Mom on the Make

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Creamy Italian Chicken Crock Pot Dinner

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Creamy Italian Chicken Crock Pot Dinner

As the leaves are starting to fall, and a there is a slight chill in the air, I can feel that we are on the cusp of Fall.

I love this time of year.

For dinners, I always start to think of the Crock Pot as the seasons change.  I love throwing the ingredients in the crock pot in the morning, and smelling the dinner all day as it slow cooks and warms the house.

My family of five just enjoyed a very creamy and delicious crock pot dinner tonight to break it in for the Fall.

This is such an easy recipe with just a handful of ingredients.  The zesty italian dressing mix really spices up the chicken and the cream cheese block that is added in with an hour left of cooking, gives the dish its signature creaminess.

Here’s how to make it…..

Creamy Italian Chicken Ingredients: Cream cheese block, butter, cream of chicken soup, 3-4 chicken breasts, zesty italian dressing mix

Spray Crock Pot

Place Chicken Breasts in Crock Pot

Mix zesty italian dressing mix into 1/2 cup water

Pour dressing mix onto chicken breasts

 

Layer on the can of cream of chicken soup and half stick of butter

After cooking on low for 3 hours, use forks to shred chicken.  Then add in a block of cream cheese and cook for 1 1/2 more hours

Dish will look like this when it is all finished. Serve over rice – Absolutely Delicious!

Creamy Italian Chicken dinner ready for serving

Creamy Italian Chicken Crock Pot Dinner
 
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Recipe type: Dinner
Ingredients
  • 3-4 chicken breasts
  • ½ stick of butter
  • 1 package dry zesty italian dressing mix
  • 1 can cream of chicken soup
  • ½ cup water
  • 1 cream cheese block
Instructions
  1. Spray the crock pot with cooking spray.
  2. Place chicken breasts into pot.
  3. Mix the zesty italian dressing mix into ½ cup water.
  4. Pour dressing mix onto chicken.
  5. Pour cream of chicken soup over dressing.
  6. Place ½ stick butter on top of chicken soup.
  7. Cook on low for 3 hours.
  8. Lift crock pot lid and shred chicken with two forks.
  9. Add in block of cream cheese and cook for additional 1½ hours.

A big thank you to Aimee from Its Overflowing for this amazing recipe to add to my crock pot favorites.  This is definitely a keeper.  Bam-Bam was especially crazy about this one. As he was scarfing this down, he kept saying “Mom, this is Awesome!”.  Puts a smile on my face.  🙂

The Best Lasagna

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Best Lasagna

Best Lasagna Ingredients

I love lasagna.  My whole family loves lasagna.  In fact, this might be one of the few dishes that my entire family is really excited to see on the dinner table.

We use several different lasagna recipes, but the one below is our favorite.

I think it is because of the unique ingredients including goat cheese, fresh basil leaves, and sliced mozzarella.

My brother and his family were in town over the weekend, so I decided to make this favorite for everyone.

I found the recipe in my “Ina Garten Barefoot Contessa Family Style Cookbook”.

Here’s the low down on how to make this special lasagna.

LASAGNA WITH TURKEY SAUSAGE

2 T olive oil

1 cup chopped yellow onion

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 1/2 pounds sweet Italian turkey sausage, casings removed

1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes in tomato puree

1 6 ounce can tomato paste

1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, divided

1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1/2 pound lasagna noodles

15 ounces ricotta cheese

3 to 4 ounces creamy goat cheese, crumbled

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus 1/4 cup for sprinkling

1 extra large egg, lightly beaten

1 pound fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced

Follow these steps:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Heat the olive oil in a large (10-12 inch) skillet.  Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes over medium low heat, until translucent.  Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute.  Add the sausage and cook over medium low heat, breaking it up with a fork, for 8-10 minutes, or until no longer pink.

Best Lasagna

Onions and Turkey Sausage cooling in olive oil

Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, 2 tablespoons of the parsley, the basil, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.  Simmer, uncovered, over medium low heat for 15 to 20 minutes, until thickened.

tomato sauce thickening

Tomatoes, tomato paste, fresh chopped basil and parsley, onions, Italian turkey sausage simmering together for 15-20 minutes until thickened.

Meanwhile, fill a bowl with the hottest tap water.  Add the noodles and allow them to sit in the water for 20 minutes.  Drain.

Lasagna Noodles in hot water

Lasagna Noodles in Hot water for 20 minutes to soften up

In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, goat cheese, 1 cup Parmesan, the egg, the remaining two tablespoons of parsley, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.  Set aside.

Cheese mixture

Mix ricotta cheese, goat cheese, 1 cup parmesan, the egg, parsley, salt and pepper

Ladle 1/3 of the sauce into a 9x12x2 inch rectangular baking dish, spreading the sauce over the bottom of the dish.  Then add the layers as follows: half the pasta, half the mozzarella, half the ricotta, and one third of the sauce.  Add the rest of the pasta, mozzarella, ricotta, and finally, sauce. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese.

Layers for Lasagna

Layers for Lasagna: sauce, pasta, mozzarella, ricotta

 

Bake for 30 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling.

Can you believe, I forgot to take a photo of the finished product?! :0  Well, I can tell you it was beautiful and absolutely delicious.  This lasagna was gobbled up quick.  No leftovers.

Enjoy!

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