,  his recipes are incredible!  One visit to his blog and you will see why I faithfully follow it.

Also visit my friend Pam's blog, Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner,  for more great recipes!  Once you read her blog, she will be your friend too!

Tortellini Toss

 Tortellini Toss

1 (9 ounce)package refrigerated cheese filled tortellini
1 cup whipping cream
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
8 slices bacon, cooked crumbled
1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning

Prepare tortellini according to package directions. In large saucepan, combine whipping cream, Parmesan cheese, bacon, and Italian seasoning. Cook over medium heat until thickened. Add tortellini. Toss to Coat. Makes 4 servings.

Recipe can be found on page 126 in  

MY KIND OF COOKING COOKBOOK.

I have been traveling since the end of July.  Currently I am in Nicaragua.  As I was thinking about what to post while I was out of the country, I decided to go back to the first few posts that I made when I began my blog.

This recipe is one of my families favorite dinners.  It has bacon, so you know it is going to be good!


Visit my friends blogs!

You will love Bo and his blog,  Bo's Bowl.  Not only does he host great giveaways,  his recipes are incredible!  One visit to his blog and you will see why I faithfully follow it.

Also visit my friend Pam's blog, Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner,  for more great recipes!  Once you read her blog, she will be your friend too!

Fruit & Nut Yogurt Parfait

Fruit & Nut Yogurt Parfait 

1 (2 ounce) package chopped walnuts
1/2 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 cups vanilla yogurt
1 apple, chopped
1/2 cup sliced in half grapes

In small skillet, saute walnuts, butter, and sugar over medium heat 2 minutes.  

Spread on parchment paper.  Cool.  

In two glasses, layer equal amount of ingredients.   Makes 2 servings.

One of my guilty pleasures is the Fruit and Walnut Snack at Mc Donald's.  I just love the combination of fresh apples and grapes, with yogurt and sugared walnuts.  This recipe allows me to have it anytime I am craving it, without having to make a run to the golden arches.

 

I am currently in Nicaragua, so I will be slow adding the comments left on the blog.  I really enjoy reading your comments and I thank you so much for taking the time to leave them!  

Visit my friends blogs!

You will love Bo and his blog,  Bo's Bowl.  Not only does he host great giveaways,  his recipes are incredible!  One visit to his blog and you will see why I faithfully follow it.

Also visit my friend Pam's blog, Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner,  for more great recipes!  Once you read her blog, she will be your friend too!

Yogurt - It's Not Just For Breakfast!

I love yogurt!  Fresh fruit, granola, and yogurt, is one of my favorite breakfasts.  Sometimes I purchase too much yogurt and need to use it up before it expires.  Below are a few of the ways I use yogurt in recipes.

1. I make an easy and tasty guacamole by mashing an avocado with plain yogurt.  I add Rotel diced tomatoes and green chile, to taste.  Mix well

2.  Make an iced latte with vanilla flavored yogurt, strong coffee, ice, and sugar or sweetener.  Place the ingredients in a blender, and blend until the desired consistency.

3. I make a potato topper with plain Greek yogurt, chives, and green onion.

4. If you need buttermilk for a recipe, combine 2/3 cup of plain yogurt and 1/3 cup of milk.  Mix well.  Let stand 5 minutes before adding to your recipe.

5. I add yogurt to my tuna salad.  Substitute 1/2 of the mayonnaise with plain yogurt.

6.  I use plain yogurt instead of mayonnaise or sour cream when making a dip.

7. Lighten up a recipe by substituting half of the oil or shortening with 3/4 the amount of yogurt.  Example: If a recipe calls for 1 cup of oil, use 1/2 cup of oil and 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons of yogurt.

8.  Replace part of the butter in a recipe.  Instead of using 1 cup butter, use 1/2 cup butter and 1/4 cup of yogurt.

How do you use yogurt?

On Friday, I will be posting my

Fruit & Nut Yogurt Parfait recipe. 

Visit my friends blogs!

You will love Bo and his blog,  Bo's Bowl.  Not only does he host great giveaways,  his recipes are incredible!  One visit to his blog and you will see why I faithfully follow it.

Also visit my friend Pam's blog, Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner,  for more great recipes!  Once you read her blog, she will be your friend too!

Pizza Nibblers

Pizza Nibblers

4 saltine crackers
2 teaspoons pizza sauce
3 tablespoons shredded mozzarella cheese
4 slices pepperoni

Place 4 crackers in a microwaveable plate.  Spread pizza sauce over crackers.

 (My niece Emily)

Sprinkle mozzarella cheese over pizza sauce.

Top with pepperoni.

Microwave for 30 seconds, or until cheese has melted.

This is my niece, Emily's, favorite after school snack.  She loves to cook, and this is an easy recipe for her to make by herself.

Kids are not the only ones who love Pizza Nibblers.  It tastes like a fresh baked slice of pizza.  The cracker turns into a thin crust for your choice of toppings.  It is a perfect snack for when you get a case of the munchies, and crave something quick and hardy.

My sister, Shelley, is very creative in the kitchen.  She loves to make meals special, so when I saw PBJ on a stick at the Iowa State Fair, I knew it was an idea she would love.

My niece, Miley, started preschool last week.  My sister made the peanut butter and jelly sandwich on a stick for her lunch after her first day of school.  Shelley, added sliced strawberries and bananas to the grapes and the sandwich to make it extra special for, Miley. 

Visit my friends blogs!

You will love Bo and his blog,  Bo's Bowl.  Not only does he host great giveaways,  his recipes are incredible!  One visit to his blog and you will see why I faithfully follow it.

Also visit my friend Pam's blog, Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner,  for more great recipes!  Once you read her blog, she will be your friend too!

Alligator Bites & Tiger Sauce

I love to try new foods!  Whenever I travel, one of my favorite things to do is try the local cuisine.  You can really tell a lot about the place you are visiting by the food they eat.

I am visiting my family in Florida, and usually that means we eat a lot of fresh seafood cooked in every way imaginable.

Fried seafood, grilled seafood, boiled seafood; I could go on and on, but I am afraid I would begin sounding like Bubba in the Forrest Gump movie.

One of my families favorite appetizers is, Alligator Bites.  They slice the tail section of the alligator into bite size pieces, dip them in a batter, than deep fry them.

The alligator meat is tender and juicy and I hate to say it, but it tastes like chicken.  Isn't it strange how unusual food typically tastes like chicken. They serve the Alligator Bites with a sweet, spicy, and slightly sour sauce called, Tiger Sauce.

 What is the most unique food item you have eaten? 

On Friday, I will be posting a after school snack 

that not only your kids will love but you will too!

Visit my friends blogs!

You will love Bo and his blog,  Bo's Bowl.  Not only does he host great giveaways,  his recipes are incredible!  One visit to his blog and you will see why I faithfully follow it.

Also visit my friend Pam's blog, Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner,  for more great recipes!  Once you read her blog, she will be your friend too!