Crockpot Chicken a La Criolla

Crockpot Chicken a la Criolla by Skinnytaste
10 (2 lbs) skinless boneless chicken thighs, fat trimmed
1 small onion, diced
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 bell pepper, chopped or sliced
4 plum tomatoes
2 tbsp alcaparrado or pitted spanish olives
8 oz can tomato sauce
1/4 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp cumin
salt to taste
1-2 bay leaf
1/4 cup chopped cilantro (plus 2 tbsp more for serving)

Directions: Place chicken, onion, garlic, pepper and tomatoes in the crock pot. Season with salt, cumin and oregano. Mix well so everything is seasoned.

Modifications:
-I used 2 chicken breasts
-I used 2 ripe on the vine tomatoes
-I did not use bay leafs 
-I did not use cilantro
-I used a 16oz can of tomato sauce

Here's what you'll need:

Put the chicken breast in the crockpot and season with salt and pepper.

Chop up and add the onion and green pepper.

Dice up the tomato and olives and add them.

Add the herbs.

Add the tomato sauce.  Cook for 6 hours or until chicken is no longer pink.

Shred the chicken.

Serve over rice.

Here's what you'll end up with:

Our Thoughts:
I was looking for an easy dish and definitely found it with this recipe.  

This recipe really had great flavor and almost reminded us of a "roast" only with chicken.  Of course I love onion, green pepper, and garlic and feel that you usually can't go wrong if you have that combination.  I think for the tomato sauce you could substitute any of the flavored type such as "Italian-style" or "Mexican-style".

Hope you enjoy!
April 

Don't Peek Chicken

Don't Peek Chicken adapted from Mr. Food
1 cup uncooked long-grain rice
1 (10-3/4 ounce) can cream of mushroom soup
1 (10-3/4 ounce) can cream of celery soup
1 envelope onion soup mix (from a 2-ounce box)
1 soup can cold water
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 chicken (3-1/2 to 4 pounds), cut into 8 pieces
Paprika for sprinkling

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 9- x 13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl, mix together rice, soups, soup mix, water, garlic, parsley, and Worcestershire sauce.
3. Pour mixture into prepared pan. Press chicken into mixture. Sprinkle with paprika, then cover tightly with aluminum foil.

    4. Bake 1-1/4 hours. Do NOT open cover (not even to peek) during baking.



Modifications:
-I used quick cooking rice.

Here's what you'll need:

 Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Mix the soups, onio soup mix, parsley, and garlic.

Add the water and the worcestershire sauce.

Mix 

Lay the chicken breasts in a baking dish.  Pour the soup mixture over the chicken. 

  

Cover the dish with tin foil.

Place the dish in the oven and cook for 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Here's what you'll end up with:

Our Thoughts:

How can you go wrong, flavor-wise, when you use cream of anything? The combination of the cream of celery, cream of mushroom, and onion soup mix packed tons of rich, comforting flavor.

The chicken was moist and tender and really soaked up the soup. 

I used quick-cooking rice rather than cooking the rice in with the chicken.  It still tasted great.  We just spooned the soup over the rice and then laid the chicken on top of it. 

Hope you enjoy!

April

Glazed Chicken/Fish Breast

Glazed Chicken/Fish adapted from Mr. Food
1 envelope onion soup mix (from a 2-ounce box)
2/3 cup apricot preserves
1/2 cup water
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
2 large red or green bell peppers, sliced into thin rings

Directions:  Preheat oven to broil.   In a small bowl thoroughly combine onion soup mix, apricot preserves, and water; set aside.  Place chicken breasts in a foil-lined broiler pan. Top chicken with soup mixture and broil 5 minutes; turn chicken.  Place pepper rings over chicken, baste pan juices, then broil an addtional 5 to 10 minutes, or until chicken is fork-tender and no pink remains.

Here's what you'll need:

 

Slice up the peppers.

Mix the preserves, onion soup mix, water.

Preheat the broiler.  Mine was set to 500F.

Lay the chicken out on tinfoil and spoon the mixture on top.

Broil for 5 minutes.  Pull out and flip the chicken.  Baste with more of the mixture.  Put back in broiler for another 10-12 minutes.

After flipping the chicken, I also added 2 pieces of tilapia to the pan and cover with the mixture.

Top with the peppers.

Here's what you'll end up with:

Our Thoughts:
I've had this recipe sitting around for a while now and decided to give it a try this week.  Earlier in the week we went to Costco and I bought a package of fresh tilapia (TIP:  I used a few fillets fresh and then froze them in individual storage bags for later.  I defrosted a couple for this recipe by letting the bag float around in some water water for about 30 minutes). 

