Crockpot Archives - Page 2 of 11

Freezer Cooking – Ground Beef in the Crock Pot

February 12, 2013 by KimM

One thing I like to do to help cut down on meal prep time is have pre-cooked meats in the freezer. I will usually buy chicken, ground turkey, and ground beef in bulk. I often use my crock pot to cook my chicken, that I will shred and freeze for use in recipes/casseroles/soup. However, I have always cooked my ground beef and turkey on the stove top, usually only a pound or two at a time. It never occurred to me that I could use my slow cooker, until I saw it on Pinterest! (Pin source) One of the many reasons I am addicted to pinning

This is not a recipe per se, just a shortcut for cooking in bulk. The above picture is 3 lbs of 90/10 lean ground beef, with seasonings (salt, pepper, McCormick Grill Mates Hamburger Seasoning, and dried onion) and about half of a large chopped onion. You could easily add taco seasoning, Italian seasonings, or leave it plain. My crock pot could have held much more ground beef too, but this is what I had on hand. I cooked this on high for 4 hours (this may vary depending on your cooker and the amount of beef used, and if it was fresh or frozen), giving it a stir once an hour. You may not need to stir it that often, but it will need to be stirred on occasion and the clumps broken up. After the meat was cooked, I drained the meat (which was pretty lean and didn’t produce a lot of grease) and allowed it too cool. Then I divided it into 3 equal amounts (since I used 3 lbs.) and placed it in freezer bags. SO much simpler than standing over a stove top!

I hope you find this little tip as helpful as I did. {Looking for ideas to use all that ground beef? Check out Eat at Home Ingredient Spotlight: Ground Beef!}

KimM is a contributing writer for Eat at Home. See more from her at her blog Makin’ it Mo’Betta, and follow along on Pinterest, Facebook and Twitter!

Filed under: cooking tips, Crockpot, freezer cooking menu, frozen food, tips Tagged with bulk cooking, freezer cooking, ground beef, slow cooker10 Comments

Easy Crockpot Beef Fajitas

February 5, 2013 by Tiffany

One of the most popular recipes on my site right now is one of the newest – Easy Crockpot Chicken Fajitas by EaH writer, Rachael.

I’ve been wondering about a beef version and some of you have had that thought too. So I decided to give it a try. This could not be easier and it’s really delicious too. The house smelled fantastic the whole time it cooked.

I used beef cut for Milanesa, which I found in Walmart. It’s top round that’s been cut extra thin. You could use other cuts of beef too, but I really liked this very thin beef for this dish. I also used a packet of fajita seasoning instead of taco seasoning.

Here’s what you’ll need: [Read more...]

Filed under: Crockpot, Main Dish Tagged with beef, bell peppers, fajitas, Mexican, onions, slow cooker7 Comments

Slow Cooker Whole Wheat Blueberry Coffee Cake

January 22, 2013 by AndreaG

Coffee cake in the slow cooker? Yes indeed! The trick to baking this Slow Cooker Whole Wheat Blueberry Coffee Cake is to find a souffle pan that will fit in your slow cooker. You should find a 2 quart round souffle dish fits well in a 5 quart slow cooker.

The cake will cook in a water bath. Once the batter is made and is in the souffle dish, place the souffle dish in the slow cooker. You will then pour hot water around the souffle dish like the picture below:

This recipe calls for whole wheat white flour. If you have never cooked with it before, it is lighter than whole wheat flour. It can be found in most grocers and is a great way to introduce your family to whole grains. However, if all you have is unbleached all-purpose flour, feel free to substitute.

Slow Cooker Whole Wheat Blueberry Coffee Cake

Ingredients

1 cup white whole wheat flour
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried lemon peel
1 egg
1/2 cup sour cream
1/3 cup canola oil
1 cup frozen blueberries

Instructions

Combine flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and lemon peel in a large bowl.
In a small bowl, stir together the egg, sour cream and canola oil.
Mix the wet ingredients until the dry ingredients until well combined. Gently stir in the blueberries.
Coat a 2 quart souffle pan with cooking spray. Add the batter. Lower into the slow cooker. Cover with a piece of foil and wrap tightly so no water gets into batter.
Pour 2 cups of hot water into the slow cooker.
Set the slow cooker to high and cook for 3 to 3 1/2 hours.
When baked, turn cake upside down onto a wire rack. Allow to cool.
Dust with powdered sugar if desired before serving.

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NOTE: I have cooked this coffee cake on low for 8 hours. HOWEVER, you will need to add additional water to the slow cooker. If the slow cooker runs out of water while it is on, you run the danger of having the crock crack.

Filed under: Breakfast, Crockpot Tagged with blueberry, whole wheat flour1 Comment

Slow Cooker Meatballs and Spaghetti Sauce

January 11, 2013 by KateS

My husband grew up in a traditional Italian family, which meant big pots of meatballs and gravy simmering on the stove every Sunday. Yes, gravy – that’s what Italians in the New Jersey area call red pasta sauce!

