Easy Slow Cooker Shredded Chicken

This is SO much easier than boiling chicken and then shredding it with two forks. LOVE this trick.

Prep Time: 5min

Cook Time: 5hr

Total Time: 5hr 5min

INGREDIENTS

• 5 large boneless skinless chicken breasts (frozen or thawed, either works)
• 1-2 cups chicken stock or low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon  black pepper

DIRECTIONS

1. Place all ingredients in your slow cooker and cook on low for about 4 hours (2 hours on high). You’ll know when the chicken is done when it is super tender and will easily shred. You can also temp it to be sure- chicken should temp to 165 degrees (I use my favorite instant read thermometer for this).
2. Remove the chicken from the slow cooker. Sometimes I use a slotted spoon if there’s a lot of liquid remaining, other times I’ll just use tongs. Use a stand mixer with the paddle attachment to shred the chicken. Be sure to only let it shred for about 15 or so seconds, otherwise it will be mushy. Do NOT discard the broth. Store chicken in the broth in the fridge or freezer if using for later. If using right away, leave a little bit of broth in with the chicken in order to keep it from drying out.
3. Use this chicken in all of your favorite recipes that call for pre-cooked shredded chicken. It’s also great for quesadillas, tacos, and sandwiches.
4. Use the chicken within 5 days or freeze leftovers in an air-tight container for up to 6 months. 

Recipe Credit: Center Cut Cook

Shepherd's Pie (a little more homemade)

POTATO LAYER

1. 3 large russet potatoes
2. 2 Tablespoons butter
3. 1/2 cup milk
4. 1 teaspoon garlic powder

MEAT LAYER

1. 2 pounds ground beef ( or lamb, turkey)
2. 1 small onion, chopped
3. 2 cloves garlic, minced
4. 1/2 teaspoon each, salt and pepper
5. 2 Tablespoons flour
6. 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
7. 1 cup beef broth
8. 1/2 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
9. 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
10. 1 1/2 cups frozen peas and carrots
11. 1/2 cup frozen corn
12. 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

INSTRUCTIONS

1. FOR POTATO LAYER: Peel potatoes and chop into small pieces. Place chopped potatoes in a large pot of water. Bring to a boil and cook until potatoes are tender. (About 15 - 20 minutes)
2. Drain water from pot. Mash the potatoes. Add butter, milk and garlic powder. Continue to mash until no lumps remain. Cover potatoes and set aside.
3. Preheat oven to 375° F. Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish with non-stick spray.
4. FOR MEAT LAYER: In a large 12-inch skillet, over medium-high heat, add ground beef,onion, garlic, salt and pepper. Cook and crumble meat until browned. Drain grease.
5. Sprinkle flour evenly over meat mixture. Stir and cook 1 minute. Stir in tomato paste, broth, Worcestershire sauce and oregano. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low. Stir in frozen peas, carrots and corn. Cook another 5 to 10 minutes or until heated through.
6. Pour meat mixture into prepared pan. Spread mashed potatoes evenly over the top. Top potatoes with cheddar cheese.
7. Bake, uncovered, for 35 minutes until casserole is hot and bubbly. Remove from oven and let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Recipe Credit: Life in the Lofthouse

Thanksgiving Stuffing

• 1 loaf Cornbread (see My Skillet Cornbread Recipe)
• 1 loaf Italian Bread, Such As Ciabatta
• 1 loaf French Bread
• 1 whole Large Onion Or 2 Medium Onions, Diced
• 5 stalks Celery, Diced
• 1/2 bunch Parsley, Chopped
• 1/2 cup (1 Stick) Butter
• 6 cups Low-sodium Chicken Broth, More If Needed For Moisture
• 1/2 teaspoon Dried Basil
• 1/2 teaspoon Ground Thyme
• 1 Tablespoon Fresh Rosemary, Finely Minced
• Salt And Pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

Cut all the bread into 1-inch cubes and lay them out on sheet pans. Cover with a dish towel and let them dry out for 24-48 hours until they're dry and crisp.

Melt the butter in a large skillet. Add the onions and celery and cook for 3-4 minutes. Add the broth, parsley, rosemary, basil, thyme, salt, and pepper and stir.

Put all the bread cubes in a large bowl and slowly ladle in the broth mixture, tossing as you go until the dressing has the moisture level you want. Taste and add more seasonings as needed. 

Pour the dressing into a large casserole pan and/or the turkey cavity. Bake the casserole for 20 to 30 minutes at 375 degrees until golden and crisp on top. Serve piping hot with a turkey and gravy!

Skillet Cornbread

• 1 cup Yellow Cornmeal
• 1/2 cup All-purpose Flour
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 1 Tablespoon Baking Powder
• 1 cup Buttermilk
• 1/2 cup Milk
• 1 whole Egg
• 1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
• 1/4 cup Shortening
• 2 Tablespoons Shortening

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Combine cornmeal, flour, salt, and baking powder in a bowl. Stir together.

Measure the buttermilk and milk in a measuring cup and add the egg. Stir together with a fork. Add the baking soda and stir.

Pour the milk mixture into the dry ingredients. Stir with a fork until combined.

In a small bowl, melt 1/4 shortening. Slowly add melted shortening to the batter, stirring until just combined. In an iron skillet, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons shortening over medium heat. Pour the batter into the hot skillet. Spread to even out the surface. (Batter should sizzle.)

Cook on stovetop for 1 minute, then bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. 

Edges should be crispy!

