Chicken and Veggie Tortellini Stew

Crock Pot day!  This was an exhausting weekend full of good times with friends so I wanted to make something that would not take much time out of my only relaxing day.  Although it's still summer, I felt like making a stew since I was only cooking for myself tonight.  My husband is out of town and isn't crazy for stews or casseroles so these next few days are for making those sorts of dishes!  This was a tasty meal and makes wonderful leftovers for later.  A must-try recipe for this upcoming cold season!

Source:  Pillsbury, 2009 Casserole Book

Ingredients:

2 medium carrots, sliced (about 3/4 cup)
2 cloves of garlic finely chipped
1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 3/4 inch pieces
1 can (19 ounces) of cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/4 teaspoon of pepper
1 3/4  cups chicken broth
2 cups of water
1 package (9 ounces) of refrigerated cheese-filled tortellini
2 medium green onions, sliced (2 tablespoons)
1 teaspoon of dried basil leaves
2 tablespoons of shredded parmesan cheese

Directions:
 
Spray slow cooker with cooking spray. In cooker, layer carrots, garlic, chicken, and beans. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Pour broth and water over top; stir to combine.

Cover; cook on low heat setting for 6 to 8 hours.

Stir in tortellini, onions and basil. Increase heat setting to hight. Cover; cook 15 to 20 minutes longer or until tortellini are tender. Sprinkle servings with Parmesan cheese.

Whole Chicken with Spice Rub

Another great crock pot recipe!  I couldn't believe how flavorful the chicken was for a recipe that was so simple and didn't even include chicken broth.  Believe it or not, I had never bought a whole chicken before.  Maybe I have lived a sheltered life, but cooking a large chunk of meat has always intimidated me.  Thanks to one of my favorite kitchen appliances, not anymore! 

Source:  The Cooking Husband

Ingredients:

1 whole chicken, 4-5 lbs.
4 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon thyme, chopped
1 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 onion, chopped

Directions:

In a small bowl, combine the above minus the onion.

Rub spice rub onto the chicken. Put chopped onion in bottom of the crock pot. Add chicken to the crock pot and add no liquid at all!

The chicken will make it’s own juices. Put the lid on the crock pot and cook for 8 hours on LOW.

Slow Cooker BBQ Ribs

Time to bring out the crock pot!  The crock pot gives me confidence in my cooking knowledge that I never knew I had.  A year ago, I never would have attempted making BBQ ribs.  I wouldn't have even known where to look in the grocery store for pork ribs.  However, since I have had so many successes with my crock pot these last 8 months, I decided to go for it.  These ribs were AMAZING!! They were cooked perfectly and the meat was falling off the bone as I tried to plate it for serving.  My husband said that recipe was definitely a keeper.  I used a homemade BBQ sauce for this recipe, but you can use your favorite bottle instead and it will turn out just as fabulous.

Source:  Joelen's Culinary Adventures

Ingredients:

2-3 pounds country pork ribs
2 cups BBQ sauce
2 cloves minced garlic
1 teaspoon dried oregano
 
Directions:
 
Place the pork, BBQ sauce, garlic and oregano into a crockpot. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 4-6 hours.

Italian Stuffed Peppers

I have had a few days off of work this week and I had some extra time to do cooking.  I hadn't posted much this month due to house hunting and some family obligations, but hopefully I am getting back on track.  I had a bit of a headache today so I wanted to make something simple, yet different to prepare.  So of course I brought out the Crock Pot.  I only made 6 peppers, but three were more than enough for us!  It was so filling and delicious.

Source:  Taste of Home:  Everyday Slow Cooker & One Dish Recipes 2009

Ingredients:

6 large sweet red or green peppers
1 lb. lean ground beef
2 c. cubed part-skim mozzarella cheese (1/4 in. cubes)
1 c. uncooked converted rice
1 small onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. minced fresh parsley
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 c. beef broth
1 can (28 oz.) crushed tomatoes
1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Cut tops off peppers and remove seeds; set aside.  In a large bowl, combine the beef, mozzarella cheese, rice, onion, garlic, parsley, salt and pepper; spoon into peppers.  Transfer to an oval 5 or 6 qt. slow cooker.  Pour broth over peppers; top with tomatoes.

Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours or until a meat thermometer reaches 160 degrees and peppers are tender.  Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Meatballs

I did a ton of cooking this past weekend and this recipe was one of the absolute best.  The meat balls turned out perfectly and the sauce was great.  The leftovers tasted even better and I thought I was eating leftovers from a great Italian restaurant.  I'm not trying to brag, but this was the absolute best and you need to try it.  The only thing that I had to do directly was alter the cooking time. The recipe called for leaving in the crock pot for 6-8 hours, but mine were done at 4 1/2 hours.

