Crockpot Tuscan Beef and Bean Stew

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Recipe from Kitchen Stewardship

I cooked this recipe in the crockpot, instead of stove top.  Basically I didn't pre-cook or brown any thing, just threw it all together and let it cook away! :)

J and I liked this recipe.  However, I added way too much kale and it kind of over-powered the other flavors.  I'd make this again, but I'd definitely cut back.  I just used the entire bunch of kale because I wasn't sure what I'd do with the leftovers, but I didn't realized it has such a strong flavor.

Ingredients:4-8 ou mushrooms, sliced
1 large onion, diced
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 lbs beef for stew, cut into 1-2" pieces
2-3 c beef broth (I used 3)
2 T tomato paste
15 ou can diced tomatoes with juice
2 cans white beans
4 carrots, diced
2-3 c kale
1/2 t salt
1/2 t pepper
2 t Italian seasoning
1 1/2 t dried parsley
1/2 t dried parsley
Shredded Parmesan, for serving

Directions:
Place all ingredients in a large crockpot and cook on low for 8-10 hours.  Serve sprinkled with Parmesan cheese.

Slow Cooker Corn & Crab Chowder

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Recipe from Cinnamon 'En' Spice

J and I thought this recipe was good, but not great.  I just think it needed something... maybe a bit more spice to it.  I think I say that everytime I think a recipe needs something. :) 


Ingredients:
2 cans chicken broth
1/2 lb potatoes, peeled and diced
1 c carrots, sliced
1 medium sized onion, chopped
2 ribs celery, sliced
1/2 t fresh thyme
1/4 t old bay seasoning
1 package frozen corn
1 sweet red pepper, seeded and diced
12 ou evaporated skim milk
1/4 t salt
2 T cornstarch
8 ou claw crab meat

Directions:
Combine chicken broth, potatoes, carrots, onion, celery, thyme and old bay in a slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for 4 or low for 6 hours.

Mix together pepper, milk, corn, cornstarch and salt and stir into slow cooking, cooking on low for another hour.  Stir in crab meat until warm, then serve.

Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff

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Recipe from Cooking Light

This was really good and not too heavy.  It uses flour and sour cream to create the thick sauce to keep it healthy.

Ingredients:
1 lb top round steak, trimmed and cut into 1/4-inch thick slices
1 c chopped onion
2 T chopped fresh parsley
2 T Dijon mustard
3/4 t salt
1/2 t dried dill
1/2 t pepper
8 ou mushrooms, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 c AP flour
1 c beef broth
8 ou light sour cream
2 c cooked egg noodles

Directions:
Place the steak and all ingredients through garlic into the slow cooker and stir well.

Place flour in a small bowl and gradually whisk in beef broth.  Add broth mixture to slow cooker and stir well.  Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours. 

Turn off and remove lid.  Let stand for 10 minutes.  Mix in the sour cream and serve over egg noodles.

Slow Cooker Red Beans & Rice

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Recipe from Cooking Light

This was a simple recipe to throw together on a busy Sunday.  I let this cook while I did some work around the house.  The house smelled delicious as it cooked! 

Ingredients:
3 c water
1 c dried kidney beans
1 c chopped onion
1 c chopped green pepper
3/4 c chopped celery
1 t thyme
1 t paprika
3/4 t cayenne pepper
1/2 t black pepper
14 ou smoked sausage, thinly sliced
1 bay leaf
5 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 t salt
3 c hot cooked rice
1/4 c chopped green onions

Directions:
Combine ingredients through the garlic in the slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for 5 hours.  Discard the bay leaf and then mix in the salt.  Serve over rice and sprinkle servings with green onion.

Crockpot Indian Chicken Curry

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Recipe from A Year of Slow Cooking

It's been quite a while since I've used my slow cooker.  I guess I kind of see it as more of a winter cooking method.  I don't know why, as it's not like it heats the house.  Maybe, in my head, I feel like many slow cooker dishes are a bit heavier - too much for hot summer days.

