Chicken Cordon Bleu- Slow Cooker Style

Here is a quick and easy recipe for you with little time.


Ingredients
4-6 slices ham
4-6 slices swiss or mozzarella cheese
4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, flattened to 1/4 inch
1 (10.75- ounce) can cream of chicken soup, condensed
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs

Directions
So... it says to flatten the chicken breasts, however, I simply cut mine in half (they were thick). Then I placed the ham and cheese on top and folded it over. To tie it all together I stuck in a couple toothpicks. Easy breezey. I then placed it all in the slow cooker.

Next, I mixed the milk and cream of chicken soup. Once it is well mixed,  I poured it over my little chicken creations. Now, the recipe called for Italian season breadcrumbs. I'm sure that would taste nice, but I just sprinkled some Italian season over the whole deal, put the slow cooker lid on and called it good (I was on my lunch break... little time).

I then cooked it on high for 4 hours.

The home smelled delicious when my hubs and I walked in. He thanked me for working so hard on our meal... little did he know I quickly threw it all in and got on pinterest until I had to head back to work (guess I did have time for the bread crumbs after all). :)

It was so good! Lot's of flavor from the Italian seasoning and cream of chicken. Also, the chicken was super tender.

Ham and Potato Soup

This recipe is one of the most raved about at Allrecipes.com.  My family and I love it too.  Once again, the picture is lacking, but it really is so good!  Recipe found at Allrecipes.com

• 3 1/2 cups peeled and diced potatoes
• 1/3 cup diced celery
• 1/3 cup finely chopped onion
• 3/4 cup diced cooked ham
• 3 1/4 cups water
• 2 tablespoons chicken bouillon granules
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• 1 teaspoon ground white or black pepper or to taste
• 5 tablespoons butter
• 5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 cups milk

1. Combine the potatoes, celery, onion, ham and water in a stockpot. Bring to a boil, then cook over medium heat until potatoes are tender, about 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in the chicken bouillon, salt and pepper.
2. In a separate saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Whisk in flour with a fork, and cook, stirring constantly until thick, about 1 minute. Slowly stir in milk as not to allow lumps to form until all of the milk has been added. Continue stirring over medium-low heat until thick, 4 to 5 minutes.
3. Stir the milk mixture into the stockpot, and cook soup until heated through. Serve immediately.

Peach and Mustard Glazed Pork Tenderloin

Last year were hosting my parents and a few of my siblings for Easter.  Our tradition has always been to have a ham for dinner on Easter but...I left it for the last minute and there were none to be had the night before.  Well, I had wanted to try this pork tenderloin recipe forever, so I decided that would be a good alternative.  Well, now that I have tasted it I don't think I can ever go back to ham.  It is heavenly!  I just had to share it on here.  Recipe from this cookbook. 
1/2 cup peach preserves
2 TBS Dijon mustard
2 tsp vegetable oil
1/4 tsp dried thyme leaves
1/4 tsp salt
2 pork tenderloins (about 3/4 pound each)

Mix all ingredients except pork.  Place pork in resealable plastic food-storage bag or shallow glass or plastic dish.  Pour preserves mixture over pork; turn pork to coat with preserves mixture.  Seal bag or cover dish and refrigerate at least 1 hour but no longer than 8 hours.  Turning occasionally.

Heat oven to 450 degrees

Remove pork from marinade, reserve marinade in a 1 quart saucepan.  Place pork in shallow roasting pan.  Insert meat thermometer so tip is in the thickest part of pork.

Bake uncovered 25 to 30 minutes or until thermometer reads 155 degrees.  Cover pork with aluminum foil and let stand 10 to 15 minutes, brushing once with reserve marinade, until thermometer reads 160 degrees (temperature will continue to rise about 5 degrees, and pork will be easier to carve.

Orange Kissed Cookies

I love oranges and pretty much anything that tastes like oranges.  Orange soda, orange flavored candy, orange gum, orange...well you name it, I am a fan.  Our family has gotten into the "chocolate rut".  This is where you can't eat anything that doesn't at least have some chocolate in it.  I have been feeling like we need to branch out and I have been buying those huge bags of oranges and the kids were getting a little done with oranges.  I decided to make these one day as a treat that is something different than we are used to.  I have to tell you, I immediately fell in love.  I wasn't the only one either.  Pretty much anyone (other than my pickiest children who wouldn't go near them as they weren't brown in color and didn't scream that they were made of chocolate) that tasted them went crazy over them.  This recipe was featured on allrecipes.com, but it comes from the ever famous and incredibly talented gals of Our Best Bites (got their cookbook for Christmas and I am loving it!  These are a must try!
 

Orange Kissed Cookies
Recipe from Allrecipes.com

1 c. white sugar
1/2 c. butter-flavored shortening
1 egg
1/2 c. sour cream
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 1/2 c. all-purpose flour (add another 2 tablespoons for high altitudes)
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 c. + 2 Tbsp. thawed orange juice concentrate
1 Tbsp. grated orange zest
Frosting
1 tsp. grated orange zest
1/4 c.  thawed orange juice concentrate
1/2 c. softened butter
3 c. powdered sugar
2-3 drops orange food coloring (optional)
Preheat oven to 375.
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a mixer, combine the white sugar and shortening.  Beat until well-combined.  Add the egg and beat well, then add the sour cream and vanilla and beat for about 1 minute or until the mixture is light and fluffy.  Add the flour mixture and beat until combined. Add the orange juice concentrate and orange rind and mix well.
Using a cookie scoop, drop the dough/batter (the mixture will be VERY moist–thicker than a cake batter but thinner than traditional cookies) by the tablespoon-ful onto a lined, un-greased baking sheet.  Bake for 10 minutes or until the cookies are set and just starting to turn golden brown around the edges.  Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire cooling rack and cool completely.
For the frosting, combine the frosting ingredients with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.  Pipe or spread over the cooled cookies.
Yield: Approximately 36 cookies.

Cinnamon Syrup

My baby just turned two last week and we celebrated in the morning with pancakes and Cinnamon Syrup. This recipe comes from this cookbook.   It really is the yummiest syrup!  It makes a big batch and I just put it in the fridge and we use it all of the time.  It will keep up to 2 months. 

Cinnamon Syrup

2 tsp cinnamon
2 cups sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup wter
1 cup half and half

In a medium sized sauce pan, whisk together the cinnamon and sugar, then add the corn syrup and water.  Bring to a boil and boil for 2 minutes.  Remove from the heat and stir in the half and half.