Crock Pot Potato Soup

8 cups diced potatoes
1/2 cup chopped onion
3 cans (14 1/2 oz. each) chicken broth
1 can (10 3/4 oz.) condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted
1/4 tsp. pepper
8 oz. cream cheese, cubed
1/2 lb. sliced bacon, cooked and crumbled
snipped chives, optional

In a crock pot, combine the first 5 ingredients. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours, or until potatoes are tender (if using chopped frozen potatoes, don't cook as long). Add cream cheese; stir until blended. Garnish with bacon and chives if desired.

Chicken Pillows

2 cups cooked diced chicken
2 pkgs. Crescent rolls
8 oz. cream cheese (low fat)
4 TBS butter
1/8 tsp pepper
1 TBS grated yellow onion or chives
1 TBS Fresh chopped parsley
2/3 cup chopped mushrooms
3 TBS melted butter
1 cup bread crumbs

Cream the cream cheese, butter and pepper. Add chicken, onions, parsley and mushrooms. Set aside. Roll out dough. Put 2 TBS on roll. Fold like a diaper. Pinch closed. Roll pillows in melted butter, then bread crumbs. Bake on cookie sheet at 350° for 20-30 minutes or until golden brown.

*Other variations on this leave out the mushrooms and bread crumbs and add a cream of chicken or mushroom sauce on top. We like the crunch from the bread crumbs. My husband likes the chives, and I like the yellow onions. (I used chives this time.) Have fun with the variations!

*For larger recipes:
To triple the recipe you need:

1 8 oz. mushroom slices
1 15 oz. bread crumbs
4.5 lbs. chicken
1 box (1 lb.) butter

Whole Chicken

Bake it as instructed on the package of the bird. Approximately 20 minutes for every 1/2 pound on your bird. I gave the birds to you thawed so you could pull the insides out if you plan to cook it immediately, however if you freeze it make sure you thaw it completely and remove the stuff before cooking. Otherwise your bird won't be cooked all the way. My Mom always cooked the heart and liver. We liked it but if you don't obviously just chuck them. Don't remove the skin before you bake it (or at all in my opinion). It'll make the bird more moist and adds a lot of flavor.

As far as seasoning, salt and pepper the skin and put lemon slices under the skin where you can. You can put the herbs in the cavity of the bird or under the skin as well.

After baking to serve it you can cut the breast like a turkey, but to remove the legs and wings just use a sharp knife and cut through the joints. After you're done you can remove the remaining chicken from the bird and boil the bones with salt, a couple of onions, 2 carrots and 2-3 celery stalks (can be whole, or really big chunks). Strain it all when you're done. It makes a really nice broth for a chicken soup (add the leftover chicken and any vegetables, and some sage).

Chili

1 lb. ground beef, browned with 1 C. chopped onion. Drain Fat.
2 14.5 oz. cans round peeled tomatoes with juice (I use a quart of home canned tomatoes pureed slightly)
1 15.5 oz. can kidney beans
1 8 oz. can tomato sauce
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1-2 Tbs. chili powder (I use the maximum amount)
2 tsp. sugar (I use 1 tsp.)

Combine all ingredients and heat to boiling. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes.