My Favorite Recipes

Super Easy Orange Chicken

I got this recipe from Pinterest HERE, and doctored it up a little.  Okay, Alot. :-)  Enjoy!!

 

 Ingredients:

6 Boneless/Skinless Chicken Breasts

Purple Onions

Bell Peppers (Assorted Colors)

1 can Pineapple Tidbits

Sweet Baby Rays BBQ Sauce

1 Jar Orange Marmalade

4 TBSP Soy Sauce

 (Cornstarch & Water if needed)

Directions: 

Place Chicken in Crockpot with 1 Cup Water & Salt and Pepper.  Cook on High for 3 hours. 

After 3 hours remove the chicken from the crock pot and drain the water.  Cut cooked chicken into bit size chunks and return to the crock pot.  Cut up peppers & onions in large bite size chunks.  Add the can of pineapple, drained. Add the Orange Marmalade, then fill the jar with BBQ sauce so you have equal portions of marmalade & BBQ Sauce.  Add Soy Sauce.   Stir and let it continue to cook on high for another 1-2 hours until chicken is tender.

At the end of two hours it was fully cooked, but the sauce wasn't very thick and was rather watery.  I stirred about 4-5 tablespoons of cornstarch in about 1/3 cup water until dissolved and poured into the boiling mixture in the crockpot and stirred up.  After about a half hour the sauce was nice and thick and ready to serve. :-)

We served it over white rice. Vegetables were still a little firm, but not crunchy. 

SUPER YUMMY!

Crockpot - Louisiana Red Beans & Rice

Everything in the pot and ready to go!

Served with Rice on Top - minus the Green Onions (I forgot them!)

Served with Rice on the Bottom & Cornbread!! Yummy!!

Ingredients

• 1 lb. kidney beans (dry) (I used 4 Cans Red Beans – 1 Can Kidney Beans)
• 1 medium yellow onion
• 1 medium red onion (Optional)
• 5 stalks celery
• 1 large green bell pepper
• 1 large red bell pepper (Optional)
• 1 lb. hot sausage (andouille or kielbasa) (I use Costco Louisiana Sausage)
• 1 Tbsp vegetable or Olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic (You can buy a squeeze bottle of minced garlic at Walmart)
• 2 whole bay leaves
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 3 cubes chicken bouillon
• 1 tsp/to taste tony chachere’s / cajun seasoning (Available at Walmart on the spice aisle.)
• (Optional* - Diced Canned Tomatoes)

• 6 sliced green onions (garnish)
• 2 cups cooked long grain rice

Place Chopped onion, celery & pepper  with 2TBS Olive Oil in Crock Pot and turn on high.  (I left the veggies on the chunky side – dice smaller if you prefer)  Slice Sausage in ½” slices.  Add to the pot and allow to simmer while adding spices.

Add spices to the pot  and stir around veggies & sausages.  I let mine simmer with the lid on for about 30 minutes.  Then I added 2 cans of water and the beans.  Stir and replace the lid.  Allow to cook on high for 3-4 hours, or on low for about 6 hours.

Serve the beans in a bowl (about 1 cup of beans & sausage) with a pile of rice on top. (About ½ cup) Top the bowl with some freshly sliced green onions.  Serve with a yummy slice of cornbread!

Optional for Less Heat– I also made a batch of this with Hillshire Farms Beef Sausage for my girls.  I still used the teaspoon of Tony’s to give it some flavor, but it was much milder for my girlies who don’t like spicy foods.  It was delicious!!

10/2012

Worlds Easiest (and most Heavenly) Caramel

What you will need: 

1-2 Cans Sweetened Condensed Milk
Crock Pot
Water
Time


Directions:

Remove the paper labels from the cans of milk.   Place 1-2 cans of sweetened condensed milk in your crock pot.  I placed a washrag underneath them to prevent damaging the crock pot after the first try left marks on the bottom.  Cover the cans completely with water.  Fill the crock pot almost to the top.

 Place the lid on the top and set to low.  Let it cook for 8 -9 hours.  No need to stir, or remove lid at all.

After the 8 hours have passed, turn off and unplug the crock pot.  Allow the cans PLENTY of time to cool before removing.  After a couple of hours you can remove and place on the counter for another couple of hours.

Personally, I make it so it is done when I go to bed and I can just unplug it and let cool until morning.

Once you know they have cooled enough, open the cans with your can opener.  Inside you will find the most delicious piece of heaven there is.  Empty contents into serving bowl and stir to smooth.

Your caramel is ready to eat!  Serve with all kinds of fresh fruits.  Apples are our favorite, but we also use grapes, strawberries, pineapple, peaches, kiwi just about anything.  Even this last time Cassie and I tried carrots and I have to admit - they were delicious!

We have also used this caramel on ice cream - very delicious there too!

I have also been known to spread some on a slice of homemade banana bread - deee-lish!

Two cans make quite a substantial amount of caramel.  Enough for a very large crowd. 

If there happens to be any remaining you can store it in the fridge, it stays very soft and spreadable.

Experiment!  Have fun & Enjoy!