Slow Cooker Spaghetti

Slow cooker meals are a life saver for me on Sundays and days when I have piano students.  This was my first attempt at a pasta dish in the crock pot, and it was not half bad!  So I am sharing.  One thing I learned, even though this doesn't sound like much, it is - it feeds 4 people at least!  Maybe 6! 

Slow Cooker Spaghetti

Ingredients:
spaghetti noodles
jar spaghetti sauce
1 lb. ground beef or ground turkey
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. parsley
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper

Directions:
1. Spray crock pot with non-stick cooking spray.
2. Brown hamburger in large skillet with onion powder, garlic powder, parsley, salt, and pepper.
3. Pour half the jar of spaghetti sauce into crock pot.  Break spaghetti noodles in half and place on top of sauce.  Pour in remainder of sauce. 
4. Fill sauce jar with water and pour into pot.  Add hamburger.
5. Cook on low for 5-6 hours or 3-4 hours on high. 

Slow Cooker Pot Roast

It's Sunday, you've been at church for 3 hours, and for some odd reason you are starving!  What is it about Mormons, church, and hunger?  It's only 3 hours, for crying out loud!  So, I am always looking for crock pot meals so that dinner is ready as soon as we get home.  This was and is a Sunday must at our house.  Mix it with yummy dinner rolls, mmmmmm.... I can still smell this cooking at my Grandma's house when I was little.  Oh, the memories.  Finish it off with a pan of brownies, and you have yummy goodness.  Oh my gosh, could Sunday get here sooner?

Slow Cooker Pot Roast

Ingredients:
1 beef roast (2-3 pounds)
4 potatoes, cleaned and cut into cubes
4 carrots, peeled and cut into pieces
1 small onion, cut into slices
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper
1 1/2 cups water

Directions:
1. Place potatoes, carrots, onion, and garlic in bottom of crock pot.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper. 
2. Place roast on top of vegetables, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and pour water around edges.  Put lid on and cook on low for 8-10 hours (the longer you cook it, the more tender it will be). 

Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Note: I have updated this recipe.

I am FINALLY getting around to posting this recipe.  Have you ever sat down to eat something with a spouse or friend or other warm body and the ideas on how to improve it just keep rolling?  Well, this happened when we first tried this recipe.  Jon and I seriously sat at the kitchen table for 30 minutes and elaborated until we were salivating all over again. 

Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs. pork tenderloin
4 Tbs. caribbean jerk seasoning
1 Tbs. thyme
1 medium onion, sliced
1 can Coke
2 cups barbecue sauce
4 Tbs. butter
8 oz. sliced mushrooms
Sliced swiss cheese
French style rolls

Directions:
1. Rub pork with jerk seasoning.  Sprinkle with thyme.  Place in crock pot.
2. Sprinkle diced onion over top of pork and pour in Coke.  Cook on low heat for 8-10 hours.  DO NOT REMOVE LID TO CHECK!
3. Remove pork from crock pot and shred using forks.  Pour 3/4 cup of liquid in with pork.  Add barbecue sauce and shredded pork. 
4. Sautee mushrooms in large skillet with butter. 
5. Using tongs, pick up shredded pork and add as much as desired to your roll, layer with onions and mushrooms, then cheese. 

Chicken Tortilla Soup

I tried this recipe for the first time today. Our church block runs from 1-4, so I'm always looking for meals I can prepare in the crock pot so that I don't have to cook when I get home. Why is it that no matter what time church is or how much you eat before you go, you're always STARVING when you get home? Gets me every time. Anyway, this was great, and very simple. I prepared the chicken last night and just put it in the fridge for this morning. Jocey was able to help me add all the other ingredients, and had so much fun making her first soup. When you taste this right out of the crock pot, it may seem a little spicy, but the sour cream and cheese are added it really cools it down. SO YUMMY!

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs. boneless chicken breast, cooked and shredded
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can enchilada sauce
1 medium onion, chopped
1 can chopped green chilies
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup water
2 cans chicken broth
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1 bay leaf
1 package frozen corn
2 Tbs. chopped cilantro
For Garnish:
Tortilla Strips
Grated Cheese
Sour Cream

Directions:
1. In crock pot, combine shredded chicken, whole tomatoes, enchilada sauce, onion, green chilies and garlic. Add water, chicken broth, cumin, chili powder, salt, black pepper and bay leaf. Stir in corn and cilantro.
2. Cover and cook on LOW 6 to 8 hours or on HIGH 3 to 4 hours.
3. Remove and discard bay leaf.
4. Sprinkle tortilla strips, cheese, and sour cream over soup. Serve immediately.

