Slow Cooker Loaded Chicken and Potato Casserole

 Ingredients

▢ 4-5 Russet potatoes, cut into small cubes

▢ 1 ½ pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, diced

▢ 1 teaspoon salt, more or less to taste

▢ ½ teaspoon ground black pepper, more or less to taste

▢ ½ teaspoon garlic powder, more or less to taste

▢ 6 strips of bacon, cooked and crumbled

▢ 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

▢ 4 green onions, sliced

▢ ¾-1 cup heavy whipping cream

Instructions

Spray slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray.

Spread half of the cut potatoes in the bottom of the slow cooker.

On top of the potatoes, spread the diced chicken in a single-layer.

Sprinkle half of the salt, half of the pepper, half of the garlic powder on top, half of the bacon, half of the cheddar cheese, and half of the green onions on top of the chicken.

Place the rest of the potatoes on top of the chicken, and top with remaining salt, pepper, garlic powder, bacon, cheese, and green onions.

Pour heavy whipping cream evenly over the casserole.

Place the lid on top and cook on low heat for 6-8 hours.

Notes

Once it’s cooked, you can store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Be sure to use a slotted spoon when serving and a paper towel when you store it. 

 

Nutrition

Calories: 566 kcal · Carbohydrates: 28 g · Protein: 37 g · Fat: 34 g · Saturated Fat: 17 g · Polyunsaturated Fat: 3 g · Monounsaturated Fat: 10 g · Trans Fat: 0.1 g · Cholesterol: 144 mg · Sodium: 722 mg · Potassium: 926 mg · Fiber: 2 g · Sugar: 2 g · Vitamin A: 991 IU · Vitamin C: 10 mg · Calcium: 324 mg · Iron: 2 mg

Crockpot Thai Coconut Chicken Soup

Ingredients:

Main Ingredients:

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts

4 cups chicken broth

1 can (14 oz) coconut milk

Seasonings & Sauces:

1 tablespoon red curry paste (for mild; if you want it spicy bump it to 2T.)

1 tablespoon fish sauce

Vegetables & Aromatics:

1 onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 red bell pepper, sliced

Finishing Touches:

1 lime, juiced (2 Tablespoons)

Fresh cilantro for garnish

Instructions:

Prepare the Base: Add the chicken, chicken broth, coconut milk, red curry paste, fish sauce, diced onion, minced garlic, and sliced red bell pepper to the Crockpot.

Slow Cook: Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours or on high for 3-4 hours, until the chicken is tender.

Shred the Chicken: Remove the chicken from the Crockpot, shred it with two forks, and return it to the soup.

Finish the Soup: Stir in lime juice and mix well.

Serve & Enjoy: Ladle into bowls, garnish with fresh cilantro, and serve warm.

Notes:

Adjust red curry paste to control spiciness.

Lime juice adds brightness and balances the rich coconut flavors.

Serve over jasmine rice or rice noodles for a heartier meal.

Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days

Egg Rolls in a Bowl

 

Prep time: 15 minutes | Cook time: 20 minutes | Total time: 35 minutes | Serves: 4 ​​ 

2 tablespoons sesame oil 

1 tablespoons olive oil 

1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar 

2 tablespoons lower-sodium soy sauce 

2 tsp minced garlic 

1 tablespoon minced ginger

1 pound ground chicken (or beef)

½ teaspoon ground black pepper 

6 cups coleslaw mix 

8 green onions, chopped 

In a large skillet over medium heat, whisk together the sesame oil, olive oil, rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, and ginger. Add ground chicken. Break apart and cook ground chicken in sauce until cooked through. Add pepper and stir to combine. Stir in coleslaw mix and cook just until cabbage and carrots start to become tender, about 3-5 minutes. Garnish with chopped green onions and serve. 

Per Serving: Calories 239 | Fat 23g | Carb 4g | Fiber 3g | Sugar 14g | Protein 36.5g

Claire’s Chicken Tikka Masala

 In a large bowl, combine:

1 cup yogurt

1 T. lemon juice 

1 T. minced fresh ginger

2 t. cumin

1 t. cinnamon 

2 t. cayenne pepper (or much less, depending on how spicy you want it)

2 t. black pepper (or less)

1 t. salt (or more to taste)

Use this to marinate 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Lightly oil a pan, then cook chicken on high heat about 5 minutes each side. You could also bake them in the oven. (The original recipe skewers the raw chicken then grills it, but who has time for that?)

