Slow Cooker Mac and Cheese

Now this is a recipe worth waiting for.  We have gained 5 lbs each because I have tested this far to many times!  But I am proud to say, my loathe of the slow cooker phenomenon has slowly turned into a "like" relationship!

For so long a fought the slow cooker trend.  Everything I had, that was cooked in it was like mush, over cooked, or "falling apart" which isn't my favorite way to eat meat.  I used mine to keep chili and meatballs warm on football Sundays!  That was the extent of our relationship.  I slowly in the last year of worked through some of my issues with the slow cooker and maybe have actually enjoyed a few things made in it.  I still don't get the recipes that made you brown or sear meat or do other things first and then put them in the Crock Pot so I steer away from that kind of nonsense.  I mean if you are making things easy, why dirty 3 pots and pans and go through 5 steps before even getting it into the pot?  Yea, not for me. Some people make this with already cooked macaroni.....WHAT?  I don't want mush!

So here is my recipe, I hope you enjoy it.  As long as you mix the liquids first, you can do it all INSIDE "Crocky" and then anticipate the goodness that is to come!

3 cups milk
15 oz can of cheddar cheese soup/sauce
1/4 tsp yellow mustard
1/4 tsp salt
pepper to taste
3 cups UNCOOKED macaroni
8 oz. shredded mild cheddar cheese
1/2 cup butter, chunked up for the top

Whisk the first 5 ingredients together inside your slow cooker.  Add in macaroni and cheese and stir  to combine.  Chunk up your butter and lay it all over the top.  Stir again.  Now set your slow cooker on low for 2.5 hours.  Make sure to stir once or twice during the cooking process just to make sure all ingredients are dancin' and romancin'.   It will be perfect!  I promise!

ENJOY!  We sure have a couple or 4 times!  HEY, don't judge.  It had to be perfect!

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Slow Cooker Sticky Chicken!

More slow cooker recipes!  You asked for them, so I am trying to oblige you!  I am taking a few of our family favorites, that I never used a slow cooker for, and use the slow cooker for quicker, hearty meals that families and especially kids will love!!

This "sticky chicken" as we call it, is DELICIOUS.  I am not sure why we started calling it that, but we did, and the name has "stuck". 
Hardy har har......  
Sometimes we eat it over rice, sometimes over egg noodles.  The awesome thing about this recipe is, it will feed an army, AND the leftover options are endless.   I have taken leftovers, added more stock, carrots, celery, and whatever rice or noodles are left for soup, I have added carrots, peas, potatoes, celery and slapped it in a  pie crust for pot pie.  I have also added chili powder, cheese, and cumin, and turned it into chicken enchiladas.  I mean, you get my drift, you don't have to have the same leftovers again the next night.

On a side note.  This whole "shredding" thing, really REALLY sends me over the edge.  I know I could use my fingers however, usually I am not patient enough to let things cool enough for that.  By the way, as I type this, my mouth is watering and I have chicken skin (goose bumps) just thinking about it.  If I use two forks, and the tines get stuck in each other, it almost sends me into shock.  I am the woman who can't put silverware away in a drawer because it touches each other  (now my teeth hurt) and the sound, OMG the sound.  OK, I can't talk about it anymore.

Here is this easy recipe that is probably one of the most versatile recipes on my website as far as leftover remakes!

4lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of celery soup
1 cup chicken stock
1 T. onion powder
1 tsp. garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste
parsley to sprinkle on top if you choose

Place chicken breasts into your slow cooker.  In a bowl combine, soups, stock, onion powder, garlic powder and salt and pepper.  You may want to wait on the salt since the canned soups are fairly sodium laden (hangs head in shame).  Mix ingredients until completely combined.  Pour over chicken, flip chicken around in the mixture, cover, and set your slow cooker on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-7 hours.  When it is done, remove chicken to a plate and shred.

When it is all shredded, add back into your creamy gravy-ish mixture and stir. 

Serve over rice or egg noodles.  We love both but did egg noodles this time!

I know this photo isn't the greatest, sometimes that just happens, but trust me when I tell you, it is comforting, filling and plain old good for the tummy!

ENJOY!

