Slow-Cooked Lemon Chicken Orzo

You know me: I like lemon. However, I have to say the zest is another thing altogether. I would definitely leave the zest out of this one. Maybe even the lemon pepper. It made it inedible to me, but Doug didn't mind it. So zest at your own peril. 

• 2 Tbsp canola oil
• 1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 1/2 cups chicken stock
• 2 tsp Greek seasoning
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 cup uncooked orzo pasta
• 1/3 cup chopped pitted Greek olives
• 1/4 cup julienned soft sun-dried tomatoes (not packed in oil)
• 2 cups fresh baby spinach
• 1/2 cup crumbled garlic and herb feta cheese
• 1 medium lemon, zested and juiced
• 1 Tbsp snipped fresh dill
• 1 tsp lemon pepper seasoning, optional

In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Brown chicken in batches. Transfer to a 4-qt slow cooker. Add stock, Greek seasoning, and garlic powder to skillet, scraping up any brown bits from pan; add to slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for 1 1/2 hours.

Stir orzo, olives, and tomatoes into the slow cooker; making sure orzo is submerged in liquid. Cover and cook on high until orzo is tender and liquid is absorbed, about 30 minutes. Add fresh spinach, feta cheese, lemon juice and zest, dill, and if desired, lemon pepper to slow cooker. Stir until spinach is wilted.

Serves 4

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 2 hours

Recipe from Taste of Home

Corn and Macaroni

So this one is just as described. It tastes like corn and macaroni. Which isn't all that great. We added bacon bits, garlic, and some black pepper which did a lot to help, but didn't tone down the overwhelming corn flavor. Doug even added siracha. 

• 15.5 oz can whole kernel corn, drained
• 15.5 oz can creamed corn
• 1 cup uncooked macaroni
• 1 cup mild cheese of your choice, shredded
• 1 stick (8 Tbsp) butter, cut in pieces
• 1 Tbsp onion powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup milk

Spray interior of slow cooker with cooking spray. Mix all ingredients together in slow cooker. Cover, cook on high 2 1/2 hours or until macaroni is soft but not mushy. 

For variation, add 1 cup cubed, fully cooked ham to add flavor and substance.

NOTES: You can see our additions listed above. Other suggestions would be to stir in some red onion, or at least top it with sliced green onions when serving. Possibly go with a non-mild cheese? Or a mixture of cheeses?

Serves 3-4

Total Time: 2 1/2 hours

Recipe from Fix-It and Forget-It Christmas Cookbook

Corn Chowder

Meh. Nothing special but hearty and definitely easy to make. I'm curious what the Worcestershire variation tastes like because I think that would add a little kick. And who doesn't like bacon as an alternative?

• 2 1/2 cups milk

  

  We forgot to take a photo
  until leftovers time. Sorry!

• 14.75 oz can cream-style corn
• 10.75 oz can cream of mushroom soup
• 1 3/4 cups frozen corn
• 1 cup frozen shredded hash brown potatoes
• 1 cup cooked ham, diced
• 1 medium-large onion, diced
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 2 tsp parsley flakes
• salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in slow cooker. Cover and cook on low 6 hours. 

Variation: replace ham with 8 slices of cooked, chopped bacon. Add just before serving to keep it crisp. Stir in 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce at beginning. 

Serves 4-6

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 6 hours

Recipe from Fix-It and Forget-It Christmas Cookbook by Phyllis Pellman Good

Chicken with Creamy Chive Sauce

Sooooo you can tell from the photo that this isn't the most appetizing looking meal. I'm not sure I would call it creamy? It was more chunky.

• 6 boneless skinless chicken breast halves, (about 1 3/4 lb)
• 1/4 cup butter or margarine
• 1 0.7 oz package Italian salad dressing mix
• 1 10.75 oz can condensed golden mushroom soup
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 4 oz from chives and onion cream cheese spread tub
• hot cooked pasta, optional

Place chicken in a 3 1/2 or 4 quart slow cooker. In a medium saucepan melt the butter over medium heat. Stir in the dressing mix. Stir in mushroom soup, wine, and cream cheese until combined. Pour over the chicken in cooker.

Cover and cook on low heat setting for 4-5 hours. Serve chicken with sauce. If desired, serve with hot cooked pasta and sprinkle with snipped fresh chives. 

