Perfect Pot Roast and Gravy

I was craving pot roast, but was kind of sick of the same old recipe, so I decided to try this one. Holy Moly. It was SO good!!! It was really different, but so, so yummy. I think this will be my new go-to!

Perfect Pot Roast and Gravy

by Mel's Kitchen Café

Ingredients:

Roast:

• 3 to 5 pound chuck roast, trimmed of extra fat
• Coarse, kosher salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 to 2 large yellow onions, sliced in thick rings
• 3 cloves garlic, smashed
• 8 ounce can tomato sauce
• 3 cups low-sodium beef broth
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon coarse, kosher salt
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• 6 to 7 large carrots, peeled and cut into 2- or 3-inch pieces

Gravy:

• 6 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 to 4 cups juices/drippings from roast

Directions:

1. Season the roast on all sides with a few pinches of salt and pepper.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until hot and rippling. Add the roast, and brown on all sides, about 1-2 minutes per side.
3. Place the onions in the bottom of a 7-or 8-quart slow cooker, toss the smashed garlic on top, and transfer the roast to sit on top of the onions and garlic.
4. In the same skillet, reduce the heat to medium and add the tomato sauce, scraping up the yummy browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Add the beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, allspice, thyme, salt and pepper (use less salt and pepper if you used regular beef broth and not low-sodium). Add the bay leaf.
5. Pour the mixture over the roast. All slow cooker sizes are different but it helps if the meat is mostly covered with liquid (or at least the liquid comes up nearly to the top of the meat).
6. Nestle the carrots around the roast.
7. Cover and cook on low 8-9 hours until the meat is very tender.
8. Transfer the meat, carrots, and onions to a platter and tent with foil.
9. Remove the bay leaf and pour the drippings/juice from the slow cooker into a large measuring cup (or into a fat separator if you want to pour off excess fat).
10. For the gravy, melt the butter in a medium pot until sizzling. Stir in the flour and cook for 30 seconds or so. Whisking vigorously and constantly (no lumps in our gravy!), gradually add 3 to 4 cups of the pot roast juices, until the desired consistency of gravy is reached.
11. Continue stirring quickly while the gravy comes to a simmer. Let it cook for 1-2 minutes. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper, if needed.
12. Serve immediately with the pot roast and vegetables (and mashed potatoes, of course!).

Slow Cooker Taco Chicken

This was AMAZING. It was better than any taco chicken I've ever made. It's going to be my new go-to. YUMMERIFIC!



Slow Cooker Taco ChickenRecipe adapted by Our Best Bites
Ingredients:
2-2 1/4 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup Italian salad dressing (I used Olive Garden)
1 packet Ranch dressing
1/2 cup water
1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon coriander
6-8 cloves smashed garlic (don’t worry about actually chopping it…unless you want to…)
1 tablespoon dehydrated onion
Juice of 1 lime
Salt to taste
Chipotle Tabasco Sauce to taste (optional)
Instructions:
Place all the ingredients except for the lime, salt, and Tabasco sauce in your slow cooker and cook for 5-6 hours on LOW or until the chicken shreds easily with a fork. When done, shred the chicken with two forks and sprinkle with lime juice. Taste and season with salt and Chipotle Tabasco Sauce (it’s smokey and a little milder than the original Tabasco Sauce, so it’s perfect here) to taste. Serves 8-10.

Slow Cooker Red Beans and Rice with Chicken Sausage

Mmmmm, this was serious comfort food, but also generally healthy. And I love that it was made in the slow cooker.

photo courtesy of Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Slow Cooker Red Beans and Rice with Chicken Sausage

• from Mel's Kitchen Cafe
• 
  
• Ingredients:
• 1 cup diced yellow or white onion
• 1 medium green bell pepper, diced
• 4 (15-ounces each) cans kidney beans, undrained
• 1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons coarse or freshly cracked black pepper (see note above)
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 2-3 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1 1/2 pounds kielbasa or chicken sausage, sliced (see note above) 
• Hot, cooked brown rice, white rice or quinoa for serving

Directions:

1. Combine all the ingredients except the kielbasa/sausage in a medium slow cooker and give it a good stir. Cook on high for 4-5 hours or on low for 7-8 hours. Add the sausage and cook until warmed through (anywhere from 20 minutes to another hour). 
2. Add additional salt to taste before serving. Serve over hot, cooked rice (white or brown) or quinoa.

