CROCK POT BEEF BURGANDY

I came across this recipe and it looked really good. So I started off trying to follow the recipe word for word but that didn’t work well for me. So here is my version of the recipe. By the way it turned out wonderful. The ribs got a lot of flavor from the red wine and gravy mixes and I got to finish off the rest of the wine. That’s always a plus for me. I served them with baked potatoes, corn on the cob, and biscuits for sopping up the delicious gravy. Now normally I don’t brown the meat before putting it into the pot but this time I did. I have been told that by browning the meat it keeps more of the flavor in which it probably does but I kind of get in a hurry and skip that part. I don’t think it makes that much difference. But I thought I should at least give it try. Next time I will probably just drop them in the pot and go. I believe in the quick and easy version and one pot meals. I didn’t think about it the, but I could have laid down a layer of parchment paper on top of the beef and put in my potatoes and corn wrapped in foil. I guess I was just thinking about finishing the wine up. This was too easy and to good not to have it in my dinner rotation. You can also add mushrooms, pearl onions, or baby carrots. I have also heard of substituting beer for the red wine is good too. So give it a try. It takes about 10 minutes of prep time but you can come home from a day of work or shopping with a wonderfully warm and delicious dinner waiting for you. I would suggest saving the extra wine for dinner if you’re going to work.    

 

Ooops! Forgot the ribs!

 

 

  

                                             

 

 

 INGREDIENTS:

2 -3 lbs of boneless beef ribs
5- 6 tbs. of flour
Grill seasoning for steak
1 pkg. of brown gravy mix
1 pkg. of onion soup mix
¾ cup of beef broth ( I use bouillon cubes a lot)
¾ cup of dry red wine
2 tbs. of olive oil

DIRECTIONS:

Spray the crock pot with PAM. Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Take the flour and mix in some grill seasoning into the flour. Then coat your ribs and brown them in the hot oil. Place them in the bottom of the pot. Next combine the gravy mix, onion soup mix, and the wine in a small bowl. Pour over the meat. Cover and cook on low for 7 -9 hours.

 

CROCK POT VEGETARIAN CHEESE AND BROCCOLI SOUP

This is another one of those OMG! recipes! Years ago I used to make a knock off Gallagher’s Cheese and Broccoli Soup that was so good. So I decided to try it in the crock pot. Now I changed the recipe and used Velveeta cheese instead of Cheese Wiz and it turned out awesome! I made it at work so of course it had to be quick and easy. I chopped and sautéed the onions and peppers the night before and then was able to just throw everything in the pot the next morning to be ready for our luncheon. I had made the ham and 15 bean soup also but the cheese and broccoli soup was the first to go. I doubled the recipe and used 4 cups of milk and it was still very thick, and creamy, and tasted very cheesy. I will making this one again at our next party if not sooner at home for dinner. If you like rich and creamy soups this one is worth trying. You can even add small cubes of potatoes or frozen hash brown cubes for cheese broccoli and potato soup. Happy holidays to everyone!

 

INGREDIENTS:

½ cup of finely chopped onion
½ cup of finely chopped bell pepper
2 tbs. of butter

1 10 oz. can of cream of soup1 ½ cups of whole milk (I used 2 cup  because I thought my soup looked a little thick)

1 lb. of Velveeta cheese

1 10oz. bag of chopped frozen broccoli

DIRECTIONS:

Sauté the onions and peppers in the butter until soft. Then spray the crock pot with PAM. Add the onions, peppers, milk, and soup to the pot. Then cube the Velveeta cheese and chop the broccoli into small pieces and add it to the pot and stir. Cover and cook on low for 3 -4 hours.    

CROCK POT PORK CHOPS AND POTATOES

These pork chops are quick and easy to prepare. I was a little intrigued by the ketchup and cream of mushroom soup. I thought maybe it wouldn’t go together well but I was surprised. The ketchup gave it a little tangy taste. I should have put some Worcestershire sauce in it to give a more barbeque taste. That would have been good too. Now in the past I have had trouble with my potatoes being too mushy but by leaving these in large cubes they cooked to perfection. They were also covered in the sauce which made them rather tasty too.  I put some green beans on the stove to simmer and served it with garlic bread to do some soppin’ of the gravy. Yum!  This recipe can easily be adapted to any kind of soup or sauce you have in your pantry or refrigerator. I love just pairing meats with all different sauces. It just breaks up the monotony of eating the same thing each week for dinner. So be brave and just be creative. Who knows, you may hit upon a few new wonderful recipes. Just be sure to forward them my way to try.

