Week 8 (Cooking) - Slow Cooker Chicken Sloppy Joes

Week 8's challenge was slow cooking which elated me because I am all about slow cooking. Being a full time employee, part time student, full time crazy dog owner... I love my slow cooker. I love tossing things together in the morning and not having to worry about it again until the evening. I love that the house smells like delicious food all day. I love not feeling rushed to throw together an evening meal.

The original plan for the week was for turkey sloppy joes, but when the grocery store was out of ground turkey I went for the next best thing. What a happy surprise this turned out to be.

After slow cooking for 8 hours this slightly healthier sloppy joe mix was indistinguishable to me from traditional beef slop. Hoorah for healthy options!

Chicken Sloppy Joes

• 2 lbs ground chicken
• 1 onion
• 1 green pepper
• 1 red/orange pepper
• 1 can (10 3/4 oz) reduced sodium tomato soup
• 1/4 c yellow mustard
• 2 oz can tomato paste
• 1 c ketchup
• 2 tbsp chili powder
• 2 tbsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
• Hamburger buns, rolls, etc. to serve

1. In a large skillet combine the ground chicken, onion, and peppers; cook over medium-high heat until chicken is cooked thoroughly and no longer pink. Using a heat safe spatula, break up any large chunks of chicken as you go.
   
   

   

   
   

2. Transfer chicken mixture to slow cooker; add all other ingredients, and stir to combine.
   
   

   

   It isn't pretty to start with, but it sure is tasty in the end.

   
   
3. Cook on low setting 6-8 hours.
   
   

   

   
   

4. Portion onto hamburger buns or hoagie rolls and serve with your favorite sides. I made sweet potato fries. Mmm mmm mmm.

Delicious and hearty, this simple slow cooked meal was a big hit. This one is a keeper!

Week 3 (Cooking) - Chicken Tomatillo Soup

The cooking challenge for week 3 was soup. S(o)uper easy that is.

I love soup, but for years I was afraid of making it myself. My mom is a soup goddess and I am always assumed that my soups would just fail completely when compared to the deliciousness this deity creates.

I may have a cooking complex.  

In the last year or two I've started venturing outside of my no-soup zone and dipping my pinky toe into the icy cold waters of soup-dom. (Why is soup icy? I don't know, ssshhhh...) So far so good, and my slow cooker has been my best friend on these adventures. I love that I can toss stuff in, crank that baby down low, cover it up, skirt out the door, and come home to warm, tasty food. Plus these are some of the most balanced meals I can create in a pinch; protein, veggies, carbs...Soup has it all baby! Soup is, in every way, perfect. Especially for winter.

I have about 5 jillion recipes booked marked here and there, and probably at least a third (1.67 jillion that is) of the recipes are for soup. This week's recipe was an adaptation from one I found on  Better Homes & Gardens website that I just haven't had the gumption to make yet. Excuses no more, soup week is here.

Slow cooker recipes couldn't be simpler and I feel a bit silly detailing this, but detail I must.

Spicy Chicken Tomatillo Soup

• 7 medium tomatillos, husks removed & rinsed
  
  
  
  

  I had no idea how sticky and weird these things felt. shudder
• 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 32 oz low sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 red onion chopped
• 2 stalks of celery, chopped
• 4 oz canned diced green chilis
• 1 large fresh jalapeno, chopped - I leave the seeds, some people prefer to tone the spice down and remove them, your call.
  
  
  
  
  
• 1 tbsp ground cumin
• Juice from 1 lime
  
  
  
  
  
• 2 heaping tsp chili powder - Again adjust to taste
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground black pepper

1. Dice 3 of the tomatillos.
2. Put the other 4 in a food processor and blender to create a smooth paste.
   
   
    
3. Combine all of the ingredients in a 3 1/2 - 4 qt slow cooker.
   
   
   
   
   
4. Cover.
5. Set on low heat for 6-7 hours or on high for 3 1/2-4 hours.
6. Remove the chicken from the broth.
7. Allow to cool slightly.
8. Shred it!
   
   
   
   
   
9. Slide the chicken back into the stock.
10. Mix to combine the chicken with the broth.
11. Serve yourself a nice big bowl with some tortilla chips & salsa. Mmm.