tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72744778903034662102024-03-08T14:18:07.049-06:00The Family CrockpotI'm a stay at home mom with lots of kids and a super hunky husband. Just like your house (most likely) we have a small handful of VERY picky eaters. The question, "What's for dinner?" used to make me crazy, until I figured out how to make dinner by lunchtime! Occasionally I test out a new recipe and add it to my collection. If the kids say to repeat it (not the picky ones), it goes on the blog...Happy Cooking! ~Brenda~ Brendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08073627384083928155noreply@blogger.comBlogger52125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7274477890303466210.post-82338068837901882010-11-09T19:24:00.004-06:002010-11-09T19:34:02.536-06:00Chicken MarinaraPlace 8-9 boneless, skinless chicken breast into the crock pot<br /><br />In blender, blend marinara sauce:<br /><br />2 14oz cans of drained, cut tomatoes<br />2 8oz cans tomato sauce<br />1 small can tomato paste<br />2 tsp minced garlic or 3-4 garlic cloves<br />1 tsp onion powder<br />2 tsp basil<br />1/2 TBSP honey<br /><br />Pour sauce over the chicken and cook on HIGH for 4-5 hours or LOW for 6-7 hours.<br /><br />30-45 minutes prior to dinner, remove the chicken breasts leaving the marinara sauce in the pot. Put setting onto HIGH and add 3 cups or 16oz of dry pasta. (Stir every 10 minutes until the pasta is soft.)<br /><br />Put chicken onto a shallow baking pan and top with parmesan cheese or mozarella cheese or both. Broil for a few minutes to melt and brown the cheese. Serve with the pasta.<br /><br />*A kid pleaser, except for my 8 year old that doesn't believe that macaroni pasta tastes the same as spaghetti noodles...they're just different shapes. OH MY HECK, anyway!Brendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08073627384083928155noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7274477890303466210.post-91376176556478708322010-11-08T18:46:00.007-06:002010-11-09T16:33:48.512-06:00Asian Sesame ChickenPlace 6-7 boneless skinless chicken breasts into the crock pot<br /><br />Mix together 1 recipe of Asian Sesame Salad Dressing and pour over the chicken:<br /><br />1/2 cup soy sauce<br />1/4 cup sesame oil<br />1/4 cup rice vinegar<br />1/4 cup water<br />2 tsp garlic or 1-2 minced cloves<br />1 TBSP sugar or 1/2 TBSP of honey<br />1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)<br /><br />Cook on HIGH for 4-5 hours or LOW for 6-7 hours.<br /><br />We scoop out the chicken to cool and serve on top of green salad along with:<br /><br />toasted slivered almonds<br />toasted sesame seeds<br />mandarin oranges or pineapple<br />Asian Sesame Salad Dressing (recipe is above for this)<br /><br />My boys ate the chicken with rice and used the sauce in the crock pot to pour over the chicken and rice.<br /><br />*OK, wow...this was GOOD. And the Asian Sesame Dressing we will be using for salads often. Yum. (It was a tiny bit salty, so I'll just use low sodium soy sauce next time.) I must have really loved this one because I dreamed about it last night. Ha! I loved how this meal pleased those of us that wanted salad AND the younger ones that wanted chicken and rice without salad.Brendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08073627384083928155noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7274477890303466210.post-37578081615400385002010-09-18T11:43:00.003-05:002010-09-18T11:50:10.686-05:00Baked PotatoesSo, you don't really need a recipe for this...but it's so cool!<br /><br />Scrub enough potatoes to fill your crock pot.<br /><br />Poke holes in them and wrap them in foil.<br />(the foil may not be necessary, experiment)<br /><br />Cook on LOW all day or HIGH all afternoon.<br /><br />Serve however you like them...<br /><br />Taco toppings, Fajita toppings...or go with the reliable cheese, sour cream and bacon bits.