Heavenly Homemakers

Encouraging women in homemaking, healthy eating and parenting

Simple Creamy Chicken Soup for Crock Pot or Instant Pot

by 4 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see our disclosure policy.

This Simple Creamy Chicken Soup is the definition of comfort food.

Hmmmm. Actually, the definition of comfort food (I just looked it up) is: food that provides consolation or a feeling of well-being, typically any with a high sugar or other carbohydrate content and associated with childhood or home cooking.

I believe I have just re-defined comfort food. No longer must it be associated with a high sugar or carb content. Certainly not in the case of this Creamy Chicken Soup. We can associate it with home cooking (because we will be at home, cooking it) and it is likely that your children will someday associate it with their childhood.

But there is no pasta or potato involved in the making of this soup to make it high in carbs. Add some if you like. I’m personally in it for the chicken and the cheese. I find it delightfully comforting.

Simple Creamy Chicken Soup

Simple Creamy Chicken Soup for Crock Pot or Instant Pot
 
Save Print
Author:
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
  • 1-2 pounds boneless chicken thighs or breasts
  • 10-ounce can Rotel
  • 32-ounces (4 cups) chicken broth
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 8-ounces softened cream cheese
  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 2 cups shredded Colby jack or cheddar cheese
Instructions
  1. Place chicken, Rotel, broth, salt, and paprika into an Instant Pot or Crock Pot
  2. For Instant Pot: Seal and cook on manual at high pressure for 15 minutes. Quick release.
  3. For Crock Pot: Cook ingredients on low for 6-8 hours or until chicken is no longer pink.
  4. Remove chicken from Crock Pot or Instant Pot. Shred it and put it back into the pot.
  5. Stir in cream cheese, cream, and shredded cheese until smooth.
  6. Serve with frozen corn sprinkled in if desired

I added a carb by sprinkling frozen corn into our soup to cool it and sweeten it. So I guess this meets the definition of comfort food after all!

Don’t have an Instant Pot? I have and love this one.

Simple Real Food Recipes

 

Join Simple Meals!

728x90

We love how Simple Meals has been saving family time for so many, and helping people put great food on the table each night! Join us for just $1/week!

[wp_eStore_subscribe_fancy id=28]

Some of the links in this post are my affiliate links.

Heavenly Homemaker's Club Members: Access your homepage and all your fantastic resources here! Not a member yet? Please join us!

Simple 10-Minute Instant Pot Mac and Cheese

by 11 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see our disclosure policy.

I have a major confession, and I think you will all be a tiny bit shocked. (No I didn’t start eating margarine. Who do you even think I am?) For years, I deemed this Creamy Mac and Cheese recipe the best in the world. I held to this opinion for years. And now. NOW, I have discovered a recipe that is even better than the best. Allow me to introduce you to the marvelous, wonderful, fabulous 10-Minute Instant Pot Mac and Cheese!

If you don’t yet have an Instant Pot, I feel you, I get you, and I was on your Non-Instant-Pot-Team for many years. Then I finally gave in and allowed this jewel to change my life forever. I truly do love my precious Instant Pot because it saves me so much time and energy in the kitchen. It’s like God knew we all needed Simple Meals and Simple Recipes so on the eighth day He created the Instant Pot. And God said it was good.

What are my favorite foods to make in my Instant Pot? I’m so glad you asked.

If you don’t yet have an Instant Pot, might I recommend that you save up and invest in one? I do think you will love it as much as I do!

For all the Instant Pot owners out there, you’ll be delighted to know that this 10-Minute Instant Pot Mac and Cheese can actually be ready to serve – from start to finish – in just 10-minutes. This has become a great go-to lunch for my boys at home or a wonderful side dish at dinner after a busy day.

Simple 10-Minute Instant Pot Mac and Cheese

4.0 from 2 reviews
Simple 10-Minute Instant Pot Mac and Cheese
 
Save Print
Author:
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
  • 16-ounces whole grain pasta (any shape)
  • 4 cups water
  • 4 Tablespoons butter (always butter, never margarine, amen, hallelujah)
  • 2 teaspoons sea salt
  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 3 cups shredded cheese (we love Colby jack)
Instructions
  1. Stir uncooked pasta, water, butter, and salt in your instant pot.
  2. Seal and cook on manual, high pressure for 4 minutes.
  3. Quick release the pressure.
  4. Open the pot and stir in the cream and cheese until melted and creamy.

