Slow Cooker Italian Chicken

4 bonless chicken breast

1/2 cup Italian salad dressing

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1/2 cup grated Parmesan or Roman cheese

6 potatoes cut into wedges

Place chicken on booom of crock pot. Sprinkle with 1/2 dressing, 1/2 spices and 1/2 cheese. Place potatoes on top and sprinkle with remaining dressing, spices and cheese. Cook 6-8 hours on low.

It is really good and easy to make. Also, I usually have the ingredients on hand so no special trips to the grocery store.

Baked Potato Soup

Makes 6-8 servings

4 large baked potatoes

2/3 c butter

2/3 flour

6 c milk, whole or 2%

3/4 t salt

1/2 t pepper

4 green onions, chopped

12 slices bacon, fried and crumbled

2 c shredded cheddar cheese

1 c sour cream

Cut potatoes in half, scoop out pulp and put in small bowl

Melt better in large kettle. Add flour. Gradually stir in milk. Continue to stir until smooth, thickened, and bubbly.

Stir in potato pulp, salt, pepper, and 3/4 of the onion, bacon and cheese. Cook until heated. Stir in sour cream.

Transfer to slow cooker set on low. Top with remaining onions, bacon and cheese. Take to a potluck, or serve on a buffet table straight from the cooker.

This is one of my favorite recipes. It is especially good on a cold day.

You don't have to put it in the crockpot.

I cook my potatoes in the microwave. Much faster.

This is a good soup to start in the morning and look forward to it all day. I cut the recipe in half for 2 people.

Broccoli Cheese Balls

From Spice n' It Up Blog http://spice-n-it-up.blogspot.com/search/label/Side%20Dish

Broccoli Cheese Balls
2 cups bread crumbs (4 slices of bread)
1 cup broccoli, chopped
1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
1 egg

Place broccoli in a microwave safe dish. Cover with plastic wrap. Cook in the microwave until tender. Drain liquid. Add bread crumbs, cheese, and egg. Stir until all ingredients are incorporated into a dough. Form into individual 1 1/2 inch balls.

Cover tray with aluminum foil. Spray foil with cooking spray. Place balls on foil about an inch apart. Bake at 450 degrees for 5 minutes. Turn the balls over and bake for an additional 3 minutes.

*Notes
SUPER easy and tasty!!! I loved them; so did Darren. A great new way to enjoy broccoli.

Orange Hoisin Chicken

From Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Cookbook by Beth Hensperger and Julie Kaufman

2T frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
1/4 c honey
2 T soy sauce
2 T hoisin sauce
3 slices peeled fresh ginger, about 1/4" thick (I used dry)
3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 T sesame oil
6 individually frozen boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (do not thaw)
2 t cornstarch
2 t cold water
1T sesame seeds (optional), toasted in a dry skillet over medium heat until fragrant


1. In a zippered-top plastic bag, combining orange juice concentrate, honey, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, ginger, garlic and sesame oil. One at a time, put the chicken pieces in the bag, seal and gently shake to coat with the sauce. Transfer the coated chicken to the slow cooker, then pour remaining sauce over chicken. Cover and cook on LOW until the chicken is tender and cooked through, 5-6 hours.


2. Transfer the chicken to a warm platter. Strain the sauce through a fine-mesh strainer into a small saucepan. In a cup or small bowl, stir together the cornstarch and water. Bring the sauce to a boil over high heat, add the slurry, and cook, stirring a few times, until thickened, 1 or 2 minutes. Pour some of the sauce over the chicken and pass the rest on the side. If desired, sprinkle the sesame seeds over the top.


*Notes:

*I would mix the sauce in a bowl before putting it in the ziploc bag. I did not think it mixed very well in the bag. I had to really work it, initially and before each chicken dipping.

*I served this with white rice and broccoli balls (see other post).

Potato, Green Onion and Bacon Gratin Tart

From Good Things Catered.

This is the photo she had in her blog. I forgot to to a photo. Mine looked NOTHING like this!!!!

Potato, Green Onion and Bacon Gratin Tart

Adapted from Williams-Sonoma

Ingredients:

1 batch basic tart dough (*I used the crescent roll sheet)

1 lb. large Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/8 inch thick (*I used Russet)

4 oz. medium Irish cheddar, sliced 1/8 inch thick

4 oz. Fontina cheese, sliced 1/8 inch thick

1/2 lb. bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces and fried until crisp

1 c. thinly sliced green onions, white and light green portions

Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

1/4 c. heavy cream

Directions:

-Preheat oven to 425 degrees

-On a floured surface, roll out the tart dough into an 8-by-16-inch rectangle, about 1/8 inch thick.

-Set the dough on a rectangular tart pan and gently press the dough into the bottom and sides of the pan and remove the excess dough.

-Line the tart shell with parchment paper and fill with pie weights.

-Bake for 10 minutes.

-Remove the weights and paper and continue to bake until the shell is light golden brown, 5 to 8 minutes more.

-Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool for 5 to 10 minutes.

-Meanwhile, bring a saucepan of salted water to a boil over medium-high heat.

-Add the potatoes and simmer until just tender, 4 to 6 minutes.

-Drain the potatoes in a colander.

-Place half of the cheese slices on the bottom of the crust.

-Layer half of the potato slices on the cheese in an overlapping pattern.

-Sprinkle half of the bacon and green onions on top, and lightly season with salt and pepper.

-Repeat the layering with the remaining potatoes, bacon and green onions, then top with the remaining cheese.

-Pour the cream evenly over the tart.

-Bake until the cream is bubbling and the cheese is light golden brown, about 25 minutes.

-Let the tart stand for 5 minutes, then remove it from the pan and serve.

Notes:

*This was really good. Even Darren said so. I think the 2 cheeses added to the flavor.

*I used the crescent roll sheet, but I don't have pie weights. It really bubbled up. It still tasted fantastic!

* I do not have a trat pan. I used a pie plate. I had no trouble.

* I did not slice the fontina cheese. I just crumbled it around. Again, no problems.

White Chocolate Blondies

From Allrecipes.com

INGREDIENTS

8 ounces white chocolate, chopped
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 eggs
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup white sugar
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x9 inch baking pan. Melt white chocolate and butter in the top of a double boiler, over barely simmering water. Stir occasionally until smooth. Set aside to cool.

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat eggs until foamy. With the mixer still running, gradually add the sugar and vanilla. Drizzle in the melted white chocolate mixture. Combine the flour and salt; fold into the white chocolate mixture using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon. Fold in chocolate chips. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan.

Bake for 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool pan on a wire rack before cutting into bars.

Notes:

OMG - soooo good. I made these for Dad, but I'm not sure he even got one. Darren and I plowed through them pretty quickly! They are rich, so cut them small.