Slow Cooker Hot Beef Sandwiches

Now, this, ladies and gentleman is going way back for me.  This is one of my favorite comfort foods EVER.  I wish they were calorie free, fat free and all that jazz, but, they aren't.  If they were I could eat them at least 3 times a week.  No joke  But let me tell you what I realized about hot beef sandwiches

Not all of these sandwiches are created the same  In fact, some people have no idea what they are.  (GASP).  I know, right?  When I become an eastie, (moved to NJ) I wanted a hot beef sandwich.  I was missing home and wanted some HOME food.  Not pizza, no cheesesteaks, just as my husband calls it, "farm food".  Well, we went to our favorite diner, (shout out to Golden Palace in Vineland, NJ) and ordered a hot roast beef sandwich.  When it arrived, it was roast beef, swimming in gravy on a toasted hoagie roll.  Ok, it wasn't what I was planning, but, hey, it was as close as I figured I would get, so I enjoyed every luscious bite!  When my husband asked what was different I said, "Where are the potatoes?  Where is the sandwich bread?"  He was not nearly as concerned as I was but, to end this story on a positive note, I did find a hot beef sandwich that slightly resembled my most coveted treat from home.  You were holding your breath, weren't you? 

Now, while I enjoy all things homemade, I have to tell you, I tend to make fake gravy for this but I do it in a "nobody can tell" way..  I use that package that you add 3 or 4 cups of water to, but you could use 3 small packages, or as I will write the recipe, how I do it when I make homemade gravy

Make sure to make a batch of mashed potatoes to serve along side of this delicious sandwich, from my childhood and from, well.......dinner tonight!

You will need
4-5 lb. roast of your choice (I like very little fat for this recipe
2 tbsp. onion powder
1 tbsp. poultry seasoning (I know, just trust me)
1 tbsp. dried parsley
2 tsp. salt (if making homemade gravy, reduce to 1 if using package gravy)
1 tsp. black pepper (or to taste, or not at all)
3-4 cups of beef stock or water with bouillon cubes
1/2 cup flour
3 tbsp. butter
kitchen bouquet (as desired)
ALL liquid left from your slow cooker

In your slow cooker, add your roast.  Sprinkle over onion powder, poultry seasoning, dried parsley, salt and pepper to taste.  Add in beef stock or water and bouillon cubes.  Place the lid on and cook on high for 6 hours.  I normally like my roast beef medium, but for this you want it well done.  Don't mess with it just let it go.

When your roast is done, remove unto a platter.  Leaving your slow cooker on high!

Now, to the stock left in your slow cooker, add in flour, butter and Kitchen Bouquet, and whisk that goodness until it is glossy, and thickened. 

(If using packages of gravy, add them right into the stock and whisk until no lumps appear)

Slice your roast beast and then slide it back into the gravy.  Place on warm until you are ready to serve.  Make a sandwich, add a side of mashed potatoes and your carb heaven has arrived!

This is perfect to make extra and freeze for later!

ENJOY!

Slow Cooker Italian Style Stuffed Peppers

Ok so here is the scenario.............

You are invited to your kids house for dinner.  Your daughter in law and son are both good cooks.  But when you walk in the house  you just know THIS time is going to be different.  You sit down to dinner, and literally moan and groan over each bite of deliciousness.  This is what happened to me. 

My daughter in law and I have a great relationship.  Shocked? HA!  Oh we butt heads, we disagree, but, I just adore her strength, her mothering, her sense of humor, she is just a delight.  (sometimes a sick little delight) ROFL  Anyway, she was kind enough to tell me how she made these stuffed peppers and said that her mom-mom (eastie speak for grandma btw) has made these for years, ths way. 

I am not sure I recall my mom ever making stuffed peppers, I only had eaten them as an adult.  And I have a strange relationship with bell peppers.  If they are cooked, I want them to resemble mush.  If they are warm and crisp tender, I might hurl.  Cold and crispy or hot and soft.  Those are their only chance with me!  Kayla had said she left hers in to long, psshhh......not a chance, they were perfection!  My measurements and such may not be the same as hers but I got the whole idea and made them to share with you. 

I like the idea of the Italian style, I served mine with a little pasta and that heavenly sauce that took on the roasted pepper flavor, was nectar from the Gods.  It tasted VERY much like my Roasted Tomato and Red Pepper Marinara.  It was like a meatball, in a smooshy pepper, on some pasta, topped with this sauce, and my goodness was it a delight.

