Hello Pat & Friends,

Bacon Ranch Slow Cooker Chicken

Ingredients

• 16oz boneless, skinless chicken breasts (4, 4oz breasts)
• 6 slices extra lean turkey bacon, cooked and chopped
• 3 cups plain, non-fat Greek yogurt
• 1 tbsp chicken bouillon base
• 1/4 cup fat free chicken broth
• 1 packet powdered Ranch dressing mix
• 1 tbsp fresh chives or parsley, chopped

Instructions

1. Spray a crock pot with non-fat cooking spray and place chicken breasts inside (you can use frozen or defrosted).
2. In a large bowl, combine chicken bouillon base and yogurt until well blended. Then add in remaining ingredients and mix well.
3. Pour sauce over the chicken breasts.
4. Cook on high for 3.5 hours.
5. Shred chicken with a fork and garnish with fresh chives or parsley.
6. Serve over Miracle Noodles for 0 additional Points! Serves 4.

This is the best way to cook asparagus to enjoy it's flavor. It comes out absolutely perfect.

Steamed Asparagus

Ingredients

• 1 pound fresh asparagus spears, trimmed
• 1/4 cup white wine
• 2 tablespoons butter

Directions

1. Place asparagus in a microwave-safe dish. Pour in wine, and dot with pieces of butter.
2. Cover loosely, and cook in the microwave on High for 3 minutes, or until bright green and tender. Allow the dish to stand 5 minutes before serving. Serves 4.

Have A Terrific Weekend My Friends,

Phil

Hello My Friends,

Today's recipre features Cabbage leaves stuffed with ground beef, onion and rice, then covered in a sweet and tangy tomato sauce and cooked in a slow cooker. Absolutely delicious!

Slow-Cooker Cabbage Rolls

Ingredients

• 12 leaves cabbage
• 1 cup cooked white rice
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/4 cup minced onion
• 1 pound extra-lean ground beef
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
• 1 1/4 teaspoons ground black pepper
• 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Boil cabbage leaves 2 minutes; drain.
2. In large bowl, combine 1 cup cooked rice, egg, milk, onion, ground beef, salt, and pepper. Place about 1/4 cup of meat mixture in center of each cabbage leaf, and roll up, tucking in ends. Place rolls in slow cooker.
3. In a small bowl, mix together tomato sauce, brown sugar, lemon juice, and Worcestershire sauce. Pour over cabbage rolls.
4. Cover, and cook on Low 8 to 9 hours. Serves 6.

Have A Wonderful Weekend,

Phil

It's interesting to hear your story about the Stuffed Cabbage Rolls. I've loved Cabbage Rolls ever since my first Wife's Mother made them for me back in 1970. Since Brenda's Dad was of Polish ancestry, it stood to reason that her Mother could make Cabbage Rolls that would melt in your mouth.

Jenny once taught me a great shortcut for preparing the cabbage leaves for stuffing. The next time that you want to make Stuffed Cabbage, instead of boiling the whole cabbage head, just freeze it! Remove the tough outer leaves, rinse and core the cabbage, then place it in a zip-top freezer bag and freeze. Whenever you're ready to use the leaves, simply defrost the cabbage and the leaves will peel off easily.

Slow Cooker Creole Black Beans and Sausage

Ingredients

• 1-1/2 pounds smoked sausage, cut into 1 inch slices
• 2-1/2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 cup and 3 tablespoons chopped onion
• 1 cup and 3 tablespoons chopped celery
• 1 cup and 3 tablespoons chopped green pepper
• 3/4 cup and 2 teaspoons water
• 3/4 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 3-1/4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1-1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
• 3/4 teaspoon chicken bouillon granules
• 3/4 teaspoon white pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1-1/2 bay leaves

Directions

1. Place a large skillet over medium heat, and add sausage. Cook, stirring, until sausage is browned, about 5 minutes. Drain fat, and transfer sausage to slow cooker.
2. Stir the black beans, onion, celery, green pepper, water, tomato sauce, garlic, thyme, bullion granules, white pepper, cayenne pepper, and bay leaves into the sausage in the slow cooker. Cover, and cook on Low until vegetables are tender, about 6 hours. Remove bay leaves before serving. Serves 6-8.

Have A Wonderful Wednesday,

Phil