Homemade Chicken Pot Pie

Thank you, Andrea, for sending this recipe my way!  I look forward to trying it soon with my family!!

1 rotisserie chicken (already cooked usually in the deli at a grocery store)
1 large bag of frozen vegetables
1 large family size can of cream of chicken
4 chicken bouillon cubes
salt and pepper to taste
1 pack (2 in the box) of premade pie crusts (roll them out into your pan)

Tear chicken off bones and put in large soup pot.
Add frozen vegetables, chicken bouillon cubes, and enough water to cover everything.
Bring to a boil.
Cook 5 minutes.
Reduce heat and add cream of chicken soup.
Mixture should be thick.  If it is not, discard some soup mixture and cook longer.
Pour into two deep dish pie plates and roll the pre-made pie crusts on top. 
Trim excess and cut small holes in top of crust for ventilation and preventing it from cooking over.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes

Chicken Casserole

This came from the new HEA cookbook that my mom bought me!  She made this a couple of weeks ago and we all really really liked it!  Make some rolls and a side veggie with this and it will feel like Thanksgiving dinner!

1 box Stove Top dressing -chicken
1 (8 oz) container sour cream
1 can chicken broth
1 chicken, cooked, deboned, and cut into bite size pieces
1 can cream of mushroom soup
onion (optional)
celery (optional)
 1 egg beaten

Mix all ingredients.  Pour into buttered 9x13 pan or 2 8x8 pans.  (Freeze one for later or take to a friend!) Drizzle with 1/4 c melted margarine.  Bake 40-60 minutes at 350 degrees.  (Top should be brown)

When preparing a frozen casserole, thaw in fridge before baking or bake an additional 20 minutes.

Mendi's Lasagna

I had to add this because it has changed the word "LASAGNA" in so many ways....
It's AWESOME!
I make two 8x8 pans of this, one in which we eat right away and the other I save (freeze) for a busy day.
I think that it's time consuming for the first pan, but its easy to throw the 2nd pan together!!!

Sauce:   
1 lb sweet Italian Sausage
1 lb ground beef
2 cloves garlic (crushed)
1 can crushed tomatoes (28 oz)
2 cans tomato paste (6 oz)
1/2 c water
2 tbsps white sugar
1 1/2 tsp dried basil leaves
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1 tbsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp fennel
1 (28 oz) tomato sauce

Brown your sausage, hamburger, onion, and garlic.  Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce, and water. Season with sugar, basil, fennel, Italian seasoning, 1 tbsp salt, pepper. 
Simmer and cook for 1 1/2 hrs.    (THIS SEEMS FOREVER... I know... just stir occasionally.)

I know it seems like a big job, but its totally worth it in the end!

For a good cheese layer in your lasagna - combine the following ingredients:
16 oz ricotta cheese
1 egg
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 lb mozzarella cheese (sliced)
3/4 shredded parmesan cheese

To assemble:
Layer of Meat Sauce on bottom
Layer of Lasagna noodles (cooked or you can use the No-Boil Noodles)
Ricotta Cheese mixture on top of that
Mozarella Slices on top of that...
Parmesan Cheese on top of that...

REPEAT LAYERS TILL FULL

Roadside Chicken

Here is an awesome marinade and sauce for your grilled chicken...

1 c white vinegar
1/4 c worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp white sugar
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tbsp black pepper ground
1 tsp celery seed ground

Marinade chicken in the above mixture.    (2-8 hrs for marinade)

Make up another batch of the mixture for basting. 
Add:  1/2 c vegetable oil and 1 tsp prepared mustard

Our recipe says, "Don't be cheap with the baste, the more the merrier!"

Shish-ka-Bob Marinade

For Chicken or Beef...  Get those grills out!!

1/2 tbsp pepper
1 tbsp oregano
1 tsp onion salt
1 tsp garlic salt
2 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 c olive oil
1 tsp salt

We really liked this when I made it for the first time and I pulled it out tonight for us to make again this week!

Sweet & Tangy Wings

1/4 c apricot preserves
1/4 c balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
3/4 tsp salt

Set aside 1/4 c mixture.  Add wings to a large bowl and toss to coat.  Grill.

Bast with preserve mixture during last 10 minutes of cooking on the grill!

Hawaiian Meatballs

You can either make your own meatballs or I buy the frozen meatballs for a FASTER meal!!!

