Twelve favorites, and one to grow on
This month marks the start of my 12th year of writing The Practical Pantry column. When I started writing the column, I lived in the rural Midwest and understood the special challenges that shopping and cooking in a rural area bring. Because of this, I have always strived to provide simple recipes that started with ingredients most people have on hand or could easily find. This column gives me the opportunity to try new things and to share those recipes with you, and for that I am grateful.
To kick off this anniversary, The Practical Pantry now has a brand new website! Check out www.practicalpantry.com for a collection of 12 favorite classic recipes from over the years, including Chicken Wild Rice Soup, Restaurant-Style Cole Slaw, Crispy Potato Wedges, Quick Pasta Primavera, and more.
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This recipe is one of my new favorite recipes. It’s for a small (2.5- to 3-quart slow cooker). For a larger slow cooker, double the recipe. This recipe also is good without the shrimp if you don’t have any on hand.
1/2 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes
1/2 pound fully cooked smoked sausage, halved and sliced
1 14-5-ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium green pepper, chopped
1/2 cup chopped celery (about 3 to 4 ribs)
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon hot sauce
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Dash cayenne pepper
1/2 pound frozen cooked shrimp, thawed
Hot cooked rice. optional
In a slow cooker, mix chicken, sausage, tomatoes, onion, green pepper, celery, and broth. Add oregano, parsley, hot sauce, thyme, red pepper flakes, and cayenne pepper. Cover and cook until chicken is cooked and tender, about 7 to 8 hours on low or 3 to 4 hours on high. Stir in shrimp about 30 minutes before the end of the cooking time. Serve over rice if desired. Makes 4 to 6 servings.
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Pantry Pointers
If you don’t have a cookbook holder, use a clear plastic bag to keep your cookbook clean. Open the cookbook to the recipe you want to use, and then slip it into the bag or place the bag on top of the cookbook to keep spills off the page.
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