JALAPENO, CRAB, AND CORN DIP

2 tbsp butter

1 cup frozen whole kernel corn

1/2 cup chopped red sweet pepper

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup olive oil mayonnaise

1/2 cup sliced pickled jalapeno chile peppers, drained and chopped

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp hot pepper sauce, optional

2 (6-to 6.5-oz) cans crabmeat, drained, flaked, and cartilage removed

1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

Corn chips for serving

In a medium skillet heat butter over medium heat until melted. Add corn sweet pepper and garlic. Cook, stirring, about 5 minutes until tender.

In a bowl, stir together the sour cream, mayonnaise, jalapeno peppers

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THAI CHICKEN WINGS WITH PEANUT SAUCE

24 chicken drumettes (about 2 1/4 lb)

1/4 cup water

1 tbsp lime juice

1/4 tsp ground ginger

1 recipe Peanut Sauce (see below)

In a 3 1/2 to 4-quart slow cooker combine the first four ingredients. Cover and cook on low 5 to 6 hours or 2 1/2 to 3 hours.

Using a slotted spoon, remove chicken from cooker and discard the liquid. Toss chicken with half of the peanut sauce. If desired, return chicken to the cooker. Serve immediately or keep on warm, covered up to 1 hour. Serve with the remaining sauce. If sauce looks separated, gently whisk.

PEANUT SAUCE

In a small saucepan, stir together the following:

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter 

1/2 cup water 

2 tbsp reduced-sodium soy sauce 

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tsp ground ginger 

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper

Cook and stir over medium-low heat until smooth.

May be stored in refrigerator up to 1 week.

Yield: 1 cup

CHEDDAR-BEER WEENIES

1 pkg (14-16 oz) beef cocktail wieners

12 - 16 slices bacon, cut crosswise into thirds

2 tbsp butter

1 cup finely chopped onion

2 cloves, garlic, minced

1 cup beer

1/2 16-oz jar cheddar pasta sauce or 1(10.75 oz) can cheddar cheese soup

1 tsp hot pepper sauce, such as Cholula brand

1/2 tsp chili powder

Preheat oven to 400-degrees. Line a 15x10-inch baking pan with foil or parchment. Tightly wrap each cocktail wiener in a piece of bacon, secure with a wooden toothpick. Place in the prepared pan and bake 30-35 minutes until bacon is browned and slightly crisp; cool slightly. Remove and discard toothpicks.

Meanwhile, for sauce, in a medium saucepan heat butter over medium heat until melted. Add onion and garlic, cook 5 to 8 minutes or until the onion is tender, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Stir in the remaining ingredients.

In a 1 1/2-quart slow cooker combine cocktail wieners and sauce. Cover and cook on low 4 to 5 hours or until heated. Serve immediately or keep warm, covered, on warm or low up to 2 hours.

Yield: 8 servings

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SWEET SOUR MEATBALLS

2 eggs

1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

1/4 cup milk

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 lb bulk pork sausage

1 lb ground beef

3/4 cup apple jelly

1/3 cup spicy brown mustard

1/3 cup apple juice

1 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

Dash of hot pepper sauce

Preheat oven to 375-degrees. 

In a large bowl beat eggs with a fork. Stir in breadcrumbs, onion, milk, salt and pepper. Add sausage and ground beef, mix well. Shape mixture into 36 meatballs. Place meatballs in a shallow baking pan and bake 25 to 30 minutes or until cooked through. Drain off fat.

Place meatballs in a 3 1/2 to 4-quart slow cooker. For the sauce, in a small bowl stir together the remaining ingredients. Pour over meatballs. Cover and cook on low 3 to 4 hours or on high 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Serve immediately or keep warm, covered, on warm setting up to 2 hours.

Yield: 6 servings.

slow cooker favorites vol 4

CROCK POT CHEX MIX

1/4 cup butter,

4 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp salt 
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp sugar
1 box Chex Cereal

Fill crock-pot with your favorite cereal, pretzels, and nuts. 

In a saucepan - melt butter, Worcestershire sauce, salt, garlic and onion powders, sugar, dissolve.

Pour mix over the Chex mix, cover, and cook for 2 1/2 hours on LOW. Stir every 30 minutes to make sure the mix gets everywhere

from myfridge.com

ROOT BEER BARBECUED CHICKEN WINGS

This recipe for wings is a little different since it uses root beer.

Approx. 12 -14 Chicken Wings, thawed
1 bottle Sweet Baby Ray’s Honey Barbecue Sauce {18 oz.}
1/2 can A&W Root Beer

Place Chicken Wings in Crockpot.
Cover with lid and cook on High for 2.5 hours.
After 2.5 hours, remove juices from crockpot.
In small mixing bowl, combine Root Beer and BBQ Sauce and stir well.
Pour mixture over chicken.
Cover, and cook for 30 minutes more, or until done.

