The Morning Rush Plus Some Recipes

Like most working moms, my mornings are crazy. About a month ago Chase's work schedule changed and he now has to be at work by 6:15 every morning, and he doesn't get home until around 5:30-5:45. I work 8-5, hence I am now solely responsible for getting Sophie to and from the sitter's house every single day. The problem with that is I like my sleep, so I don't get up until the absolute last minute. Which means most mornings result in me getting ready in a rush, packing my gym bag and lunch on workout days, packing Sophie's diaper bag, loading the car, getting Sophie dressed and ready, and getting out the door as quickly as possible. (Yes, I realize some of this could be done the night before, but I'm not always that organized.)

Most days we make it out of the house alright. But some days I like to make it even harder on myself by adding in a crockpot dinner or a bit of laundry to my morning craziness. (I am a chronic multitasker.) On those days I am lucky if I get out of the house on time.

But I have to say, after recently jumping on the crockpot bandwagon, I am never going back! They are so convenient. I put the ingredients in the crockpot either the night before or in the morning and turn it on, and wallah when I walk in the door after work our dinner is done! And there are a plethora of crockpot recipes out there to choose from, so I have been able to mix it up. I get most of mine from Pinterest. All the ones I've tried so far have been good, but some were better than others. Here for your enjoyment are some of the best crockpot recipes from Pinterest I've tried thus far. You're welcome and happy cooking!

(Sorry in advance for the mismatch of fonts and font sizes. I just copied and pasted directly from the recipes.)

Cheesy Chicken and Rice

Ingredients:

·         4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

·         1 large onion, chopped (I use Vidalia)

·         1 -8 ounce box Zatarain's Yellow Rice Mix, cooked according to directions

·         1 cup cheddar cheese

·         1 - 10.5 ounce can cream of chicken soup (regular or fat free)

·         1 -15 ounce can whole kernel corn, drained

Instructions:

Place chicken in bottom of slow cooker. Scatter chopped onion over top. Spoon cream soup over top of that. Cover and cook on low 7-8 hours or on high 3-4 hours. A few minutes before serving, add in cooked rice, corn, and cheese. Stir to combine. Serve hot.

Crockpot Cube Steak and Gravy

Ingredients:

Cube steak   (I used a family size pack)
2 cans (10.75 ounce size) cream of mushroom soup
1 envelope onion soup mix
3/4  cup water

Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:

Place all ingredients in crock pot. Cook on low all day. Serve over rice, noodles, mashed potatoes or with your favorite side dishes.

***I used white rice and it was delicious! I have also done this recipe with chicken.

Crockpot Tex Mex Chicken Nachos

Ingredients:

·         3 (about 1.7 lbs) boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into ¼ inch-wide strips

·         1 packet Taco Bell Taco Seasoning Mix

·         2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

·         1 red bell pepper, cut into ½-inch-wide strips

·         1 green bell pepper, cut into ½-inch-wide strips

·         1 can sweet corn

·         1 small jar of thick & chunky mild salsa

·         2 cups Mexican shredded cheese (4 cheese variety)

Toppings:

·         sour cream

·         sliced green onions

Instructions:

1.     Spray a 6 QT slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray.

2.     In the bottom, toss the sliced chicken with taco seasoning and flour until coated.

3.     Add peppers, corn and salsa. Mix.

4.     Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6 – 8 hours.

5.     Serve over tortilla chips with shredded cheese and your favorite toppings.

The Tex Mex Chicken Nachos are cooking in my crockpot as we speak for our dinner tonight, so I haven't actually gotten to taste them yet. But I went home during my lunch today and let me tell you the smell alone let me know this recipe is going to be delicious!