Slow Cooker Chicken and Biscuit Casserole - THM style!!!!

A couple of months ago, I changed my eating habits - not a diet but a lifestyle change.  The favourite recipe that I shared had to be adapted.  So, I now have a chicken and biscuit casserole that I can still eat and feel good (and lose weight!).  Sounds like an oxymoron!

What you need....

3 whole chicken breasts - cut in half.

Cream of Chicken Soup - THM style - recipe to follow

1/2 packet of frozen peas - fresh works too

       *(3/4 packet if it is peas and carrots if you want an S helper or for your DH and kids - fresh baby       carrots are easier to pick out if you prefer this)*

chicken broth or water to cover

1 - 2tsp garlic

minced onion

salt and pepper

mixed    - spices to taste.

Directions...

Place the chicken in the slow cooker.  Add the cream of chicken soup.  Add the peas (and carrots).  Add the garlic, minced onion. Add salt, pepper and spices. Cover with chicken broth or water.  Cook on high for 6hrs, med for 7hrs and low for 8hrs.

At about 1 - 1 1/2hrs before the dish is ready (or you can tag it on the end if you need too - cause of time), add your biscuits.

1 1/2 cups of almond flour

1/2 cup of flax meal

1/4 tsp of baking soda

1 tbsp - baking powder - aluminum free

1 tsp salt

6 tbsp COLD butter

3/4 cup of almond milk and 1/4 cup of heavy cream OR 1 cup of almond milk

splash of white vinegar.

Directions...

Add all the dry ingredients to a mixing bowl (I use a food processor for ease).  Mix them together.  In  a separate bowl (I use a measuring jug), combine the milk and vinegar and cream if using.  Add the butter in chunks to the dry ingredients.  I generally cut it into 6 - 1tbsp pieces and toss them in.  Once the mix looks like bread crumbs add the liquid ingredients, until just combined.  Make approx. 8 equal balls with the mix and slightly flatten.  Place them in the slow cooker and cooke on high for 1 - 1 1/2hrs.

*for some reason couldn't get the photo to turn around.  

What it looks like in the slow cooker done - check the biscuits with a knife - as they will "look" soft and not fully cooked.

THM slow cooked chicken and biscuit.

* When adapting this recipe I forgot to add the baking powder, so I had to take the "biscuit dough" out of the slow cooker and remix.  Due to the liquid added from the slow cooker, I could then not make them into biscuit rounds again.  The biscuits on the right are buttermilk biscuits - using the recipe from the previous blog post - for my unconverted DH.

** Cream of Chicken Soup - THM style...

1 1/2 cups almond milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 1/2tbsp butter
1 tsp gluccie
4 tsp chicken bouillon

On the stove heat up the milk and cream.  Gradually stir in the gluccie.  Add the chicken bouillon, salt and pepper.  Bring to a boil and then let simmer as it thickens.  Add the butter.  Once it is as thick as you like it - remove from heat and add in replace of cream of ...... soup.
salt and pepper

Slow Cooker Chicken and Biscuit casserole

If you are like me then you love to have home cooked meals but you are also very busy and often don't have time to make the meals - esp if you are out all day.  You have a slow cooker - love the slow cooker - but don't use it as often as you would like.  Often with thoughts "I really need to use that more".  Most of my slow cooker recipes call for prep before setting it going and prep after - yes the bulk of the work is done but not all of it.  If I'm rushing out in the morning, then I don't always have time to cut vegetables, cook this or that first.  Yesterday, I experimented by combining a couple of recipes together and I'm going to share the results with you.

What you need...

Uncooked chicken breasts - 4 breasts halved (you can put in more or less as desired).
2 (10.75oz) cans of cream of chicken soup* (I make my own)
Butter - 2 tbsp
Frozen peas and carrots (can do fresh too)
1 onion finely diced (you can leave this out if you don't like onions)
2 (10oz) packages refrigerated biscuit dough, torn into pieces* (I make my own)
chicken broth*
water*

First...

Cut the chicken breasts in half and then place each half in the slow cooker.  Place the butter on top of each chicken piece.  Add your cream of chicken soup.  Add onions (if using), peas and carrots and any other vegetable you want.  Add chicken broth and/or water to make sure it is fully covered and then cook on low for 6 1/2hrs.  Take the biscuit dough and put it in the slow cooker and then cook for another 1hr on high.

You are done!

Now...

I don't like the can soups - too much "other" ingredients.  So, my cream of chicken soup...

2 cups of milk
4 tbsp of corn starch
2 tsp of chicken boullion
3 tbsp butter (1.5oz)
salt and pepper to taste

In a small sauce pan place the milk and corn starch and whisk until mixed.  Add the butter, chicken and salt and pepper.  Heat to a boil, stirring frequently.  Simmer on low for one minute more to thicken.  This recipe is for the 2 cans needed for the cass.  You can half this recipe and use it instead of any cream of.... recipe.

It adds a small sauce pan and measuring jug to clean up - and about 5 mins.

Biscuits....

This is really easy.  I mean REALLY easy!!!

2 cups of flour - recipe calls for all purpose and I have only used unbleached all purpose but I plan to experiment with "better for you" flours.
1/4 tsp baking soda
1tbsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
6 tbsp butter - very cold - (3oz)
1 cup of buttermilk or whole milk

Place all the dry ingredients into a mixer.  Cut the butter into small pieces and throw into the mixer.  Mix until it is the consistency of course meal.  Add the milk/buttermilk until just mixed.  Take portions of the dough and make it into a round ball and then just drop into the slow cooker.  Done!

Adds about 5 minutes with clean up of the mixer and measuring cups etc.

You will want to place a knife into one of the "biscuits" to make sure it is done after about an hr cooked on high - it may not "look" done but it is because it is so soft.

So, using store brand, pre packaged ingredients - this has a prep time of 5 mins before and 5 mins to add the biscuits.  Making your own soup and biscuits - adds about 5 mins to the before - total of 10 mins.  Adds about 3 mins to the biscuits - 8 mins.

Think chicken pot pie meets chicken and dumplings in a slow cooker!

I got a thumbs up from my 4 yr old who ate it all (including the peas and carrots) without a fuss!

ENJOY..

Leaves

For some reason, my son has the fascination of bringing me leaves he has found or picked.  Yesterday, he climbed up in the back of daddy's truck and picked a leaf off of the tree out front and was so excited to give it to me!  Today, we decided to have a little fun with the leaves....

First we melted some chocolate.  Then we washed and dried the leaves.  Next came the "finger painting" with chocolate!!!

Even Vivi had fun (to start with)

The concentration...

Look at my nice chocolately hands!!!

The best part about working with chocolate!!!!!

Yummy!

Finished - time to go in the fridge, while Skyler takes his nap.

Nap over - time to peel the chocolate off.

Skyler's leaves - eaten too quickly to get a pic of him eating them!!!!  HAHA

"We need to make some more, Mummy!!"