This post was sponsored by McCormick® but the content and opinions expressed here are my own. Every time my favorite season of the year is upon us, I can’t help but get so excited about the cooler weather, the beautiful colors and the holidays that bring family and friends together. This year, we’ll be celebrating with some delicious Slow Cooker Apple Cider and Chicken Broccoli Casserole.
First up, Slow Cooker Apple Cider! It’s SO easy to make and just fills your house up with the most wonderful aromas of the season. McCormick® Cinnamon Sticks, Whole Cloves, and Whole Allspice really make it feel like home for the holidays. There’s no better way to spice up all the festivities of the season, no matter what the season, actually!
Slow Cooker Spiced Cider
Ingredients
- 1 gallon fresh pressed apple cider or unfiltered apple juice
- 4 cups water (optional) to make it a little less sweet
- 4 McCormick® Cinnamon Sticks
- 2 tsp McCormick® Cloves, Whole
- 1 tsp McCormick® Allspice, Whole
- 1/4 cup fresh cranberries washed
- 2-3 orange slices
Instructions
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Mix all ingredients in slow cooker.
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Cook 60 to 70 minutes on HIGH or until hot. Stir. Reduce heat to WARM to serve.
Feel free to take that Slow Cooker Apple Cider to the next level with this Spiced Caramel Apple Cider. What could be nicer than treating yourself to a warm and comforting drink like this?
To make this warm and delicious fall/winter drink, simply pour a cup of your Slow Cooker Apple Cider into a favorite mug. Then stir in 1/2 tsp of McCormick® Pure Vanilla Extract and top with some whipped cream, caramel drizzle and a dash of McCormick® Apple Pie Spice. Enjoy it on a brisk fall day just like Big Sis did!
Next up is the all-in-one Chicken Broccoli Casserole. This dish is perfect for larger gatherings and pre-holiday meals, when you don’t want to spend a lot of time making dinner (because you will be later!) but still have lots of mouths to feed. It’s packed with veggies, protein and everyone’s favorite… pasta! It’s also a great way to use up leftover turkey, chicken or even ham for post-holiday meals!
This casserole pictured below was made with leftover turkey from Thanksgiving using McCormick® spices. It’s always such a great feeling when you use up all of your leftovers!
Chicken Broccoli Casserole
Ingredients
- 3 cups cooked chicken or turkey, cut into small pieces* about 3 half-breasts
- 16 oz penne pasta, cooked al dente
- 1 pkg cream cheese (8 oz)
- 2 cups half and half
- 1 cup chicken broth, low sodium
- ¼ tsp McCormick® Garlic Powder
- 2 tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp black pepper
- 3 cups broccoli, chopped small frozen works great, too!
- 1 cup mushrooms, sliced
- ¼ cup sun-dried tomatoes
- 1 cup shredded parmesan cheese
- 1½ cups shredded mozzarella
Instructions
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Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F.
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Lightly grease a 9" x 13" casserole dish and fill with cooked pasta.
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In a large sauce pan over low heat, melt cream cheese and slowly whisk in heavy cream until well-blended. Then add broth, whisking constantly until all the broth has been incorporated.
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Increase to medium heat and add in salt, pepper, garlic powder, broccoli and mushrooms. Bring to slow boil for about 5 minutes.
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Add in parmesan cheese and whisk until melted. Add remaining ingredients (cooked chicken and sun-dried tomatoes) and mix well.
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Pour chicken and cheese mixture over the pasta and top with mozzarella cheese.
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Cover with foil and bake for 15 to 20 minutes.
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Serve immediate. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
*One way I love to prepare chicken breasts for dishes like this is to season them on both sides with McCormick® Garlic Powder, McCormick® Onion Powder, salt and pepper. Then place them in a greased glass baking dish and bake at 375 degrees until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F, about 25-30 minutes. Let cool and slice into bite-sized pieces. Yum!
*To re-heat this dish, simply add a little bit of milk to the pasta and re-heat in the oven (covered) at 350, stove top or microwave.
McCormick® Garlic Powder and Onion Powder quite often find their way into my cooking. In this case, I use them to perfectly season my cheese sauce along with some salt and pepper. I just LOVE this combination for a multitude of dishes.
Here’s the Chicken Broccoli Casserole, right out of the oven. It’s already an all-in-one type meal in itself, but I still like to serve it with additional veggie sides. You just can’t have too many veggies, right? Roasted asparagus or brussels sprouts, cooked carrots, tomato mozzarella are some of our favorites. And, don’t forget the warm bread!
I hope you enjoy these Apple Cider and Chicken Broccoli Casserole recipes! What are some of the ways you spice up your holidays?
Thanks so much for stopping by! Feel free to make my day by leaving me a comment, following my blog via email, on Facebook or on Instagram – the more the merrier!
Christine, aka happyvballgirl : )
To check out items used in this post or some of my favorites, simply click here: “Products I Love“. Purchases made using these links earns me a little extra cash to support my bento habit, which Hubby really appreciates! So, THANK YOU, should you choose to purchase any of ’em!
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Taking apple cider vinegar for heartburn relief is quite simple. Simply stir 2 Tablespoons of apple cider vinegar into 1/2 cup of water or apple juice. Drink this immediately after each meal.
Thank you for this recipe, love this.
The broccoli casserole is delicious! And if you have picky eaters, you can “hide” a fair amount of meat and veggies in there and it still tastes great!