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Crock Pot Chicken Tacos

April 23, 2013 by Laura 22 Comments

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This is one of the easiest recipes in the world. Forgot to thaw the chicken? No problem. Have some random tidbits of lettuce or beans in your fridge you need to use up? Perfect. Planning to be out of the house all afternoon and need something ready to eat when you get home…but you only have five minutes before you need to rush out the door, you forgot to make a dinner plan, your daughter can’t find her left shoe, the delivery man knocks on the door, and your toddler is running toward the toilet with your cell phone?

Chicken Tacos to the rescue.

This idea came from my friend Emily. She’s an awesome mom of two little ones. I admire how she is always working to put healthy meals on the table, while trying to save time in the process. Hmmm, kind of sounds like the majority of us, huh? We need easy, fast, tasty…and we want it to nourish our families too. That’s why I thought you’d like hearing this recipe idea.

You simply put chicken breasts into your slow cooker, dump on a jar of salsa, and walk away. (I hate to discourage you or add to your work load, but you do have to plug in the machine and turn a knob. Try not to break a nail.)

My family loves these because they can build their tacos however they like. I love this recipe because it’s adaptable based on what I have in my fridge and pantry. If I don’t have whole wheat tortillas made, but I do have some organic corn chips on hand? That’s how we eat it. And last week, I decided to fry some corn tortillas in palm shortening and have Chicken Tostadas with this recipe instead. Incredibly delicious.

Crock Pot Chicken TacosYum

Crock Pot Chicken Tacos

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Author: Laura

Ingredients

1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 cups salsa

Instructions

Place chicken (frozen, thawed, upside down, whatever) into your slow cooker.
Pour salsa over the chicken.
Cover and cook on low for about 4 hours.
Shred chicken mixture.
Serve with any of your favorite taco fixin's.

What is your favorite way to top a taco? Last week when we had these, I asked Asa (our oldest) to make his famous Spicy Avocado Dip. It was so good with this chicken!

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Chili Mac ~ Real Food Dollar Menu

March 13, 2013 by Laura 19 Comments

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I have a love-hate relationship with leftovers.

Most of the time, I really do love them. On the days I have way too many items on my to-do list and just don’t have time to cook – it’s great to just pull out leftovers to warm up and eat. But on the other hand, having a fridge full of little tid-bits of this and that? It makes my fridge look cluttered, which kinda makes me feel annoyed.

This, my friends, is what we call a “first world problem.” Too many leftovers? So much food in my fridge that I can’t find what I’m looking for? So many people around the world long to have the “problems” I have.

When I have to slide all sorts of bowls and jars around in my fridge, just to find the peanut butter stuffed way in the back? It’s a waste of a good thirty seconds of my life.

Ooh, and you know what’s really annoying? When I make enough peas for each of us to have a nice serving. And then the last person leaves about 13 peas in the pan. Why? Just take the rest of the peas, for goodness sake! I do not want to find a little container for 13 leftover peas, and then put them into the fridge so that I can slide them all around when I’m looking for peanut butter. Likely, they’ll become forgotten and fuzzy because really? Who wants to take the time to re-heat 13 peas?

Oh to have the luxury of complaining about “all” the food in my refrigerator. I truly am thankful for all of the food on my shelves – even the container of 13 forgotten peas. I promise to always be grateful for the cluttery tid-bits.

(But really, if you are the last one to serve yourself at my house, and there are a few peas floating at the bottom of the pan, please, for the love of my sanity as I search for peanut butter, just put them on your plate and eat them already.)

And now for a real food recipe that costs a very small amount of money and uses up some of the leftovers that are taking up space in your fridge.

Chili MacYum

6 cups (give or take) leftover chili
2 cups water
4 cups whole wheat or rice pasta (any shape)
Sea salt to taste
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

In a large pot, bring chili and water to a boil. Add uncooked pasta. Cover and cook on medium heat until pasta is tender. Sprinkle in salt, according to your taste. Serve with shredded cheddar cheese sprinkled on top.

Estimated cost of this meal? About 65¢ per person. And that includes the peas. All of them – even the last 13.

*I calculated my cost based on the food sources and prices I have available to me. Most of the ingredients I use are organic. Your cost may be slightly more or less depending on where you find your ingredients.

If you are sick of chili, and don’t want to eat your leftovers immediately – simply spread this Chili Mac mixture into a 9×13 inch baking dish, top with cheese, cover, and freeze. Reheat another day.

