Sour Cream and Bacon Crockpot Chicken

So…I have this new job.  Generally, I work a normal schedule.  However, there are peak times where we are swamped and work like Hebrew slaves.  During those heavy work days, there’s not much time to spend on cooking a meal.  Thus, my fast food spending habits have left me with empty pockets and extra pounds.  In an effort to curb this, I decided to wipe the dust off the ol’ crockpot.

I discovered this recipe on the blog "Moms with Crockpots" .  Though I’m not a mom, being the rebel that I am, I decided to give it a whirl.  It’s gotta be good if it has bacon AND sour cream. 

 

Here's the ingredients:

8 bacon slices

8 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

2 (10 oz) cans roasted garlic cream of mushroom soup

1 cup sour cream

1/2 cup all purpose flour

Salt and pepper to taste

 

First, lightly cook the bacon in a skillet.  Make sure it's still workable enough to wrap around the chicken. 

Next, wrap one piece of bacon around each chicken breast and place in crock pot.

 

In a separate bowl, combine both cans of soup, sour cream, and flour.  Works best to mix it with a whisk to get all the lumps out.

Pour soup mixture over the chicken. Cover crockpot and cook on high for 6-8 hours.  I cooked mine on high for 5 hours, and it was delish and tender.  The key is to know your crockpot.  If it's an older model, you may very well need to cook it the full 8 hours.  The newer models seem to cook faster.

 

Click here for the link to the full recipe.

 

It was so easy to prepare.  Less than 10 minutes of prep time, and leave the rest to the crockpot! I served mine over a bed of rice.  You can also serve over noodles.  However, it is good enough to stand alone if you aren't a lover of carbs as I am. 

So…for all you busy people out there who think you don’t have time to fix a good meal, think again!  It takes minimal time and tastes like you slaved all day!  Happy eating!

 

Andie

Pear Preserves

This summer, my mom and I wanted to can and /or make jelly and preserves. We gave it our best when we tried to make strawberry jam earlier in the summer. We truly had great intentions!! We drove for what seemed like half a day to pick fresh berries only to find out they were already closed for the season. Who knew?! We had to settle for store bought strawberries. The jam tasted wonderful. It just wasn’t very jelly-like. We call it ‘spreadable’ jam. We were a little discouraged by this. We knew it tasted good but wanted to give something else a shot too. My mother-in-law offered me access to her pear tree this past weekend, so I took it as a sign for us to make preserves. This is a whole new thing for me, but people have been canning for ages. I can do this, right?

We picked all the pears we could fit into two bags and headed home to get to work. Mama peeled while I searched for a recipe and chopped. Because we had so many pears, we decided we would triple the recipe. 12lbs of pears (about 15 softball size) and six lemons later, we were ready to get cooking….

This is the hardest part...

Hard work pays off!!

Start off by boiling 6 cups of water and 6 cups of sugar. Let boil for 15 minutes then add the pears and lemons and boil for 15 more minutes.

This pot was full!! But the fruit quickly started to cook down.

Cooking away! Watch your pot carefully. Keep a steady boil without letting it boil over. 

Add the remaining 6 cups of sugar and 4 more cups of water (6 seemed like way too much). Let this mixture boil until the pears become transparent and the syrup thickens. This will take about an hour.

I'm sure you could cook the pears until they were darker and even thicker, but I thought they were a beautiful champagne color and a good consistency.

Pack the pears into hot, clean jars and seal immediately.

A wide mouth funnel makes it easy to fill the jars.

Keep your lids in a small pot of boiling water to be sure they stay sterilized.  Lift the lids out of the pot using a fork to help you place it on the jar.

Steady...

yay!!

We decided to use the inverted method to see how well it worked. We didn’t hear the jars sealing but every one of them was sealed when we flipped them back over.

I’m hoping these sell well at our FUMC annual Christmas bazaar!

I took a jar to my grandmother, who specializes in pear preserves. She called me that afternoon to tell me how wonderful they were. Nothing better than granmaw's approval!!!

Enjoy!!