Want More Simple Real Food Recipes?

Want these recipes in your hands?

We’ve got most of these recipes already in eBook format so you can download, print, and hold them in your hands!

[wp_eStore_fancy1 id=23]

[wp_eStore_fancy1 id=39]

Join Simple Meals!

728x90

We love how Simple Meals has been saving family time for so many, and helping people put great food on the table each night! Join us for just $1/week!

[wp_eStore_subscribe_fancy id=28]

Some of the links in this post are my affiliate links.

Heavenly Homemaker's Club Members: Access your homepage and all your fantastic resources here! Not a member yet? Please join us!

DON’T Make Meal Plans in 2019! (What?!)

by Leave a Comment

This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see our disclosure policy.

Yep. Sit back and let us make your meals plans for you. How fantastic would that be?! We offered this back in September – and it’s back for two days in a flash sale. Drum roll please…

We included an entire years Simple Meals Subscription (worth $52) in this year’s Healthy Living Bundle. That means you can get your first year subscription for just $29.97! That’s almost half price. (Complete real food, simple menu plans every week for $0.58 each!!!!)

Ultimate Healthy Living Bundle 2018PLUS, your purchase instantly gives you 95 other Healthy Living resources that help you learn more about keeping yourself and your family healthy. And if that isn’t awesome enough, we decided to sweeten the pot even more by creating a new Simple Recipes eBook and giving it to you for…

FREE.

Yes. When you buy this year’s Healthy Living Bundle through our links,  not only will you be getting an entire year’s worth of Simple Meals complete planning packets for almost half price, you’ll get 95 other products (worth $2235), 6 bonuses…

Then you can email me and we’ll throw our Simple Recipes for Simple Meals eBook into your inbox!

But I don’t want the Healthy Living Bundle!

Oh. Well, I think if you look at all that is included in this year’s collection, you might change your mind about not wanting it. But hey, I get it. Sometimes the idea of having the entire bundle can feel overwhelming.

So say you don’t want the Bundle, but you DO want a One-Year Subscription to Simple Meals. And you want our new Simple Recipes eBook too. But of course. 

You can pay full price for both of those if you want to, but I suggest buying the bundle anyway so you can get Simple Meals for $29.97 instead of our regular $52. And you’ll get our free new eBook, regularly priced at $8.95.

(You’ll end up saving $31! Which is more than the cost of the entire bundle!)

Why is this worth it?

The best thing I can say is that we all want to feed our families well so we can be healthy, but there are more important ways to spend our time and energy than planning, shopping, and cooking for hours every week. It is much more important to love God and love people. We must turn our focus from work to love!

That is the inspiration behind Simple Meals. Every week our team creates and sends you super simple, real food menu plans, grocery lists, recipes, and more – so you can very easily put great meals on the table every night. You’ll be able to feed your family tremendous food while spending very little time in the kitchen. This will free you up for:

  • More family time
  • More time spent in ministry
  • More time to rest and find refreshment in God’s word

That’s more of everything that is most important. All while feeding your family well too.

Your kitchen life is about to make a big change for the better.

This Healthy Living Bundle flash sale offer is only good through Friday, December 28.

Take advantage right away! You’ll get immediate access to Simple Meals, and you’ll benefit from it for an entire year. Then email me ([email protected]) and I’ll email you a copy of our brand new Simple Recipes for Simple Meals eBook for FREE!

Then look through all the other (95!) products that are included in the bundle too. They are yours forever, so you can take your time in looking through them all.

Ultimate Healthy Living Bundle 2018

I can’t wait to connect with you through Simple Meals!

This offer expires December 28, 2018.

Heavenly Homemaker's Club Members: Access your homepage and all your fantastic resources here! Not a member yet? Please join us!

