Chicken and Rice Crock Pot Meal

Ok I know we don’t usually do recipes, but I figured I would share this review of a recipe that I have recently tried. Its quite simple and comes from the same book that my Simply Delicious Pork recipe came out of. This one was of chicken and rice, probably two of my most favorite things to eat.

This one was an easy peasy recipe that was quick to prepare and tasted great. I love crock pot meals because its basically a fix it and forget it meal. If you’re a busy mom or a working mom they are a great way to be able to fix it up in the am and by the time you get home from work its ready to eat!

The Recipe:

1 lbs of chicken

3 cans of cream of chicken soup

2 cups of rice

1 cup of water

Dried celery

Salt and pepper

Add rice, soup and water to crock pot and mix. Add chicken sprinkle dried celery and salt and pepper to taste. Cook 3-4 hours on high or 6-8 hours on low

I did not have dried celery so I used celery seed. It was still good. I used tenderloins just because that is usually what I have in the freezer. I also added a tiny bit of shredded cheddar. The chicken is super tender, so much so when I tried to cut it, it was more like shredding it. The rice of course is completely cooked.

There are a few things I would change with this recipe the next time I do it. 1. I would use cans of cheddar cheese soup, although the chicken soup was good everything is better with cheese! 2. It needs something crunchy. Maybe Chinese noodles or like fritos… Something… not to say it isn’t good as is but…

Pros: It tasted great, it was quick, it was easy, it was lo-cal. It was enough to make 6-8 servings making each serving between 328-246 calories!! (according to myfitnesspal.com). Its cheap! $.79 per can for the cream of chicken soup, rice varies depending on the size and same with the chicken.. Rice is usually something I have on hand as well as chicken. So its usually just the soup I have to grab.

Cons: someone may have texture issues being it is a bit mushy.

Overall: it’s a great little dish. It can be changed in the easiest ways to make it to your tastes. For example you could use cans of cheddar cheese and cans of cream of broccoli, throw in some shredded cheese and some broccoli and you have a chicken, broccoli and cheese dinner. Or use cream of mushroom and throw in some mushrooms, the possibilities are pretty much endless. Get creative!! You don’t have to worry about burning it because its in the crock pot.

Happy Dining!!!!

Simply Delicious Pork

I just had to put a review out there for this recipe. I tried this last night and was blown away. Absolutely delicious!! Its very simple and very quick to make and for the calorie counter pretty low cal! I just got a crock pot slow cooker for Christmas and a recipe book specifically for crock pots. So having company last night I thought it was a great time to attempt something interesting. If you are like me and like applesauce with your pork chops I think you will definitely like it!
First thing I noticed you don’t add any liquid to the recipe, which I have found you usually do with the slow cooker, so I was kinda worried. But I followed the recipe putting my pork right in and adding 4 golden delicious apples sliced up on top. Then you mix together and sprinkle on top of that brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. I was beginning to feel like I was making apple pie on top of my pork! I turned on the crock pot and let her go. It was about an hour after I turned it on I got the first hints that this was going to be scrumptious. My whole house smelled like apple pie! Yummmmm
After letting it cook for 6-8 hours on low, I was ready to taste it.. The pork chops were falling apart! They were soooo tender and sooo moist and tasted unbelievable! The apples were turned to mush not quite apple sauce but not quite apple though they retained their sliced shapes until you tried to pick them up, but they tasted great! I am very happy with this recipe and I hope that you all will be too!!
The cook book that I used is a great one. It has a lot of different easy meals, sides, soups, desserts and drinks! Yea I know desserts from your slow cooker??? Drinks for your slow cooker??? Weird! I haven’t tried those yet but when I do will be sure to let you all know!

The recipe:
1 ½ lbs boneless pork loin, cut into 6 pieces or 6 boneless pork loin chops
4 medium Golden delicious apples, sliced
3 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon salt

1. Place pork in crock pot slow cooker. Cover with apples.
2. Combine brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt in small bowl; sprinkle over apples. Cover; cook on LOW 6-8 hours. Enjoy!!

Pros: quick and simple, great taste, great as a left over! Incredibly moist..
Cons: nothing really except if you have texture issues the mush apples might bother you..
Over all: I have to say this is definitely a recipe that will make it into our rotation for family meals. It really was surprising as to how good it was. If you like pork and just need another idea for preparation try out this recipe, I don’t think you will be disappointed. If you like to cook in your slow cooker I really have to recommend the cook book Crock Pot *the original slow cooker* Best - Loved Slow cooker recipes.

Happy Dinning!

~Heather

Homemade Gourmet: Sadie's Review

A friend on Facebook recently told me about Homemade Gourmet. I wasn't sure what to expect, but I love to cook so I was excited to try it.



Amy sent me the Homemade Gourmet® Season 'n' Steam Broccoli Beef Mix, and the Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake Mix to try. I added mushrooms to the beef and broccoli mix, and it tasted great! The kids didn't care for it too much, but Rachel and I did. :) The pumpkin pie cheesecake is something I wouldn't regularly care for, so I gave it to my mother-in-law. She was impressed and asked for the # so she could order some more items.

After looking around the website at prices, I will say they are affordable but for what you get, I don't know if it's entirely worth it. You still have to buy the meat, broccoli, and other veggies/rice/etc. So maybe for a date night, or a dinner night where you wouldn't mind spending a few extra dollars, it would be great. I suggest pairing the beef and broccoli with rice. :)

The Good: Overall, I was satisfied and will most likely order in the future because Amy made it a great experience and the mix did taste great. I can't honestly say I'd be interested in this company if it weren't for her great customer service and friendly attitude, though. I think the rep definitely makes the company here.

The Bad: It didn't make the meal any simpler or easy, just tasted better. :)

If you're interested in ordering, you can contact Amy on Facebook by visiting her fan page here or searching Homemade Gourmet Amy Lemons on Facebook. Let her know 3 Girls sent you. :)

Have you tried Homemade Gourmet? We'd love to hear your opinions on this company!