But this dish was not heavy at all.  It was really delicious!  It had great curry flavor, and I loved the addition of the sweetness of the sweet potatoes and coconut milk.

Indian dishes are definitely climbing their way into my faves.  Just a year or two ago, I'm not even sure if I'd ever even eaten Indian food.  But I am really loving the flavors!  I'll have to start checking out Aarti Paarti on the Food Network for some more recipes. :)

Ingredients:
13.5 ou can coconut milk (do not use light)
1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
4-6 frozen, skinless chicken thighs
1 T tomato paste
2 T curry powder
1 t ground coriander
1 t ground cumin
1 t ground ginger
Few dashes Tabasco sauce
1 yellow onion, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, smashed and chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1/2 eggplant, chopped
1 sweet potato, peeled and chopped

Directions:
Mix together all of your spices, coconut milk, tomato paste and Tabasco sauce in the slow cooker.  Add the chicken, flipping a few times to coat, then the garbanzo beans.

Place all of the veggies on top.  Cover and cook on low for 7-9 hours, or high for 4-6 hours.  Stir carefully to mix and serve over brown rice. I also served with garlic naan.  Unfortunately I didn't have time to make it, so it was store-bought, but still good!

Crockpot Corned Beef and Cabbage

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I know, I'm a little late - St. Patrick's Day has come and gone.  But - I've been craving it for a while.  I was going to make it the week of St. Patty's Day, but things came up and it never happened.

I absolutely love corned beef.  This was so simple to throw together, and the beef was tender and delicious!

Ingredients:
Corned beef brisket
3-4 carrots, peeled and sliced
2 turnips, peeled and chopped
1 small head cabbage, roughly chopped
8-10 small red potatos

Directions:
Put the carrots, turnips and cabbage into the crockpot, then place the corned beef on top.  If desired, sprinkle with the seasoning that comes with most corned beef briskets.

Cover and cook on low for about 7-8 hours.

About 45 minutes before eating, boil the potatos until fork tender.  I also threw some garlic, salt, pepper and thyme into the water to season them.

Drain the potatos, slice the beef, and serve.

Crockpot Sweet Mustard Beef Roast

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Recipe from A Year of Slowcooking

I have a few beef roasts in the freezer that I got on sale, and I wanted to make one of them last week in the crockpot, preferably with a simple recipe.

This recipe definitely fit the bill. Five ingredients and no prep work!  Just throw them in and turn it on. :)

I thought this was really good.  The molasses and mustard gave the beef a really good flavor, and the beef itself was nice and tender. 

I served this with steamed edamame and homemade baked french fries.

Ingredients:
2 lb beef roast
1/3 c molasses
1/3 c dijon mustard
1 t garlic powder
2 t white vinegar

Directions:
Use a 4-quart slow cooker.  If you only have bigger, take the cooking time down a bit.

Place meat in cooker, and add in the remaining ingredients.  Turn the meat a few times with a pair of tongs to cover with the additional ingredients.

Cook on low 6-8 or high about 4 hours.

Crockpot Minestrone Soup

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Recipe from Chi-Town Cooking
 

My mom was talking about making minestrone soup a couple of weeks ago.  So I've been craving it ever since.  This recipe came across my Google Reader so I decided to try it out.  I love that it's a crockpot recipe (though it could easily be adapted for a dutch oven).

It turned out really good, and it makes a lot.  I'd say about 8 servings total.  I ended up freezing about half of it, which isn't a bad thing. :)

Ingredients:
3 c reduced sodium chicken broth
1 (28-ou) can diced tomatos
1 (14.5 ou) can cannellini beans (I forgot to get these at the store, so I used the black beans I had in the cupboard)
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 c onion, chopped
1 t dried thyme
1/2 t dried sage
2 bay leaves
Salt & pepper, to taste
2 c pasta, cooked
2 c roughly chopped fresh or frozen (drained) spinach
1/2 lb ground sausage

Directions:
In the crockpot mix the broth, tomatos, beans, carrots, celery, onion, thyme, sage, bay leaves, salt and pepper.

Set on low for 6-8 or high 4-6 hours.

