Slow Cooker Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

original recipe: Chef Mommy

4 1/2 cups chicken broth
2 cups water
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup diced carrots
1 cup diced celery
1/3 cup long-grain wild rice
1/3 cup brown rice
2 tsp dried parsley
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp sugar
1/2 cup flour (or potato starch for gluten-free)
1/2 cup butter
2 cups milk


1. Combine first 12 ingredients (chicken broth through sugar) in a large slow cooker. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. Take out chicken and shred with two forks; add back into slow cooker.
2. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour a little at a time to form a roux. Whisk in cream 1/2 cup at a time until fully incorporated. Stir milk mixture into slow cooker and cook another 15 minutes.

Crock-Pot Vegetable Beef Soup

I've re-vamped this recipe so that we enjoy it much more than when I originally posted it over four years ago. This new version has been a staple in our house over the cold winter months. Serve with warm cornbread.

yield: 4 servings

1 lb beef chuck roast, trimmed and cut into bite-sized pieces
3 medium carrots, sliced
2 small potatoes, cut into bite-sized cubes
1 medium onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, sliced
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp tarragon
1/4 tsp pepper
2 14-oz cans diced tomatoes, undrained
2 cups beef broth
2 cups frozen corn
2 cups frozen baby lima beans or peas

1. In a large crock pot, combine all ingredients, stirring well to combine. Cook on low-heat setting for 8 hours.

Crockpot Granola

After trying out many recipes, here is our favorite granola recipe. I make it every two weeks and we eat it twice a week (although we'd love to eat it more often!).

Original recipe: www.homewithpurpose.blogspot.com

5 cups oats

1 cup chopped walnuts

1 cup unsweetened coconut

1/2 cup butter, melted

1/2 cup honey

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla extract

3/4 cup raisins

3/4 cup dried cranberries

1. Combine all ingredients except for raisins and cranberries in a crock-pot. Cook on LOW for 5 hours, stirring occasionally. When granola has browned to your taste, turn off crock-pot and let cool. Stir in raisins and cranberries. Store in an air-tight container.

Chocolate Syrup

We can buy chocolate syrup here, but it's pretty expensive. Enter cheap, easy, homemade chocolate syrup.

Original recipe credit: allrecipes.com

Yield: 1 1/2 cups

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup water

1/2 cup cocoa

dash of salt

1 tsp vanilla extract

1. Combine sugar, water, cocoa and salt in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring with a whisk constantly, until mixture bubbles and begins to thicken. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Store in an airtight container.

Chicken Divan

    This has been a family favorite for awhile now, but due to the fact that I have to make homemade cream of mushroom soup, it doesn't get made very often. Six large servings, all major food groups, and a creamy sauce make this dish a winner all around.

Original recipe credit: www.passionatehomemaking.com

yield: 6 servings

a bunch of broccoli (4 cups chopped?)

3 cups cooked brown rice

3 cups shredded chicken

2 10-oz. cans cream of mushroom soup

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 Tbsp curry powder

2 tsp lemon juice

1/2 cup grated cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350°.

2. Lightly steam broccoli, 5-7 minutes or until a fork just goes through when poked.

3. In a large bowl combine soup, mayonnaise, curry powder, and lemon juice, stirring well to combine.

4. Coat a 9 x 13 baking dish with cooking spray. Layer rice, then broccoli, then chicken, then soup mixture, spreading evenly. Sprinkle the top with cheese. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until it starts to bubble.

Spiced Chicken

This is one of my favorite quick chicken recipes. It's super simple, super quick, and super delicious.

yield: 4 servings

2 1/2 tsp paprika
1 tsp dried thyme
3/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp ground red pepper
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
2 tsp olive oil

1. Combine paprika through red pepper in a shallow dish.
2. Pound chicken to 1/2-inch thickness. Sprinkle paprika mixture on both sides of chicken.
3. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add chicken; cook 5 minutes on each side or until done.

Enchiladas

After tweaking a friend's enchilada recipe to our own tastes and to what's available here, I present you with the recipe that has overtaken my husband's 38-year-long love affair with spaghetti. This is now his favorite meal.

yield: 6 servings

3-4 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded

8 oz. cream cheese

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp chili powder

1 tsp oregano

12 taco-sized tortillas

3 Tbsp butter

3 Tbsp flour

2 cups chicken broth

1 cup sour cream or plain yogurt

4 oz. can diced green chiles

1 cup shredded cheddar

1. Preheat oven to 350°.

2. In a large bowl combine chicken, cream cheese, cumin, chili powder, and oregano. Fill each tortilla with chicken mixture, roll up, and place seam side down in a 9 x 13-inch pan.

3. Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the flour; cook and stir for 1 minute. Add the chicken broth, whisking together until smooth. Cook 2-3 minutes or until it begins to thicken and becomes bubbly. Stir in the sour cream or plain yogurt and chiles.

4. Pour sauce evenly over prepared tortillas. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese. Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until sauce bubbles.

Chocolate Peanut-Butter Banana Popsicles

Oh yum. I've been perfecting some popsicle recipes over the summer, so here's our first winner!

yield: 6 pops

1 cup whole milk

1/4 cup peanut butter

2 ripe bananas

2 Tbsp cocoa

1 Tbsp honey

1/2 tsp vanilla

dash of salt

1. Combine all ingredients in a blender; pour into popsicle molds. Freeze.

Vanilla-Butter Cookies

These cookies are so yummy...they're perfectly sweet, light, and have a touch of almond flavoring in them. They're a great choice for someone who's not a chocolate-lover!

yield: 3 dozen cookies
Original recipe credit: Cooking Light

2/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter, softened
1 Tbsp light-colored corn syrup
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp almond extract
1 egg
1 cup white flour

1 cup whole-wheat flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

1. Preheat oven to 375°.

2. Combine sugar and butter in a large bowl and beat with a mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy. Add corn syrup, vanilla and almond extracts, and egg; beat well. In a small bowl, combine flours, baking powder, and salt, stirring with a whisk. Add flour mixture to sugar mixture; beat at low speed until well blended.
3. Drop dough by tablespoon-fulls 2 inches apart on baking sheets. Flatten the cookies with a fork in a criss-cross pattern. Bake at 375° for 8 minutes or until cookies are golden brown. Remove cookies from pan and cool completely.

Soaked Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookie Bread

Yield: 1 loaf

Original recipe credit: How Sweet It Is

1 cup oats

1 cup buttermilk

1/4 cup butter, softened

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 large egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp salt

1/3 cup mini chocolate chips

1. Combine oats and buttermilk in a medium bowl, stirring well to coat all oats. Let sit overnight, 12-24 hours.

2. Preheat oven to 350°.

3. In a large bowl, cream together butter and brown sugar. Add in egg, vanilla, and buttermilk mixture, stirring well to combine. In a small bowl, combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Stir well; add into buttermilk mixture, mixing well. Fold in chocolate chips.

4. Pour into a greased loaf pan. Bake at 350° for 40-45 minutes or until a knife inserted in center comes out clean (minus chocolate chip smears). Cool in pan 10 minutes. Remove from pan and cool at least 20 more minutes before serving.

Honey Sauced Chicken (Crockpot Recipe)

Mmm. I found this recipe on Pinterest and thought it sounded good (and easy). Now we have a new addition into the Scarbrough dinner rotation. A little sweet, a little tangy, this dish is extremely easy and fast to prepare.

Yield: 4 servings

Original recipe credit: mmm...cafe

4 chicken breasts

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/2 cup honey

1/4 cup soy sauce

2 Tbsp ketchup

1 Tbsp onion flakes

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 garlic clove, minced

1. Sprinkle salt and pepper on both sides of chicken; put into crockpot. Combine remaining ingredients in a large bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Pour over chicken. Cook on low for 3-4 hours. Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces; return to crockpot. Toss chicken well in sauce. Serve over rice.

Baked Oatmeal

I originally found this recipe floating around on Pinterest and have made it a few times, modifying it each time (because the original calls for 3/4 cup sugar and it's only like 4 servings!). I've finally gotten it to a place where we still think it's great, and it's plenty sweet. Try your oatmeal this way...it's a bit hit around here!

Yield: 4 servings

Original recipe credit: On The Eastern Journey

2 eggs

1 cup milk

2 Tbsp sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

3 cups oats

2 cups chopped fruit of your choice (we like either apples or pears)

1/2 cup of raisins or dried cranberries (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350°.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs and next 6 ingredients (through cinnamon). Stir in oats, fruit, and raisins or cranberries. Pour into a 9 x 13-inch pan. Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until most of the liquid has been absorbed.

