Slow Cooker Balsamic Chicken and Vegetables

So, let’s discuss slow cookers. Everyone knows slow cookers are wonderful. You can use them to make extremely simple or gourmet dishes. My first solo experience with a slow cooker was my freshman year in college. I would make sweet potatoes in the slow cooker all of the time. Pretty much that’s all I ate ever. I realize this sounds peculiar, but have you ever made a sweet potato in a slow cooker. It is really delicious.

Oftentimes, I think people associate slow cookers with casseroles and soups. It’s true, those are great ways to use them, but you can use them for a whole lot more. And that’s what I wanted to showcase in this recipe. But first, let me share some slow cooker tips.

The flavor is in the brown

Do yourself a flavor (I hate that joke but I couldn’t resist) and spend 4 minutes of your day browning your meat before putting it in the slow cooker. You’ll be rewarded with an incredible depth of flavor in the finished dish.

Don’t peek!

Keep that lid closed! I know it’s tempting to get a sneak peek and a quick whiff, but the heat will escape from the inside and it will take a while for the temperature inside the slow cooker to return to what it was.

Don’t overfill it

Slow cooking works when the heat can properly circulate inside the slow cooker. If it’s too crowded, your ingredients will cook unevenly.

Put your vegetables on the bottom

Vegetables require more time to cook than meat, so placing them at the bottom will ensure they cook quicker.

Slow Cooker Balsamic Chicken and Vegetables

Ingredients

• 6 to 8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 16 ounces baby carrots
• 1 sweet onion, quartered
• 16 ounces red potatoes, quartered
• Rosemary
• Thyme
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
• 1 head broccoli

Directions

1. Brown chicken thighs on stove 2 to 3 minutes per side, set aside
2. Drizzle a little olive oil in your 5-6 quart slow cooker and spread garlic on bottom
3. Add layers of the onion, carrots, red potatoes, and chicken thighs
4. Sprinkle rosemary and thyme on top
5. In small bowl, combine brown sugar, balsamic vinegar, and red pepper flakes and pour on top of chicken thighs
6. Cover slow cooker and cook on low for 5 hours or high for 3 hours
7. Add broccoli on top of chicken thighs, and cook for another hour
8. Garnish with more fresh herbs and slivers of almonds if desired

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Double-Duty Dinners, Featuring Buffalo Chicken Macaroni & Cheese and Pizza

This is a sponsored post by Challenge butter, but the text and opinions are all mine. Thank you for supporting brands that make Kylee's Kitchen possible!

As much as I love to cook, I don’t necessarily like to spend every night in the kitchen preparing dinner. When I’m hungry, I want to eat now. If you feel the same way, one of the best ways to make sure you have food available is by meal prepping. There are different forms of meal-prepping, but one of my favorite ways is making “double-duty dinners.”

The idea behind double-duty dinners is to prepare one big meal with plenty of food so you can transform the leftovers into an entirely new meal the following night. This is great for picky eaters who don’t like to eat the same thing for dinner every single night.

The Buffalo Chicken Macaroni and Cheese featured on this blog post is a great recipe to transform into a double-duty meal. Normally, if I was preparing this meal for just one night, I would only use about one pound of chicken. But since I plan to use the leftovers for another day, I should double the protein and add about two pounds of chicken (or more) to the slow cooker. When the chicken is done, I remove all of it, shred it, and return just half of it to the slow cooker.

I store the other half in the refrigerator for my dinner the following day, which I can use to make salad, pasta, or pizza (as you’ll see below)!



I chose to make pizza as the other half of this double-duty meal because it used a lot of the same ingredients as the Buffalo Chicken Macaroni and Cheese. The only new additions were pizza dough, tomato sauce, and butter. So not only did I save time, but I also saved money. Now I don't need to go out and buy ingredients for an entirely new meal!

Some other ideas for double-duty dinners that I featured in the segment on FOX59 are:
Pulled pork used to make sandwiches the first night and pork quesadillas on the second night.
Fish, specifically tilapia, use to make a rice dinner on night one and fish tacos on night two.

One thing I need to point out — it’s important to always use the best ingredients available. That’s why I used Challenge cream cheese in the macaroni and cheese and Challenge butter in the pizza. I choose Challenge over every other brand because I know there are no hormones, additives, or fillers in their products.The taste is also superior to other brands because they use real cream.

NOTE: In the recipes below, I’m posting the regular version, not the double-duty version, in case some people saw the picture of the pasta and scrolled straight to the recipe. But if you want to make the double-duty version, just double the amount of chicken as discussed earlier.



