Small lean cut roast
24-oz. jar of Greek salad peppers (pepperoncini)
Garlic, sliced
Cut small slits in the roast and place garlic slices in slits. Place the roast into crock pot. Dump entire jar of peppers and liquid over it. Cook all day (12 hours) on low. Also tasty to stuff the beef, peppers and chopped fresh tomatoes into pita breads.
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, lightly pounded
Freshly ground black pepper
8 cloves garlic, smashed
1 cup wild rice blend
1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
2 1/4 cups water
10 fresh parsley sprigs
Season the chicken breasts generously with pepper. Place the chicken breasts in the bottom of a slow cooker. Add the garlic and rice. Add the lemon juice to the water and stir. Pour this mixture over the rice and chicken. Stir once to coat. Place the lid on the slow cooker and set on low for 8 hours. To plate, place a serving of the rice on each plate and top with 1 chicken breast. Garnish with fresh parsley sprigs
1 pound sausage
1 large, or 2 small apples, chopped (no need to peel)
1 yellow onion, chopped
1/2 cup chopped carrots
3 cups already cooked long-grain rice
1/2 cup raisins
1 T dried parsley flakes
1 T brown sugar
1/2 tsp. allspice
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. black pepper (start with 1/8 if your kids don’t tolerate a touch of spice)
1/3 cup chicken broth or water (I used water)
The amount of ingredients fit nicely in a 4 quart crockpot. I’d say this comfortably feeds a family of 4-5 with a bit of leftovers. If you have a large family or teenagers, add more rice and sausage. It’s a pretty easy recipe to adapt to your needs. If you are going to use uncooked pork sausage, I’d recommend browning on the stove top, and draining before adding to the crockpot. Otherwise, dump all the ingredients into the crock, and stir well. Cover and cook on low for 5-7 hours, or on high for 3-4. You’re really only heating through, and allowing the vegetables to soften. This will not stick together like a gloppy casserole; it has the consistency of fried rice. Use bowls to serve rather than plates. We decided that eating this felt exactly like eating a bowl full of Fall. The spices are spot-on, and are comforting and hearty. Adam and I each had two servings, and then picked more while cleaning the dishes. I will make this again, often.
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2 T. butter or margarine
1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 C.)
1 butternut squash (2 lb), peeled, cubed
2 C. water
1/2 tsp. dried marjoram leaves
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1/8 tsp. ground red pepper (cayenne)
4 chicken bouillon cubes
1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, cubed
In 10-inch skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion; cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp-tender. In 3- to 4-quart slow cooker, mix onion and remaining ingredients except cream cheese. Cover; cook on Low heat setting 6 to 8 hours. In blender or food processor, place one-third to one-half of mixture at a time. Cover; blend on high speed until smooth. Return mixture to slow cooker. Stir in cream cheese and whisk well. Cover; cook on Low heat setting about 30 minutes longer or until cheese is melted, stirring with wire whisk until smooth.
Yield: 6 servings
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12 skinless bone-in chicken thighs (about 5 lb.)
1 T. vegetable oil
1 pound baby Yukon Gold potatoes
2 medium onions, cut into thin wedges
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 C. honey
2 T. fresh lemon juice
2 T. cornstarch
1 T. coarsely chopped fresh rosemary, plus sprigs for garnish
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper
Rinse chicken and pat dry. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over moderately high heat. Add chicken and cook, turning, until browned on all sides, about 8 minutes.  Place the potatoes, onion and garlic in a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker; top with chicken. Stir together honey, juice, cornstarch, rosemary, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Pour over chicken. Cover and cook, 6 to 8 hours on low or 3 to 4 hours on high. Serve garnished with rosemary sprigs, if desired.
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3 lbs. ground beef
1 lb. sausage
½ cup bread crumbs
3 eggs
1 packet dry powdered ranch mix
¼ cup BBQ sauce, plus more for topping after it is cooked
½ medium onion, chopped finely
1 tsp. salt
1 T. garlic
In a large bowl, mix beef, sausage, bread crumbs, eggs, ranch packet, ¼ cup of BBQ sauce, onion, salt and garlic together by hand in large bowl. Add to slow cooker and form into a loaf shape. Add desired amount of BBQ sauce on top of loaf to glaze and cook on LOW for 6 hours. Once cooked and ready to serve, top with more BBQ sauce if needed.
