CROCK POT SALSA CHICKEN

I am back from my two week hiatus. We just got so busy that I really didn’t have any time to experiment with any new crock pot recipes. So for the last few weeks I just repeated some of our favorite recipes like the pepperoncini pot roast and angel hair chicken. My crock pot really does save my life. Without it we would’ve been eating fast food every day. Anyway, I am so excited to have a new recipe for you to try! It is really quick and easy and very yummy. The chicken was moist and tender and had a wonderful taco flavor. We shredded the chicken, added a little sour cream and wrapped it in a flour tortilla. It was awesome! Try serving this with some Spanish rice and chips and queso for a complete Tex- Mex meal. The leftovers were just as good the next day. If you try it please leave me a comment on how you liked it. Oh and don't forget the margaritas! They go really well with this dish. 

 

 

 INGREDIENTS:

2 lbs. of boneless, skinless chicken
1 cup of salsa
½ cup of water
3 tbs. of taco seasoning
1 cup of grated cheese
fresh cilantro for topping (optional)

DIRECTIONS:
Spray the crock pot with PAM. Then take the taco seasoning and rub it all over the chicken. Place the chicken in the bottom of the pot. Pour the salsa and the water over the chicken. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours. About 30 minutes before serving cover the chicken with the grated cheese and fresh cilantro. Serve with sour cream, tortillas, and Spanish rice.  

RANCH MUSHROOMS

 I was planning on grilling some steaks for supper so I decided that I wanted some mushrooms. That gave me the perfect opportunity to try out this appetizer recipe for ranch flavored mushrooms. With only 3 ingredients it went together really quick. Four hours later the mushrooms were tender and had that distinctive ranch flavoring to them. They were very tasty. It was a good thing that only two of us liked mushrooms. We had a few left over for dinner the next night. I would easily double this recipe if I were inviting company for dinner. These mushrooms will go quick especially if you served them with some marina sauce, some cool ranch dip or even just by themselves.

 

 

INGREDIENTS:
1 lbs. of mushrooms
1 stick of butter or margarine
1 pkg of ranch dressing

DIRECTIONS:

Spray a small 2 quart crock pot with PAM. Put the freshly washed mushrooms in the bottom of the pot. Next pour on the ranch dressing and place the stick of butter on top. Cover and cook on low for 4 hours.

BROWN SUGAR CROCK POT HAM

Happy Easter everyone! I could hardly wait to post this recipe today. I had bought a spiral sliced ham for our dinner and decided to cook it in the crock pot. It turned out very moist and juicy. The only problem I had with it was it turned brown and just fell off the bone. Otherwise it was very tasty.  My mom and daughter really enjoyed it. The flavor was awesome, probably because of the maple syrup. I think the next time I would use a regular picnic ham and then slice it. Anyway it will make wonderful sandwiches all week long and the bone is already in the freezer for beans!

 

 

 

INGREDIENTS:
6-7 lb. ham
2 cups of pineapple juice
¼ cup of maple syrup
1 cup of brown sugar
1 crock pot liner bag

DIRECTIONS:

Place the liner in the crock pot. I used this for two reasons. First for easy clean up and second for easy lifting out of the pot. Next put a layer of brown sugar on the bottom. Then place the ham in with the flat side down. Pat the remaining brown sugar all over the ham. Mix together the maple syrup and pineapple juice and pour into the crock pot along side of the ham. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours. Now my lid did not fit flush and that’s ok. Put a piece of foil over the top of the ham and make a tent. Then put the top on top of that. The aroma will  seep out and the ham will still cook. Be careful taking the ham out of the crock pot. I tried several different ways and it kept falling off the bone. I finally took the crock pot to the sink and lifted it out by the bag and let all the juice run over in the sink. Then I was able to flip it on its side onto a plate. 

 

 

 P.S. Here are some cool tie dye Easter eggs we made last night from a tutorial from www.momto2poshlildivas.com    

 

 

CROCK POT RANCH PORK CHOPS

Ever get tired of eating the same old dinners each week? I know I do. So I found this recipe for chicken and thought why not just try it on pork chops for a change. It turned out wonderful. My family actually enjoyed it more than my regular pork chops and potatoes that I make. Sometimes change is for the better especially when you’re trying out new recipes. The pork chops were tender and the cream of chicken soup mixed with the ranch dressing provided a nice thick and creamy gravy for the pork chops. I served them with white rice. Didn’t really need a flavored rice because of the tasty ranch flavored gravy. Campbell’s could probably make a fortune if they came out with a cream of ranch flavored soup. Think about it. The base could be either chicken, beef, or even vegetable flavor. Then you wouldn’t need to add the ranch dressing mix. Hidden Valley might not like that idea so much but it would be one less thing to add to the pot. So if you like the flavor of ranch give this recipe a try. I know your family will really enjoy it and want seconds. I even added mushrooms to mine to make it extra good!    