About 30 minutes before you eat, add the pasta and spinach. (I decided to cook the pasta before adding it to the pot.  You could do it either way.) Brown the sausage and add it as well.

Remove the bay leaves and serve sprinkled with shredded Parmesan and a side of bread.

Tex-Mex Pulled Pork

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Recipe from allrecipes.com 

I realized that I haven't been using my crockpot much lately, so it was a nice change to come home to my house smelling delicious. :)  Of course, I completely forgot to put the pork into the crockpot and turn it on that morning, so I had to run home during lunch.  Luckily I'm not too far away.

I made pulled pork sandwiches with this recipe.  It makes a lot, so I plan to use the leftovers for quesadillas and tacos.  My only issue with this recipe is that the sauce ended up very runny. I would've liked it a bit thicker.  Maybe next time I'll use cornstarch or something at the end to thicken it up a bit.

Ingredients:
1 (8 ou) can tomato sauce
1 c bbq sauce
1 onion, chopped
2 (4 ou) cans green chilies
1/4 c chili powder
1 t ground cumin
1 t dried oregano
1/4 t ground cinnamon
2 1/2 lb pork loin roast (the original recipe called for boneless, but I had bone-in)
1/2 c chopped fresh cilantro (I used about 1/2 this.  I don't think a whole 1/2 c is necessary)

Directions:
Mix all ingredients except pork and cilantro in a medium bowl.  Please pork in slow cooker and pour mixture over the pork.

Cook on high for about 4-6 hours or low 8-10 hours.

Remove pork and shred. Stir cilantro into sauce, and then return shredded pork to sauce.  Serve as desired.

Slow Cooker Chicken & Veggie Tortellini Stew

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Recipe from Cinnamon 'En' Spice

J & I thought this recipe was okay.  I forgot to buy carrots, and decided it needed a little something extra, so I defrosted and threw in some chopped spinach.  I thought overall it was just a bit bland.  The carrots probably would've added some nice sweetness to it.  And I think some spice would've been a good addition, maybe crushed red pepper.

Ingredients:
2 medium carrots, sliced (I omitted)
10 ou frozen chopped spinach, thawed
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb boneless chicken thighs, cut into bite-size pieces
1 can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 t salt
1/4 t pepper
1 3/4 c chicken broth
2 c water
9 ou cheese filled tortellini
2 medium green onions, sliced
1 t dried basil
2 T shredded Parmesan

Directions:
Spray slow cooker with cooking spray. Layer in the carrots, garlic, chicken, beans.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Pour in broth and water and stir to combine.  Cook on low 6-8 or high 4-6 hours.

Stir in onions, tortellini, spinach and basil.  Set to high and cook for another 10-20 minutes, until tortellini is tender.  Sprinkle each serving with Parmesan cheese.

30 Clove Crock Pot Chicken

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Recipe from A Year of Slow Cooking

This is a recipe that's been floating around the blog world a lot in the past year.  They all have their own little twist, but they all involve chicken and tons of garlic!

It was funny as I was sitting there peeling 30-something cloves of garlic - J kept walking by giving my strange looks, and asking if that was all for dinner that night.  :)  Yep - it was!

We both thought this was good.  Honestly - the garlic was not overpowering at all.  It was definitely there - but not at all what you would expect. :)  But - if you make this dish - you should definitely like the taste of garlic.

By the way - anyone know a quick, easy way to peel garlic but keep it intact?  Typically I just smash it and the skin comes right off - but that's obviously not keeping it intact. :p

Ingredients:
4 lbs bone-in chicken (I used thighs and drumsticks and removed the skin)
1 large onion, sliced
1 T olive oil
2 t kosher salt
2 t paprika
1 t pepper
20-40 cloves garlic (I used about 30), peeled but kept intact

Directions:
Place the onion in the bottom of the slow cooker.

Toss the chicken pieces with remaining ingredients in a large bowl, then place in the slow cooker.  Cover and cook on High 4-6 hours, or Low 6-8 hours.

You do not need to add any liquid - the chicken will generate enough that it won't burn.

Tangy Slow Cooker Pork

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Recipe from L2theC's Kitchen

This was a really easy slow cooker recipe to throw together (as most are). :)  I thought this was really good, and had an interesting sweet and sour taste to it.  However, I don't think J liked it quite as much, so I doubt I'll make it again.

Ingredients:
1 large onion, sliced
2 1/2 lb pork roast, boneless
4-5 small potatos, halved
4 carrots, peeled and chopped
3 garlic cloves, peeled
1 c hot water
1/4 c white sugar
3 T red wine vinegar
2 T soy sauce
1 T ketchup
1/2 t black pepper
1/2 t salt
1/4 t garlic powder
Dash hot pepper sauce, to taste

Directions:
Place the onions in the bottom of the slow cooker.  Cut three slits (about 1 inch deep) in the top of the pork, and stuff one garlic clove into each pocket.  Add the pork to the slow cooker, followed by the carrots and potatos.

In a small bowl mix together the remaining ingredients, then pour over the pork.  Cook on Low for 6-8 hours, or High for 3-4 hours.

Crockpot Pumpkin Butter & Pumpkin Spice Lattes

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Recipe from Adventures in my Freezer
  

Delicious!!  I made this pumpkin butter while I made the apple butter, and it turned out sooooo good!  I have been spreading it on these Cinnamon Butternut Squash Muffins - the combination is perfect!  I'm going to have to make more muffins. :) 

I also used it to make a very good pumpkin spice latte (recipe below), and pork chops over rice.

This is a really simple recipe where you just throw everything in the crockpot and let it go.  I'm sure it could be very easily adapted to using the stovetop as well.

Pumpkin Butter
Ingredients:
1 large can pumpkin puree
1 T pumpkin pie spice (cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves - I just combined these to about 1 T)
1 1/2 c sugar

Directions:
Mix all ingredients in the crockpot.  Set on high until the mixture begins to boil.  Turn to low for about 1-2 hours.  Spoon into jars, and freeze what you don't plan to use right away.

Note: The USDA recommends that you do not can pumpkin butter (or any type of pureed squash or pumpkin) for various safety reasons.  I saw this cited on quite a few websites, so a quick google search can give you specific reasons.

Pumpkin Spice Latte
Ingredients:
1 mug milk with 1 t instant coffee OR 1/2 milk and 1/2 strong coffee
1 t vanilla extract
1 T (or more if desired) pumpkin butter

I threw in a cinnamon stick to make it fancy. :p  If only I had some of that whipped cream that they put on top at Starbucks. :)

Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a mug and microwave until hot.  Stir well and enjoy!

Chicken Brunswick Stew

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Recipe from Cook Like A Champion
 

This was a really delicious recipe.  Although I did make a few last minute changes because J seems to have this broth phobia.  He can't stand a lot of broth in his soup, and it drives me nuts when we have tons of broth left over, because he digs for all the veggies and meat and leaves it in the pot.

So - I decided to add some rice, carrots and celery.  Since it was last minute, I just boiled the carrots and celery for about 10 minutes to soften them, then mixed them in.  I cooked the rice as usual and mixed in it before serving.  However, I'll write the directions as if I knew I would make these changes from the beginning - I think they were good additions. :)

The stew was a bit sweet, so next time I'd probably just skip the sugar.  It wasn't so sweet I couldn't eat it, just feel the sugar was unnecessary.

Oh, and one more change - I used chicken thighs instead of breasts.  No reason other than I had them in my freezer. :) 

Ingredients:
2 large onions, chopped
5-6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
2 (15 ou) cans cream style corn
1 (28 ou) can crushed tomatos
1 (12 ou) bottle chili sauce
14.5 ou chicken broth
1/4 c Worcestershire sauce
3 carrots, sliced about 1/4" thick
3-4 celery stalks, chopped
1/4 c butter, cut into pieces
2 T vinegar
2 t dry mustard
1/2 t salt
1/2 t pepper
1/2 t pepper sauce
1 T sugar
1 c rice

Directions:
Place onions in the bottom of the slow cooker, followed by the chicken and all remaining ingredients, except the rice.