Simple Real Food Recipes For Your Holiday Break

by Leave a Comment

This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see our disclosure policy.

I don’t know about you, but I’m taking a break right now. I break from blogging and a break from many normal responsibilities. This is why we all need Simple Recipes so we can still feed our families well!

Keep your meals as simple as possible as you enjoy family time and celebrations. Here’s our ever-growing list of Simple Recipes for you to choose from!

Dozens of Simple Real Food Recipes

Want them in your hands?

We’ve got most of these recipes already in eBook format so you can download, print, and hold them in your hands!

[wp_eStore_fancy1 id=23]

[wp_eStore_fancy1 id=39]

Join Simple Meals!

728x90

We love how Simple Meals has been saving family time for so many, and helping people put great food on the table each night! Join us for just $1/week!

[wp_eStore_subscribe_fancy id=28]

Heavenly Homemaker's Club Members: Access your homepage and all your fantastic resources here! Not a member yet? Please join us!

Merry Christmas from the Coppinger 7!

by 20 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see our disclosure policy.

Wait – 7?? Yep. God took us from six to seven this year. We can’t believe it either.

Here we are, on Asa’s Senior Night for just before his final home soccer game for York College.

The adoption won’t be final until sometime in the new year, but we’re well on our way. You can expect precious pictures of our Bonus Boy on adoption day in a few months.

What have I learned this year? I’ve learned that I should never make plans. Be kind of organized and maybe have a casserole in the freezer. But don’t make plans. GOD MAKES PLANS. Then He prepares us, equips us, and provides for us as He carries out His perfect plans.

We weren’t even looking to provide foster care, much less adopt. Indeed, I had all kinds of other plans for our lives in the next few years…but fostering? Adopting? Not even a blip on my radar.

Trusting God, though? Listening? Obeying and walking in the path He paves? That’s where we’ve been focused. We’ve been asking God to show us what it really means to love our neighbor…

As our hearts had opened to people in our community who needed support through special struggles, we became friends with Bonus Boy’s birth mom. When we discovered one night last spring that the little guy needed a temporary place to live, we prayed. God told us yes, so Bonus Boy moved in within just a few hours of our finding out about the need. This huge life change happened exactly that fast – with less than a day’s notice. But God knew all along.

Fostering turned into the need for adoption. And now here we are. We’re learning about God’s faithfulness and love in ways we never knew. This is the best gift of all.

I pray that as you celebrate Christmas and look back on 2018, you are filled with JOY as you see all the ways God stretched, molded, challenged, grew, and loved you this year. As the year ends, we hope to be more like Jesus than we were at the beginning.

From our family to yours – Merry Christmas. I can’t wait to learn what’s in store for 2019.

Heavenly Homemaker's Club Members: Access your homepage and all your fantastic resources here! Not a member yet? Please join us!

Festive Raspberry (or Cranberry or Apricot) Oatmeal Bars

by Leave a Comment

This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see our disclosure policy.

Remember these awesome Raspberry Oatmeal Bars? Seeing as they have red raspberries in them, that automatically turns them into a festive holiday recipe option, don’t you think?

Now, keep in mind, any of your favorite fruits and jellies will work in these Oatmeal Bars! Perhaps you’d enjoy making a Cranberry variety for Christmas? We like Raspberry and Apricot best at our house. And if you top them with slivered almonds, you’ve got an extra special treat!

When you look at the recipe, you’ll notice that there’s a lot of butter in these. YES. That’s why they are so delicious!

Festive Raspberry (or Cranberry or Apricot) Oatmeal Bars

Festive Raspberry (or Cranberry or Apricot) Oatmeal Bars
 
Save Print
Author:
Serves: 12
Ingredients
  • 1½ cups whole wheat flour
  • 1½ cups rolled oats
  • ½ cup sucanat or brown sugar
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 cup melted butter
  • ½ cup 100% fruit jam (raspberry, apricot, grape, cranberry, etc)
Instructions
  1. Mix together flour, oats, sucanat, baking powder, and salt.
  2. Stir in melted butter until the mixture resembles crumbs.
  3. Press half of the mixture into an 8x8 inch baking pan.
  4. Spread jam over the top.
  5. Sprinkle remaining oat mixture on top of the jam layer, pressing down to cover.
  6. Sprinkle slivered almonds on top if you like!
  7. Bake in a 350° oven for 30 minutes or until lightly browned.