Source:  AllRecipes

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1 1/4 cups Italian seasoned bread crumbs
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 egg, beaten
1 (28 ounce) jar spaghetti sauce  (use your favorite, one without meat)
1 (16 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 (14.25 ounce) can tomato puree

Directions:

In a bowl, mix the ground beef, bread crumbs, parsley, garlic, onion, and egg. Shape the mixture into 16 meatballs.

In a slow cooker, mix the spaghetti sauce, crushed tomatoes, and tomato puree. Place the meatballs into the sauce mixture. Cook on Low for 6 to 8 hours.

Corned Beef

Happy Saint Patrick's Day!  Well, almost.  I won't be able to celebrate too much on the actual day itself because my husband and I are leaving on our anniversary trip the next day!  We'll be celebrating our first year of marriage!  For today, I decided to cook the popular corned beef.  Corned beef reminds me of when I was a kid and my mom loved to make corned beef for us at least a few times each year.  My husband loves corned beef, but had only had it as a deli meat in sandwiches.  I knew I had to make this for us and it had to be in the crock pot.  The beef turned out absolutely perfect and the vegetables with it cooked so well and absorbed the wonderful salty flavor of the beef.  Now for the rest of the week I have plenty leftover for sandwiches and maybe even some hash for breakfast

Source:  Kitchen Beginnings, adapted from The Food Network

Ingredients:

4lbs Lean Raw Corned Beef Brisket
3 tbls (or less) Pickling Spice  (I used the spice that came with the brisket)
1lb Large Carrots, cut into 4 inch pieces
1white onion, quartered
1lb Red Potatoes, quartered
1/3 C Horseradish
1/3 C Sour Cream

Directions:

Put corned beef in a large slow cooker and sprinkle with pickeling spice.  Layer carrots, potatoes and onion, in this order for even cooking.  Add enough hot water to cover the meat by at least 1 inch

Cook on high for 7-8 hrs

For the sauce:

Boil 1 cup of the cooking liquid until it’s reduced by half
Mix with horseradish and sour cream

Chicken Pot Pie

I have been bringing a couple dinners to some close friends to help them with adjusting to life at home with their baby, who is also my great nephew.  He was born 3 1/2 months premature and recently came home from the hospital.  Both he and his parents have been so courageous during the time while he was in the hospital and I wanted to do whatever I could to help, even if it is just bringing dinners once in a while.  I wanted to bring them something that could easily be heated up, or frozen for another time.  I turned to my favorite source, Stephanie Cooks, and found a great casserole that was both easy to assemble and delicious.  Sorry for the shadows in the picture!  I had forgotten my camera and had to use my IPhone instead.

Source: Stephanie Cooks

Ingredients:

1 pound of chicken breasts, frozen or fresh
1 bag of mixed veggies  (I used carrots, corn, and greenbeans)
1 tube of 10 refrigerator biscuits
1 can of 98% fat free cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup of chicken broth
1 cup of chicken gravy
Garlic powder
Onion powder
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons of cheddar cheese

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375.

Place the chicken, cream of chicken soup, and chicken broth in the crock pot. Cook on low 5 hours or until the chicken is cooked, shred and set aside. Don't drain the chicken- you will use the gravy.

In a 9 inch pie dish combine the chicken and the gravy it is sitting in, the bag of frozen veggies, and the chicken gravy. Stir to evenly coat.

Open the biscuits and slice each biscuit into 4 pieces. Evenly distribute the biscuits over the chicken and veggie mix. Top with garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper to taste. Sprinkle on the cheddar cheese.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the biscuits are golden and the gravy is bubbling.

Chicken in Red Wine

I recently purchased a new cookbook that helps benefit a local suburban team that is walking for the upcoming Avon Walk for Breast Cancer.  The team members submitted their favorite recipes and there were some really good ones in it!  I first decided to try a crock pot chicken recipe.  I often struggle with cooking chicken in it because it can dry out quickly.  My crock pot cooks a little fast so I shortened the cooking time an hour.  This was a simple tasty dish and it turned out great!

Source:  Hot Off the Rack - Cooking for a Cure (2010 edition)

Ingredients:

6 boneless chicken breasts
6 slices cooked, chopped bacon
1 (16 oz.) bag baby carrots
1/2 c. chopped onion
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. dried thyme
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 dried bay leaves
1 1/4 c. red wine
3/4 c. chicken broth
1 (16 oz.) package fresh sliced mushrooms
2 tbsp. flour
2 tbsp. cold water

Directions:

Add all ingredients, except for mushrooms, flour, and cold water to crock pot.  Cook on low for 7 hours.  Add mushrooms and remove bay leaves.  Mix flour and cold water in a side dish and stir in crock pot.  Cook an additional 1/2 hour. 