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NACHOS

1 lb ground beef

1/4 cup diced onions

1/4 cup diced green bell pepper

1 jar (13.4-oz) taco sauce

1 can (15-16 oz) refried beans

1 can cream of mushroom soup, undiluted

1 pkg (1.25 oz) dry taco seasoning mix

salt to taste

1 lb Velveeta cheese, cubed

Tortilla chips 

Shredded lettuce

Chopped tomatoes 

Sour cream

Brown beef, onions, and bell pepper in a saucepan. Drain well.

Combine the beef mixture, taco sauce, refried beans, soup, taco seasoning, salt and Velvetta cheese in a slow cooker. Cover and cook on high 1 hour, stirring occasionally until cheese is fully melted.

Serve immediately with the chips, lettuce, tomatoes and sour cream.

Yield: 8 servings

Variation: Instead of serving as nachos, you could serve as a dip straight from the cooker that has been set to warm.

SPICY HONEY SRIRACHA DIP

1 lb ground chicken

1 pkg (8-oz) cream cheese, cubed

1 cup shredded white cheddar cheese

1/4 cup chicken broth

2 to 4 tbsp Sriracha chili sauce

2 tbsp honey

Tortilla chips

Chopped green onions for garnish, optional

In a large skillet, cook chicken over medium heat until no longer pink, 6 to 8 minutes, breaking it into crumbles, drain. Transfer to a greased 3-qt slow cooker. Stir in cream cheese, cheddar cheese, broth, chili sauce and honey.

Cook, covered, on low for 3 to 4 hours or until cheese is melted, stirring every 30 minutes. Sprinkle with the green onions, if using and serve with the tortilla chips.

recipe and photo TOH 2025

ZESTY ITALIAN BBQ MEATBALLS

Meatballs:
2 lbs ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped fine
1 cup breadcrumbs
1/4 cup fresh Italian parsley, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp dry mustard
2 eggs beaten

Combine all the above ingredients in a mixing bowl; mix well and form into approximately 40 meatballs. Place in a shallow baking dish and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Remove from oven, drain off fat, transfer meatballs to a slow cooker or crock pot.

Sauce:
1 1/2 cups favorite bottled bbq sauce
3/4 cup tomato paste
1/3 cup ketchup
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup water, as needed
1 tsp liquid smoke

Combine the sauce ingredients in a bowl, mixing well.  Pour sauce over the meatballs in the cooker.

Place lid on cooker and cook on low for 4 hours or on high 2 hours.  Stir halfway through cooking time to baste all the meatballs.

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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.

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ZESTY MEATBALLS

2 lbs fully cooked frozen meatballs, preferably cocktail size

1 bottle (16-oz) Catalina salad dressing
1 cup orange marmalade
3 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
3/4 tsp red pepper flakes

Combine the Catalina dressing, marmalade, Worcestershire sauce, and the red pepper flakes in crockpot or slow cooker; mix well.  Add the frozen meatballs, stirring to evenly coat.

Place lid on cooker and cook on high 2 to 3 hours.

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HAMBURGER DIP

2 lbs lean ground beef

1 cup chopped onion
1 cans (8-oz each) tomato sauce
2 pkg (8-oz each) cream cheese, cut into cubes and softened
2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup ketchup
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp granulated sugar
1 1/2 tsp oregano
1 tsp mild chili powder
salt to taste

In a large skillet, brown the ground beef along with the onion; drain well.  Tranfer to a crockpot or slow cooker.  Add the tomato sauce, cream cheese, Parmesan cheese, ketchup, garlic, sugar, oregano, chili powder and salt.  Stir to blend.

Place lid on cooker and cook on low for about 2 hours until cheese is melted and thoroughly blended in.  Stir and taste before serving.  Adjust seasonings if desired.

Serve with Fritos or Tortilla Chips.

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Note: For a spicier dip, use hot chili powder.

SPINACH-PARMESAN DIP

Nonstick cooking spray

2 (10-oz ea) pkgs frozen chopped spinach, thawed

1 (14-oz) can quartered artichoke hearts, drained and coarsely chopped 

1 cup chopped onion

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tsp dried oregano, crushed

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1/2 cup light mayonnaise (I use olive oil mayo)

1/2 cup fat-free sour cream

1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup shredded Italian cheese blend

1 tbsp lemon juice

Crackers and/or fresh veggies for serving

Coat a 3 1/2 or 4-quart slow cooker with cooking spray.

Squeeze spinach dry, reserving 1/3 cup of the spinach liquid. Combine spinach, spinach liquid, artichoke hearts, onion, Dijon mustard, garlic, oregano, cayenne pepper.

Place lid on cooker and cook on low 2 1/2 to 3 hours or on high 1 1/2 hours. Turn off cooker, stir in the mayo, sour cream, cheeses and lemon juice. Serve with the crackers and/or fresh veggies.

