Crock Pot Buffalo Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Don't pass up this recipe!  It was a breeze to make and low cal, low carb and low fat to boot.    Make it and revel in the delicious light meal.

Crock Pot Buffalo Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Skinnytaste.com 
Servings: 6 • Size: 1/2 cup chicken + veggies • Old Points: 3 pts • Points+: 3 pt
Calories: 147.7 • Fat: 0.1 g • Carb: 5.2 g • Fiber: 1.6 g • Protein: 24.9 g • Sugar: 1.7 g
Sodium: 879 mg 

Ingredients:

For the chicken:

• 24 oz boneless skinless chicken breast
• 1 celery stalk
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 1 clove garlic
• 16 oz fat free low sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 cup hot cayenne pepper sauce (I used Frank's)

For the wraps:

• 6 large lettuce leaves, Bibb or Iceberg
• 1 1/2 cups shredded carrots
• 2 large celery stalks, cut into 2 inch matchsticks

Directions:

In a crock pot, combine chicken, onions, celery stalk, garlic and broth (enough to cover your chicken, use water if the can of broth isn't enough). Cover and cook on high 4 hours.
Remove the chicken from pot, reserve 1/2 cup broth and discard the rest. Shred the chicken with two forks, return to the slow cooker with the 1/2 cup broth and the hot sauce and set to on high for an additional 30 minutes. Makes 3 cups chicken.

To prepare lettuce cups, place 1/2 cup buffalo chicken in each leaf, top with 1/4 cup shredded carrots, celery and dressing of your choice. Wrap up and start eating!

http://www.skinnytaste.com/2012/04/crock-pot-buffalo-chicken-lettuce-wraps.html
Thanks skinnytaste!

Lighter Chicken Parmesan

This lighter version of Chicken Parmesan was well worth trying.  I served it for some guests and they loved it.  Very brave of me since I hadn't made it before!  I didn't change a thing and will definitely be making it again.

Lighter Chicken Parmesan
from America's Test Kitchen Healthy Family Kitchen 

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 8 oz each)
1 1/2 cups panko breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
3 large egg whites
1 tablespoon water
2 cups tomato sauce, warmed (store-bought or homemade)
3/4 cup shredded mozzarella 
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil

Place the chicken on a cutting board. Working with one breast at a time, place your hand on top and use a sharp knife to cut the breast in half horizontally, to make two thinner chicken cutlets. (Don't worry if they're not perfectly even, mine never are!) Place each cutlet between two sheets of plastic wrap and use a meat mallet or skillet to pound to 1/4-inch thickness. 

Preheat oven to 475 F. Set a wire rack inside a rimmed baking sheet and spray the rack with cooking spray. Set aside.

Add the panko and oil to a 12-inch skillet, and stirring frequently, toast the breadcrumbs until they are golden brown, about 10 minutes. Transfer the breadcrumbs to a wide, shallow dish and allow to cool briefly, then add the Parmesan and stir. In a second shallow dish, mix the flour and garlic powder. Finally, add the egg whites and water to a third dish, and beat with a fork until frothy. 

Pat the chicken dry then season both sides with salt and pepper. One at a time, dip the cutlets in the flour, then the egg whites and the panko mixture. Press the panko onto the chicken to completely coat. Transfer the cutlets to the wire rack you sprayed earlier. 

Spray the tops of the cutlets with cooking spray then bake for about 10 minutes, or until the chicken registers betwen 150 and 160 F on an instant read thermometer. Remove from the oven, and top each piece of chicken with 2 tablespoons each of sauce and mozzarella. Return to the oven and bake until the cheese has melted and the chicken is cooked through (160-165 F), about 3-4 minutes. Sprinkle with the basil before serving. 

http://traceysculinaryadventures.blogspot.com/2012/03/lighter-chicken-parmesan.html
Thanks traceys culinary adventures

Crispy Chicken Tender Wrap

Wow.  I love this gentlemen's graphics!  And the meal was good too.  It makes it easy to understand and is compact.  Give this recipe a try.  The kids will love it!

http://www.behindthebites.com/2011/12/crispy-chicken-tenders.html
Thanks behind the bites!

Parsnip lovers this is for you.  What a great flavor addition to a potato pancake!  They were easy to put together and there were none left at the end of the meal for leftovers.  It did make more than the 6 cakes so I don't know if I made them smaller than she did.  Try it and enjoy!