12-15 1/2 oz frozen meatballs (quartered)
6 cups Chicken Broth or 4 cans
1/4 cup chicken, chopped up. (one chicken breast)
1/2 cup carrot, Diced small
1/2 cup celery, Diced small
1 bunch spinach, (stems removed)
Garlic Salt, to taste
lemon pepper, to taste
1/4 cup Romano cheese
1/4 cup tiny pasta, add during last hour of cooking
Pop the meatballs in the microwave for a minute or two on defrost, so you can quarter them. Combine all ingredients in crock pot and cook all day on low or 3 hours on high. If the pasta is added during the last hour of cooking, you will see pasta, The first time I made it, I put it in at the beginning and it thickened the soup some.
1 beef brisket (4 t
o 5 pounds), trimmed of fat
1/4 C. all-purpose flour
1 packet onion soup mix (1.25 ounces)
1 can tomato soup (10.75 ounces)
1/4 tsp. black pepper
2 T. light brown sugar
2 T. red wine vinegar
Pat the brisket dry with paper towels. Place the flour in a shallow bowl. Dredge the brisket in the flour, then shake off the excess. Place the brisket in a 4½ -to 6-quart slow cooker. Place the onion soup mix, tomato soup, and pepper in a small bowl with ¼ C. of water and stir to combine. Pour this mixture over the brisket. Cover the cooker and cook the beef on high heat until it is quite tender, 6 hours. Remove the brisket from the cooker and place it on a platter. Cover it loosely with aluminum foil to keep it warm. Strain the liquid that is left in the cooker. Spoon off as much fat as possible or use a gravy separator to remove the fat from the liquid. Pour the strained and defatted liquid into a 2-quart saucepan and heat over medium heat. Add the brown sugar and vinegar and stir until the sauce heats through and the brown sugar melts. Slice the brisket, pour enough sauce over it to moisten it, then serve the remaining sauce on the side.
Add a simple loaf of Italian or French bread and some olive oil for dipping, and you’ve got a great meal!
The lentils do take a long time to get tender when cooked on the low setting. If you start the soup just before you go to bed in the evening, it’ll be ready by lunchtime the next day when cooked on low heat.
1 cup lentils
1/3 cup pearl barley
1 cup carrot, chopped
1 cup celery, chopped
1 cup onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1 bay leaf
3 1/2 cups broth (chicken, vegetable, or leftover Thanksgiving turkey)
2 1/2 cups water
14 1/2 ounces Italian-style or regular stewed tomatoes, undrained
1/4 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped (optional)
2 tablespoons cider vinegar (optional)
Sort through lentils to remove debris and shriveled beans, then rinse. Add lentils to crockpot along with carrot, celery, onion, garlic, dried herbs, and bay leaf. Pour in broth, water, and tomatoes. Cover and cook on low heat for 12 to 14 hours, or on high heat for 5 to 6 hours. Discard bay leaf. Just before serving, stir in parsley and vinegar (if using).
1-2 lb. sausage, depending on your families appetites, browned, crumbled, drained
4 cups cubed frozen hash browns or 4 cups cubed potatoes
1 can corn, drained
1 can creamed corn
1 can evaporated milk (may use low fat)
2 cups water
1 T minced onion (dried is fine)
pepper to taste
Dump in crock pot, stir well; cook all day on low or half a day on medium. Serve with grated cheese, oyster crackers, or CheezIts. Serves 6 plus, depending on appetites. Even better the next day and seems to freeze well also.
2 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. thyme
½ tsp. garlic powder
¼ tsp. cayenne (red) pepper
¼ tsp. black pepper
1 onion
1 large chicken
Combine the dried spices in a small bowl. Loosely chop the onion and place it in the bottom of the slow cooker. Remove any giblets from the chicken and then rub the spice mixture all over. You can even put some of the spices inside the cavity and under the skin covering the breasts. Put prepared chicken on top of the onions in the slow cooker, cover it, and turn it on to high. There is no need to add any liquid. Cook for 4 – 5 hours on high (for a 3 or 4 pound chicken) or until the chicken is falling off the bone. Don’t forget to make your homemade stock with the leftover bones
When you make onion soup in a slow cooker, the flavor becomes intense—especially when you cook it for 24 hours. First, you create the broth and leave it overnight in the slow cooker. The resulting beef stock is rich in vitamins and minerals including calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus. It promotes strong, healthy bones and is good for your digestion and immune system. In the morning, you add the rest of the ingredients and let everything simmer together all day on low heat. Your deeply flavored soup will be ready by dinnertime. Top each serving with crusty bread and a slice of cheese and broil until bubbly before digging in.