INGREDIENTS:

4- 6 pork chops

1 chopped onion

6-8 Yukon  gold potatoes cut in large cubes

1 can of cream of mushroom soup

½ cup of ketchup

Directions:

Spray the crock pot with PAM. Layer the bottom of the pot with cubed potatoes and chopped onions.Then lay the pork chops on top of the potatoes. Salt and pepper to taste.Next combine the soup and ketchup and pour over the pork chops. Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours.

CROCKPOT POUND CAKE

I don't like failure but, this recipe bombed big time. So big that I didn't even want to post it without trying it again. Yes you read that right. I gave it a second chance. I got up early, made breakfast, and just decided to try it one more time before posting it. Earlier in the week I had wanted something sweet for after dinner and decided to try this pound cake recipe because it had some great reviews.  I had everything in my pantry so I just whipped it up and set it to cook for 4 hours. Well you can see by my pictures that 4 hours was a little too long! It was so burnt I could've’ve used it as a hockey puck. So that’s why I gave it a second chance. This morning I decided just to make a half a recipe and cook it 2 hours. I also went ahead and lined my crock pot with parchment paper just to help keep it from burning. So you can see by my pictures that just a little on the back side got burned. Maybe the cooking time needs to be adjusted a little more.  Over all the cake was edible but we didn't care for it at all. The texture was a little spongy and kind of greasy and I don't think I really cared for the nutmeg flavor either. Maybe you can substitute cinnamon or something else for the flavor? I have adjusted the cooking time in the recipe below in case anyone wants to give it a try. I think you will just have to watch it a little more closely than some of the other desserts. If you try it out I would be interested in knowing how it turned out for you. If I am not sure about a certain recipe I will cut it in half just to try it. Sometimes I know it won't go over big with my family but I at least like to try something different. Who knows it may end up being a favorite! Now I am off to make some soup in my crock pot so I can redeem myself and use up all my leftovers!

1st Attempt 

2nd Attempt 

  

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup of butter

¼ tsp.  of salt

1 cup of sugar

1 tsp.  of ground nutmeg

 ½ tsp of cream of tartar

6 eggs

2 cups of all purpose flour

1 ½ tsp.  Vanilla 

 

DIRECTIONS:

Spray crock pot with PAM. Melt the butter in a large bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients in any order. Mix with an electric mixer until smooth.  Pour into the crock pot (I used my 2 quart crock pot) and then prop the lid open with a toothpick. Cook on high until a toothpick comes out clean or about 2 ½ - 3 hours. 

TURKEY TETRAZZINI

Turkey soup, turkey enchiladas, turkey salad, turkey sandwiches, and barbeque turkey, I have tried them all. So with plenty of leftover turkey I started scouring the internet for new recipes and came up with this one from diyreviews.net. Like usual I changed it up a little bit and left out the pimentos mainly because they are not a staple in my pantry. The recipe went together really quick. I really like not using too many bowls to get the meal into the pot. At first the 2 cups of broken spaghetti threw me. I had never measured 2 cups worth. Was it all supposed to be in the cup or could it be taller than the cup? I didn’didn't know and didn't bother to research it on the internet. I just used about 2/3 of a 12 oz. pack of spaghetti and made sure I put in all the fluid. The overall results were pretty good. It was very tasty. My spaghetti was cooked in 4 hours but I think I left it on warm for a little too long because it turned out a little dry. I think it would have been a lot creamier had I added another ½ cup of water and ate it immediately after it was done. I saved a little turkey so the next time I make this I will be adding the extra water and maybe even the pimentos. I went and added the the extra 1/2 cup of water in the recipe below. So if you have leftover turkey or even chicken I would certainly give this a try. Let me know if you liked it! 

