Chicken and Dumplings

This is one of my favorite comfort foods. I can remember helping my great grandmother make them for me when we'd go to visit her in Palataka, Florida. She and my mother would cook the chicken in a pressure cooker but I have to admit, those things scare me! I can just see me blowing something up in my kitchen. Because of that, I came up with this super easy way to make a delicious meal (without the fear of blowing up my kitchen!). Recipe and directions are after the picture!


Chicken and Dumplings

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
salt, pepper, onion powder to taste
3 tbs. oil
2 cups Bisquick
2/3 cups milk
1 - 32 oz box chicken stock
2 cups chicken bouillon

Cut chicken into bite sized pieces, put in a large Dutch oven pot with the oil, season to taste. Cook until no longer pink in the middle. Mix Bisquick and milk together to form a soft dough. Mix 2 chicken bouillon cubes with 2 cups boiling water. When chicken is cooked through, add chicken stock and chicken bouillon. Bring to a boil. Once boiling, drop dumplings in one at a time, maintaining the boil. Boil 10 minutes uncovered and 10 minutes covered.

Enjoy!


* If you have a large family (or a really hungry one), just double the recipe.

* I use Tastefully Simple Seasoned Salt on my chicken along with the pepper and onion powder but regular salt is fine.

Easy Crock Pot Ranch Pork Chops

I love my Crock Pot. It is honestly one of the greatest inventions...ever. Having two small boys it has been a Godsend lately.

This is the latest recipe I tried (found on Pinterest) so I can't take credit for coming up with it. It was incredibly easy to throw together and turned out so very, very good. My hubby even loved it and has taken the leftovers to work twice; I didn't get a chance to have any more! We don't have pork chops very often (bone in or out) because they are always so tough; these chops were FORK TENDER! I served it with garlic mashed potatoes, a fresh salad, and apple cinnamon muffins (my 4 year old's choice). The recipe and directions will follow the picture!



Ranch Pork Chops

4-6 boneless pork chops
1 can Cream of Chicken Soup
1 packet Ranch dressing mix

Mix the soup and ranch mix together. Place the pork chops in the Crock Pot and cover with the soup mixture. Cook on high 4 1/2 hours or low 6 1/2 hours. Spoon extra gravy over the mashed potatoes (recipe to follow).


*Because Crock Pots may vary in their cooking start checking your chops an hour or so before the cooking time is up!

*If you want more gravy, just use two cans of soup and about 1 1/4 of the ranch mixes!

*Slow Cooker liners by Reynolds are the second best invention ever! It makes clean up super easy!


Garlic Mashed Potatoes


Yukon Gold Potatoes
butter
milk
salt and pepper, to taste
garlic powder

Peel most of the skin off the potatoes and cut them into smaller pieces (makes it easier to cook). Put in a large pot of salted water and boil until fork tender. Drain the water. Mash potatoes. Add milk, butter, salt, pepper, and garlic powder and continue to mash until you get the consistency and taste you desire (more milk and butter and mashing = creamier potatoes).


*I use Yukon Golds because I just prefer the taste and texture of them but you can use any potatoes you want.

*You can also use minced garlic if you want; powder was just what I happened to have on hand.