<br /><br />*So many potatoes and slow cooking them made them taste so yummy. I think I figured out why restaurant baked potatoes taste so good, I think they slow cook them like this! This pleased EVERYONE in my family.Brendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08073627384083928155noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7274477890303466210.post-12783690737789234212010-09-16T12:39:00.003-05:002010-09-16T12:45:37.914-05:00Indonesian ChickenIn the bottom of the crock pot:<br /><br />2/3 cup peanut butter<br /><br />Turn the pot on HIGH to start to melt/soften the peanut butter<br /><br />Add:<br /><br />4 TBSP soy sauce<br />4 cloves garlic<br />1 TBSP sesame oil<br />1 tsp ground ginger<br />1 TBSP lime juice<br />1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (optional for some kick)<br /><br />Stir together then add about six or seven 5oz chicken breast pieces and stir the sauce with the chicken. Cook on HIGH 4-5 hours (stir again after the first hour) or LOW for 6-8 hours.<br /><br />Serve over rice. Garnish with lime wedges and/or toasted sesame seeds.<br /><br />*We liked this one, a very different flavor. Similar to the Indonesian Chicken Spaghetti recipe that we've made. Everyone liked it, so we'll be repeating it.Brendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08073627384083928155noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7274477890303466210.post-2851583884754097712010-09-15T09:50:00.003-05:002010-09-15T09:58:42.225-05:00Macaroni and CheeseCook 16oz or 4 cups of dry macaroni noodles<br />Drain and stir in approx 1 TBSP olive/veg oil<br /><br />Add to the noodles and stir together:<br /><br />optional: diced ham or sliced hot dogs<br />4 cups shredded cheese<br />1 tsp salt<br />1 12oz can evaporated milk and 2 cups regular milk<br /><br />OR<br /><br />2 12oz cans of evaporated milk and 1/2 cup regular milk<br /><br />Melt 1/2 cup of butter and pour into the bottom of the crock pot<br />Add the noodle mixture over the top and stir<br /><br />Cook on LOW for 2-4 hours, Stir every hour and at the end every half hour, If you have a warm setting, switch to warm when it's cooked until you serve it.<br /><br />*This is very similar to my mac and cheese recipe that we cook in the microwave, but the crock pot cooked taste was so much better. I don't use the butter in my recipe and may experiment with this by making it without the butter. Not sure that the added fat is necessary. This isn't your typical crock pot recipe where you can just add it and leave it, but I liked making it this way better than how I usually make it...It seemed to take less of MY time. And by the way...I don't think I have to say it, but it was a MEGA hit with the kids. Enjoy.Brendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08073627384083928155noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7274477890303466210.post-47297963110803595632010-08-04T18:55:00.004-05:002010-08-04T19:10:55.867-05:00LasagnaMeat Sauce:<br /><br />Brown 1 lb of hamburger or Italian sausage on the stove<br />Add to the meat: Two 26.5oz cans of Spaghetti Sauce or make your own<br /><br />In a separate mixing bowl combine cheeses:<br /><br />1 15oz container of ricotta cheese or cottage cheese<br />(I used ricotta)<br />1 egg<br />1 cup grated parmesan cheese<br />1 tsp dried parsley<br /><br />Put 1/4 of the meat sauce into the bottom of the crock pot (3 ladles)<br />Top with 5 uncooked lasagna noodles, break into pieces as needed<br />Cover noodles with 1/2 of the cheese mixture<br />Sprinkle 1/2 cup shredded mozarella cheese<br />Put 1/4 of the meat sauce over the layers<br />Repeat the noodles, cheese mixture, mozzarella and meat mixture<br /><br />Top with one more layer of 5 noodles and cover the top with the last of the meat mixture. I used oven ready noodles, but I think it would work with regular lasagna noodles too. It took one 12oz package. Each layer of meat sauce is 1/4 of the total. I used a soup ladle...3 ladles was 1/4. You'll have to experiment with your own measurements at home...or just eyeball it.<br /><br />Cover and cook on LOW for 4-5 hours, mine was done in 4 hours. A crock pot liner would be great for this, but isn't necessary.<br /><br />15 minutes before serving, top with mozzarella cheese, let it melt and serve.