Meatballs (if you want to take the time to do it):   BUY FROZEN... they taste the same to me!
1.5 lbs ground beef
2/3 c cracker crumbs
1/3 c minced onion
1 egg
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ginger
1/4 c milk
1 tbsp shortening (to put in pan before frying)

Sauce - I DOUBLE this recipe!
2 tbsp corn starch
1/2 c brown sugar
1 can pineapple tidbits - drain syrup and keep it!  (13 1/2 oz can)
1/3 c vinegar
1 tbsp soy sauce
1/3 c chopped green pepper
I add a little green onion, too.

Mix corn starch & sugar.  Stir in pineapple syrup, vinegar, soy sauce.  Pour into pan over medium heat.  Stir till it boils.  Boil and stir 1 minute.  Add meatballs, pineapple, and green peppers.  (onion, too, if you want...)  Heat thoroughly. 

I love this!

I make white rice to put the hawaiian meatballs over and its delicious!

Beef Stroganoff

1 lb ground hamburger
1/3 cup water
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 cup sour cream
1 small can mushrooms
egg noodles or rice

Brown the beef.  Cook your noodles.  Add together and you're DONE!

For a creamier beef stoganoff:
1 lb ground beef
2/3 c water
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
2 cups evaporated milk
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 small can mushrooms
egg noodles

Follow the same directions as above!
Thanks Dawn D.!

Italian Beef

I think a lot of people have this recipe or one similar, but I thought I would add it anyways...

Put a roast in the crockpot.
Add 1 package of dry Italian salad dressing mix
1 jar of Banana Peppers (including the juices)
1 beer

Let it cook for 8 hours on low.
When finished, shred the meat and take out any of the banana peppers that you don't want to stay in there.  (My husband was mad that I removed the banana peppers!!!)
I also removed any large pieces of fat.

Place it on some good fresh buns and you have supper!

Stuffed Hamburgers

Chris made some awesome stuffed hamburgers tonight on the charcoal grill!!

1 lb hamburger (thawed)
1/4 - 1/2 package fresh mushrooms
slices of provolone cheese (or whatever cheese you like the best on sandwiches)

He started with a thin patty of hamburger on the bottom.
Piled a small amount of cut-up mushrooms & cheese pieces into the middle.
He topped it with another small patty.
He then worked around the edges to mold the 2 patties together.

He placed it on a charcoal grill until done.  Don't overcook them... we are addicted to our digital thermometer that we stick into our meat until its cooked to the recommended temperature.  This allows us to eat juicy meat, versus dried out hamburgers, chicken, steak, etc.  We love it!  BUY ONE!

Very good!!!

Broccoli-Potato-Cheese Soup

1/4 c chopped onion
3 tbsp butter
4 c boiling water
1 lb. broccoli (cut up)
4 c hash brown potatoes (shredded)
1 1/2 c milk
1/2 c evaporated milk
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4-1/2 loaf velveeta cheese
Shredded cheddar cheese (1 (8 oz) bag)

Cook & stir onion in butter in 3 qt. pan.
Slowly add water, stir in broccoli and potatoes.
Heat to boiling, then reduce heat and cover to simmer for about 15 min.
Stir in evaporated milk and milk.  Cover and simmer 10 min.
Stir in remaining ingredients.
Add velveeta cheese and cheddar cheese to taste. 
Heat and stir until melted.

I made this for the teachers at school the other day!  The only problem I had was that I didn't add enough Velveeta.  I needed another 1/4.  I would start with a 1/4 of a loaf, taste it, and then add more if you think it needs to be cheesier. 
There is no meat in here so it works great for Catholics on Fridays!
The night before I put this together, I cut up my broccoli and onion.  The night that I made it, I was able to just throw things in when it came time. 


Serves 6-8.

Taco Soup

Its getting a little late for soup recipes, but I wanted to share this with you in case we get another cool day that is suited for a good soup.

There are many taco soup recipes out there.  This is the one I have been using, and we all really enjoy it.

1 lb ground beef
1/4 c diced onion (add more if you really like onion)
1 can drained chili beans
1 pkg taco seasoning
1 pkg hidden valley ranch dressing mix (dry)
3 c tomato juice
1 can tomato soup
1 can rotel tomatoes
1 can stewed tomatoes (mexican style)

Brown beef and onion.
Add remaining ingredients.
Simmer for 1 hour or more.

We use tortilla chips instead of saltine crackers.
We also add a dallop of sour cream and shredded cheddar cheese to the top before serving.

