Chicken Chili Mac in the crockpot

Hey all! Proud to say I'm now at 21 weeks, cooking again, working out and feeling good!

Last week we found out that baby #4 is a boy. He's following two boys and a girl and big sis was really hoping and praying for a girl but she is begrudgingly coping.

Anywho - thought I'd start off with something easy, tasty and cheap:)

Here's my Chicken Chili Mac...

This crockpot meal was so simple, I started it before taking my kids to the swim club, and all I had to do was add the macaroni when we came home and then eat! My kids gobbled it up after a long day of swimming (and then my youngest conked out about 15 minutes later).

What's in it?
- two chopped green peppers
- one onion
- one tomato (I would have added more but it was all I had today, diced tomatoes would have been really good too)
- two cans of chili beans
- three chicken breasts
- chili powder, cumin, cilantro and salt to taste
- water (enough to cover the ingredients)
- 1 pound macaroni
- shredded cheese (your choice) for a topping

Everything but the macaroni went into the crockpot early in the day.

When I got home I removed and shredded the chicken, added the macaroni and let it cook till tender, then I put the chicken back and it was ready to serve.

I'm thinking I'll use the leftovers for some Baked Chicken Chili Mac and Cheese. Mmmmmm

Cheesy Potato Bean Soup

My kids have TaeKwonDo twice a week so one of the days becomes my crock pot meal and the other my casserole night, they're not fancy meals and I try to be somewhat healthy but the truth is, they're better then frozen meals (unless you spend the money for the really healthy ones that are like twice the price).

Another one adapted from my 5-ingredient slow cooking booklet from Better Homes and Gardens (another grab by the cash register, but this one really paid off:)

What's in it....
- 2 cans of condensed cream of chicken soup (I used fat free, but would rather have used low sodium)
- 3-4 cups frozen diced hash browns
- 3 cups water
- 1 15-19 oz can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
- fennel seeds (you were supposed to crush but I was in a rush, that rhymes:)
- 8 oz. Swiss cheese slice torn
Stick the first five ingredients in the crock pot and cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours

Before serving add the cheese and mix it in.

I served it with a slice of toast with Smart Balance. Two of my kids cleaned their bowls. Mr. picky (my middle child) just ate his toast and picked out the beans:)

Sorry this is out of focus. It was a rushed dinner night.

Really Easy Chicken Pot Pie from the freezer and into the Crockpot!

Just chopped some chicken and stuck it in the crock pot.

I had a recipe for this, but somehow the ingredients didn't seem to make it to my list, so I did some ad-libbing from the freezer.

Just took a variety of frozen veggies (I think I had broccoli, asparagus, peas and corn) and added them in.

Then - I didn't have chicken gravy but I did have mushroom gravy so I added some canned mushrooms (I know I'm evil for not using fresh, but on crock pot days, which are busy days, anything goes).

Doesn't it look pretty all mixed together:)

The recipe called for boxed mashed potatoes but I did decide to go fresh with this, just chopped some red potatoes, boiled them, added some nonfat yogurt (instead of sour cream), seasoned, mashed, and there you go.

Added the potatoes to the top when the crock pot was done and stuck it under the broiler.

This one was a big hit with my kids and hubby.

Crockpot meal - Sweet Potatoes and Chicken

Easy crock-pot (or slow cooker recipe) I adapted from a Better Homes and Garden's 5 - ingredient Slow cooker booklet.

Ingredients:
- sliced sweet potatoes
- sliced onions
- chicken thighs (I got mine frozen and with no preservatives or hormones at Trader Joe's)
- honey mustard dressing (I did not have so I mixed honey and spicy brown mustard)
- rosemary (to mix in the dressing)

Just layer the sweet potatoes and onions and then the chicken, top with dressing, turn the crock pot on and your done. Dinner's will be waiting for you:)

We're at church on Wednesday nights so that's my crock pot meal. Everyone seemed to like this so we'll do it again.