Melt 1 T. butter in a large skillet over medium heat.

Saute garlic (1 clove, minced) with 1 jalapeño pepper (finely chopped) for 1 minute.

Add 2 t. cumin, 2 t. paprika, and 1 t. salt (or more to taste). 

Stir in 1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce and 1 cup heavy cream.

Simmer on low heat until sauce thickens, about 20 minutes.

Add cooked chicken and simmer 10 more minutes.

Garnish with fresh cilantro. Serves 4.

Garlic parmesan chicken pasta

 

• Place 2 chicken breasts in the bottom of your slow cooker pot
• Pour 1 bottle garlic parmesan sauce on top of the chicken
  (Possible brands: Buffalo Wild Wings, Sweet Baby Rays, Great Value, etc)
• Pour 1 cup heavy cream in the bottle of garlic parmesan sauce to "clean it up" by shaking well. Pour it on top of the chicken. (If you don’t have heavy cream, milk works just fine.)
• Add 4 oz. cream cheese and 1 cup grated parmesan and cook on low heat for 4 hours
• Stir the sauce well and shred the chicken. Mix until well incorporated.
• Cook 16 oz. pasta per package instructions until al dente. (You can also replace the pasta with cooked cauliflower for a very tasty keto meal.)
• Add the cooked pasta to the chicken in the slow cooker and stir until well combined
• serve immediately, top with parmesan cheese and basil (optional)

Sheet pan chicken cordon bleu with roasted broccoli

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 ½ pounds broccoli, cut into spears/thin wedges
•  Salt and pepper
• 1 ½ to 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts (2-3 breasts), cut in half (like a hamburger bun) to form two thinner cutlets 
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 4 to 8 slices deli ham, exact amount depends on brand/size of slices
• 1 cup (114 g) shredded Gruyere or Swiss cheese
• ¾ cup Ritz crackers (about 15), coarsely crushed 

INSTRUCTIONS 

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Make sure an oven rack is in the lower-middle position. Brush a large, rimmed baking sheet (about 11X18-inches) with 1 tablespoon of the oil.
• Toss the broccoli with the remaining tablespoon of oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt (I use coarse, kosher salt), and a pinch of black pepper.
• Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season lightly on both sides with salt and pepper. (Don’t skip this step or it will be soggy and bland!) Place the chicken breasts side-by-side on one side of the prepared baking sheet (to help them fit, you can alternate thicker end to thinner end as you lay them down). Placing them close together (without overlapping) will help the cheese stay put as they bake.
• Spread the mustard lightly over the top of each chicken piece. (Even if you think you don’t like Dijon, don’t skip this step. The flavor is very mild.) 
  Top with 1 to 2 slices ham to cover (if you don’t like ham, you could omit it). Then add 1/4 cup or so of the shredded cheese evenly across the top.
• Sprinkle the cracker crumbs evenly over the cheese, and press lightly so the crumbs aren’t loose.
• Arrange the broccoli in a single layer on the opposite side of the baking sheet.
• Bake for 20 minutes until the chicken registers 160 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer and the broccoli is roasted and tender. The exact time will depend on the thickness of the chicken. If the chicken still needs more time but the broccoli looks like it is finished, scoop the broccoli off the sheet pan onto a plate and lightly tent with foil while the chicken finishes cooking.
• I recommend removing the chicken as soon as the sheet pan comes out of the oven so it doesn’t sit in the liquid that will naturally pool on the bottom of the sheet pan.
  Note: this serves 4-5. To serve more you could 1.5x the recipe and bake it on two sheet pans.

