Slow-Cooker Ranch Chicken Tacos

 

What You'll Need

- 2 lbs of boneless, skinless chicken breast

- 1 packet of ranch seasoning

- 1 packet of taco seasoning

- 1/2 cup of chicken broth

- 1 box of Goya Yellow Rice

- Miscellaneous toppings: sour cream, shredded cheese, shredded lettuce, tomatoes, diced onion, etc.

How Long It'll Take

To make the chicken, you will throw everything into a crock pot and cook on low for 4 hours. The prep of the other ingredients takes some time, but you can chop everything up while the rice is cooking (which I usually do at the end); so, let's call it 30 minutes of active work.

Let's Get Started

1. Place your chicken into your crock pot and cover with your ranch seasoning and taco seasoning.

2. Add your chicken broth (I used better than bullion to make 1/2 cup of chicken broth: 1/2 tsp to 1/2 cup of boiling water). Let it cook on low for 4 hours.

3. About 30 minutes before you're ready to serve, make your rice per the instructions on the box.

4. While the rice is cooking, prep your toppings.

5. When everything is ready, serve and enjoy!

Spinach Alfredo Baked Ravioli

 

What You'll Need

- 1 pound of ravioli (we used spinach & cheese ravioli from Costco)

- 1 cup of heavy cream

- 1/2 cup of milk

- 2 tbsp of flour

- 1/2 cup of parmesan cheese

- 1 bag of shredded mozzarella

- 1 bag of baby spinach

- 5 cloves of garlic (crushed)

- 1 medium onion (diced)

- The juice of 1/2 a lemon

- Miscellaneous spices: black pepper, crushed red pepper, ground spicy garlic (to taste)

How Long It'll Take

The prep for this is really pretty simple, so you can throw it all together in about 10-15 minutes, and then let it cook for 20-25. Total time is around 40 minutes.

Let's Get Started

1. Dice your onion and get it cooking over a low flame in some olive oil and a pat of butter. Cook until it turns translucent.

2. Add your crushed garlic, mix, and add your spinach. Cook until the spinach wilts. This is also a good time to layer in some spices.

3. Combine your milk and flour, mix thoroughly. Add this mixture to the pan after the spinach has cooked. Then, immediately add the heavy cream. Bring to a simmer.

4. Allow the sauce to simmer as it thickens. After a few minutes, you can add in your lemon juice, the parmesan cheese, and more spices (to taste). Stir.

5. In a baking dish, layer your sauce, your ravioli, and your shredded mozzarella cheese (in that order). Put in the oven at 375 degrees and cook for 20-25 minutes.

6. Serve & Enjoy!

Chicken Tomato Alfredo

 

What You'll Need:

- 2 Chicken Thighs

- 1 14.5 oz can of chicken broth

- 1.5 cups of milk (or heavy cream)

- 1/2 medium onion

- 1 package of cherry tomatoes

- 4 cloves of garlic

- Miscellaneous spices: salt, black pepper, garlic (grinder), garlic powder

- 1 pound of the pasta of your choice (I chose tortellini, but honestly this'll work with any pasta you like)

- Parmesan cheese

- Cream cheese (softened)

- 1 bag of spinach

How Long It'll Take: 

This is another crock pot meal, so prep is fairly quick, depending on how thorough you want to be. For example, an optional step would be to pan-fry the chicken thighs before cooking, so that would take longer. Cook time is approximately 4 hours on high. 

Let's Get Started:

**Optional First Steps**

A. Brown your chicken thighs in a pan with a little olive oil.

B. In the same pan, cook your onions, sliced cherry tomatoes, and brown your garlic, then add to your crock pot.

**If you haven't done the above steps, start here:**

1. Put your chicken thighs in the crock pot.

2. Slice your tomatoes in halves, cut your onion up in to small pieces, and crush your garlic. Add all three to the crock pot over the chicken.

3. Add your miscellaneous spices.

4. Add the chicken broth, milk/heavy cream, and butter. Let cook for 3 hours (minimum).

5. When the chicken is cooked, remove and de-bone (unless boneless). Shred the chicken.

6. While the chicken is out of the pot, cook your pasta on the stove, and add the cream cheese and parmesan cheese to the leftover sauce in the crock pot. Whisk until smooth (if needed).

7. Add the spinach to the crock pot and allow it to cook.

8. Add your chicken back into the crock pot, mix.

9. Add your pasta to the sauce, mix, and serve.

Mississippi Pot Roast

 

What You'll Need:

- 1 Chuck Roast

- 1 Medium Yellow Onion

- 1 Packet of Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing

- 1 Packet of Lipton Beefy Onion Soup/Dip Mix

- 1 Jar of Heinz Beef Gravy

- 8-10 Pepperoncini Peppers (& juice from the jar)

- 4 tbsp of butter (approximately half a stick)

How Long It'll Take:

Prep time for this is about 5 minutes, and cook time is low and slow for 8+ hours. This is the perfect recipe for a work day meal.