Crock Pot Asian Beef and Noodles

I think that most people who come on to my blog know that I'd rather cook with my Crock Pot than anything else.  You can do ANYTHING with it and it's turning into an obsession!  I found another great recipe using it that was completely different than any of the other recipes I tried.  This dish was really tasty!  I love having Ramen noodles for lunch so it was fun to incorporate into my dinner.  I love a little spice in my food and the red pepper flakes really brought out the heat of the beef.  You can alter the amount of pepper based on your preferences.  All in all, a good meal!

Source:  Stephanie Cooks, adapted from Laura's Kitchen

Ingredients:

1 (16 ounce) package frozen stir fry vegetables
2 - 2 1/2 pounds beef stew meat, cut into 1" cubes
1 (12 ounce) bottle stir-fry sauce, any flavor
3/4 cup chicken or beef broth (low sodium)
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 (3 ounce) packages ramen noodles, broken
1/4 cup green onions, chopped

Directions:

Coat a 4 quart slow cooker with cooking spray. Place frozen vegetables in the bottom and top with stew meat. In a medium bowl, stir together stir-fry sauce, broth, and red pepper. Pour over stew meat and vegetables in cooker.

Cover and cook on low for 9-10 hours or on high for 4 1/2-5 hours

At the end of cooking time, discard spice packets from ramen noodles and cook noodles in boiling water. Stir cooked noodles and green onions into meat mixture. Cover and let stand 10 minutes more. Stir before serving. This can be kept on warm for 1-2 hours.

Crock Pot Pot Roast

This weekend my husband and I stayed inside and just read books, worked on some art projects, cleaned, and watched movies. It felt like 10 below all weekend so neither of us felt like leaving the house. I thought that a nice pot roast in the crock pot would be good for our Sunday dinner so we could just relax and enjoy the wonderful smells from the kitchen.

Source: Stephanie Cooks

Ingredients:

2-3LB beef roast

2 cans of round potatoes

1/2 bag of baby carrots

3-4 stalks of celery, chopped up

1 can of cream of mushroom soup

1 envelope of onion soup mix

Directions:

Place the roast and the carrots in the crockpot. Cover with the onion soup mix and the can of cream of mushroom soup. Set the crockpot on low for 6-8 hours. After about 2 hours of cooking, add the potatoes and celery. Stir, and allow to finish cooking.

Crock Pot Applesauce

Okay, if you're reading this and love applesauce you need to make this RIGHT NOW. This was literally heaven as soon as I tasted it. The texture turned out great and the blend of brown sugar and cinnamon was perfect. For the first blog entry of 2010, this dish will be a hard one to top!

Source: Stephanie Cooks

Ingredients:

6 Granny Smith apples

3 Red Delicious apples

3 McIntosh apples

3/4 cup of light brown sugar

1.5 tablespoons of lemon juice

Cinnamon to taste (several heavy dashes)

Directions:

Peel and slice your apples, place them in the crock pot.

Pour in the lemon juice, sugar, and cinnamon. Stir to combine.

Cook on low for about 4 hours.

Using a potato masher mash up the apples. It will be very juicy and liquid. Turn off the crock pot and allow it to sit for about 30 minutes so it reabsorbs the liquid and thickens. Stir well. Serve warm or chilled.

Chili

Yes, it's time for another venison recipe! I still haven't made a dent in my freezer with all the meat, but I'm going to keep on trying! This recipe turned out fabulous, but if you're squeemish about venison, this recipe will work perfect with ground beef or turkey. If you're cooking for only 2 or 3 people, I recommend cutting this recipe in half because I think this recipe was for over a gallon's worth of chili. We'll be having leftovers for a few days. This recipe was another great weekend set-it-and-forget-it recipe for the Crock Pot as well. I would definitely make this again.

Source: Laura's Recipe Collection

Ingredients:

2 lbs ground beef or venison

2 red peppers, diced into larger chunks

2 yellow peppers, diced into larger chunks

2 1/2 C frozen corn

1 28 oz. can tomato sauce

1 30 oz. can chili beans

1 medium onion, chopped

2 C canned black beans

3 T. chili powder

Tabasco to taste

Sour cream and cheese to top, if desired

Directions:

In a large skillet, brown and drain the beef. Chop the peppers and onion. Add these into the crockpot. Add in the rest of the ingredients, aside from the sour cream and cheese, and mix well.

Simmer for 8-10 hours on low. Garnish with sour cream and cheese, serve.

Crockpot Venison Tenderloin

I still have at least 100 pounds of venison still in my freezer so I am still working on trying to clear it all out. The stew I made last weekend took so much time, so for this recipe, I just wanted something that would only take a few minutes of preparation. I had never cooked venison in the crock pot before, so I decided to do a little experimentation. I found a crockpot pork tenderloin recipe and just substituted the meat and altered the cooking time. This recipe turned out fantastic. I was afraid the meat would taste game-y, but it tasted quite the opposite and the meat came out so tender and flavorful.