<br /><br />*Home-cooked lasagna without turning on the oven?! I can't tell you how happy this makes me! We LOVED this. I'm sure you can use any favorite lasagna recipe and this will work in the crock pot. Easy, easy, easy!Brendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08073627384083928155noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7274477890303466210.post-41683863006515709352010-08-02T20:23:00.003-05:002010-08-02T20:30:15.542-05:00Candy ChickenPlace in crock pot in the following order:<br /><br />10-12 5oz chicken portions (I used boneless, skinless and frozen)<br />1 1/2 cups brown sugar<br />5 cloves garlic<br />4 TBSP soy sauce<br />1/2 tsp black pepper<br />1 cup vinegar<br />1/2 cup lemon/lime soda<br /><br />Cook on LOW for 6-8 hours or HIGH for 4-6 (I recommend LOW)<br /><br />Serve chicken over steamed rice and ladle the sauce over the top.<br /><br />*This was YUMMY chicken, the whole family loved it. The sauce is runny, but good. If you don't want rice you could have this chicken with potatoes or even <a href="http://thepioneerwoman.com/tasty-kitchen/recipes/main-courses/simple-sesame-noodles/">sesame noodles</a>.Brendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08073627384083928155noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7274477890303466210.post-37649611763023975392010-07-23T15:12:00.003-05:002010-07-23T15:44:46.631-05:00Ham and BeansBoil 4 cups of white beans for 5 minutes on the stove. Drain and Rinse.<br /><br />Put beans into the crock pot with 6-8 cups of water...leaving about 1-2 inches to the top of the pot. Add shredded carrots and diced celery if you like. Cook all day on LOW about 7-8 hours or HIGH for 5-6 hours, until your beans are soft. About halfway through your cooking time:<br /><br />Add your ham bone from a spiral ham or whatever you have. There should be some meat on it still. Finish cooking. Just before serving, remove the bone, pick off the meat and put the meat back in with the beans.<br /><br />Add salt and/or onion powder to taste and serve. <br /><br />*It can't get any more simple than this one. My favorite thing to do with a leftover bone after we have ham. Perfect with cheddar biscuits.Brendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08073627384083928155noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7274477890303466210.post-27344995862746662022010-07-23T14:59:00.005-05:002010-07-23T15:08:46.273-05:00Meatballs and Easy GravyUsing about 1-2 lbs of hamburger, make your favorite meatball recipe OR use mine:<br /><br />Mix 2lbs of hamburger with 2-4 slices of bread, broken into small pieces<br />Milk to moisten<br />2 tsp salt<br />black pepper<br />1 tsp onion powder or 3 TBSP fresh minced onion<br /><br />Shape into golf ball sized meatballs and brown in a skillet, no need to cook all the way. I suppose you could use frozen meatballs from the store...that would be easy!<br /><br />Place meatballs into the crock pot and mix the following in a separate bowl, then pour over the meatballs:<br /><br />2 cans cream of mushroom soup<br />1/2 cup ketchup<br />4 TBSP Worcestershire Sauce<br /><br />Cook on LOW for 5-6 hours or HIGH 4-5 hours or until your meatballs are fully cooked.<br /><br />About 30 minutes before eating, add 1 cup milk to the gravy.<br /><br />*This is soooo good served over mashed potatoes or rice. It would even be good over cooked grean beans, but my kids won't really go for that, so we have the green beans on the side.Brendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08073627384083928155noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7274477890303466210.post-69253173652109421372010-07-23T13:59:00.002-05:002010-07-23T14:07:40.149-05:00Wild Rice SoupAdd to the crock pot:<br /><br />2-3 chicken frozen, boneless skinless chicken breasts OR leftover turkey<br />2 small boxes of COOKED wild rice (herb and butter flavor)<br />2 cans chicken broth or 3-4 cups water<br />2 cans cream of potato soup<br />2 cans cheddar cheese soup<br />1 tsp onion powder<br />2 cups mashed potatoes<br />Bacon bits (optional)<br /><br />Cook on LOW for 5-6 hours or HIGH 4-5 hours or until your chicken is cooked. Shred or dice the chicken and return it to the soup. <br /><br />Add 4 cups of milk about 30 minutes prior to serving.