Cover and cook on High for about 4 hours, or Low for 6-8 hours.

Before serving, cook rice according to package directions, and then mix into the stew.  While the rice cooks, remove the chicken from the crockpot and shred, then return to pot.

Serve with good, crusty bread.

This makes A LOT of stew, so be prepared to freeze some.

Beef, Tomatos & Noodles

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Recipe from Fix It and Forget It

Well - the name says it all. :p  I know - it's not very original.  But - it was a really easy recipe with few ingredients.  I call it the Poor Man's Beef Stew. :)

But - for how simple it is, it was actually quite good.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs stewing beef, cubed
1/4 c flour
2 c stewed tomatos (I just used 2 cans)
1 t salt
1/4-1/2 t pepper
Medium onion, chopped
Water
12 ou noodles (I used egg)

Directions:
Place the beef and flour in a ziplock bag and shake to coat the beef.  Place in slow cooker.

Add in the tomatos, salt, pepper and onion and then add water until just covered.

Put on Low 6-8 hours.

Serve over noodles with some crusty bread and butter.

Shell Casserole

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Recipe from Fix It and Forget It Cookbook

I picked up this Cookbook the other day from Bed Bath & Beyond because I love my slow cooker!  Really love it! :)  And I'm always on the lookout for new recipes to use it.

This cookbook tons of recipes in any of the main categories you can think of.  The downside?  No pictures.  I do love to see what it's supposed to look like. 

But - so far I've tried 2 recipes from this book, both have been good!  Both were very simple because I was trying to keep less work for me.  :) 

There are a lot of very similar recipes. It seems to be a compilation book of recipes they've gathered from slow-cooker users.  But it is interesting how people use different ingredients for similar dishes.

I made this when my Dad was over helping J and I put in new exterior doors on the house.  All 3 of us thought it was really good.  It's definitely a comfort food type dish.  I served it with Caesar Salad and french bread.  This is not a 'gone all day' recipe.  It's more for a busy day when you're mostly at home or gone for a short period of time.

Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef
Small onion, chopped
3/4 t salt
1/4 t garlic powder
1 t Worcestershire sauce
1/4 c flour
1 1/4 c hot water
2 t beef bouillon granules (I just used 2 cubes)
2 T red wine
6 ou medium sized shell pasta
4 ou sliced mushrooms
1 c sour cream

Directions:
Brown beef with onion in a skillet.  Drain and add to slow cooker.

Add salt, garlic powder, Worcestershire and flour and mix.  Add the water, beef bouillon and wine and mix well.

Cover and set on low for 2-3 hours.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to package directions.  Stir pasta, mushrooms and sour cream in to the crockpot, cover, turn to High and cook for about 15 more minutes.

Slow Cooker Chicken Chili

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Recipe from Food Network

This was the perfect week for soups and stews.  You can definitely tell it's the fall! 

This chili was delicious.  I loved the flavors and the smell when I got home was amazing!  It made a pretty good amount - I ended up freezing about half of it.

I skipped the beer in this one and didn't add any toppings.  Both are optional.  I cooked the chicken, drained and rinsed the beans, and shredded the sweet potato the night before (stored in refrigerator) to save time in the morning.

Ingredients:
2 lbs ground chicken
3 T chili powder, plus 2 t
2 (15 ou) can beans - one kidney, one white, drained and rinsed
2 (28 ou) cans fire roasted diced tomatos
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and shredded
1 (15 ou) can chicken broth
1-2 chipotle chilis in adobo with seeds, chopped
1/4 c instant tapioca (recommended: Minute)
2 T soy sauce
1 T kosher salt
1 T onion powder
2 t granulated garlic
1 t dried oregano
1 t ground cumin
1/4 t ground cinnamon
Pinch cloves
1/2 - 3/4 c lager style beer, optional
Optional toppings: sour cream, shredded cheddar or jack, chopped scallions, chopped pickled jalepenos

Directions:
Cook chicken in a large skillet then add to slow cooker. Add 3 T chili powder and the rest of the ingredients, excluding the beer, if using.