Yields: 16 serving

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GLAZED MEATBALLS

 1 squeeze bottle (2/1/2 cups) Welch's Concord Grape Jelly

1 bottle (18-oz) barbecue sauce (Sweet Baby Ray's recommended)

1 pkg (2-lb) frozen prepared meatballs

Add jelly and barbecue sauce to a slow cooker, stir to blend well. Stir in meatballs to coat. Cover and cook on high 3 to 3 1/2 hours, stirring halfway through cooking time,

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YUMMY CHILI CON QUESO

1 lb pasteurized process cheese spread, cut into cubes (Velveeta-type cheese)

1 can (10-oz) diced tomatoes and green chiles, do not drain
1 cup sliced green onions
2 tsp ground coriander
2 tsp ground cumin
3/4 tsp hot pepper sauce
Green onion strips for garnish, optional
Hot pepper slices for garnish, optional

Combine all ingredients except green onion and hot pepper slices in a slow cooker or crock pot until well blended.  Cover and cook on low 2 to 3 hours or until hot.

Garnish with the green onion strips and/or hot pepper slices, if desired.

Yield: Around 3 cups

Serve with tortilla chips or toasted pita chips (directions follow).

To make toasted pita chips:
Cut pita bread into triangles and toast in a preheated 400-degree oven for 5 minutes or until crisp.

ASIAN SPICED CHICKEN WINGS

3 lbs chicken wings

1 cup soy sauce
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup ketchup
2 tsp fresh ginger, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup dry sherry or chicken broth
1/2 cup hoisin sauce
1 tbsp fresh lime juice
3 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions

Preheat broiler.

Broil the wings for 10 minutes per side or until browned.  Transfer to a crockpot or slow cooker.

Add the soy sauce, brown sugar, ketchup, ginger, garlic, and sherry or broth to the cooker.  Place lid on cooker and cook on low 5 to 6 hours or on high 2 to 3 hours.  Stir halfway during the cooking time to baste wings.

Remove wings from cooker to a serving platter.

Remove 1/4 cup of the juice in the cooker and stir together with the hoisin sauce and lime juice; drizzle sauce over the wings.

Sprinkle with the sesame seeds and green onions.

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JALAPENO POPPER & SAUSAGE DIP

1 lb bulk spicy pork sausage

2 pkg (8-oz each) cream cheese cubed

4 cups shredded Parmesan cheese

1 cup sour cream

1 can (4-oz) chopped green chilies

1 can (4-oz) diced jalapeno peppers

Assorted fresh veggies for dipping

In s skillet, cook sausage over medium heat 6-8 minutes or until no long pink, breaking into crumbles. Using a slotted spoon, transfer cooked sausage to a 3-quart slow cooker.

Stir in the cream cheese, Parmesan cheese, sour cream, chilies and peppers. Cook, covered, on low 3 to 3 1/2 hours or until heated through. Stir before serving with the assorted veggies.

Yield: 24 servings of 1/4 cup each

Note: To keep prep the day of serving, brown the sausage the night before and refrigerate until needed.

file photo and recipe from TOH 2015 The lady who shared this recipe said it won a contest at her work.

CHEESY MEATBALLS

1 egg

1/2 cup milk

2 tbsp dried minced onion

4 tbsp chili powder, divided

1 tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper

1 1/2 cups crushed Ritz crackers (around 1 sleeve)

2 lbs ground beef

1 lb bulk sausage

2 cups shredded process cheese (Velveeta)

1 can (26-oz) condensed tomato soup, undiluted

2 1/2 cups water

1 cup packed brown sugar

Preheat oven to 400-degrees. In a large bowl, whisk egg, milk, onion, 2 tbsp chili powder, salt and pepper. When combined, stir in crushed Ritz crackers. Add the meats and cheese, mix lightly but thoroughly.

Shape meat mixture into 1-inch balls. Place meatballs on greased racks in baking pans. Bake 15 to 18 minutes or until browned.

Meanwhile, in a 5 to 6-quart slow cooker, combine the soup, water, brown sugar and the remaining 2 tbsp of chili powder. Gently stir in the meatballs. Cook, covered, on low 4 to 5 hours or until the meatballs are cooked through.

Yield: 12-16 servings

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CHILI SAUCE HOT WINGS

3 lb chicken wings 

1 1/4 cups bottled chili sauce

2 tsp your favorite hot pepper sauce

Ranch or Blue Cheese dip for serving

Preheat broiler. Using a sharp knife, carefully cut off tips of the wings and discard tips. Cut each wing at the joint to make 2 pieces.

Place chicken pieces on the unheated rack of a broiler pan. Broil 4 to 5-inches from the heat for 12 to 15 minutes or until no longer pink. Turn once during broiling time. Place the chicken in a slow cooker.

In a small bowl, combine the chili sauce and hot pepper sauce. Pour over the chicken pieces, stirring once to coat with the sauce. Cook on low 4 to 5 hours or on high 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Serve immediately with the dip. May be kept warm by turning cooker to warm setting.

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PLUM GOOD SAUSAGE AND MEATBALLS

1 bottle (18-oz) barbeque sauce 

1 pkg (16-oz) link cooked jalapeno smoked sausage, sliced into bite-size pieces

1 pkg (16-18 oz) frozen cooked meatballs

1 jar (10-12 oz) plum jam or preserves

In slow cooker, combine all ingredients. Place lid on cooker and cook on low for 5 to 6 hours or on high 2 1/2 to 3 hours.

Serve immediately or keep warm, covered, on warm setting for a couple of hours. Stir occasionally.

Yield: 16 servings

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