Country Chicken Stew with Dill Dumplings

This recipe will make enough to serve for dinner one night with plenty left over for another meal. Before serving, put half of the stew in a freezer safe dish, label, and freeze. Then, on a cold winter night, when you don’t feel like cooking, just pull it out of the freezer and reheat. It tastes just as delicious the second time around.

Ingredients:
1 lb of boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 lb of boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3 tsp crushed fresh garlic
1 large bell pepper, chopped
1 lb fresh green beans, cut into 1 inch lengths
6 small new potatoes, or 2 russet potatoes, cut up
1 tsp salt
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 cups of chicken broth
1/3 cup of milk
1 cup of baking mix, such as Bisquick
1 Tbsp dill

Preparation:
Spray the slow cooker with cooking spray.
Place the vegetables in first, and the chicken on top of the vegetables.
Sprinkle with the garlic, salt, and pepper.
Pour the broth into the crock pot.
Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

In the afternoon, make the dumplings:
Stir together the milk, baking mix, and dill just until moistened.
Drop by spoonfuls on top of the hot stew in the crock pot.
Cover and cook another 30 minutes, until the dumplings are firm.
The dumplings will thicken the sauce on the chicken and vegetables.
This is nice served with a crisp white wine.

Mediterranean Roast Chicken in the Crockpot

Mediterranean Roast Chicken in the Crockpot
Fresh Garlic Herb Bread
Garden Salad with Carrots and Broccoli

This Mediterranean Chicken Dish is so delicious, your family will ask for it again and again.

Ingredients:
1 whole fryer, cut up, or 2 pounds of chicken pieces
2 cups of sliced mushrooms
1 15 ounce can of diced tomatoes
1 can of sliced black olives
1 small jar of marinated artichoke hearts
1 can of chicken broth
1 tablespoon of dried parsley
2 teaspoons of dried oregano
2 teaspoons of dried thyme
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon cornstarch
Cooking spray
½ head of iceberg lettuce
½ cup of carrots
1 cup of broccoli florets, chopped
½ cucumber, sliced

In the morning:
Prepare the bread ingredients according to your bread machine and set on delay bake.
If you don’t have a recipe for garlic herb bread, add 2 tablespoons of chopped garlic to the wet ingredients and 1 tablespoon of Italian herbs to the dry ingredients.
Wash and dry the fryer.
Coat the crockpot with cooking spray. Place the chicken, mushrooms, tomatoes, artichoke hearts, olives, oregano, parsley, and thyme in the crockpot. Stir together.
Cover and cook on LOW 8 hours.

20 minutes before dinner:
Mix the cornstarch with ¼ cup of water, stir into the crockpot, then cook on HIGH for 15 minutes more.
Set the table.
Toss together the ingredients for the salad. Serve with the dressing of your choice.
Remove the bread from the machine to let it cool. Slice at the table.

Roast Chicken Dinner in the Crockpot

Roast Chicken in the Crockpot
Baked Butternut Squash
Fresh Whole Wheat Bread
Garden Salad with Craisins and Pecans

With roast chicken this simple, you’ll want to make it again and again. Turning it on HIGH at the end will make the skin crispy and brown.


Ingredients:

• 1 whole fryer
• Salt and pepper
• 1 butternut or other winter squash, cut into eight pieces
• Cooking spray
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
• ½ head of iceberg lettuce
• ½ cup of craisins
• ½ cup of pecan pieces
• ½ cup of carrots
• ½ cucumber, sliced

In the morning:

1. Prepare the bread ingredients according to your bread machine and set on delay bake.
2. Coat the crockpot with cooking spray. Place the cut up squash in the bottom of the crockpot around the edges and sprinkle with cinnamon and nutmeg.
3. Wash and dry the fryer.
4. Coat the inside cavity with salt, then sprinkle salt and pepper on the skin.
5. Place the chicken breast side up in the crockpot.
6. Cover and cook on LOW 8 hours, then on HIGH for ½ - 1 hour more.

15 minutes before dinner:

1. Set the table.
2. Toss together the ingredients for the salad. Serve with the dressing of your choice.
3. Remove the bread from the machine to let it cool. Slice at the table.