Italian Chicken Crock Pot Dinner

If you're super busy like most folks, having the time to prepare dinner for your family may be kind of tight. If you're rushed to get yourself and other family members out the door in the mornings and home later in the day from a whirlwind of activities, here is a quick, throw together meal for your crock pot that you can set, forget and savor later in the day!

Italian Crock Pot Chicken Dinner

You will need:

6 Boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
2 Cups Chicken broth (or make your own with cubes)
1 Can of Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 Can of Cream of Chicken (or celery) soup
1 Md. onion, chopped or thinly sliced
8 oz of fresh baby carrots
8 oz of fresh mushrooms, washed
3 Md. zucchini or squash, sliced
1 Tbsp. Chopped fresh garlic
1 Tsp. Paprika
1 Tsp. Italian or savory herbs
8 oz package of fresh cheese tortellini
Salt and pepper to taste

*Throw all ingredients into your crock pot, stir together and cook on low for at least six hours.

Recommended sides:
*A fresh Caesar or Cobb Salad (Prepare ahead of time by chopping veggies and placing them into separate containers. When you get home, toss them all together!)

*Tomato, Basil Salad (Consists of cherry tomatoes, halved, fresh mozzarella cheese, fresh basil and Italian dressing all tossed together.)

*Bread (Buy a loaf of garlic bread or rolls that you can just pop into the oven.)

If you feel the need to serve a casserole, put it together the night before and refrigerate. Make sure you use a baking dish that is 'fridge to oven safe if you don't have the time to let the dish come to room temperature before baking.

If you're going to serve dessert, serve a light dessert like pudding or jello, maybe even a pudding pie. We often tend to go overboard with heavy meals and heavy desserts. Give this recipe a try- it'll be one to hang onto!