fiesta chicken over rice

4 chicken breasts
1 packet of Fiesta Ranch mix
1 can black beans
1 can of Rotel
1 can of corn
1 block of cream cheese

Mix all in the crock pot and cook for 6 hours on low (longer if your chicken breasts are frozen, which mine will be). Make some jasmine rice and serve this over the rice.

Creamy crock pot cube steaks

6 cube steaks

1 medium onion sliced in rings

1 can cream/chicken soup

1 can cream/celery soup

1 packet Lipton Onion Soup Mix

1/2 can of water 

Salt and pepper each cube steak. Place a layer of steaks in the bottom of the crock pot. Top with onions. Continue to layer. Pour the soup mix over it all and cook on high all day. 

Tortellini soup

1 bag frozen tortellini
1 sm bag of fresh spinach
2 cans italian diced tomatoes
1 box of veggie broth
1 block of cream cheese

Put it all into a crock pot and cook on low for 5-6 hours.

Pasta Fagioli Crockpot Italian Soup Thing

This recipe is really great, and is a knock off of something they serve at Olive Garden.  It is really great and everyone in my family loved it. 

1 lb. ground beef
1 lb. ground turkey
1 onion, chopped
3 carrots, chopped
4 celery stalks, chopped
2-28 oz can of diced tomatoes
16 oz. red kidney beans
16 oz. cannellini beans
30 oz. beef broth
3 tsp. oregano
2 tsp. pepper
5 tsp. parsley
1 tsp. Tabasco Sauce
20 oz. jar of spaghetti sauce

Brown the meat and add everything to your crock pot.  This will make A LOT of soup, so make sure you have a big crock pot.  Cook on low for 7-8 hours or high for 4-5 hours.  Boil some pasta (whole wheat elbows or shells) and mix it in the bowls when you serve.  Top with parmesan or mozzarella cheese. 

3 Envelope Roast

This recipe has circulated around social media, and it is really easy and a favorite at the Green house. 

1 packet of Ranch dressing mix
1 packet of Italian dressing mix
1 packet of brown gravy mix
1 1/2 cups water
4 lb roast
3 chopped carrots (or a couple of handfuls of carrot chips)
3 small potatoes, quartered

Put this all in the crock pot and cook for 6 hours.  Serve with a green salad. 

Crock Pot Philly Cheese Steaks

While I could never hope to replace Donnie’s philly cheese steak sandwiches, or anything you can eat from a cart in NYC or Philadelphia, this recipe from my friend Jennifer looks like a good sub! 

2 lbs extra lean ground beef (90/10)

1 cup frozen chopped onion

1 cup frozen chopped bell pepper

3 Tbl steak sauce

1 cup all natural beef broth

4-6 Hamburger buns (or we used hot dog buns since it’s what I had at home).

4-6 slices of provolone cheese

Place all ingredients (except bread and cheese) in a large zipper bag.  Zip and squish around to mix.  You may put the bag in the freezer until you are ready to cook.  Pour beef mixture into slow cooker.  Cook on low for 6 hours.  

Pour mixture onto bread.  Put a slice of cheese on top.  Your meat mixture should be hot enough to melt the cheese, but if not, put in the microwave for a few seconds. 

Eat with baby carrots, ranch dip, and some chips!

 

Italian Hillside soup

+Modified from my crock pot cookbook

1 green bell pepper
2 stalks of celery
1/2 yellow onion
----chop these and sautee in a pan with about 1 tablespoon of EVOO.  Cook until soft, or about as long as it takes you to assemble the rest of the ingredients.

2 small zucchinis
1 box (32 oz) of chicken broth
1 can of diced tomatoes with oregano, garlic and basil
1 can of navy beans (or 2 cans...), rinsed
1 tsp minced garlic
8 oz. frozen green beans

Add all of this to the crock pot and cook on low for about 5 1/2 hours. 

When you are about 30 minutes from eating, toss in a box or container of tortellini.  I threw in a box of cheese tortellini (7 oz), and then added some frozen, too.  Also, toss in about 3 tablespoons of chopped fresh basil from your garden (about 15 big leaves).

I served this with cheesy biscuits.  I think you could also throw in about 4 frozen chicken breasts and it would be great.  YUM! 

Taco Soup

From my law school friend Jamie.

