Crockpot Thai Peanut Chicken

Easy, flavorful and good for you.

2 lbs chicken breasts
2 bell peppers of choice, sliced
1 onion, chopped
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 T lime juice
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 T honey
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
salted peanuts for topping
Cooked rice of choice
Place peppers and onion in bottom of crock. Place chicken on top. In a bowl mix peanut butter, lime juice, broth, soy and honey. Pour over chicken. Cook on high 3-4 hrs or low for 6. For last 30 minutes of cooking, shred chicken. Serve over cooked rice with peanuts and cilantro over top. Or if you arent a fan of raw cilantro, throw it in the sauce and cook it with the chicken. Cooking it mellows the flavor.  yummy!

Creamy Chicken Wild Rice Dish

This is scratch! No cream of soups. Delicious and comforting for a Fall evening.

3 large chicken breasts, cooked and diced to bite size
1 cube butter
1 onion, diced fine
1-2 large garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup white wine (optional, its not a must, but makes the difference)
3 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 tsp dried mustard
1/2 tsp poultry seasoning
1 T fresh parsley or 1/2 tsp dried
1/2 cup raw wild rice
1 cup raw white rice
2 cups chopped broccoli, steamed in microwave 2 mins
2 cups shredded cheddar/Jack mix or whatever cheese you like
Prepare rice according to their own packages in seperate pots. The wild rice takes about 45 mins to cook so start that ahead! When both are done, combine the two, toss. Meanwhile, cook onion in butter till soft. Add garlic 1 minute. Add flour, whisking till no lumps and cook 2-3 mins stirring. Add wine and broth, whisk till combined and add poultry seasoning, mustard and parsley. Whisk till thickened. Add cream and then remove from heat. Assemble casserole by greasing a 9x13 dish with deep sides. Layer chicken then broccoli. Add half the cheese. Layer rice, then pour sauce over the top evenly. Sprinkle with other half cheese. Bake at 350 for 30 mins till bubbly. **note: you may want to salt your rice and chicken water while cooking them for more flavor! You can also buy a wild rice blend and save a step.**

Jalapeño Rice

2 T butter
1/2 jalapeño, seeded and minced
1/2 onion, chopped
1/2 green bell, chopped
Salt
1 clove garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups raw rice
3 cups chicken broth
1 lime, zested and juiced
Melt butter. Cook jalapeño, onion, bell and salt. When soft, add garlic. Add rice, stirring till golden . Add  broth, simmer covered 20 mins. Before serving add lime zest and juice. Serves 6. Goes with chiles rellenos and black beans.

One Pot Chicken and Rice

Perfect weeknight meal! So comforting too. 

 10 pieces chicken on the bone, drums and thighs

 1 onion, chopped 

1 green, 1 red bell peppers, chopped 

1 large clove garlic, minced 

1 1/2 cups raw rice 

3 cups chicken broth 

Oil for browning 

Season chicken with garlic salt, pepper, and cumin. In a large pot brown chicken in oil till brown on both sides but not all the way cooked. Remove from pot and set aside. In same pot, adding more oil if needed, cook onion and peppers. When soft add garlic for 1 minute. Add broth and rice, then nestle chicken down in. Cover pot and simmer 30-35 mins till rice is tender and chicken is cooked. Serves 6.

Jam BBQ Chicken

This is quite tasty and easy!

2 lbs cooked chicken (I crockpotted 8 drumsticks for 6 hrs with salt,pepper and a little water in the bottom. Then took them out and the meat fell off the bone. chopped into bite-size)
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup grape or apricot jam (I used half and half!)
1/2 cup sweet baby ray's bbq sauce (or your own choice, use a spicy one if you dont like it sweet)
1/2 cup water
1 envelope onion soup mix
hot cooked rice
Grease baking dish. Throw chopped chicken in bottom. Mix jam, bbq, water, garlic and onion soup mix. Pour over chicken and bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Serve over hot rice!! Totally takes the craving for BBQ away! The boys thought it tasted like Grammy's teriyaki chicken.

Hawaiian Haystack Sauce (scratch)

This is way better than canned soup and sourcream. Doesnt have the "can" taste! Richer and way more flavorful....so worth it! Hawaiian haystacks are one of my favorite meals!! Double the recipe if you are serving more than 6.

2 chicken breasts, cut small pieces
2 T butter
1/2 onion chopped fine
2-3 cloves garlic, pressed
1 tsp salt
pepper to taste
1/4 cup flour
2 cups milk
1 cup chicken broth
Melt butter and add onion and raw chicken , cook on medium till just about done. Add garlic, cook 1 minute. Sprinkle in flour, cook 1 minute. Whisk in milk and broth, simmer, stirring till thickened a bit. Add salt and pepper. Serve over hot rice, and in case you have never made hawaiian haystacks before, top with any of the following:
cheese, chopped tomato, chop celery, pineapple tidbits or mandarins, shredded coconut, peanuts, chop cucumber, chop bell pepper, peas, crunchy chow mein noodles, green onion, WHATEVER!! The more toppings the better, and if you have picky eaters they can add as little as they like to theirs.

Cilantro Coconut Rice

This is mom's wonderful recipe! Such a delicious blend of flavors. She uses parsley instead of cilantro (per Dad), but the cilantro is excellent in it!

3 c rice-regular or basmati
3/4 c sweetened flaked coconut
1 T finely chopped, peeled fresh ginger
3 T oil + 1/2 c butter
3 c water
2 c coconut milk
1 t salt
2 c packed, fresh cilantro sprigs, chopped
1 c scallions, chopped (or green onions)

-Rinse rice and soak until almost clear, 30 mins. Drain well.
-Spread coconut on cookie sheet and toast in oven 350 degrees 10-12 mins. Cool.
-In large pot, saute ginger in oil and butter about 2 mins. Add rice and cook 2 mins. Stir in liquid and salt and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to low. Cook covered for 20 mins. Remove from heat.
-Add onions or scallions and cilantro. Toss. You can also toss in the coconut, or sprinkle on top. The coconut is a must! So good!
-Serves 10.