I love my slow cooker.  Yes,  I am starting to use the term slow cooker as Crock Pot is a brand name and that is not what I have.  But, I am using my slow cooker at least 3-4 days per week right now.

This soup, stew, chowder?  Whatever you would like to name it came from the I need a dish for dinner and what do I have in my refrigerator and freezer.   This is what I found and made:

Ingredients:

• 1 32 oz. package of frozen hash brown potatoes
• 2 chicken breasts cut into 1″ pieces
• 1/2 medium onion finely diced
• 1 package of Hidden Valley Ranch seasoning mix
• 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 lb. of bacon cooked and crumbled
• 8 oz. chicken stock
• 2 TBSP Corn starch
• 1 cup 1/2 and 1/2
• chives, cheese for garnish

Directions:

1. Spray bottom and sides of Slow Cooker (6 qt.) with non-stick spray.
2. Layer 1/2 of frozen potatoes to bottom of pan.
3. Layer chicken pieces over potato layer and sprinkle with the package of Hidden Valley Ranch dressing.
4. Layer 1/2 of the cooked bacon (reserving the rest for garnish) then one cup of cheese over the top.
5. Layer the remaining potatoes as the top layer.
6. Pour the 8 oz. chicken stock over the entire mixture.  Cover.
7. Cook for 7-8 hours on low until chicken is completely cooked.
8. Stir cornstarch in a bit of cold water until smooth texture.  Add this to the cooker with 1 cup of 1/2 and 1/2.  Stir well.  Continue cooking until this becomes thick.   Mine separated a bit as I let it cook too long.
9. Serve with a garnish of chives, cheese and bacon.

This was a thick, warm and hearty dish for a cold crisp night.  Served with bacon and onion bread on the side my family ate the entire meal.  This made quite a bit but it was eaten up rather quickly.

My children are hoping we come back to this dish before the year is up.