Week before Christmas

We leave for Christmas Holiday soon and giving me the week of Christmas off cooking duty. Until then, I'm in the kitchen!

Sunday - CrockPot Chicken and Dumplings Soup Recipe

Monday - Easy Mexican Casserole

Wednesday - Cranberry Pork Chops

CrockPot Chicken and Dumplings Soup Recipe

The Ingredients.

--3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken (I used frozen thighs)

--1 yellow onion, chopped

--1 cup mushrooms, chopped (I used baby portabellas)

--16 ounces frozen vegetables

--2 cans cream-of-something soup, or combine in a saucepan:

4 T butter

6 T flour (I used Pamela's baking mix)

1 cup milk (I used soy)

1 cup chicken broth

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 tsp poultry seasoning

--1 can refrigerated biscuits, or one batch drop biscuits

The Directions.

I used a 6.5 quart crockpot. Anything 4 quarts and up will work.

Put the chicken and vegetables into the bottom of the crockpot.

Add the cream-of soups, or your homemade substitute.

Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or on high for 4-5.

I cooked ours on high for 4 hours, and on low for another two.

An hour before serving, shred chicken with two large forks, and drop in the biscuit dough.

Cover and cook on high for another hour.

The bisquits are done when you can insert a knife and it comes out clean.

They will be spongey and will brown a bit on the sides and top.

Serve in bowls, with a biscuit or two per person.

Easy Mexican Casserole

"Ground beef, salsa and chili beans are layered with tortilla

chips and sour cream and topped with melted cheese in this tasty dish."

INGREDIENTS:

1 pound lean ground beef

2 cups salsa

1 (16 ounce) can chili beans, drained

3 cups tortilla chips, crushed

2 cups sour cream

1 (2 ounce) can sliced black olives,drained

1/2 cup chopped green onion

1/2 cup chopped fresh tomato

2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

2. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook ground beef until no longer pink.

Stir in salsa, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed.

Stir in beans, and heat through.

3. Spray a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray.

Spread crushed tortilla chips in dish, and then spoon beef mixture over chips.

Spread sour cream over beef, and sprinkle olives, green onion, and tomato over the sour cream.

Top with Cheddar cheese.

4. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.

Cranberry Pork Chops

"Sweet orange marmalade enhances the flavor of the tart cranberries

in this wonderful dish. For a more intense flavor, use 1/4 cup dried

cranberries or cherries instead of fresh or frozen cranberries and do not chop."

INGREDIENTS:

1/3 cup fresh or frozen cranberries, chopped

2 tablespoons orange marmalade

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

2 pork chops

salt and pepper to taste

2 tablespoons honey

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Generously grease a 9x9 inch glass baking dish.

2. In a bowl, mix cranberries, marmalade, and cloves.

Make a pocket in each pork chop by cutting into pork toward the bone;

fill pockets with cranberry mixture.

3. Place the pork chops in prepared baking pan. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Spoon 1 tablespoon honey over each chop. Bake uncovered about 45 minutes or until

pork is no longer pink in the center.

If you like oranges this dish was a hit last night! I didn’t stuff the chops (too much work for me),

but put the mixture on top of the chops and baked them (I mixed the honey in with the cranberry mixture).

I also used the dried cranberries and it turned out GREAT!! Made it with stove top stuffing and corn.

My pork chops were pretty thick (1 inch butterfly chops and 45 min was perfect),

so if you go with the thinner ones, you might want to reduce the cooking time.