Here is the link to the original recipe: http://low-cholesterol.food.com/recipe/pear-preserves-37859

-Anna

Whole Roasted Chicken

As I was reading the January issue of Southern Living, I came across an article titled Every Recipe has a Story. It made me feel a little nostalgic for all the recipes I have that have been handed down to me over the years. The article is about a woman, Kate, who uses these recipes to remember her mother. They bring back memories for her of them together in the kitchen. It is a great article! In it, she says her mother thought that everyone must learn to roast a chicken.  Also, that her mother agreed with Julia Child that you could judge the quality of a cook or restaurant by their roast chicken. This got me to thinking how I have never roasted a whole chicken. I have cooked a whole chicken in the crock pot, but that requires no true skill. Roasting a chicken requires a little more work. You need to season it well, know how to check the internal temperature and try not to burn the skin. The article got me motivated: I’m going to roast a whole chicken! The recipe that came along with the article looks delicious; however, my mother had the new Martha Stewart Living magazine. Inside, there is a recipe for Roasted Chicken with a Lemon, Garlic, and Parmesan Sauce.  Yum!!! Is your mouth watering yet? Let’s get started.

Here’s what you’ll need:

Chicken and potatoes:

• 1 whole organic chicken (about 3 1/2 pounds)
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1/2 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 1 lemon, halved
• 1 pound fingerling potatoes, halved or cut into thirds if large (we added some carrots too)

Sauce :

• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 lemon, zested (2 teaspoons) and juiced (1 1/2 tablespoons)
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
• Pinch of red-pepper flakes

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Place chicken, breast side up, on a baking sheet. Rub with 2 tablespoons oil; season generously with salt and pepper. Place parsley and 1 lemon half in cavity. Tie legs together with kitchen twine.

Toss potatoes and carrots in 2 tablespoons oil. Drizzle with juice from remaining lemon half. Season with salt and pepper. Scatter potatoes and carrots along chicken.

Roast for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 375 degrees F; cook for 25 minutes. Rotate pan, toss potatoes, and cook until potatoes and chicken are golden brown and a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the chicken’s thigh reaches 165 degrees F, about 25-30 minutes more.

Let chicken and potatoes stand for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the sauce: Combine ingredients. After 10 minutes, brush sauce on chicken and drizzle on potatoes.

The article shows the chicken whole with the sauce drizzled over the top. Because I’m not 100% confident in my carving skills, I wanted to have it all carved up before calling everyone to the table. Once the chicken was carved and plated, I drizzled the sauce over the chicken so it would be easier to serve. I also reserved some sauce for the vegetables.

The sauce is delicious, but it is loaded with garlic, so keep that in mind. You could always add more or not use as much. I love garlic, so I could eat it on just about anything. Martha Stewart Living suggests adding it to pasta or spreading over bread and toasting.

Probably the best garlic bread you'll ever eat!

The chicken was fall off the bone tender and juicy. The veggies were tender and yummy. I suggest adding the carrots for a little more complexity. I will absolutely use this method to roast next time. If you were looking to save a little chopping/prep time, make the chicken without the sauce. I think it would be excellent since it was seasoned so well before going into the oven. You can also play around with your seasonings. Lemon and rosemary would also be a tasty combination. Make it your own!

I can’t really say I was scared to try to roast a whole chicken, I just thought it was easier to buy a rotisserie chicken from the store. Well, this recipe is simple and will give you a sense of satisfaction once you finish. Try it!

-Anna

Perfect Meatloaf

Since it’s been a while since we posted, this one is going to be a two-in-one. We are going to do a new recipe and product review all rolled into one.

I love a good meatloaf and love it even more when I have a new product to use to bake it. I purchased 'The Perfect Meatloaf Pan' at Target and decided to give it a whirl. I’m not one who usually falls victim to ‘as seen on TV’ products. Ok, maybe a little, but this just seemed like a no brainer, plus it came with a recipe book! My meatloaf is pretty tasty, but it’s sort of just shaped into a loaf in a casserole dish left to swim in whatever drippings there may be. I’ve never really had a problem with my meatloaf falling apart. I think that has to do with using a recipe with more meat and less filler, but if there is a product I can use to eliminate excess fat and make clean up easy, I’m in!

There are lots of delicious looking recipes in the book that came with the pan, and I will definitely be trying some of them out soon. But for the first time, I thought I would use my own recipe. Here’s what you’ll need:

1lb Lean Ground Beef
1lb Ground Turkey (I use the 93/7)
1 Egg
½ Cup Quick Oatmeal
Dehydrated Onion
¼ Cup Ketchup
¼ Cup Water
Salt & Pepper

Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl. You may want to add a little more/less water and ketchup, because you want your mixture to be very moist.

