Fix-It and Forget-It Christmas Cookbook (88 page)

Gloria Julien

Gladstone, MI

Makes 4-6 servings

Prep. Time: 30 minutes

Cooking Time: 2-3 hours

Ideal slow cooker size: 5-qt.

1 onion, chopped

3 Tbsp. oil

2-3 cups uncooked chicken, cut in 1” pieces

10¾-oz. can cream of chicken soup

12-oz. can evaporated milk

2 cups cubed Velveeta cheese

3 cups cooked rice

2 cups frozen broccoli cuts, thawed

¼ tsp. pepper

4-oz. can mushrooms, drained

1. Sauté onion in oil in skillet.

2. Add chicken and sauté until no longer pink.

3. Combine all ingredients in slow cooker.

4. Cover. Cook on Low 2-3 hours.

Notes:

1. This is an ideal dish for people who are not big meat-eaters.

2. This is good carry-in for potluck or fellowship meals. I put the ingredients together the night before.

Baked Chicken and Rice

Fannie Miller

Hutchinson, KS

Makes 10-12 servings

Prep. Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 4-6 hours

Ideal slow cooker size: 6- to 7-qt.

2 cups dry instant rice

10¾-oz. can cream of chicken soup

10¾-oz. can cream of mushroom soup

10¾-oz. can cream of celery soup

1 stick (8 Tbsp.) butter

1 soup can water

10 skinless chicken breast halves,
or
1 large chicken, cut into 10-12 pieces

1 envelope dry onion soup mix

1. Place rice in large slow cooker.

2. Combine soups, butter, and water in large bowl. Pour half over rice.

3. Lay chicken over rice. Pour remaining soup mixture over chicken.

4. Sprinkle with dry onion soup mix.

5. Cover. Cook on Low 4-6 hours, or until chicken is done but not dry, and rice is tender but not mushy.

Chicken Pasta

Evelyn L. Ward

Greeley, CO

Makes 4 servings

Prep. Time: 25-30 minutes

Cooking Time: 4 hours and 20 minutes

Ideal slow cooker size: 4-qt.

1½-lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast

1 large zucchini, diced

1 envelope chicken gravy mix

2 Tbsp. water

2 Tbsp. evaporated milk,
or
cream

1 large tomato, chopped

4 cups cooked macaroni

8 ozs. smoked Gouda cheese, grated

1. Cut chicken into 1” cubes. Place in slow cooker.

2. Add zucchini, gravy mix, and water, and stir together.

3. Cover. Cook on Low 4 hours.

4. Add milk and tomato. Cook an additional 20 minutes.

5. Stir in pasta. Top with cheese. Serve immediately.

Our Favorite Chicken and Stuffing

Kim Stoll

Abbeville, SC

Makes 6 servings

Prep. Time: 10-15 minutes

Cooking Time: 3-5 hours

Ideal slow cooker size: 5-qt.

6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

6 slices Swiss cheese

¼ cup milk

10¾-oz. can cream of mushroom,
or
chicken, soup

2 cups stuffing mix

1 stick (8 Tbsp.) butter, melted

1. Grease slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray.

2. Top each breast half with slice of cheese. Arrange cheese-covered chicken in slow cooker.

3. In a mixing bowl, combine milk and soup until smooth. Pour over chicken. (If you’ve stacked the breasts, lift the ones on top to make sure the ones on the bottom are topped with sauce, too.)

4. Sprinkle stuffing mix evenly over sauced chicken, including those on the bottom.

5. Drizzle with melted butter.

6. Cover. Cook on High 3 hours or on Low 5 hours, or just until meat is tender but not dry.

Variation:

Use cornbread stuffing instead of regular stuffing mix.

Betty Moore

Plano, IL

Depending on the number of guests you may do formal or informal. Thanksgiving with 40 has me using disposables. Christmas with seven adults calls for fine china and crystal at our house.

Colleen Heatwole, Burton, MI

Chicken Dressing

Lydia A. Yoder

London, ON

Makes 20 servings

Prep. Time: 40-45 minutes

Cooking Time: 3-4 hours

Ideal slow cooker size: 6-qt.

1½ sticks (12 Tbsp.) butter

1 cup chopped onions

2 cups chopped celery

2 Tbsp. parsley flakes

1½ tsp. salt

½ tsp. pepper

3½-4 cups chicken broth

12-14 cups dried bread cubes

4 cups cut-up, cooked chicken
*

2 eggs, beaten

1 tsp. baking powder

1. Sauté onion and celery in butter in skillet.

2. Combine seasonings and broth in large bowl. Mix in bread cubes.

3. Fold in chicken and sautéed onions and celery.

4. Add eggs and baking powder.

5. Lightly pack into large slow cooker.

6. Cover. Cook on Low 3-4 hours.

Serving suggestion: Serve with
turkey
or
chicken
,
mashed potatoes
, a
vegetable
, and
lettuce salad
.

*
For instructions about how to cook chicken in your slow cooker, see
page 175
, at end of recipe for Tamale Chicken. (Or use leftover chicken.)

Tip:

The longer the dressing cooks, the drier it will become. Keep that in mind if you do not care for moist stuffing.