I am happy to report that the day recently when I served Chili Mac, there were no leftover peas. But just in case, maybe I should come up with a recipe that uses 13 peas…

Looking for more meals on our Real Food Dollar Menu? Here are the recipes I’ve shared so far:

Stay tuned for many more recipes and ideas for our Real Food Dollar Menu!

Are you a fan of leftovers? Do you sometimes find a few straggly uneaten peas in the pan?

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Easy Chicken Pot Pie {Real Food Dollar Menu}

January 16, 2013 by Laura 87 Comments

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FAQs of Easy Chicken Pot Pie…

Question: What do you get when you mix one cup of milk, one cup of mayonnaise, and one cup of whole wheat flour?

Answer: The most amazingly delicious crust you can imagine.

Question: What is the easiest way to make a crust for a Chicken Pot Pie?

Answer: You know the “one cup of milk, one cup of mayonnaise, and one cup of flour” I referred to? Mix it up and pour it over the top of your pot pie filling, then bake. It doesn’t get any easier. No mess. No rolling. No problem.

Question: How much does it cost to make this healthy, hearty Chicken Pot Pie?

Answer: Would you believe me if I told you that it only costs $6.00*? It’s true. This recipe feeds 8-10 people. (Eight if you’re my family. Ten if you aren’t feeding teenage boys.) That makes the cost of this recipe between $0.60 and $0.75 per person. And it’s a complete, filling, healthy meal.

Question: Is the rest of this post going to be as cheesy as what I’ve read so far?

Answer: Ummm…no. But I do want you to know that I’m currently working on more ideas for this milk/mayo/flour crust mixture. I got the idea from Matt’s cousin Monica, and I’m thinking that the possibilities are definitely not limited to Chicken Pot Pie. Can’t wait to figure out more ideas!

Easy Chicken Pot Pie

Yum

6 cups chicken broth
2 cups cooked chicken, cut into bites
4 large carrots, peeled and cut into bite sized pieces
6 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into bite sized pieces
2 cups frozen peas
Sea salt and pepper to taste
1/3 cup cold water
2 Tablespoons organic corn starch or arrowroot powder
1 cup milk
1 cup mayonnaise (I use Hain Safflower Mayonnaise)
1 cup whole wheat flour (I use freshly ground flour from hard white wheat)

In a large cooking pot, boil broth, chicken, carrots, potatoes, and peas until veggies are tender. Mix cornstarch with water until smooth. Stir mixture into the broth/veggies, cooking for about one minute on the stove to help the mixture thicken. Pour contents into a 9×13 inch baking dish.

In a separate bowl, stir together milk, mayo, and flour. Spread mixture over the veggies in the baking dish.

Bake in a 350° oven for about 45 minutes or until the crust is golden brown.

Easy Chicken Pot Pie {Real Food Dollar Menu}

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Author: Laura

Serves: 10 servings

Ingredients

6 cups chicken broth
2 cups cooked chicken, cut into bites
4 large carrots, peeled and cut into bite sized pieces
6 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into bite sized pieces
2 cups frozen peas
Sea salt and pepper to taste
⅓ cup cold water
2 Tablespoons organic corn starch, arrowroot powder, or wheat flour
1 cup milk
1 cup mayonnaise (I use Hain Safflower Mayonnaise)
1 cup whole wheat flour (I use freshly ground flour from hard white wheat)

Instructions

In a large cooking pot, boil broth, chicken, carrots, potatoes, and peas until veggies are tender.
Mix cornstarch with water until smooth.
Stir mixture into the broth/veggies, cooking for about one minute on the stove to help the mixture thicken.
Pour contents into a 9x13 inch baking dish.
In a separate bowl, stir together milk, mayo, and flour.
Spread mixture over the veggies in the baking dish.
Bake in a 350° oven for about 45 minutes or until the crust is golden brown.

This is a great way to use up leftover chicken and broth. And I love one-dish meals!

This is just one more recipe that proves that healthy eating doesn’t have to be expensive!

Looking for more meals on our Real Food Dollar Menu? Here are the recipes I’ve shared so far:

Stay tuned for many more recipes and ideas for our Real Food Dollar Menu!

*I calculated my cost based on the food sources and prices I have available to me. Most of the ingredients I use are organic. Your cost may be slightly more or less depending on where you find your ingredients.

P.S. I think this recipe would work great for creating personal sized frozen Chicken Pot Pies. :)

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Crock Pot Beef Stew ~ Real Food Dollar Menu

December 28, 2012 by Laura 12 Comments

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Yum

Here is another healthy meal that is super easy, quick to make, and low in cost. There is really nothing fancy about this meal. But it’s comforting and warm and perfect for a chilly evening.

