Slow Cooker Cheesy Chicken 'n Rice

We tried out a new Crock Pot recipe last night, and boy was it good! It's creamy, cheesy, stick-to-your-ribs, melt-in-your-mouth comfort food - the perfect end to a cool fall day. I put it in the Crock Pot around noon then ran out to do some errands for a bit. When I walked in the door an hour later it smelled absolutely heavenly. All of the juices from the chicken and the flavor of the onions had merged with the cream of chicken soup and I spent the rest of the day impatiently waiting for supper to roll around so I could dig in. When it was time to put the finishing touches on the dish, the chicken literally felt apart as I broke it up with a fork. It was tender, juicy and just all around amazing. It took me less hands-on time than most of my simplest, quickest recipes, has only six ingredients (can you say cheap!?), it made a TON of food (at least 6 servings) and cleanup was a breeze. Needless to say, this dish will be a new regular in our household. 
Original recipe here.

What you'll need:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 small box Zatarain's Yellow Rice, prepared according to box directions
1 (12 oz.) bag frozen sweet corn
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese 

Preparation:
Place chicken in bottom of slow cooker.  Season with pepper (the soup and rice should add enough salt on its own). Scatter chopped onion over top. Spoon cream of chicken soup over top of that. Cover and cook on low 7-8 hours or on high 3-4 hours. A few minutes before serving, break up your chicken with a fork - it should just fall right apart. Add in cooked rice, frozen corn, and cheese. Stir to combine, heating throughout, about 5 minutes. Serve hot.

Have you tried this recipe? I'd love to hear how you liked it in the comment section!

Autumn Inspiration

Autumn is here! The air is crisp, the leaves are falling and the spirit of all things fall surrounds us. The warmth of my thick, cozy sweater, the scent of the leaves as they crunch beneath my boots...it's nostalgic for me in many ways. As a child growing up in Texas, fall was the first sign that yes, finally there was a glimmer of hope that relief from the thick humidity and the sweltering heat was in the near future. As a teenager living in Vermont, it meant winter was on it's way - the air was brisk, the leaves were absolutely breathtaking, and we sat by the fireplace sipping hot apple cider and munching on spiced cider donuts, wondering if the first snowfall would hold off until after Halloween. As an adult living in North Carolina, I can't wait for my first sip of a Pumpkin Spice Latte (from Starbucks!), for that first trip to the pumpkin patch with the family where Mackenzie will pick out the perfect little pumpkin family to represent us, that first bonfire in the back yard, raking leaves up in the yard with the family and coming in at the end of a long day with our cheeks rosy, our noses cold and fresh apple bread right for the oven waiting for us...and memories of meeting my husband -how the first time our eyes met, there was a connection like I can't describe...and we spent all night talking, dancing, laughing...how I had to tell him to take me on our first date because he was too shy to ask me out, and how I haven't gone a day without him by my side since. And then of course, there's the decorations... the ones that kick off the season and inspire me to begin all of these wonderful traditions - and reminisce of memories from the past, enjoy the ones of the present and look forward to many in the future. I would like to share with you some of the pumpkin decor that inspired me this season...I hope you enjoy.

Pumpkin Floral Arrangement

Antique Key Fall Pumpkins

"From Halloween to Thanksgiving" Pumpkin Planters

Pumpkin Filled Lanterns

DIY Dryer Vent Pumpkin

Pumpkin Fireplace Display

"Mumpkin" with Decorative Bow

Leafy Centerpiece

Pumpkin Candle Holder

Pumpkin House Number Sign

Natural Table Runner

Glitter Pumpkin Topiary

Fall Inspired Wagon

And there ya have it, 13 Pumpkin Inspired Fall Decorations. I'd love to hear your feedback..which one is your favorite? 

HAPPY FALL Y'ALL! 

Tuna Noodle Casserole

Last night Kenzie had a friend over for dinner. I had to run off to a meeting as the girls were walking in the door from dance class, so I left this casserole out for them. Fast forward a few hours to last night. I come home and open the fridge to see the leftovers from the casserole - all three spoonfuls of it! Those girls gobbled up over 3/4 of this dish all on their own! 

What you'll need:
2 cups egg noodles, cooked
1/2 bag frozen peas and carrots
1 stalk celery, chopped
1/4 onion, chopped
1 (14.5 oz.) can cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
1 small can mushrooms
1 small jar pimentos, undrained (I only use half)
1/2 cup Miracle Whip
1 large can (12 oz.) solid white tuna, packed in water - drained
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, separated
1/2 sleeve saltine crackers, crushed

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large saucepan, sweat celery and onion. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add cream of mushroom soup, peas & carrots, mushrooms, pimentos, Miracle Whip, tuna, and 1/2 cup cheese. Mix well until combined and cheese is melted. Gently fold in egg noddles until combined with sauce mixutre. Pour mixture into 9x13" baking dish and top with remaining 1 1/2 cups cheese and crushed saltine crackers. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 25-30 minutes or until topping is golden brown and casserole is bubbly.

10 years ago...

