Easy Spicy Baked Chicken

Spicy baked chicken is a very versatile dish and one that is so easy to make it should be a sin.   We make this in large batches and then store it and use it throughout the week for both hot and cold dishes.  The first night we usually eat it with rice, potatoes, and a salad or other vegetables.  After that, we may slice it into sandwiches, reheat it and eat it with onions and peppers for fajitas, toss it with greens for an easy salad, or reheat it for a quick hot meal.  

We do this on nights when it's crazy around here and want a simple, hearty meal that can be reheated as needed. We work such varied schedules that many times we eat at different times.  By making this dish, it's a way that we can make sure we all have a nice meal no matter what time we arrive home.  I make my own all-purpose spicy seasoning mix, and combine this with butter or olive oil for a savory seasoning that comes out just right.  The chicken falls apart when it comes out of the oven, and there will also be a savory au jus when baking is finished that is a wonderful seasoning for a baked potato, rice, or noodles.

Easy Spicy Baked Chicken

3-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (or as many as you want), cut into 2 inch wide strips 

My all-purpose seasoning (recipe HERE) or seasoned salt plus ground black pepper

Butter or olive oil 

Spray a large baking pan with nonstick cook spray.  Coat both sides of chicken strips with seasoning.  Place in pan.  Either dot with 1/2 teaspoon spots of butter or drizzle with olive oil.  Cover pan with foil.  Place in 350 degree oven and bake for 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes.  

Ranch Crock Pot Pork Chops - Freezer to Crock Pot

Finding new ways to cook pork chops can be challenging.  A friend told me about this, and I just had to try it.  Ranch Crock Pot Pork Chops are a great way to cook pork tenderloins in the crock pot and have a savory gravy to serve over potatoes, rice, or on toast.  

When I was told about this, I had one of those forehead-slapping moments that was like, "Really?  Three ingredients?  Why didn't I think of that!"  The ingredients were so obvious.  I don't know why I hadn't put them together before.  Plus, just about anything with ranch is awesome. 

Without further adieu, here they are:  

RANCH CROCK POT PORK CHOPS
4-6 thick cut pork tenderloins or chops (I prefer tenderloins)

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 package powdered ranch dressing mix

Put the powdered ranch dressing mix in a gallon zippered bag.  Put the chops in the bag, and shake to coat the chops with the dressing mix.  Add the can of chicken soup and enough water to "wash out" the can.  Remove air from bag, seal, and then massage to distribute the ingredients.  When ready to use, remove frozen block from bag and place in crock pot.  Cook approximately 6-8 hours on low or 4-6 on high.  You might need to remove the chops and whisk the gravy with a wire whisk in case lumps have formed.  Serve over mashed potatoes, rice, or toast.  

If cooking immediately, just place chops in crock pot along with cream of chicken soup, and sprinkle dressing mix over the top.  Stir until blended then cook for 6-8 hours on low.  

The gravy that this makes is excellent, so if you want extra gravy, you might consider doubling up on the cream of chicken soup and ranch dressing mix.  Enjoy!

Freezer to Crock Pot - Pot Roast with Veggies

The combination of pot roast and veggies is a yummy, satisfying, and comforting meal, especially after a long day.  Walking into your house and smelling the wonderful aroma of a hot meal is like a little slice of heaven.  This is an easy recipe and can be prepared ahead of time, put into the freezer, then cooked in the crock pot for a hearty meal.  (See my confession about this roast below.*)

SLOW COOKER POT ROAST

One 2-3 pound roast, trimmed of excess fat (see below for substitution)**

1 packet Italian dressing mix

1 packet onion soup mix 

2-3 carrots cut into medallions 

1 small onion cut in large chunks (optional) 

2 cubes beef bouillon or 2 tablespoons beef bouillon granules

1/2 cup water

 

When ready to cook, 3-4 potatoes cut in chunks.

Trim roast and cut slits in meat.  This is important, as the meat starts to cook it tends to contract and can take longer to cook.  Place roast in 1 gallon zippered freezer bag and add all ingredients except potatoes.  When ready to cook, add potatoes to crock, along with frozen roast and veggies.  Allow to cook for 8-10 hours on high (necessary to get the internal temperature of the roast up where it needs to be). 

*Here's my confession.  The poor roast pictured above had a real workout.  I put the chunk in the crock pot, turned it on, and went on my merry way.  The problem is that the crock pot wasn't plugged in!  D'oh!  I found it about 1-1/2 hours later. Aacck!!  I plugged it in and turned the crock on high, but even at 11:30 last night, it still wasn't done.  I ended up taking everything out of the crock pot, putting it into a large bowl, and sticking it in the fridge because cooking it overnight would have been too much.  I got up this morning, put everything back in the crock pot, and cooked it 4 more hours.  Luckily, it was ready to go by lunchtime.  Unfortunately, some of the carrots and potatoes were worse for the wear, but everything still tasted good! 

** If you do not have roast, another inexpensive cut of meat can work, such as round steak.  What I have done in the past is to get approximately 2-3 pounds of round steak and cut it into medallions.  Use the rest of the ingredients, as directed.  Cook on high 6-8 hours, and check doneness of meat.  This comes out more like a stew than roast but can be a great way to use a less expensive cut of meat. 

Freezer to Crock Pot Cooking

A month or two ago I discovered freezer to crock pot cooking, and it has been life changing for me.

I tend to be on the frugal side and believe in trying to conserve resources any way possible. Some would call me a tightwad. I just call it being innovative.

Freezer to crock pot cooking appealed to me because I could prepare meals ahead of time, freeze them, and then the day I needed them, dump them in the crock pot and go. My family and I could come home to a hot meal that didn't require a lot of effort.

I check my local grocery store, Homeland, weekly to see what deals they have. Last week I found hamburger meat marked down, and I bought it!!

Now it was time to come up with some things to make.

Some meats can be frozen raw with recipes, but generally hamburger meat cannot because of the fat content. The meat must be cooked first and then added to recipes. Using the freezer to crock pot method, I looked at some recipes and decided to make them crock pot friendly.

I made:
 Two batches of tater tot casserole base.
 One batch of Mexican casserole base.
Two batches of taco meat.
One batch of Italian-seasoned meat.

I froze the remaining meat to be used for hamburger patties in the future.

My next few posts will provide the recipes for the above casseroles.