Crock Pot Tuesday ~ Chicken and Dumplings

Today is Tuesday, so that means it time for Crock Pot Tuesday! Really, I do not always have something cooking in my Crock Pot on Tuesday and Tuesday is not the only day I cook in my Crock Pot. It just seems that I  use the Crock Pot on Tuesdays more than any other day of the week.

I absolutely love Crock Pot cooking. Just fix it and forget about it! I also prefer to use recipes that do no require to cook the meat (or anything else for that matter) prior to putting in the Crock Pot. I just want to be able to dump and go!

Today we have Chicken and Dumplings cooking! Yum-mo!

My Grandmother made Chicken and Dumplings from scratch and that was always my very favorite. Actually my Grandmother lived next door to me growing up and just about anything she cooked was fantastic! I have often wished that I was locked in her kitchen and made to learn to cook like her! I am sure I wouldn't have gone for that back then, but now I wish I knew how to make so many of the things she used to cook! My Mom has been able to make the Chicken and Dumplings like my Grandmothers, but I have not tried yet.

This Crock pot version is not exactly my Grandmother's, but It is still quite good. My kids have come to love this and ask for it often. Micah told me recently that he wants it for his Birthday dinner for the rest of his life!

When I make this  I generally double the recipe. This recipe can also be found here.

Crock Pot Chicken and Dumplings

Ingredients

• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed cream of chicken soup
• 1 onion, finely diced
• 2 (10 ounce) packages refrigerated biscuit dough, torn into pieces

Directions

1. Place the chicken, butter, soup, and onion in a slow cooker, and fill with enough water to cover.
2. Cover, and cook for 5 to 6 hours on High. About 30 minutes before serving, place the torn biscuit dough in the slow cooker. Cook until the dough is no longer raw in the center.                

*Note: When putting the biscuit dough into the Crock Pot make sure to push it down  into the broth a little. It usually takes more time than called for the dumplings to be done. Usually an hour or more.

**Note: When I make this I need to make more dumplings than fits into my Crock Pot so what I do is transfer some of the chicken and the broth to a pot on the stove and then add in the biscuit dough. This gives me more space for dumplings.

Crafty Crescent Lasagna

I am always looking for something new to try for dinner. It seems like we do the same things over and over again and it gets boring!

Back several years ago, we were living in a different house in a different state, and a neighbor made us dinner because we had just had a new baby!  We enjoyed the dinner and I begged asked her nicely for the recipe( actually several times). I never got that recipe from her, but over the years I remembered that dinner and would hope to find the recipe.

Recently I did a google search for it and I got this recipe. I think she must have used something different for the crust, but I am not sure. It is not exactly the same(at least from my memory), but it was still good. It seemed as though most of my family enjoyed it.

INGREDIENTS:

Meat Filling

• 1/2 lb bulk pork sausage
• 1/2 lb lean (at least 80%) ground beef
• 3/4 cup chopped onions
• 1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
• 1 small clove garlic, finely chopped
• Dash pepper
• 1 can (6 oz) tomato paste

Cheese Filling

• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 cup small-curd cottage cheese
•  1 egg

Crust

• 2 cans (8 oz each) Pillsbury refrigerated crescent dinner rolls or 2 cans (8 oz each) Pillsbury Crescent Recipe Creations® refrigerated seamless dough sheet
• 2 (7x4-inch) slices mozzarella cheese ( I used shredded mozzarella instead)
• 1 tablespoon milk
• 1 tablespoon sesame seed  

DIRECTIONS :


1. In 10-inch skillet, cook sausage and beef until thoroughly cooked and no longer pink, stirring frequently; drain. Stir in remaining meat filling ingredients; cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thoroughly heated.


2. Meanwhile, heat oven to 375°F. In small bowl, mix cheese filling ingredients. Unroll both cans of dough. Place dough rectangles side by side, on ungreased cookie sheet (if using crescent dough, firmly press edges and perforations to seal). Press to form 15x13-inch rectangle.


3. Spoon half of meat filling in 6-inch wide strip lengthwise down center of dough to within 1 inch of short sides. Spoon cheese filling over meat filling; spoon remaining meat filling evenly over cheese filling. Arrange mozzarella cheese slices over filling.


4. Fold short sides of dough 1 inch over filling. Fold long sides of dough tightly over filling, overlapping edges in center 1/4 inch; firmly pinch center seam and ends to seal. Brush with milk; sprinkle with sesame seed.


5. Bake 23 to 27 minutes or until deep golden brown.



I made two of these. Since some of the kids do not like Sesame Seeds, I made one of them without.  I will definitely make this again sometime!