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups of chopped turkey

2 cups of broken uncooked spaghetti

 1 cup of shredded cheese

1 can of cream of chicken soup

1 can of mushrooms with the liquid

¼ cup of chopped onion

1 tsp of dried parsley flakes

1- 1 1/2 cups of water

DIRECTIONS:

Spray the crock pot with PAM. Place broken spaghetti in the bottom of the pot. Next combine the soup, water and mushrooms. Then stir in the turkey, cheese, onions, and parsley flakes. Pour over the spaghetti noodles. Cook on low for 4 hours or until the spaghetti is tender.

SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE

Alright, so I made my sweet potato casserole in the crock pot this week and my mother loved it! I on the other hand didn't care for it as much. I think it was because I really prefer my mother’s casserole with the sweet creamy potatoes and marshmallow topping. This casserole had tender, chunky style potatoes and a sweet taste but no marshmallows. All together the dish tasted good and was very easy to prepare. I think if someone doesn't care for the extra creamy sweetness of the potatoes and the goo of marshmallows this recipe would be the one to try. For Thanksgiving I  am going try my mother’s traditional sweet potato casserole in the crock pot. Then about 30 minutes before serving I will remove the top and throw on the marshmallows. The heat will melt the marshmallows and leaving the top off will allow any moisture to evaporate. I'll let you know it it turns out.  

INGREDIENTS:

4-5 sweet potatoes

½ cup of brown sugar

½ cup of milk

½ stick of butter

 1 tsp. of vanilla

¼ cup of orange juice

DIRECTIONS:

Spray the crock pot with PAM. Slice the potatoes and layer in the bottom of the pot. Mix all the liquids together and pour over the potatoes. Then sprinkle the brown sugar on and then top with the half of stick butter. Don’t worry, the butter will melt all over the sugar. Cook on high for 3 – 4 hours. Mine took about 3 1/2 hours.

CROCK POT CHICKEN AND DRESSING

 Last year, I threatened to cook my whole Thanksgiving dinner in crock pots. So this year I decided I better get an early start on it. Growing up I remember my Mom cooking a big pan of dressing that actually turned into two pans of dressing. The stuff just seemed to multiple on her. She would add a little something, taste, and add a little more. Then BINGO, two pans of dressing!  They never went to waste, but we had dressing for a week. So with that in my mind I decided no multiples this time I was sticking to the recipe and I was cooking it in the crock pot!  It came out wonderful. I managed to nail the moist part pretty well and the taste was no different than in the oven. I can see how cooking the dressing in the crock pot would free up the oven for the turkey and other side dishes. Our Thanksgiving dinner usually consists of turkey and dressing, green beans, sweet potato casserole, mashed potatoes, fruit salad, rolls, and dessert. So this year so far I have cooked a turkey breast (that should count as a turkey for feeding three people), green beans, dressing, rolls, and both apple dumplings and pecan pie in the crock pot. I think all I have left is the mashed potatoes and the sweet potato casserole. Guess what’s for dinner at my house tonight? I'll let you know how that turns out next week.

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups of cooked chicken, chopped

1 pan of cooked corn bread

3 cups of Pepperidge Farms herb stuffing mix

1 small onion, chopped

1 boiled egg, chopped

½ of a green bell pepper, chopped

1 stalk of celery, chopped

1 raw egg

1 – 2 cans of chicken broth

1 can of cream of chicken soup

1 tsp of sage, thyme, and rosemary, or poultry seasoning would be fine ( I used fresh and packaged)

Salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Spray the crock pot with PAM. In a large bowl crumble up the cornbread and add the stuffing mix.

Then add the chopped onions, bell peppers, celery, and boiled egg.

Next add 2/3 of the cream of chicken soup and one and half cans of chicken broth, all the seasoning to taste and stir.

Then add the raw egg and mix well. This is the hard part now. You have to decide if your dressing is moist enough or if you need to add more broth.  The more cornbread and stuffing mix the more broth you need. I poured a little extra in mine because we like moist, maybe almost to cans of broth.

Then add the chopped chicken and stir well.

 Pour in to the crock pot. Take the last 1/3 can of cream of chicken soup and spread over the top.

