Crockpot 10 Garlic clove Chicken

This recipe was inspired by another recipe that I recently saw on an online website a few months ago. The original recipe was for 40 cloves of garlic (yes, you read that right) but I was too lazy and in a hurry (church) to take time to print it off. So I was trying to remember the recipe off the top of my head as I was putting it together. I didn't have all of the exact ingredients so I used what I had and this is what I came up with. I'm sure the ingredients aren't anywhere close to the other recipe and I forgot to add the sauteed mushrooms on top before I took this picture. Just noticed that detail as I was uploading it. Don't be afraid of the garlic...it really was a yummy and flavorful dish.

Crockpot 10 Garlic Clove Chicken

5 chicken breasts, cut into 2" big chunks
10 garlic cloves, minced
2 teas. Italian seasoning
1 teas. salt
1/2 teas. ground pepper
1/3 c. olive oil
1 (14 oz.) can of chicken broth
1 can of condensed Cream of Celery soup
1 can of condensed Golden Mushroom soup
2 tbls. of cornstarch (dissolved in 1/4 c. cold water)
2-3 c. of sliced mushrooms, sauteed
Cooked rice

In a small bowl combine, olive oil, minced garlic, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper and stir together. The mixture will resemble an oily paste. Pour this mixture over cut up chicken, toss to coat and place into a crock pot/slow cooker. Pour cream of celery soup and 1/2 of the can of chicken broth into the crock pot. There's no need to dilute the soup because of the moisture that will be created from the crock pot. Place the lid on and turn setting on High and let it cook 3-4 hours.

Turn off crock pot. (This is usually a good time to begin cooking your rice). In a medium sized bowl, remove chicken from liquid and set aside. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan or large deep skillet pour the chicken drippings from the crock pot into the pan. Add in remaining chicken broth and stir into liquid the dissolved cornstarch. The heat will start to thicken and create a sauce. Add in golden mushroom soup. Stir to combine. Once the sauce is heated through, take the chicken chunks and shred using your fingers and place into sauce. Add enough chicken until there is an equal chicken/sauce ratio. I ended up with about 5-6 chunks leftover. Which I used for another meal that week. Make sure the sauce isn't too thick. You can add a little milk or water to it if it is. If it's too runny, add one teaspoon of cornstarch at a time until it is the right consistency. Once the sauce is too your liking, turn off heat and set aside.

Saute sliced mushrooms in another pan using more olive oil, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Once the mushrooms and rice have cooked, plate this dish up, baby! Put rice on plate, pour chicken sauce over top and pile a spoonful of mushrooms on top. Serve warm with a side of salad and bread/rolls. Yummy! Enjoy!

Brooke's Twice-cooked Pork Chops

This recipe looks and tastes alot better than what my photo makes it out to be. Sorry! My friend Brooke gave me this recipe that her family loves. And after trying two times to make it correct (and she knows what I mean) I hope I got it right this time around. I've made the recipe using either a bone-in or boneless pork chop. Both work just fine. I gave a general idea of what seasonings to add to the flour, but you can add more or less according to what your family likes best. Brooke even suggested adding some flavored, crushed cracker crumbs to the flour for an extra "binder" in the coating. Such as chicken flavored crackers, sour cream and onion flavored crackers, etc... And you may have to add an extra can of soup depending on the size of your family. My family really enjoyed this meal! That means everyone single one of us ate it. Kaylee turned her nose up at the mustard being spread on the meat, but later realized how much it really added to the overall flavor. I hope you have just as much success.

Twice-cooked Pork Chops

4-6 pork chops
1 can Chicken with Rice soup, undiluted
1 cup flour
Mustard
3-4 tbls. olive oil
1/2 teas. salt
1/4 teas. pepper
1/2 teas. garlic powder
Optional seasonings: Lawry's Season salt, paprika, lemon pepper, etc...

Using a small baking dish, place flour and seasonings in it and stir using a fork. With a knife spread mustard on both sides of pork chop and dredge in flour mixture. Set floured meat on a dinner plate until each pork chop has been coated.

Preheat oven to 375 F.

Meanwhile, over medium heat, add olive oil in a skillet. Place pork chops in skillet and cook until flour coating turns a light golden brown. Remove meat from skillet and place in a 9x13 baking dish. Pour undiluted soup over pork chops so that each piece has some of the rice. Spread remaining soup throughout dish. Put baking dish into oven uncovered and bake for 30 minutes. Or until soup has evaporated and rice is no longer wet. Remove and serve warm. Serve with a salad and rolls.

Green Bean Casserole over Rice

Is Green Bean Casserole one of your favorite foods to eat at Thanksgiving? Well, then you've got to try this kicked-up version for dinner. I must say that this recipe is truly my own creation. And it has been a great, quick fix meal idea for when you're trying to squeeze in dinner. I also need to add that this was one of my recipes demonstrated in my cooking class. So if you never bothered to attend one, then you've just scored yourself a recipe. For those of you who know, I only gave out the copy of the recipe to those in attendance. It was too much for me to keep up on who needs what recipe and so on... My kids have their quirks about this recipe though. So get this: Kaylee has to have it with the green beans plain and set aside before going in the sauce, she likes the sauce to be separated from the rice. Kason won't touch the green beans or the sauce. He wants me to leave some plain ground beef set aside for him. So that he can have the rice and ground beef separate. And Jaynee will eat it all except for the green beans. She used to like them, but has since changed her mind. So in some shape or form my family will eat this recipe. You may also use fresh green beans in place of canned. Just pre-cook them to your liking and cut into bite size pieces before adding to the sauce. I also use the fried onions straight from the can. I never toast them because they are actually crunchier without the toasting process. But always do what you think your family will like.

Green Bean Casserole over Rice

Cooked rice
1 lb. ground beef, browned
1 can green beans
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 tbls. soy sauce
1 soup can of milk
1 can of French's fried onions

Prepare and cook rice while the sauce is being made.

In a large skillet over medium heat, brown ground beef, drain off fat and keep ground beef in the skillet. Pour in green beans and soy sauce and heat till warmed. Add in can of soup and milk. Stir to thoroughly combine and heat till sauce begins to bubble. Remove from heat and pour sauce over cooked rice. Top each serving with French's fried onions for a nice crunchy topping and extra flavor. Serve with a side of garlic bread or dinner rolls.

Note about photo: I guess I was in a hurry to eat because I forgot to add the fried onions before taking the picture.