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Crock Pot Italian Chicken

February 20, 2012 By Kate 3 Comments

We recently made a pretty big switch to our dinnertime routine that has been awesome in the execution but a little difficult in the transition, at least for me. We bumped our dinnertime up an hour. Eric and I realized that if we did this, he could eat dinner with the family 5 nights a week instead of 3. It means he leaves a little later in the evenings to head out to work, but since his schedule is so flexible, it works perfectly. There are still two nights a week where this isn’t possible, but we all love eating dinner as a family, so we’ll take what we can get!

This change has meant I’ve had to adapt my usual cooking habits a bit so that I can make sure dinner is ready to go and on the table at 5:30 each night, instead of 6:30. Fortunately, the “stolen moments” method that I so love makes this a little easier than it would otherwise. But I’m still struggling a little bit because I’m a lover of routines and I like being set in my ways! Changes in the schedule like this are always a little difficult for me to cope with. So, I’ve been relying on my crock pot more than usual, just because it somehow makes the whole new process feel easier.

Anyhow…on with the food! This Crock Pot Italian Chicken was so tasty and it smelled amazing as it simmered all day. I served it over pasta to make a nice complete, filling dinner. You could also add some chicken stock to turn it into a soup if you’d like, which was what I did with my leftovers for lunch the next day. It’s delicious either way!

Crockpot Italian Chicken

  • 1 T. olive oil
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 1 red pepper, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 lb. mushrooms, sliced
  • 2 zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 1 can diced tomatoes
  • 1 can cannelini beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1/2 c. chicken stock
  • 1 can sliced black olives, drained
  • 2 t. dried oregano
  • 1 t. dried basil
  • 1 t. salt
  • 1 t. black pepper
  • Cooked pasta, optional
1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Add onions, red pepper, garlic, mushrooms and zucchini. Cook for 5-10 minutes, until onions are translucent and mushrooms are browned. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

2. Pour cooked veggies into a large crock pot. Add remaining ingredients and stir to combine. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 4 hours.

3. Before serving, remove chicken and shred or cut into cubes. Stir back into the sauce. Serve over pasta, if desired.

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Lemon Chicken & Broccoli with Rice

January 8, 2012 By Kate 3 Comments

Here in Michigan, Coney Island restaurants are a staple. You’ll find one in nearly every strip mall and it’s rare to drive more than a block or two on a main road without seeing at least one, at least in the Detroit-area. The restaurants serve Greek-American style food in addition to the ever popular Coney Dog.

One of my favorite things to get when we go to a Coney restaurant is Chicken Lemon Rice Soup. It’s a rich, flavorful, creamy soup that is so comforting. It’s one of those recipes I’ve thought about recreating countless times, but I always opt not to because I love it as a rare treat, and that’s how I want it to remain.

However, the flavor is definitely worth duplicating on a regular basis. So, when I’m craving the soup, I love to throw this quick replacement together instead. The flavor is very similar, although this dish is definitely much healthier and lighter without all the additional cream and the addition of broccoli. And best of all, it’s a one-dish meal, so it takes very little prep work or clean up. Sure, it’s not as easy as sitting down at a restaurant and being served a big, steamy bowl of soup, but this definitely fulfills my cravings without any of the guilt.

Lemon Chicken & Broccoli with Rice

  • 2 T. olive oil
  • 1 1/2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips or cubes
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 lb. fresh broccoli, cut into florets*
  • 1 1/2 c. white rice
  • 1 1/2 t. salt
  • 1 t. thyme
  • 1/2 t. black pepper
  • 1 large lemon, juiced and zested
  • 2 c. chicken stock
  • 1 c. water
  • 1/4 c. chopped fresh parsley (or 1 T. dried parsley)
  • Freshly grated or shredded Parmesan cheese
  • Additional salt and pepper, to taste

1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook about 5 minutes, just until browned. Add garlic and cook an additional minute. Stir in broccoli, rice, salt, thyme, pepper and lemon zest.

2. Pour in the lemon juice, chicken stock and water. Stir just to incorporate. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender. Stir in parsley and season to taste with additional salt and pepper, if needed. Serve with Parmesan cheese to sprinkle on top.

*Note: You can use frozen broccoli if you’d prefer. Just add it during the last 5 minutes of the simmering process instead of before boiling.

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Chicken Enchilada Chili

November 12, 2011 By Kate 6 Comments

Alex joined Cub Scouts this year and now on Wednesday nights, he has his pack and den meetings at 6:30, which is our usual dinner time. And it also just so happens that Wednesday night is the only weeknight when Eric isn’t at work. So, we’ve made every effort to continue a family meal on those nights even though it can get a little crazy around the house at that time.

To minimize the stress for all of us, I’ve been relying on crockpot meals or things that can simmer all day. Chili seems to be my top choice lately. But since we all like variety, I’ve been experimenting with some different kinds. This Chicken Enchilada Chili has definitely been our favorite so far. It’s spicy, but in a subtle way so that the kids enjoyed it just as much as the adults.

This is definitely an easy meal that is a little different from my norm since it relies on canned enchilada sauce. Although I make homemade red enchilada sauce, I’ve never attempted a homemade green sauce, partially because I always have a difficult time finding tomatillos. If you have a good homemade sauce recipe though, I’d definitely recommend using that! (And if you do have a good recipe, I’d love if you’d share it with us!)

Chicken Enchilada Chili

  • 1 T. oil
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 6 oz. can diced fire-roasted green chilies, not drained
  • 1 lb. chicken breasts
  • 4 c. chicken stock
  • 2 14 oz. cans green Enchilada sauce
  • 2 15 oz. cans Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1/2 t. salt
  • 1/2 t. black pepper
  • 1/3 c. diced cilantro, plus more for garnish
  • 2 T. corn meal
  • Additional garnish: shredded cheese, sour cream, tortilla chips

1. Heat oil in a large pot. Add onion and cook for about 5 minutes, until translucent. Add garlic and cook an additional 2 minutes. Stir in diced green chilies and liquid.

2. Add chicken to pot and pour in the stock, enchilada sauce and beans. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to low and simmer at least 30-45 minutes, until chicken is fully cooked. (Or simmer all day, if you want.)

3. Remove chicken and shred or dice. Return to the pot along with the salt, pepper and 1/3 cup cilantro. Stir to combine then stir in cornmeal just until thickened.

4. Garnish individual bowls of chili with shredded cheese, sour cream and extra cilantro, as desired. Serve with tortilla chips.

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