1 lb. ground turkey or beef
1 large onion, chopped
1 can of Rotel
1 can black beans
2 cans Mexican-style stewed tomatoes
1 can pinto beans
1 can water
1 can yellow hominy
1 package of taco seasoning
1 package Hidden Valley Buttermilk Dressing mix
1 small can green chilies or 1/4 to 1/2 cup
Cumin, salt, pepper to taste

Brown the meat together with the onion. Drain. Mix in the other ingredients in the crock pot. Cook all day on low.

Tomatillo chicken

My wise and creative friend Charlene invented this recipe, and it was raved about by everyone in my house. We served it over flour tortillas sprinkled with cheddar cheese.

In the crock pot, put:

1 package frozen corn
1 can black beans (rinse this)
1 can hominy (rinse this)
1 jar of tomatillo sauce/salsa verde
8 chicken breasts (I put mine in frozen)

Crock this on high all day. The chicken will fall apart and it is muy bien!

Vegetarian Chili

Not very summery, but a good thing to take to work to warm up for lunch.

Alyson's Vegetarian Chili

INGREDIENTS
1 (15 oz) can pinto beans - drained and rinsed
1 (15 oz) can black beans - drained and rinsed
1 (15 oz) can light red kidney beans - drained and rinsed
1 (15oz) can dark red kidney beans - drained and rinsed

2 (28 oz) cans crushed tomatoes
1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes

2 cups celery, diced
1 small red bell pepper, diced
1 small yellow bell pepper, diced
1 medium red onion, diced

2 T ground cumin
3 T garlic powder
4 T chili powder

Grated cheese and sour cream for garnish

DIRECTIONS
Heat a large sauté pan over medium high heat, spraying with cooking spray. Cook vegetables until they are slightly soft - about 6-7 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine tomatoes, beans and spices in a large dutch oven or slow cooker. When vegetables are done, add them to the mixture and combine thoroughly.

For Dutch Oven: Simmer for 3-4 hours on low, stirring every so often.

For Slow Cooker: Simmer for 6-7 hours on high.

Number of Servings: 8

Slow cooker lasagna

Chef Meg's Slow Cooker Lasagna

I love Chef Meg--she is a contributor to a lot of great recipe websites and has healthy things to contribute. I am a little hesitant about cooking with eggplant, since I've only tried one eggplant recipe before, but I'm not going to skip it in this recipe.

*Review: I made this recipe for my family and it was not a big hit. Three of the five people in my house refused to eat any or more than a bite. I assembled it the night before (using regular lasagna noodles) and put the crock pot in the fridge. Then, it was ready to crock the next day, slowly. It was all OK, but was missing something. My husband suggested using Italian sausage instead of ground beef, and I may try that next time. Either that or add some Italian seasoning, basil, or more red pepper. I also think that you could substitute squash or zucchini for the eggplant and be fine.

INGREDIENTS
16 oz (1 lb) ground beef,
2 c eggplant, diced (no need to peel it) <--- I'm going to peel it.
1 jar marinara sauce (I will use Classico's Tomato Basil since it does not have added sugar)
1/4 t red pepper flakes
2 t dried thyme
1 1/4 c water
15 oz. ricotta cheese, part skim
1 T parsley chopped
1/4 c egg substitute(or 1 egg white)
1 c shredded Italian blend cheese (or mozzarella)
6 lasagna noodles, dried, no boil variety

DIRECTIONS
Brown the ground beef in a skillet over moderate heat; drain any excess fat. Stir in red pepper flakes, thyme, tomato sauce, eggplant, and water. In a bowl combine the egg substitute, ricotta, Italian cheese blend, and parsley. Place enough meat sauce to cover the bottom of slow cooker. Top with 2-3 noodles, broken to cover the meat sauce. Repeat layer. Top second layer with cheese mixture and finish with a top layer of the meat mixture. Cover and set slow cooker on low. Cook for 3 1/2 to 4 hours.

Number of Servings: 8

Get to Crock-in!

Some crock pot recipes that I found on my home computer. I haven't made any of these for a while, but they all look great, and look like they need to be in the rotation again!