Serves 6

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 4 hours 15 minutes

Recipe from Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook

Garlic Lime Chicken

As I've found, chicken can be hit or miss. Sometimes those marinades and sauces are just *chef's kiss* and other times it's like the chicken had some ultra strong membrane around it and nothing soaked in before cooking. This one was pretty good if you don't overcook your chicken. Second time around (photo evidence) we did overcook it. 

• 5 skinless chicken breast halves
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/4-1/3 cup lime juice, according to your taste
• 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2 garlic cloves minced, or 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp dry mustard
• 1/2 tsp ground pepper

Place chicken in slow cooker. Combine remaining ingredients in a small bowl. Pour over the chicken. Cover and cook on high 4-6 hours or low for 6-8 hours, or until the chicken is tender but not dry.

Serves 5

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 4-8 hours

Recipe from Fix-It and Forget-It Christmas Cookbook by Phyllis Pellman Good

Creamy Artichoke Dip

I am most definitely a fan of artichoke stuff. The artichoke has to have good flavor to go along with it and the ingredients on this recipe were perfect for that. Plus: crockpot! This is basically a dump dip where it's very little work and you can go about making your other food while this does its thing. So nice. 

• 2 14-oz cans water-packed artichoke hearts, coarsely chopped (drain one can; stir juice from other can into dip)
• 2 cups (8-oz) shredded, part-skim mozzarella cheese
• 8-oz package cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup shredded Swiss cheese
• 2 Tbsp lemon juice
• 2 Tbsp plain yogurt
• 1 Tbsp seasoned salt
• 1 Tbsp chopped, seeded jalapeno pepper
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• dippers: tortilla chips or crackers

In slow cooker, combine artichoke hearts, cheeses, mayonnaise, lemon juice, yogurt, salt, jalapeno, and garlic powder. Cover. Cook on low 1 hour or until cheeses are melted and dip is heated through. Serve with chips or crackers.

Makes 7-8 cups

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

Recipe from Fix-It and Forget-It Christmas Cookbook by Phyllis Pellman Good

Chicken Noodle Soup

As you can probably tell from the photo a) this recipe is HUGE and b) it's not super flavorful. I knew it was a large recipe going in, just based on the name of the cookbook, but I hate it when it's a ton of food and you just don't care to eat the leftovers. This was one of those. Not every colorless recipe is flavorless, but I've found many can be. I'm sure there's a science to it, but there's really not a ton with strong flavors in the ingredients list, so you can probably tell from that too.

• 2 cups cubed chicken
• 15.25 oz can corn, or 2 cups frozen corn
• 1 cup frozen beans or peas
• 10 cups water
• 10-12 chicken bouillon cubes
• 3 Tbsp bacon drippings
• 1/2 package dry, sturdy noodles

Combine all ingredients except noodles in slow cooker. Cover, cook on high 4-6 hours or on low 6-8 hours. Two hours before the end of the cooking time, stir in noodles. 

NOTES: The original recipe suggested stirring in green beans during the initial cooking of the soup, but hold off on peas until 20 minutes before the end of the cooking time. I assume this is because peas will end up super mushy if you stir them in too soon.

Serves 6-8

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 4-8 hours

Recipe from Fix-It and Forget It Christmas Cookbook

Cheesy Spinach and Bacon Dip

Ok is it just me or do they not sell the 10-oz bricks of frozen spinach anymore? I shop at WinCo and used to be able to find them, but now all they have are the 16 oz bags of lose, frozen stuff and I have to eyeball it to get the right amount for my recipes. Not fun.

That said, who doesn't like an easy and large recipe you can throw on for a party?

• 10 oz package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
• 1 lb Velveeta or your favorite soft cheese cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 3 oz cream cheese, softened
• 14.5 oz can Rotel diced tomatoes and green chilies, undrained
• 8 slices bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled
• crackers and/or chips

Combine all ingredients but bacon, crackers, and chips in the slow cooker. Cover, heat on low for one hour, or until cheeses have melted and dip is heated through. Stir occasionally if you're around to do so.

Just before serving, stir in crumbled bacon. Serve warm with crackers and/or chips.