Mel's notes:

For the kielbasa/sausage, you're looking for precooked sausage that you slice into rounds - I like using the chicken sausage (Aidell's brand). Something similar, pork or beef or turkey, would work for this recipe.

Vegetable and Chickpea Curry

I'm looking for new vegetarian recipes, and this one is a great find, especially because it can be thrown in the crockpot!

Vegetable and Chickpea Curry

Source: myrecipes.com

1 tablespoon olive oil 

1 1/2 cups chopped onion 

1 cup (1/4-inch-thick) slices carrot 

1 tablespoon curry powder 

1 teaspoon brown sugar 

1 teaspoon grated peeled fresh ginger 

2 garlic cloves, minced 

1 serrano chile, seeded and minced 

3 cups cooked chickpeas (garbanzo beans) 

1 1/2 cups cubed peeled baking potato 

1 cup diced green bell pepper 

1 cup (1-inch) cut green beans 

1/2 teaspoon salt 

1/4 teaspoon black pepper 

1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper 

1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained 

1 (14-ounce) can vegetable broth 

3 cups fresh baby spinach 

1 cup light coconut milk 

6 lemon wedges 

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion and carrot; cover and cook 5 minutes or until tender. Add curry powder, sugar, ginger, garlic, and chile; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.

Place onion mixture in a 5-quart electric slow cooker. Stir in chickpeas and next 8 ingredients (through broth). Cover and cook on HIGH 6 hours or until vegetables are tender. Add spinach and coconut milk; stir until spinach wilts. Serve with lemon wedges.

Slow Cooker Teriyaki Chicken

Photo courtesy of gimmesomeoven.com

I love my crock pot.  Especially in the winter time.  I also love teriyaki chicken so when I saw this recipe I was enticed.  It was really, really good!  You do have to do one extra step in the end (thicken the sauce) before you can eat but overall very easy and very yummy!

Slow Cooker Teriyaki Chicken

Recipe from gimmesomeoven.com

PREP: 10 MINS COOK: 4 HOURS 10 MINS TOTAL: 4 HOURS 20 MINS

INGREDIENTS:

2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup chopped white onion
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup soy sauce (use low-sodium if desired)
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh ginger
1/8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup cold water
3 Tbsp. cornstarch
(optional toppings: sliced scallions and toasted sesame seeds)

DIRECTIONS:

Add the chicken breasts to the bottom of your slow cooker in a single layer.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the garlic, onion, honey, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, ginger, and black pepper until combined. Pour the mixture on top of the chicken breasts. Cover slow cooker, and cook on high for 4-5 hours, or until the chicken is cooked through and shreds easily with a fork. Remove the chicken with a slotted spoon to a separate bowl and shred it using two forks. Transfer the remaining teriyaki sauce from the slow cooker to a medium saucepan.

Meanwhile in a separate bowl, whisk together the cold water and cornstarch until the cornstarch is dissolved and no longer lumpy. Pour the cornstarch slurry into the teriyaki sauce mixture, and whisk to combine. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, and let it boil for about 1-2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat, and pour the sauce on top of the shredded chicken. Toss to combine.

Serve topped with scallions (green onions) and toasted sesame seeds if desired.

Loved this recipe.  It was even better the second day and each day after.  Honestly, I kind of feel like the chicken was an afterthought so wouldn't feel totally compelled to use it.  I did have to add some extra water in the end but it was so hearty and flavorful.  Plus...a slow cooker...hello!