Basil Chicken

1 lb baby carrots

2 medium onions

1-2 cups celery

3 lb chicken

½ cup chicken broth

3 tsp salt

½ tsp black pepper

1 tsp dried basil

Cook 7-10 hours, or until chicken is finished

Creamy Chicken & Vegetables

1 can cream of mushroom soup

4 chicken breasts

16 oz package of frozen veggies

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp pepper

1 cup cheddar cheese

Layer and cook until chicken is all the way cooked

We served this with/over mashed potatoes.

Pork Cops

4 pork cops *Recipe calls for boneless, but we used ones with bones--but boneless is much better!!

½ tsp dry mustard

¼ cup flour

½ tsp sugar

1 tsp vinegar

½ cup water

½ cup ketchup

½ tsp salt

Cook on high 2-3 hours, and then low 3-4 hours, or on low 8 hours.

Turkey Chili

2 lb ground turkey, browned

16 oz can of pinto or kidney beans (I drained them)

2 cups fresh tomatoes

2 cups tomato sauce

1 clove of garlic

1 small onion

16 oz Rotel

1 package chili seasoning

Cook on low 6-8 hours

*I only used 1 lb ground turkey. If it is too saucy, I may add another can of beans.

Italian Chicken Stew

1-3 pounds of chicken, cut up

2 T olive oil

1 tsp. salt

1/3 tsp black pepper

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cloves minced garlic (or about 1 tsp or 1 T of garlic)

16 oz can of diced tomatoes

2 T basil

1 tsp. oregano

1 lb fresh mushrooms (I omit this)

1 green pepper, cut in strips

2 medium zucchini cut in 2 inch chunks

Put salt, pepper, olive oil and chicken in a skillet and cook until chicken is cooked through. Put everything in the skillet in the crock pot. Sautee garlic and onion in the same skillet. Add tomatoes and basil. Stir occasionally and cook for 5 minutes. Add the vegetables to the crock pot and then pour the tomato mixture over it. Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours. Check on it every few hours, and sometimes if it looks dry, I add another can of diced tomatoes or some water. You can also use Italian-style stewed tomatoes for some of the diced tomatoes, if you want. We serve over whole wheat pasta.

Crock Pot Pinto Beans

Take a package of beans and wash them. Put the beans in a glass bowl and cover with water. Let them soak over night. Put the beans in the crock pot (in the water in which they soaked) and add some more water until the beans are covered with about ½ inch of water. Add in some ham or bacon to season. Add salt, a T or so of minced garlic, and a pinch of baking soda. Cook on low in the crock pot all day. Serve with cornbread or biscuits, and you can use the extras in other recipes (like Taco Soup).

Taco Soup *GREAT for cold weather and healthy too!

1 lb ground turkey or beef

1 large onion chopped

1 can of Rotel diced tomatoes with chilies

1 can black beans

2 cans Mexican-style stewed tomatoes

1 can pinto beans

1 can water

1 can yellow hominy

1 package taco seasoning

1 package of Hidden Valley Buttermilk (or Ranch) dressing mix

1 small can green chilies (4 oz)

Cumin, salt, and pepper to taste

Brown meat and onion together. Drain. Mix all other ingredients in crock pot. Cook on low all day or all night. You can also use Ranch Style beans instead of pinto beans. If it is too hot, put in only half of the taco seasoning or leave out the small can of green chilies.

Italian Chicken

1 lb. chicken breasts
8 oz. sliced mushrooms (I leave this out because I think that mushrooms look like brains)
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 zucchini, diced
1 onion, chopped
26 oz. spaghetti sauce (I use the Classico Tomato & Basil because it is sugar free)
Spaghetti or other pasta

Combine all ingredients (other than the pasta) in the crock pot and cook on low for six or eight hours. Serve over cooked pasta.

Holly's Bean Soup

Add the following to a crock pot and cook on low for 4 to 8 hours (however long you need!)

2 cans yellow hominy (drained)
2 cans kidney beans (drained)
2 cans black beans (drained)
2 cans pinto beans (undrained)
2 large cans of diced or stewed tomoatoes
minced garlic (I add a tablespoon, but I really love garlic!)
sliced smoked sausage (I use a pound of kielbasa or other sausage)
1 jar of jalapenos (I leave this out!)

