Grandma Bee's Chicken Salad

4 boneless chicken breasts, baked and chopped
1/4 cup green bell pepper, chopped
1/4 cup red bell pepper, chopped
1/4 cup onion, chopped
mayonnaise
salt and pepper to taste
approximately 1/4 tsp celery salt
approximately 1/4 tsp Beau Monde seasoning, if desired

Mix together and refrigerate for flavors to blend before serving. Is great on bread, with crackers or on top of a bed of lettuce.

NOTE: You can also add chopped celery.

Slow Cooker Fiesta Chicken Bake

1 lb. chicken breasts, cut into pieces
2 cups instant rice, uncooked
3 cans Fiesta Cheese soup
1 cup water
1 pkg frozen or canned Fiesta corn
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1/2 cup celery, chopped
1/4 tsp. paprika
salt and pepper to taste
3/4 cup tortilla chips, broken
3 tablespoons butter
1/2 tsp. Mexican seasoning
1 tablespoon Cilantro, chopped (if desired)

Combine soup, water, rice and corn in slow cooker. Add chicken on top and season with salt and pepper and paprika. Place onions and celery on top of chicken. Cook for 6-8 hours on low or 3-4 hours on high.

Just before serving, put butter in skillet; add chips and Mexican seasoning. Cook for 3 minutes stirring constantly. Add cilantro (if desired) then sprinkle on chicken mixture before serving.

NOTE: You can substitute cream of chicken soup or cheese soup for part of the soups if you like. You might even add some jalapeno if you like it really hot.

Cowboy Stew, my way

I saw Stephanie’s recipe for Cowboy Stew and knew I needed to try it. Mostly because the last few times I made my recipe for beef stew for my family, no one liked it but me. Everyone complained about different things and the kids never would eat it. So I just added my beef stew recipe to the list of things I won’t make any more. This list includes my lasagna (made in the crockpot because our oven doesn't work and I always burn the edges for some reason), my sour cream chicken enchiladas, and other meals I’ve made lately that everyone complained about and no one liked but me. Hmph.

So anyway, I saw this recipe and decided to try it on my people with a couple of modifications. I make it on the stovetop, for one. I’m home all day, so I have plenty of time to watch it, but the crockpot would be perfect for those of you who don’t spend all day repeatedly watching Transformers and answering 9000 questions from a SUPER chatty four-year-old.

So here’s how I do it:

1 lb. ground turkey
1 medium yellow onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes, Italian flavor (do not drain)
1 10 oz. can mild Rotel tomatoes and green chiles (do not drain)
1 15 oz. can whole kernel corn, drained
1 15 oz. can Ranch Style beans (do not drain)

1 15 oz. can Great Northern beans (I added this ingredient to the original recipe)
1 15 oz. can green beans, drained
1 15 oz. can tomato sauce
6 or 7 small red potatoes, don't peel (I omit these if making on the stovetop - they can stick to the bottom and burn)
Salt and pepper
1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning (optional)

Brown the ground meat with the onion, adding salt and pepper (and Italian seasoning, if desired – not necessary if you get the Italian seasoned tomatoes, though). Add minced garlic and continue to cook for about a minute on high. Add the diced tomatoes and Rotel, and cook on high until it starts to bubble. Then reduce heat and continue to cook on a low simmer for about an hour, checking every fifteen minutes and adding water if needed. Add the can of corn, both cans of beans and the tomato sauce. Fill the empty tomato sauce can about halfway with water (more if needed), swish around, and add to the pot. Turn heat to high and bring to a boil. While you’re waiting for it to come up to a boil, scrub and cut the red potatoes into a 1/2-inch by 1/2-inch dice. When the stew returns to a boil, add the potatoes and cook for about 30 to 45 minutes until potatoes are done. Serve with saltine crackers.

There is enough flavor and seasoning in the Italian tomatoes, Rotel, and Ranch Style beans that you really don’t need to add anything beyond some salt and pepper when you cook the meat. It has a nice bit of spice to it, but not so much that the kids can’t eat it. If you like more spice, serve with sliced jalapenos (as Stephanie suggested), or for the kids, serve with slices of cheddar cheese. And promise them ice cream if they eat all their stew. (I’m not above bribery.)

I finally found a recipe that my people like and will eat. This one is definitely a keeper. Thanks, Stephanie!

Delicious Pork Chops and Gravy

8 pork chops
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons oil
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
1 large sliced onion
large can evaporated milk
1/2 cup sour cream

Salt and pepper the pork chops and then brown in the oil. Drain and then transfer pork chops to a crockpot. In another bowl mix together the soup, onion and milk. Pour over and around the pork chops and cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 6-8 hours. 30 minutes before serving stir in the sour cream. Serve over rice or noodles. Delicious!

Links from the Realm of Crazy People

Hi, everyone! I went through the archives on my personal blog and thought I'd give you some links to all the recipes I've posted over there:

Dill Potato Salad

Potato Soup in the Crockpot

Taco Salad

Brussels sprouts with bacon and garlic

Many recipes in this post, including chicken tortilla soup, pot roast, rotisserie ham, and includes info about how I plan our bi-weekly menus (from when I participated in Menu Plan Monday – don’t click the link in the post because the web address has changed since I participated a year ago!)