Source: Adapted from Love To Eat

Ingredients:

1 venison tenderloin about 2 lbs (I used 2 tenderloins - 1 lb. each)
1 package dry onion soup mix
1 cup water
1 cup red wine (I used Cabernet Sauvignon)
1 tbsp minced garlic
Pepper to taste
Worcestershire sauce - a few dashes

Directions:

Put tenderloin in crock pot and rub with minced garlic and pepper. Add onion soup mix. Pour wine and water over and add dashes of Worcestershire sauce. Set crock pot on low for 6-8 hours until meat is cooked thoroughly.

40 Clove Garlic Chicken

I'm always looking to try new recipes in the crock pot. This recipe is exactly what the recipe says. It requires 40 cloves of garlic. I thought this would be overpowering, but the flavor was perfect. It also had a little bit of heat in the rub because of the red pepper flakes. You can always alter the amount of red pepper depending on your preferences and the chicken will turn out fine. By the way, this is what 40 cloves of garlic looks like:

Source: Cuisinart

Ingredients:

2 pounds chicken thighs (about 8 to 10), skinless, bone-in

1 teaspoon herbes de Provence

¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

¾ teaspoon kosher salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

3 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil

40 garlic cloves, peeled

½ celery rib, sliced

½ cup sliced onion

¼ cup white vermouth or dry white wine (I used Sauvignon Blanc)

3 tablespoons chicken broth

Directions:

Spray the inside of the crock pot with cooking spray. In a large bowl, combine the chicken thighs, herbes de Provence, red pepper flakes, salt, pepper, lemon juice and olive oil. Make sure to coat the rub all over the chicken. Lay the chicken in the bottom of the crock pot. Layer the garlic, celery and onions on top of the chicken. Pour in wine and chicken stock. Set the crock pot on low 8 hours then serve.

Pulled Pork Sandwiches

This was a really easy recipe to try, but I actually did very little of the work because of the long cooking time. My husband did most of the job which involved shredding the pork and adding the ingredients. All I did was plop the pork roast in the crock pot and set it to low for 10 hours. This dish was very tasty and is a great recipe to try for those who work long hours during the week!

Source: Crockpot Tuesdays

Ingredients:

2.5 lb. pork roast
14 oz. bottle of bbq sauce
1 tsp. brown sugar
1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 medium onion, chopped

Directions:

Put pork roast in crockpot. Cook on low for 10-12 hours or high for 5-6 hours.

Remove roast from crockpot. Trim excess fat and shred the meat. Dump out any excess liquid that is in your stoneware, and return the pork to the crockpot. Combine pork with remaining ingredients.

Cover and cook on high for 2 more hours.

Cabernet Braised Short Ribs

The crock pot is truly a wonderful thing. I like using it just for the wonderful smells it creates in the kitchen. Anytime I cook beef in the crock pot, it comes out so tender. This dish was no exception. The meat fell off the bone as soon as I took it out of the pot.

Source: My Adventures in Food, loosely adapted from Cooking Light, March 2008

Ingredients:

2 Tbs canola oil

3 lbs beef short ribs, trimmed

Salt and pepper

2 c low sodium beef broth

1 ½ c cabernet sauvignon or other dry red wine

3 Tbs tomato paste

3 celery ribs, sliced into 1-inch chunks

3 carrots, sliced into 1-inch chunks

6 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced

1 medium onion, cut into wedges

2 rosemary sprigs

3 Tbs all purpose flour

4 c hot, cooked wide egg noodles

Chopped parsley (optional)

Directions:

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil, heat until hot. Season ribs with salt and pepper. Add ribs to pan, and brown on all sides, about 2-3 minutes per side. Remove pan from heat. Place short ribs into a crock pot. Add beef broth to the pan, scraping to loosen browned bits. Add wine and tomato paste to the broth, whisking to combine.

Add celery, carrot, garlic, onion, and rosemary to the crock pot. Pour broth mixture over the crock pot contents. Cover and bake on medium, about 6 hours, until ribs are fork-tender.

Uncover crock pot. Remove ribs carefully and set on a plate. Strain the broth mixture through a sieve over a bowl, reserving the liquid. Discard the remaining solids. Separate the drippings from the fat using a fat separator. (If a fat separator is not available, use a zip-top plastic bag, letting the drippings settle, snipping a small hole in the bottom corner, and draining the drippings. Stop draining when you reach the fat, which should have risen to the top.) Discard the fat.

Pour drippings into a small saucepan. Add flour, and stir well with a whisk. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Reduce heat and simmer 3 minutes, or until thickened.

Serve ribs on a bed of noodles, and pour gravy on top. Garnish with parsley.