Corned Beef

I have not one ounce of Irish blood in me.  I think that is ironic though, considering that I have Scottish and Welsh blood.  But, my hubby does.  And my niece's birthday is on St. Patrick's Day.  So, we try to celebrate a little.  And what's better than Corned Beef on St. Patty's Day?  LEFTOVERS!  We seriously love to have the leftover, cold, sliced corned beef on sandwiches.  OH CORNY GOODNESS!  (Okay, that was weird)  Here's how I fix my corned beef, which serves our family of 4 with leftovers for a few sandwiches.

Corned Beef

Ingredients:
2-3 pound Corned Beef Brisket (Flat or Point Cut) with seasoning packet
4 red potatoes, cleaned and cut into quarters
3 carrots, peeled and cut into pieces
1 small sweet onion, cut into wedges
1 cabbage head, sliced into wedges
1 1/2 cups water

Directions:
1. Place vegetables in crock pot.  Place brisket over vegetables and sprinkle with seasoning packet.  Pour water around edges of brisket.
2. Cook on low for 8-10 hours - the longer you cook the brisket, the more tender it will be and the more flavor your vegi's will have. 
3. Serve with grainy mustard or creamy horseradish. 

Stuffed Peppers

This is one of my favorite crock pot meals. Easy, very hearty, and very very yummy.

Stuffed Peppers

Ingredients:
4 medium to large green bell peppers
1 lb. ground beef, browned and drained
1 can (14,5 oz.) corn, drained
1 can (14 oz.) tomato sauce
2 cups cooked rice
2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, grated
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Clean peppers, remove tops, seeds and membranes.
2. Combine ground beef, corn, rice and tomato sauce. Stir to combine. Add 1 ½ cups of cheese and stir to incorporate. Add salt and pepper. Note: the cheese will provide plenty of seasoning, so don’t add too much salt.
3. Place peppers in crock pot, top up, and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Cover crock pot and turn on low. Cook on low for 5-6 hours.

Slow Cooker Chili

This chili was WONDERFUL! I made my own alterations to the original recipe, largely because I like lots of different flavors and colors in my chili. I think it worked out perfectly though, and I really liked that it used ground turkey rather than ground beef.

Ingredients:
1 Tbs. vegetable oil
1 lb. ground turkey
1 can tomato soup
1 can diced tomatoes with green chiles
1 can corn
1 can diced green chiles
2 cans kidney beans, drained
1 can black beans, drained
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1 Tbs. chili powder
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/2 Tbs. garlic powder
1/2 Tbs. ground cumin
1 pinch ground black pepper
1 pinch ground allspice
salt to taste

Directions:
1. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Saute onion for a few minutes, then place turkey in the skillet, and cook until evenly brown.
2. Coat the inside of a slow cooker with cooking spray, and mix in turkey, tomato soup, chiles, corn, kidney beans, black beans and onion. Season with chili powder, red pepper flakes, garlic powder, cumin, black pepper, allspice and salt.
3. Cover, and cook 8 hours on Low or 4 hours on High.

Crock Pot Rotisserie Chicken

This is my version of rotisserie chicken. It's also one of my crock pot recipes that I like to make on days that I am CRAZY busy, like today. It's very simple, great for leftover salads and sandwiches, and low fat.

Crock Pot Rotisserie Chicken

Ingredients:
1 whole chicken, washed and dried
1 package onion soup mix

Directions:
1. Roll up 5 sheets of aluminum foil into balls (or if you have a metal steamer basket, you can use one of those) and place in the bottom of the crock pot.
2. Place washed chicken on top of balls/basket. Sprinkle onion soup mix over the top.
3. Put the lid on the crock pot and cook on low for 8-10 hours.

