Comfort Food

I would categorize the following two recipes simply as comfort food. They are both easy crockpot recipes. I really look forward to the cooler Autumn weather when I can cook up big pots of soup, chili, or stew and have it waiting on me when I get home!

Speaking of, I did that this past weekend with this new recipe from
this post from Thrifty Decor Chick. It was great for a Sunday too. I started up the crockpot before church, then came home from children's choir to have it ready. Zach fixed his famous cornbread to go with it, and it was wonderful!

Creamy Chicken & Wild Rice Soup

- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

- 2 cups water

- 4 cups chicken broth

- 1 carrot, chopped ( I used a small can of mushrooms instead)

- 1 box Rice-A-Roni Long Grain & Wild Rice

- 3/4 cup flour

- 1/2 tsp salt

- 1/2 tsp pepper

- 1/2 cup (one stick) butter

- 2 cups (1 pint) Half & Half

Put chicken, broth, water, mushrooms, & wild rice (with seasoning packet) in crockpot & stir. Cook on Low for 8 hours, or on High for 4 hours. Around the 2-hour mark, break apart chicken pieces.

When done, in a small bowl, mix flour with salt & pepper. In a medium saucepan, melt butter. In small amounts, add flour mixture to butter. Stir to create a roux.
(Love that word.) :)

When mixed, slowly add in Half & Half in small amounts. (I poured in really small amounts, all while stirring.) Fully mix- it will be a gravy-like mixture. Then, add roux mixture to crockpot mixture & cook on Low
for 15 minutes.

You may also add more broth to thin soup. (I added about a cup more of broth, and it was perfect.)

It serves about 8 good bowl fulls, I believe. Plenty for both of us for two meals & some to Mom. :)

I took a quick picture of the soup when it was done:

I mixed mine with Zach's cornbread, and it was so good!!

The second recipe, I picked up from a Facebook group called Crock Pot Girls. If you haven't checked out their page yet, you need to! They have tons & tons of crockpot recipes, along with lots of photos, which I love. I tried this one out a couple of weeks ago, and we both loved it! Their name for it was "Manly" Beef Stew, but my version was "Manly" Beef Pasta. It is "manly" because it has no veggies. Who needs healthy carrots & potatoes anyway? :) I am planning on trying out more of their recipes soon. I realize I don't use my crockpot enough!

They are a working girl's best friend, you know!

"Manly" Beef Stew

- 1.5 lb. beef stew tips (This would probably serve 3 good helpings, so use more if needed)
- 1 can cream of mushroom soup (golden mushroom is recommended)
- 1 can cheddar cheese soup
- 1 packet Lipton beefy onion soup mix (I didn't even know the beefy onion mix existed)

Put all ingredients in the lovely crockpot, stir, and cook on low for 8 hours. Serve over rice or pasta.

How much easier can you get?? It is so great to walk into the house at the end of the day and smell this cooking, just knowing you can eat in a few minutes! I used egg noodles, which took no more than 10 minutes to cook, and poured the stew over them, mixing it up. It was delicious!



Hope everyone has a great weekend! It looks like I have a weekend of shopping, football & church, so I'm a happy girl! :)