Let's Get Started:

1. Chop your onion into small-to-medium-pieces, throw it in the crock pot.

2. Lay your roast in the crock pot, on top of the onions.

3. Add your ranch mix and beefy onion mixes directly on top of the roast.

4. Slice your butter into small slices, lay it on top of the roast.

5. Add the Heinz Beef Gravy to the pot.

6. Add your pepperoncini peppers, and dump in some of the juice from the jar. (I like to be generous with this step, but if you don't want the pepperoncini flavor to be overpowering, you can tone it down, or even leave it out).

7. Set your crock pot to low and cook for 8+ hours.

8. After 8+ hours, the meat should fall apart. You can shred it in the pot, mix it up and serve it over some mashed potatoes, and a side of any vegetable of your choice (I like to use green beans or a salad). 

Taco Pasta

 

What You'll Need:

- 1 pound of pasta (I like large shells)

- 1 pound of ground beef (or turkey)

- 1 taco seasoning packet

- 2 10-ounce cans of Ro-Tel Diced Tomatoes with Green Chiles

- 1 bag of shredded cheese, Mexican blend

- 1/4 bar of cream cheese

- 1 medium yellow onion

- Misc spices: spicy garlic grinder, cumin, cayenne pepper (optional)

How Long It'll Take:

Prep time for this is about 5 minutes (you only need to chop up an onion and open some cans). Total cook time is about 20-25 minutes (the length of time it takes to boil water and cook the pasta). 

Let's Get Started: 

1. First chop your onion into small pieces and add them to a large pan (with high sides - this will be your main cooking pan for the entire meal) with a little oil. Begin to cook them over low heat with the cover on.

2. Get your pasta pot filled with water and over high heat. Add the pasta when the water begins to boil.

3. When your onions start to becomes translucent, you can add your miscellaneous spices: crushed garlic, cumin, and cayenne to taste (this is optional).

4. Add your ground beef (or turkey) to the pan to begin to brown.

5. Once browned, add your two cans of diced tomatoes, mix, and add then add the packet of taco seasoning. Bring to a boil, then let simmer the rest of the time.

6. Once the pasta is cooked, add the cream cheese and shredded Mexican cheese to the sauce.

7.  Add your pasta into the pot with the sauce, mix, serve and enjoy!

Linguine with Shrimp

Mom's "secret" recipe

What You'll Need:

- One box of linguine or fettuccine (whichever you prefer)

- Some frozen shrimp, cleaned

- Whole Dried Red Chili Peppers

- Fresh Italian Parsley
- Black pepper
- Olive Oil
- Garlic

How Long It'll Take: 

- With this one, it'll pretty much take the exact length of time that it takes to boil water and then cook your pasta. All your prep will be done while the water's boiling, so let's say... 25 minutes?

Let's Get Started:

1. While your water is boiling, set up your large wok with olive oil, crushed garlic, dried red peppers, and black pepper.

2. As the garlic begins to brown, add the shrimp. Add the pasta to the pot when the water is ready.

3. When the shrimp turn pink, lower the heat to a simmer. 

4. Reserve some pasta water (2-3 ladle scoops, to your liking), drain pasta & add pasta and the reserved water to the oil and shrimp.

5. Stir, serve & enjoy!

Creamy Tomato & Sausage Soup

 

What You'll Need

- 1 pound of ground Italian sausage

- 2 10.5 oz cans of tomato soup

- 2 14.5 oz cans of chicken broth

- 1 14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes with basil, garlic, and oregano

- 20 oz of frozen cheese tortellini

- 10 oz of softened cream cheese (I mixed plain & chive and onion)

- 1 medium onion

- 4 cloves of garlic

- Misc Spices: spicy garlic grinder, garlic powder, crushed red pepper, black pepper

How Long It'll Take

Total prep time was maybe 40 minutes, and I let it cook in the crock pot for around 7 hours. However, this could easily be cooked on a stovetop to reduce time.

Let's Get Started

1. Thinly slice your onion and put it in the pan that you're going to use to brown your sausage in with a little olive oil, over low heat. Cover and let cook until caramelized.

2. While your onions are cooking, crush your garlic cloves and add them to the crock pot with a drizzle of olive oil.

3. Add in your miscellaneous spices to the garlic & oil in the crock pot.

4. Once the onions are brown, add them to the crock pot.

5. Brown the sausage over medium heat. Season with cracked garlic and garlic powder as it is cooking.

6. Once browned, add the sausage to the crock pot.

7. Add the chicken broth, tomato soup, and diced tomatoes to the crock pot.

8. Let cook for 6-8 hours on low.

9. 30 minutes prior to serving, cook the tortellini in a pot on the stove.

10. While the tortellini is cooking, soften your cream cheese in the microwave, then stir it into the 

soup. 

NOTE: If you didn't soften your cream cheese enough, you'll find that you have chunks beginning to appear in your broth. Use a whisk to break it up without crushing the other ingredients in the soup.

11. Once cooked, drain the tortellini and add them into the soup. Stir the pot, serve and enjoy!