On the love of dinner

I'm not going to lie...  Dinner is about my favorite time of each day.  Work is over; the whole family is back together; and the craze of baths and bedtimes has not yet begun.  As a child, my family talked and laughed so much at the dinner table that it baffled me to visit a friend's house where they would scarf down food in silence.  Of course, enjoying dinner means having some quick go to recipes when things get crazy.  Though I tweak about every recipe I get, I want it to be clear that all of these came initially from somewhere else.  Also, I am not here to write a cookbook so forgive the inconistent format.

Crock Pot Chicken Tacos (Stolen initially from Lori Johnson)- Love these as you can make one pound as easily as ten pounds so it is good for crowds or for freezing.
For every pound of raw chicken, you will need one cup of water, one package of taco seasoning and one bell pepper.  I like to make three pounds at a time so I can use one of each color b/c it is just prettier that way! 
Place the raw chicken in the crock pot.  Mix the water and taco seasoning thoroughly and pour on top of chicken.  Slice the peppers into fajita strips.  If your kids need their vegetables to dissapear, place all the peppers in on top of the chicken.  They will literally almost disappear by the time you are ready to serve.  Cook for 4-6 hours on low in the crock pot.  If you like a little visible veggie presence, save back half of the peppers and add them to to crock pot 30 min. to 1 hr. before serving.  At this same time use two forks to poke around and shred the chicken. 
This chicken will taste just like shredded chicken from a mexican restaurant and can be used in flour tortillas, on taco salads or can be tossed with Mexican rice and black beans.  You can even use it in all those creamy chicken enchilada recipes floating around out there. 

Crock Pot French Dip (Stolen from Christine Sedgwick)
2 to 3 pound pot roast
1 can beef broth (Campbells)
1 can beef consume
(there is an accent on the e---Campbell's)
1 can French onion soup (Campbell's)
Rolls
Cheese (we like provolone)
Cut the roast into big chunks. Put all ingredients in the slow-cooker; cook on Low for 8 to 10 hours. After at least 8 hours, shred the meat. Spoon meat into rolls, top with cheese, and serve with beef juice.

World's Easiest Roast
Place a 3-4 pound beef roast in the crock pot (any kind)
Mix one packet of French Onion Soup Mix with one cup of creamy Italian dressing and pour on top of the roast.  Shred or slice after cooking on low for 6 hours.

World's Easiest Chicken Casserole
Cube one pound of raw chicken
Mix in an 8X8 dish with one packet of chicken flavored rice, one can of creamy chicken soup and one soup can of water.  Cook for 40 minutes at 350 degrees.  We serve broccoli on the side when we have this but I have cooked it with a head of broccoli in it and it works well too.  You can even sprinkle a little cheddar on top about ten minutes before it is done and call it Broccoli Cheese Soup Casserole. 

Chicken Parmesean Casserole
Drizzle Olive Oil on the bottom of a 9x13 casserole dish.  Sprinkle crushed or powdered garlic and red pepper to your liking on top of the oil.  Take 6 chicken breast (cut smaller if needed) and place them on top of the oil.  Take 1/2 cup of your favorite spaghetti sauce and pour on top of the chicken.  Take 4 oz. shredded mozarella and sprinkle on top of sauce.  Cover with one bag of Salad croutons in any flavor of your choice.  Sprinkle with another 4 oz. of shredded mozarella and a good dusting of parmesean.  Bake for 45 minutes at 350. 

Finally - Dump Taco Soup. 
Mix together in a crock pot - one pound of ground beef, one package of taco seasoning and two cans of corn, two cans of black beans, and two cans of Rotel.  ONLY drain the beans.  Cook together on low in the crockpot for at least four hours or as long as you need it to sit.  The water from the corn and rotel will make the soup base. 

I also have some really fast appetizers and desserts if you are in a jam and are going somewhere/hosting.  Let me know if you have any interest in hearing some of these... or more dinners for that matter  :)