Slow Cooker Balsamic Chicken

 

If you need an easy and delicious meal for a long day, this is it. I've made it twice and the whole family agrees it's a keeper.

Ingredients 

• 4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or equivalent)
• 2 14.5oz cans diced tomatoes
• 1 medium white onion thinly sliced (not chopped)
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp each: dried oregano, basil, rosemary
• 1/2 tsp. thyme
• ground black pepper & salt to taste

Directions
Pour the olive oil on bottom of slow cooker, add chicken, salt and pepper each breast, put sliced onions on top of chicken, then put in all the dried herbs and garlic cloves. Pour in vinegar and tomatoes.

Cook on high 4 hours (or low pretty much however long you want to). Serve over angel hair pasta or just eat it like a delicious stew.

Originally on skinnyms dot com

Crock Pot Burrito Bowl

Photo and recipe from Rita's Recipes

 I made this recently and thought it was very yummy and easy. I served it over rice and topped it with some cilantro, avocado, and a little lime juice, and it tasted like a fresh burrito bowl from Agave! The next day, I served the leftovers in a wrap and it was tasty too.

Ingredients:
2 frozen chicken breasts
1 can Rotel diced tomatoes
1 bag frozen corn plus a little water (or an undrained can of corn)
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 pkg. Ranch dressing
1 T cumin
1 t chili powder
1 t onion powder
1 8 oz pkg cream cheese

rice or tortillas
avocado, cilantro, lime (optional)

Directions:
Put the frozen chicken in the crock pot.
Add all ingredients and stir to combine, then top with cream cheese.
Cook on low for 6-8 hours, stirring a few times to blend in cheese.
Shred chicken and serve over rice or tortillas and add desired toppings.

Crockpot Beef Stroganoff

Prep Time: 15 Min.
Total Time: 8 Hrs 15 Min.
Makes: 8 servings

Ingredients:
2 pounds beef stew meat
1 cup chopped onion
1 can (10 3/4 ounces) condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 can (10 3/4 ounces) condensed cream of onion soup (any other cream of soup will do)
1 jar (6 ounces) sliced mushrooms, drained
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, cubed
1 container (8 ounces) sour cream
6 cups hot cooked noodles or rice

Preparation:
In 3 1/2- to 4 1/2-quart slow cooker, mix beef, onion, soups, mushrooms and pepper. Cover and cook on low heat setting 8 to 10 hours or until beef is very tender. Stir cream cheese into beef mixture until melted. Stir sour cream into beef mixture. Serve over noodles.

Notes: I added some garlic and halved both cream cheese and sour cream.

BBQ Country Style Ribs (Crock Pot)

We are busily cleaning up broken branches and bushes from our 12+ inch snowstorm, so I decided to do something easy for dinner today.  Yesterday was the last day of our farmers market (*sigh*) so I stocked up on meat and winter squash (they were less than $1 each which I thought was a great deal).  Here's what's in the crock pot:

1 package Pork Country Style Ribs (it was about 1.5 lbs)
1 small bottle of BBQ sauce
Water - 1/2 of BBQ bottle (super scientific)
1/2 of one onion
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
Salt & pepper

I placed 1/2 of the BBQ sauce and onion on the bottom, added the ribs, and then added everything else.  I put it on high for 2 hours and then low for the remainder (total of about 6 hours).  Also, the pork was still pretty frozen but I don't think that makes much of a difference.

We are having sweet potato fries on the side.  Yum!

New England Pot Roast (Crock Pot)

Thank you for suggesting the crock pot challenge! This is my favorite pot roast recipe, from my trusty Betty Crocker. Secret ingredient? Horseradish.

4 pound beef arm, blade or cross rib pot roast
1 to 2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 jar (8 oz) prepared horseradish
1 cup water
8 small potatoes, cut in half
8 medium carrots, cut into fourths (I usually just use a bag of baby carrots)
8 small onions

1. Cook beef in 12 inch skillet over medium heat until brown on all sides.
2. Place potatoes, carrots, and onions in 4- to 6-quart slow cooker. Place beef on vegetables.
3. Mix horseradish, salt, and pepper, and spread evenly over beef.
4. Pour water into slow cooker, cover and cook over low heat for 8 to 10 hours.

Crockpot Chocolate Cake

Oh my stars, this cake is sooooooo delicious and super easy! Make it tonight with vanilla ice cream!

Chocolate Crockpot Cake

1 package chocolate cake mix

1 container of sour cream (8 oz)

1 cup chocolate morsels

1 cup water

4 eggs

3/4 cup vegetable oil

1 package instant chocolate pudding mix

Spray crock pot with nonstick cooking spray. Mix cake mix, sour cream, chocolate morsels, water, egss, oil and pudding mix in a bowl by hand. Pour into crock pot. Cover and cook on low 6-8 hours or high 3-4 hours. Makes about 12 servings.