Makes 3 1/2 cups

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes

Recipe from Fix-It and Forget It Christmas Cookbook

Sweet Hawaiian Crockpot Chicken

This is probably one of the easiest recipes you'll ever try. In the end, it tastes a lot like teriyaki chicken, which is fine, but nothing special. I would definitely say you could serve this with rice, use it over a salad, or even make lettuce wraps with it. Be creative with this super simple, super hands-off, super non-time consuming recipe. Bonus: during hot months, it won't heat up your house!

• 2 lb chicken tenderloin chunks
• 1 cup pineapple juice
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/3 cup soy sauce

Combine all ingredients together in slow cooker. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. 

Serves 4

Total Time: 8 hours

Recipe from foodrecipesrichard.blogspot.com

Creamy Crockpot Crack Chicken

This was a flavorful recipe. Lots of good ingredients I like. However, it was also a very salty recipe. I've decided this is what happens when you use ranch dressing mix. I need to see if there is a low-sodium version because it seems that every time we cook with this mix, it makes the recipe VERY salty tasting. UPDATE: see my note about the saltiness at the bottom.

Doug also lamented it was a little too creamy. I know, spoiler alert: it's in the title. But I would agree. You could probably cut the cream cheese down to 6 oz and it would be a little better. Play it by ear. Very strong flavors of salt and cream cheese. I will update the recipe below.

• 2 lb chicken breasts
• 1 packet ranch seasoning mix
• 6-8 oz cream cheese
• 1/2 - 3/4 cup cooked crumbled bacon
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 4 green onions, sliced
• buns, croissants, tortillas, or crackers for serving

Add chicken to slow cooker, sprinkle with ranch seasoning, and place cream cheese on top. Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours. 

Remove lid and shred chicken, stirring in the cream cheese. Add cheddar, bacon, and green onions. Stir to combine. Serve on buns, croissants, tortillas, or crackers. 

NOTE: In addition to the changes I mentioned in the intro, you might try this recipe as a dip. Get some good crackers and put this in a bowl to have as a warm dip. I think that might be better than marketing it as a sandwich. 

UPDATE: Guess what all? I just learned something. There are ranch SEASONING packets and ranch DRESSING packets. I think I've always tried to use the dressing packets and whoa boy! Those are full of sodium. This last time I tried again with a seasoning packet. I even compared the nutrition facts on the back in the store and was surprised by the difference. Make sure you grab the right one next time. I know I will. 

Serves 6

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 6 hours, 10 minutes

Recipe from familyfreshmeals.com

Lime Chicken Tacos

I made this recipe a loooooong time ago and a) forgot what it tasted like because I took too long to write about it and b) didn't take a photo. So take two, this past weekend!

This was a pretty simple recipe and you can do a lot to customize it. By itself, I'd say this is a pretty boring recipe, taste-wise. You can totally up its game by adding onion, additional salsa, some bell peppers, etc. So I wouldn't throw this away, per se, but just know it needs a little dressing up. It could definitely work well with a plain cheese quesadilla. Throw this in there and heat it up and it would be really good.

• 1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
• 3 Tbsp lime juice
• 1 Tbsp chili powder
• 1 cup frozen corn, thawed
• 1 cup chunky salsa
• 12 flour tortillas (6 inches) warmed
• sour cream, pickled onions, shredded lettuce, and shredded cheddar or cotija cheese, optional

Place chicken in a 3 quart slow cooker. Combine lime juice and chili powder; pour over chicken. Cook, covered, on low until chicken is tender, 5-6 hours. 

Remove chicken. When cool enough to handle, shred meat with 2 forks; return to slow cooker. Stir in corn and salsa. Cook, covered, on low until heated through, about 30 minutes. Place filling on tortillas; if desired, serve with optional toppings. 

Serves 6

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 6 hours

Recipe from Taste of Home

Slow Cooker Crack Potato Soup

Maybe it's not the best time of year for soup. I made this several weeks ago, when it was colder and before California started to give us weather whiplash. I thought it was delicious. So did Doug and Tyler. My 4 year old niece was less than impressed. I'll keep working on developing her taste buds.

• 1 bag (30-32 oz) frozen shredded hash browns
• 3 cans (14.5 oz each) chicken broth
• 1 can (10.75 oz) cream of chicken soup
• 1 package (1 oz) ranch salad dressing mix
• 1 lb bacon, cooked and chopped
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 8 oz cream cheese

Combine hash browns, broth, soup, dressing and bacon in a 6-quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours. 

