Slow Cooker Teriyaki Pineapple Beef

I have always been a fan of the slow cooker, I think that's probably becoming apparent by now. I mean really, taking ingredients, dumping them into a pot, and setting the timer - what could be worse?! The slow cooker does all the work!

And this doozie was a mere three ingredients: beef, teriyaki, & pineapple chunks. Similar to the chicken I made last week, all you do is dump the sauce over the meat and let it rip. An hour or so before you want to eat, dump in the pineapple and away you go!

I did, however, find the sauce to be a little runny, so while I boiled the noodles, I removed the lid from the slow cooker, added in a slurry (cornstarch + water), and turned the heat to high until the noodles were done cooking (leave it uncovered). Perfect.

Slow Cooker Teriyaki Pineapple Beef

Slow Cooker Teriyaki Pineapple Beef

What You Need:

• 2 lbs stew meat
• 1 bottle teriyaki sauce
• 1 can pineapple chunks, drained

How You Do It:

1. Combine the beef and teriyaki sauce in slow cooker.
2. Cook on low 7-8 hours.
3. During the last hour, add drained pineapple.

Slow Cooker Teriyaki Pineapple Beef recipe adapted from Eat At Home.

Tomato, Zucchini, & Tortellini Soup

Back in my Minneapolis days, I had a little bout with tomato soup.  My girlfriend/colleague and I fancied a little Italian restaurant over our lunch hour every so often and they served up the best tomato basil soup.  Thus, I found a recipe and made my own.  Without getting into the gory details, it didn't sit well.  So since then, I've had a slight aversion to tomato soup.

A diversion, that is, until not too long ago when I made a Hungry Girl chicken recipe that used a can of tomato soup for the sauce.  It took me back - back to that little place with the soup, back to my parents' house when my sister and I would insist on the "tomato soup bowls" when we had a cup with a grilled cheese, back to when the idea of tomato soup didn't turn my stomach.

However, I think I've had about enough of the condensed soups.  Enter: Amy's Organic Chunky Tomato Bisque.  There's something about this stuff that really hits the spot.  So this afternoon, while home enjoying Presidents Day off, I whipped together a little something with Amy's Tomato Bisque.  Hearty and delicious, this soup was perfect for my afternoon of Dreamgirls and sweatpants.

Tomato, Zucchini, & Tortellini Soup

Tomato, Zucchini, & Tortellini Soup

What You Need:

• 2 cans Amy's Organic Chunky Tomato Bisque
• 2 small zucchini
• 1 package refrigerated tortellini

How You Do It:

1. In a large pot, cook tortellini as directed, adding the diced zucchini to the water when adding the pasta.
2. In a separate pot, slowly heat soup (do not add liquid).
3. Once cooked, drain pasta/zucchini and add to warmed soup.

Slow Cooker Hawaiian BBQ Chicken

A week or two ago, my colleague suggested I implement a 5-star rating to indicate just how much we liked the meal I was dishing about.  She said she would be more likely to try a recipe I ranked with 5 stars than one I'd only awarded, say, a 3.  I told her I'd consider it.  Well, until I actually get that up and running:

Chris -- this would be a 5!

Talk about an easy and delicious dinner!  This puppy literally took 3 ingredients, 2 minutes to prepare, 6 hours to cook (all on its own), made 8 servings, and took 1 bite to become a new favorite.  And really, what's to be wrong with chicken, bbq sauce, and pineapple.  I mean, really.

This made enough for the hubs and I to have dinner last night, lunch for today, and another healthy 4 servings packaged into the freezer.  Plenty.

Just one little note -- when you get home or go over and look at the slow cooker and see all that extra sauce, fret not.  When you shred up the chicken, the sauce becomes the perfect amount (even for you, mom!).  And, if you're worried about the pineapple disintegrate during the low and slow cooking process, worry not.  They stay whole.

A new shredded chicken recipe for me, for sure.

Slow Cooker Hawaiian BBQ Chicken

Slow Cooker Hawaiian BBQ Chicken

What You Need:

• 5 chicken breasts, mine were frozen
• 1 20-oz bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce
• 1 20-oz can pineapple chunks, drained

How You Do It:

1. Place chicken breasts in bottom of slow cooker.
2. Top with entire bottle BBQ sauce.
3. Top with drained pineapple.
4. Cook on low 6 hours. 
5. Using tongs, shred chicken right in slow cooker.

Slow Cooker Hawaiian BBQ Chicken recipe adapted from Six Sisters' Stuff.

Baked Chicken and Spinach Shells

You know the ol' saying "mothers know best"... Well, my mother [almost] always knows best.

You see, last night on my way home (hands-free for all you worriers) we were discussing what we had made for dinner the night before and what was on the menu for last night when I admitted to a flopped dinner two nights ago (one of these times maybe I'll share a flop story) and how I was worried about how dinner was going to pan out last night. After last night's miss and while we waited for the best eggplant parm in the area to arrive at our doorstep, I prepared dinner for last night.

I followed the recipe, adding more garlic of course. I cubed and browned the chicken, added in the minced garlic, wilted the spinach, and added the wine. I boiled and drained the pasta and tossed it all together. Sprinkled the cheese over the top and popped it in the fridge.

My concern - no liquid. Enter mom. Her suggestion: add some chicken broth and bake it covered. So, marching orders were given to the hubs as to how much broth to add and when to pop this sucker into the oven and I twisted my zumba butt off.

When I got home, I pulled the dish out of the oven and tasted to ensure mom's plan worked... SUCCESS!

Thanks mom - you always know the tricks!

Baked Chicken and Spinach Shells

Baked Chicken and Spinach Shells

What You Need:

• 3 chicken breasts, cubed
• 8 large garlic gloves, pressed
• 1 bag baby spinach
• 1/4 c white wine
• 1 box pasta shells
• 1/2 c chicken broth
• 2 c shredded mozzarella

How You Do It:

1. In a large pot, cook pasta as directed.
2. While the pasta cooks, in a large skillet, cook cubed chicken until the juice run clear.
3. Add garlic and cook an additional minute.
4. Add spinach and cook until wilted.
5. Add wine.
6. Once pasta is done cooking, drain and add to chicken and spinach mixture.
7. Pour into deep 9x13 baking dish. Pour broth around edges and top with cheese.
8. Lightly cover with foil and bake 25-30 minutes at 350*.

Baked Chicken and Spinach Shells adapted from Bitchin Camero.