LAND O' LAKES CHICKEN CHOWDER

1 1/4 poundsboneless skinless chicken breast halves or turkey, cut into 1-inch pieces

8 small new red potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 large (1 cup) onion, chopped

1 (16-ounce) package frozen mixed vegetables

2 (14-ounce) cans chicken broth

1 1/2 teaspoons dried marjoram leaves

2 teaspoons garlic salt

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 cup Land O Lakes® Half & Half

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 (8-ounce) container onion and chive-flavored cream cheese, softened

Topping

2 tablespoons Land O Lakes® Butter

1/2 cup dried breadcrumbs

Combine all chowder ingredients except half & half, cornstarch and cream cheese in 5-quart slow cooker. Cover; cook on Low heat setting 6 to-8 hours, or High heat setting 4-5 hours or until potatoes are tender.

During the last cooking hour, combine half & half and cornstarch in small bowl until smooth; gradually stir into chicken mixture. Cover; cook on High heat setting until mixture is thickened.

Meanwhile, melt butter in 1-quart saucepan until sizzling; add bread crumbs. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, 4-5 minutes or until golden brown. Set aside.

Just before serving, stir cream cheese into chowder until melted. To serve, sprinkle each serving with 1 tablespoon topping.

the file photo

SLOW COOKER NAVY BEAN SOUP

Ingredients

1 lb of dry white beans soaked and drained (navy or northern)

2 lb of meat (ground beef, chicken, turkey, sausage (I used 1lb italian sausageand 1 lb ground chicken)

1/2 c chopped onion

10 c chicken stock or bullion

1 can cream of onion soup

1/2 c grated carrot

Season to taste

Instructions

Brown meat

Add all ingredients to a 7-8 qt slow cooker and cook on low for 6-8 hours.

This may be divided for smaller quantities and smaller slow cookers.

WARM PUMPKIN-BLUEBERRY CAKE

Nonstick cooking spray

3/4 cup canned pumpkin 

1/2 cup half-and-half

2 tbsp packed brown sugar

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 cup cold butter, cubed

3/4 cup fresh blueberries

1 tbsp all-purpose flour

1/2 cup maple syrup

2 tbsp melted butter

1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans, toasted 

Coat a 4-quart oval slow cooker with cooking spray. In a medium bowl stir together pumpkin, half-and-half and brown sugar; set aside. 

In a large bowl stir together 2 cups flour, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice and salt. Using a pastry blender, cut in 1/4 cup cold butter until pieces are pea sized. Add pumpkin mixture all at once to the flour mixture. Stir just until combined. In a small bowl combine blueberries with the 1 tablespoon of flour by tossing until berries are coated. Fold the berries into the batter.

Spoon batter into the slow cooker and pour maple syrup and 2 tablespoons melted butter over the batter in the slow cooker. Sprinkle with the pecans. Cover and cook on high setting 2 to 2 1/2 hours. If possible, carefully rotate crockery liner halfway through cooking time to ensure even cooking. Turn off cooker and carefully remove the lid to avoid condensation from dripping on the cake. Completely cover the opening in the slow cooker with paper towels, place lid on top. Cool 30 to 45 minutes. Run a thin knife around the inside of the crockery liner and remove cake from cooker. Cool completely on a wire rack. (I imagine mine being served from the cooker.)

slow cooker favorites volume 2

SLOW-COOKED ENCHILADA DINNER

I love Mexican food and I find that Taste of Home Recipes are almost always very good.  Having said that, I will say I have not yet tried this recipe.  I got it this morning from a friend who credits it to Taste of Home and that is good enough for me!

1 lb 90% lean ground beef
1 small onion, chopped
1 can (15-oz) Ranch-Style Beans
1 can (10-oz) diced tomatoes with green chilies, do not drain
1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
6 (6-inch) flour tortillas

In a large skillet cook the beef and onion until the beef is no longer pink, drain.

Stir the beans, tomatoes, bell pepper, chili powder, salt, cumin, and black pepper into the beef mixture.

Combine the cheeses in a small bowl; set aside.

Cut 3 25-inch by 3-inch strips of heavy-duty aluminum foil and crisscross so they resemble spokes of a wheel.  Place onto the bottom and up sides of cooker.  Spray with nonstick cooking spray.

Place two tortillas in the cooker, overlapping if necessary; top with a third of the beef mixture then 1/3 of the cheese.  Repeat layers twice.

Place cover on cooker and cook on low for 2 to 2 1/2 hours.

Use the foil strips as handles to remove from cooker to serving platter.

SPINACH DIP WITH BLUE CHEESE AND BACON

4 slices bacon

1 cup coarsely chopped sweet onion

2 14-oz cans artichoke hearts, drained and coarsely chopped 

1 10-oz pkg frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained

1 cup chopped red bell pepper

1 cup olive oil mayonnaise

1 brick (8-oz) cream cheese, cut up

4-oz blue cheese, crumbled

3 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 tsp dry mustard

Assorted crackers and/or pita chips for dipping

In a medium skillet, cook bacon until crisp. Drain on paper towels, reserving the drippings in the skillet. Crumble bacon, cover and chill until ready to use. Cook onion in 1 tablespoon of the bacon drippings for about 5 minutes or until tender.