I have his grandmother’s recipes, but I rarely make them because I don’t have the time. These quick and easy meatballs simmer all day in the slow cooker instead of the stove, which makes them much better for a busy lifestyle. The smell of them simmering all day in the slow cooker smells almost as good as having a pot of gravy on the stove all day!

This makes very tender meatballs in a thick sauce. They’re perfect over pasta or on long rolls for meatball subs. If you want a thinner sauce, mix in some jarred tomato sauce fifteen minutes before serving.

Slow Cooker Meatballs

Ingredients

1 lb. lean ground beef
1 egg
½ large onion, shredded
1/3 c. plain breadcrumbs
28 oz. can crushed tomatoes with basil, garlic and oregano
2 cloves garlic, minced
¼ c. fresh basil, chopped
¼ c. parmesan cheese, shredded, plus more for serving
Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

In a medium bowl, mix together the ground beef, egg, shredded onion and breadcrumbs. Roll ground beef mixture into 1-1 ½ inch balls. Set aside.
In another bowl, mix together the crushed tomatoes, garlic, basil and parmesan cheese.
Spread ½ cup of the tomato sauce mixture in the bottom of your slow cooker. Place the meatballs on top, and then cover with remaining sauce.
Cook on low for 8 hours.
Serve over pasta or on long rolls. Top with additional parmesan cheese, if desired.

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Kate is a home cook living and working in New Jersey. In addition to sharing recipes with Eat at Home readers, she blogs her cooking adventures at Kate’s Recipe Box. When she’s not in the kitchen, you can find her reading or tending to her garden.

Filed under: Crockpot, Main Dish Tagged with beef, Crockpot, ground beef, Pasta, slow cooker7 Comments

Turkey Breast in the Slow Cooker

January 4, 2013 by KimM

Does anyone else feel like they can only have turkey at Thanksgiving and Christmas?! I’m not sure why I am 40 years old and have always relied on my mama for turkey. Well, I have news for all us turkey cooking ‘fraid-y cats. It’s easy! As a matter of fact, you can cook a turkey breast right in your crock pot!

After getting a great deal on a turkey breast the other day, I started thinking about how I wanted to ~~attempt to~~ cook it. I knew you could cook a whole chicken in the slow cooker so I didn’t see why you couldn’t do turkey as well. Sure enough, I found a recipe at A Year of Slow Cooking. I changed it up a little, and the end result was fantastic!

Turkey Breast in the Slow Cooker

Ingredients

4-6 lb turkey breast
2 cups white wine*
1 onion, peeled and quartered
1/4 cup butter
handful of parsley (optional)
1-2 celery stalks, halved
salt and pepper, to taste
*apple juice or chicken broth can be used in place of wine.

Instructions

Wash and pat dry turkey breast.
Sprinkle well with salt and pepper.
Place breast side down in cooker.
Add onion, parsley, celery, and butter into cavity.
Pour wine over top of breast.
Cook 4-6 hours on high or 7-9 on low (internal temp should read 170 on meat thermometer)

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The turkey was moist and flavorful! I think if you leave the skin on, you could probably omit the butter altogether. I reduced the amount by half from the original recipe and it was fine. Also, you can add any seasonings to your turkey that you like. For serving, I removed the skin, and the meat came off the bones so easily! I loved the flavor that the wine gave, but as noted in the recipe, you could easily substitute another liquid. (The alcohol cooks out of the wine, and my kids did not notice any unusual flavor, but I did notice the wine a little.) I’m so excited that I have discovered such an easy way to prepare turkey!

Kim is the author of Makin’ it Mo’Betta and blogs about life with 3 kids, 2 crazy dogs, and adventures in the kitchen!

Filed under: Crockpot, Main Dish Tagged with Crockpot, slow cooker, turkey, turkey breast16 Comments

Italian Chicken with Tomatoes in the Crock-Pot

December 13, 2012 by Tiffany

This was a lovely meal to come home from church to eat. And it was easy to put together before church too. You can start marinating the chicken the night before or just give it 20-30 minutes to marinate right before cooking. The choice is yours. Do what works best with your schedule.

I did take the extra step of browning the chicken before adding it the the Crock-Pot. The browning adds a depth of flavor to the dish. But if you’re in a hurry, you can skip that step.

I made this recipe in my new programmable Crock-Pot. Crock-Pot now has a fun new option called Create-A-Crock. You can choose from many different backgrounds and patterns. And you can upload your own photos too! It’s a fun way to make a one of a kind Crock-Pot. I chose a simple black damask background for mine and added 4 family photos – 2 on the front and 2 in back.

There are several sizes and styles of Crock-Pot available in the Create-A-Crock. line. All of them can be customized the way you want.

Here’s what you’ll need:

Serve this dish with garlic cream cheese mashed potatoes or pasta with Parmesan. Either one will be a perfect combination with the Italian chicken and tomatoes.

