Crock Pot Italian Chicken

I know this recipe isn't breaking news. In fact I've seen it for years in magazines, cook books, and more recently on blogs. But I've never actually made it. To be honest the ingredients didn't really appeal to me. As I've mentioned before, I love crock pot cooking, but I really try not to use too many "cream of whatever" or processed ingredients. But, with so many great organic options on the market I decided to make a slightly healthier version. I found an organic cream of chicken soup and an organic dry Italian dressing packet at our local Sprouts Grocery Store for about what I'd pay for the regular options. Obviously, the regular options are fine to use too, but if you can get your hands on these products (pictured below) or something similar, I highly recommend it. Also, when crock pot cooking, I always try to throw in a few extra fresh ingredients. So with this one, I added fresh mushrooms, and topped it with fresh Italian parsley and fresh toasted breadcrumbs. Honestly, I think those ingredients made all the difference. All in all, I get why this recipe has stood the test of time. It's easy, family friendly, and with a few tweaks, fairly healthy.


Crock Pot Italian Chicken
Adapted from The Girl Who Ate Everything

4 chicken breasts

1 packet dry Italian dressing

1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened (light can be substituted)
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 tbsp butter
1/2 cup fresh breadcrumbs
2 tbsp chopped Italian parsley
Serve with pasta or rice (I prefer whole wheat pasta)

Directions:

Place the chicken in a crockpot and sprinkle Italian dressing over it. Combine cream cheese and cream of chicken soup in a small pot over low heat and pour over chicken. Add in mushrooms. Cook on low for 5-6 hours. You can leave it in there all day. Once chicken is done you can leave the chicken breasts whole, cube it, or even shred it. Mine naturally shredded as I mixed it before serving.

Just before serving, melt butter in a saute pan. Add breadcrumbs and toast until golden brown.

Serve chicken over pasta or rice (I used whole wheat pasta). Top with breadcrumbs and Italian parsley.
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Cheesy Comfort Food - Baked Pesto Tortellini with Sweet Pesto Chicken Sausage

Some friends of ours recently had their first baby. I LOVED having home cooked meals delivered to our door after the birth of our children, so I always try to "pay it forward" when someone I know has a baby. I figured the weary-eyed parents could use some comfort food, so I was excited to put my own twist on a baked tortellini dish I'd seen from Giada De Laurentiis. What could be more comforting than lots of melted cheese and a creamy tomato sauce. Yum!

I added sweet pesto chicken sausage (from Trader Joe's), used pesto tortellini instead of cheese, and changed a few of the spices to what I had on hand. I think the sausage was a nice addition, and any Italian sausage would probably work. Next time I may try adding chicken and some sort of vegetable.

What makes this recipe so delicious is the smoked mozzarella cheese. It just adds something a little unexpected. It was slightly tough to find, but worth the extra trip to our local Italian market, which luckily for me is across the street from our house. (If you have trouble finding it, try a specialty market like Gelsons,Whole Foods or Fresh Market)

This dish can also be prepared ahead of time (I made mine during the kids nap time) and baked right before serving. I think it would also freeze well. To top it all off, my two year old gobbled up every last bite! I think that is the sign of a truly successful recipe.


Baked Pesto Tortellini with Sweet Pesto Chicken Sausage
Inspired by Giada De Laurentiis
serves 4-6

* Olive oil
* 2 sweet pesto chicken sausage links (or other any other variation of Italian sausage)
* 2 cups marinara sauce
* 1/3 cup mascarpone cheese
* 2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning
* 2 teaspoons dried thyme
* 1 pound purchased pesto and cheese tortellini
* 2 ounces thinly sliced smoked mozzarella
* 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly oil an 8 by 8 by 2-inch baking dish.

In a small sauté pan brown the sausage over medium-high heat, until cooked through. Remove sausage from pan, drain any excess oil on a paper towel, and let cool.

Whisk the sauce, mascarpone cheese, and dried spices in a large bowl to blend.

Cook the tortellini in a large pot of boiling salted water until just tender, about 2 minutes. Drain.

While pasta is cooking slice the sausage (about a ¼ inch thick).

Add the tortellini and sausage to the sauce and toss to coat. Transfer the tortellini mixture to the prepared baking dish. Top the mixture with the smoked mozzarella and Parmesan. Cover and bake until the sauce bubbles and the cheeses on top melt, about 30 minutes.
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