 Cover and cook on low for 4 ½  to  5 hours. Take the top off the last 15 minutes and let it continue cooking to get a little crust on the top.  

EASY VEGETARIAN CROCK POT POTATO SOUP

Okay this soup was way too easy to throw together and tasted really good. I have to admit I was a little surprised by the way it was so thick and creamy with just the right amount of cheesy flavor. We had a going away luncheon this past weekend for one of our co-workers. We brought in Vietnamese Banh Mi sandwiches and made two kinds of soup in the crock pots. I had a request for my chicken tortilla soup and I wanted to try a vegetarian soup. So when I came across this potato soup I knew I had to try it. I decided I needed to tweak it to make it completely vegetarian. The original recipe called for chicken broth and cream of chicken soup but I switched it to vegetable broth and cream of celery soup. It turned out really good. The tortilla soup was really good too, but I think the potato soup was definitely their favorite. I thought about using  golden potatoes and cutting them up but, this was so much easier especially since I would be preparing it at work. Here is the recipe. Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS:

1  30 0z. bag of frozen hash browns ( I used the cubed potatoes)

1  32 oz. of vegetable broth

1 10 ¾ oz. can of cream of celery soup

2 tsp. of minced garlic

1 chopped onion

1 8 oz. block of cream cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Spray crock pot with PAM or use a liner. Mix together all ingredients in the crock pot except the cream cheese. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours or on high for 4 hours. About an hour before serving, add the block of cream cheese and allow to melt. Stir well, top with cheese, bacon , or chives. 

CROCK POT BEEF AND BROCCOLI

Beef and broccoli is always good except when I get in a hurry and cook the meat too fast and then it’s tough. That’s why my family really enjoys it in the crock pot. The meat is cooked on low and slow so it becomes so tender it melts in your mouth. Then I add the thawed frozen broccoli about 30 minutes before it’s done so the broccoli is not overcooked. You can also use fresh broccoli but I would put it in at least an hour before you want to eat. Make some rice and there is your dinner. I have also used this recipe with thin boneless chicken strips and it turned out just as good.  

INGREDIENTS:

1-1/2 lbs of thin strips of boneless beef round steak or roast

1 bag of thawed frozen broccoli

1 cup of beef broth

½ cup of soy sauce

1/3 cup of dark brown sugar

3 cloves of minced garlic

1 tbs. of sesame oil

2 tbs. of cornstarch

DIRECTIONS:

Spray crock pot with PAM. Mix in a small bowl the beef broth, soy sauce, garlic, brown sugar, and oil. Next cut the beef into small strips and place in crock pot. Pour mix over the beef and stir. Cover and cook on low for 5 hours. Then 30 minutes before serving remove about ½ cup of juice and mix in 2 tbs. of cornstarch, stir and return to the crock pot. Add the thawed frozen broccoli, cover and cook on high for 30 minutes. Serve over rice or noodles.

P.S. Sorry no pictures. We got in a hurry and ate it all it was so good!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ITALIAN SAUSAGE AND PEPPERS

 I was browsing through my deep freeze on Friday morning looking for something for dinner that night when I found a half a pack of Italian sausage. Hum I thought! What did I use the other half for?  I couldn’t remember. But I decided I better use this half soon. So I knew I had a bell pepper and onions that I could use and probably some diced tomatoes in the cabinet. It was decided, we are having Italian sausage and peppers for dinner tonight. Yea! That was easy and I didn’t have to go to the grocery store. So I quickly cut up everything and threw it in the crock pot and went back to doing more fun things like lying on the couch watching the Chew. Eight hours later my next decision was what to eat with it. Noodles and a dinner salad, or chips and a hoagie roll. Since I had spent the better part of the day on the couch I went for the noodles and salad just trying to be a little healthy. Beside I knew we were going to have enough leftovers that I could have my chips and hoagie rolls for lunch tomorrow.  I love it when I can recycle leftovers that easy. You can tell by my pictures I halved the recipe, but then again I only need to feed a family of three. So this would be great recipe to throw in the crock pot before going out for the day and have a quick and easy dinner waiting at night. Warm some hoagies rolls , throw on the sausage and peppers, top with some provolone or grated parmesan cheese on top and add some chips, or fix some noodles or even rice and call it a day.