Serve with grated cheese

Cheeseburger Soup

This is so yummy and is actually a Weight Watchers recipe

2 sprays of Pam
1 clove of minced garlic
1 medium onion, chopped
1 stalk of celery, chopped
1 pound of uncooked ground beef (lean!)
2 tablespoons flour
3 cups of chicken broth
1 cup evaporated milk
8 oz. velveeta light, cubed
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper

Saute the garlic, onion and celery in the Pam in a skillet. Add the veggies to a crock pot that has been sprayed with Pam. Brown beef and drain off fat. Add the meat to the crock pot. Mix the flour and 1/2 cup of chicken broth until it is not lumpy, and pour into the skillet. Add the rest of the chicken broth and bring to a simmer, scraping the browned bits in the bottom of the skillet. Pour chicken broth mix into the crock pot. Stir in evaporated mil, cheese, paprika, salt, and pepper. Cover and cook on low for 2 hours. Serve with crumbled tortilla chips or fresh tortillas.

Pesto Rice & Beans

This was not a huge hit with my family, but I really liked it. I'd serve it with some spinach salad and grilled/baked chicken breasts.

15 oz. great northern beans, drained and rinsed
14 oz. chicken broth
3/4 cup uncooked long-grain rice or wild rice
1 1/2 cups frozen green beans, thawed
1/2 cup prepared pesto (Classico has some yummy stuff in a jar)

Combine beans, broth, and rice in a crock pot. Cook on low for 2 hours. Add in green beans and cook on low for another hour. When the rice is finished, stir in the pesto and let it stand (covered) for five minutes.

Chicken and Stuffing

Yummy comfort food in the crock pot

1/2 cup flour
3/4 tsp. seasoned salt
3/4 tsp. black pepper
4 chicken breasts
1/4 cup butter
2 cans of cream of mushroom soup*
12 oz. of seasoned stuffing mix

Combine flour, seasoned salt and pepper in a large ziplock bag. Add chicken. Shake to coat. Melt butter in a skillet and brown chicken in the skillet. Put the chicken in a crock pot, pour soup over the chicken. Prepare the stuffing according to to the directions (decreasing liquids by half). Layer stuffing over the chicken. Cover and cook on high for 3 to 4 hours or low for 6 to 8 hours.

*I am not a fan of cream of mushroom soup, so I would use cream of chicken soup...or cream of celery if it was what I had.

Chicken and Dumplings

I love love love this comfort food! Here are a couple of variations:

Simple Chick and Dumplings

1. Mix together four celery tops, one carrott, one onion, parsley, 1/8 tsp. pepper, and 4 cups of chicken broth in a pot. Bring to a boil, cover, and then reduce heat. Simmer until veggies are soft (15 minutes or so), and then remove veggies and set aside.
2. In a new pan, melt 1/2 c. butter and stir in 1/2 c. Bisquick until the mixture is smooth and bubbly. Remove from heat.
3. Stir in broth, heat to boiling, and boil for one minute.
4. Add in chicken and veggies and heat.
5. In another bowl, mix 2 cups of Bisquick with 2/3 cups milk until it becomes a soft dough. Drop the dough by spoonfuls onto the mixture (don't mix it in). Cook for 10 minutes. Cover, and cook 10 more minutes.

Crock Pot Chick and Dumplings
2 cups of cooked chicken
10 3/4 oz. of cream of mushroom soup
10 3/4 oz. of cream of chicken soup
2 soup cans of water
4 tsp. flour
2 tsp. chicken bouillon
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 can of refrigerated buttermilk biscuits

Mix all ingredients (except biscuits) in the crock pot. Cut the biscuits into quarters and gently stir into the mix. Cover and cook on low for four to six hours.

Black Eyed Peas for New Years Good Luck

One large bag of dried black eyed peas
1/4 or 1/2 pound of ham (I used turkey ham because it was on sale)
1 tsp of minced garlic

Rinse beans. Cover the beans with 1" to 2" of water and soak in a glass bowl overnight. Watch them because they might soak up all the water--in which case you need to add more water!

In the morning, add the garlic, ham, beans and their water to a crock pot. Throw in some Kosher salt (a small handful--maybe 3 tablespoons?) and turn on high for three or four hours. After that, switch it to low until you are ready to eat.

Serve with corn bread (we used Corn Kits) and some kind of a green vegetable (I think we used bagged fresh spinach).

Yield-10-15 servings.

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