Slow Cooker Quinoa Chicken Chili Recipe

Recipe from queenbeecoupons.com

INGREDIENTS

1 cup of quinoa, rinsed

One (1) 28 oz can of diced tomatoes (you could use crushed)

One (1) 14 oz can diced tomatoes with green chilies (Rotel)

Two (2) 16 oz cans of black beans, rinsed, drained

One (1) 15 oz can of corn, drained

3 Cups chicken stock

2 large chicken breasts, frozen or thawed (cook longer if frozen)

1 tsp garlic powder

2 tsp cumin

1 tsp crushed red pepper

2 tsp chili powder

This has a nice little kick to it, but I didn’t think it was too spicy. If you’re nervous about spice, reduce the red pepper and the chili powder by half.

HOW TO PREPARE

1.) Toss everything into slow cooker and cook for 6-8 hours on low or 4-7 hours on high. I added frozen chicken breasts to mine and cooked on high for about six hours. As long as the chicken is cooked – it’s done!

2.) Remove chicken and shred it with two forks. Return to slow cooker.

3.) Top with cheese, sour cream, avocados – whatever sounds good to you! I’m thinking the next day it would probably thicken up enough to eat in a whole wheat tortilla.

Slow-Cooker Coconut Ginger Chicken and Vegetables

Pic courtesy Simple Bites

I made this for dinner on Sunday. It was risky b/c we had the sister missionaries to dinner, but man oh man, it was worth it. It was SO yummy. Christian even loved it! It'll definitely be a repeat.

Slow-Cooker Coconut Ginger Chicken and Vegetables
adapted from Simple Bites 

Ingredients

• 4 cloves garlic, peeled
• 2 inch cube of ginger (about 30 grams), roughly chopped
• 1 small sweet onion, peeled, quartered
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 2 Tablespoons butter
• 2.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into four
• 2 cans coconut milk, not shaken
• 2 Tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 cup fresh or frozen vegetables of your choice (I used red pepper and carrots)

For the spice blend

• 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander (I subbed caraway seed)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder (I added a little more than this.)
• 1 teaspoon salt

Instructions

1. Combine ingredients from the spice blend together and set aside.
2. In a mini food processor, combine garlic, ginger and onion and pulse until it forms a paste.
3. In a saute pan, heat olive oil and melt butter. Add pureed aromatics and stir well. Cook for a few minutes, then add spice blend. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly.
4. Move aromatics to one side of the pot and add chicken pieces to the pan. Cook chicken slightly on all sides, using a sturdy wooden spoon to move it around the pot. It should get thoroughly coated with the spice mixture. Transfer chicken and spices to slow cooker.
5. Open the cans of coconut milk and remove the cream from the top using a soup spoon. You should have about 1 cup. Pour the coconut milk over the chicken and with both cans, it should just barely cover the chicken.
6. Cook on low for 4 hours.
7. Whisk cornstarch with coconut cream until smooth and add to the chicken. Stir well. Add frozen or fresh vegetables of your choice. Cook for another half an hour or until you deem the chicken cooked and the vegetables hot.
8. Serve over hot rice.

Pesto Ranch Crock Pot Chicken

Pic courtesy Picky Palate

Crock pot meals are a lot more common in our house these days as we are busy, busy with house stuff. We love pesto so I thought I'd give this one a try. The flavor was good, but it was a tad bit dry, so next time, I'd cook it for a little less time. Also, I made it with brown rice, not mashed potatoes and I used chicken breasts- not thighs. I changed the recipe up quite a bit from the recipe on Picky Palate since I didn't want to add a package of preservative-filled Ranch dressing mix. Found a substitute ranch packet recipe on allrecipes that I used. This is a great weeknight meal to throw in the rotation and mix things up a bit.

Pesto Ranch Crock Pot Chicken
adapted from Picky Palate 

3 chicken breasts (frozen is fine)
3 oz jar of pesto
1/2 tsp dried parsley
1/3 tsp black pepper (or to taste)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp garlic powder
pinch of onion powder
pinch of dried thmye
1/2 cup chicken broth

Place chicken breasts in crockpot. Combine all remaining ingredients except broth. Spread pesto mixture over chicken breasts. Pour broth over and cook for 4 hours on low.

