Lately I have more time on my hands, but I completely understand having no time or energy to cook anything by the time you get home from work. We would end up eating sandwiches, cereal, or questionable leftovers from the fridge many a night. Even with the time and energy, sometimes there are just better uses of that time than slaving over a meal, like playing with your kids or zoning out in front of the T.V. working out.
Either way, it feels good to sit down to an actual meal that you've actually prepared. As the weather gets cooler (which in my case means 90 degrees instead of 100) there's nothing like coming home to a nice cozy dinner. So, occasionally on Fridays, I will be sharing one of my favorite homemade-ish recipes with easy ingredients and very little prep time for quick weeknight dinners that feel much fancier. Most of them are basically just thrown in the slow cooker. If you don't have a slow cooker, go get one now, that's an order. They are very inexpensive, and a busy schedule's best friend.
Ingredients:
4 frozen boneless skinless chicken breasts
4 C vegetable broth
2 C chicken broth
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 C carrots chopped
1 C celery chopped
1 C onion chopped
1 T dried sage
1 T dried thyme
1 T garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2 C baking mix (Bisquick)
1/2 C milk
Directions:
Either way, it feels good to sit down to an actual meal that you've actually prepared. As the weather gets cooler (which in my case means 90 degrees instead of 100) there's nothing like coming home to a nice cozy dinner. So, occasionally on Fridays, I will be sharing one of my favorite homemade-ish recipes with easy ingredients and very little prep time for quick weeknight dinners that feel much fancier. Most of them are basically just thrown in the slow cooker. If you don't have a slow cooker, go get one now, that's an order. They are very inexpensive, and a busy schedule's best friend.
Ingredients:
4 frozen boneless skinless chicken breasts
4 C vegetable broth
2 C chicken broth
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 C carrots chopped
1 C celery chopped
1 C onion chopped
1 T dried sage
1 T dried thyme
1 T garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2 C baking mix (Bisquick)
1/2 C milk
Directions:
- For the very least amount of prep work, put the still frozen chicken breasts with 1/2 C water in the slow cooker the night before on low for 8 hours . (Bonus = no handling raw meat)
- In the morning, shred up the chicken and return to the juices in the crockpot.
- Add all other ingredients except baking mix and milk and simmer on low in the crockpot for 8 hours.
- To make dumpling dough: 30 minutes before serving, mix the baking mix and milk in a separate bowl just until well combined. Don't overmix.
- Plop spoonfuls of the dumpling dough into the slow cooker and let cook for about 30 minutes or until fluffy and a toothpick inserted into the center of one comes out clean.
- Serve immediately and enjoy!
- You could also use leftover chicken, shredded store-bought rotisserie chicken, or cut up fresh chicken breasts and add to the rest of it in the morning.
- I wouldn't recommend using low sodium broth. I did the first time, and found it needed more salt for my tastes.
- The dumplings will get mushy the longer it sits, so serve right away for best taste and texture.
