SAUSAGE AND COLLARD GREENS STEW

1 lb mild sausage links, casings removed

1 cup chopped leek
4 cups unsalted chicken stock
8-oz chopped fresh collard greens
1 tbsp chopped garlic
1 tsp kosher salt
3/4 tsp black pepper
3  cups cooked ditalini (small) pasta
1/4 cup heavy cream

Cook sausage in a large skillet over medium heat, stirring to break apart with a wooden spoon, until just beginning to brown, about 6 minutes. Add the leek and cook until sausage is browned and leek begins to soften, about 5 minutes.

Add sausage, leek, and pan drippings to a 6-quart slow cooker. Add stock, greens, garlic, salt and pepper. Cover and cook on low until vegetables are softened and sausage is cooked through, about 4 hours. Stir in the cooked pasta and heavy cream just before serving.

Yield: 6 (approximately 1 1/3 cups) servings

This recipe and photo are from an old SL magazine. 

MY SISTER'S COUNTRY-STYLE BARBECUED RIBS

I got this recipe from my sister over 50-years-ago. This makes some of the best ribs I have ever tasted. You owe it to yourself to try this recipe at least once.

4 lb country-style pork ribs
1 can tomato soup
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp celery seed
1 tsp salt
1 tsp chili powder
dash of cayenne pepper

Layer ribs in crock pot or slow cooker.

In a mixing bowl, combine the tomato soup (undiluted), vinegar, brown sugar, soy sauce, celery seed, chili powder, and cayenne pepper. Whisk to blend well. Pour mixture over the ribs; cover pot and cook at medium setting for at least 8 hours. Skim the fat from the juices before serving.

 

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HASH BROWN LOADED BAKED POTATO SOUP

1 (32 oz.) bag frozen hash browns

1 (32 oz.) box chicken broth
1 (10 oz.) can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, grated, plus extra for garnish
3/4 cup crumbled bacon, plus extra for garnish
1/2 teaspoon fresh rosemary, minced
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Combine hash browns, cheddar cheese, chicken broth, cream of chicken soup, crumbled bacon and cream cheese in slow cooker.

Season with salt and pepper; use a spoon to break up cream cheese and mix things together.

Place lid on cooker and cook on HIGH for 3 hours, stirring occasionally, or until potatoes are tender.

Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary. Garnish with rosemary and/or more cheddar cheese and bacon bits.

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ORIENTAL-STYLE POT ROAST

1 (3 to 3 1/2 lbs) beef chuck roast

2 tbsp canola or olive oil
1 can (16-oz) bean sprouts, rinsed and drained
1 can (5-oz) water chestnuts, drained, sliced thin
1 medium green bell pepper, cut into 1-inch size pieces
1/4 cup cider or white vinegar
1 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/8 tsp black pepper

Trim fat from roast and cut, if necessary to fit into slow cooker or crockpot. Heat the oil in a large skillet and brown roast in the hot oil. Place meat in the cooker. Add the bean sprouts, water chestnuts, and bell pepper to the pot.

In a small bowl, stir together the the jam, vinegar, soy, garlic, salt, pepper, and ginger. Pour mixture over the meat and vegetables in the cooker. Cover the cooker and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours. Remove the meat and vegetables.

Skim any fat from the liquid in the cooker. Measure out two cups of the liquid. Return the meat and the vegetables to the cooker and replace the cover.

Sauce:
1 can (11-oz) mandarin oranges
3 tablespoons cornstarch
2 cups reserved cooking liquid

Drain the oranges but reserve 1/4 cup of the juice. In a small saucepan, slowly blend the juice into the cornstarch; stir in the cooking liquid. Cook, stirring, until thickened and bubbly. Stir in the orange sections and heat through.

Place the meat and vegetables on large serving platter. Spoon some of the sauce over all. Serve with hot brown rice and the remaining sauce.

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CROCK-STYLE BEANS WITH HAM

1 lb dry navy beans

8 cups water
6-oz diced cooked ham
1 cup chopped yellow onion
1/2 cup molasses
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp mustard
1/2 tsp pepper

In a Dutch oven or large saucepan, bring the beans and water to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, covered, 1 hour. Remove from the heat and allow to cool somewhat. Drain the beans, reserving a cup of the liquid.

In crock-pot, place the beans, cup of liquid, ham, onion, molasses, brown sugar, pepper and mustard. Cover and cook on low heat 12 hours.

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CARROT CAKE WITH RAISINS

This recipe needs to be made in a 3 1/2 to 4-quart slow cooker or crock-pot with a removable stoneware pot.

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup canola oil
1/4 cup water
3 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups coarsely shredded carrots
1 cup raisins
1 tablespoon powdered sugar

Preheat base of slow cooker/crock-pot to high. Spray the stoneware with non-stickk cooking spray. Cut a piece of waxed paper to fit in the bottom, insert, and spray.

In a medium bowl, whisk the all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and nutmeg together.

