Apple Oatmeal

Thanks to Once a Month Mom! She's created another hit! :)

1 c old-fashioned oats
1 red apple, cored and diced
2 c milk
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp vanilla

Combine all ingredients in slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for 1-2 hours (mine was done in one hour.)

Slow Cooker Whole Chicken, Chicken & Rice Casserole

Visit here for a tutorial with pictures, and for broth making instructions.

Whole chickens are inexpensive and delicious, and you can make a good amount of broth from them, saving you even more money!

1 whole chicken
salt
pepper

Empty chicken cavity. Rinse chicken. Place into slow cooker. Cover and cook on low 8 hours. Remove and slice or shred. Enjoy!

After dinner, I went ahead and made tomorrow's dinner:

Chicken & Rice Casserole

Shredded chicken
Frozen chopped broccoli
1 bag Ready Rice, Long Grain & Wild, cooked
1 can cream of chicken soup
Shredded cheddar

Mix rice, chicken, broccoli and soup in a sprayed baking dish. Bake, covered with foil, for 15 minutes. Remove foil, and sprinkle casserole with cheese. Bake uncovered until cheese is melted, about 5 minutes.

*It will only be my daughter and I again tomorrow night, so I just used about 1 c chicken, 1 c broccoli, 1/2 bag rice (leftover from tonight), and half of the can of soup. I put it into a loaf pan, then into the fridge. Remove from fridge 20 minutes before baking.

Hot Spinach and Artichoke Dip

I got this recipe from my friend Shannon, then tweaked it a bit. Yummy!

1 c frozen spinach, thawed and drained
24 oz cream cheese, softened
1/4 c sour cream
1 c grated Parmesan cheese
14 oz can artichoke hearts, drained & chopped
1 tsp garlic powder
2 tbsp lemon juice
Dash of hot pepper sauce

Beat cream cheese and sour cream on medium speed until smooth, about 3-5 minutes. Stir in spinach, Parmesan, artichokes, garlic powder, lemon juice and hot sauce. Bake at 350 degrees until heated through, about 20 minutes. Serve with tortilla chips.

Creamy chicken & noodles

Adapted from Once a Month Mom.

4 cups shredded cooked chicken
12 oz egg noddles
26 oz can cream of chicken soup
1 ladle-full water
Garlic salt
Onion powder
Black pepper

Boil egg noodles; drain. In a stock pan, heat chicken, soup, water and seasonings over medium heat, until hot. Stir in noodles. Enjoy!

Brown Sugar Chicken

Yum! That's all I can say! We had this over rice, with broccoli on the side. Can't wait for the leftovers tomorrow!

Recipe adapted from Make It Fast, Cook It Slow

2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 c firmly packed brown sugar
1 tsp black pepper
3 cloves minced garlic
2 tbsp soy sauce
2/3 c white vinegar
1/4 c lemon-lime soda

Place chicken in slow cooker. Cover with brown sugar, pepper, garlic, soy sauce, vinegar and soda. Cover; cook on low 6 hours, or until chicken is cooked through.

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Thank goodness for $5 dinners! I've never roasted pumpkin seeds. Man, I've been missing out! I tried it for the first time tonight, and I can't stop eating them! :) I only used salt, and they're excellent. Enjoy the flavors of fall!

Easy Slow Cooker Roast

Easiest thing ever.

3-4 lb. beef roast
1 envelope onion soup mix
1/2 c water

Place roast into the slow cooker. Stir soup into 1/2 c water, then pour over roast. Cover; cook on low 8 hours, or until cooked through.

I shredded all of the meat, and divided it into three bags for the freezer. All of the "drippings" were poured into a bowl, then put into the fridge. The next morning I spooned off the fat, then divided the liquid into two containers for the freezer. This will all make for super easy meals later! If you want the roast that night, you can add potatoes, onions and carrots to the slow cooker before putting in the roast and soup/water.