Buffalo Chicken Macaroni and Cheese
Yield: Makes about 8, 1-cup servings
Ingredients

• 1 pound chicken
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 3/4 cup buffalo sauce
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 pound macaroni pasta, uncooked
• 4 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk
• 1 cup milk
• 4 ounces Challenge cream cheese
• Green onions and blue cheese for garnish, if desired

Directions

1. Add chicken, chicken broth, buffalo sauce, garlic powder, paprika, pepper, and salt to slow cooker. Stir until combined and cook on high for 2 to 3 hours. (Could be more or less time depending on your slow cooker. My chicken was done right at 2 hours)
2. Remove cooked chicken from slow cooker, shred, and return to slow cooker.
3. Add pasta, cheddar cheese, evaporated milk, milk, and cream cheese to slow cooker.
4. Mix and cook on high for about 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until pasta is cooked
5. Garnish with blue cheese crumbles and green onions if desired and serve 

Buffalo Chicken Pizza
Yield: Makes 1 pizza
Ingredients

• Pizza dough
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup tomato sauce (depending on whether you like a lot of sauce or not)
• 3 Tablespoons buffalo sauce
• 1 tablespoons Challenge butter, melted
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 pound chicken, chopped
• 1/4 cup blue cheese crumbles
• Green onions for garnish, if desired

Directions

1. Preheat oven to the specified temperature for your pizza dough (I set my oven to 425)
2. Combine tomato sauce, buffalo sauce, butter, Worcestershire sauce, and garlic powder and spread on uncooked pizza dough
3. Add half the cheddar cheese on top of the sauce and layer it with the chicken, the rest of the cheddar cheese, and the blue cheese crumbles.
4. Bake pizza for about 14 to 18 minutes — keep an eye on it so it doesn't burn!
5. Remove from oven, garnish with green onions, and serve

Recipe adapted from the Food Network

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Utilizing slow cookers during the holidays

This is a sponsored post by Challenge Butter, but the text and opinions are all mine. Thank you for supporting brands that make Kylee's Kitchen possible!

Utilizing slow cookers is crucial for the holidays because oven space is always limited, especially when you’re the visitor. Fortunately, you can turn just about ANY recipe into a slow cooker recipe.

Cooking Time Conversions

The biggest change is obviously the cooking time.

Generally, one hour of baking in the oven at 350 degrees is equal to about 6 hours on the “low” setting of your slow cooker and 3 hours on the “high” setting.

Oven cooking time	Slow cooker setting on low (about 200 degrees F)	Slow cooker setting on high (about 300 degrees F)
15 to 30 minutes	About 4 to 5 hours	About 1 ½ to 2 hours
35 to 45 minutes	About 5 hours to 6 hours	About 2 to 3 ½ hours
50 to 3 hours	About 6 to 8 hours	About 3 ½ to 5 hours

There are a lot of slow cooker conversion charts online, but I’ve found that they seem to be a little off, as in the cooking times are much too long. I used to think it was just my slow cooker, but I have multiple slow cookers and it’s the same with each one. So just like anything, error on the side of caution, and check your food at the minimum suggested cooking time.

Don’t Peek

Try your best not to take a sneak peak before the cooking time is complete. The lid traps heat and when you lift up the lid, you break the seal and allow cold air in which affects the cooking time.

Moisture

Slow cookers create a lot of moisture and none of the moisture boils off because it stays in the sealed slow cooker.  To reduce the moisture, cut the amount of liquid in the recipe by 1/3.

Also, keep moisture from ruining your dish by placing a tea towel under the lid so the condensation doesn’t fall back on top of the dish.

Conversely, slow cooker recipes should start out with some liquid. If a recipe does not include any liquid, add 1/2 cup of water or broth before cooking. Moisture is needed to produce the steam that allows the slow cooker to reach appropriate cooking times.

Cleanup

For the easiest cleanup in all of cooking, use either a slow cooker liner or make your own makeshift liner with aluminum foil. Aluminum foil also serves a dual purpose by helping the food cook more evenly

Keep food warm

Additionally, you're slow cooker can be used to keep dishes warm. You can stick your mashed potatoes in your slow cooker on Thanksgiving and choose the “warm setting” and it will keep your potatoes warm throughout without drying them out for several hours.

Here are a few of my favorite slow cooker recipes that I will be serving this Thanksgiving!