In a 3 1/2 or 4-qt slow cooker combine onion, artichoke hearts, spinach, bell pepper, mayo, cream cheese, blue cheese, garlic and mustard. Cover and cook on low 3 to 4 hours (do not cook on high setting) or until cheese melts and dip is heated through. Stir in the bacon before serving.

May be served immediately or kept warn, covered, on warm setting up to 1 hour. Serve with the crackers and/or pita chips.

the file photo of this recipe

CROCKPOT STUFFED BELL PEPPERS

6 bell peppers, green, red, or orange (washed, topped, and seeded)

1 tbsp shortening

1 1/2 lb ground beef

1 cup cooked brown rice

1 small onion, chopped

1 tsp salt

1/8 black pepper

1/8 tsp basil

1/2 cup ketchup

1 8-oz can tomato sauce 

Heat shortening in skillet and brown beef.  Combine meat and next 6 ingredients.  Stuff bell peppers.  Arrange peppers in large crock pot (may be stacked if necessary).  Pour tomato sauce over peppers.  Cook on low for 6-7 hours or on high for 3-4 hours.

Personal note: Sometimes I like to use 2 red, 2 green, and 2 orange bell peppers for color and replace the ketchup and tomato sauce with a favorite pasta sauce.

Note: I got the main ideas for this recipe from Recipes4Living over a dozen years ago.

FORGOTTEN JAMBALAYA RECIPE

This is a Taste of Home recipe that was submitted by a lady from my neighboring city of Coppell, Texas several years ago.

1 can (14.5-oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can (14.5-oz) beef or chicken broth
1 can (6-oz) tomato paste
3 celery ribs, chopped
2 medium green bell peppers, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
5 garlic cloves, minced
3 tsps dried parsley flakes
2 tsps dried basil
1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 1/4 tsps salt
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp hot pepper sauce
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
1 lb smoked sausage, halved and cut into 1/4-inch slices
1/2 lb uncooked medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
Hot cooked rice for serving

In a 5-qt. slow cooker, combine the tomatoes, broth and tomato paste. Stir in the celery, green peppers, onion, garlic and seasonings. Stir in chicken and sausage.

Cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours or until chicken is no longer pink. Stir in shrimp. Cover and cook 15-30 minutes longer or until shrimp turns pink. 

Serve with rice. 

Yield: 11 servings.

RIVAL CROCK-POT SMOTHERED STEAK

1 1/2 lbs chuck or round steak, cut in strips

1/3 cup flour
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 large onion, sliced
1 - 2 green peppers, sliced
1 lb can tomatoes
1 4-oz can mushrooms, drained
2 tbsp molasses, optional
3 tbsp soy sauce
1 10-ounce package frozen green beans, french-style, optional

Put the steak strips, flour, salt and pepper in crock-pot.  Stir well to coat steak.  Add all the remaining ingredients.  Cover and cook on High 1 hour then turn to Low for 8 hours. (High: 5 hours). Serve with rice.

Note: This is a recipe that came in the booklet pictured below that came with my first crockpot in the 1970s.

CHICKEN GNOCCHI SOUP

2 15-oz jars Alfredo sauce

1. 2 cups water
2. 2 cups cooked, cubed chicken
3. 2 16-oz. pkgs potato gnocchi
4. 2 cans chopped spinach
5. 1 can creamed corn
6. 1 10-oz evaporated milk

    

    Add all ingredients except gnocchi to the slow cooker and combine well.

1. Cook on high for 2 hours or low 4 hours.
2. Add gnocchi to soup and combine well. Cook for 1 hour longer on low.
3. Fills a 6 qt slow cooker to capacity. Cut recipe in half for a 4 qt. cooker.

Note: If you have leftovers to warm later, add a little water.  Soup thickens when it sits.

As you know, I am not a chicken eater.  I saw this recipe and thought my family would like it and you might want it, too.  I cannot give my opinion of this recipe either good or bad.  This recipe is from Marty's Musings.

SLOW COOKER PEACH COBBLER

4 cups fresh, peeled, sliced peaches

1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1 cup baking mix
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
2 tbsps butter
vanilla ice cream for serving

Spray interior of cooker with nonstick cooking spray.

Add the peaches, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, and cinnamon; stir to mix.

In a medium mixing bowl combine the baking mix, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, milk, and vanilla until well blended.  Pour this mixture over the peach mixture in the cooker.  Cut butter into slices and arrange over all.

Place the lid on cooker and cook on low for 2 hours and 45 minutes.  Turn cooker to high and cook another 30 minutes.

Serve warm with ice cream.  Yummy!

file photo for reference