Bacon Ranch Chicken

Bacon Ranch Chicken

Adapted From: sixsistersstuff.com

My husband kept checking the crock pot throughout the day, saying, "Dinner sure smells good." When it was time to eat he inhaled it. This dish has great flavor!

Ingredients:

1 pound chicken breast
salt and pepper
2 (1.0-ounce) envelopes ranch dressing mix
6 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
2 tsp minced garlic
2 (10.5-ounce) cans cream of chicken soup
1 (16-ounce) sour cream
1 (16-ounce) package penne pasta, cooked

Preparation:

Place chicken is slow cooker; salt and pepper as desired. Sprinkle one envelope ranch dressing mix over chicken; cover and cook on low for 4 hours, or until chicken is tender. Watch the chicken, crock pots vary with cooking times. Pull chicken breasts apart with two forks to shred. Mix the other envelope ranch dressing mix, bacon, garlic, soup cans, and sour cream until smooth and blended. Pour soup mixture over chicken and cook 15 minutes more, or until heated through. Serve chicken over pasta.

Serves 8

Taco Soup

Taco Soup

Adapted From: Country Ground Beef Cookbook

Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef
2 (1 1/4-ounce) envelopes taco seasoning
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can stewed tomatoes, undrained
1 (15-ounce) can light red kidney beans, undrained
4 cups beef broth or chicken broth

Toppings:

cheddar cheese, shredded
green onions, sliced
sour cream
corn chips or tortilla chips

Preparation:

Stove top: Cook ground beef in a large pot. Stir in taco seasoning, stewed tomatoes, kidney beans, and water; bring to a boil. Serve in individual bowls and garnish with toppings.

Crock pot: This is my favorite method if I plan ahead… Thaw 2 pounds frozen ground beef in a crock pot with 2 cups water on low for 4 hours. Do not break apart meat. Transfer cooked meat onto a plate, use oven mitts and dump water and fat from crock pot. Return meat to crock pot and crumble with a large spoon or spatula. Stir in taco seasoning, stewed tomatoes, kidney beans, and beef broth. Cook on low for an additional 1 hour, or until heated through. Serve in individual bowls and garnish with toppings.

Serves 6-8

Down-Home Chicken & Noodles

 

Down-Home Chicken & Noodles
Source: Mitzi H.

Ingredients:

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
salt and pepper to taste
3 (10 3/4-ounce) cans cream of chicken soup
2 (14 1/2-ounce) cans chicken broth

1 (14 ounce) can creamed corn
1 (12-ounce) package wide egg noodles, cooked

Preparation:

Place chicken in a crock pot; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Top chicken with all 3 cans of soup. Cover and cook on low for 3 hours, or until chicken falls apart. Remove chicken from crock pot and shred. Return chicken to crock pot; add broth, creamed corn, and cooked noodles. Mix Well. Cover and cook on low setting for additional 30 minutes, or until heated through.

Serves 12 (240 grams per serving)

Calories 250, C30g, F7g, P15g

Note: I’ve started using about 1 pound shredded rotisserie chicken instead, and saved the rest of the meat for another dinner. I like the added flavor it gives this soup. 

The nutrition will be different if a rotisserie chicken is substituted for the chicken breast. 

Creamy Italian Chicken

Creamy Italian Chicken
Adapted From: Taste of Home Magazine

My family loves this dish served over white rice or spaghetti noodles best.

Ingredients:

1-1.5 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast*
1 (0.7-ounce) envelope dried Italian salad dressing mix
1/2 cup water
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 (10 3/4-ounce) can cream of mushroom soup

1 (10 3/4-ounce) can cream of chicken soup

hot cooked rice or about 10 ounces pasta

Preparation:

Place the chicken breasts in the crock pot; sprinkle with the Italian dressing mix and add water. Cover and cook on low for 3 hours or until chicken is tender. Watch the chicken, crock pots vary with cooking times. Don’t burn the chicken. Pull chicken breast apart with forks to shred. Mix the cream cheese and soups until smooth and blended. Pour soup mixture over chicken and cook 15 minutes more until heated through. Serve over hot cooked rice or pasta of your choice. I weight out 10 ounces of spaghetti noodles on a kitchen scale, cook them, and add to the crock pot right before serving. If I don’t, I always make too much or not enough noodles! 


Serves 9 (158 grams of soup mixture without noodles)

Calories per serving 293 (without noodles), 19g Protein 

* 22 oz chicken breast was used when calculating nutrition facts