Stir, cover and cook on low 6-8 hours.

Just before serving, stir in remaining 2 t chili powder, and beer, if using.  Serve with crusty bread for dipping and toppings of choice.

Slow Cooker Turkey Stew

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Recipe from recipezaar.com

J and I both loved this stew!!  You'll be seeing a lot of slow cooker recipes from me now that the weather is getting cooler.  Especially soups and stews. :) 

To save time in the morning - I cooked the turkey the night before and also chopped all of the veggies.  So in the morning - I just had to throw it together.

Serve this with some fresh, crusty bread.  YUM!

My changes: I skipped the green beans and carrots and used turnips and parsnips instead.


Ingredients:
1 lb ground turkey
1 c chopped celery
1 1/2 c chopped parsnip
1 1/2 c chopped turnip
2 1/2 c tomato juice (next time I may go up to 3 cups - I would've liked just a bit more broth)
1 c mushrooms, sliced 1/4 in thick
1/2 c chopped tomato
1 T dried onion flakes
1 1/2 t Worcestershire
1 t dried basil
1 t dried oregano
1/2 t garlic powder (didn't have any so I threw in 3 cloves minced garlic)
1/2 t sugar
1/4 t pepper
1 bay leaf

Directions:
In a large skillet, cook the turkey, celery, parsnips and turnips until turkey is no longer pink and veggies are soft.  Add to 4 quart slow cooker (I wouldn't go any smaller than this - mine was pretty full.)

Stir in remaining ingredients.  Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours.  Remove bay leaf and serve.

Applesauce & Sage Glazed Pork Loin

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Recipe from Emeril

This is a crockpot recipe that I came across on the Food Network website.  This was absolutely delicious!!  The pork was nice and tender, and the flavors were wonderful!  The parsnips and turnips really soaked up the flavors nicely.

Ingredients:
1 T olive oil
2.5 to 3 lb pork loin roast
2 1/2 t kosher salt
1 t Essence, recipe to follow
1 1/4 t pepper
1 c chicken stock
1 1/2 c diced parsnips
1 1/2 c diced turnips
1/2 c applesauce
1/2 c light brown sugar
2 T apple cider vinegar
1 T chopped fresh sage (I just used about 1 t dried)
1 T chopped fresh rosemary (again used about 1 t dried)
1 t minced fresh ginger

Directions:
Add olive oil to large skillet.  Season pork loin on all sides with 2 t salt, 1 t pepper and Essence.

Brown pork loin on all sides (including ends) for about 2 minutes a piece.

Place pork in slow cooker and add the chicken stock, then the parsnips and turnips. Salt them with the remaining 1/2 t salt, and place the lid on the crock pot.  Set on high for 3 hours.

About 15 minutes before 3 hours is up, combine the applesauce, sugar, vinegar, sage, rosemary and ginger in a small saucepan.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes, until applesauce has thickened.

Once 3 hours is up, pour applesauce mixture over the pork.  Re-cover the crock pot, and set to low for 1 hour longer.

Cut pork into slices and serve with turnips and juices in the pot.

Slow Cooker Chicken w/ Rosemary, Apples and Onions

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Recipe from foodnetwork.com

I love using my crockpot, especially as it gets cooler out.  This is the first crock pot recipe I've made in a long time.  I didn't eat this, yet - I had a change of plans.  But J had it and said it was good.

Ingredients:
2 c sliced onions
2 apples, peeled, cored and sliced
2 lbs chicken (I used chicken thighs)
1/2 t salt
1/4 t ground black pepper
2 T chopped fresh rosemary leaves
1 c chicken broth
1/2 c cream of celery soup
Cooked rice

Directions:
Place onions and apples in slow cooker.  Place the chicken on top and sprinkle with the salt, pepper and rosemary.

Whisk the broth and soup in a small bowl, and then pour over the chicken.

Cook on low 6-8 hours or high 3-4 hours.

Serve over rice.