Crock Pot Enchilada Steak

I found this recipe on Pinterest and tried it last week.  It was so good and super easy to make.  I was picking at the steak meat all night long because it was flavored perfectly and really tender.  Plus, its done in the crockpot and you can do whatever you want with it afterwards- we used it for tacos, but the original recipe uses them for baked enchiladas.

courtesy

Crock Pot Enchilada Steak

Adapted from Chef in Training

2 lbs. stew meat (I used 1lb lean, 1 lb. with a little fat)

1 16-oz. can red enchilada sauce 

2 beef bullion cubes

Refried beans (see this recipe for homemade)

Tacos and desired fillings

Place stew meat in crock pot.  Top with crushed bullion cubes (if yours wont crush, put them in a small container with a little water for about 30 seconds and then crush) and enchilada sauce.  Cook on low for 7-8 hours, until meat is very tender and falls apart.  Drain off extra juice and use meat as desired.  Here's the link for the original recipe if you'd like to make enchiladas.

Mom's Beef Stew

Yummmm....just what you need on a cold winter's day!

Mom's Beef Stew

adapted from favfamilyrecipes.com

2 lbs. steak, cubed (or buy stew meat)

Tabasco sauce

Worcestershire sauce

salt and pepper

1 medium onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

3-4 cups beef broth

2 large potatoes, cleaned and cut into large cubes

3-4 carrots, peeled and cut

1/2 cup frozen corn

1/2 cup frozen peas

1/2 small can tomato sauce (or to taste)

cornstarch (optional)

Braise beef in oil until just brown on all sides (turning only once if possible).  Add Tabasco, Worcestershire, and salt and pepper to taste.  Add onions and saute until onions become clear.  Transfer to a *large pot and add beef broth, potatoes, and carrots.  Bring to a boil, then simmer for **about an hour (or until potatoes are cooked through).  If you want the beef to be really tender, simmer for even longer.  About 20 minutes before serving, add corn, peas, and tomato sauce and simmer until ready to serve.  If you like your stew nice and thick, add about 1 Tbsp. of cornstarch to some beef broth, stir until smooth, then stir into the stew.  Add beef broth to thin out and cornstarch to thicken.  Add salt and pepper to taste before serving.  

*you can also throw everything in a crockpot and cook on low 6-8 hours

**The potatoes cooked much faster than I expected, so I would suggest adding them later so they only cook for about 45 minutes.  Otherwise they will get mushy.

Italian Crock Pot Chicken

Mom made this at Emily's house while I was visiting in Albuquerque to see the triplets! It was delicious! I came home and wanted to make it but its nowhere to be found on the blog. It's in our cookbook so I thought I would post it. Jennefer submitted the recipe but doesn't know how to post on the blog so I'll do it for her!


Italian Chicken
8 oz cream cheese
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can mushrooms (optional)
4 chicken breast
Italian dressing packet

Cook chicken and dressing packet with 1/4c. of water for 3 hours on high in crock pot (chicken can still be frozen). Mix cream of chicken soup, mushrooms, and cream cheese and blend into crock pot. Cook for one more hour. Serve over rice or noodles.

Crockpot Barbecue Chicken

Pic courtesy Stick a Fork In It

In food, just as in life, there's the sweet and the savory. Barbecue, for me, is one of those foods that kinda lingers between the two. It's so sweet but savory at the same time (at least the way I like it)! There's really not much better- whether it's a nice steak or a yummy ice cream sundae. I could literally eat it for a week straight. That being said, here's another BBQ crockpot recipe that I made a couple days ago that we loved. I made mashed potatoes with it and then sprinkled it with cheese. Mmmmm.


Barbecue Crockpot Chicken
from Stick a Fork in It 

4-6 pieces boneless skinless chicken breasts (i threw them in frozen... even easier!)
1 bottle BBQ sauce
1/4 c vinegar
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/4 c brown sugar
1/2 - 1 tsp. garlic powder

mix BBQ sauce with all ingredients listed under it. place chicken in crockpot. pour sauce over it and cook on LOW for 4-6 hours. Shred if desired.