Mom's Meatloaf

I wondered for years how my mom's meatloaf can taste so dang good and everyone else's.... well... isn't so great.  She hooked me up with her recipe (off the top of her head, of course... she never uses recipes!) and I even convinced my husband that meatloaf can be good if made with the right ingredients!

Mix together:
1 lb hamburger
1 egg
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/8 c diced onion
3/4-1 c oatmeal
3/4 c tomato juice
1/2 c milk

-grease pan

350 degrees for 1 hour
In the last 15 minutes, add catsup on top. 

Hearty Chicken & Noodle Casserole

Nancy had made this for me once, and I fell in love with it!  Its a great casserole that has plenty of vegetables for those little kiddies in your house!

1 can Campbell's Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 can Cream of Chicken Soup
1/2 c milk
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1 c frozen vegetables
2 c cubed cooked chicken
2 c egg noodles, cooked & drained
1/2 c shredded Cheddar Cheese

Stir soups, milk, pepper, Parmesan cheese, vegetables, chicken, and noodles in 1.5 qt casserole dish.
Bake at 400 degrees for 25 min or until hot.  Stir.
Top with Cheddar cheese.

To make it crunchy:  Omit cheese.  Use 1/2 c French fried onions.

Chicken Sweet 'n Sour Stir-Fry

I found this recipe as I was checking out the Dole website.  It was pretty good and extremely FAST, but if I make this again, I'm going to use FRESH vegetables and my husband preferred using store bought Stir Fry Sauce versus the sauce they suggest.

Sauce: 
3 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce

Meat:
2 boneless chicken breasts, cut into small bite size pieces
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Vegetables:
1/2 package (I used the entire thing.) frozen stir-fry vegetables
1 can (20 oz) DOLE Pineapple Chunks, drained

Hot cooked rice

DIRECTIONS
Combine ketchup, soy sauce, vinegar into bowl.  Stir.  (I doubled the ingredients for more sauce.) (My husband preferred using store bought stir fry sauce.)

Cook and stir chicken in large skillet in hot oil.
 Stir in vegetables, cover.  Reduce heat to low.  Cook 2-3 minutes or until vegetables are tender-crisp. 
Stir in pineapple chunks and sauce.
Cook & stir until pineapple is heated through. 
Serve over hot rice.

Tip:  Fresh stir fry vegetables can be used in place of frozen vegetables.  When adding fresh vegetables, add 2 tablespoons of juice from pineapple and increase cooking time to 4 minutes or until vegetables are tender-crisp.

Pizza Subs

From Cooks.com

1/2 lb hamburger
1/4 c. chopped onion
1 (8 oz) can pizza sauce
2 tbsp chopped black olives
1 tsp basil
1/2 tsp oregano
1 1/2 c shredded mozzarella cheese
4 French rolls, sliced in half lengthwise

Microwave meat until browned.  Add onion.  Cook on high 5 minutes, stirring after 2 1/2 minutes.  Drain off fat and stir in pizza sauce, olives, basil, oregano.
Sprinkle 3 tablespoons cheese over 1/2 slice of french roll.
Spoon 1/4 of meat mixture over loaf and top with 3 tablespoons cheese.
Top with other half of french roll.
Slice in half and wrap securely with foil.
Prepare remaining rolls the same way.
Bake at 375 fr 40 minutes.

They noted that you can make these and freeze them for quick dinners.  If frozen, cook 60-70 minutes at 375 degrees.

My thoughts:  I actually order a pizza sub almost every time I go to Subway.  They do the same thing, except they put down the large pepperoni for the meat, top that with a little sauce, and then I put black olives, green peppers, and parmesan cheese on top of that.  They toast it... YUM.  I could do that at home now!!!  The hamburger mixture sounds good, too. 

Tawny's Meatloaf

Enjoy this meatloaf recipe!!  It sounds like an easy thing to mix together and throw in the oven!!

Ingredients:
1 pound ground chuck
1 small bag of prepared real bacon bits (about 1 cup)
1 (8oz) package sharp or mild Cheddar, grated
2 large eggs
1/4 c bread crumbs
1/4 c mayo
1 tblsp Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/3 c ketchup
2 tblsp prepared yellow mustard
1 (3 oz) can French fried onions  (optional)

Directions:
Preheat over to 350 degrees
In large bowl, combine ground chuck and next 8 ingredients.  Mix well.
In small bowl, combine ketchup and mustard, reserving ketchup mixture for topping.

