Chicken with Basil Cream Sauce

Mom, Dad and Chelsea joined me this morning for church and Sunday dinner in Riverside. It was delightful introducing them to my new friends and enjoying their company. We savored this for dinner along with green beans and rice pilaf; however, we once again forgot to break open the celebratory Martinelli's Sparkling Cider.

Here's the recipe from Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Recipes for Two

Cooker: 1 1/2 to 3 quart crock pot
Setting and cook time: High for 2 1/2 to 3 hours

2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, trimmed of fat
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 cup plain Alfredo sauce
3 to 4 tablespoons Pesto Sauce

Spray the inside of the crock with nonstick cooking spray, and arrange the chicken breasts in the slow cooker. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. In a small bowl, combine the Alfredo sauce and the pesto sauce; stir to combine, then pour over the chicken. Cover and cook on high for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, until the chicken is tender and cooked through. The chicken will make its own juice and thin the sauce. Serve hot.

Variations:
In place of pesto you could try:

Chicken with Lemon Cream Sauce and Olives: Add 6 to 8 whole black olives (canned or kalamata in brine) and the zest of 1 lemon to the Alfredo sauce.

Chicken with Chipotle Cream Sauce: Add 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons chipotle paste or 1/2 mashed chipotle chile and 2 teaspoons of adobe sauce to the Alfredo sauce.

Chicken with Artichoke Cream Sauce: Add 2/3 cup of drained canned or thawed frozen artichoke hearts to the Alfredo sauce.

Chicken with Curry Cream Sauce: Add 1/2 teaspoon of your favorite mild or hot curry powder and 1/2 teaspoon fresh grated ginger to the Alfredo sauce.

Barbecue Beef Sandwiches

This turns out delicious! It's from Betty Crocker's Slow Cooker Cookbook (pg 96)

• 3-pound beef boneless chuck roast
• 1 cup barbecue sauce
• 1/2 cup apricot preserves
• 1/3 cup chopped green bell pepper
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 2 teaspoons packed brown sugar
• 1 small onion, sliced
• 12 kaiser or hamburger buns, split

1. Trim excess fat from beef. cut beef into 4 pieces. Place beef in 4- to 5-quart slow cooker.
2. Mix remaining ingredients except buns; pour over beef. Cover and cook on low heat setting 7 to 8 hours or until beef is tender
3. Remove beef to cutting board; cut into thin slices; return to cooker (Rather than try to slice the beef, just "shred" it so it's like pulled beef)
4. Cover and cook on low heat setting 20 to 30 minutes longer or until beef is hot. Fill buns with beef mixture.