 

INGREDIENTS:

1 ½ LBS. of bone in or boneless pork chops
1 pkg. of ranch dressing
1 can of cream of chicken soup
1 can of mushrooms (optional)

DIRECTIONS:
Spray the crock pot with PAM. Next place the pork chops and mushrooms in the bottom of the pot. Then sprinkle the ranch dressing on top followed by the soup. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6 hours.

CHICKEN MARENGO

This recipe is so unlike my other recipes. It wasn’t quick or easy, but the end result was well worth the time it took sautéing everything. The breaded chicken in the wine sauce was just heavenly. The aroma of the sautéing vegetables with the wine had my mouth watering. I could hardly wait for dinner. So I settled for a glass a wine instead. I don’t think I would change a thing on this recipe. It was that good. I served it over some angel hair pasta with some crusty French bread. Story has it that Napoleon was served this dish after he won the Battle of Marengo in the early 1800’s. It soon became one of his favorite dinners and he wouldn’t allow his chefs to change anything either. So when you have some time and want to create a truly wonderful tasting dinner give this recipe a try. I'm sure you won't be disappointed.

 

INGREDIENTS:

1 ½ lbs. of boneless, skinless chicken breasts or tenders
Salt and pepper to taste
¼ cup of flour
2 tbs. of butter
2 tbs. of olive oil
1 small onion chopped
1 tsp. of minced garlic
1 cup of white wine
1 14 ½ oz. diced tomatoes
1 cup of chicken broth
1 tsp. of thyme
12 oz. of chopped mushrooms
1 tbs. of basil

DIRECTIONS:

Mix together the salt, pepper, and flour in a small bowl and dredge the chicken. Saute’ the chicken in the olive oil and butter until brown. Spray the crock pot with PAM and place the chicken in the bottom. Then sauté the onion, garlic, and mushrooms. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir. Pour over the chicken. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 4-6 hours. Serve over rice or noodles. 

 

 

CROCK POT BRAISED BEEF

I woke up last Friday morning to the third day of rain here. Very depressing for my days off, so I decided that I needed a great dinner tonight with a lot of leftovers for the weekend. I had a lot to do today because I procrastinated doing errands the past two days because of the rain. So I got my crock pot out and started searching for new beef recipes. Everything I found sounded too complicated for me so I just through a few of my favorite things in the crock pot. This is what I came up with. My version of braised beef ribs. They turned out so awesome! Who would ever think that brown gravy mix tasted better with red wine than water? I am so glad my daughter is older now because I don’t think I will ever mix gravy with water again. The gravy turned out so rich and yummy I am not sure I ate any beef. No, really the beef of course was cooked to perfection. It was fork tender with such a delectable flavor there wasn’t much left over. I paired it with a salad, macaroni and cheese, and some rolls for soppin up the gravy. Everyone was fat and full after dinner that nobody even wanted dessert.  My dinner was a big hit and so easy to cook that I rewarded myself with a glass of wine after the dishes were done. I am now wondering if ranch dressing tastes better with wine, maybe white wine ? I will definitely be doing some experimenting with that one. I’ll let you know how it comes out. P.S. I didn’t take any before pictures just pictures of the finished product. Kind of got in a hurry to get it done. The four ingredients went together in a snap and I just kept moving along with my day. By the end of the day my home and garage smelled so wonderful I am surprised the neighbors didn't come over to see what was cooking!

 

INGREDIENTS:

2 lbs of boneless beef ribs
1  cup of red wine
1 pkg. of Lipton onion soup mix
1 pkg. of brown gravy mix

DIRECTIONS:

Spray the crock pot with Pam. Drop the ribs in to the crock pot. Sprinkle the Lipton soup and gravy mix over the ribs. Then pour on the wine. Cover and cook on low for 8 -10 hours.

 

 

KOREAN BEEF TACOS

This is a really quick and easy recipe to throw together before leaving the house. It’s really a no brainer. I was a little confused at first as to what rice to serve with this dish but fried rice is the way to go I think. The flavor of the beef was out of this world. I was ready to quit my day job and buy a taco truck and make a fortune. Then my daughter told me that her college had a Korean Taco truck. I wondered why I haven’t  had one of these before. They were awesome! The savory flavor of the beef and crispness of the coleslaw made for a delectable meal. Everyone really enjoyed them. They were even better as leftovers the next day. The flavors just fused together. I couldn’t believe it. I can’t wait to make these again. So here is my new favorite recipe for the week.  

 

INGREDIENTS:

3-4 lbs. of beef roast
1/3 cup of soy sauce
½ cup of brown sugar
½ onion chopped
5 tsp. of minced garlic
1 tsp. of grated ginger
2 tbs. of rice wine vinegar
1 tbs. sesame oil
1 seeded chopped jalapeno

COLESLAW:

1 bag of shredded cabbage
1 tbs. of soy sauce
2 tbs. of rice vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste

 Directions:

Spray the crock pot with PAM. Put the beef roast on the bottom. Add everything on top of the roast. Cover and cook on low for 8- 10 hours. Before serving remove the beef and shred with forks. Return it to the juice. I served this with flour tortillas, coleslaw, and fried rice.