 

INGREDIENTS:

2 lbs. of Italian sausage cut in to 1 inch pieces

2 bell peppers

2 medium onions

2 14 oz. cans of Italian style chopped tomatoes

2  6 oz. cans of  tomato paste

1 tbs. of Italian seasoning

 1 tsp. of minced garlic

DIRECTIONS:

Spray the crock pot first with PAM. Then cut up the Italian sausages and place in the bottom of the pot. Then cut up the peppers and onions into strips and throw on top of the sausage. Pour in the cans of tomatoes and tomato paste. Add the seasonings and stir until combined. Cover and cook on low heat for 8 hours.

 

CHICKEN TORTILLA SOUP

This week my crock pots were the most used item in my kitchen. I used one of them about 24 hours straight. I only took time to wash it out and started it back up again. I slow cooked 3 pork roasts, shredded them, and then froze them for a retirement party next week. When I bought the roasts I thought the bigger the better, but that wasn't such a good idea after all. They would only fit in 2 of my crock pots. So of course I was cooking pork roasts all day and night. Thank goodness I didn't have to watch them cook! Later I will thaw them out and add fresh homemade BBQ sauce for pork sliders at the party. Then two days later we had a luncheon for Boss’s Day. We decided to keep it simple so we had soup, salad, and dessert. Since I would be cooking the soup at work I wanted something quick and easy without a lot of cutting involved. I found this recipe for chicken tortilla soup and kind of revamped it for our tastes.  It was really easy to carry to work and quickly prepare using canned vegetables. I went ahead and cooked the chicken, and cut up my onions and peppers the night before so my soup would not have to cook as long. This would also work well with left over rotisserie chicken or even leftover turkey after Thanksgiving. You could also substitute Rotel tomatoes if you like more of a kick to your soup. The soup was very tasty with just the right amount of kick to it. I think the enchilada sauce makes the difference in the taste of this soup compared to other versions I have tried. Next time I make this soup I’m thinking about using adding some zucchini and avocados to it as well. This one will stay in my rotation files for a long time.

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb. of boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs

1 10 oz. can of red enchilada sauce

1 can of black beans

1  15 oz. can of diced tomatoes

1  can of corn

2 cloves of minced garlic

1 medium onion chopped

1 green bell pepper chopped

1 tsp. of cumin

1 tsp. of chili powder

1 tsp. of salt

¼ tsp. of black pepper

DIRECTIONS:  Spray the crock pot with PAM. Combine all the ingredients in the crock pot and cook on high for 3- 4 hours or on low for 6- 8 hours. When the soup is done remove the chicken and shred it with a fork and then return it to the soup. Stir well and serve with tortilla chips and shredded cheese on top. 

ANGEL HAIR CHICKEN

I love my crock pots! I can’t say it enough. This week I bought a new wave digital cooker thinking that cooking dinner would be quicker and easier. NOT! I had to watch my food cook constantly. The cooking times did not match up with the cookbook. My brisket came out a little crispy around the edges and very chewy on the insides. The next morning I cut the meat up and made a vegetable beef soup in my crock pot. The meat ended up being very tender after simmering all day. I knew I should have just bought another crock pot. So after one bad dinner, I felt that I needed to redeem myself the next night with an awesome dinner. Last week I found this wonderful quick and easy chicken dinner that looked really good. I had tried a recipe similar to this that used a whole block of cream cheese and 8 oz. of sour cream and thought that was too cheesy and tart tasting. This one called for only 4 oz. of cream cheese and golden mushroom soup.  I think the soup made the big difference for us. The taste was kind of a buttery, cheesy, creamy taste that went over the angel hair pasta perfectly.  You could even get creative and add mushrooms to this to make it even better. I had plenty of gravy left over dunk my garlic toast in. YUM!! It was so good we only had enough leftovers for 2 lunches the next day. That was okay because my mother wanted vegetable beef soup  I made from the previous night's fiasco. I also think this would be really good with pork chops and potatoes cut up in the bottom of the pot. I think I’ll have to try that next week.  
 