From--http://blog.cjanerun.com/

Crockpot Carnitas

I just discovered Mama Pea's blog a few weeks ago and as a family that usually eats vegetarian and fish (the mister has a high cholesterol so for the most part, we gave up meat this year), her recipes really appeal to us http://peasandthankyou.com. Oh, and she is really funny too!

I made this on Sunday evening and the house smelled delicious. I have to admit that this was my first time cooking with Seitan (a wheat protein) so I was slightly nervous but both Nathan and I LOVED this dish. I only made half a recipe for the two of us but if you want leftovers go for the whole deal--we definitely will next time around! Carnivores, I promise, you will enjoy it!

http://peasandthankyou.com/recipage/?recipe_id=6003917&prev_term=seitan%20carnitas

Vegetable Beef Soup

Every year my extended family on my mom's side goes on a beach vacation/ family reunion. We rent a house and spend a week reconnecting and enjoying each other's company. Instead of eating out, each family takes turns cooking. It is tradition that on the first night there every year, we will have vegetable beef soup that my Granny has made and brought from home. We always serve it with cornbread. This soup is an approximation by my mom and me to replicate my Granny's soup. It's not nearly as good! But it's hearty and still pretty tasty. Also, I ran out of room in my crock pot so I didn't get to put in all the ingredients. Luckily, it's hard to mess up soup.

Vegetable Beef Soup

1 lb. round steak, stew meat, or ground chuck
1 large onion, chopped
1 large clove garlic, minced
3 stalks celery, sliced
4 carrots, sliced
1 can cut okra in tomatoes
28 oz. can diced tomatoes
16 oz. bag frozen mixed vegetables
15 oz. can kidney beans
About 1 quart water
2-3 tsp. beef bouillon
Salt and pepper to taste

Brown the meat with the onion and garlic. Remove excess grease. Add remainder of ingredients and cook until vegetables are tender – at least 2 hours on the stovetop or all day in the crock pot. About 8-10 servings.

I ended up doubling some things (meat, tomatoes) and not others simply because of space issues. And I totally didn't have room for celery or carrots which probably would have made it much tastier. Sorry, guys!

Chicken and 3 Bean Chowder

Original recipe titled "3 Bean Chowder" Adapted from 101 Things To Do with a Slow Cooker by Stephanie Ashcraft and Janet Eyring
Now titled: Pollo and 3 Bean Chowder by SA
Makes 8-10 servings

1 can Kidney Beans
1 can Fat Free refried beans
2 cans black beans
1 can chicken broth
2 cans of diced stewed tomatoes w/ liquid (or fresh if you got 'em handy)
1 medium onion shopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 table spoon of chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin

5 med-lg Chicken Breasts

1. Combine all ingredients in greased 4-5-quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on low as you prepare the chicken.

2. Cook chicken through on stove top. Remove from heat and shread breasts with forks.

3. Add chicken to the crock pot and cook for a total of 4-5 hours.

I also prepared rice to add to the chowder when I realized it might not be enough to serve 8-10 people.

Enjoy!

Slow-Cooked Pulled Pork

Ingredients
Serves: 12 (I actually doubled this whole recipe and cooked about 8 lbs. of pork)
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 cup(s) ketchup
1/3 cup(s) cider vinegar
1/4 cup(s) packed brown sugar
1/4 cup(s) tomato paste
2 tablespoon(s) sweet paprika
2 tablespoon(s) Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoon(s) yellow mustard
1 1/2 teaspoon(s) salt
1 1/4 teaspoon(s) ground black pepper
Red pepper flakes (optional)
Garlic Powder (optional)
4 pound(s) boneless pork shoulder blade roast (fresh pork butt), cut into 4 pieces

Directions
1. In 4 1/2- to 6-quart slow-cooker pot, stir onion, ketchup, vinegar, brown sugar, tomato paste, paprika, Worcestershire, mustard, salt, and pepper until combined. Add pork to sauce mixture and turn to coat well with sauce.
2. Cover slow cooker with lid and cook pork mixture on low setting as manufacturer directs, 8 to 10 hours or until pork is very tender.
3. With tongs, transfer pork to large bowl. Turn setting on slow cooker to high; cover and heat sauce to boiling to thicken and reduce slightly. (I actually reduced the sauce in a pan to make it go more quickly. I also added some red pepper flakes, garlic powder, and more brown sugar while reducing. )
4. While sauce boils, with 2 forks, pull pork into shreds. Return shredded pork to slow cooker and toss with sauce to combine. Cover slow cooker and heat through on high setting if necessary. Reserve some sauce for topping sandwiches.
5. Serve sandwiches with potato chips & cole slaw.

Recipe adapted from Good Housekeeping