Slow-Cooker Weeknight Chili

 

Pic courtesy Cook's Country

I looooooove chili. It's definitely one of my favorite soups. And, being the soup lover that I am, that's kinda saying a lot. So, when I saw Cook's Country's crockpot chili, I knew I wanted to give it a try. And, when I saw rain in the forecast for this weekend, I knew I wanted to try it THIS weekend. It was really good- full of flavor from all the different spices and red pepper, onion, and BACON (yes, you read that right- bacon!). I made a few changes to their recipe, though. First of all, I halved it, didn't put coriander in that the original recipe called for (I put in a little extra cumin and some parsley), and I added some brown sugar at the very end (because everything's better with brown sugar:)). Also, since I don't have a Dutch oven, I just used a regular pot (not nonstick, though).

Slow-Cooker Weeknight Chili

 adapted from Cook's Country

• 1/4 cup chili powder
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon parsley
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 8 ounces bacon, chopped fine
• 2 onions, chopped medium
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped medium
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 pounds 85 percent lean ground chuck (I used 93% and it was great)
•   1 can (28 ounces) tomato puree
•   1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 2 (15.5-ounce) cans dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• brown sugar to taste (I used about 1/8 to 1/4 cup)

Instructions

• 1. Toast chili powder, cumin, parsley, oregano, cayenne, and pepper flakes in large Dutch oven over medium heat until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Transfer toasted spices to bowl. Add bacon to Dutch oven and cook over medium heat until crisp, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer bacon to plate lined with paper towels and pour off all but 1 teaspoon fat from pot. Return pot to medium heat, add onions and bell pepper, and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
• 2. Add beef, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Increase heat to medium-high and cook, using wooden spoon to break up beef into 1/2-inch pieces, until just slightly pink, about 5 minutes. Drain beef and vegetables in colander.
• 3. Add tomato puree, diced tomatoes, and toasted spices to empty pot and bring to simmer over medium-high heat, scraping up any browned bits from bottom of pot. Return drained beef and vegetable mixture and bacon to pot, stir to combine, and bring to simmer. Transfer contents to slow-cooker insert.
• 4. Set slow cooker to low, cover, and cook until tender, 6 to 8 hours, stirring in beans during last hour of cooking. (Alternately, cook on high for 3 to 4 hours.) Beef will get tough if you cook longer than 8 hours. Add brown sugar to taste. Adjust seasonings and serve. (Leftovers can be refrigerated for several days or frozen for several months.)
• Make Ahead: If you’d prefer to just dump the chili ingredients into the slow cooker before running off to work, you can do all the work the night before. Follow the recipe through step 3, but continue to simmer the assembled chili for 10 minutes. Transfer the chili to an airtight container and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, simmer the chili in a Dutch oven for 10 minutes, then transfer it to your slow cooker and proceed with step 4. Serve with cheese, sour cream, and/or crackers.

 

Slow Cooker Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

Now that school has started, I've formed a closer relationship with my slow cooker because I have ZERO extra time (those of you who don't have school-aged kids yet, soak up the hours of deciding your own schedules).  While our weather in Texas hasn't started cooling off yet, soup season is beginning to slowly creep in and I've found a few that I'm dying to try.  This one was top of my list and I'm glad I put it to the test.  It was easy, kid-friendly, full of flavor, and made a lot of hungry mouths happy.

courtesy

Slow Cooker Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

Chef Mommy

4 1/2 cups chicken broth

2 cups water

1 cup diced carrots

1 cup diced celery

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, thawed

1 pgk. Rice-a-Roni long grain and wild rice

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup butter

2 cups half and half (I used fat free)

Combine broth, water, carrots, celery, chicken, rice (with seasoning packet), salt and pepper in the crock pot.  Cook on low for 4 hours, or high for 6 hours.  With about 30 minutes left on slow cooker, melt butter in saucepan over stovetop, add salt and pepper and then flour by tablespoons and mix to make a roux.  Then, whisk in the half and half, a little at a time, until combined and smooth.  Set roux aside while you remove the chicken from the crock pot, shred it, and then put it back in crock pot, along with the roux.  Mix to combine and continue to cook until time is done.  Enjoy!