Make these, in your SLOW COOKER!!  I swear it is what this kitchen appliance was MADE for!

This recipe makes 6 peppers.  I used a couple of different colors, for interest.  But next time, I am sticking with green on this one, not generally what I would choose but they hold up the best in my opinion!

You will need:

2lbs lean ground beef
3/4 cup regular rice (not minute)
1 tbsp. Italian seasoning
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
6 bell peppers
4-6 cups of your favorite marinara/spaghetti sauce

In a large bowl combine ground beef, rice, Italian seasoning, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.  Get your hands in there, become one with your food!! Mix until completely combined.  Set aside.

To prepare your peppers, cut the tops off, just beneath the stems.  Use a spoon to scrape out the sides and membranes (the white stuff), rinse and repeat. 

Now start stuffing.  This will depend on size, but I had exactly the right amount of stuffing to exactly fill all 6 peppers.  You can take some, add some, whatever you need to do to fill your peppers. 

Spray the inside of your slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray, it just makes clean up easier.  Place the peppers in the crock pot, and pour over your spaghetti sauce.  Make sure each is topped with sauce and there is some standing in the bottom.  Put the lid on and cook for 4 hours on high or 6-8 on low.  Now by all means, don't cook these quite as long if you want a more crisp pepper.

Serve with some crusty bread, or pasta, or both!  These are a delicious version of stuffed peppers and I do hope you give it a try!

Thanks Kay for your recipe!  Love you toots!

ENJOY!

Slow Cooker Shredded Italian Chicken Subs

Good Evening!  It is starting to be REALLY chilly here in the Midwest.  With the time change it is almost dark at 4:30, but truth be told, I don't really mind it.  I mean, winter is supposed to be dark and snowy right?  It isn't like I need it to be light until 9 to be out grillin' up a hog with the neighbors ya know?  Anyway, how do you feel about the time change?

As most of you know, I used to absolutely despise the slow cooker.  I think I am reformed, sort of.  I realize and understand many of you depend on them to feed your families great meals in such a busy world.  I am slowly grasping it, and possibly loving it.  To me slow cookers were to keep chili hot on game day, or meatballs hot, on game day! HAHA.  I have been experimenting and this recipe turned out really well.  I loved it.  A little zing, a lot of flavor, a buttered toasted roll, tons of melty cheese, I mean, "git outta heeeaaa".  I hope you enjoy these subs as much as we did, and the second day, the leftovers went into a nice salad!

4.5 lbs. boneless chicken breasts or thighs (I used breasts)
1/2 cup Italian salad dressing
1T. dried Italian seasoning
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. garlic salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper

Add all ingredients to your slow cooker EXCEPT the chicken.  Whisk together.  Now turn each piece of chicken in the liquid mixture as you add it in.  Turn your slow cooker to low for 5-6 hours or high for 3 hours.  You can shred it or just piece it apart.  Place on a toasted sub roll, use plenty of provolone and melt under your broiler.  Add a couple  of slices of tomato and holy YUM!  A hit with my family! Please just don't forget the buttered and toasted roll and cheese please!

Enjoy this easy dinner!

Slow Cooker Chicken and Dumplings

You know, I don't recall having chicken and dumpling a lot as a kid.  Maybe once or twice only.  That sounds almost abusive to me now, since I love it so much.  I forgive you mom. 

A couple of years ago now I found this easy recipe over at Christy Jordan's Southern Plate,  The first time I made it, it was like, I don't know, heaven to strong of a word?  We loved it.  It was easy, a bit of a shortcut, and honestly the best version I have had yet. 

So fast forward to a week ago.  I decided to try this in the crock pot.  I added a few things, here and there, tweaked a couple of things, and got my dumplin' on people!  Holy guacamole, delish.

Without further adieu let's get on with the slow cooking!  I am kind of grasping this slow cooker thing I have fought so hard and long to avoid!  This makes a good size batch, I kind of double, or something'd (<----my own language there) the recipe and did a little tweaking this time. 

