“Cooking with love provides food for the soul.” ~ Unknown
When my loved ones see the crockpot come out of the pantry and take its place on the counter, they know something good is happening for dinner. I had a late start to the day, so waited to put it all together until right before I left for work, but I’ve been known to put everything in the crock, set it in the fridge and get it out the next morning.
This recipe comes from one of my favorite cooks – my first mother-in-law. It’s simple to make, requires no special ingredients and tastes even better the next day as leftovers.
2 T. olive oil
2 lb. boneless chicken breasts, cubed
2 lb. Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into bite size pieces
Salt & Pepper to taste
Sprinkle of paprika
1 bottle of creamy Garlic Parmesan salad dressing
1/2 c. water
1 c. Mozarella cheese
Directions
Drizzle the olive oil into the bottom of the crockpot. Place the potatoes into the crockpot, sprinkling with salt, pepper and paprika. Place the cubed chicken on top of the potatoes. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and paprika. Pour the entire bottle of salad dressing on top, covering everything with creamy goodness. Pour the 1/2 cup of water into the dressing bottle, replace the lid and shake thoroughly to get all the dressing off the sides of the bottle. Pour around the edges of crockpot. Cook on low 6 hours. Sprinkle with mozarella cheese and let it melt. Turn to ‘warm’ until ready to serve.
We served this with green beans, but it pairs well with any green vegetable – broccoli, peas, asparagus. The creamy sauce has a little “tang” to it due to the vinegar in the salad dressing but it isn’t overpowering.
Both my partner and his 87-year old father declared it a complete success! One of the worrisome aspects of a new relationship is what types of food each person is accustomed and enjoys. Especially when both parties have previously been married, it can be a culinary fact-finding mission. Fortunately, he (and his daddy) enjoy all types of foods and flavors. Having grown up in Germany and been stationed all over the world at various military posts, he has a wide variety of flavors that have tickled his palate.
I believe this one will go into the rotation of the menu for fall and winter.
Mudd Street Chronicles 