Slow Cooker Corn Casserole

Yield: Makes about 8 servings

Ingredients

1 (15.25-ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained

1 (14.75-ounce) can cream-style corn

1 (8-ounce) package Jiffy corn muffin mix

1 cup low-fat sour cream

2 Tablespoons Challenge butter, melted

1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions

Mix together whole kernel corn, cream-style corn, Jiffy corn muffin mix, sour cream, melted butter, and cheese.

Dump in slow cooker; cook on low for about 3 to 4 hours (check at 3 hours).

Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Casserole

Yield: Makes about 8 servings

Ingredients

4 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled

1/4 cup water

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 teaspoons cinnamon

2 Tablespoons Challenge butter, melted

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup chopped pecans

Directions

Peel sweet potatoes, chop into 1-inch slices, and add in slow cooker.

Add water, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Cover and cook on high heat for about 4 hours or until sweet potatoes are very soft.

Mash sweet potatoes until smooth.

Add butter and milk, and stir until combined.

Sprinkle chopped pecans on top and serve.

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Taco lasagna

This is a sponsored post by Challenge Butter, but the text and opinions are all mine. Thank you for supporting brands that make Kylee's Kitchen possible!

Tacos are the best. First of all, they’re delicious (that’s a given), and secondly, there’s an infinite variety of tacos. Every part of the taco is customizable: the shell, the meat, the veggies, the sauce, the cheese, etc.

That being said, the way you eat tacos should also be customizable. A lot of people love finger foods, but sometimes it’s more convenient (and less messy) to eat with a knife and fork.

So for Taco Tuesday, I decided to make taco lasagna! Taco lasagna combines all of the flavors of tacos into a comforting casserole.

Taco lasagna reheats well, freezes well, and it’s great to pack for lunch.

The recipe below is my favorite combination of tortillas, salsa, and meat, but just like regular tacos, you can customize it however you please.

And if you’re like me and ask, “Can I make this in the slow cooker?” about everything, I have good news for you! You can absolutely cook it in the slow cooker! Just remember that you still have to brown and drain you meat before assembling it.

You’ll notice in this recipe that I added cream cheese. The cream cheese prevents the taco lasagna from getting soupy while it is cooking. Challenge Dairy actually makes salsa-flavored cream cheese that is perfect for this dish! It blends really well and adds an extra depth of flavor.

Taco Lasagna

Yield: Makes about 10 servings

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 pounds ground beef
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
• 2 cups salsa
• 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 4 ounces Challenge cream cheese
• 1 (1 ounce) envelope taco seasoning
• 6 (10 inch) tortillas
• 3 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit
2. In large skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink. Add garlic and sauté for 1 minute longer. Drain beef mixture.
3. Return beef to skillet and stir in salsa, beans, cream cheese, and taco seasoning; continue to stir over medium heat until cream cheese has melted into mixture.
4. Place two tortillas in a greased 13x9-inch baking dish.
5. Spread 1 1/2cup meat mixture over tortillas and sprinkle 1 cup cheese on top.
6. Repeat layer two more times.
7. Cover and bake for 30 minutes. Cheese on top should be completely melted.
8. Let stand for 10 minutes and serve.
9. Dish stays good in refrigerator for up to 3 days.

*Note: You can also make dish in slow cooker by cooking on low for 2 to 4 hours.

Recipe loosely adapted from Taste of Home

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3-Ingredient Slow Cooker Chicken

Between my cooking segments and my recipe videos, I do a lot of baking for other people! And by now you probably think I just eat cupcakes and brownies for breakfast, lunch, and dinner! But fortunately for my waistline, that is not the case.

When it comes to making dinner for myself, I try to make it as quick and easy as possible. Lately, many of my meals have consisted of this recipe for three-ingredient slow cooker chicken.

Three ingredients. Slow Cooker. No Fuss. ‘Nuff said.

What I love about this recipe is how versatile it is. You can use the chicken in tacos, on top of rice, as nachos, or even just plain. I love making a big batch for myself and then eating it multiple ways throughout the week.

I promise, it does not get easier than this!

3-Ingredient Slow Cooker Chicken

Yield: Makes about 6 servings

Ingredients

• 2 pounds chicken breast
• 1 (16 ounce) jar of your favorite salsa
• 1 (1.25 ounce) packet taco seasoning

Directions

1. Spray slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Place chicken breasts into slow cooker, sprinkle taco seasoning on top of chicken, dump salsa on top.
3. Cook on low for 6 hours or until easy to shred.
4. Once chicken is ready, shred with two forks. Mix with remaining salsa in slow cooker.
5. Serve on top of rice, tortillas, chips, etc.

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