<br /><br />*A family favorite. We have this soup made with our Thanksgiving leftovers every year. If you make it with chicken, you can enjoy it the rest of the year! I suppose you could make this with canned chicken or turkey, but I wouldn't...ha!Brendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08073627384083928155noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7274477890303466210.post-50709387671936455632010-07-03T16:43:00.004-05:002010-07-03T16:52:03.011-05:00Stacked Beef and Bean EnchiladasBrown 1 lb of ground beef with 1 taco seasoning packet<br />Mix in 2 14oz cans of refried beans (3-4 cups)<br /><br />In separate bowl, make Enchilada Sauce:<br /><br />1 15oz can tomato sauce<br />2 enchilada sauce packets<br />2 cups water<br /><br />Layer in the crock pot:<br /><br />Sauce<br />Corn Tortillas (3-4)<br />Meat/Bean Mixture<br />Shredded cheese<br /><br />Repeat until you run out of ingredients...I think I had about 5 layers.<br /><br />Make sure the TOP layer is tortillas, sauce, cheese<br /><br />Cover and cook on HIGH for 4 hours or LOW for 6 hours<br /><br />Scoop out and serve with sour cream, diced tomatoes, shredded lettuce?<br /><br />*This will look like a mess, I even hesitated to put it on here, BUT...my boys totally loved it! They happily scooped it up with tortilla chips and said, "You HAVE to make this again." So, I probably will.Brendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08073627384083928155noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7274477890303466210.post-26153877140613285092010-06-29T11:46:00.006-05:002010-06-29T12:08:36.814-05:00Vegetable Garden SoupAdd to the crock pot:<br /><br />2 15oz cans red kidney beans, undrained<br />2 14oz cans cut tomatoes or fresh tomatoes, chopped<br />4 carrots, sliced or shredded (my kids prefer shredded)<br />2-4 small potatoes, diced (I leave the skin on)<br />2 small zucchini, diced<br />2 small yellow squash, diced<br />2 stalks celery, diced<br />1/2 green bell pepper, diced - no seeds (optional)<br />1/2 cup dry lentils (optional)<br />4 TBSP parsley<br />10 shakes of paprika<br />4 shakes cayenne pepper (red pepper)<br />4-6 TBSP Au Jus Gravy powder or 2-3 1oz packets<br /><br />Pour over the top: 4 cups boiling water<br />Cover and cook on HIGH for 5-6 hours or LOW for 7-8 hours, or until your veggies are tender.<br /><br />During the last hour, add:<br /><br />1 cup frozen peas and/or 1 cup frozen corn<br />(We prefer the frozen corn)<br /><br />*My pickiest eaters will not touch this with a ten foot pole. However, I HAD to include it. It's one of my most favorite vegetable soups on earth, and sooooo easy to do in the crock pot. All your chopping and dicing is done and cleaned up well before dinner time, you know I LOVE that! This soup just speaks "summer garden" and makes me feel so healthy...haha! Just make sure you cook it long enough to get all of your veggies tender. It's a FULL pot. You could cut the recipe in half and still have tons of soup.Brendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08073627384083928155noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7274477890303466210.post-31399045455705279272010-06-28T19:55:00.007-05:002010-07-14T10:15:30.801-05:00Creamy Italian Chicken SpaghettiCover and cook in the crock pot:<br /><br />5-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts<br />2 cans cream of chicken soup<br />1 14oz can of chicken broth + 2 Italian dressing packets <span style="font-weight: bold;">-OR-</span> 1 cup Italian dressing<br /><br />HIGH 4-5 hours or LOW 6-7 hours<br /><br />About 30 minutes before serving, remove the chicken, dice it and return it to the sauce. Add:<br /><br />8 oz cream cheese<br /><br />Cook on LOW for another 30 minutes, stir a few times to incorporate the cream cheese into the sauce.<br /><br />Separately cook 16-22oz dry spaghetti. Drain and add to the sauce in the crock pot. Stir together and serve right away. If you don't like to pre-mix the pasta and the sauce, serve separately. With my clan, it's easier to mix all together before we eat.