Chicken & Gravy + Homemade Bread

I made something so yummy yesterday, and it was just like what I remember from my elementary school cafeteria. And if you went to the same elementary school that I went to, then you'll know that our food was the bomb-diggity. We had a fall-festival every year, and our sweet cafeteria ladies would make a turkey and gravy dinner, with their awesome, homemade rolls. I haven't quite mastered the rolls as of yet, but I made something pretty close to the turkey & gravy. Only it was chicken. Which is basically the same thing, right? It's a crock-pot meal, and as easy as anything. And my whole family ate it and my whole family liked it.

For real, try it. 

Chicken & Gravy

(I might eat it for breakfast, it was that good.)

Mix the following ingredients in the crock of your crock-pot:

*4 (0.87 oz) packets dry chicken gravy mix

*2 (10.75 oz) cans cream of chicken soup

*3 1/2 cups water

*1/4 t. black pepper

Whisk it all together really well.

Place about 4 lbs. of uncooked, boneless chicken breasts into the crock, and coat them with the 'sauce'. Cover and cook 4-5 hours on high, or 8 hours on low. That's it! Soooooo easy.

I served this yummi-ness over a big glob of mashed potatoes, and served it with homemade bread. I planned to have peas with it, too, but forgot....so we just embraced the carb-a-licious, all yellow meal. I ain't ashamed. This recipe was enough for my gargantuan family of nine, so you might want to half it if you're one of the normal families of the world. Suzanne P....you'll need to keep it as it is. ;)

So this homemade bread....

Homemade bread is really not all that hard. I know people are intimidated by it, but I'm always sidetracked and rarely functioning with all of my brain cells, and I can whip out some bread like nobody's business. Maybe it works out because I'm not all that picky, and I'll eat anything warm out of the oven with butter slathered on it. But I bet you can do it, too. And this bread recipe is pretty easy, and doesn't require all day. Just try it. It's sweet and kind of dense & crumbly, and is great for sandwiches or toast or serving under this yummy chicken gravy stuff.

Amish White Bread

(I think I got this recipe from my How To Cook Everything cookbook.)

(mine looked like this, only way less pretty)

2 cups warm water - not hot, not cold :)

2/3 cup white sugar

1 1/2 T. active dry yeast  (or two of the little packets)

1 1/2 t. salt

1/4 cup vegetable oil

6 cups bread flour - yes, bread flour....I think it makes a difference

In a large bowl, dissolve the sugar in the warm water, and then stir in the yeast. (I use my Kitchen Aid bowl.) Allow to 'proof' until yeast resembles a creamy foam...5-10 minutes.

Mix salt and oil into the yeast mixture. Mix in flour one cup at a time. Knead dough on a lightly floured surface until smooth. (I use my Kitchen Aid to do all this mixing & kneading, letting it knead with the hook for just a minute or so after all the flour is in.) Place in a oiled bowl, and turn dough to coat both sides. Cover with a damp cloth. Allow to rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.

Punch down dough. (Just put your fist down the middle of it in the bowl. Or let the least dirty of your kids do it. It's kind of fun.) Knead the dough for a minute or so on a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into two pieces, and form each into a loaf shape. Try not to handle the dough too much. Place loaves into two well-oiled (I used Pam) 9x5 loaf pans. Cover loosely with a towel, and allow to rise for another 30 minutes or so. Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes.

We ate this, basically, right out of the oven and it was so good. And it's good the next day cold, too. I know, because I'm eating it right now. :)

Baked Chicken w/ Mushrooms & Parmesan

I'm sitting at the table with the laptop, cruising around Facebook, and completely inhaling my lunch of last night's leftovers, as if I hadn't eaten in days.  I've said in my head, "Oh my gosh.  This is so good," about a dozen times because

Oh my gosh.

It is so good.

I decided that I should share the recipe, because I want you to experience the yumminess.  And, it's a super easy recipe.  If you're on a New Year diet, then just move right along.  This is not the recipe for you.  I got this recipe from my Bestie Bethie, who only makes scrumptious stuff.  It's a sure thing.

Beth's Baked Chicken w/ Mushrooms & Parmesan

2 (8oz.) pkgs. sliced fresh mushrooms

6 T. butter

8 chicken breasts, boneless (I actually used 3 big ones, which totaled 2.5 lbs.)

2 T. melted butter (I only used about 1 T. because I over-microwaved it, and at least a tablespoon splattered all over the inside of my microwave.)

1 c. heavy cream

salt & pepper

2 1/3 cups shredded Parmesan cheese (I used part shredded Parmesan from the jar and part freshly shredded.  'Cause that's what I had.)

Saute mushrooms with 6 tablespoons butter.  Flour chicken breasts & put into a 9x13 baking dish.  Pour 2 tablespoons melted butter over the chicken, and top with the mushrooms.  Pour 1 cup heavy cream over the top.  Sprinkle with salt & pepper.  Sprinkle the Parmesan over the whole thing.  Bake at 400 for 30ish minutes.  

We eat this with some sort of pasta on the side (last night was egg noodles) and a veggie.  Or not.  :)  And then eat whatever is leftover the next day, because it's equally delish.  Enjoy!

 
It kind of looks like this, only less soupy.  I stole this picture from the internet because by the time I thought about a picture, I had this to deal with.

Oopsy.

And here's Miss Lucy....She decided that she needed to be right in my face, on the table, as I was typing.  (Ignore the two precariously stacked baskets of laundry.)  That's her way of letting me know that she wants to eat.  She sits her dirty behind on my kitchen table.

She has terrible manners.