Nov172011

Roast Chicken in the Crockpot

Crockpot Roast Chicken

These plates will be collector’s items someday, right?

I’ve written before about how much my family and I love roast chicken for Sunday dinner, but let’s face it — that’s a lot of work. Over time it went from happening every other week to once a month, and now it’s been several months since I last made one. While the roast chicken and the potatoes and carrots were delicious, just the thought of all the prep work put me off it altogether. Read More

Jul92011

Lime Chicken Soft Tacos

Lime Chicken Soft Tacos

I tend to use my crockpot a lot in the summer months, and I probably use it more than I do any other time of the year. We’ll be hitting 100+ degrees daily for at least two more months, so anything I can do to avoid heating up the kitchen with the oven or even the stove some days will help. Read More

Aug162010

Baked Jambalaya

Baked Jambalaya

I came across this recipe a few weeks ago while trying to find something different to add to our bi-weekly dinner list. It looked easy enough and though I was a little wary about serving something new, it was a huge hit. I’ve tweaked the original recipe a bit to suit my family’s tastes.

Baked JambalayaInstead of putting it in a casserole dish I’ve also been able to make it a “one pot” meal, doing the whole thing in my giant (oven-proof) skillet and putting it directly in the oven after it’s been on the stove.

I also like to use the Foster Farms pre-cooked southwestern chicken strips (diced) as it adds a little bit of zing, too, and pre-diced ham also helps speed things up.

Baked Jambalaya

2 tablespoons butter
1 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup finely chopped green pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups diced cooked chicken
1 cup diced cooked ham
1/2 pound smoked sausage, cut in 1/4 inch slices
2 cans (15 oz each) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 cup raw white rice
1 1/2 cups (1 15 oz can) chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon dried leaf thyme
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley, or 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Melt the butter in a large skillet and add the onion, green pepper and garlic. Cook slowly, stirring often, until the onion and pepper are tender.

Add the chicken, ham and sausage; cook, stirring, 5 minutes.

Add the tomatoes with their liquid, the rice, broth, thyme, parsley, chili powder, salt, and pepper.

Turn the mixture into a large casserole. Cover and bake until the rice is tender, about one to 1-1/4 hours. Serves 4 to 6.

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