Slow Cooker Upside-Down Chicken Pot Pie

This a favorite at our house, but how can you go wrong with a classic like Chicken Pot Pie?
My kids give this recipe a 5 Star rating; I have been making it for a couple of years now and can't believe I couldn't find it when I came searching on my blog for it.  I love this classic comfort food and that I can throw my chicken thighs in frozen and still have it done in 6-7 hours on low.
Make your favorite biscuit.  I usually use Bisquik because it keeps things simple, but any favorite biscuit will act like the crust if you will.  Split the biscuit and place in bowl and spoon some of the hearty stew over the top. Or if you are filling extra motivated you could bake pasty puff shells in place of the biscuits.  It's even good without biscuits if you don't have time to get to them.


Slow Cooker Upside-Down Chicken Pot Pie

1 1/4 pound of boneless chicken thighs (3 Costco size thighs)
1/2 cup chopped onions (Instant onions could be used here 1 Tablespoon. I prefer fresh always)
1 dried bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 jar (18 oz) chicken or Turkey gravy or 2 envelope pouches made as instructed on package
2 medium celery stalks, diced
Add the last 15 minutes of cooking:
1 (12 oz) bag of your favorite frozen mixed vegetables

Place the chicken in a 3 1/2 to 4 quart slow cooker. Top with onions, bay leaf, pepper and gravy.  Place celery on gravy.  Cover and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours. (If you have an older crock pot it may take 8-10 hours just check your chicken to make sure it is cooked through).

About 30 minutes before serving, make and bake your biscuits.  Meanwhile, gently stir in frozen vegetables into the chicken mixture.  Increase heat to high setting, cover and cook for 15 minutes. Remove bay leaf.

Serve with your favorite biscuits as preferred- over the top or on the side whatever makes the crowd happy.  My in-laws like this served over mash potatoes. Its versatile.

MAKES 8 (3/4 cup each) SERVINGS

This recipe is adapted from a recipe I got from Betty Crocker Kitchens

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Chicken Tortilla Soup (Nicole Hendershot via Girlfriends Kitchen Group)

I got this recipe from a good friend Nicole in our month Girlfriends Kitchen group I recently started up.  I started this group for many reasons 1- to get out of the house and have lunch with friends and 2- to exchange menu ideas to help me get out of a funk I was in.  It has proven to be meeting both of those needs.  This recipe got 5 stars from all but one of my kids whom gave it a 4.5 so you know it is now one of our favorites! I love that there is no pre-cooking, just open the cans and pour everything in. The *'s are what I did for our adaptations.


4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (I usually put in about 8 tenders) 
     *I used a 1 lb. breast meat that I diced into small pieces while frozen
1 (15oz) can crushed tomatoes *I used a can of petite diced tomatoes with chiles
1 (10oz) can enchilada sauce
1 (4oz) can diced green chiles *I eliminated this because I used the tomatoes w/chiles
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 (14.5 oz) cans chicken broth
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. chili powder
2 tsp. onion powder (or you can put in real onions) *I used 1 cup sweet onions, diced
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 bay leaf
1 can black beans
1 package frozen corn (Nicole usually just put in one can of corn) 
      *I used half a bag of frozen corn so roughly 8 oz.
1 TBSP. chopped cilantro (I don't add this).


Directions: Pour all ingredients in slow cooker and cover and cook on high 2-3 hours until chicken is cooked through. Remove chicken and shred then place back into cooker. Continue cooking on high 1-2 hours. Remove bay leaf before eating. (Nicole usually just cooks it until everything is done and shred the chicken and put it back in and eat it right away) Top with crushed tortilla chips, cheese and sour cream. She also suggest trying it with fresh diced onions and avocado on top! 

Love avocados in any Mexican flavored soups! Thanks for sharing this amazing soup recipe with us Nicole!