Crock Pot Creamy Ranch Chicken

Crock pots are considered, by many, to be �little life savers�, especially for busy people who are always on-the-go. While we all have our favorite go-to crock pot dishes, there is always room for one more and this Crock Pot Creamy Ranch Chicken dish by Holly Lofthouse is sure to please.The crock pot (or �slow cooker�) was created by The (Irving) Naxon Utilities Corporation of Chicago. In 1970 The Rival Company purchased Naxon and re-introduced the product under the Crock-Pot name in 1971.

But let's go back in time a bit further to see how the crock pot really came into existence. Basically, in 1940, Irving Naxon, an inventor, got his patent for the �Naxon Beanery�, and this was the first prototype for the slow-cooking apparatus known as the crock pot that we're all so well-acquainted with today.

At a very young age, Naxon's Jewish grandmother entertained him with tales of a bean stew called �cholent� that she used to cook when she lived in Lithuania. Cholent's cooking protocol was totally guided by the laws of the Jewish Sabbath. During this holiest of days, which lasted from sunset to sunset, Friday to Saturday, all work was strictly forbidden. So, Naxon's grandma and her family would put the cholent stew in the oven just before sunset on Friday and they would turn the oven off for 24 hours. Yet, the stew would continue to cook as the oven slowly cooled, and as if by some sort of magic, it would be ready to eat at sunset the following night as the Sabbath ended.

Naxon was so inspired by his grandmother's cholent adventures that he came up with something that would have the same effect but could cook even more efficiently, at any time � not just the holy days. That's how the Naxon Beanery began, and that is how the crock pot truly came to be.

As if being able to put food in a pot and have it practically cook itself isn't enough of a benefit, crock pots are safer than ovens and stove tops because of the lower temperatures and closed lids, which is why you can turn them on and walk away from them for hours. This is actually a dish you could have your children help you prepare and not have to worry about them working with you around the stove/oven.

Life in the Lofthouse is a recipe blog started in 2010 and written by Holly Lofthouse. Not only does Holly share delicious dishes through her blog, she is also a recipe creator for Pillsbury. Holly has also worked with, and been featured by, such notable companies as Campbell's Soups, Ragu, Velveeta and Wisconsin Cheese. She is a wife who works as a surgery scheduler for Ears, Nose and Throat doctors by day, and is also a full-time mom-of-three who helps with homework, does laundry and loves to cook for her family.

Holly notes that crock pot creamy ranch chicken is an all-in-one meal which includes meat, potatoes and veggies. It can be as quick and simple as you want it to be (who doesn't like quick and simple, as well as delicious?), but for those opposed to any packaged �convenience� foods, Holly also has recipes for both homemade ranch dressing and homemade condensed cream of chicken soup.

For the recipe and directions for making this delicious crock pot dish (as well as links to Holly's other recipes), visit the Life In he Lofthouse website link just below.