To be honest, the fish tasted better with this recipe than the chicken.  The chicken never really soaked in the flavor while the mild tilapia really took in the sweetness of the preserves as well as the tanginess of the onion soup.  The fish was cooked perfectly and even Scott preferred it over the chicken.

If you aren't "in" to apricots, I'm sure any preserve/jelly mixture would work.

Hope you enjoy!
April

Chicken Tortilla Cake

Chicken Tortilla Cake adapted from Mr. Food
1/2 cup vegetable oil
6 (8-inch) flour tortillas
1 cup sour cream
3/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
1/2 teaspoon dry fajita seasoning
2 1/2 cups shredded cooked chicken
4 cups (16 ounces) shredded Colby-Jack cheese blend
6 scallions (green onions), chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons butter, melted

Directions:  Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Coat a large rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray.  In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat (or to 375 degrees F. in an electric skillet). Fry tortillas one at a time for 10 to 15 seconds, or until golden. Drain well on paper towels.
In a medium bowl, combine sour cream, hot sauce, and fajita seasoning; mix well.
Place 1 tortilla on prepared baking sheet then spread 1 tablespoon sour cream mixture over the top. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup shredded chicken, 3/4 cup cheese, and 1 chopped scallion. Place a tortilla on top and repeat layers 4 more times, ending with a plain tortilla on top. Reserve remaining sour cream mixture.

Brush tops and sides of tortillas with melted butter then cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake 25 minutes. Remove foil and place on a serving plate. Spread top tortilla with remaining sour cream mixture and top with remaining chopped scallion.
Cut into wedges and serve immediately.

Modifications:
-I did not use melted butter.

Here's what you'll need:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Cook the chicken.  I boiled it for about 20 minutes.

Mix the fajita seasoning, hot sauce, and sour cream.

Fry the tortillas in vegetable oil for about 15 seconds.  Turning once.

Drain on a paper towel and then lay on a greased baking sheet.

Spread sour cream mixture.

Sprinkle the cheese.

Sprinkle scallions or green onions.

Shred the cheese.

Spread over the tortillas.

Add another layer of tortillas and the extra cheese, chicken and sour cream.

Bake for 20-25 minutes.

Cut in to pieces.

Here's what you'll end up with:

Our Thoughts:

We all loved this dish, even the kids!  This entire pan was eaten right up.

I used whole wheat tortillas and I admit that they probably didn't "fry" or crisp up as much as white flour tortillas.  I was actually a little afraid that they would be soggy but they tasted great!  They were crunchy but weren't soft and soggy, either, as a lot of these tortillas/baking dishes can be.

The sour cream/fajita/hot sauce mixed with the cheese was perfect.  They melted and melded together when put in the oven.

I would describe these as more of a quesadillas.  The chicken had good flavor.  We dipped it in sour cream and salsa.

I served this with Southwest Wild Rice.

Hope you enjoy!
April

Crock Pot Balsamic Chicken

Crock Pot Balsamic Chicken adapted from Crock Pot Girls
4-6 boneless, skinless, chicken breasts
2 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
1 onion thinly sliced (Not chopped)
4 garlic cloves
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
2 T olive oil
1 tsp each: dried oregano, basil, and rosemary
1/2 tsp thyme
ground black pepper and salt to taste
Directions:  Pour the olive oil on bottom of the crock pot.  Place chicken breasts in, salt and pepper each breast.  Put sliced onion on top of chicken.  Then put in all the dried herbs and garlic cloves
Pour in vinegar and top with tomatoes.
Cook on high 4 hours, serve over angel hair pasta.

Here's what you'll need:

Slice up an onion. (I left mine in rings)

Chop up the garlic cloves.

Put the seasoned (salt and pepper) chicken down in the crockpot.  Cover with onion and garlic.

Add the herbs.

Add the balsamic vinegar.

Add the diced tomatoes.

Cook for 4-6 hours. 

I took my chicken out and diced it up in to chunks and then returned it to the crock pot.

Serve over angel hair pasta.

Here's what you'll end up with:

Our Thoughts:
Once again, here is another easy crock pot meal.  I've seen this meal floating around the internet for a couple of weeks and thought I'd give it a try.

To be honest, it wasn't my favorite.  I really just thought it was OK.  The reason I'm posting it, though, because all three of my kids ate this dish and, as I've said before, that is always a success!  Caleb and Gracie even ate it again today for lunch . . . that never happens!

Scott and I actually thought the dish was a little bland with a tinge of tanginess from the vinegar.  I would definitely recommend serving it over pasta as the sauce of the vinegar and tomatoes really got soaked up by the angel hair pasta. 

Hope you enjoy!
April