Savory Chicken & Stuffing (Crock-Pot)

It's a really good thing this semester will be over tomorrow. Everything I heard about Fall of 2L Year being the absolute most stressful time is totally true. I've been behind all semester due to missing about 20% of my classes for interviews, and I didn't have time to stop and review all semester due to Law Review and the journal article I'm writing, and now I'm desperately trying to just cram stuff into my brain in time to spit it back out for finals. 1L was the hardest emotionally, but as far as time management and stress levels go... 2L Fall takes the cake.

This may be TMI, but I like to be honest with y'all... my hair has started falling out a lot the last couple of weeks, and I'm pretty sure it's stress-related. Like, I brush my hair, and there's SO MUCH hair on the brush. Or if I put it in a ponytail and slide my hand down the ponytail in a fist, I end up with a bunch of hair in my hand. Maybe law school can't kill you, but I'm pretty sure it can make you bald. Doesn't that make you want to go to law school? Dr. Google tells me that stress-related hair loss isn't permanent, which is good because I'm not sure who exactly would hire a bald female attorney to represent them...

I may come to regret making this next statement later in my life, but I was telling Jeff the other day that when I hear stay at home moms say stuff like "this is by far the most challenging and difficult job I've ever had!" I just think to myself that if/when I actually do stay home with kids myself, I fully believe I'll say things like "this is a really hard/challenging/tough job, but it's nothing compared to going through finals week at law school."

All that to say... forgive me for giving you yet another Crock-Pot recipe. It's pretty clear that I'm too busy for extravagant cooking these days. But, I keep surprising myself with how yummy Crock-Pot meals can be, so here's another one (passed along from my law school friend Courteney, who also doesn't have time for extravagant dinners)!

Recipe adapted from here.

Ingredients:

4 frozen chicken breasts (I always use frozen chicken in the Crock-Pot because I think it keeps it from getting dry, but I should mention that with chicken, you MUST make sure it's cooked all the way through before eating it! I usually use the longer "low" setting.)

1 (10.75 oz) can condensed cream of chicken soup

1 cup milk

4 oz sliced swiss cheese (about 6 slices)

1 (6 oz) package herbed dry bread stuffing mix

1/3 cup butter, melted

Directions:

1. Mix the milk and soup in a bowl.

2. Pour some of the soup mixture into the bottom of the Crock-Pot (just enough to cover the bottom).

3. Place chicken breasts in the Crock-Pot.

4. Top chicken with swiss cheese slices.

5. Pour remaining soup on top of the chicken and cheese.

6. Sprinkle stuffing mix over the top.

7. Drizzle melted butter over the stuffing mix.

8. Cook on low for 4-6 hours or high for 2-3 hours. 

9. 10 minutes before finished cooking, stir it up a little in the Crock-Pot to make sure the stuffing on the very top doesn't end up crunchy.

This is the stuffing I use.

Milk and soup mixture

Soup, then chicken, then cheese...

... then the rest of the soup, then stuffing, then butter.

Cooking...

Yum!!

I forgot to take photos of the finished product until we'd already started eating, but this is pretty much what it looks like! Haha. 

Enjoy!

Cinnamon Sugar Donuts

Well, Law School Final #1 of 4 is happening today. Three hours and 100% of my grade. Prayers would be MUCH appreciated! 

Enough about law school though... let's chat about donuts!

Making these was the most fun I've had cooking in a while. It was so easy, and I couldn't believe they actually came out looking like donuts! SO fun. They don't taste exactly like the ones from the donut shop, but they're delicious (and did I mention SO easy?). I have daydreams of one day making these with our kids on Saturday mornings. It's that fun. 

Recipe adapted from here.

Ingredients:

1 10-count can of Texas Style biscuits (any biscuits will do, but NOT the "flaky layers" kind)

1 cup sugar

1 1/2 tbsp cinnamon

1 stick butter, melted

Vegetable/canola oil for frying

Directions:

1. Pour enough oil into a large skillet so it's slightly less than 1/2 an inch deep. Heat on medium to medium high for about five minutes (you want to make sure it's good and hot!).

2. While oil is heating, combine cinnamon and sugar in a bowl.

3. Separate the ten biscuits. Use a cap from a water or soda bottle to punch holes in the center of each one (these will become donut holes!).

4. Test the oil to make sure it's hot enough by dropping in a donut hole. If the oil sizzles and bubbles around the edges, then it's ready!

5. Drop dough into the hot oil. Watch them carefully and use tongs to flip them over when golden (this takes LESS THAN A MINUTE). When both sides are golden, remove the donuts from the oil and place them on a plate lined with paper towels.

6. When all donuts are cooked, dip them one by one into the melted butter, then the cinnamon-sugar, covering both sides of the donut. Serve warm!

These are the biscuits I used (from Wal-Mart)

Dough separated...

Punching out the donut holes...

The first few out of the oil!

Frying the donuts!

All fried!

Butter and cinnamon sugar

All covered in cinnamon sugar!

Yummm!

Enjoy!

Turkey Lettuce Wraps

So I'm pretty much studying for finals all the time over here. It's awful. I feel like I'm entirely less prepared this semester than I ever have been before. All those classes I missed for interviews in August and September are finally catching up to me. Yikes.

I actually had Jeff change my passwords to Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest yesterday so that I'd stop clicking over when I need a "study break." It's not like I was wasting a ton of time on the Internet, but I think I've reached a point where every spare second counts. 

