Split Pea Sausage Soup

If you know me at all, you know this definitely is not something that I would pick out to eat. But since Oley went on his health eating kick we have extremely random ingredients lying around in our pantry and cupboards. Split peas and sausage being some of them. So here comes my big girl panties and the courage to try new things. . . . I'll let you know how it goes.

Ingredients

1 pound dried split peas
6 cups water
2 cans of chicken broth
1 pound smoked sausage of your choice, sliced
5 cubes chicken bouillon
1 1/2 cups chopped carrot
1 cup chopped celery
2 potatoes, peeled and chopped
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
2 bay leaves
1 onion, chopped

Directions

In Crock Pot combine the peas, water, chicken broth, sausage, bouillon, carrot, celery, potatoes, garlic powder, oregano, bay leaves, and onions.

Cook on High for 4 to 5 hours.

Remove bay leaves.

Serve with corn bread.

Chicken Taco Soup

I love the crock pot! I especially love the crock pot in the winter months when it produces the most delicious simple soups!

Ingredients

1 onion, chopped
1 (16 ounce) can chili beans
1 (15 ounce) can black beans
1 (15 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (12 fluid ounce) can of chicken broth
2 (10 ounce) cans diced tomatoes with green chilies, undrained
1 (1.25 ounce) package taco seasoning
3 whole skinless, boneless chicken breasts
shredded Cheddar cheese (optional)
sour cream (optional)
crushed tortilla chips (optional)

Directions

Put the onion, chili beans, black beans, corn, tomato sauce, chicken broth, and diced tomatoes in the crock pot.

Add taco seasoning, and stir to blend.

Lay chicken breasts on top of the mixture, and press it down until it is slightly covered.

Cook for 5 hours on low.

Remove chicken breasts from the soup, and shred.

Stir the shredded chicken back into the soup, and continue cooking for 2 hours.

Serve with shredded Cheddar cheese, sour cream, or crushed tortilla chips.

Chicken and Dumplings in the Crock Pot

With Oley and I's schedules we rarely if ever eat dinner anymore, but it's Thanksgiving Break!!! That means I will be able to pull something together for dinner, and take him some at work.

Ingredients

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
2 tablespoons butter
2 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed cream of chicken soup (you can also alternate 1 can of cream of mushroom here if you would like)
1 can chicken broth
1 onion, finely diced
2 (10 ounce) packages refrigerated biscuit dough, torn into small pieces (otherwise will take awhile to cook)
2 cans of mixed veggies, drained
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp parsley
1 tsp poultry seasoning
1 tsp seasoned salt and pepper

Instructions

Place all ingredients except biscuits in the crock pot.

Cover, and cook for 5 to 6 hours on High. About 1 hour before serving, place the torn biscuit dough in the slow cooker. Cook until the dough is no longer raw in the center. If there is still to much liquid in the pot, add some flour and it will thicken the sauce.

Basic Home Made Chicken Noodle Soup

Well Oley complained becuase I didn't make home made noodles to go along with this, but other than that extremely delicious! Especially becuase it's starting to get colder outside. Warning this recipe makes enough for 10. So we have LOTS of leftovers. But it was good so I'll take it!

Ingredients
3 pounds of chicken
4 carrots, halved
4 celery sticks, halved
1 large onion, halved
2 potatoes, halved
water to cover
salt and pepper
1 tsp chicken bouillon
Noodles

Directions
Place the potatoes, carrots, celery and chicken in a large pot and and cover with water. Heat and simmer, uncovered until chicken is cooked.
Take everything out of the pot, and strain the broth. Cut meat, celery, carrots, onion, and potatoes into bite size pieces. Season the broth with salt, pepper, and bouillon to taste. Return everything into the same pot. Stir together, and serve.

Pineapple chicken in the Crock Pot

I can't give you a terrible or delicious rating cause we still haven't tried this, but we totally are going too!

Ingredients.

• 1 to 1 1/2 pounds chicken tenders, cut in 1-inch pieces
• 2/3 cup pineapple preserves
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon terriyaki sauce
• 2 cloves garlic sliced thinly
• 1 tablespoon dried minced onion (or 1 bunch fresh green onions, chopped)
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• dash cayenne, to taste
• 1 package (10 oz) sugar snap peas, thawed

Directions

• Put chicken in the crock pot
• Set sugar snap peas to the side. 
• Combine all other ingredients and spoon onto the chicken.  
• Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours
• Add the peas the last 30 minutes. 

Best Brownies

Okay so my mom makes pretty much killer brownies, BUT it just makes so many.  I mean that really isn't a problem, but it kind of is when there are only two of us at the house, and it only takes us a day to go through the pan.   So I have been on the search for a recipe almost as good as my mom's that makes less.  So here is what I have come up with. 

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, melted
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)
• CREAMY BROWNIE FROSTING (recipe follows) 

Instructions

• Heat the oven to 350 and great a 9x9 pan
• Stir the butter, sugar, and vanilla in a bowl.  Add the eggs.  Stir the flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt; and gradually add the egg mixture.  Stir in nuts.  Put in 9x9 pan. 
• Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the brownies start to pull away from the side of the pan.  
• Make delicious frosting and spread on brownies.  

Frosting

Ingredients

3 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
3 tablespoons HERSHEY'S Cocoa
1 tablespoon light corn syrup or honey
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup powdered sugar
1 to 2 tablespoons milk

Directions

Mix it all together adding powder sugar and milk until it reaches the proper consistency. Makes about a cup. 

Monterey Chicken

LOVED this - tried it off an online family recipe site (easy recipes) and was fearful but the family LOVED IT and so did I! I can see a lot of variations too!

6 chicken breasts butterflied open and cooked (bake, grill, whatever)
12 Strips of bacon cooked till' crisp
BBQ sauce (I used honey)
6 THICK Slices of Cheese (I used cheddar)
Diced Onions (optional)

Put your cooked chicken in a baking dish - put a good spoonfull of bbq sauce on top then the slice of cheese and top with the bacon - if you want, sprinkle some diced onions on top - put in the oven under the broiler for about 5 min till the bacon is crisper and the cheese is bubbling! It is SO delish - the crispy bacon is YUM!~

Darla