In a 9x5x3 inch loaf pan, shape meat mixture into loaf.  Spread ketchup mixture over the loaf.
Bake 40 minutes.  (optional:  top with french fried onions, and bake another 10-15 minutes) or until meat is no longer pink.

Pairs well with green beans or broccoli or any style potato.

Tawny's Creamy Chicken Soup (a.k.a. Comfort Soup)

4 skinless boneless chicken breasts
6-8 chicken bouillon cubes
2.5 - 3 quarts water
24 oz sour cream, divided
1 bag country pasta (try the clear & red bag of noodles found at WalMart - homemade noodles work, too)
1 large can cream of chicken soup

In 5 qt. soup pot, boil water with bouillon cubes, add chicken breast, boil until cooked through.
Remove chicken from broth, set aside. 
Add bag of noodles to broth, boil till preferred doneness.    DO NOT DRAIN NOODLES.
Add in can of cream of chicken soup, stir until fully incorporated to noodle/broth mixture.
Add cubed chicken breast back to soup. 
When heated through, remove from heat and add in 1/2 container of sour cream, stir until fully incorporated.
Use remaining sour cream as garnish by adding a spoonful to the top of each bowl.

Goes great with Hawaiian bread!


Thank you Tawny for a soup recipe!! I could make soup every night of the week if my husband would let me!!!  I'll let you know how it goes!

Shelli's Lazy Lasagna

1-1 1/2 lb hamburger
32 oz spaghetti sauce
16 oz cottage cheese
8 oz sour cream
2 bags shredded mozerella cheese
1/2 c parmesan
1 c water
uncooked lasagna noodles

Brown the hamburger, drain, and mix with spaghetti sauce.
Mix cottage cheese and sour cream in separate bowl.
Start with 1/2 of hamburger/sauce mix on bottom of pan.  Layer in order of noodles, 1/2 sour cream/cottage cheese mix, bag of mozerella.
Repeat for second layer using all of the sour cream/cottage cheese mix. 
Finish with remaining hamburger mix, parm, and water.

Bake at 375 degrees for 1 hour covered.  Uncover and bake an additional 30 minutes.

Make some salad and garlic bread!!

Shelli's Mexican Chicken

3-4 lb whole chicken (or 3-4 lb boneless chicken breasts)
1 can diced rotel tomatoes
1 can cream of chicken
1 can cream of mushroom
8 oz mexican velveeta cheese (Shelli uses 2 8 oz. bags of taco cheese)
small bag of doritos (2  $.99 bags)

Boil chicken (pressure pan works well), cool, shred. in large bowl.
Add chicken, tomatoes, both soups, and cheese. 
Crush 1/2 bag of doritos (or both small bags) and mix well.
Place in a greased 9 x 13 pan and bake 30-45 minutes at 350 degrees.

Shelli says this works well just out of the pan or in tortilla shells.

Warning:  watch your doritos!  Too many will dry it out!

Thanks Shelli, I look forward to making this for the James Family!

Cheesy Slow Cooker Chicken

I haven't made this yet, but my friend Nancy sent it my way!  So, its on my menu for the week! 

6 boneless chicken breasts
Salt, pepper, garlic powder to taste
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 can cheddar cheese soup
Chopped fresh parsley (optional)
hot cooked pasta

1.  Place 3 chicken breasts in your crock pot.  Sprinkle with salt, pepper, garlic powder.  Repeat with remaining 3 breasts and seasonings.
2.  Combine soups in medium bowl.  Pour over chicken.  Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hrs.  Sprinkle with parsley, if desired.  Serve over pasta.

Baked Spaghetti

My husband really liked this the other night!  It did take a little work but its pretty simple to make and older children could help mix!

1 1/2 lbs hamburger
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can tomato soup
4 oz med. cheddar cheese
8 oz package of shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 lb. spaghetti
1/2 med. onion
1/4 green pepper (I left this out only because Chris doesn't like this in his food...)
1 tsp. salt
1 c milk

Cook spaghetti.  Cook meat, onion, and green pepper; pour off grease.  Add salt, soups, milk, and medium cheddar cheese to meat mixture.  Put spaghetti in 9 x 13 greased pan (I used a 3 qt casserole dish).  Top with meat and soup mixture. Bake, covered, at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.  Then uncover, add mozzarella cheese, and bake uncovered for 15-20 minutes until cheese melts and slightly browns.