Crock Pot Yankee Pot Roast

This week, I'm making Yankee style pot roast for Crock Pot Night. I love this recipe because the meat is so tender and it makes its own drippings for gravy. Then we use the leftover meat the next night, slice it up thinly, and put it on bread with mozzerella or provolone cheese. Leave the sandwich open face and toast it to melt the cheese. Then pour gravy over the top. Sooooooooooooo yummy!

Crock Pot Yankee Pot Roast

Ingredients:
2-3 pound roast
6 red potatoes, washed
1 small bag baby carrots
1 cup water
Salt and Pepper

Directions:
1. Sear the roast by heating a large skillet over medium-high heat, then place the roast on hot skillet for a few minutes on each side, just to brown/sear the outside of the meat. (This will help to keep the meat from drying out)
2. Place potatoes and carrots in bottom of crock pot and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place roast over the top of the vegetables and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Pour water into crock pot. Cover crock with lid and cook on low for 9-10 hours.
3. To make the gravy, add enough water to the drippings to make 2 cups. In a shaker, combine 1/2 cup cold water and 1/4 cup flour. Shake to combine until there are no lumps. Gradually add to drippings. Cook over medium heat until gravy begins to boil, stirring constantly. Cook for 1 minute or until gravy thickens.

Cat's Crock Pot Enchiladas

Okay, so I tried my own version of enchiladas in the crock pot, and I think they were even better than cooking them in the oven. These are DEFINITELY NOT fat free. But they are super yummy.

Cat's Crock Pot Enchiladas

Ingredients:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
12 corn tortillas
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can whole kernel corn, drained
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can green chiles
1 package cream cheese, cut up into 12 cubes
2 cups taco blend shredded cheese
1/2 tsp. chile powder
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 can enchilada sauce
Sour Cream
Avacado

Directions:
1. Cook chicken breasts by filling large saucepan halfway with cold water. Place chicken in saucepan. Add 1 Tbs. season salt to water. Cook over medium-high heat for 1/2 hour or until chicken is cooked all the way through. When done, turn off heat but leave pan on stove top and cover with lid. Allow to sit for 20 minutes, then remove chicken from water - doing this will keep chicken from drying out. Allow to cool and then shred using forks or food processor.
2. Spray crock pot with cooking spray. Place 4 tortillas in the pot, overlapping to cover bottom. Spread 1/2 of chicken over the top of tortillas. Spoon 1/2 of the soup onto the chicken. Evenly place 1/2 of the cream cheese cubes over the layer. Add the corn, 1/2 of green chiles, 2/3 cup of the taco cheese, and 1/2 of the seasonings. Pour about 1/3 of enchilada sauce over top and cover with 4 more tortillas.
3. Repeat with second layer, using black beans instead of corn. Place remaining 4 tortillas on the top and sprinkle remaining 2/3 cup of cheese and enchilada sauce over the top. Cover crock pot and cook on low for 6 hours. Serve with sour cream and guacamole or salsa.

Crock Pot Chicken Enchiladas

During the Fall and Winter, I play for the Northwest Children's Choir in the afternoons. Because I am gone half the day, I have to do crock pot meals for dinner. Here's a great recipe I found and tried last week. WINNER! It makes quite a bit, so it's best served for 5-6 people. Also, I'm going to be trying my own version this week, so I'll be posting it next week.

Crock Pot Chicken Enchiladas

Ingredients:
9, 6-inch, corn tortillas
1 can whole kernel corn, drained
2-3 cups diced cooked chicken
1 tsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. salt
1 can (4 oz.) chopped green chili peppers
2 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese
2 cans (10 oz. each) enchilada sauce
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
Guacamole and sour cream for topping

Directions:
1. Spray slow cooker with cooking spray. Place 3 tortillas in the bottom of slow cooker. Top tortillas with the corn, half the chicken, half the chile peppers, and half the seasonings. Sprinkle 1/3 of the cheese over chicken and pour 3/4 cup enchilada sauce over the top.
2. Lay 3 more tortillas over the first layer and top with black beans, remaining chicken, chiles and seasonings. Sprinkle another 1/3 of the cheese over top and pour another 3/4 cup over cheese.
3. Lay 3 more tortillas over the second layer, sprinkle with remaining cheese, and pour remaining enchilada sauce over the top. Cover and cook on low setting for 5-6 hours.