Chicken and Dumplings in the Crock Pot

Feb 28, 2013 by Ben

It’s been a long while since I’ve posted a recipe and I’m sorry.  I haven’t been cooking as much as I’ve been having some sinus issues that have prevented me from smelling and thus tasting and thus less cooking.  I’m working on getting the sinus stuff figured out, but I’ve had some better days than others and tried to cook when I could taste it and now I recommend these awesome recipes to you.  Enough talk about boring sinus issues, onto great and simple recipes you should make.

I’ve made some awesome chicken and dumplings in the dutch oven while camping, but this one is even easier in the crock pot.  It really doesn’t get much easier than this and it is oh so yummy.  Also check out these awesome red bowls I got my wife for Christmas.

Here’s what you’ll need

Ingredients:

• 2 Chicken Breasts
• 2 cans of cream of chicken soup
• 1 can of chicken broth
• 1 Chicken bullion cube
• Carrots – about 4 big ones
• Celery – about 6-8 stalks
• Onion (not pictured)
• 1 Tbsp dried parsley
• Bisquick – 2 cups (not pictured)

Bust out the crock pot and throw in the chicken breast

dump in the cream of chicken soup

and the chicken broth and bullion cube

also parsley flakes and set the crockpot on high and cook for 2-3 hours.  After that, take a couple of forks and separate the chicken into pieces.  Sorry don’t have a picture for that.

Next up, the vegetables

I like celery so I used a lot.  Chop them up into 1/2 inch chunks

Same with the carrots

I forgot an onion, but luckily my garden hooked me up.  I love shopping in my garden.

chop it up in some thin slices

Throw it all into the crock pot and let it cook for another hour

Now time to add the dumplings part of the recipe.  Per the bos, add 2 cups Bisquick and 1 cup water and mix it up in a bowl with a fork.   Dump in small spoon-sized pieces into the crock pot and let it cook another 30 minutes to an hour until the veggies are cooked to your liking.  I don’t like them mushy, so I try not to overcook them.  Try is the key word for me sometimes.

And voila.  Your house will smell like awesome homemade chicken and dumplings and you will get to eat awesome chicken and dumplings.   Both are awesome and you and your family will love it.

Ben…

read more

4 Bean Chili

Oct 2, 2012 by Ben

So my mom is in town for a visit, which means I get to cook with her or she gets to cook for me.  Either way I’m happy.  She got a chili recipe from a friend of hers so we set out to make it.

It doesn’t get much easier than this for a chili recipe.  It only takes one pan, and one crock pot and can be prepared in a few minutes.

Doesn’t that look awesome?  And perfect time for fall, even though its still a billion degrees in southern California.  Here’s how you make it.

Brown some ground turkey

chop up a few stalks of celery and throw it in

chop up 1/2 an onion and throw it in

let that all cook for a few minutes until turkey is brown

Now get your beans.  You will need:

• A can of garbanzo beans
• A can of black beans
• A can of pork and beans
• And a large can of kidney bean

Drain all of the beans except for the pork and beans and throw it all into a crock pot

Next throw in a small can of tomato sauce and a large can of tomato soup

When the turkey is done it will look like this.  Add it into the crock pot and stir it all up.

Add a couple teaspoons of chili powder and a teaspoon of cumin.  Add more chili powder if you want it spicier.

Put the lid on the crock pot and let it cook for a few hours.

When you come back your house will smell amazing the the chili will look like this.

Also made some cornbread to go with the chili.

Now that your chili is done, here is how you eat it.  First grab a bowl and put a nice layer of Fritos at the bottom.

Pour chili over the Fritos and enjoy.

That is it.  Seriously one of the most simple chili recipes you could ever make and it tastes great.

Now if California would only cool off a bit, that would be great.

Ben…

 

read more

Zucchini, carrot, & raisin muffins

Jul 25, 2011 by Ben

I’m still on my zucchini kick.  So I made these guys.  So freaking good!

I may have to make them again.  I sent most of them off with my wife for her work potluck, because I knew if I kept them at home I would eat them all.  I kept a few at home…and promptly ate them all.

My garden is finally starting to slow down on the zucchini kick, and I’ve been giving them away daily.

But I still have more than enough of these giant awesome zucchinis, so I made some killer muffins.  Here’s what you need.

 Ingredients:

1/2 cup sugar

2 tablespoons canola oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

1 cup grated zucchini

1 cup grated carrots

1/2 cup raisins

1 cup White Whole What Flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Preheat oven to 375 and get yourself a bowl and lets get making these.  Its super easy.

In a big bowl, add a half cup sugar.

add 2 tablespoons canola oil

add 1/2 teaspoon salt

Add the eggs and mix it up

Grate 1 cup of carrots

and throw it in the mix

grate 1 cup of zucchini

and add it in the mix

stir this up.

In a separate bowl we are going to add our other dry ingredients together.  Add 1 cup White Whole Wheat Flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

mix it up

so it looks like this and then mix it into the other bowl

stir that up now to get this great gooey mixture

add in the 1/2 cup of raisins

and mix it up.

Throw these in your oven at 375 for 20 minutes.

They will come out looking and make your whole house smelling amazing.

Add some butter and eat it.  Then eat another.  Then another.  Then give the rest of them away before you eat them all.

Ben…

I made a double batch of these and STILL had zucchini left over so I also fried up some leftover zucchini for dinner that night and it was awesome!!

This recipe was modified off of this awesome one.

read more

Bacon wrapped hotdogs

Jun 23, 2011 by Ben

If you’ve never had a bacon wrapped hotdog you are missing out.

I decided to try a video recipe this time. Let me know what you think.

Next time you pass by one of those sketchy looking street vendors selling these give them a try. Or better yet make one yourself.

Ben…

Like the video recipe? Let me know and I’ll make more.

read more

Momma Jane’s bread recipe

May 8, 2011 by Ben

Happy Mothers day to my wonderful mom and to all mothers out there!

I have the best mom in the world.   I really do.  And she makes THE best bread in the world.  She really does.

Growing up all my friends used to come over to my house after school, church, whatever just to to eat my moms food and especially her bread and jam.  THIS is the THAT bread recipe.

So when my mom came down for a visit we spent an entire weekend just cooking and baking and I got to sit back and just take pictures.  Brilliant! Actually I also got to eat all of the amazing food as well.   I mean  just look at those rolls!  oh yum.

You will want to make these rolls, nay, you will NEED to make these rolls.

Behold!  THIS is Mama Jane’s famous bread recipe

read more