I hate Fall finals so much more than Spring finals because in the Fall, they totally ruin the Advent/holiday season. It drives me crazy. The rest of the world is out there playing Christmas music and drinking hot chocolate and wearing sweaters, and I'm sitting in my pajamas all day every day buried in a mound of textbooks and wondering if it's cold outside today. I know I could actually get dressed or make myself some hot chocolate, but like I said, every second counts... and I just don't have those seconds to waste!

Anyway, enough about finals. How about a yummy recipe?

These are yummy AND healthy! Turkey is quickly becoming a favorite in our house. I don't even remember the last time I cooked with ground beef... it's all turkey around here lately!

Recipe adapted from here (the original recipe has Weight Watchers points and nutrition facts and such for anyone who's wondering).

Ingredients:

2 lbs ground turkey

2 tsp garlic powder

2 tsp cumin

1 tsp salt

2 tsp chili powder

2 tsp paprika

1 tsp oregano

1/2 onion, minced

1/2 green bell pepper, minced

3/4 cup water

8 oz can tomato sauce

1 head of iceberg lettuce, separated into large leaves

Whatever toppings you want (we use shredded cheese and Picante salsa)

Directions:

1. Brown turkey in a large skillet. When no longer pink, drain well and return to pan. Add spices and mix well.

2. Add onion, pepper, water, and tomato sauce and mix. Cover and simmer on low for 20 minutes.

3. Wash and dry lettuce leaves. Spoon turkey mixture into the center of lettuce leaves and add whatever toppings you want!

Browning the turkey...

Adding spices...

Adding onion, pepper, water, and tomato sauce...

Simmer for 20 minutes!

Ta-da!

Spoon into lettuce, then add toppings and roll 'em up!

Enjoy!

Cheddar Chive Beer Bread

So I bought a bag of self-rising flour accidentally. I know I could've gone back to the store and exchanged it for regular, but the Customer Service desk at Wal-Mart makes my blood pressure rise to unhealthy levels. So I Googled "what to make with self rising flour," and someone said quick breads, so I made up this recipe. And it was GOOOD. Jeff said it was better than the Shiner bread at Saltgrass Steakhouse, so I was pretty proud of myself!

Ingredients:

3 cups self-rising flour

1/2 cup sugar

1 12oz bottle of beer

1 cup finely shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1 tbsp dried chives

2 tbsp butter, melted

Directions:

1. Stir together flour, sugar, and beer. Add in cheese and chives and stir until combined.

2. Put dough in a lightly-greased loaf pan (I think mine is 4x8").

3. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes. Pour melted butter over the top and bake for another 10 minutes.

4. Let cool in the pan for a couple minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack.

Ingredients!

Mixing it all up!

Dough!

in the pan...

Out of the oven!

Cooling on a rack...

Ta-da!

Enjoy!

Spicy Honey Chicken

I've been doing a lot of Crock-Pot recipes lately. I've just been so busy and they're just so easy to throw together! This chicken is one of Jeff's favorites - it's spicy, but not like super spicy. Just enough to give it some kick and mix well with that honey sweetness!

Recipe adapted from here.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds chicken breasts
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 cup clover honey
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 small onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup ketchup
2 tbsp canola oil (or vegetable oil)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

Directions:
1. Season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper, and put them into the Crock-Pot.
2. Mix together honey, soy sauce, onion, ketchup, oil, garlic, and red pepper flakes in a bowl.
3. Pour the honey sauce over the chicken.
4. Cook on low for 3 hours or high for 1 1/2 hours.
5. About 30 minutes before the time is up, shred or chop the chicken into bite size pieces and toss with the sauce in the Crock-Pot.
6. Serve with rice, with pasta, or just by itself!

Seasoned Chicken

Honey Sauce

Ready to Cook!

30 minutes before time is up...

Shred and stir!

Ta-da!!

Enjoy!

Coconut Chicken with Apricot Sauce

My mother-in-law passed this recipe along to me and I was so excited! I really like coconut chicken, but every recipe I looked at before this one used coconut milk and a bunch of other weird stuff that I didn't want to go buy for one recipe. But this one is just simple ingredients, AND it tastes delicious!

The recipe has a mustard-based apricot sauce, which Jeff loved, but I didn't eat (due to a hatred for mustard). I think it's delicious without the sauce, and Jeff liked it with, so you could go either way!

Recipe adapted from here.

Ingredients:
1 egg
1 cup sweetened coconut flakes
1/2 cup flour
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
4 boneless chicken breasts
1/2 cup butter, melted

For sauce:
1/4 cup apricot preserves
2 tbsp dijon mustard

Directions:
1. Lightly beat the egg in a medium bowl. Set aside.
2. Mix the coconut, flour, garlic powder, salt, and pepper in a second bowl.
3. One at a time, dip the chicken breasts into the beaten egg, then coat them with the coconut mixture.
4. Place the coated chicken breasts in a lightly-greased baking dish. Drizzle melted butter evenly over the top.
5. Bake at 400 for 30-40 minutes, flipping the breasts about halfway though.
6. While the chicken bakes, (if making the sauce), mix the apricot preserves and dijon mustard in a small bowl. Serve over chicken.

Beaten egg

Coconut mixture ingredients

Coating the chicken...

Coated and in the pan!

Mmmm, butter! Ready for the oven!

Sauce ingredients

Apricot Sauce

Flipped halfway through...

All done!

Yumm!! (without the sauce)

... and here it is with the sauce!

Enjoy!