Skillet Lemon Parmesan Chicken and Zucchini (low carb)

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 ½ pounds boneless chicken breast or thighs
•  Salt, pepper, and garlic powder
• 3 small zucchini (about 1 pound total)
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
• ½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
•  Fresh parsley or basil, chopped (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS 

• Pat the chicken dry and cut into bite-size pieces. Toss with a couple pinches of salt, pepper and garlic powder. Chop the zucchini (discarding end with the stem) into 1/2-inch pieces. Set aside.
• Heat the oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until hot and rippling. Add the chicken pieces in a single layer. Let them cook WITHOUT STIRRING for 2-3 minutes until golden on one side. Flip and cook for another 2-3 minutes until cooked through. Remove to a plate reserving as much oil/liquid in the pan as possible.
• Return the skillet to medium heat and add the zucchini in a single layer. Again, let the zucchini cook WITHOUT STIRRING (to maximize that golden color) for 1-2 minutes. Flip or stir and continue cooking for another minute or two until the zucchini is tender (but not mushy – don't over cook). 
• Add the chicken back to the skillet and add the lemon juice, soy sauce, basil, and oregano. Stir to combine.
• Increase the heat to medium high and cook until sizzling and the liquid thickens just a bit, 1-2 minutes. 
• Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and fresh herbs, if using. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper, if needed.

Cajun Chicken Pasta (Chili’s copycat recipe)

 

• Cook 16 oz penne pasta according to directions on the box. Drain pasta and set aside. (Note: this did not work well subbing cauliflower for the pasta.)
• Place 2 chicken breasts in a resealable plastic bag and sprinkle in 4 t. cajun seasoning.  Reseal bag and shake thoroughly until chicken is evenly coated. 
• In a large skillet, saute chicken breasts over medium heat in 2 Tablespoons of butter, turning occasionally until cooked through. 
• While the chicken is cooking, in another skillet whisk together 1 tablespoon of flour with 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat to create a roux.
• After the butter and flour have mixed together, combine 3 cups of half and half, 1/2 t. lemon pepper, 1 t. salt, 1 t. pepper, and 1/4 t. garlic powder and continue cooking it over medium heat, stirring it occasionally.
• Remove from heat when cream mixture starts to bubble. 
• Pour cream sauce over cooked noodles. Slice chicken breasts into strips. 
• Serve pasta on serving plates.
• Top with chicken breast strips, and sprinkle on 2 diced tomatoes and 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese.

Corn, black bean, salsa chicken soup

This is similar to Chicken Taco Soup, but I like this one best. Also works as a freezer meal. Definitely double it!

Ingredients

• 15 ounces black beans 1 can, drained and rinsed
• 14 ounces corn 1 can. drained
• ½ cup salsa
• 1 ounce taco seasoning packet
• ⅓ cup water
• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Instructions

• If making this into a freezer meal, label a gallon-sized resealable freezer bag with the title of the recipe and how to long to cook in the slow cooker. (If you aren't making it into a freezer meal, jump ahead to step #5).
• Dump the black beans, corn, salsa, taco seasoning, and water in the resealable bag and mix until all the ingredients are combined. Add the chicken breasts and zip the bag closed. Place in the freezer until ready to use (it will last in the freezer for up to 90 days).
• When ready to cook, remove bag from freezer and place in fridge overnight so that it can thaw. Spray slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray and dump bag ingredients into the slow cooker. Cook on high for 4-5 hours or on low for 6-7 hours (until chicken is completely done).
• Shred meat and serve however you want (in tacos, burritos, nachos, salads, etc). Garnish with cheese, sour cream, avocado, lettuce, tomato, and hot sauce.
• If you aren't making this into a freezer meal, dump black beans, corn, taco seasoning, and water in crock pot and mix together until seasoning is dissolved. Place chicken breasts on top and spread salsa on chicken. Cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 5-6 hours. Shred chicken and serve however you want (in tacos, burritos, nachos, salads, etc). Garnish with cheese, sour cream, avocado, lettuce, tomato, and hot sauce.

Notes

You can also skip the freezing step of this recipe and dump all ingredients directly into your slow cooker, then cook on high for 4-5 hours (or low for 6-7 hours).You can cook this recipe ahead of time, wait for it to cool, and then put it in the freezer for a quick and healthy dinner when you don’t have time to cook. Either option of freezing works great.

Optional garnish toppings:

• shredded cheese
• sour cream
• avocado (diced)
• lettuce (shredded)
• tomatoes (diced)
• hot sauce