Spray the meatloaf pan and insert tray very well with cooking spray. Put the insert tray in the pan and add the meat, shaping into a loaf.
Bake for about an hour or until meat is done in the center. (According to the meatloaf pans recipe book, a 2 lb meatloaf should cook about an hour.)
Remove from pan and let your meatloaf rest for about 10 minutes before slicing.

ATTENTION: I cooked my meatloaf for an hour and it was still a little pink in the middle. Since it was already sliced and out of the pan, I sprayed a nonstick skillet and cooked in both sides until it was done (just about 3 minutes). Another 15-20 minutes in the oven would be all you would need to finish the cooking.

You can see how much liquid/fat was cooked out of the meatloaf, and the meatloaf was still very moist. Considering I used very lean meats, I think ½ cup is a pretty large amount. Overall, I’m impressed!

I will definitely use this pan next time I make meatloaf. I’m also very excited about trying some of the recipes that were included like the Bacon Cheeseburger Meatloaf or Shepherd’s Pie Meatloaf. Yum-o!

-Anna

Hello Followers!

We would like to take this time to wish each of you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. We would also like to apologize for the lack of attention we have been giving the blog. We have each been super busy with numerous things. No excuse, we know. We hope to get back up and moving very soon. Due to some unforeseen changes, our address has changed back to the original blogspot address. You can find us at http://everydayre-creations.blogspot.com . Please update it so you can continue to receive our updates.

Anna, Andie, & Kirby

Chicken Casserole

This recipe originally came from my college roommate’s grandmother. Confused? Here’s how it started. My roomie is from Douglasville, GA and I would travel home with her fairly regularly on weekends. We would occasionally make a stop in Ragland, AL to visit her grandmother. This lady ranks up there as one of the best grandmother’s ever! She would cook for us, send food back with us, and she even made me a nice UA blanket, which I LOVE!! I mean, who just does that? An awesome granny, that’s who!!

The chicken casserole she made for us on this particular visit consists merely of chicken, a creamy base, and a ritz cracker topping. Plain, simple, and delicious! We learned how to make this for ourselves and thought we were in heaven. I made this one time and decided to add rice. The next time, I added cheese. Occasionally, I add broccoli (although the hubs doesn’t like). This casserole has evolved over the years and is still a household favorite.  Here’s what you’ll need:

1lb Chicken Breast - boiled & chopped (Reserving about 2-3 cups chicken broth)

2 cans Cream of Chicken Soup

16oz. Sour Cream

6 Servings Minute Rice - cooked according to pkg. directions

2 Cups Shredded Cheese

Salt & Pepper

Topping:

1 Sleeve Ritz Crackers, crushed

2 Tbsp. Butter/Margarine, melted

1. In large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients, adding in about 2 cups chicken broth to thin out a little.

I cooked and shredded my chicken the night before.

It will be thick until you add in the chicken broth.

The broth will thin it out. You want it creamy, not soupy.

2. Transfer to a 9x12 casserole dish that has been sprayed with nonstick cooking spray

3. Melt butter and mix with the crushed crackers. Top casserole.

4. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes, until bubbly.

Try this dish the original way, or add broccoli or other veggies for a one-dish dinner. If you really want to kick it up, sprinkle in a little cayenne.  For a quick weeknight meal, cook and shred your chicken in advance. You’ll be able to throw the casserole together in no time. Enjoy!!

Anna

It's Contest Time!

Listen up all cooks, it’s your turn to have the spotlight!  Do you have a favorite everyday recipe that you wish to share?  Well now you can! Submit your favorite recipe for your very own post!  Once the winner is chosen at random, we will test your dish and let you give as much or as little input as you wish.

You could cook with us, or cook it yourself and write your very own post.  Your choice! Now get to sharing your favorite recipes! Just comment on this post or on facebook and the winner will be chosen on September 15th.