26 ounce can of cream of chicken soup
2 T butter
3 cups chicken stock (I suggest low sodium always especially with the use of a canned soup)
1 tsp. poultry seasoning
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1 tbsp. onion powder
6 boneless skinless chicken breasts (8 if you do thighs) THAWED
2 packages flaky refrigerator biscuits

Add together, soup, butter, stock poultry seasoning, pepper, and onion powder into your slow cooker.  Whisk until combined.  Add in chicken and set on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours.   When there is ONE hour left, take biscuits and you can leave them whole or peel the layers apart, and cut each into 4 pieces.  Toss them in and when you are done, push them down into the liquid.  Let cook one more hour, stir to break up the dumplings and serve. 

Note: In a world where my husband loved veggies, I would add 2 chopped carrots and 2 ribs of celery to the soup mixture!

Ohhh la la!

Crockpot O' Pintos

Ahh, so we meet again.  Me....and the bean. I mean, you and I as well, but that is a beautiful meeting.  Me and the bean have not had a relationship for 40 years.  I want to love the bean, my health wants to love the bean, and always having to pick beans out of chili at the parties of friends and family gets tedious.  This recipe, didn't make me love the bean any better. 

Let me clarify.  This is a great recipe.  It is especially great for someone who loathes beans, but wanted to learn to make a good pot of beans and has no idea what a good pot of beans tastes like.  Phew, did you get all that?  I listened to a lot of your comments and advice.  I even attempted this "method" that would make the room smell nice even after consuming the beans. 

Let's just cut to the chase.  I hope you give you these a try.  They are crockpot friendly for all of you crocky lovers out there and I hope you enjoy them as much as the beans lovers in my family did!

This is a bit of a process at first, but, well not really.  Ok for some of you it might be but just do it.  Trust me.

First off you will need:
4 cups dried pinto beans

Rinse these in a strainer.  Pick out any rocks, odd pieces, I even have heard of there being sticks in them.  Just clean them up and rinse a couple of times.  Now place in a pot, and cover with water.  Make sure the water comes up a few inches higher than the beans.  Place on high heat and bring to a boil.  Let boil for 5 minutes.  Immediately drain the water.  It will be brown and gross looking.  This is "supposedly" all the toxins that will keep your house from blowing up with gas from whoever eats these!   Now, rinse the beans again.  Place back in the pot, cover with water.  Again, make the water a few inches higher, cover and let sit for at least 8 hours.  Overnight is awesome, 12ish hours is even better. 

Now get up, get yourself going and get your crockpot out.   Here is what you will need for the rest:

1 ham bone (ham hock or bacon will work too) 
2 medium onions, peeled and quartered
2 cups beef stock (use veggie or chicken if you choose)
2 cups water
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 tbsp. chili powder
1 tbsp. cumin
2 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper

Place beans in your slow cooker.  Add stock, water, and all seasonings.  Stir it up and then nestle your onions and ham bone down in the beanie bed of love.  Put the lid on, set on high and let it rip for 8 hours.  If you need to add water as it cooks, please do so.  (or stock).  Serve as you wish.  With cornbread, with cheese, with cilantro, with anything you please!

You can feel free to smoosh the life outta these babies, toss them in a skillet with a bit of oil, and make some homemade refried beans!

ENJOY!

PS.  What I failed to tell you when I wrote this post was that I actually used a CORNED BEEF for the first 2 hours.  I had leftover corned beef in the freezer sitting right next to the ham bone.  I saw pink and tossed it in.  When I went to stir it, I was like...hmm, this is NOT ham.  Holy cow, it was in fact, corned beef!  Of course this was after I forgot to turn the crockpot ON for an hour.  UGH!  See, everyone makes mistakes, especially in a hurry.  Moral of the story, MARK YOUR ZIPLOC BAGS! HAHA!

Crock Pot Chicken and Tots (this is SO hard for me)

It is the moment you all have been waiting for. I had to gather strength, and courage for this one. Don't laugh, you know how difficult this chapter in my life is. I looked at it, I even moved it around a few times. I talked to it, I yelled at it. But the time has come, that we have united, for a greater cause. Me and my crocky (crock pot) have come together, on good terms to assist working parents, or anyone who needs a one pot kind of situation.

You all know how I feel about crock pots. Crocky overcooks everything for me. I don't like fork tender, smooshy roast. In fact, I am not a huge roast beast fan at all. Crocky for me, is good for 2 things. Keeping chili hot during a Philadelphia Eagles game or keeping meatballs warm, during a Philadelphia Eagles game. I have nothing against anyone who loves their crocky. I get it, I really do but that doesn't mean I LIKE it. Ya know?