INGREDIENTS:

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (I used chicken tenders)

1 can of golden mushroom soup

½ cup of chicken broth

1/4 stick of butter

4 oz. of cream cheese

Angel hair pasta cooked according to the directions

DIRECTIONS:

Spray the crock pot with PAM. Place the chicken in the bottom of the pot. Then melt the butter in a bowl and add the cream cheese, salad dressing, soup, and chicken broth. Mix thoroughly and pour over the chicken breasts. Cover and cook on low for 4 – 5 hours.
Serve over angel hair pasta, rice, or even mashed potatoes.

 

CROCK POT KING RANCH CHICKEN

We love rotisserie chicken from the store. It makes for a quick and easy dinner. The only problem is we don't like dark meat which is half the chicken. So instead of wasting the dark meat it I use for soups and casseroles where my family knows its chicken but can't tell which part of the chicken. So this week I had some leftover chicken and decided I really wanted king ranch chicken for dinner. I usually cook this in the oven, but I thought maybe I'll just try it in the crock pot. Normally this casserole would only take about 30- 45 minutes in a 350 degree oven but since it was going in a crock pot I would have to allow more time. So I did a little quick math in my head and decided I had just enough time before dinner to try this. With the chicken being cooked it would only take about 2 ½ - 3 hours to cook. My casserole came out awesome! It tasted just the same as it would have in the oven. The difference was I didn't have to stay home to cook it or heat up my kitchen. Now I changed up the usual recipe for king ranch chicken and used Tostito chips.  I found that the corn or the flour tortillas got too soggy after cooking and the chips held a better texture especially for leftovers. I think you could use either tortillas or chips with this recipe. Here is a quick oven to crock pot conversion chart so you can try some of your favorite recipes in the crock pot. Now this is for only using cooked meats. It would take a lot longer if the meat needed to cook. When converting from the oven to the crock pot I always have a tendency to start with a low setting and start checking my dinner at the earliest time to prevent burning the edges. Remember if everything is already cooked it will take less time to heat and blend together.

OVEN   350 – 375                              DEGREES	CROCK POT
15 -30 MINUTES	1 ½- 2 ½ HOURS ON HIGH 3- 6 HOURS ON LOW
35- 45 MINUTES	2 -3 HOURS ON HIGH 6-8 HOURS ON LOW
50 MINUTES TO 3 HOURS	4- 6 HOURS ON HIGH 8 -18 HOURS ON LOW

   

INGREDIENTS:

3-4 cups of cooked chicken

1 onion chopped

1 green bell pepper chopped

2 cans of cream of chicken soup (can substitute one with mushroom or celery)

1 can of Rotel tomatoes drained

1 tsp of chili powder

1 tsp. of minced garlic

2- 3 cups of grated cheddar cheese

1 bag of Tostito chips

DIRECTIONS:

Spray your crock pot with PAM. First take a large bowl and mix all your soups and Rotel tomatoes together. Add your chopped bell pepper and onions, then your cubed chicken and mix together well. Place a layer of chips in the bottom of the crock pot. Then add a layer of the chicken soup mixture. Top this with a layer of cheese. Repeat the layers 2 more times ending with the cheese on top. Cover and cook on low for 2 1/2 -3 hours.

OVERNIGHT OATMEAL IN THE CROCK POT

Yesterday I woke up to my kitchen smelling of cinnamon. I had decided the night before to try making oatmeal in the crock pot. The wonderful thing is that you prepare it the night before and it cooks while you’re asleep. I thought it would be wonderful to have breakfast already to go out the door with me when I went to work. So I got smart and used a liner bag so that I was able to just turn off the crock pot, twist tie the bag and go. No mess to clean up! I thought it was really good compared to the instant oatmeal that comes in the package. Some of my co-workers volunteered to be my taste testers and agreed that I could bring it to work anytime. The apples and cinnamon were a perfect combination and the oatmeal was cooked just right after 8 hours in my crock pot. I just gave it a good stir and served it right out of the liner. It didn’t even need any more sweetener or milk. If it gets to dry you can always add some milk, half and half, or even yogurt to it. I am now wondering if I can do grits overnight in the crock pot as well. That might be my next week challenge. This will be wonderful for a quick and easy breakfast during the winter months. You can also change up the flavors by adding a little maple syrup, blueberries, bananas or even cranberries and nuts. There are endless combinations to this recipe. Just pick your favorites and have breakfast ready to go in the mornings.

