Quick and Easy: Weekday Suppers

Pork 'n' Bean Slow-cooker Chili Casserole

1 lb ground pork, broken up gently by hand, browned and drained
1 large sweet onion, chopped small
1 pepper red, green or yellow, diced
1 stalk of celery, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 jalapeños, minced (with or without seeds and membranes)
liquid smoke optional
2 cans or 32 oz frozen crushed tomatoes
1 can each of romano, black and garbanzo beans(chickpeas)
1 1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp crushed cumin seeds 
Your favourite chili seasoning -- watch for chemical additives, better to make your own.
1 tbsp dried chipotle peppers or 3 whole peppers in adobo, chopped
Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp dry mustard

Add everything into a medium or large crockpot. Give it a stir, cover and set to low for eight hours ideally or high for 4-6 hours if necessary.

Optional: sometimes I like to add elbow macaroni to this dish, especially when you have to make a little go a long way. I add extra liquid to the crockpot in the form of 2/3 of a good ale, like Smithwicks. I cook the macaroni half way through in a pot, drain and add to the slow-cooker at the last bit of cooking time, about twenty minutes. The macaroni should soak up the extra liquid as it finishes cooking.

Pantry Chicken and Rice Casserole

This is a dish that can be made with leftover chicken, vegetables and rice or adapted to be made from scratch--I've done both but sometimes the quick way is needed. 

To make this dish for the article (and our supper) I picked up a rotisserie chicken, which is a great buy as it is the same price as a raw chicken and I don't have to cook it! I also prepared all the veg and the rice fresh as I did not have these among my leftovers. The point of this recipe is it's quickness and it's practicality not so much it's homemade qualities. Sometimes raiding the pantry is necessary so having a recipe like this already in your repertoire is a handy thing.

2 1/2 cups cooked chicken, chopped
2 cups cooked brown rice
1 large sweet onion, roughly chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped small
1 large yellow potato, chopped small
1/2 lb mushrooms, chopped
1/4 tsp basil
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp thyme
1 cup frozen corn or canned corn, lightly rinsed to lower sodium
1 can ready to serve chicken corn chowder
1 can cream of chicken soup, condensed
pepper to taste


If using leftovers, gather them and make any big pieces smaller. Remove meat from the bones or carcass and cut up. If not using leftover rice, cook it now, then set aside. 

In a large saucepan melt some chicken or bacon fat or some butter; add onions and potatoes. When onions are wilted and soft, add the celery and mushrooms. Add the herbs and a bit of pepper. Stir and cook until potatoes are halfway done.

Add both soups along with water measuring half of the can of cream of chicken soup and the frozen corn. Stir thoroughly. Add chicken and rice. Mix well.

Heat through to bubbling, lower heat. Cook until potatoes are done.

Serve with some bread (not really necessary but a good excuse to indulge in some good quality bread) and a green salad for a lovely balanced and easy to prepare meal.