Crock Pot Beef Stew with Cornbread Muffins

1 pound stew meat, cut into bit-sized chunks
2 pounds potatoes, scrubbed and cubed
1 pound carrots, peeled and sliced
1 medium onion or 2 Tablespoons Onion Soup Mix
1/2 cup water
Sea salt to taste

Combine all ingredients in a crock pot. Cook on low for 5-6 hours or on high for 3 hours.

The cost of this meal, including the cornbread, added up to $8.29*. It fed 9 people. Cost per plate (um, bowl) = $0.92. I love this price!!!

Looking for more meals on our Real Food Dollar Menu? Here are the recipes I’ve shared so far:

Stay tuned for many more recipes and ideas for our Real Food Dollar Menu!

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

Crock Pot Barbecue Chicken – Real Food Dollar Menu

December 13, 2012 by Laura 29 Comments

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It might sound kind of silly for me to say this, but I’ve typically thought that making a meal of Barbecue Chicken Breasts is a bit of a “splurge” for us. Why? Because hardly ever do I just cook boneless, skinless chicken breasts as our “main dish” without spreading them out within a casserole to make them “stretch”.

Even so, this meal costs just a tiny bit more than one dollar per plate. Sweet! I’m so glad to know the price breakdown on this, because we love it. Plus, this meal is super fast and easy to prepare. I’m talking five minutes tops. I can quickly throw chicken breasts and homemade barbecue sauce into the crockpot on a Sunday morning before church, or right after lunch on a weekday – and a few hours later, our main dish is ready! Add a veggie or two, and maybe some bread, and your meal is complete.

We used (free) green beans from our garden for this meal, but to be fair to those who don’t have garden beans in their freezer, I included the price of purchased, frozen beans as I calculated the cost of this meal. Altogether with the chicken, sauce, beans, and muffins, this meal ends up being $1.09/plate. (I calculated my cost based on the food sources and prices I have available to me. Most of the ingredients I use are organic. Your cost may be slightly more or less depending on where you find your ingredients.)

In case you’re wondering – I use Smart Chicken Brand boneless skinless chicken breasts in recipes like this. That is the best I can find around here – and I wait for them to go on sale. (My friend recently got me a case at a great price from her local store. Smart Chicken breast for just $2.71/pound…so exciting!)

Crock Pot Barbecue ChickenYum

Crock Pot Barbecue Chicken - Real Food Dollar Menu

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Author: Laura

Ingredients

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
½ recipe of Homemade Barbecue Sauce (about ½ cup)

Instructions

Cut chicken breasts into portion sized pieces.
Place in a crock pot, top with barbecue sauce, and cook on low for about four hours or until meat is no longer pink.
BONUS: Don't have time for the crock pot? Simply put the chicken and sauce into a saucepan over medium heat on the stove. Cook for 20-30 minutes until cooked through. Serve!

Here’s my Homemade Barbecue Sauce recipe. :)

Do you often use boneless, skinless chicken breasts for a main dish…or do you typically try to “stretch” them into more meals?

Looking for more meals on our Real Food Dollar Menu? Here are the recipes I’ve shared so far:

Hearty Chili

Spanish Rice

Pasta Alfredo

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Pizza Boats – A Quick Throw-it-Together Meal

October 19, 2012 by Laura 15 Comments

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Yum

Apparently, it’s pizza week around here. :)

It’s great to have homemade Whole Wheat Pizza Crusts in the freezer. But if you don’t, or if you’re wanting just a little something different…might I recommend Pizza Boats?

(Warning to children: These Pizza Boats don’t float. Do not take these into the bathtub.)

I have been ordering Alvarado Sprouted Sourdough French Bread from my health food co-op, Azure Standard. In a pinch, I grab one out, slice it and quickly put together two big Pizza Boats. These are perfect for an easy lunch, or for a quick supper before we run out to soccer games.

You’ll need 2 cups (16 ounces) of pizza sauce. Simply slice the french bread in half the long way.

Top any way you wish.

Bake in a 375° oven for 10-15 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly.

I’m telling you. Healthy eating does not have to be difficult or take a lot of time. And it can be a lot of fun. Who wouldn’t want a Pizza Boat for dinner?

But don’t take them into the bathtub.

Why yes. I have been raising boy children for 15 years.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Pizza Boats are the definition of a Simple Meal, wouldn’t you say?

We invite you to join all who are benefiting from Simple Meals. Save time, save energy, save money – let us do the hard work for you! Check out Simple Meals here!