<br /><br />*This can be spaghetti, or you can be really fancy by changing your pasta shape...ha! I don't have to tell you that this is a crowd pleaser, especially a crowd of kids. They LOVED it here.Brendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08073627384083928155noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7274477890303466210.post-54801173865155832972010-06-24T22:40:00.006-05:002010-06-24T23:17:58.872-05:00Berry CobblerDump into the crock pot and stir together:<br /><br />2/3 cup water<br />1 cup sugar<br />2 tsp lemon juice<br />6 cups mixed berries, frozen or fresh<br />(I did fresh blackberries and frozen strawberries)<br /><br />Cover and Cook on LOW 4 hours or until bubbly.<br /><br />Separate bowl, mix for topping:<br /><br />2 cups flour<br />4 TBSP sugar<br />1 TBSP baking powder<br />1/2 tsp salt<br /><br />Cut in 1 stick butter (1/2 cup) - it will be crumbly<br /><br />Stir in, just until moistened:<br /><br />1/2 cup milk (I was out and used canned milk)<br />2 beaten eggs<br /><br />Drop TBSP size mounds on top of the hot fruit mixture - single layer, evenly spaced. Cover and cook on HIGH for another 30 minutes. It will not brown, but will be cooked.<br /><br />Scoop out and serve with ice cream if you like.<br /><br />*Hold onto your hat...this one rocks!!! Cobbler in the summer without turning on the oven, we're in heaven! YUM. We even kept it on the warm setting and enjoyed it later in the evening. The biscuit topping in this recipe isn't super sweet, I prefer it that way. It would be good even WITHOUT the ice cream. Enjoy!Brendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08073627384083928155noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7274477890303466210.post-67121946442768400832010-06-23T12:21:00.003-05:002010-06-23T12:34:10.430-05:00Beef BrisketMarinate a 4-6 lb beef brisket, trimmed if you like for 12-24 hours in the fridge. (I just put mine in the marinade the night before.)<br /><br />Marinade:<br /><br />1 can beef broth<br />1/4 cup lemon juice<br />1 cup soy sauce<br />3 cloves garlic<br />2 TBSP liquid smoke<br /><br />The next morning, place the beef brisket into the crock pot with about half of the marinade liquid. (Discard the rest of the marinade.) Cook on LOW at least 8 hours, ALL DAY. Cooking on LOW is the key. Shred with forks, it should just fall apart. Drain the liquid if you like, I left mine in to keep the meat from drying out and just used a fork to serve it without the liquid.<br /><br />Serve with steamed rice, potatoes or our favorite: <a href="http://thepioneerwoman.com/tasty-kitchen/recipes/main-courses/simple-sesame-noodles/">Sesame Noodles</a> from Tasty Kitchen.<br /><br />*Ok, so this one will take a bit of planning ahead, but oh my heck...sooooo good!!! We loved this. It's summer time, so I loved that it didn't heat the house up. The sesame noodles were perfect with it. Leftovers, yay! It was a big hit, a definite repeat recipe.Brendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08073627384083928155noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7274477890303466210.post-24703809787428636212010-06-02T21:50:00.002-05:002010-06-02T21:56:48.713-05:00Creamy Chicken and DumplingsAdd to the crock pot:<br /><br />4 frozen boneless skinless chicken breasts<br />4 cans of chicken broth (about 8 cups)<br />2 cans of cream of chicken soup<br />3 peeled and diced potatoes<br />1-2 cups frozen, fresh or canned veggies<br />diced onion or onion powder<br /><br />Cook on HIGH 4-5 hours, dice the chicken and then return it to the soup.<br /><br />In separate bowl for the dumplings:<br /><br />1 cup flour<br />1/2 tsp salt<br />1 TBSP Baking Powder<br />1/2 tsp favorite herb (thyme, sage, etc...optional)<br /><br />Combine and then slowly add 1/2 cup COLD water, mixing gently<br />Drop small balls of dough, approx 1/2 TBSP into the soup.<br /><br />Cook another 1-2 hours on HIGH.<br /><br />*This was completely GONE tonight...I think everyone was hungry and it was a big hit. My 9 year old said it was better than macaroni and cheese and he could eat it every two weeks. I'd say that makes it a hit. This could easily be modified to suit your tastes.Brendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08073627384083928155noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7274477890303466210.post-42486670400620511322010-05-09T17:10:00.003-05:002010-05-09T17:18:57.839-05:00Easy Shredded PorkAdd to crock pot:<br /><br />One LARGE pork roast or shoulder with or without bone. I honestly don't know how big mine was, but it filled my 6 quart pot.