Crockpot Chicken Fajitas

Crockpot Chicken Fajitas

1 yellow onion, sliced
3 sweet peppers, sliced
1 ½ pounds boneless chicken breast or thighs
1/4 to ½ cup chicken broth, depending on preference
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons cumin
1 ½ tablespoons chili powder
Squirt of lime juice
Tortillas
Fajita fixings

Combine sliced onion and peppers in the bottom of a greased crockpot. Lay chicken on top of veggies. Pour chicken broth over top. Sprinkle everything with cumin, salt, and chili powder. Give a nice quirt of lime juice over the top. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours (or on High for 4-6 hours). When meat is done, shred with two forks and stir back into juices. Serve meat mixture with slotted spoon on tortillas with your choice of fixings.

Vegetable Lasagna...in a crock pot!

This meal was so good that I wanted to stop mid-meal and post it.  But, I couldn't pull myself away from the plate.  And, who doesn't love a crock pot meal?  So easy.  We loved it.

courtesy google images

Vegetable Lasagna

Adapted from Eatingwell.com

1 large egg

1 15-oz. container cottage cheese (or ricotta, if you prefer)

1 5-oz. package baby spinach, coarsely chopped

1 pkg. sliced fresh mushrooms, chopped

1 zucchini, quartered lengthwise and thinly sliced

2 28-oz. diced tomatoes

3 cloves garlic, minced

Pinch of crushed red pepper

Salt, Pepper as desired

1 Tbs. dried basil

1/2 Tbs. dried oregano

Garlic Salt, as desired

3 cups mozzarella cheese, divided

Favorite Pkg. of Noodles (I used penne)

Combine egg, cottage cheese, spinach, mushrooms, zucchini, salt, garlic salt, and pepper in a large bowl.  Combine tomatoes, and all remaining spices and minced garlic in medium sized bowl.    Coat your crock pot with cooking spray.  Pour 1 1/2 cups of tomato mixture in bottom, followed by half of cottage cheese mixture, then another 1 1/2 cups of the tomato sauce, half of the package of noodles, and then 1 1/2 cups of the mozzarella.  Repeat all previous layers.  Cook on high for 4-5 hours, mixing entire meal together HALFWAY through to allow all noodles to cook evenly.  Enjoy!

Chili Blanco

Pic courtesy of Google Images

We had a pot luck luncheon in my ward a couple weeks ago and one of the dishes there was this chili. The girl that made it said that her aunt makes it and wins all sorts of cook-offs with it. So, I asked for the recipe and gave it a whirl last night. And, it did not disappoint. It was so yummy and I loved the change up from regular, old tortilla soup. Just FYI, I had to change the recipe up a bit b/c she used dry beans and cooked it over the stove, but it still came out just as scrumptious!

Chili Blanco
adapted from Laura Shelley

3 cans Great Northern Beans
1 onion, diced
1 24-oz can chicken broth
2-3 small chicken breasts (I used frozen. If you use thawed ones, be sure to add more chicken broth)
1 (7 oz.) can chopped green chilies
4 cloves of garlic, minced
2 T dried oregano
3 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 cup sour cream
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack Cheese

Put all ingredients in crockpot , except for the sour cream and cheese. Cook on low for 6 hours or high for 4 hours. Add cheese and stir until all incorporated. Serve with chips, if desired. (You don't need to garnish with any more cheese or sour cream as there's already plenty!)

