Ramen and Vegetables

Not a very exciting New Year's Day dinner.

After several kitchen disasters I gave up and just made myself a packet of ramen and added in some mixed vegetables.

I made frozen pizza for my family.

Some days are like that

Crockpot Chicken and Dumplings

Crockpot Chicken and Dumplings

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken pieces, cut into bite sized pieces

2 Tbsp butter

2 (10 oz) cans cream of chicken soup

1 onion, diced fine

1 C frozen mixed vegetables

1 can premade biscuits, cut into quarters

Place chicken, butter, soup, and onion in the crockpot and cook on low for 5 hours. Add frozen mixed vegetables and cook 30 minutes more. Lay biscuits on top and cook for 30 more minutes or until biscuit dough is cooked through.

Chicken Pot Pie

Chicken Pot Pie

1 pkg. deep dish pie crusts or your homemade equivalent

1/3 C margarine or butter

1/3 C chopped onion

1/3 C all purpose flour

Salt and pepper to taste

1 (14 oz) can chicken broth

1/2 C milk

2-1/2 C shredded cooked chicken or turkey

2 C frozen mixed vegetables, thawed

Heat oven 425 ° F. Prepare pie crusts as directed on package for two-crust pie using 9-inch pie pan or prepare your own crusts. Melt margarine in medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion; cook and stir 2 minutes or until tender. Add flour, salt and pepper; stir until well blended. Gradually stir in broth and milk, cooking and stirring until bubbly and thickened. Add chicken and mixed vegetables; mix well. Remove from heat. Spoon chicken mixture into crust lined pan. Top with second crust seal edges. Cut slits in several places in top crust. Bake at 425 °F for 30-40 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Cover edge of crust with strips of foil during last 15-20 minutes of baking if necessary to prevent excessive browning. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.  You may have extra filling leftover, I save mine and use it for extra on the side.

For more recipes check out Tuesdays at the Table

Chicken and Dumplings

Chicken and Dumplings

1 whole chicken (about 3-4 lbs)

Salt to taste (for chicken)

3 chicken bouillon cubes

2 ½ C frozen mixed vegetables

2 C flour

1/4 C shortening

1 egg

1/2 tsp salt (for the dumplings)

1/2 to 3/4 C chicken broth (cooled)

Place the chicken and salt in a large pot, add enough water to just cover the chicken, and let simmer for about 1 hour or until cooked through. Remove the chicken and debone, breaking the meat apart. Remove 3/4 cup of the liquid and set aside for the dumplings. To the water remaining in the pot, add the 3 bouillon cubes and bring to a medium high boil. Return chicken meat to the pot along with the vegetables. In a bowl, cream the flour, shortening, egg, and salt together. Add enough broth to form a stiff dough, but don’t add any more than you need. (If you add too much broth, just add more flour). Flour a surface on which to roll the dough. Roll the dough to about a 1/8 inch thickness or less. With a knife, slice the dough into long strips about an inch wide and 2-3” long. Pick up the strips one at a time and add to the boiling broth. After adding some of the dumpling dough, the boiling broth will start to slow in its boil. Stir gently as you add the dumplings so that they don't stick together or stick to the pot. After all the dumpling dough is added to the broth, turn the heat down to a simmer. Cook for 15 minutes; turn the heat off, cover the dumpling pan, and let sit for 20-30 minutes before serving.

For more wonderful recipes check out Tuesdays at the Table