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Easiest, Tastiest, Healthy Pizza Crust (Freezable!)

October 16, 2012 by Laura 77 Comments

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I have officially worked myself out of a job. Elias, our 10 year old, has now been declared our Chief Pizza Maker.

Why? Because I’ve figured out how to make quick and easy pizza crust – and I’ve figured out that this pizza crust freezes really, really well. Therefore, I make a double batch of pizza dough, shape it, and bake it into personal sized crusts – and then I freeze them. On “pizza day”, Elias gets out the crusts and toppings, and puts together “made to order” pizzas for everyone. He then bakes them in our toaster oven, all while I am sitting with my feet up in an easy chair, sipping lemonade, and flipping through a magazine.

Just kidding. I’m typically working right beside him on another kitchen chore. But it sure is nice to have a my big guys around who help so much. And it’s so very nice to have such an easy recipe to work with so that making pizzas is crazy easy.

Whole Wheat Pizza Dough (originally posted when I shared my Whole Wheat Calzone recipe)

Easiest, Tastiest, Healthy Pizza Crust (Freezable!)

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Author: Laura

Ingredients

5 cups whole wheat flour (I use freshly ground flour from hard white wheat)
1 teaspoon sea salt
4½ teaspoons active dry yeast (or 2 pouches)
2 cups warm water (The water should feel warm, but not hot.)

Instructions

Mix all ingredients together, knead for 3-4 minutes, then allow the dough to “rest” for about 10 minutes (give or take).
This dough makes 2 large pizzas, or 18 mini pizzas.
Shape dough into desired pizza sizes and place on baking sheets.
Bake in a 375° oven for 5-7 minutes.
Remove crusts from oven, allow them to cool, then freeze in freezer bags.
Or, top hot pizza crusts with desired pizza toppings.
When you're ready, bake the pizzas at 375° for 10 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and beginning to brown.

FYI – I find that 2 cups (16 ounces) of pizza sauce is typically needed to go with this pizza crust recipe.

Whole Wheat Pizza Crust

Yum

I found little mini turkey pepperonis at the store. Our boys love them. :)

I love how easy this dough is to work with. I simply pinch off a little dough, and quickly roll out crusts and bake them.

Once they have baked and cooled, I put them into freezer bags. I don’t even get them out in time to thaw before we top them and bake them. So convenient!

If you’d like to borrow my ten year old sometime, I’m sure he’d be happy to come build you some pizzas. Then, you too can put your feet up in an easy chair, sip lemonade, and flip through a magazine. :)

Ever tried freezing pizza crusts? If not, I highly recommend it. It makes homemade pizza so very easy!

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Easy Homemade Chicken Salad

October 2, 2012 by Laura 28 Comments

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I couldn’t very well make homemade pita bread last week without making Chicken Salad, now could I?

Matt happened to be out of town for two days last week on a soccer trip. The poor guy. All I talked about when he came home was how good the new pita bread recipe ended up and how I’d made chicken salad to go in it and served it all with fresh tomatoes from our garden. And how all four boys scarfed it up and came back for more.

And then I had to tell him that all of it was gone – that we’d saved none at all for him.

Yeah. Welcome home, Dad. ;)

Not to worry. I’ll make him more soon. Have you tried the Whole Wheat Pita Bread recipe yet?

Easy Homemade Chicken Salad

Easy Chicken SaladYum

Easy Homemade Chicken Salad

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Author: Laura

Ingredients

2 cups cooked, shredded chicken
½ cup mayonnaise (I use Hain Safflower)
2 Tablespoons pickle relish (I use either homemade pickle relish or an organic variety from Amazon or Vitacost)
¼ teaspoon onion salt
2 hard boiled eggs, chopped (optional)

Instructions

Mix all ingredients together and serve on crackers, on bread, or in pita pockets.

Shucks, get out a fork and eat it plain if you want. It’s good stuff. :)

Recipes and links you might need for your Chicken Salad:

Hain Safflower Mayo
Homemade Pickle Relish Recipe
Pre-made pickle relish from Amazon or Vitacost

I’m not a fan of hard boiled eggs in my meat salads. You? And you know, if you all leave a comment answering that question, this will make for one of the most exciting blog conversations – ever. :)

You can also use this recipe to make Turkey Salad with turkey leftovers after a holiday meal. This is one of my favorite ways to use up chicken or turkey leftovers! Chicken or turkey salad makes a wonderful convenience food!