Italian Chicken with Tomatoes in the Crock-Pot

Yield: 6-8 servings

Italian Chicken with Tomatoes in the Crock-Pot

Ingredients

3-4 lbs. boneless chicken breast
1/3 cup olive oil
4 Tbs. red wine vinegar
1 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. basil
2 garlic cloves, crushed
salt and pepper, to taste
15 oz can petite diced tomatoes
1/2 cup Italian blend shredded cheese

Instructions

Place chicken in shallow dish.
Whisk together all ingredients except tomatoes and cheese.
Pour marinade over chicken. Refrigerate for 20-30 minutes or up to overnight.
Brown chicken in olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.
Place chicken in Crock-Pot.
Add tomatoes to skillet, stirring to scrape up browned bits.
Pour over chicken in Crock-Pot.
Cook on low for 7-8 hours or high for 5-6 hours.
Top with shredded cheese.

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Disclosure: I have been compensated for my time and have also received a Crock-Pot. All opinions are my own.

Filed under: Chicken, Crockpot, Main Dish Tagged with Chicken, Crockpot, Italian, tomatoes7 Comments

Cube Steaks and Gravy in the Slow Cooker

December 11, 2012 by Tiffany

Oh goodness! This one is a winner.

The boy people (and man person, too) who live in this house really loved this meal. It was a fight-over-the-leftovers kind of love.

I don’t blame them either. I loved it too.

Generally, I’m against taking time to brown meat before tossing it in the slow cooker. But in a few cases, it’s a step not to be skipped. This is one of those cases. It only takes a few extra minutes and the results are so worth the effort.

Here’s what you’ll need: [Read more...]

Filed under: Crockpot, Main Dish Tagged with Crockpot, cube steaks, gravy, slow cooker3 Comments

Easy Crockpot Chicken Fajitas

December 7, 2012 by RachaelW

Who doesn’t love Mexican food? I don’t know anyone. Honestly, I could eat it every night. I discovered an easy way to make fajitas in the crockpot. The best part is all the flavors really cook well together. And leftovers are even better. We were so hungry the day I made these that I forgot to take a finished product picture. But you can imagine they were very yummy!

Here’s what you’ll need to make this quick, weeknight supper: [Read more...]

Filed under: Chicken, Crockpot, Main Dish Tagged with Chicken, Mexican, onions, peppers, slow cooker, tortillas71 Comments

4 Ways to Make Chicken and Dumplings

December 4, 2012 by Tiffany

The all-time, most popular recipe on Eat at Home is for Chicken and Dumplings. It doesn’t matter what time of year, people want to make this classic dish.

Chicken and Dumplings is a little like chili, in that there are a gazillion ways to make it. Some like it with veggies added. Some keep it simple. Some folks prefer drop dumplings, others like them rolled.

I like it all those ways. They all have their places in the recipe box.

Here are four ways you can make them.

The bowl above is the classic, homemade chicken and dumplings. They are really very easy to make and so, so good. I think these are the best of the bunch. Probably the best chicken and dumpling recipe you’ll ever try. They’ve been featured on Tasty Kitchen Blog. As of this writing, they’ve been pinned on Pinterest over 49,000 times.

If you haven’t tried them yet, you really must. Cook them for people you love and they will hug you and kiss you and love you forever.

The blue bowl above is Chicken and Drop Dumpling Stew. A hot bowl of this on a cold evening is a perfect winter supper. Easier to make than the rolled dumplings, this dough is stirred together and dropped into boiling broth. Carrots, onions and celery add to the hearty flavor.

You know I love slow cooking, so next up are two recipes for the crockpot. First is Chicken and Dumplings in the Slow Cooker. This recipe uses flour tortillas for the dumplings. Super simple and good too. Not only that, but the chicken cooks in the slow cooker, so you don’t even need to have cooked chicken on hand.

Another slow cooker version of Chicken and Dumplings. This one uses frozen gnocchi. The seasonings are different than the other versions. Garlic and Italian seasoning change things up a bit. I’ve made this recipe on the stove top when I failed to plan ahead and it worked perfectly.

So there you go. Four ways to make the best comfort food in the world. Try them all!

Filed under: Chicken, cooking tips, Crockpot, Main Dish, tips Tagged with Chicken, chicken and dumplings, comfort food, dumplings1 Comment

Slow Cooker Black Bean Butternut Squash Chili

November 20, 2012 by AndreaG

This slow cooker recipe for Black Bean Butter Squash Chili receives high marks from my family. In fact, while eating it the other night, my oldest daughter remarked, “This chili is marvelous!” Which struck me as funny, because who says “marvelous”? However, as she asked for seconds, I knew her compliment was sincere.

Since this recipe only needs to cook for 3-4 hours on high, it is the perfect recipe to throw in the slow cooker right before I pick-up the kids from school. Then, it is ready when we get home from whatever practice (usually volleyball) we have that evening. [Read more...]