Recipe Credit: Pioneer Woman

Pistachio Eclair Dessert

1 pkg. (3 oz.) vanilla pudding instant mix
1 pkg. (3 oz.) pistachio instant pudding mix
3 c. milk
1 (8 oz.) carton Cool Whip
graham crackers
chocolate frosting

1. Mix together puddings and milk until pudding is softly set.

2. Mix in Cool Whip.

3. Line 9x13 cake pan with graham crackers.

4. Spoon 1/2 of the pudding mix on top.

5. Place another layer of graham crackers on top of pudding, then the rest of the pudding mix and a final layer of crackers.

6. Let chill in fridge for a few hours and top with chocolate frosting before serving.

Recipe Credit: Katelyn Byam (but also Paula Deen)

Stress-Free "Baked" Potatoes

Makes: 12 servings
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 4-10 hours
Ideal Slow Cooker Size: 4-5 quart

12 potatoes
butter, softened

1. Spray slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray.

2. Rub butter over unpeeled whole potatoes. Place in slow cooker.

3. Cover and cook on high 4-5 hours, or on low 8-10 hours, or until potatoes are tender when jagged.

Tip: Mix 1 T pesto into 1/2 c. sour cream for a luscious baked potato topping.

Serve with toppings such as: sour cream, shredded cheese, steamed broccoli, chili, bacon crumbles, green onion, butter, etc.

Recipe Credit: Fix it and Forget it

The Moistest Chocolate Mug Cake

Prep time:  1 min

Cook time:  1 min

Total time:  2 mins

Serves: 1

 

Ingredients:

• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
• ¼ tsp. baking powder
• 2 tbsp. granulated sugar (you can add 1 tbsp. more if you like it a bit sweeter)
• ⅛ tsp. salt
• ¼ cup + 1 tbsp. milk
• 2 tbsp. vegetable oil
• 1 tbsp. hazelnut chocolate spread

Instructions:

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together dry ingredients.
2. Whisk in the milk and vegetable oil until all ingredients are combined and batter has no clumps.
3. Pour batter into a microwave-safe mug. Mine was a 14-ounce mug. You want enough head space for the cake to rise without pouring over.
4. Add 1 tbsp. of hazelnut chocolate spread in the middle of the batter. Just drop it in the middle, no need to push it down and sink it in the batter.
5. Place a paper towel into the microwave and set the mug on top (this is to catch any batter if your mug cake overflows).
6. Microwave mug cake for 70 seconds on high (PLEASE READ NOTES CAREFULLY BELOW)
7. Carefully remove from microwave and enjoy!

Notes:

Please note that ALL microwaves are different therefore can yield different results and can overcook this mug cake if you aren't careful. My microwave is 950 watts and I cooked mine on 100% power for 70 seconds. Knowing this information, it may help you better judge how long to cook yours for and at what power.

You can totally omit the tablespoon of chocolate hazelnut spread if you want or use a different spread of your choice (peanut butter, biscoff, etc.). I just thought it made the cake even more moist but the cake itself is moist enough without it!

**This recipe is specifically made for the microwave. I developed it for the microwave. I don't know cook time or temperature for an oven...I'd imagine it'd be a very quick cook time at a low temp., but since I didn't test the recipe for an oven, I cannot give specifics. Sorry!

No eggs? Correct. There are NO EGGS in this recipe. Why? Egg is what makes the mug cake spongy. If you think about it, when you bake a full-sized cake, you typically use 1 or 2 eggs...for a mug cake to use 1 egg is A LOT!

Recipe Credit: Table for Two

Turkey/Chicken Tetrazzini

• 1-1/2 pound Thin Spaghetti, Broken In Half
• 4 Tablespoons Butter
• 4 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 1 pound White Mushrooms, Quartered
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• 1 cup White Wine
• 1/3 cup Flour
• 4 cups Turkey (or Chicken) Broth
• 1 block 8 Ounce Cream Cheese
• 3 cups Cooked (leftover) Turkey or Chicken, Shredded Or Diced
• 1 cup Finely Chopped Black Olives
• 1-1/2 cup Frozen Green Peas
• 4 slices Bacon, Fried And Cut Into Bits
• 1 cup Grated Monterey Jack Cheese
• 1 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
• Salt And Pepper, to taste
• Extra Broth For Thinning
• 1 cup Panko Bread Crumbs

INSTRUCTIONS

Cook pasta until not quite done - al dente according to package instructions (it will finish cooking in the oven.) Drain, rinse, and set aside. 

In a large pot, heat butter over medium-high heat. Add garlic and saute for a couple of minutes. Add mushrooms and salt, then saute for a couple more minutes. Pour in the wine and allow it to cook with the mushrooms for several minutes, or until the liquid reduces by half. 

Sprinkle in flour, then stir the mushrooms around for another minute. Pour in the broth and stir, cooking for another few minutes until the roux thickens. 

Reduce heat to medium low. Cut cream cheese into pieces and add it to the pot. Stir it to melt (don't be concerned if the cream cheese remains in little bits for awhile; it'll melt eventually!) Add the leftover turkey, the olives, the peas, the bacon, and the cheeses. Stir to combine, adding salt and pepper as needed. 

Add the cooked spaghetti and stir it to combine. Splash in more broth as needed; you want the mixture to have a little extra moisture since it will cook off in the oven. If it's a little soupy, that's fine! Add up to 2 more cups of liquid if you think it needs it. 

Pour the mixture into a large baking dish and sprinkle the top with Panko crumbs. Bake at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes, or until the casserole is bubbly and the crumbs are golden brown.

Recipe Credit: Pioneer Woman