Slow cooker chicken and potato soup

• 3 slices bacon chopped 
• 1 large onion, peeled and chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and sliced thin
• 1 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast
• 1.5 cups sliced carrots
• 1.5 cup sliced celery
• 6 cups chicken broth
• 1.5 teaspoons dried thyme
•  salt and pepper
• 3 Tbs butter
• 3 Tbs flour 
• 1/2 c heavy cream 

Instructions

• Place a skillet over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook until brown, then add in the onions and garlic. Saute for 3-4 minutes to soften. (If using turkey bacon, cook in a nonstick skillet.) Pour the onions mixture into the crock of a large 6-quart slow cooker.
• Place the chicken breast on top of the onions. Add the sliced potatoes, carrots, celery, chicken broth, thyme, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. 
• Place the lid on the slow cooker. Turn on high and cook for 8-12 hours, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are extremely soft. (Check the chicken at 7 hours. If it's cooked through, you can remove the chicken and refrigerate it until the potatoes are tender and breaking apart. If you happen to have a slow cooker, you do not want to overcook the chicken.)
• Remove the chicken breast from the crock. Stir the potato soup vigorously to break up the potatoes and thicken the broth. (You can make it extra creamy by partially pureeing the soup with an immersion blender. Or place 1 1/2 cups of the soup in a regular blender, puree, then stir back into the soup.)
• Shred or chop the chicken and add it back to the slow cooker along with fresh parsley. Stir well. 6. To make thicker and creamier, make a roux by melting butter and stirring in flour. Add cream, then slowly stir in mixture to soup to get desired consistency. 

Slow cooker Moroccan chicken stew

Ingredients

Marinate Chicken

• 5-6 chicken thighs, bone in 
• 1 teaspoons salt
• ¼ teaspoon minced ginger
• ½ teaspoon minced garlic
• ½ teaspoon cumin spice
• ½ teaspoon smoked paprika

Slow cooker Moroccan Chicken with Chickpeas

• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1- teaspoon ground coriander
• 3 teaspoons garlic minced
• 1- teaspoon ginger minced
• 1- teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 small bay leaves
• ½ tablespoon smoked paprika
• 1 medium onion sliced
• 8 ounce canned dice tomatoes
• ½ cup green olives
• ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 canned chickpeas rinsed and drained
• 3/4- cup chicken stock or water

1. Place chicken thighs in a large bowl or saucepan then add salt, garlic, ginger, cumin, pepper, bay leaves and smoked paprika
2. Mix chicken with a spoon or with hands until they are well coated, set aside in the fridge and marinate for 30 minutes.
3. Place canned tomatoes in the slow cooker
4. When ready to cook heat up a skillet or large sauce pan with about 2 tablespoon oil, and then brown the chicken about 3-5 for about minutes until chicken is golden brown: remove and place in the crockpot. Drain any excess oil from the skillet
5. Add onions, garlic, smoked paprika, cumin, coriander. Salt and add cayenne pepper to taste. Stir for about 1 or 2, for the flavors to come together and bloom.
6. Then add to crockpot, deglaze pan with about ¾ cup of water and to slow cooker, together with chickpeas and olives
7. Cover and cook on high for about 3-4 hours. Remove and serve with couscous (curry couscous is best)

Chicken pot pie

• 
• ⅓ cup
   butter
• 1 onion, diced
• 3 stalks celery, diced
• 3 large carrots, diced
• 1 cup
   milk
• 2 cups
   chicken broth
• ½ cup
   flour
• 1 rotisserie chicken, shredded
• 1 cup
   frozen peas
• 1 teaspoon
   salt
• ½ teaspoon
   pepper
• 4 refrigerated pie crusts

1. 
   
2. 1. In a deep skillet, melt the butter and cook celery, carrots, and onion until tender.  Pour in the flour, and mix in well.
3. 2. Stirring constantly, add in the milk and chicken broth a little at a time, alternating between the two. Bring to a boil and continue stirring until thickened.
4. 3. Add chicken, peas, salt, and pepper, and stir until combined. Remove from heat and cool.
5. 4. Roll out pie crust and place in bottom of pie pan. Add filling, then add chest on top.  Pinch together, then seal together with a fork. Cut 4 small slits in the middle of the crust.  Repeat for second pie.
6. 5. Cover each pot pie with foil and freeze for up to 2 months or bake immediately. 
7. 6. To bake from frozen, preheat oven to 400˚F (200˚C), and bake for 30 minutes with the foil on top. Remove the foil and bake for another 30 minutes or until golden brown.

* can also add potatoes: cook potatoes in boiling water until slightly tender to fork. Dice, then add in to filling 

Southwest chicken burgers

1 lb lean ground turkey

1 large egg

1/2 cup breadcrumbs

1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground pepper

1.5 teaspoons cumin

1.5 teaspoons chili powder

1 jalapeno pepper seeds removed, finely chopped

1. Stir together all turkey burger ingredients until completely combined.

2. Form patties using ½ cup of the ground turkey mixture, patting into 1-inch thick and 5-6 inch wide patties with a slight indent in the center.

3. Heat grill to medium high heat. Clean grill and grease with spray oil so burgers don't stick

4. Grill for roughly 4-5 minutes per side.  Serve with chipotle mayo, lettuce, and tomato. 

Chicken fajita soup

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2-3 chicken breasts, thinly sliced (1 pound)
• 1/2 large onion, thinly sliced
• 1 small red bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 1 small orange bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 1 small yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 2 teaspoons chicken bouillon powder
• 1 tsp EACH salt, chili pwdr, ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp EACH smoked paprika, pepper, dried oregano
• 3/4 cup long-grain white rice, uncooked
• 1 15 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 4 oz. can mild diced green chilies
• 1 14 oz. can crushed tomatoes
• 4  14.5 oz. cans low sodium chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch

Garnishes (optional):

• Tortilla chips/strips
• fresh cilantro
• avocado

1. Melt butter in olive oil over medium high heat in a large Dutch oven/soup pot. Add chicken and onions and sauté for 3 minutes.
2. Add bell peppers, garlic, flour and all seasonings/spices. Cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes.
3. Stir in rice, black beans, green chilies, crushed tomatoes and 3 cans chicken broth. Mix cornstarch with last can chicken broth and add to soup. Bring to boil then reduce heat and simmer on medium low, stirring occasionally, for 8-12 minutes or until rice is cooked.*Note: Cooking time may vary depending on how long it takes to bring your soup to a boil so I suggest checking the rice occasionally until done.  Add additional chicken broth as needed to ensure rice is cooked through and soup is right consistency. 
4. Remove from heat. Add additional chicken broth/water to thin soup if desired. Garnish individual servings with desired toppings.