-Everyday Girls

A Sweet Birthday Indeed

Stephen‘s birthday was the weekend before last, and I knew I wanted to make him a cake. When I asked what sort of cake he wanted he always said an ice cream cake. I didn’t think that sounded like fun.  I wanted to pull out the skills I had learned in a cake decorating class and make him some impressive cake. I thought about it and thought about it, and came to the conclusion that it is his birthday.  Ice cream cake it is! I did a light search of recipes, found one that had a special ingredient, and stopped reading.  I knew exactly what I wanted to do; use ice cream sandwiches!  It would create beautiful layers, and it would be a lot simpler to make.  It was also delicious.  One friend ate three pieces and told his fiancé (wife now as of Saturday!) to get the recipe. That’s exactly how I want someone to react! 

Simple ingredients list
1 box of Blue Bell mini ice cream sandwiches
1 large tub of whipped cream
Fudge sauce
Caramel sauce
2 candy bars of your choice (I used Heath bar since that is Stephen’s favorite)

Take a 9X13 dish and start opening your ice cream sandwiches. That was the part that took the longest, and work quickly because they will start to melt on you.  Layer the bottom of your dish completely. You may have to cut up a sandwich to fill the gaps. Then flop on a layer of whipped cream.  Be sure to let that thaw a bit before you try to spread it. Take a spoon and drizzle your two sauces on top of the cream.  Do as little or as much as you like. Seeing as I bought those ingredients for this cake only, I used a lot.  Next, break up your candy bar into tiny crumbles and place on top of the sauces. Then, repeat: ice cream sandwiches, whipped cream, caramel and fudge sauce. I left off the candy bar crumbles here because I ran out, but I liked the look of ending with the sauces.  I then took some white icing and a piping bag and wrote out “Happy Birthday”.  You’ll need to store it in the freezer, but place in the fridge about 30 minutes before you’re ready to serve.  Best part is I made this two days in advance!

Very simple, very delicious, and very impressive!
Kirby

Chicken Popper Wrap

I stumbled upon PLAIN CHICKEN when the Everyday girls and I were looking at ideas for our blog. I was immediately addicted for a couple reasons.  First, the writer's recipes are simple and look delish; and second, she's an Auburn fan--War Eagle!  I do love a local girl!

I started browsing her recipes and thought, "Hey. These are the kind of recipes that any busy girl/family would love to have." I will be trying more than just this one recipe.

The Chicken Popper Wrap is so easy to do--even if you don't have a panini press (I don't).  Another plus is there are very few ingredients.  My taste buds approved of this recipe, and i'm sure yours will, too. You can find the link to the recipe HERE and her original blog.  I tried it in a skillet and pressed it down with a spatula to "cook" the tortilla a bit, since I don't have a panini press--but if you're looking for a gift to give me I'll gladly accept :) kidding, kidding.

Even if this is not the recipe for you, browse this site.  She has some good ideas and great looking recipes.  Happy eating!
Andie

Buffalo Chicken Pizza

I love pizza. I mean, I love it. I can easily put away my fair share of any pizza, any time. Unfortunately, ordering pizza can get a little pricey, especially if you are trying to feed my family.  I also love hot wings, and the spicier, the better. Unfortunately I haven’t mastered the art of making the perfect hot wing. I have, however, mastered the art of making the perfect hot wing dip (but that’s another post). As I was pondering what to make for dinner on a sleepy Saturday afternoon, I thought, why not combine the two? Buffalo Chicken Pizza, coming right up!

This is a recipe for a quick and easy meal that is perfect for any night of the week where you don’t want to spend a lot of time on dinner, and you probably have most of these ingredients on hand. All you need is:

1 Pillsbury Pizza Crust (Or whatever type of crust you prefer)

2 10oz cans Chicken Breast

Franks Hot Wing Sauce

Sour Cream

Ranch Dressing Packet

Mozzarella Cheese

Start off by mixing your sour cream and ranch packet. Set aside.



Feel free to snack on this while your cooking. There's plenty!



 Next, roll out your dough. Press it all the way to the edged of your cookie sheet.  Dock it with a fork so it won’t puff up in the oven. Place in a 400 degree oven for 8 minutes. Pre cooking the crust a little helps to ensure the crust cooks through. If you are like me and like to pile on the toppings, this is a must. Otherwise, your crust will still be doughy in the middle.

While the crust is cooking, open the chicken and drain off the liquid.

Mix the chicken with the wing sauce. You can add as much or as little as you want, depending on your taste. Set aside.