 

Want to mix and match your flavors by using a variety of jellies? I’ve described how to do that here!

Heavenly Homemaker's Club Members: Access your homepage and all your fantastic resources here! Not a member yet? Please join us!

Simple Crock Pot Chocolate Peanut Butter Lava Cake

by Leave a Comment

This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see our disclosure policy.

I shared this Simple Crock Pot Chocolate Peanut Butter Lava Cake with you many years ago! Christmas is the perfect time to bring it back, don’t you think?

This recipe looks rather involved, but would I be sharing it if it was difficult? Of course not. :) Putting this together is very simple, and worth every bit of your (small amount of) effort!

Simple Crock Pot Chocolate Peanut Butter Lava Cake

Simple Crock Pot Chocolate Peanut Butter Lava Cake
 
Save Print
Author:
Serves: 6-8
Ingredients
  • 1 cup whole wheat flour
  • 2 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
  • ½ cup sucanat or brown sugar
  • 1½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup milk
  • 2 Tablespoons melted butter (or coconut oil)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • ½ cup natural peanut butter
  • ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • TOPPING:
  • 3 Tablespoons cocoa powder
  • ½ cup sucanat or brown sugar
  • 1½ cups boiling water
Instructions
  1. Combine flour, cocoa, sucanat, baking powder, and salt. Mix well.
  2. Make a well in the center and add milk, butter, and vanilla.
  3. Stir well, until batter is smooth.
  4. Stir in peanut butter (heat if needed, to thin).
  5. Stir in chocolate chips.
  6. Spread the batter evenly into a well greased slow cooker.
  7. Make the topping:
  8. Mix cocoa and sucanat, whisk in boiling water until smooth.
  9. Gently pour over batter in crock pot, but don’t stir.
  10. Cover and cook on HIGH until puffed and the top layer is set, about 2- 2¼ hours.
  11. Turn off crock pot and let stand, covered for at least 30 minutes.
  12. Serve the cake (which is now on top) with ice cream or whipped cream and drizzle the fudgy pudding from the bottom over both.
Top this awesome cake with freshly whipped cream!

How to Make Fresh Whipped Cream

Want to go a little chocolate and peanut butter CrAzY? Try this on top of your cake:

How to Make Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Whipped Cream

Heavenly Homemaker's Club Members: Access your homepage and all your fantastic resources here! Not a member yet? Please join us!

Our Favorite Simple Christmastime Snacks and Sweets Recipes

by Leave a Comment

This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see our disclosure policy.

While I like making special foods for Christmas, I still like to keep my preparations simple (of course) so I can enjoy my family and friends instead of standing at the sink washing dishes. Today I’m sharing 13 of our family’s favorite simple Christmastime snacks and sweets recipes!

Favorite Simple Christmastime Snacks and Sweets Recipes

These are the recipes that are great to whip up quickly to share at a holiday gathering. I especially like having quick recipes like this so we can set out a snacky buffet for a family game night or movie night. They are easy to have already made up to pull out for an impromptu get-together. And they are all made with real food, so while they are treats, they are also still on the “better for you” side!

Favorite Snacks

Easy Veggie Dip 1

Favorite Sweets

Does sugar count during Christmas? Asking for a friend. Actually, some of these are naturally low in sugar so I don’t feel bad about serving or indulging at all!

Dark Chocolate Peppermint Mousse

Caramel Popcorn With No Corn Syrup!

Enjoy these fun snacks and sweets recipes! Enjoy time with your family, making the most of your holiday season. Settle in, relax, make memories!

 

Heavenly Homemaker's Club Members: Access your homepage and all your fantastic resources here! Not a member yet? Please join us!

Low Sugar Chocolate Cookie Cutouts

by Leave a Comment

This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see our disclosure policy.

