Summer Slow Cooker Meals – Beat the Heat in the Kitchen

I love using my slow cooker in the summer.  We’ve even been known to use it on vacation.  In fact, I had a dream a few years ago that we were in Magic Kingdom in Disney World and I was pushing a stroller with a crockpot in in, looking for a place to plug it in.   I was a bit worried about all the food my Mom had planned to take on vacation with us.

The slow cooker is also a great way to cook without heating up the kitchen.  I do tend to make different foods in the summer, than in winter.  Here are some of my favorites:  [Read more...]

Teriyaki BBQ Chicken Legs in the Slow Cooker

3 ingredients and a slow cooker.  This couldn’t be simpler to throw together.

And it’s really good too!  I’m not sure why I thought to mix Teriyaki  and BBQ sauces, but the combination makes a flavorful sauce that was a hit with the kids.

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

Slow Cooked Brown Sugar Chicken and Sweet Potatoes – 4 ingredients!

I’m never going to convince my family to love sweet potatoes like I do.  But this dish did convince the to eat them.  My oldest daughter even said the sweet potatoes were pretty good.  She didn’t think she liked them at all, but decided to give them a try when I served this.

This is a basic, quick recipe.  The prep is easy – just 4 ingredients too!  Chicken and sweet potatoes are a great combination.  Add a little butter and brown sugar and they’re even better.

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

No Recipe Required – 10 Ways to Cook Beef Roast or Other Cuts of Beef

Have a cut of beef in your freezer that you need to fix for dinner?  Not in the mood for a recipe?  No problem!

Here are some ideas to get you started.  No recipe required.

These ideas are for roasts or other cuts.  If you’ve got a nice steak, you’ll want to choose a different cooking method.

All of these ideas can be done in the oven or slow cooker.  The cooking time will depend on the cut of beef and how large the piece is.  As a general rule, beef roast or a round steak weighing about 2-3 lbs. will take 6-7  hours on high in the slow cooker.

9 ways to fix beef roast or other cuts of beef

  1. Salsa – any type.
  2. Diced tomatoes and green chilis.  Shred the meat and serve in tortillas or slice and serve with cornbread and veggies.
  3. Enchilada sauce, shred and serve in tortillas.
  4. Jar of gravy, add potatoes, carrots and onions cut in chunks.
  5. Cream of mushroom soup.  Serve with baked potatoes.
  6. Spaghetti sauce -  Pour over the meat.  Add green peppers and onions.  Serve over angel hair pasta.
  7. Bbq sauce – Shred or slice and serve on buns.
  8. Sprinkle with Italian seasonings, add onions, garlic and a splash of red wine.
  9. Bay leaf, rosemary, salt and pepper, red wine or beef broth.
  10. Make French Dip Sandwiches – Pour can of beef broth and 1 Tbs. worcestershire sauce over meat. Shred and serve on sub buns.

 

No Recipe Required – 10 Ways to Fix Chicken on the Fly

Does this ever happen to you?  You know dinner is going to be chicken because you’ve got a pack of boneless breasts/thighs/tenders or bone-in legs/breasts/thighs.  But you have no desire to think up a recipe to turn them into dinner.

You don’t need a recipe.  You just need some ideas.

Here are 10 ways (plus a few cooking methods) to get you started.   [Read more...]

Chicken and Broccoli “Stir Fry” in the Slow Cooker

Stir fry is a cooking method that can’t really be replicated in a slow cooker.

But you can make a pretty good fake!

I’ve made this recipe twice now.  It’s easy and quick to fix.  The chicken gets cooked in stir fry sauce for several hours.  The veggies are added later, so they don’t get mushy.

No ingredient photo this time.  I was in a big hurry both times I’ve made it. [Read more...]

Chicken and Dumplings in the Slow Cooker

Chicken and Dumplings is one of my family’s favorite meals, but I don’t always have time to make the homemade version.  This time, I decided to try a reader suggestion for super-quick dumplings.

The secret is flour tortillas.  It doesn’t get easier than that.  And I even used frozen chicken tenders, skipping the thawing.  Those two time-saving steps make this meal a breeze.

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

Pumpkin Spice Oatmeal in the Slow Cooker

I was so excited to find Quaker Steel Cut Oats on the grocery shelf the other day.  They were over a dollar less expensive than the brand my store usually carries, making them pretty affordable.  I like to use steel cut oats in the slow cooker, because they hold up better.

I wanted to make something more interesting than a normal bowl of oats, so I checked out the Quaker site.  Lots of recipes over there, but none for steel cut oats.  I couldn’t believe it!

Since I didn’t find any recipes, I created my own.  Actually, the idea comes from Good Life Eats.  Katie created Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal using old fashioned oats.  I didn’t follow her recipe, but the idea came from her.

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

Sloppy Slow Cooked Chicken Tacos

This recipe was created simply by standing in front of the pantry and pulling out a few likely ingredients.  I needed something that would be ready to eat when we got home, with minimal fuss required.

Oh, and I only had about 3 minutes to get it fixed and get out the door.  Ever have a morning like that?

Here’s what I used to make these Sloppy Chicken Tacos, but please feel free to alter as needed.  I really don’t think you can mess this up.  Put in whatever you have that sounds good to you.  Experiment!   [Read more...]

Chocolate Cobbler in the Slow Cooker

Thank you so much for all the wonderful birthday wishes for my mom yesterday!  She loved reading them and so did I.  You all are the absolute best group of folks on the entire internet!

This recipe works like magic.  You combine a few pantry staples, put it in the slow cooker and a few hours later…ta da!

You end up with chocolate cake with fudgy sauce!

I’ve seen this recipe on several blogs lately.  Traditionally, it’s baked in the oven, but I really wanted to know if it would work in the slow cooker.   It does!

Let me show you what you’ll need:  [Read more...]

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