 

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups of old – fashioned uncooked oatmeal

4 cups of water

1 tsp. of salt

2 tsp. of cinnamon

1/3 cup of brown sugar

2 apples, cored, peeled and chopped

½ cup of raisins

DIRECTIONS:

Spray the crock pot with PAM. Mix the brown sugar, cinnamon, apples, and raisins together. Place in the bottom of the crock pot. Then in a large bowl mix together the oatmeal, water and salt. Gently pour on top of the fruit mixture. Do not stir. Cover and cook on low for 8 -9 hours. In the morning stir it up and serve with milk, cream or a little extra brown sugar.

P.S. Sorry, I forgot to take a picture of it stirred up. This is what I saw when I lifted the lid. Didn't get a chance to plate and picture it at work.

 

CROCK POT PINEAPPLE UPSIDE DOWN CAKE

It’s Sunday and I have not one but three crock pots going today. I had several new recipes I wanted to try before serving them to company.  I started this morning with a new recipe for pulled pork Hawaiian style. It turned out well. The flavor was kind of sweet and tangy.  It will go great with the King Hawaiian rolls and some coleslaw. The second crock pot had a blanco queso dip made with Asadero cheese. Don’t try it! It failed miserably. The cheese doesn't melt the way Velveeta does. It just clumped together and wouldn't mix with the milk. I had to just dump out the whole pot. It would probably work better with American white cheese but I thought I would try a different cheese this time. My third crock pot recipe was the best yet, dessert for tonight. It turned out wonderful. I was very pleased with the results. The cake was very moist and tasty. I used the pineapple juice in place of the water in the cake mix and it made all the difference in the flavor. Lining the crock pot with foil made it so easy to flip the cake out and clean up was a breeze. My only problem with this dessert was it was finished before my dinner and I had to wait to eat it! Next time I plan on timing things a little better and having some vanilla ice cream on hand too. This recipe will definitely be on my dessert rotation. 

INGREDIENTS:

½ cup of melted butter

 1 cup of brown sugar ( I used dark brown sugar)

1 20 oz. can of pineapple slices, reserve the juice for the cake mix

6-8 maraschino cherries

1 box of yellow cake mix

 

DIRECTIONS:

Butter the crock pot or spray it with PAM so the juices won't stick. Then layer it with foil and butter your foil. This prevents the cake from sticking to the side of the foil and allows for easy flipping. Combine the butter and brown sugar and spread over the bottom of the foil. Then place the pineapple rings down with a cherry in the middle. Next mix the cake mix according to the package and pour over the top of the fruit. Cover with 2 dish towels and the lid. Cook the cake on high for 1 hour or low for 3 ½ hours. The cake is done when your toothpick comes out clean. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or whip cream on top.

  

CREAMY CHICKEN AND WILD RICE

I have tried several different recipes for chicken and rice in the crock pot and didn’t really care for any of them. The rice has always seemed gummy to me except when in I used it in soup. So I found this wild rice mix which was really good in the turkey and wild rice soup I had made last winter so I decided to give it a try with the chicken. I was not disappointed!  My rice turned out creamy and the seasoning packet made the flavor. I didn’t even have to add any other spices. It was so good even my mother who doesn’t like rice ate it. I did have to cook the last 30 minutes with the lid off to help reduce some liquid but it just allowed the smell to circulate in my kitchen. Leftovers at work the next day were just as wonderful. I will be trying this wild rice with pork chops and cream of celery soup next week. I am sure you can use any long grain wild rice in a bag and add extra seasoning to make this. It went together so quick and easy. You could even throw in a bag of green beans, broccoli, or baby carrots even and have your whole dinner done. Be sure to add the 2 cans of condensed soup and extra water to the pot. I really think that prevented my rice from being gummy and gave it that creamy texture. I will post my recipe for the turkey and wild rice soup when it gets closer to Thanksgiving. This would be a wonderful soup to make with leftover turkey and fresh turkey stock.  