Using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat the granulated sugar, oil, water, egg, and vanilla for 2 minutes. Reduce speed to low, add the flour mixture, and beat just until blended. Stir in the carrots and raisins. Pour the batter into the stoneware and place on preheated base. Cover the slow cooker with two double layers of paper towels; place lid on top. Cook until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. This will take about 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

Transfer the stoneware to a wire rack and let cool 15 minutes. Run a thin knife around cake to loosen it from the stoneware. Invert onto the rack; remove wax paper. Allow to cool completely. Dust with the powdered sugar before serving.

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CROCK-POT LASAGNA

1 lb ground beef or chicken, browned and drained

1 jar (32-oz) spaghetti sauce

1 can diced tomatoes

1 box lasagna noodles

1 small carton ricotta cheese

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Spray crock-pot with nonstick cooking spray or line with a slow cooker liner. 

Combine ground meat with the spaghetti sauce and tomatoes. Break 4 noodles in half and place in the bottom of the cooker. Cover with half the meat/sauce mixture, 1/2 the ricotta cheese, 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese then repeat the layers ending with noodles.

Cook on low setting 5 hours or until noodles are tender. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese before serving, if desired.

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CROCK-POT SWISS STEAK WITH CARROTS

3 tbsp all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 tsp dry mustard
1 1/2 to 2 lbs round steak, trimmed of fat
1 tbsp canola oil
1 cup sliced onions
1 lb carrots, sliced into 1/2-inch pieces
1 can (14.5-oz) whole tomatoes
2 tsp Splenda brown sugar blend
1 1/2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

In a pie pan or shallow bowl combine the flours, salt, pepper, and dry mustard. Cut the steak into pieces to fit in the cooker and dredge in the flour mixture.
Heat the oil in a nonstick skillet and brown meat on both sides; place meat in the crockpot or slow cooker. Add the onions and carrots to the cooker.
Combine the tomatoes with liquid, Splenda brown sugar blend, and Worcestershire sauce; pour mixture into cooker. Place lid on cooker and cook on low heat for 8 to 10 hours or on high 3 to 5 hours.
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Approximate per serving: 236 calories, 18 g carbs, 23 g protein

This file photo is for reference only. Not this exact recipe.

APPLE-PEACH SAUCE

This great-tasting fruit sauce is so easy to make in your slow cooker. And no worries about heating up the kitchen.

10 Macintosh apples, cored and chopped
4 fresh peaches, pitted and chopped
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

Put fruit into a slow-cooker; sprinkle with cinnamon. Turn slow-cooker to high. Cover, and cook for 3 hours on high, then switch to low for 2 hours. Stir before serving. 

Notice there is no added sugar.

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DRUMSTICKS AND BELL PEPPERS

2 tsp canola oil

1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 green bell pepper, sliced
1 yellow bell pepper, sliced
1 onion, sliced
3/4 tsp salt
1 (14 1/2-oz) can stewed tomatoes
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 tsp dried rosemary
1 tbsp fennel seeds
8 chicken drumsticks
2 cups orzo*

Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add bell peppers, onion, and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer bell pepper mixture to crockpot or slow-cooker. Stir in tomatoes and broth.

Combine rosemary, fennel, and the remaining salt in large bowl. Add chicken; toss to coat. Heat remaining 1 teaspoon of oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook, turning occasionally, until browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer chicken to slow cooker and press down into the peppers mixture. Cover and cook until chicken and vegetables are fork tender. This should take 3 to 4 hours on high or 6 to 8 hours on low.

About 20 or 30 minutes before serving, cook the orzo according to package directions. Serve chicken and sauce with the orzo.

Yield: 8 servings
*This could be served with noodles, if you prefer.

LATIN-STYLE MEATBALL SOUP

1 large onion, coarsely chopped

1 lb ground lean beef
1/3 cup plain dried breadcrumbs
1 large egg
4 tsp chili powder
3/4 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1 large red bell pepper, coarsely chopped
1 1/2 cups frozen corn, thawed
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 can (15-oz) tomato sauce
1 can (14 1/2-oz) diced tomatoes with green chilies
1 zucchini, cut lengthwise in half, then thinly sliced
1 lime, cut into 6 wedges

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Lightly spray large, rimmed baking sheet with nonstick spray.

Set aside 3/4 cup of the chopped onion.

In a large bowl, combine beef, breadcrumbs, remaining onion, egg, 3 teaspoons chili powder, cumin, and salt to mix well. Form the beef mixture into approximately 30 meatballs. Place the meatballs on the baking sheet and bake until lightly browned, about 10 minutes.

While meatballs bake, combine the reserved onion, bell pepper, corn, broth, tomato sauce, tomatoes, and the last teaspoon of chili powder in the crock-pot or slow cooker. Stir in the meatballs, cover, and cook 4 to 6 hours on high or 8 to 10 hours on low.

Approximately 20 minutes before serving time, add the zucchini to the pot. Cover and cook until tender.

Serve with the lime wedges.