 After 8 minutes, remove your crust from the oven. It will still appear to be a little raw, but we will finish cooking it through shortly.



You will already be able to see where the crust is starting to brown on the bottom.



Spread the ranch mixture on the crust just as you would pizza sauce.



Note the awkwardness: It's hard to spread with my left hand and take a picture at the same time.



Top with chicken mixture.

Top the chicken with mozzarella cheese.

Bake for 10 minutes or until cheese and crust is browned. I ended up turning on my broiler for a few minutes at the end to allow my cheese to brown nicely. I added a little more sauce to the top of the pizza as garnish. Depending on your taste, add more or leave it off.

Serve with a side of the ranch dip or ranch dressing.



Add some celery sticks to the side for extra crunch.



This pizza was really yummy. It was a great way to satisfy my craving for pizza and wings. This is definitely a winner!

Anna

C'est la Vie!!

The girls and I had a few guests for dinner...we do love a party!  Upon the request of one of our guests, we decided to have a French meal. Oui oui! {envision French man with beret, mustache and big gestures.} 

Anna signed up to make Coq au vin (pronounced coke-o-van), a traditional French dish of braised chicken in a red wine sauce.  The preparation of coq au vin is very similar to that of beef bourguignon, which Kirby showed us how to make back in February.  You can find the link by clicking here.
Kirby found a recipe for Parisian potatoes (pommes parisienne) to bring to the party.  These potatoes are different from the many varieties of which we've become accustomed (baked, mashed, french fried, scalloped, potato salad, etc. ...do i sound like Bubba on Forrest Gump?).  These potatoes are in little balls, thanks to the use of a melon baller.

I opted for chocolate mousse for dessert and used the mousse portion of Anna's Six Layer Dreamy Chocolate Mousse Cake.  Click the link to see the recipe. I kid you not it took me less than five minutes to whip up this rich dessert.  I did it the night before, so all I had to do the day of the party was serve it up in cute martini glasses and top with some whipped cream I had left over!

Ok...so this was an overview of our planned meal.  Now I'll let the others give their recipes and explain what happens when the power goes out a couple hours before the party and doesn't come back on until 3 minutes before our guests arrive.  The meal was great...but maybe not very French.  Let's call it dinner with a hint of French cooking :)
--Andie

Anna's Coq Au Vin:
I was so pumped about this dish. I had all my ingredients prepped and the chicken had been marinating in red wine over-night. We had a classic Southern summer rain storm come through about lunch time. I returned home to no power. No prob! Alabama Power says power should be restored by 3:30, which is perfect since my dish has to cook for 2 hours. While waiting on the power to return, I prepped all my ingredients and re-read the recipe so I would be able to rock and roll at 3:30. Well, 3:30 came and went.  I was in a slight panic by 5:00 when there was still nothing. I considered just calling off the whole sha-bang when I stopped to think that we could make this work. All me needed was a grill and some aluminum foil. The hubs fired up the grill for us. We packaged up all the veggied into foil packets and cooked them along side the chicken. Although, this is not our traditional coq au vin, it's the best we could do. The meal turned out fabulous, although not French. But, if we were in France and the power went out this is what we would do, so I guess you could call it a French BBQ'ed Coq Au Vin!
Click here to see the full Coq Au Vin recipe.

Kirby's Parisian Potatoes:
I was so excited to try this new process of making potatoes. It seemed so easy, and that was what I was most excited about. I knew it would be a recipe that I could re-create numerous times in my home when we aren't having a "French Dinner".  You'll need a melon baller for this, and you use it to cut out the potato. Then, place in a pot of cold water and bring to a boil. Boil for four minutes. Then, melt your butter and some oil (and salt and pepper) in a pan and toss to coat. Lastly, you place them in oven for about 25-30 minutes. And, Voila! They're ready! Sounds easy and yummy, right? I'll let you know how they turn out next time!
Click here to see the full Parisian Potatoes recipe.

Here's the final product!!



This dessert was to-die for!!



Considering our we were all having a panic attack about 5pm, everything pulled together nicely. We had a nice grilled meal with great company and even better sangria (thanks Lucy!!). Maybe next time we will actually be able to fulfill their request for dinner. When life hands you lemons, make lemonade!

-Andie, Anna, & Kirby