Crock Pot Italian Chicken

We had this tonight and we really liked these sandwiches.  Thank you, Kara, for this recipe! 

It took 3 minutes to throw everything in the crock pot before I left this morning and 1 minute to wipe down the counter!

Frozen Chicken Breasts
2 pkts of dry Italian Seasoning Mix
Jar of Pepperoncinis with Juice
Fill the jar with water and add to the crockpot, too.

Put crock pot on high - 5 hrs - drain juice, and remove peppers.

Shred for sandwiches

Pizza Rolls

My friend Julie made this for her family and they loved it!  I think this is excellent for this little hands to pick up!! :)  And... who doesn't like pizza?  YUM!

She said it does take a little effort, but she made 2 13x9 pans of it and froze some of the leftovers! What a great idea!

Ingredients
* 1 2/3 cups warm water (70 to 80 degrees F)
* 2 tablespoons nonfat dry milk powder
* 2 tablespoons sugar
* 2 tablespoons shortening
* 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
* 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
* 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast

* 1/2 cup chopped onion
* 1/2 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
* 1/2 cup chopped green pepper
* 1/2 cup chopped sweet red pepper
* 1 tablespoon olive oil
* 1/3 cup pizza sauce
* 1/2 cup diced pepperoni
* 1 cup shredded pizza cheese blend
* 1/4 cup chopped ripe olives
* 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

- Mix the first six ingredients on dough setting in the bread maker. (I used my Kitchen Aid with the dough hook. Once it was kneaded, I let it rise until doubled.) You could also use frozen bread dough - thaw and rise.

- Saute the peppers, onions, mushrooms in the oil until tender. Cool.

- Divide dough into two balls. Turn dough onto a floured surface. Let rest 5 mins. Roll into a 10x16 in. rectangle.

-Top with sauce, veggies, pepperoni, and cheese. Add any extra topping you like.

-From the long side of the rectangle, roll up. (Like cinnamon rolls.) Pinch seam. Cut each roll into 12 pieces. Place 12 rolls in each 9x13 pan.

-Sprinkle with parmesean, cover and let rise until doubled. Bake 18-22 mins. at 375.

-Serve with extra pizza sauce for dipping.

Betty's Easy Supper

My friend Betty send this recipe to me for an easy meal!!!  I can't wait to try it!

1 can pillsbury seamless dough sheet
1-1 1/2 lbs hamburger
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can refried beans
1 can chili beans
shredded cheese

Place the pillsbury dough on a cookie sheet. 
On the stove, cook the hamburger till brown and drain the grease.
Put in the skillet, browned hamburger, diced tomatoes, refried beans, chili beans, and shredded cheese.  Once stirred together, put this mixture on top of the dough. 
Top with more cheese, if desired.
Bake at 350 degrees till the dough is done.

Betty also suggested putting this in a baking dish without dough and put the mixture on top of baked potatoes.
Enjoy!!

FAST and EASY Tuna Noodle Casserole

My friend Ashley K. gave this recipe to me when we were driving to work together.  I can't believe I never thought about this before!!!!

Cook whatever kind of noodles you want to use for your casserole:  elbow macoroni, bowtie pasta, spaghetti noodles, mostaccioli, etc.
In another pan, combine the following until cheese is melted:
1 can of tuna, drained
1 can of cream of mushroom soup
6-7 slices of american cheese

Mix the noodles and tuna mixture together and SERVE. 
Make some garlic bread on the side.

Super easy, isn't it??

Chili Mac - Chili 3-Way

This recipe is a favorite of my husbands!  He finds this super easy for him to make after both of us have had busy days.  He found the recipe on a can of Steak 'n Shake chili...

Place a pile of spaghetti noodles on each plate.

Top the noodles with a pile of chili (great idea for leftovers).

Some people like to add seasoned ground beef on top of this, but we usually have the meat in our chili.

Top that with the Steak 'n Shake special sauce:  4 parts ketchup to 1 part Worcestershire sauce

YUMMY and super easy!

Hamburger Cheese Soup

Searching for a good soup recipe, I ran into this recipe on COOKS.com.  I decided to try it out and found that Gunner LOVED this soup!!!!  The 3 of us went through the entire crockpot of soup in one sitting, only leaving 1 bowl for my lunch the following day. 
Note:  The recipe calls for this to be put in the crock pot, but I just made it in my big deep skillet.  I simmered for close to 45 minutes to get the vegetables cooked. 