<br /><br />Cook on LOW for 12+ hours. Start the night before or early in the morning. Slow cooking is important to get the meat really tender.<br /><br />When it's done cooking, drain the liquid. Shred the meat with a fork and then add:<br /><br />Approx 1/2 cup of soy sauce<br />3-6 TBSP liquid smoke...to desired taste.<br /><br />Stir liquids into the meat.<br /><br />Serve over steamed rice with your favorite Asian sauce. We used Mandarin Sauce by Panda Express. (No MSG)<br /><br />My good friend, Teri, made this for us last week...we had to make it! It was a hit. Everyone went back for more, including my 9 year old. It was EASY...and tasted great with a green salad.Brendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08073627384083928155noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7274477890303466210.post-45571764709992997562010-04-08T19:16:00.005-05:002010-04-08T19:31:52.256-05:00Ultimate Chicken BurritosIn the crock pot:<br /><br />5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts<br />1 14oz can undrained diced tomatos<br />1 4oz can undrained diced green chiles<br />1 14oz can black beans, drained<br />1 cup frozen corn<br />1 tsp cumin<br />1 tsp onion powder<br />1 Tbsp chili powder<br />1 Tbsp sugar<br /><br />Cook on HIGH 5 hours or LOW 7 hours. Before serving, shred the chicken...dish up with a slotted spoon, unless you like runny burritos. The sauce could be poured over the burrito after you assemble it.<br /><br />Just before it's time to eat, Cook a batch of <a href="http://thepioneerwoman.com/tasty-kitchen/recipes/sidedishes/cilantro-lime-rice-a-la-cafe-rio/">Cilantro Lime Rice (a la Cafe Rio)</a> I tripled this recipe for my family. Since I cooked it in the rice cooker...I omitted the water and used all chicken broth for the liquid: (3 cups raw rice and 3 1/2 cups chicken broth - or 2 15oz cans)<br /><br />In warm tortilla, layer the rice, shredded chicken from the crock pot and any toppings you like. We added shredded lettuce, avocado, grated cheese and sour cream.<br /><br />WOW...if you love a chicken burrito at Cafe Rio...you will be in heaven with this. Oh my heck...we LOVED THEM!!! I can't wait to make them again. I'm sure that the leftovers won't last long.Brendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08073627384083928155noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7274477890303466210.post-88120400684113870542010-04-05T20:40:00.005-05:002010-04-05T20:46:18.520-05:00Pineapple ChickenAdd to the crock pot:<br /><br />5-6 boneless, skinless, frozen chicken breasts<br />2 20oz cans of pineapple chunks and juice<br />1/2 tsp ginger<br />1/4 cup brown sugar<br />1 tsp minced garlic<br />1/3 cup soy sauce<br />1/2 tsp red pepper flakes if you like some kick (YES!)<br /><br />Cook on HIGH for 4 hours or LOW for 5-6 hours. 1 hour before it's done cooking, remove the chicken to dice into pieces and then return the pieces to the sauce.<br /><br />Combine in shaker bottle:<br /><br />1/4 cup water<br />5 Tbsp cornstarch<br /><br />Add to the sauce in the crock pot to thicken the sauce during the last hour of cooking, be sure to stir it in.<br /><br />Serve over rice, sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds if you like.<br /><br />Oh yum...we loved this one. A definite repeat recipe. It made a large batch of sauce, you'll want to cook at least 3 cups of raw rice. Enjoy!Brendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08073627384083928155noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7274477890303466210.post-88355021165135674942010-03-17T18:36:00.003-05:002010-03-17T18:41:43.692-05:00Teriyaki ChickenInto the crock pot:<br /><br />7-8 frozen boneless, skinless chicken breasts<br /><br />In mixing bowl:<br /><br />3/4 cup brown sugar<br />3/4 cup soy sauce<br />6 Tbsp cider vinegar<br />1 tsp chopped garlic<br />1/4 tsp black pepper<br />3/4 tsp ground ginger<br /><br />Mix well and pour over the chicken. Cover and cook on LOW for 6-7 hours or High 4-5 hours. An hour before eating, remove chicken to dice it and then add it back to the crock pot. <br /><br />In shaker: 4 1/2 tsp cornstarch mixed with 5 tsp cold water<br /><br />Shake it up and add to the sauce and chicken, stir well. Cook one more hour and serve over rice.