Irish Potato- Parsnip Cakes

Ingredients: (makes about 6 cakes)

Adapted from Epicurious

2 large russet potatoes, washed and peeled  
4 parsnips, washed and peeled 
1/2 cup finely chopped onion 
3 tablespoons chopped chives 
1 large egg, beaten to blend 
4 tablespoons olive oil 
sour cream and spicy mustard

Directions: In a food processor, chop the parsnip and potatoes to a coarse pulp. Add to a mixing bowl with the onions, chives and egg. Mix well. Heat the oil in a skillet. While the oil heats up, use your hands to form the potato cakes. Simply scoop out a palm-sized amount of the mixture and mash into a cake shape. Shake off any excess moisture and drop into the oil. Fry until golden brown. Flip and repeat on other side. Serve hot with a dollop of sour cream and spicy mustard ( I prefer Coleman’s hot English mustard).  Add chopped chives for color.

http://www.keepitsimplefoods.com/vegetarian/irish-potato-parsnip-cakes/
Thanks keep it simple foods

Tuna Salad Lettuce Rolls

On a hot day this was so refreshing and satisfying. My changes were that I used some Tzatziki Greek Cucumber Yogurt sauce I got from Costco in the mix, and omitted the capers because I didn't have any.  The combination of flavors was really nice.  

Tuna Salad Lettuce Wraps with Capers and Tomatoes
(Makes about 4 servings or 8 individual wraps; recipe adapted from The Ultimate Low-Carb Cookbook by Mary B. Johnson.

Ingredients:
10-12 oz. good quality canned tuna (I used Tonno Genova Tuna Packed in Olive Oil.)
1/4 cup mayo or light mayo
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 T lemon juice
1/4 tsp. celery seed
1/4 tsp. Vege-Sal (or a slightly smaller amount of salt)
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
1 T capers, chopped
2 green onions, thinly sliced
8 large lettuce leaves, washed and dried (romaine, iceberg or butter lettuce will work for this)
1/2 cup chopped cherry tomatoes (optional)

Instructions

Drain tuna into a fine-mesh strainer and press down to drain out the oil (or water if you use water-packed tuna.)  While tuna drains stir together the mayo, Dijon, lemon juice, celery seed, and Vege-Sal or salt.

Cut lettuce apart and pick out 8 large leaves.  (I used two heads of romaine and kept the smaller inner leaves for salad greens.)   Wash lettuce and spin dry in a salad spinner or dry with paper towels.  Chop the celery and capers and thinly slice the green onions.  Chop tomatoes if using.

When the tuna has drained, put it in a bowl (with a snap-tight lid if you won't be eating it all at once.)  Stir in the dressing until it's well-distributed in the tuna, then mix in the celery, capers, and green onions.

Fill lettuce leaves with the tuna mixture, garnish with cherry tomatoes, and eat with your hands.

http://www.kalynskitchen.com/2012/01/recipe-for-tuna-salad-lettuce-wraps.html
Thanks kalyns kitchen

Blini stuffed with cabbage

This was a good choice for a nice light dinner.  I left out the eggs and added chives for some extra flavor. I did use my own recipe for the crepes just because I am already familiar with it.  "Let's have this again" was the after dinner comment so it is the newest addition to the recipe file.

BLINI WITH CABBAGE STUFFING

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 recipe of French crepes
• 1 small yellow onion, diced
• 1 medium carrot, peeled and shredded,
• 1 small cabbage, finely shredded
• 2-3 boiled eggs, peeled, and cut into small cubes
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely cut
• Salt, pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Make crepes as directed in the recipe.

Make the stuffing.  On a frying pan, sauté onions till golden and soft, add carrots and cabbage, and cook till cabbage is very soft and loses half of its volume. Mix in the eggs and garlic, and add salt and pepper and/or other favorite seasonings.

Let the stuffing cool and then fold it into the crepes.

For a healthier option – eat as is or warm it up in the oven or microwave.  For a tastier version – fry the stuffed crepes on both sides till crispy.

Make ahead: wrap each bundle in a plastic wrap, and store in a zip-lock bag for up to 3 months.

http://russianmomcooks.com/2012/04/20/cabbagecrepe/
Thanks russia mom cooks

Bacon Cheese Potatoes (Slow Cooked)

This was a comfort food!  I was late getting it going so I just microwaved the potatoes and then baked it in the oven.  Next time I will do it in the crock-pot, but it was good enough for a repeat showing.

