Cafe Rio Chicken

I came upon this recipe on Pinterest and fell in love with the picture.  Then, I made it myself and fell in love with the taste!  This chicken recipe is so simple and you can use the chicken several different ways:  burritos, tacos, nachos, salad.  It's moist, shreds easily, and delicious!  And the best part?  It's all done in a slow cooker!

Mix together 1 package dry ranch mix with 1/2 cup of water.

Mix 1/2 small bottle of zesty Italian dressing with 1/2 Tbsp. minced garlic.

Stir the ranch mixture into the dressing mixture.  Add 1/2 Tbsp. chili powder and 1/2 Tbsp. ground cumin.

Place 2 lbs. chicken into a slow cooker.  I always use a slow cooker liner for easy clean up.

Pour dressing mixture all over the chicken and turn slow cooker on low.  Cook for 7-8 hours.

Enjoy the yummy aroma throughout the day as it is cooking!

When it is done, shred the chicken with two forks.

Use in your favorite recipe or even eat it by itself.  You could freeze the chicken for future use, but once you taste this, you will not want to save it for later.

Cafe Rio Chicken
2 lbs. chicken
1 pkg. dry ranch mix
1/2 cup water
1/2 small bottle zesty Italian dressing
1/2 Tbsp. minced garlic
1/2 Tbsp. chili powder
1/2 Tbsp. ground cumin

Mix water and ranch mix in a bowl.  In another bowl, mix Italian dressing and garlic.  Add in ranch mixture, chili powder and ground cumin.  Place chicken into a slow cooker.  Pour dressing mixture over chicken.  Cook on low for 7-8 hours or high for 5-6 hours.  Shred with a fork.

Bell's Meatballs

There was an event at church recently when I first tasted these meatballs.  They were soooo tasty and I heard lots of people talking about how great they were.  Thankfully, our church events are catered by a wonderful couple in our congregation, Dan and Angela Bell.  I immediately asked for the recipe and she said I could share it with you.  I made a few changes from the original recipe so this is my version.  I'll also post the original version at the end.

Mix together 1 cup of brown sugar, 1 cup of water, a 12 oz. jar of chili sauce, and 1 can of whole berry cranberry.

Pour into a slow cooker.

Open a bag of frozen meatballs and mix it into the sauce.

Cook on high 4-5 hours.

I served the meatballs over steamed rice and parmesan green beans.

Bell's Meatballs (original recipe)

1 pkg of homestyle meatballs
1 c. brown sugar
1 c. water
1 - 12 oz. bottle Heinz chili sauce
1 can whole berry cranberry sauce
1/2 can sauerkraut (it calls for a whole can, but I'm thinking about cutting back on it some)

Cook the meatballs about 15-20 minutes to brown up some at package directions.
Simmer the next 5 items on a lot heat about 20 minutes.
Pour over meatballs and cook at 350 degrees for 1 hour.
Cars and Ribbons variation:  Mix everything (I didn't use sauerkraut) but the meatballs and pour into a slow cooker.  Add in the meatballs.  Cook on high for 4 hours.

Crock Pot Beef Stroganoff

I found this recipe on Pinterest. It is so easy, delicious, and creamy. This is not a healthy dish. I don't even want to know the calorie count. But, it is something we have every so often with some steamed veggies.


Pour 2 cans of golden cream of mushroom soup into a crock pot. Add one diced onion, 1/2 cup of water, and 2-3 Tbsp. of Worcestershire sauce. Mix well.

Add 2 lbs. of cubed stew meat and mix to coat.

Cook on low for 8 hours.

Cut up one 8 oz. block of cream cheese. Add to the crock pot and turn it on high for 30 minutes. Stir to help get the lumps out.

Serve the meat mixture over noodles and enjoy the yumminess!

Crock Pot Beef Stroganoff


2 lbs. cubed stew meat


2 cans of golden cream of mushroom soup


1 diced onion


2-3 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce


1/2 cup water


8 oz. cream cheese


egg noodles


In crock pot, add soup, onion, Worcestershire sauce, and water. Mix well. Add meat and cook on low for 8 hours. Cube the cream cheese and add to the crock pot. Turn setting to high and cook for 30 more minutes. Stir to get the lumps out. Serve over egg noodles.

Roast Burritos

I recently found a roast on a Manager's Special when I went to my grocery store. Of course, I snatched it up! Anytime you can find a good roast marked down is a steal of a deal! However, I didn't want to make just a traditional roast with veggies, mashed potatoes, etc. So, I searched the internet and found some recipes for burritos. I combined the recipes and used my own creativeness to come up with my own recipe. It's so simple and so good!


Put a roast in a crockpot and pour green chiles and tomato sauce over the top. Then, I seasoned it. Anytime I make Mexican food, I use the same seasonings: salt, pepper, season salt, garlic powder, chili powder, and cumin powder. It may seem like a lot of seasonings, but I only use a little of each. You can also just buy a packet of taco seasoning.

Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours. The longer it cooks, the more tender it will be.

When it's done cooking, I transfered the roast to a smaller dish and shredded with forks. It smells so delicious!!!

Then, you're ready to fix your burrito. Heat up your tortilla. Our grocery store has a tortilleria and those are the only tortillas I buy. I have not attempted homemade tortillas yet, but I do remember watching my mom and grandma make them all the time. Some day I'll try it.

Fill your tortilla with the shredded roast and whatever toppings you like. My daughter likes her burrito very simple with some shredded cheese and salsa. Don't be jealous of my fancy dishes!

Roll, and enjoy!!! My picky 5 year old son asked for seconds so I knew dinner was a success.

Roast Burritos

2-3 lb. chuck roast

7 oz. can of green chiles, drained

8 oz. can of tomato sauce

salt, pepper, season salt, garlic powder, chili powder, and cumin powder to taste

tortillas

Optional Toppings:

cheese, salsa, sour cream, guacamole, sauteed onions and peppers, lettuce

Place roast in crockpot and cover with green chiles and tomato sauce. Season to taste. Cover and cook on low 6-8 hours. When done cooking, move roast to smaller dish and shred with forks. Place roast in heated tortillas and add your toppings of choice.


This concludes my 5 days of recipes. I'd love to hear your feedback. Did you try any? How did you like it? Would you like to see more recipes? If so, what kind? Coming up: Valentine's crafts, recipes, and ideas.

Slow Cooker Potato Soup

Potato soup, when made the right way, can warm your whole body. It's tasty, creamy, and is a great comfort food. I found this recipe on Betty Crocker. It was so easy to make and we really loved it.

You just need a package of frozen hashbrowns, chicken broth, onion, celery, flour, and milk.

For extra toppings you can use cheese, bacon bits, and green onions. Yum!

In a slow cooker, mix potatoes, onion, celery, and broth. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours.

In small bowl, mix flour into milk and stir into potato mixture. Increase setting to high and cook for 20-30 more minutes until mixture thickens. Stir in some cheese until melted. I also added some pepper, salt, and garlic powder for extra flavor.

Add your desired toppings and enjoy the yumminess!

32 oz. bag frozen, shredded hashbrowns


1/2 cup chopped onion


1 medium stalk of celery, chopped


32 oz. carton of chicken broth


1 cup water


3 Tbsp. flour


1 cup milk


Shredded cheese


Bacon bits


Chopped green onion





In slow cooker, mix potatoes, onion, celery, and broth. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. In small bowl, mix flour into milk and then add to the potato mixture. Increase setting to high and cook for 20-30 more minutes. Add some cheese and cook until melted. Add salt, pepper, and garlic powder if desired. Stir, then serve with additional toppings.