15 minutes before serving, stir in cheddar cheese and cream cheese until melted. 

Serves 8-10

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 8 hours, 5 minutes

Recipe from PlainChicken.com

Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken

This one was a little weird. Let me rewind and say, I tend to not get too excited about crock pot recipes. For some reason, they never come out very flavorful. The piece of chicken I ate was pretty plain. On the other hand, Doug and Tyler said theirs were pretty good. Both had seconds. On his second piece Tyler said, "Oooooh, now I know what you're talking about." He said half of that piece was plain and half was good. Seems like you almost need to move the chicken around a bit while it's cooking so that it's evenly flavored.

• 4 Tbsp soy sauce
• 4 Tbsp ketchup
• 4 Tbsp honey
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 6 chicken thighs, bone-in, skin on

Combine first four ingredients in slow cooker until well mixed. Lay chicken skin-side up in a single layer in the cooker. Cook on low 6-7 hours. If your chicken isn't brown on the top, place on a foil-lined cookie sheet under the broiler for 2-3 minutes. 

NOTES: I doubled everything but the chicken in this recipe here. I didn't when I cooked it. The original recipe ingredients, other than the chicken, wouldn't even cover the bottom of my crock pot. The juices from the chicken release and make a sort of marinade once it gets going, but I still think it could use more. So I suggest using the version above in the hopes that it more evenly flavors everything. 

Serves 6

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 7 hours, 5 minutes

Recipe from http://dinnerthendessert.com/

Slow-Cooker Monkey Turtle Bread

This turned out great. The timing was a little interesting with our normal Sunday morning schedule at church (this was a Bible Study treat), but we made it work. I'm also not a fan of nutty things so I completely left the nuts out and it was fine. If I really wanted to be nice, I guess I could have had them on the side, or made one batch with and one without. I was lazy.

I would love to have a master Crock Pot-er answer a question for me though. I knew I needed to make a double batch. I wasn't sure how this would turn out if I just doubled the recipe and stuck it all in one crock pot so I played it safe and used 2 separate ones. Does anyone know off-hand how a crock pot responds to doubling a recipe like this?

• 2/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 can (16.3 oz) refrigerated buttermilk biscuits
• 3/4 cup pecan halves (optional)
• 2 Tbsp whipping cream
• 1/3 cup milk chocolate chips

Spray a 4 1/2 to 5 quart slow cooker with cooking spray. In a 2 cup microwavable cup or bowl, mix brown sugar and butter. Microwave uncovered on high, 1 to 2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds, until mixture is boiling and smooth. 

In a large resealable plastic bag, place granulated sugar. Separate dough into 8 biscuits and cut each into fourths. Add a few biscuit pieces at a time to the bag and shake to coat. Sprinkle 1/4 cup of the pecans in slow cooker; top with half the biscuit mixture. Pour 1/3 the butter mixture over the biscuits in the cooker. Repeat with 1/4 cup of pecans and remaining biscuit mixture. Pour remaining butter mixture over the biscuits; sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup pecans. 

Cover; cook on high for 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until knife inserted in center comes out clean and biscuits are no longer doughy in the center. Tops of biscuits will be moist and may appear unbaked. Turn off cooker. 

Carefully remove cover so condensation doesn't drip onto bread. Cover opening with paper towels; return cover to cooker. Let stand 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the cooker; turn bread upside down onto heatproof serving plate. 

In 1 quart saucepan, heat cream over medium heat just to boiling. Remove from heat. stir in chocolate chips until melted and smooth. Drizzle over monkey bread. Serve warm.

NOTES: No real difficulties with this one. I used my Reynolds Slow Cooker Liners again and it made transferring the contents to a baking dish and clean up a breeze. If you crock pot at least once a month, I definitely recommend these. Lots of times you can find a coupon on the Reynolds website.

I transported the dish in a glass 9 x 13 pan in an insulated holder and it was still plenty warm 20 or so minutes later at church.

