Healthy Chicken & Canadian Bacon with Potatoes {Crock pot}

These hot days of summer are crazy hot, and I don't like heating my entire kitchen to cook supper.  Slow cooker or crock pot meals are the way to go.  They give you time to do things outside or cook while at work. The onions, bell pepper, and cumin give this dish a nice Mexican taste. Pair this low-fat meal with a no bake dessert, and you are set!  Your main meal all in one place.  That's my kind of cooking!!!  Only messing up one pot. (I hate washing dishes.)

Healthy Chicken & Canadian Bacon with Potatoes {Crock Pot}
INGREDIENTS:   4 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts 1 (28-32 oz.) pkg. frozen potatoes (I used steak fries) 7 slices of Canadian bacon, diced 1 small onion, chopped 1/2 green bell pepper, chopped 2 c. shredded fat-free cheddar cheese 2 slices fat-free pepper jack cheese, torn into small pieces 1 c skim milk 1 c chicken broth (Swanson 100% fat-free, low sodium) salt & pepper to taste 1-2 tsp. cumin 1-2 tsp. Ms. Dash Garlic & Herb seasoning 1-2 Tbsp. poultry seasoning garlic powder to taste sliced mushrooms (optional) Spray your crock pot with vegetable oil.  Place chicken in single layer on bottom of pot.  Add seasonings (salt, pepper, cumin, Ms. Dash, garlic powder, and poultry seasoning) on top of chicken. In this order, layer 1/3 of ingredients on chicken - potatoes, onions, bell peppers, diced bacon, and both cheeses.  Repeat the layers of vegetables, bacon and cheeses two more times.  Top with mushrooms if desired. Cook on HIGH for 4-5 hours or on LOW for 6-7 hours.

Crock Pot Country Chicken and Dumplings

OMG people...this meal was awesome!!!  This dish is great for during the summer when you don't want to slave in the hot kitchen, and good in the winter to warm the soul.  Basically a dump and go meal, you can't get any easier than this.

I hope you and your family enjoy this recipe as much as mine.

I've made some additions and substitutions to this to make it lower in fat and healthier.  Please don't let the list of ingredients stop you from trying this recipe. You will have not regrets with this one....trust me!!

Crock Pot Country Chicken and Dumplings

INGREDIENTS:

buttered flavored cooking spray
4 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts (mine totaled about 3 lbs.)
2 (10 oz) cans of reduced sodium cream of chicken soup
1 small onion, chopped
1 (10 oz.) can peas and carrots, drained
2 Tbsp. reduced calorie butter
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. minced garlic OR 1 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. turmeric
1 tsp. poultry seasoning
Swanson 100% fat free/33% sodium free chicken broth
water
1 (5-8 count) jumbo refrigerated biscuits
flour
3/4 tsp. parsley flakes (optional)
boxed mashed potato flakes (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

Spray the inside of your crock pot with buttered flavored oil spray.  Put all of the ingredients in your crock pot except for the last five required ingredients (chicken broth, water, biscuits, flour, and parsley).  Put the chicken first and then dump everything else on top.

Add a mixture of enough water and chicken broth to cover all the items in the pot.  The amount will vary depending on the size of your chicken breasts.

Cook on HIGH for 5-6 hours or LOW for 8 hours.

About 45 minutes before serving time, put flour in a small bowl or plate then pull or slice your biscuits into about 1" pieces.  My pieces were about the size of half the length of my thumb.  Roll your biscuit pieces into the flour to keep them from sticking to each other.

Add the biscuit pieces (and parsley flakes if desired) to the pot and cook for 30-40 minutes on HIGH.

NOTE:  If you want to thicken the "gravy", add boxed mashed potato flakes until you have the desired thickness.  No need to bother with cornstarch.  Nice little cooking trick!!

Enjoy!