Crock Pot Chicken

I've been eating this since I was a kid. Mom edited a recipe from a book that (to me, at least) looked to be at least 100 years old. It's simple - both in content and preparation - and is one of the kid-friendliest meals I've ever made. Even Braeden eats it, and he doesn't like anything that isn't mac & cheese or peanut butter.

You can use reduced-fat soup and fat-free milk with no problem if you so choose.

One caveat - the milk in this will curdle if you cook it too long or too fast. It's a good idea to make it the first time on a day you can be home to keep an eye on it. My first slow cooker burned it if I cooked it longer than 4 hours, even on low. The one I have now does well on low for 6 hours. It's hit-or-miss, so give it a trial run before you leave it on all day while you're gone.

Crock Pot Chicken

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 10-oz can cream of chicken soup, undiluted
1/2 c butter or margarine
1/2 c flour
salt & pepper to taste
2 c milk
cooked rice

Spray bottom of slow cooker with cooking spray. Cut chicken into large cubes (2 inches is good) and place in slow cooker. Pour soup over chicken and stir well to coat.

In a saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Whisk in flour, salt, and pepper until smooth. Gradually whisk in milk, stirring constantly. Cook over medium heat until thickened, about 2 minutes (keep stirring!). Pour over chicken and stir to mix well. Cook on low 6 hours. Serve with rice.

Serves 6.

French Dip Subs

This one just left me speechless.

It is that good.

Nuttin' else to say, 'cept that they won't last long!

French Dip Subs

1 3-lb eye of round roast, trimmed of fat
1 can condensed French onion soup, undiluted
1 can beef consomme, undiluted
1 can beef broth (the Campbell's kind)
1 tbsp beef bouillon granules
pepper to taste
hoagie rolls

Cut roast in half and place in bottom of slow cooker. Pour soups and bouillon granules over the roast. Cook on low for 8-10 hours. Shred meat with forks and place on hoagie rolls. Strain broth if desired and serve with subs.

(I'm just guessing, but a 3-lb roast should serve at least 8-10 people.)

Jerk Chops with Pineapple

I modified a recipe from the Biggest Loser cookbook... and oh my word. It was incredible. I am trying to use my crockpot more often, and had learned some time back that pork chops are infinitely better when slow-cooked. With just three ingredients, prep is a snap. I dumped it in the crockpot last night and it's so good I'm eating it for breakfast this morning! Next time I'm doubling it. I can't recommend this enough - it's easy and delicious and healthy. What could be better?

Jerk Chops with Pineapple

1 lb. boneless pork chops, trimmed
1/2 c. jerk marinade (I used KC Masterpiece)
1 24-oz jar pineapple chunks in juice

Spray the bottom of a slow cooker with cooking spray. Layer chops evenly in bottom. In a small bowl, mix marinade and pineapple (with the juice) until well blended. Pour over chops. Cook on low 8-10 hours or until chops are tender. Serves 4.

Mulled Cider

This recipe came from my college roomie. She served this at her wedding (January) and every Christmas after I kept thinking I should make it. This year I finally did. I dumped everything in the slow cooker the night before, and we sipped on cider all day long Christmas Eve day. It was sooooo good! Her original recipe called for orange juice concentrate, which I didn't have, so I improvised and used regular OJ. There are no exact measurements - you can't really mess it up, so just add to taste. I did find that it needed more cinnamon sticks, so I added more in the morning for a total of about 10.

Mulled Apple Cider

apple cider (a gallon or so)
orange juice or orange juice concentrate (if OJ, use two cups. if concentrate, use less)
pineapple juice (optional, maybe a cup or so)
whole cloves (about 1 tbsp)
cinnamon sticks (about 10)

Dump it all in a slow cooker on "keep warm" setting the night before serving. Will keep in slow cooker for about 24 hrs - if it lasts that long!

Just Chicken

I enjoy chicken dishes, but I hate to cut and handle raw chicken. Gross. Recently I discovered a couple of tricks for cooking it that are a) relatively mess-free; b) super-duper easy; and c) produce jaw-droppingly tender chicken that falls apart when you touch it.

So... Tip One: freeze your chicken, and only thaw it enough to get a sharp knife through it. It's so much easier to handle this way, and considerly less slimy. (Though I will admit that your hands get pretty cold by the time you're finished!)

Tip Two: Cook that sucker in the crock pot! I have a 3-qt pot that will hold about 6 boneless skinless chicken breasts (cut up in big chunks). I drop it in the cooker just before bed. In the morning, it's nice and tender, and I pull out the chicken to cool just to the point that I can handle it without burning my fingers, and shred it in a large bowl. This will produce enough shredded meat for 3-4 recipes, or it will make burritos for a crowd of 20 or so. You always want some kind of liquid, but there doesn't have to be a lot of it, either.

Here are a few options for seasonings and liquids. For each one, cut the chicken in big chunks, mix up into the liquid, and cook on low for about 8 hours:

Spicy Chicken
1 jar salsa, your choice
1/2 c. chicken broth or water
chili powder to taste
(You can reserve the liquid if you want, or you can chunk it. I use about a cup and mix it back into the shredded chicken if I am using it for burritos or tacos.)