Ten years ago today I was blessed with the most precious gift this life has to offer – the gift of my beautiful, precious daughter. She is my day brightener and my heart warmer. We have been through the toughest times of our lives together but one thing never changed – we had each other. I am so grateful for every moment we’ve shared together and have to look forward to - the happy memories of the past, the joyful moments of the present, and the hope and promise of the future. I love you with all my heart Mackenzie Elizabeth! Happy 10^th  birthday sweet girl.

Today, Tomorrow, Forever...

For the husband who told his wife 'I love you' one last time before his plane went down in a field...for the wife who stopped in a stairwell to call her husband to say I will love you forever...for the mothers and fathers who kissed their kids goodbye the morning they died...for the policemen who rushed in with the firemen to help get others out only to die themselves...for the soldiers who fought back and lost their lives. Today, tomorrow, forever...I will remember you...GOD BLESS AMERICA. 

Mexican Rice Casserole

I first came across this mouth watering side dish during an early morning episode of The Pioneer Woman. It looked so amazingly delicious that I immediately threw my tousled hair into a messy bun, wiped the caked on mascara from below my eyes and jumped in the car to go buy the ingredients I didn't have on hand. I may or may not have bothered to change out of my pajamas, but that's besides the point. All day I waited for dinner time, and around 4:30 I finally caved and declared that it would be an early-supper kinda night. I served this casserole as a side dish to my Sour Cream Enchiladas, and boy was it as mouth watering as it looked! This is my new go-to Mexican side dish. Original recipe here.

What you'll need:
1 tablespoon Canola oil
1 1/2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 small onion, chopped
2 cups long grain rice
1 can diced tomatoes, undrained (14.5 oz)
5 oz. diced tomatoes w/green chiles, such as Rotel
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (I omitted this)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/8 teaspoon tumeric
3-4 cups low sodium chicken broth (more if needed)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
fresh cilantro for serving

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 350°.

Rice Preparation*: Heat the oil in a large skillet and add the garlic and onions. Cook, 3 to 4 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and add the rice. Stir constantly, making sure the rice doesn't burn. Cook over low heat, about 3 minutes.

Next, add the whole tomatoes, diced tomatoes, cumin, salt, pepper, cayenne and turmeric. Stir to combine and let cook, about 2 minutes. Finally, add the chicken broth and stir the mixture together. Bring the mixture to a boil, and then reduce heat to low. Cover, and simmer until the rice is not quite done, 10 to 15 minutes.

Top with the cheese, and then bake with the lid off until the cheese is melted and the rice fully cooked, about 15 minutes. Serve with chopped cilantro.

*Short cut: You may use minute rice or success rice prepared with chicken broth in place of water and omit the rice preparation step. Simply prepare the rice. Once cooked, add garlic and onion before adding the rest of the ingredients.  

Sour Cream Enchilada Casserole

There are many dishes that remind me of my childhood. Y'know, the ones that give you that warm, fuzzy, nostalgic feeling...the ones that put a smile on your face as they warm your soul. This is one of those dishes. My momma made this dish for me growing up, and now my own daughter is requests it often. I've seen many recipes floating around out there for sour cream enchiladas over the years, but this dish is different. The biggest (and in my opinion best) thing that sets this dish apart from "regular" sour cream enchiladas is the way they're prepared. See, I love to cook, bake, craft, you name it...but when I'm done it looks like a tornado has come through the room. I'm clumsy, dropsy and my mother often tells me she should have named me Grace (probably because I have none). Do you see where this is going? That's right, rolling a bunch of enchiladas isn't exactly my idea of easy or fun. It's just not my cup of tea to spend all that time filling each tortilla with the exact same amount of filling, rolling each one in the same direction with the same amount of tension and lying them side by side, making sure they all fit in the pan like puzzle pieces so there is equal distance between each one (a messy perfectionist....does it get any more dysfunctional than that?)...and then you take them out of the pan just to have them fall apart on their way to the plate. *sigh* Talk about stressful! Anyway, I take the easy way out, and I think they turn out better than traditional enchiladas - I just layer it, kinda like a lasagna. Sauce, tortillas, meat, sauce, tortillas, meat..always in that order. ;) No matter how you choose to lay it out, it's sure to be a a dish you come back to time after time. So without further ado...

What you'll need:

1 pound ground beef

8 burrito size flour tortillas

1 packet of taco seasoning, or homemade taco seasoning

1 small onion

8 oz. sour cream

1 small can green chiles (undrained)

1 small can sliced black olives (drained)

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 1/2-2 cups cheddar cheese

Preparation:

In a large skillet, brown ground beef with onion - drain if needed. Add taco seasoning and prepare according to package directions. Set meat aside. In a medium sauce pan, add sour cream, green chiles, creamed soups and 1/2 cup cheese, melting just until thinned and warm. Evenly cover bottom of a greased 9x12 casserole dish with a thin layer of sauce. Tear four tortillas into quarters. Lay tortilla pieces in bottom of pan, covering all surface area. Evenly spoon half of the taco meat onto the tortilla layer. Pour half of the sauce mixture on top of meat, spreading out evenly. Repeat each layer, beginning with tortillas and ending with sauce. Top with remaining shredded cheddar cheese and black olives. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 350° for 30-40 minutes or until enchiladas are bubbly and cheese is melted and golden.