Serves 8-12

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours, 15 minutes

Recipe from www.Pillsbury.com

Slow Cooker Vegetable Minestrone

I'm not a soup person, but I actually really enjoyed this one. Doug wasn't a fan, but Tyler liked it as well. It hid my vegetables and had great flavor. Plus, who doesn't love the hands-off nature of a crock pot recipe? I tend to be leery of crock pot meat recipes because they have not turned out well for me in the past. The meat is usually dry or flavorless. No meat to worry about here, and very little prep work. Great for a cold winter day (too bad we don't have those here in Fresno).

You can see the plastic liner in my crock pot. New thing I learned about while couponing. Reynolds makes crock pot liners! They are like mini trash bags for your crock pot (I know no one wants to think about eating out of a trash bag, but stick with me). You put the liner in the basin, dump all your ingredients in and then when you are done eating, gather the corners of the bag and toss it. No more scrubbing the pot! You're welcome Reynolds, for the free advertising, but I will seriously be using these in the future. They are near the zip top bags and foil and such at the store.

• 4 cups vegetable or chicken broth
• 4 cups tomato juice
• 1 Tbsp dried basil leaves
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 dried oregano leaves
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 2 medium carrots, chopped (about 1 cup)
• 2 medium celery stalks, chopped (about 1 cup)
• 1 medium onion, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
• 1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms (3 oz)
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 28 oz diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 1/2 cups uncooked pasta (4.5 oz)

In a 4 to 5 qt slow cooker, mix all ingredients except pasta and cheese. Cover, cook on low 7 to 8 hours.

Stir in pasta and increase heat setting to high. Cover and cook 15 to 20 minutes or until the pasta is tender. Sprinkle each serving with cheese.

Serves 8
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 8 hours

Recipe from Betty Crocker

Slow Cooker Cheesy Potato Soup

I like slow cooker things because they can be so easy to make. You dump a bunch of stuff in a pot in the morning and get home from work and just eat. Some recipes, I'll admit, are much better than others. The boys really liked this recipe. I thought it was a little grainy feeling in my mouth. I assume it was just disintegrated potato pieces. Tasted great though. The green onion and bacon really add a pop to it.

• 32 oz, frozen southern style diced hash brown potatoes, thawed
• 1/2 cup chopped onion 
• 1 medium stalk celery, diced (about 1/2 cup)
• 32 oz chicken broth
• 1 cup water
• 3 Tbsp all purpose flour
• 1 cup milk
• 8 oz shredded American-cheddar cheese blend
• 1/4 cup bacon pieces
• 4 medium green onions, sliced (about 1/4 cup)

In slow cooker, mix potatoes, onion, celery, broth and water. Cover; cook on low heat for 6-8 hours. In a small bowl, mix flour into milk, stir into potato mixture. Increase heat setting to high. Cover and cook 20-30 minutes or until mixture thickens. Stir in cheese until melted. Garnish individual servings with bacon and green onions. Sprinkle with pepper if desired.

Serves 6
Prep time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 6 hours, 45 minutes

Recipe from Betty Crocker

Crockpot Brown Sugar Balsamic Glazed Pork Tenderloin

Air freshener. That's what they should do with this recipe. Someone should bottle the scent and make it into an air freshener. Cars, homes, bathrooms, litter boxes....all would smell wonderful and all noses would be happier.

I walked into my house after this had been in the crockpot all day and my house smelled fabulous. My stomach started growling and I was ready to eat right then and there. Luckily I have a wonderful husband who beats me home on Mondays and could do the final prep stages of this recipe so I was able to just sit down and eat right then and there.

• 2 pounds pork tenderloin
• 1 tsp ground sage
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1 cup water, separated
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 Tbsp cornstarch
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 Tbsp soy sauce

Mix together the seasonings: sage, salt , pepper and garlic. Rub over tenderloin. Place 1/2 cup water in slow cooker; place tenderloin in slow cooker. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. 

An hour before the roast is finished, mix together the ingredients for the glaze in a small sauce pan: brown sugar, cornstarch, balsamic vinegar, water and soy sauce. Heat over medium heat and stir until mixture thickens, about 4 minutes. Brush roast with glaze two or three times during the last hour of cooking. For a more caramelized crust, remove tenderloin from crockpot and place on an aluminium foil lined sheet pan, glaze and set under broiler for one to two minutes until bubbly and caramelized. Repeat two or 3 more times until the desired crust is achieved. Serve with remaining glaze on the side. 