Chicken and Biscuits

Oooh, yummy. These are SO good! And easy! And healthy! I dare say you'll add them into your regular rotation of chicken dinners once you've had them.

yield: 6 servings

Original recipe credit: www.passionatehomemaking.com

Filling:

1 Tbsp olive oil

3 cups carrot, chopped (about 6)

1 medium onion, chopped

3 medium potatoes, washed and chopped

2 celery stocks, sliced (leaves too)

1 cup chopped green pepper

2 tsp salt

2 tsp dried thyme

1 1/2 tsp garlic powder

2 cups chicken broth

3 cups shredded, cooked chicken

1 cup milk

Biscuits:

1 1/4 cup white flour

1 cup whole-wheat flour

1 Tbsp baking powder

1/2 tsp dried parsley

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

3 Tbsp olive oil

2 Tbsp butter, melted

1 cup + 2 Tbsp buttermilk

1. Preheat oven to 350°.

2. In a large stockpot, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add vegetables and spices; sauté for 5 minutes. Add chicken broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes. Add shredded chicken and milk; cook 5 more minutes.

3. While filling cooks, combine flours, baking powder, and spices in a medium bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Stir in olive oil, butter, and buttermilk with a wooden spoon, stirring just until moist.

4. Pour vegetable mixture into a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Spoon biscuit batter on top of vegetable mixture by 1/4 cupfuls. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center of a biscuit comes out clean.

Cranberry-Pumpkin Cookies

Mmm. I made these the other day with some pumpkin I'd roasted and they are yummy! I modified the original recipe a bit (less butter and sugar, dried cranberries instead of fresh, whole-wheat flour) and they are delicious! They're a bit like these cookies, but with more complexity. A great autumn cookie.

Yield: 4 dozen

Original recipe credit: www.allrecipes.com

1 cup dried cranberries

1/3 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup sugar

1 egg

1 cup pumpkin purée

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 1/4 cups white flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

1. Preheat oven to 350°.

2. Place cranberries in a small bowl and cover with warm water. Let soak.

3. In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar until well combined. Add in egg, pumpkin, and vanilla, beating well to combine.

4. In a small bowl combine flours, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt, stirring well with a whisk. Add flour mixture to pumpkin mixture; mix well.

5. Drain and squeeze excess water off of cranberries. Stir cranberries and walnuts into cookie dough. Drop cookie dough by tablespoonfuls onto cookie sheets. Bake at 350° for 10 minutes or until lightly brown.

Cream of Mushroom Soup

   Found this recipe and was excited to make this since cream soups are one thing that you cannot find overseas. This turned out pretty well and wasn't a whole lot of work. If you need a cream of mushroom soup recipe, try this one out!

Original recipe credit: www.passionatehomemaking.com

Yield: 2 10-oz "cans"

18 mushrooms

2 Tbsp butter

2 Tbsp olive oil

1/4 cup whole wheat flour (for gluten-free, use potato starch)

1 tsp salt

2 cups milk

1. Take the stems off of the mushrooms, peel the "skin" off the mushrooms, and finely chop the mushrooms. (Mushroom stems gross me out. If they don't gross you out and you want to use them, you can use just 12-14 mushrooms.)

2. Heat butter and oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. When butter melts, add flour or potato starch and salt, stirring to make a roux. Add mushrooms and cook 2-3 minutes or until soft (mixture will be very thick). Add milk and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring constantly until mixture thickens (3-4 minutes after it starts to boil).

Minestrone Soup

I think that I may have finally perfected my minestrone recipe! Chock full of healthy veggies, this pairs well with grilled cheese sandwiches, garlic bread, or a great big salad. Yum.

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
2 cups diced celery
8 cups chicken broth

1 cup red wine
1 large zucchini, diced
1 large potato, washed and diced
2 1/2 cups (2 large handfuls) cut green beans
8 large carrots, peeled and diced
1/2 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1 14.5-oz can diced tomatoes
1/2 pound torn spinach
1/2 cup uncooked orzo pasta

1. Heat oil in a large Dutch Oven over medium-high heat. Add onion and celery; sauté until tender, about 4-5 minutes. Add remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low. Cook 30-45 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

*For vegetarian option, use vegetable broth in place of chicken broth*
*For gluten-free option, omit pasta*

Morning Glory Muffins

Now that Lane likes to help me in the kitchen, I find myself baking almost every day. We had a bunch of apples and carrots, so Morning Glory Muffins it was! These are just sweet enough and pretty healthy, too! Throw in some flaxseed or wheat bran if you have it for added nutrition.

yield: 18 muffins

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup white flour

3/4 cup sugar

2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp salt

2 cups finely shredded carrots

1 large apple, peeled, cored, and finely diced

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1/2 cup raisins

1/2 cup unsweetened flaked coconut

3 eggs

2 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 cup oil

1/4 cup apple juice

1/2 cup buttermilk

1. Preheat oven to 350°.

2. Place raisins in a small bowl and cover with water. Let soak for 10 minutes. Drain and squeeze off extra water.

3. In a large bowl stir together flours, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Stir in carrots, apple, pecans, raisins, and coconut. In a small bowl whisk together eggs, vanilla, oil, apple juice, and buttermilk. Add egg mixture to flour mixture, stirring just until moist.