<br /><br />*This is not a thick teriyaki sauce, but it tasted fantastic. Perhaps it would thicken up with more cornstarch, but it's not really a concern for us...because we loved this. My 13 year old rated it a 10 and my 9 year old gobbled it up. A definite hit. We will be having this again.Brendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08073627384083928155noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7274477890303466210.post-16303260698664349602010-02-26T19:18:00.003-06:002010-02-26T19:38:35.580-06:00White ChiliIn large pot on the stove: <br />Boil 4-5 cups dry great northern beans (white) for 5 minutes<br /><br />Drain, rinse and put into the crockpot with:<br /><br />8-10 cups chicken broth<br /><br />Cover, cook on LOW for at least 6 hours, then add:<br /><br />2 cups shredded/diced chicken<br />1-2 7oz cans chopped green chilies (I used one)<br />1 tsp onion powder<br />1 tsp black pepper<br />3 cloves garlic<br />1 Tbsp salt<br />1 Tbsp cumin<br />1 Tbsp oregano<br />1/4 tsp red pepper flakes - if you like some kick to it<br /><br />Cook on LOW 1-2 more hours, switch to HIGH if beans are not soft yet. When it's done, switch to warm or turn the pot off and add 1 pint cream (abt 2 cups) just before serving. It's great as is, or you can top it with shredded monterey jack and/or a dollop of sour cream.<br /><br />If you don't want to cook your beans - use 8 cans, drained and rinsed...your cooking time will be shorter.<br /><br />*I have been looking for a GREAT white chili recipe and the search is over. This is FABULOUS! It makes a HUGE amount, and is very filling. I'm excited to have leftovers available for lunches over the weekend to feed my hungry clan.Brendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08073627384083928155noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7274477890303466210.post-14795354616100933472010-02-25T18:34:00.005-06:002010-02-25T22:54:33.198-06:00Cheesy Pasta and MeatballsReady for something SIMPLE?<br /><br />Dump into the crockpot:<br /><br />3 cups spaghetti sauce (1 can HUNTS)<br />16 oz DRY pasta, your choice (I used Rotini spirals)<br />1/2 to 1 cup of parmesan cheese (I had a few slices of Provolone that I used up too)<br />1 - 2 dozen 1oz meatballs (You can make these yourself, or do what I did, grab them from the bag of frozen meatballs from Sam's Club. Just be sure to precook/brown if you do homemade)<br /><br />Last ingredient: 3 cups water<br /><br />Cover and cook on HIGH for 3 hours, LOW for 5? Just check it and stir near the end.<br /><br />If you want: Serve with shredded mozzarella cheese sprinkled over the top of the plate.<br /><br />*Easy, a crowd pleaser, great with garlic bread. My non-meat eater could easily pick out the meatballs. You could cook this with approximately 1 lb browned hamburger if you don't want to make meatballs. WE LOVED IT!Brendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08073627384083928155noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7274477890303466210.post-79267695092725830622010-02-24T17:41:00.007-06:002010-03-17T18:42:38.765-05:00Ginger Oriental RiceIn VitaMix Blender:<br /><br />1 cup soy sauce<br />1-2 large peeled carrots (I used one - this Blender method keeps the kids from complaining about the veggies - sneaky!)<br /><br />OR...chop your carrot OR use frozen veggies (about 1-2 cups)<br /><br />Dump into the crockpot and add:<br /><br />8 cups cooked rice (4 cups raw)<br />1/2 tsp black pepper<br />2 cloves garlic<br />2 tsp ground ginger<br />1 melted stick of butter or 1/2 cup oil<br />1-2 cups shredded or chopped chicken (I had leftovers from Sunday dinner)<br />1 cup diced ham or diced, cooked bacon<br />1 diced yellow onion - don't make me laugh! hahaha (I didn't add this)<br /><br />Stir all ingredients, cover and cook on LOW 4-5 hours or HIGH 2-3 hours. Stir occasionally to make sure you don't burn it (like once an hour)<br /><br />Everything is precooked, so you're just warming it all the way through, and drying it out somewhat. It will be kind of a fried rice consistency.