1 lb. browned hamburger
1/2 c chopped onion
1/2 c celery chunks (I left this out because Chris doesn't like celery in soup...)
1 1/2 c diced potatoes
2 tbsp Lipton onion soup mix  (I dumped an entire envelope in)
1 c chopped carrots (I used my Pampered Chef chopper to make them smaller chunks for Gunner)
1/2 c corn
1 large jar Cheez Wiz

Brown hamburger and onion.  Drain fat.  Place in crock pot and add soup mix.  Then add the remainder of the ingredients.  Add water until water is about 1 inch above ingredients.  Cover and cook 4 - 4 1/2 hours on high or all day on low.  (It looks watery and not very appetizing at this stage but it will get better...)  Before serving, add the Cheez Wiz.  Melt the Cheez Wiz in the soup.  You can garnish with shredded cheddar cheese.

Let me know what you think...

Chad Britton's Pork Chop Rub

Our good friend, Chad, hooked us up with this recipe a few years ago for our pork chops.  This is the only way I like pork chops now! I promise you that they will melt in your mouth!!!

Before GRILLING, rub this seasoning all over your thawed pork chops.  Get it thick, too!

(for 2 chops)
3 tbsp brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp paprika
1 tsp pepper
1 1/2 tsp garlic salt

I usually throw everything in a big Tupperware container that has a flat bottom.  I press the pork chop into the rub, then turn it over to cover the other side.  If I see any parts of the meat that haven't been covered, I press it on there by hand. 

These are amazing! Thank you Chad!

Chicken Stroganoff

Submitted to me by my good friend Ashley...

Another crock pot recipe! I love these.

Ingredients:
2-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup
16 oz. carton reduced fat or fat free sour cream
1 envelope dry onion soup mix
1pkg of noodles  (your choice)

Directions:
Put chicken in crockpot.  Mix soup, sour cream, onion soup mix, and pour over chicken.  Cook on low 6 to 8 hours. 

Shortly before chicken is done, cook noodles according to package directions.  Place mixture on top of cooked noodles when done.


I look forward to trying this recipe.  Thanks, Ashley!!

Vegetable Soup

By request from my friend Julie...

I don't have a pressure cooker to cook my roast, so I place a roast in the crockpot for about 8 hours.  I just cover the roast with water.

Once cooked, I drain the water from it, throw out any pieces of fat that may be in there, and shred the meat.

I add the following to the crock pot with the shredded roast meat:
2 large cans/jars of tomato juice (homemade juice is the best...)
Frozen vegetables - corn, green beans, carrots, peas, etc. 
My mom adds pieces of fresh cabbage - make sure they soften before eating.
I have also cubed potatoes and added them before - make sure they soften before eating.
Salt and Pepper to taste
I usually let it cook till veggies are ready to eat.

Even though this recipe is a 2 day ordeal unless you have a pressure cooker, we seem to have plenty of leftovers to take to work and to eat for another meal! 

Kenny Mitchell Hamburgers

Yes, sounds like an interesting name for hamburgers, but it's a guy from Newton that both Chris and I got to know very well while we were dating.  He was a regular at the golf course and shared this recipe with us.  To our amazement, we fell in love and make these hamburgers every time we want to make hamburgers from scratch.    A big thanks to Kenny for sharing this great recipe!

1 lb of thawed hamburger meat
1/2 c milk
1/4 c bread crumbs
1/2 pack dry onion soup mix  (sometimes I dump the whole thing in... I love onion flavor...)

Mix together, make into patties, and grill. 

I think we were told to place it in the refrigerator for a short while before making into patties but we usually don't have time for that part.  :)   

I hope I get the chance to say to you, "I told you so."  They really are amazing.

My first recipe... CATALINA CHICKEN

Get out that Crock Pot! 

Before you leave for work, place the following items in your crock pot on low-

3-4 thawed chicken breasts
1 bottle of your favorite barbeque sauce
1/2 bottle of Catalina salad dressing
1 cup of water

When you get home, shred the chicken & place on your favorite style of bun.
Note:  Keep the chicken in the sauce to keep its yummy flavor.

Don't like sandwiches?  I have cut the chicken breasts in half and just placed the smaller chicken breasts on our supper plates.  Cover the pieces with a little sauce from the crock pot. 

Thank you, Monika, for introducing me to this easy meal that all of us enjoy.