4. Coat 18 muffin cups with cooking spray. Pour batter into muffin cups. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

Apple (Walnut) Pancakes with Cider Syrup

Mmm. These are a great autumn breakfast recipe to add to your repertoire! When my friend Kecia posted on facebook about making these, I was quick to ask for the recipe. Here it is (with a few modifications for those of us living overseas and/or just to my personal taste). Try these NOW...you won't be disappointed!

yield: 14 pancakes and a lot of syrup (enough for 2-3 batches of pancakes)

Original recipe credit: Kecia over at Kecia's Journey

Cider Syrup:

1 cup sugar

2 Tbsp corn starch

1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice (or 1/8 tsp each of allspice, ginger, nutmeg, and cinnamon)

2 cups apple juice (use cider if you can get it)

2 Tbsp lemon juice

1/4 cup butter

1. Combine sugar, corn starch, and pumpkin pie spice in a medium saucepan, stirring with a whisk. Add apple and lemon juices; stir well. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; stir in butter.

Apple (Walnut) Pancakes:

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup white flour

2 Tbsp sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 egg

1 3/4 cups buttermilk

1 large apple, peeled and grated (about 1 1/2 cups)

1/3 cup finely chopped walnuts (optional, but oh-so-yummy)

1. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Stir in egg and buttermilk until well combined. Stir in grated apple. Pour by 1/3-cupfulls onto a hot griddle, flipping them when the middles begin to have small bubbles.

Pumpkin Spice Coffee Creamer

For those of us who don't have access to Coffeemate and/or International Delight and their smorgasbord of holiday creamers, here's a decent alternative.

yield: 2 cups creamer

Original recipe credit: my friend Tina over at Girl Meets Globe.

1 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
3 Tbsp puréed pumpkin

4 Tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla

1. Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring with a whisk constantly. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 3-5 minutes or until mixture begins to thicken, stirring constantly with a whisk. Remove from heat.

2. Pour mixture through a fine sieve; discard remaining pumpkin pulp. Pour into an airtight glass container. Store in refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

A friend of mine recently recommended The Pioneer Woman's Chicken Tortilla Soup as a good choice for something easy and good for dinner. After checking out her recipe, I made this for dinner tonight, with a few modifications, of course. It was really, really yummy. For gluten-free, use corn tortillas.

Original recipe credit: thepioneerwoman.com

yield: 8 servings

Soup:

2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts

4 tsp olive oil

1 1/2 tsp cumin

1 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 medium/large onion, diced

1/2 cup diced green pepper

1/2 cup diced red pepper

2 jalepeños, diced

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 14-oz can diced tomatoes

1/4 cup tomato sauce

8 cups water

2 chicken bouillon cubes (enough for 4 cups) OR use 4 cups water instead of 8 and 4 cups chicken broth

3 cups cooked or canned black beans

2 cups frozen corn

Garnishes (to taste)

crushed tortilla chips or sliced soft tortillas

sour cream

shredded cheese

diced tomatoes or pico

diced avocado

diced onions

1. Preheat oven to 350°.

2. Combine cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, and salt in a small bowl. Place chicken breasts on a baking sheet; drizzle with 1 teaspoon olive oil. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon of spice mixture. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until chicken is done. Remove from oven; shred with a fork. Set aside.

3. In a large stockpot, heat remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onion, green and red peppers, garlic, and jalepeños. Sauté 5 minutes or until tender. Stir in remaining spice mixture and shredded chicken. Add remaining ingredients; stir well. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low and cook 30-45 minutes or until flavors are well melded. Top each serving with desired garnishes.

*Crock-pot option: place all ingredients in crock-pot (don't cook the chicken in the oven...just place the breasts and all the spices in with everything else). Cook on LOW for 8 hours. Remove breasts, shred with a fork, and return to pot. Garnish as desired.