NOTES: Doug decided to go with the caramelized approach and it was delicious. We also decided to serve our pork over rice to add a little something more to the meal. I'll admit, I always think pork is a bit dry. To combat this, I dished up the rice and some pork, shredded it with my fork and then poured more glaze on top. It helps the juiciness permeate the inside of the tenderloin. 

Serves: 5

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Total time: 6-8 hours

Recipe from LaurasSweetSpot.com 

Crockpot Chicken & Mushrooms

Simplicity has its perks. This recipe is the definition of simple: 2 ingredients; you don't even have to defrost the chicken! Doug said we should try something easy this week since things have been a bit crazy in the Martin household with the holidays and all. That said, this was a pretty blah recipe. It was a good suggestion and edible (always a plus), but unless it got some pep added to it, I probably wouldn't make it again.

• 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, frozen
• 2 cans cream of mushroom soup
• rice (jasmine or brown preferred), optional, for serving over

Place frozen chicken in the crock pot and pour the soup over the top, covering the chicken as best you can. Heat on low for 6-8 hours. Cook rice according to your preference and serve with chicken.

NOTES: By cooking the chicken in the crock pot, it makes the chicken very easy to shred. I'd be curious if someone could come up with one or two more ingredients that could be added and then mixed in with the rice to make it more of a stew. Let me know what you come up with!

Serves: 4
Prep Time: 5 min
Total Time: 6-8 hours

Recipe from Doug Martin

Crockpot Chicken Tacos

Yes, Doug is weird and likes cottage cheese with pineapple
alongside his tacos.

Who doesn't love a meal you just throw in a pot and leave alone for 8 hours to do its thing? I really need to find more crock pot meals to make because they are so simple. The key with crock pot meals is to make sure you have enough liquid to keep whatever meat you are cooking moist. Though this ones says there is no need to add water, I would suggest adding a little. Maybe it depends on what salsa you use, but when I got home, the chicken looked a little dry and getting scary close to burnt.

All in all, though, it tasted pretty good. Most of your flavor is going to depend on the taco seasoning and salsa type. I think I used medium salsa and it was a bit spicy for me. Maybe the water would have helped dilute it a bit. It's all personal preference.

• 1 envelope taco seasoning
• 6 pieces boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 16 ounce jar salsa
• any toppings desired for tacos

Dump everything into a crock pot and give it a little stir to blend the seasoning with the salsa. You do not need to add any water to the taco seasoning. Cook on high for 4-6 hours or low for 6-8 hours. When done, the chicken should shred easily when stirred with a fork.

Serve the chicken with soft flour tortillas, guacamole, lettuce, shredded cheese and sour cream.

Serves: 12 (small servings)
Prep Time: 5 min
Total Time: 4-8 hours

Recipe from TastyKitchen.com

Pulled Pork Sandwiches

First off, let me say that you should ignore the incredibly sleepy looking me in the photo below. Concentrate on the food in my hands. This was a meal that Doug cooked during one of the final weeks of tax season. I worked at least 10.5 hours that day and had forgotten to turn on the crock pot when I left in the morning. My incredibly wonderful husband agreed to run home in the middle of the day (when my brain woke up and I realized my mistake) to turn it on. The result: an easily made, but nothing special, pulled pork sandwich.

I say "easily made" because basically you throw everything in the slow cooker, turn it on (a key step, I might add) and let it do its thing. Douse it in your favorite BBQ sauce and you're good to go. Can't get much easier than that. However, as much as I love an easy meal, I love a flavorful one more. Even with all the spices this one includes, all of the flavor depends on what type of BBQ sauce you use. While I may be keeping this recipe in my files, it definitely won't be a favorite option, just a convenient option.

• 5 lbs boneless pork butt shoulder
• 1 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 2 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup water
• BBQ sauce
• soft sandwich buns

Combine all seasonings in a small bowl and rub evenly over roast. Place meat in a 6 quart slow cooker. Add water. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 4-5 hours, until pork is very tender.

Place pork on large cutting board or platter and let rest for 10-15 minutes. Pull, slice or chop to serve. Serve on buns with barbecue sauce.

Serves: 16-20
Prep Time: 10 min
Total Time: 4-8 hrs

Recipe from www.PorkBeInspired.com