Bacon Cheese Potatoes (Slow Cooked)

Print

Prep Time: 10 mins

Cooke Time: 10 hours

Total Time: 10 hours 10 mins

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1/4 pound bacon, diced
• 2 medium onions, thinly sliced
• 4 medium potatoes, thinly sliced
• 1/2 pound cheddar cheese, thinly sliced
• salt and pepper
• butter
• Green Onions (optional)

Directions

1. Line crockpot with foil, leaving enough to cover the potatoes when finished.
2. Layer half each of the bacon, onions, potatoes and cheese in crockpot. Season to taste and dot with butter.
3. Repeat layers of bacon, onions, potatoes and cheese. Dot with butter.
4. Cover with remaining foil.
5. Cover and cook on low for 10-12 hours.

Notes

Make this recipe bigger if you are expecting company. Great to serve for a brunch!

http://momswithcrockpots.com/2012/02/bacon-cheese-potatoes-slow-cooked/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+MomsWithCrockpots+%28Moms+with+Crockpots%29
Thanks moms with crockpots

Thai chicken pizza awesomely delicious!

Thai Chicken Pizza

Yield: one 12-inch pizza

INGREDIENTS

1 ball pizza dough
Olive oil, for brushing
¼ cup sweet Asian chili sauce, plus extra for drizzling
1 shallot, thinly sliced
½ large zucchini, thinly sliced
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 cup shredded cooked chicken
2/3 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
3-4 tbsp. chopped peanuts
2 tbsp. minced fresh cilantro
2 tbsp. minced fresh basil (optional)

DIRECTIONS

• To make the pizza, increase the oven temperature to 500˚ F and preheat a pizza stone.  Roll out the pizza dough into a 12-14 inch round.  Lightly brush the perimeter of the dough with olive oil.  Spread the chili sauce over the crust in an even layer.  Layer with the shallot, zucchini, red pepper flakes, shredded chicken, and cheese.
• Transfer the pizza to the preheated pizza stone and bake until the cheese is melted and bubbling and the crust is lightly browned, about 10-12 minutes.  Remove from the oven and let cool slightly.  Sprinkle evenly with the peanuts, cilantro, and basil before slicing and serving.
  
  
  
  http://annies-eats.com/2012/03/07/thai-chicken-pizza/
  Thanks annies eats!

Love crock pot meals!

This meal was a winner all around.  I got to use up some cream of chicken sauce I had in the fridge and we got to eat the other white meat!  It has the added bonus of automatic gravy for the spuds.  Definitely a keeper.

Slow Cooker Creamy Ranch Pork Chops and Potatoes

Ingredients:
4-6 pork chops
6-8 medium potatoes, chopped into large pieces
2 cans fat-free cream of chicken soup*
2 packages dry Ranch dressing mix*
1 cup milk
Dried parsley to sprinkle on top (optional)

Directions:
Spray your slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray and put potatoes on the bottom. Place the pork chops on top of the potatoes. Mix together the condensed soups, Ranch dressing mix and milk. Pour on top of the pork chops and cook on LOW for 6-7 hours or on HIGH for 4 hours.
Use the extra sauce in the slow cooker as a gravy for the potatoes and the pork chops. Sprinkle with dried parsley if you want.


If you don't want to use canned soup or premade ranch dressing mix here are their recipes for the homemade substitutions.



Homemade Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup
Source: Tammy's Recipes
(Yields 3 cups of soup, which is equal to about 2 cans, so it's the perfect amount for this recipe)

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt (or less; taste to test)
1/4 teaspoon parsley
dash of paprika
1 1/2 cups milk
3/4 cup flour (can substitute gluten free flour)

Directions:

1. In medium-sized saucepan, boil chicken broth, 1/2 cup of the milk, and the seasonings for a minute or two (longer if using fresh onions or garlic).
2. In a bowl, whisk together the remaining 1 cup of milk and flour. Add to boiling mixture and continue whisking briskly until mixture boils and thickens.

Homemade Ranch Dressing Recipe
Source: $5 Dinners 
(equal to one packet of dry dressing mix, so for the above recipe, double this!)

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp dried parsley
1 tsp dried dill
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp pepper

Add each of the dried spices to a bowl and mix carefully. Store in a canning jar or Ziploc bag.

http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/2012/02/slow-cooker-creamy-ranch-pork-chops-and.html

Thank you six sisters!

Now this was yummy!

This was a great choice for our side dish tonight.  It was easy to prepare and oh so tasty.  The only thing I changed was that I added some broccoli to the dish.