Generic Chicken (suitable for most any recipe)
1 1/2 c. chicken broth
pepper to taste
pinch garlic powder
salt, optional
(This makes delicious broth. Strain out the gook that floats to the top and save it for a later recipe.)

Italian Chicken
1 1/2 c. chicken broth
1 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. basil
1/2 tsp. crushed rosemary
1 bay leaf
black pepper to taste
(Another good one for broth, but make sure you use it in a dish it will complement)

FYI: one boneless skinless chicken breast will shred into about 3/4 cup of meat.

Cheesy Peppered Crock Pot Chicken

A slow cooker is a beautiful thing in terms of convenience. Prep time for this simple recipe is about 10 minutes, and then you're on to something else. I adapted this from the 2009 Quick Cooking book. Use pepper jack soup if you can find it, but fiesta nacho cheese will also work. You can also vary the amount of salsa to suit your tastes.

ETA: After this sat for a while, I wasn't so impressed. The taste is okay, but if I make it again, I will definitely saute the peppers to soften them before transferring to the slower cooker, because they just don't get soft enough to suit me in the crockpot. I'll probably add onions, too. It did help to add shredded cheese after reheating.

Cheesy Peppered Crock Pot Chicken

1 can condensed pepper jack soup
1/2 cup salsa
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, uncooked
1 each red, green, and yellow bell pepper
1 small onion, halved & thinly sliced

Cut chicken into 1/2-in chunks. In a 3-qt slow cooker, combine soup, salsa, and chicken. Stir in pepper and onion. Cook on low for 4-5 hours, or until chicken juices run clear. Serve with hot cooked rice.

Serves 6.

Spiced Pot Roast

When it comes to cooking a roast, I have tried a million different things, and I never make it the same twice. I've also never used a recipe, until now. I adapted this from a Weight Watchers cookbook to use my CrockPot. You can cook it with the vegetables, but I prefer to cook mine separately. Serve it with roasted potatoes and a salad. The leftovers are also perfect for vegetable beef soup (recipe to follow next week).

Spiced Pot Roast

1 1/2 pound lean eye of round roast, trimmed of all fat
1 14.5-oz can reduced-sodium beef broth
1 tsp. Tabasco sauce
1 tsp. ground coriander
3/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. ground pepper

Spray a skillet with olive oil spray. Sear roast over high heat on all sides. Transfer to slow cooker. Add remaining ingredients. Cook on low 8-10 hours, or until meat is cooked.

Serves 6-8

Beef Stew

Mmmm... I've had this recipe for years, and it is the ultimate fall stew. Because the original version was stovetop and seriously labor-intensive, I adapted it for the slow cooker. The addition of tapioca gives the broth a nice, thick consistency. It freezes well. If you are lucky enough to have space for one of the really big slow cookers, double the recipe and freeze half for later. It keeps well in the fridge for up to a week, and is a good choice for camping trips.

Beef Stew

1 lb stew meat
2 cans V8 juice
2 tbsp. dry tapioca
1/2 cup choppped onion
2 tbsp. beef boullion granules
2 cloves minced garlic
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp. basil
1/2 tsp thyme
2 c. sliced carrots (or baby carrots)
3 c. diced potatoes
1 c. diced celery

Combine all ingredients in a slow cooker. Mix well. Cook on low for at least 8 hours. (This will vary, depending on how fast your "slow" cooker cooks! I always let mine go for 10 hours.) Discard bay leaf before serving.

Crockpot Salsa Chicken

I love easy recipes, and it's hard to beat a slow cooker for easy cuisine. I had it in the crockpot in less than five minutes, and for a busy week like this one has been, little could make me happier. Even better - this is a good-for-you concoction that even the kidlets should enjoy.

Crockpot Salsa Chicken

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 package taco seasoning
1 c. salsa
1 can 98% fat-free cream of chicken soup
1/2 c. reduced-fat sour cream

Place chicken in crockpot (you may have to cut it in large chunks to make it fit). Sprinkle taco seaoning over chicken. Pour in salsa and soup. Cook on low for 4-8 hours (time will depend on how fast your crockpot cooks). When chicken is done, remove from pot and shred. Return to sauce, stir in sour cream, and cook for 15 minutes more. Serve with rice.

Serves 4-6

Sweet & Sour Meatballs

This is officially the weirdest recipe I've ever tried. I cannot begin to fathom the creative process that put sauerkraut, cranberry sauce, and spaghetti sauce together. It is totally beyond my comprehension. In fact, it was so strange, I just had to try it. The result? It's delicious. Really - but don't take my word for it. You really should give this a try.

Besides being utterly yummy, it's unbelievably easy to put together - toss a few ingredients in the crockpot and go away. I'm all for anything that involves less work! I served this with rice and came away quite satisfied. Give it a shot - I promise the flavors work better than you would ever believe.

Sweet & Sour Meatballs

2-3 lb. frozen cooked meatballs
1 15-oz can sauerkraut (do not drain)
1 15-oz can cranberry sauce
1 small jar spaghetti sauce
1/2 c. brown sugar

Put frozen meatballs in crockpot set to low. In a medium bowl, combine remaining ingredients. Pour over meatballs and cook for 3-4 hours, or until heated through. Serve with rice.