A fellow blogger said she was making this recipe once and it sounded interesting enough for me to bring crocky out of hiding. It turned out OK. It feeds a small army so I might make only half of a recipe if I were to do this again. I think it will be a hit for all of you with kids or hearty appetites to feed! I served it with some biscuits and green beans.

I am going to tell you how to make it, but if I break out in a sweat, and begin to shake, just know...this to shall pass. I get nervous around my crock pot! Oh yea and you just can't photograph stuff in a crockpot well. Not this anyway so I don't apologize for this crap photo. What do you expect from a crockpot?!

32 oz bag of seasoned tator tots (you can use plain, seasoned is just better
3 cups of shredded cheddar cheese
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into cubes
6 strips of bacon (fried to extra crispy and crumbled)
1 cup of milk
1 tbsp onion powder
1 tbsp all purpose seasoning
salt and pepper to taste

If you have the plastic bag like crock pot liners, this would be a good time to break those bad boys out. Cleaning this up is NOT fun.

You will layer your ingredients. First layer half of your tator tots in the bottom. Add 1 cup of cheese and 1/3 of your bacon. Next layer your cubed uncooked chicken, season the top of the chicken with onion powder and all purpose seasoning, 1/3 of the bacon. 1 more cup of cheese, the second half of your tator tots, the rest of the cheese and then rest of the bacon on top. Pour over 1 cup of milk and cover.

Salt and pepper each layer as you see fit. Cook on high for 4-5 hours, or on low for 8 hours.

We really liked this. Again I am not sure where the recipe came from, just came from a friend but I understand it is a recipe that has been around awhile. I hope you enjoy it. If you don't, I am only the messenger. We will find the creator together! HA!

Your "does naming my crockpot, Crocky mean I like it" chefwannabe

 

PS. Serve with a dollop of sour cream on top!

SouthWest Seasoned Pork Loin

Well......what to say, what to say.  It is just a spiced pork loin.  But I loved the spice so much, and thought of several things to do with the pork I thought I should share.  I think sometimes we forget that the the best tasting things are many times the simplest things.  I am simple.  Wait, that doesn't sound right.  I like simple things.  From life to food, simple is how I roll!  Ok this is starting out a little random.  Let me try again.

I made this pork loin, and I roasted it in the oven,  but it would be awesome in the crockpot and shredded for any southwest or Mexican dish you enjoy shredded pork on.  The flavor is awesome and, well, that is the part I mostly decided to share with you.  This is an official crock pot doable recipe.  Oh. Em. Gee.  I did it.  Perhaps that is why this blog is so hard to write, the words crock and pot rarely are typed into this computer and quite frankly, it terrifies me that I have become "one of you", as in crock pot lovers! Just kidding.......I get it, I get it.  I am laughing with you.  You are laughing right?

I used a 4lb pork loin.  You could use any cut of pork you like I suppose.  Make sure it is thawed and dry it off with paper towels.  It will make the rub stick better and won't be slimy.  You get my drift, I know you do.

I would advise to do this the day before.  When the rub is on put it in a Ziploc or in a container with a lid and let it sit for at least 12 hours.

Here is the spice combination I used:
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp onion salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cayenne (optional)

Mix in a small bowl and pat unto your meat all the way around and the top and bottom.  Put in a Ziploc or container with a lid and let marinate for at least 12 hours. (OK, OK, overnight is fine)

Put in the crock pot on low for 8 hours.  Shred and use in taco's, quesadilla's, anything!

I put mine in the oven at 350, covered until my internal temp was....I usually go 150 as an internal temp for pork.  It took about an hour and a half I believe.  Please don't come back and say, "It took mine 3 hours" or "it took mine 15 minutes"  because the truth is, I completely forgot how long I roasted it.

So that is it.  I ended up using the leftovers for some pork fried rice, and thin sliced on sandwiches.  Was awesome in both instances.  You could even PULL your pork!

So there it is, my easy, peasy, chili/southwestern spiced pork loin.  I am not a huge lover of the pork, so this made it extra tasty for me.  I plan on doing this with chicken soon.  I don't see any reason not to, do you?

Hope you like it!!

Your "did I really post something for a crock pot"chefwannabe