INGREDIENTS:

 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

2 can of cream of chicken soup (or cream of mushroom)

1  6 oz. package of wild rice with seasoning

1-  ½ cups of water

DIRECTIONS:

Spray the crock pot with PAM. Then pour in the water, soup, rice seasoning packet and stir. Next add the rice and stir. Then place the chicken on top of the rice. Cover and cook on low for 5 hours and 30 minutes. The last 30 minutes I cooked it with the lid off. It will reduce some of the extra liquid that is left and make the rice creamier.  Serve with vegetable or a salad and bread. 

 

PEPPERONCINI POT ROAST

I know I have already done a wonderful and very easy pot roast but I have found another just as easy and maybe more wonderful than the last roast recipe that I feel the need to share with you. This recipe is really quick and easy with a definite tangy pepper flavor. The smell while it was cooking was awesome! It really wasn’t too spicy and the warm peppers gave it just enough of a kick. The leftovers were even better on hoagie rolls with more of the peppers and juice on the side. I did feel a little guilty with the whole stick of butter but what the heck I didn’t eat the whole stick at one time. It feed my family two dinners and several sandwiches later in the week. 

 

INGREDIENTS:

3-5 lb. pot roast

1 stick of butter

1 package of ranch dressing mix

1 package of Au Jus gravy mix

5-6 pepperoncini peppers
 

DIRECTIONS:

Spray the crock pot with PAM. Place the roast in the bottom of the pot. Next sprinkle the ranch dressing on the roast. Then sprinkle the Au Jus mix next. Place the stick of butter on top of the roast and place 5-6 peppers all over the roast. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours. Please do not add water. The roast and butter will make its on juices which is heavenly.

 

 

DUMP DAY SOUP

I was cleaning out my refrigerator yesterday while wondering what’s for dinner tonight. I had a little skillet beef steak my mother had thought was too tough. I threw it on the counter and it landed near my crock pot. I should have taken the lid off because from then on everything went into the pot. I ended up with a half of onion, some green bell pepper, and a bite of corn, two bites of green beans and some ugly carrots. In the bottom drawer I found a couple of potatoes that I quickly cut up. I also found some salsa that needed to be used up as well. Next I went through my pantry and found a can of stewed tomatoes and some beef bouillon cubes. This is how lazy I really am. I threw in the tomatoes and the bouillon cube and just added a cup of water to it all. I figured as the crock pot heated my beef bouillon cube would dissolve and I would stir it all together later. My concoction which we named dump day soup came out so wonderful we ate it for lunch instead so I was still at a loss for dinner that night. The salsa gave it a little kick and the extra cooking time made my meat very tender. Hey but I used all my leftovers and now refrigerator is bare. So if you need to clean your refrigerator out try throwing everything in the crock pot and making a stew or soup. You can use chicken or beef broth for liquid or even cream of something soup for a thicker stew. Spice it up however you like, just go wild, be creative, have fun with it. This is one time you don’t have to worry about having all the ingredients! Even if it doesn’t turn out (which I doubt) you were just going to throw it out anyway. I wouldn’t advise throwing in pizza but Chinese food would be interesting. Hey and the calorie count should be null and void if you used it all up in the original dinner. Am I right? And of course it’s doesn’t count as leftovers because your family hasn’t seen it yet. So here are the directions.

P.S. I am sorry I didn't take any pictures but leftovers don't photograph too well and we ate the finished product before I thought about posting this!

DIRECTIONS:

Spray the crock pot with PAM. Open your refrigerator. Pull out all your leftovers. Slice your meat into bite size chunks and place in the bottom of the pot. Add all your other cooked or uncooked vegetables you have left in your refrigerator to the crock pot. Next add some liquid. Even a cup or two of water with some spices from the pantry will do if you don’t have any soup or bouillon cubes. Cover and cook on low until dinner or on high if you want to eat it for lunch. Remember everything is pretty much cooked already. Have some fun and enjoy. Drop me a comment with your new creations, I would be interested in some new recipes!