Slow Cooker Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

 

   Once again, I have a lot to do today, so I’m turning to my trusty slow cooker for dinner. (Seriously, if you don’t own a slow cooker, what are you even doing with your life?) Anyway, I saw this recipe from Good Vibes Cooking, and I thought “There’s no way this could be bad”,  and I knew it would be an easy meal for a busy Saturday or Sunday. Plus, I already had all of the ingredients, so this was a no brainer. Added bonus, we’re still having some brisk Spring nights, so a casserole still hits the spot, especially one as delicious as this one!!! Just set it up around mid day, and boom, one less this to worry about! Serve it with a salad or a fresh green veggie, and dinner is sorted. Easy, right? I think I need to keep this one in the rotation. (wait.. I say that every time I find a new recipe... but I really mean it this time!)

If you love a creamy cheesy chicken casserole, you must give this one a try!
 

 

 
2-3 boneless chicken breasts or thighs
8 oz diced ham
8 oz sliced Swiss cheese
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tbs Dijon mustard
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp dried oregano
1 pkg Stove Top stuffing mix, any flavor
1/2 stick butter

Cut up chicken and add to a crock pot along with the diced ham.
Place slices of Swiss cheese over the meat in one layer.
In a small mixing bowl, stir together the soup, cream, mustard, and seasonings. 
Spread over the cheese layer. Sprinkle dry stuffing over the cream mixture. Dot with butter. 

Full disclosure, I kept the recipe the same but I did tweak the cooking time ever so slightly. The original recipe said to cook it for 6 hours on low. It’s been my experience that the rule for cooking chicken in the crock pot is 2 hours on HIGH, or 4 hours on LOW. That’s it. Chicken just doesn’t need that long to cook!!  I know I’ve said this before, but I’ll say it every time because it’s worth repeating. Otherwise you’d wind up with dry rubbery chicken. And no one wants that!



Tips:
 This is one of those recipes where the amounts are just guidelines. So I didn’t really fuss with each ingredient. I used the whole package of 4 pieces of chicken, I’m sure I used more than 8 oz of ham, definitely more than 8 oz of cheese, the seasonings were to taste, and I KNOW I used more than a half stick of butter. I also swapped brown mustard for the Dijon, I added a little extra cream, and I bet you could use half and half instead of the heavy cream. You do you! I’m sure it will turn out fine as long as you don’t overcook it! One thing, though.. if you'll notice, there's no salt in the recipe. That's because the ham and the stuffing mix have quite enough. If you add any more it would be too salty. I only mention this because my Dad used to fix his plate for dinner and then proceed to put salt and pepper over everything, even before he took his first bite, and it would drive my Mom crazy. She would say "it's already seasoned!" So, yeah. Don't add any extra salt. Doesn't need it!
I’m guessing you could easily bake this in the oven instead of a crock pot. Just assemble it in a casserole dish and bake it at 350º for about 30 minutes. Easy!

Slow Cooker Pork Ragout

 

 

  I was recently looking for a “let it cook all day” kind of recipe, so I turned to my big freezer (aka the Snow Miser) to see what I happened to have on hand. Sitting right on top was a pork shoulder that I was lucky enough to get on sale, and I immediately knew that this was the clear winner. 
 But what to make?? I’m sure that when I bought it I was thinking I’d do a BBQ pulled pork in the slow cooker, but now I’m thinking “how ‘bout something different?”
 Enter this recipe. You may be asking what is a ragout? Well a ragout (or ragu) is an Italian dish of braised meat (usually pork) in a tomato sauce with aromatics, herbs, and wine, finely shredded and then served over a hearty wide pasta. Sounds heavenly, right? Yeah, I thought so too. And since I pride myself on keeping a well stocked pantry, I just happened to have all the rest of the ingredients to make it. 
 First and foremost, I have to say this was just about the easiest thing to throw together, and the payoff was AMAZING.  It was only about 15 minutes of prep, and then it cooked all day, low and slow, filling my house with the most intoxicating aromas. It was so good that it could literally be an option for my next dinner party. It’s just that good. (Hmm.. actually, that’s a really good idea.) 
 I made this during the biggest snow storm in the last 10 years, but you don’t have to wait for it to snow to make this recipe. Make it for a Sunday Dinner. Make it for a holiday. Make it for your friends. Make it just for yourself! It’s definitely a good one to keep in your back pocket. I actually already wanna make it again. (Not even kidding!) Good thing I still have another pork in the Snow Miser!



Olive oil
3 or 4 lb pork shoulder
1 onion, minced
2 carrots, peeled and finely diced
1 28oz can tomato puree
1 6oz can tomato paste
A couple sprigs of fresh thyme, leaves removed and stems discarded
1 tsp poultry seasoning 
1 tsp dried basil
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup red wine (such as Chianti or Merlot)
1 heaping tsp chicken Better Than Bouillon 
2 cups water

In a very hot skillet, in a little oil, brown the pork on all sides. Meanwhile, throw everything else into your slow cooker. 
Place the pork in the slow cooker, nestling it down into the sauce. Cover and cook on low for 8 or 9 hours, or until the pork shreds easily. 
Using two forks, pull the pork into fine shreds, removing any fat, stirring until well combined. 

Serve over wide egg noodles, pappardelle, or tagliatelle pasta with warm crusty bread. 



Tips:
When browning the pork, don’t move it around in the skillet. I know you want to, but resist the urge! Just leave it alone, and you’ll get a nice brown sear. Do this one all sides. Conversely, you can certainly just skip this step altogether, and it will be just fine. But I believe it gives a richer deeper flavor with the browning. 
A few things you can substitute:
Crushed tomatoes instead of puree. 
Dried thyme leaves instead of fresh. 
Vermouth or just a splash of red wine vinegar instead of the wine.
2 cup of chicken broth instead of the Better Than Bouillon and water.
Instead of cooking on low for 8 or 9 hours, you can cook it on high for 4 or 5, but I always prefer lower and slower if you have the time. 
Even though pork is the classic choice for this recipe, it also works very well with beef. Just be sure to cook it long enough so the meat shreds easily. 
If you’d prefer to cook this in the oven instead of the slow cooker: Brown the meat in a heavy pot with a lid, throw in all the sauce ingredients, then place in a low-ish oven, around 325ºF, for about 3-4 hours.