Look at these fun and festive Low Sugar Chocolate Cookie Cutouts! What a fun way to make a Christmas treat you can feel good about eating!

These cookies are delightfully good with a cup of coffee or tea. And if you want the non-chocolate version (what is wrong with you, ha?!), you’ll find that here. It’s fun to make a batch of both so you can display them in a pretty way on a tray!

Low Sugar Chocolate Cookie Cutouts

Low Sugar Chocolate Cookie Cutouts
 
Save Print
Author:
Serves: 20-30
Ingredients
  • 1 cup melted butter
  • ½ cup sucanat or raw sugar
  • ⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 3½ cups of whole wheat flour (give or take)
Instructions
  1. Stir together melted butter, sugar, and cocoa.
  2. Add eggs, vanilla, and baking powder.
  3. Stir in flour until a solid ball of dough forms.
  4. Cover the bowl and place it in the refrigerator to chill for about an hour.
  5. Roll chilled dough on a well-floured surface and thin or thick as you like.
  6. Cut with cookie cutters and place them about a half inch apart on a baking sheet.
  7. Bake in a 350° oven for about 12 minutes or until cookies are lightly browned.
  8. Makes 20-30 cookies depending on the thickness and size.

Want to frost your Low Sugar Chocolate Cookie Cutouts? Here are some fun (and low sugar) options:

Stevia Sweetened Cream Cheese Frosting

8 ounces softened cream cheese
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Liquid stevia to taste (I use 2 droppers full)

Whip ingredients together until smooth. Frost cookies just before serving.

Low Sugar Chocolate Frosting

1/2 cup butter
4 Tablespoons cocoa powder
2 Tablespoons milk
2-4 Tablespoons honey (sweeten this to your taste)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a small saucepan combine butter, cocoa, milk, and honey. Cook and stir over low heat until ingredients are well combined and mixture begins to thicken slightly. Removed from heat. Stir in vanilla. Spread over cooled cookies.

Heavenly Homemaker's Club Members: Access your homepage and all your fantastic resources here! Not a member yet? Please join us!

Easy Christmas Breakfast Casserole Recipes (That Can Be Made Ahead of Time)

by 2 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see our disclosure policy.

Is there anything better than a Christmas Breakfast Casserole? YES. What’s better is a Christmas Breakfast Casserole that can be made ahead of time so you can wake up on Christmas morning and enjoy your family instead of working and cooking!

Today I will share my favorite Breakfast Casserole options, all of which are super fast and easy to make AND can be made with any variety of ingredients you want to put together. As an added bonus, these are both naturally gluten/grain free if that is a need for you!

(Why no bread in these recipes? What can I say? I don’t like soggy bread. Ha!)

First I will re-share my Easy Breakfast Casserole. Mix it up a day or two before Christmas and put it in the fridge. On Christmas morning, bake as directed!

Easy Christmas Breakfast Casserole

Easy Christmas Breakfast Casserole Recipes
 
Save Print
Author:
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
  • 8 eggs
  • ½ cup heavy cream
  • ¼ teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 cup shredded cheese (I use white cheddar, but you can use whatever cheese you want!)
  • 1-2 cups of any variety of cooked breakfast meat, and veggies like onions, peppers, and mushrooms - per your family's preference
Instructions
  1. Whisk together eggs, cream, and salt.
  2. Pour the ingredients into a 9x13 inch casserole dish.
  3. Sprinkle in any "add in" ingredients you wish.
  4. Stir them around with a fork.
  5. Top casserole with cheese.
  6. Bake in a 350° oven for 30-40 minutes, or until the middle doesn't jiggle.

Care to take a peek at how easy it is to put together this casserole? Here’s a quick video my son helped me make!

More Christmas Breakfast Casserole Recipes

Want a few more great Breakfast Casserole recipe ideas? We’ve got plenty!

What to serve with your Christmas Breakfast Casserole

Oh, I’ve got lots of great ideas for you!

What’s your favorite Christmas morning breakfast tradition?

Heavenly Homemaker's Club Members: Access your homepage and all your fantastic resources here! Not a member yet? Please join us!