Crockpot Chicken Tacos

4-6 chicken breast (I use 4 and it makes plenty for dinner and leftovers)
1 cups salsa
1 pkg taco seasoning
3/4 cup water

Spray crockpot with non-stick cooking spray. Place frozen or thawed chicken breast in crockpot. Mix salsa, taco seasoning and water together. Pour mixture over chicken. Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6-8 hours. In last hour or when chicken looks cooked pull chicken out and shred with fork. Put shredded chicken back in mixture to marinate/cook and turn down to low if not already on low. Serve with all your family favorite taco garnishes.

*I prefer PACE Picanta Sauce or Salsa and I use Mild or Medium therefore not to hot and my kids will eat.

Note: If you use thawed chicken breast you may need to adjust the timing down to 3 hours. I always use frozen as I always seem to forgot to defrost dinner.

Plain (Dill) Potato Salad

Perfect Plain Potato Salad (from Tasty Sensations)

6 medium whole potatoes - peeled boiled for about 15 minutes. Once they are soft enough to cut (don't overcook), let them cool slightly, and then dice.

1.5 cups Mayo
1 TBS. white vinegar
1 TBS. prepared mustard
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper (fresh ground)
1/2 tsp. dill weed
1/2 white or vidalia onion, finely chopped
4 hard boiled eggs, chopped

Mix the above ingredients together. Add diced potatoes, onions, and if you like celery (I didn't have any in my kitchen this time), you can add 2 stalks, chopped up. Mix it all together to coat. Add 4 hard boiled eggs, chopped. Let it all sit together in the fridge overnight, or at least 4 hours, to enhance flavor. Serve with BBQ!

Shrimp Pasta in White Sauce

Shrimp Pasta in White Sauce (from Taste and Tell)

1/2 butter
1 c sliced mushrooms
1/4 onion, diced
1 lb shrimp, peeled & deveined
1/4 c flour
1 c chicken broth
1 c cream or evaporated milk
1/2 c fresh Parmesan cheese
dash of nutmeg
1/4 t garlic powder
3/4 c steamed asparagus, but on a diagonal in 1/2 in. pieces
12 oz pasta noodles

Boil water in a large saucepan. Add noodles and cook until al dente.

In the meantime, melt 1/4 c butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Slowly cook the onions and then add mushrooms and cook until both are tender. Add shrimp and cook until shrimp have changed color and are cooked through.

In another large saucepan, melt the other 1/4 c butter. Add flour and stir until combined. Cook and stir for about 2 minutes. Then stir in chicken broth, cream, and pepper to taste. Add garlic powder and nutmeg to taste as well. Stir in the Parmesan cheese. Simmer 5-10 minutes or until it thickens. Stir the mushroom-shrimp mixture and asparagus into the sauce and combine. Serve over hot pasta.

Monkey Munch from Jon & Kate plus 8

Happy 4th of July!!!

This is a treat that was mentioned on TLC Show "Jon and Kate plus 8". Another popular name for this favorite mix is puppy food/chow...

9 cups Chex cereal (any variety)

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/4 cup butter or margarine

1 teaspoon vanilla

1.5 cups powdered sugar

1. Into large bowl, measure cereal; set aside.

2. In 1-quart microwavable bowl, stir together chocolate chips, peanut butter and butter. Microwave uncovered on High 1 minute; stir. Microwave about 30 seconds longer or until mixture can be stirred smooth. Stir in vanilla. Pour mixture over cereal, stirring until evenly coated. Pour into 2-gallon resealable food-storage plastic bag.

3. Add powdered sugar. Seal bag; shake until well coated. Spread on waxed paper to cool. Store in airtight container in refrigerator

Baked Turkey Chimichanga

1 lbs. ground turkey breast - extra lean 98% fat free
1 can (16 oz.) fat free refried beans
1 cup salsa
1 small can (4.5 oz) green chili peppers
1 tsp. chili powder
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 cup light 2 % milk reduced fat shredded cheese, any type
8 burrito size tortillas

Preheat oven 350 – coat 13x9 pan with cooking spray.
Cook turkey in skillet. Add beans, salsa, pepper, chili powder, onions and cheese. Cook until warm and bubbly. Put 1/2 cup of mixture in each tortilla, roll up and bake for 20 minutes.
Garnish with fat free sour cream and salsa. Makes 8, they freeze well.
Weight Watcher Points approx. 5 pts each

Garlic Pork Chops

Garlic Pork Chops (from Campbell's Kitchen)

1 tbsp. vegetable oil
4 boneless pork chops, 3/4-inch thick (about 1 pound)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 can (10 3/4 oz.) cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup milk
rice

Heat the oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chops and garlic and cook for 10 minutes or until the chops are well browned on both sides. Remove the chops and set aside.
Stir the soup and milk into the skillet. Heat to a boil. Return the chops to the skillet and reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook for 5-10 minutes or until the chops are done. I like to server this over rice.

Chicken Broccoli Divan

Chicken Broccoli Divan (from Campbell's Kitchen)

4 cups cooked broccoli flowerets
1.5 cups cubed cooked chicken
1 can cream of chicken
1/3 milk
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
4 tbsp. dry bread crumbs (increased from original - like the dish with more)
2 tbsp. butter, melted (increased from original recipe)

Place broccoli and chicken in 9" pie plate or 2-qt. shallow baking dish.
Mix soup and milk and pour over. Stir until broccoli and chicken are well covered. Sprinkle with cheese. Mix bread crumbs with butter and sprinkle on top. Bake at 450 for 20 min. or until hot.