Crockpot + Chicken = Lots o’ Dinners

It is no secret that the kitchen is my least favorite room in the house – I even like the laundry room better. The only kitchen-exception is the fridge because that’s where I keep my chocolate, but other than that, it really could just all go away. So, needless to say, because I must feed my family, I like to make it in and out of there fairly quickly.

I also know that if I don’t prepare, I’ll be reaching for take-out which isn’t good on the diet nor the wallet!

Enter crockpot. And chicken breasts (or thighs). Combine the two and you have several quick meals.

Usually on Sunday morning, I place chicken breasts or thighs in my crockpot, cover with chicken broth, and cook on low for the day. When cooked, I place the chicken in an air tight container in fridge for use during the week.

Below are five quick meals on my current dinner rotation. I add a veggie side and maybe a salad, and we’re set!

• Pulled Chicken Sliders
• White Bean Chili
• Enchiladas
• Quiche
• Chicken & Noodles

Pulled Chicken Sliders -Shred the chicken, cook in Hot Wing Sauce or Barbeque sauce, and serve on little buns!

White Bean Chili – Use your crockpot again and add white cannellini beans, chicken broth, pieces of the chicken, onions, garlic, chili powder, pepper, oregano, and any other spices you’d like. Cook on low all day and have a warm dinner when you get home. We love to eat tortilla chips with our chili too.

Enchiladas – Spread pieces of chicken on tortillas, top with cheese and canned enchilada sauce, and bake in oven at around 400 for 20 minutes.

Quiche – Using frozen deep dish pie crusts (usually packaged in two so you can make two quiches), spread bottom with shredded cheese of your choice, top with chicken pieces (again, shredded is best) and onions and mushrooms. Mix 5 eggs, 1 cup milk, 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, salt and pepper, and pour over chicken mixture. Bake at 350 for 40 minutes or until the eggs are set to a golden brown. Frozen chopped spinach is also a good filler for this quiche.

Chicken & Noodles – Combine cooked Egg noodles (frozen Reames are the best) with chicken broth, chicken chunks, and sour cream (or a cream of mushroom soup) to make a thick, goopy, yummy mixture. Remove skins and microwave 3 or 4 cut-up potatoes until mostly cooked, add sour cream (or mayo!) and mash. Serve chicken and noodles over mashed potatoes.

Yea crockpot!