<br /><br />*A childhood favorite for me. My kids LOVED it. I'm sure they will be asking for this one again which makes it a winner in my book. It's a great way to use leftover ham/chicken/turkey, etc. You may wonder why I make this dish in the crockpot when it could be done in the skillet and take less cooking time. Imagine this: I get it all put together and have NO DISHWASHER...so...I can get all of the dishes done, clean up the kitchen and even get some laundry folded BEFORE we actually eat dinner because it's sitting safely in the crockpot...cooking at a slower rate while I get things done. Ah, the amazing crockpot.Brendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08073627384083928155noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7274477890303466210.post-30560398831256295902010-02-24T10:48:00.003-06:002010-02-24T11:02:58.160-06:00African Peanut SoupBlend well in VitaMix Blender:<br /><br />1 14oz can cut tomatoes with juice<br />2 red bell peppers - no seeds<br />4 cups chicken broth<br /><br />Pour into the crockpot and then add:<br /><br />1 yellow onion - chopped (um, onion powder for us!)<br />2 green onions - chopped (again, not for us)<br />4 cloves minced garlic<br />4 more cups chicken broth<br />1/4 tsp black pepper<br />1/4 - 1/2 tsp chili powder<br />1/2 cup uncooked rice<br />1 more 14oz can cut tomatoes with juice (this can be blended at the beginning with the other can if your kids will NOT go for a few tomato chunks in the soup)<br />2 cups diced or shredded chicken, optional (I had leftovers from Sunday dinner)<br /><br />Cook on LOW 5-6 hours or HIGH for 4 hours.<br /><br />20-30 minutes before dinner, add 1 CUP PEANUT BUTTER (I used creamy)<br /><br />Once it's incorporated into the soup...it's time to eat. Serve with a dollop of sour cream and a small dash of Tobasco Sauce if you like. (We liked it this way.)<br /><br />*This was REALLY GOOD! I was nervous all day that the flavors would be too strange, (peppers and peanut butter?!) but we liked it! The rice disappeared and just thickened the soup. It would have been perfect with a grilled cheese sandwich. With the chicken in it, it was a great little meal. The youngest...no go, he had peanut butter and jelly again. *sigh* He wouldn't even TRY it.Brendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08073627384083928155noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7274477890303466210.post-58581953238889777412010-02-23T10:21:00.003-06:002010-02-23T10:32:26.995-06:00Hot Fudge CakeNot to be confused with:<br /><a href="http://thefamilycrockpot.blogspot.com/2010/01/peanut-butter-hot-fudge-cake.html">Peanut Butter Hot Fudge Cake</a><br /><br />In mixing bowl, combine:<br /><br />1 cup packed brown sugar<br />1 cup flour<br />3 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder<br />2 tsp baking powder<br />1/2 tsp salt<br /><br />Then stir in:<br /><br />2 Tbsp melted butter<br />1/2 cup milk<br />1/2 tsp vanilla<br /><br />Spread the mixture into the bottom of the crockpot.<br /><br />Back in the empty mixing bowl:<br /><br />3/4 cup brown sugar<br />1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder<br />1 3/4 cup boiling water<br /><br />Stir until sugar and powder are dissolved and then pour over the mixture in the crockpot. DO NOT STIR!<br /><br />Cover and cook on HIGH for 2-3 hours, or until a toothpick, inserted into the cake, comes out clean. Like magic, you have cake AND fudge sauce to scoop out and serve warm over vanilla ice cream. It only took 2 hours in my 6 quart pot.<br /><br />*My kids liked this better than the peanut butter recipe I mentioned at the top of this one, ME? I like the peanut butter one better - but this way, you can decide for YOU! In either case, they hit the spot when your sweet tooth cries out for hot fudge and vanilla ice cream. Also, I think that the next time I make it, I'm going to try to make it with white sugar instead of brown sugar. I'll let you know if it works.Brendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08073627384083928155noreply@blogger.com2