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. :)
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