Cauliflower with Cheddar Mustard Cream Sauce

Ingredients

• 1 large head cauliflower, cut into 1 inch florets
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 4 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded (about 1 1/3 cups)
• 1 tablespoon whole grain mustard
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper
• 1 Salt and ground black pepper

Directions

1. Fit a large saucepan with a steamer basket. Fill the pan with enough water to reach just below the bottom of the basket. Cover and bring the water to a boil over high heat. Add the florets to the basket, reduce heat to medium, cover, and allow the cauliflower to steam until tender but firm, about 7 minutes. Remove the cauliflower from the basket.
2. While cauliflower is cooking, place the cream in a small saucepan and bring to a bare simmer over medium heat. When the cream is steaming and just starting to bubble around the edges of the pan, turn off the heat and add the cheese, mustard and cayenne. Whisk together until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste. 
3. Toss the cauliflower gently with the sauce in a serving bowl. Adjust the seasonings and serve immediately. (Note: Since the sauce isn't thickened with flour or any other thickening agent, a lot of it will run off the cauliflower even after tossing. Don't worry - it's rich enough that it will still flavor the cauliflower. You could probably increase the amount of cauliflower if the wasted sauce bothers you. I always like to make sure there is excess so I know each floret is coated.) 

Prep Time: 5 min Cook Time: 7 min Serves: 4-6

http://www.heatovento350.blogspot.com/2012/02/cauliflower-in-cheddar-mustard-cream.html
Thank you heatovento

Candy to die for!

I made this candy as part of my Christmas Neighbor handout basket and boy was it hard not to eat it all myself.  This was very simple--crock pot--and if you are a chocolate and nut lover then this is for you.  The blend of the different chocolate flavors was nice.

Debbie Sue's Crockpot Candy

1 (16 oz.) jar unsalted peanuts

1 (16 oz.) jar salted peanuts

1 (12 oz.) bag semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 (12 oz.) bag milk chocolate chips

2 (12 oz.) bags peanut butter chips

2 (1 lb.) packages White Almond Bark, broken in pieces

(You'll sometimes find this called Vanilla Candy Coating)

Layer ingredients, in order listed, into (4 quart or larger) crockpot. Turn the pot on low, cover it with a lid, and walk away for two hours. After two hours, remove lid and stir to combine. Replace lid and walk away for another 30 minutes. Check to see if almond bark is melted, and if so, stir and spoon mixture onto wax paper. (Decorate, if you wish, with holiday sprinkles or additional chopped peanuts.) Allow to harden - 1 hour or so - before enjoying. Then hide it until ready to serve and go order yourself the Pilates Powerhouse Collection. You'll need it, trust me.

http://messythrillinglife.blogspot.com/2007/12/debbie-sues-christmas-crockpot-candy.html
Thanks messy thrilling life!

Oh so delicious mini apple cakes!

These were so hard to stop eating!  They were just right for a small treat, were easy to make and the flavor was great!  I didn't put the cherries in because I actually forgot, but they were still really good without them.  They would only add to the deliciousness!

Individual Apple Cakes
(Adapted from Cooking light)


INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup sugar + 2 tbsp 
• 3/4 cup  (6 ounces) light cream cheese, softened 
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 3 cups chopped,  peeled apples 
• 1/2 cup skor bits
• 1/2 cup dried cherries, chopped.  

INSTRUCTIONS:

1)) Preheat oven to 350F. Mix together 2 tbsp of the granulated sugar with 1 tsp cinnamon and sprinkle over the apples and mix together.  

2)  In a large bowl or your mixer bowl, beat together the remaining sugar, cream cheese, butter and vanilla on medium speed until well blended.  Add eggs one at a time and set aside. 

3)  In a medium bowl, whisk together the remaining dry ingredients and add to creamed mixture on low speed.
4) Stir in apples, dried cherries and skor bits into the batter until just mixed. 
5) Spray mini cheesecake pans with non stick spray. Pour 1/4 cup batter into each hole.   Bake for 20-25 minutes until at toothpick comes out clean.

http://sweettwistoffate.blogspot.com/2012/01/apple-cakes-with-toffee-dried-cherries.html
Thank you sweet twist of fate!

Best Meatball Sauce Ever

I have to admit I don't remember where I got this recipe!!  It was on the web somewhere so I can't take credit for it.  It is delicious though so give it a try.

Best Ever Meatball Sauce

5 lbs. frozen meatballs

2 Tbsp. minced garlic

4 cups chili sauce

3 cups sweet chili sauce (Thai sauce)

2 cups grape jelly (used Guava jelly once-good!)

2 cups apple juice

Mix all ingredients together and pour over meatballs.  Heat in crock pot or on stove.