2 to 3 pounds grass-fed beef bones
3 carrots, coarsely chopped
3 celery stalks, coarsely chopped
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
2 bay leaves
5 garlic cloves
Fine sea salt
2 T. ghee
6 large yellow onions, sliced
2 T. all-purpose flour
1/2 C. dry white wine
8 slices crusty bread
8 slices Gruyere cheese
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place the beef bones in a large roasting pan and cook them until well browned, about 30 minutes. Place the bones in the slow cooker. Deglaze the roasting pan with 1/4 C. hot water; use a wooden spoon to scrape off the parts that stick. Add this flavorful water to the slow’ cooker along with the carrots, celery’, onion, bay leaves, and garlic. Fill the slow’ cooker with water. Set the temperature to low’ and leave it overnight, about 12 hours. In the morning, strain the broth through a large colander, discarding any solid pieces. Turn off the heat and let the broth cool down. The stock will set like gelatin and the fat will rise to the top and harden. Skim the fat off. Taste the broth; season with salt to taste. Pour 10 C. stock back into the slow’ cooker. (Refrigerate the remaining stock in an airtight container for up to 4 days, or freeze for up to 6 months.) Melt the butter in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté, stirring frequently, until they brown, about 20 minutes. Add the flour to the onions. Cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, for about 1 minute. Deglaze the pan with the white wine. Add 1 T. salt and cook for 1 minute, then add the mixture to the slow cooker. With the slow’ cooker still on low, cook until the onions are very soft, about 8 hours. Before serving, preheat the oven to 400°F. Arrange bread slices in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake until crispy, about 10 minutes. Divide the soup between individual ovenproof bowls. Float a slice of the crispy bread in each soup bowl and top with a thick slice of Gruyere cheese. Set the oven to broil and broil until the cheese is golden brown, about 3 minutes. Serve hot.
New Zealand Rosemary Lamb Shanks
1 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. pepper
4 lamb shanks (about 20 ounces each)
1 T. butter
1/2 C. white wine
3 medium parsnips, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
2 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
2 medium turnips, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
2 large tomatoes, chopped
tap here
1 large onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 C. beef broth
1 package (10 ounces) frozen peas, thawed
1/3 C. chopped fresh parsley
2 T. minced fresh rosemary
Rub salt and pepper over lamb. In a large skillet, heat butter over medium-high heat; brown meat. Transfer meat to a 6- or 7-qt. slow cooker. Add wine to skillet; cook and stir 1 minute to loosen brown bits. Pour over lamb. Add the parsnips, carrots, turnips, tomatoes, onion, garlic and broth. Cook, covered, on low 6-8 hours or until meat is tender. Remove lamb; keep warm. Stir in peas, parsley and rosemary; heat through. Serve lamb with vegetables.
Serving Size: ½ Shank with 1 C. Vegetables
Calories: 350
Fat: 15g
Fiber: 6g
1 3-4 pound pork loin roast
1/4 C. lite soy sauce
2 tsp. sesame oil
8 garlic cloves, pressed
2 tsp. ginger, grated (use fresh)
Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
3/4 C. water for bottom of slow cooker
In a mixing bowl, combine soy sauce, oil, garlic, and ginger. Set aside. Sprinkle salt over meat, and follow with some good cranks of fresh ground black pepper. Rub soy mixture all over meat to coat. Pour water into crock pot. Place roast into crock pot and cook over low heat for seven hours. At the seven hour mark, flip the roast over and pull at meat to separate whatever is ready to fall off the bone. Pour some of the liquid over the top of the meat. Cover and allow to cook for another two hours. At the nine hour mark, take two forks and shred the meat. The meat should completely fall apart. Serve over rice or with homemade Mu Shu pancakes. Garnish with scallions, bean sprouts and sesame seeds. Enjoy!
Crockpot Greek Chicken with Green Beans
1 pound fresh green beans, trimmed
2 large tomatoes, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 C. chicken broth
1/4 C. snipped fresh dill
2 to 3 T. lemon juice
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 bone-in chicken thighs (about 1-1/2 pounds)
1 T. olive oil
3/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
Optional: Lemon wedges and additional snipped fresh dill
Combine the first 7 ingredients in a 5- or 6-qt. slow cooker. Top with chicken. Drizzle with oil; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook, covered, on low until a thermometer inserted in chicken reads 170°-175°, 4-6 hours. Preheat broiler. Place chicken on a greased rack in a broiler pan. Broil 4-6 in. from heat until golden brown, 3-4 minutes. Serve with bean mixture and, if desired, lemon wedges and additional fresh dill.
Yield: 4 servings
Calories: 324
Fat: 18g
Fiber: 6g