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CUBAN-STYLE BEEF AND BEANS

1 can (14 1/2-oz) diced tomatoes with jalapenos

1/3 cup tomato paste
1/4 cup water
2 yellow bell peppers, cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch strips
1 can (15 1/2-oz) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 white onion, chopped
1 large carrot, cut into 1/2-inch-thick rounds
2 minced garlic cloves
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1 (1 to 1 1/2-lbs) round steak trimmed

In a large bowl, whisk the tomatoes, tomato paste, and water together until blended. Stir in the bell peppers, beans, onion, carrot, garlic, cumin, oregano, salt, and red pepper flakes. Transfer half of the mixture to a 5 or 6-quart slow cooker/crockpot. Top mixture with the steak then the remaining half of bean mixture. Cover the cooker and cook until the meat and carrots are fork tender, 10 to 12 hours on low or 5 to 6 hours on high.

Before serving, remove the steak from the cooker to a large plate or a cutting board. Let cool 5 to 10 minutes then shred the steak using 2 forks. Return the meat to the cooker and cook on high about another 5 minutes or until heated through.

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PUMPKIN COBBLER

2 cups pumpkin puree or canned pumpkin

1 can (12-oz) evaporated milk

3 eggs

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 box spice cake mix

1 stick butter

3/4 cup chopped pecans

Grease interior of cooker or line with cooking liner.

In a large bowl, combine pumpkin and evaporated milk. Beat eggs with a fork and add to the pumpkin mixture along with the sugars. Stir in the cinnamon and vanilla. Pour batter into the prepared cooker. Sprinkle dry cake mix evenly over the pumpkin mixture. Cut butter into small pieces and place over the cake mix. Sprinkle the pecans overall. Cook on high 3 hours.

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CREAM CHEESE CHICKEN CHILI

One of my facebook friends posted this some time back. If you follow my blogs you know I don't eat chicken but everyone else loves this

2 chicken breasts

1 can (15-oz) black beans

1 can (15 1/4-oz) can corn

1 tsp onion powder

1 can (14oz) diced tomatoes

1 tbsp chili powder

1 packet Ranch Salad Dressing mix

1 tsp cumin

1/2 of an 8-oz block of lite cream cheese

Place chicken in the bottom of the cooker and top with the beans, corn, and tomatoes. Top with the onion powder, chili powder, dressing mix, and cumin; stir together and place cream cheese on top.

Place lid on cooker and cook on low 6 to 8 hours.

Using two forks, shred the chicken and stir chicken and cream cheese into the chili. Replace lid and cook another 30 minutes.

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EASY TURKEY CHILI

vegetable cooking spray

2 lbs ground turkey (read label for ground without skin)
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 can (16-oz) stewed tomatoes, undrained
1 can (10-oz) tomatoes with green chilies, undrained
2 cups tomato juice
1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon prepared mustard
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 can (15 to 16-oz) chili beans

Coat a large skillet with nonstick cooking spray. Add the turkey, onion, bell pepper, and garlic; sauté over medium-high heat until the turkey loses pink color. Transfer mixture to the slow cooker or crock-pot. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Add cover to pot and cook on low heat for 3 to 4 hours.

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KALUA PORK

Traditional pork made in the slow cooker.

1 (6 pound) pork butt roast
1 1/2 tablespoons Hawaiian sea salt
1 tablespoon liquid smoke flavoring
 
Pierce pork all over with a carving fork. Rub salt then liquid smoke over meat. Place roast in a slow cooker. 
 
Cover, and cook on Low for 16 to 20 hours, turning once during cooking time. 
 
Remove meat from slow cooker, and shred, adding drippings as needed to moisten. 

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ITALIAN CHICKEN STEW OVER PASTA

12 boneless skinless chicken thighs

2 cans Italian-style diced tomatoes
2 cups cubed zucchini
1 cup diced onion
1 cup baby carrots
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp salt
8 cups cooked pasta

Cut chicken into 1-inch pieces. Combine all ingredients except pasta in the crockpot. Cook on low at least 6 hours or until chicken is cooked through. To serve, place pasta on serving plate or bowl and top with the stew.

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CROCKPOT ONION-MUSHROOM ROAST

3 lb beef roast

1 can cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
1 pkg dry onion soup mix
1 cup water

Place roast in crock-pot (or slow cooker) fat side up. Combine the cream of mushroom soup, dry onion soup mix, and the water; stir to blend well. Pour mixture over the top of the roast. Cook on low for approximately 10 hours.

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CROCKPOT PIZZA CASSEROLE

2 lb lean ground beef

1 lb bulk sausage
1 small pkg sliced pepperoni
1 1/3 cups dry rigatoni, cooked according to pkg directions
2 cans cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
1 small can mushroom stems and pieces, drained
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
32-oz pizza sauce*
1 pkg (16-oz) shredded mozzarella
Parmesan cheese for topping, optional

Lightly brown the ground beef and sausage in a large skillet; drain off excess fat.
In crockpot or slow cooker, layer ingredients as listed using half of each ingredient then repeat with the remaining half. Ground beef on bottom, onion, pepperoni, rigatoni, sausage, mushroom soup, mushrooms, sauce, mozzarella. Be sure to end with mozzarella on top. Lightly sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, if desired. Cook on low setting for 4 hours.

To serve, sprinkle generously with Parmesan cheese, if desired.

*Spaghetti sauce may be substituted.

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