Vegetable Spaghetti

This is my new go-to for spaghetti- we absolutely LOVE it at our house and it makes regular appearances at the dinner table. Its easy, extremely healthy (can you say, vegan?), it makes a TON, and my kids and husband love it. Seriously, its the only pasta dish that Brian will eat for left-overs. There are several different ways to prepare it and no exact measurements- just put in what you like! Try it out and you'll see what I mean. This recipe is adapted slightly from great friend and neighbor, Sheree Nixon.

picture courtesy google images

Vegetable Spaghetti

Rachel Crofts/Sheree Nixon

Assorted Vegetables of your Choosing (I used squash, zucchini, cauliflower, broccoli, and carrots)

1 yellow onion, diced

Spices of your choosing (I use garlic salt, minced garlic, salt, pepper, Oregano, Italian Seasoning, Crushed Red Pepper and Basil)

1 Tbs. Olive oil

2 cans tomato sauce

2 cans diced tomatoes

1/4 cup brown sugar (optional- but it tempers the acidity of the canned tomatoes and gives a rich flavor to your pasta- add more or less to your liking)

Angel Hair Pasta (one box) cooked according to package directions

My favorite way to prepare this dish is slightly more time-consuming, but it pays off. I chop the vegetables and place them in a large dish and roast them in the oven according to this recipe (minus the cheese). If you prepare enough vegetables on your first attempt, then you can freeze half of them and use them next time you want this spaghetti (more on that later). I typically use an entire head of cauliflower and broccoli, 5-6 diced carrots, a whole squash and zucchini and it makes a TON that is easily divided and used for two recipes. Because I have small children, I chop the vegetables with my food chopper into very small (almost ground) pieces before using for this recipe. It doesn't detract from the flavor or texture, it just makes it more inviting for little mouths. :)

To begin making the spaghetti, warm the olive oil in a large pot on medium heat. Add the onions and 1/2 tsp. of salt and saute until onions are soft (about 5 minutes). Add your spices- I add a good sprinkle of each spice, especially the basil. Only use a dash of red pepper though (its hot!). Add your tomato sauce and diced tomatoes as well as your roasted vegetables. Stir to heat through and simmer for about 10 minutes to incorporate the flavors. Add your brown sugar, if using, at the end. Stir, and remove from heat. Serve over cooked angel hair pasta.

**If you have frozen vegetables (from doubling the earlier roasted vegetables) or want to make this recipe in a crock pot, do the following: Saute the onions as described above. Add spices. Put your tomatoes and tomato sauce into a crock pot set to low, followed by the brown sugar, sauteed onions, and frozen vegetables. Cook on low for 5-6 hours, stirring once or twice throughout to break up the vegetables. Serve over angel hair pasta for an easy, MUCH faster spaghetti.

Crockpot Chicken Chili

This is guaranteed to be one of the easiest, no-fail soup recipes you'll ever make. But what it lacks in complexity, it definitely makes up for in taste. My mother-in-law made this for us a few years ago and I was flabbergasted at the short ingredient list. It's one of the recipes that will always be in my dinner rotation- a sure staple. Not to mention it's one my family's faves.

Crockpot Chicken Chili
JoLynn Bell

1-2 chicken breasts (depending on size, I usually use 2 for a more hearty soup)
24 oz salsa (I just use the cheapest store brand because in all the times I have made this, I can never tell a difference between the expensive salsas and the cheap ones)
4 oz pepperjack cheese (if you're spice-averse, do half cheddar or colby jack)
2 cans Great Northern beans

Place all ingredients in crock pot on low for 6 hours. Shred chicken and serve topped with sour cream, tortilla chips, and more cheese, if you like.

Sweet and Spicy Slow-Cooker Chicken (for tacos)

Pic courtesy of My Kitchen Cafe

This was almost too easy for how delicious it was! I made this last night and I seriously could not stop eating the chicken straight out of the crockpot. The combo of sweet and spicy was Cafe Rio-like.

Sweet and Spicy Slow-Cooker Chicken
adapted from Prudence Pennywise and My Kitchen Cafe

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 (14 ounce) can petite diced tomatoes, undrained
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
optional: sprinkle of taco seasoning to liking

Coat the inside of your crockpot with non-stick cooking spray. Place all ingredients in the crockpot. Cook on high for 4-6 hours or on low for 8-10 hours, or until chicken shreds very easily with a fork. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Chicken will absorb liquid after it is shredded.) Serve in tacos or however your little heart desires.