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

Healthy Crock Pot Recipes: Calico Beans

September 12, 2012 by Laura 128 Comments

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

This Calico Beans recipe packs a punch when it comes to protein. In my household of men, this is much appreciated. Oh, who am I kidding? I may be the only girl in my household, but give me a bowl of beans, beef, and bacon, and I’m a happy camper. I love me a high protein meal! If all the boys in the house enjoy it too, well now, that’s just a huge perk. :)

Add some chopped sweet green peppers, or even a few chunks of spicy peppers to this recipe if your family enjoys a little “kick”.

Calico BeansYum

Healthy Crock Pot Recipes: Calico Beans

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Author: Laura

Serves: 6-8

Ingredients

8 ounces turkey bacon, cut into one-inch pieces
1 pound ground beef
½ cup chopped onion (or 4 Tablespoons minced onion)
1 Tablespoon yellow mustard
2 - 15 ounce cans baked beans (I use Eden Organics, full of healthy ingredients)
1 - 15 ounce can kidney beans
¾ cup ketchup (I recommend homemade ketchup or an organic variety that does not contain high fructose corn syrup)
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 Tablespoon vinegar (I use either red wine or balsamic)

Instructions

In a skillet, brown bacon, ground beef, and onions together.
Drain and dump into a crock pot.
Add remaining ingredients, stirring until mixed.
Cover and cook on low for six hours or on high for three hours.
Or, skip the crock pot and bake this in a covered casserole dish at 350° for an hour.

Of course, you’ll save even more money if you soak and cook your own beans. Read more about this process here.

Calico Beans

I know everyone is different when it comes to craving meat and high protein meals. Are you like me and feel like you could eat a half a cow sometimes? Or are you content with a small bowl of beans and the occasional peanut?

Interested in more Crock Pot recipes? You’ll find several to look through here!

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How To Make Pizza on the Grill

July 10, 2012 by Laura 15 Comments

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Yum

I’ve always left the grilling up to Matt. He would head outside and cook the meat, I would be in the kitchen making the side dishes, and all was well.

But one day several weeks ago, I felt like cooking something on the grill for lunch. It just sounded good, you know? But Matt wasn’t home. It was then that I realized that I had no earthly idea how to even turn on the grill. Duh. But it’s true.

Why, yes I do feel ridiculous admitting that to you. And hey, if you want, I could list off all kinds of things I have no clue about. Nah, how about we save that list for another day?

Well anyway, when he got home later that day, I asked my loving husband to teach me the fine arts of turning on a grill, which involved, as most of you probably already know, the push of a button and the turn of a knob. Wow, do I ever feel so much smarter than I did before.

With my newly found knowledge, I have become a little bit addicted to the grill. It is as if a whole new world has opened up to me. And this is why, after mastering burgers, hot dogs, bbq chicken legs, Italian chicken breasts, and several other varieties of meat, I decided to try making pizza on the grill. I had heard it was great, so why not?

The good news: Pizza on the grill tastes incredible and my whole family loves it. The bad news: Pizza on the grill takes more time and effort than a hot dog or even chicken on the grill. Shucks. But hey, it sure beats heating up the house by baking it in the oven. And well, it tastes so good that I think it is worth the effort.

How To Make Pizza on the Grill:

1. Make pizza crust – I used my favorite Whole Wheat Pizza Dough recipe. Roll it thin, and keep it small. Individual sized pizzas are best for the grill.

2. Freeze the unbaked pizza crusts on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. This will make your crusts much easier to work with on the grill.

3. Prepare all pizza toppings. It is important to have this done before you begin cooking your pizzas. Really, really important.

4. Get your grill hot and ready. (If you need my husband to come show you how to turn on your grill, he is very nice and I’m sure he would be happy to walk you through this step.)

5. Place crusts on the grill on low heat, as many as your grill will hold. Close the lid and allow the crusts to cook on one side for about three minutes.

6. Remove the crusts from the grill. Turn them cooked side up and fill with sauce and toppings of your choosing. Go easy on the sauce, unless you want soggy pizza.

7. Place the topped pizzas back on the grill, close the lid, and cook for another 3-5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Not that I personally experienced any moments of absolute insanity my first time making these, but be aware that you may be forced to deal with a bit of craziness while feeling like everything needs to be done at once and everyone needs to get out of your way and not ask you any questions while you are trying to grill the crust, top the crust, grill the pizza, and not burn anything along the way. Just so you know. (It does get easier after you’ve done it once.)

And that is why it is very important that your pizza toppings are prepared and ready ahead of time. I am so not kidding. ;)

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