WELCOME

Welcome to this slow cooker/crockpot blog. I believe slow cookers are the best thing to happen to modern day cooks. I used mine often when I worked outside the home and continue to do so even in retirement. It is so nice to put food on and forget about it. Slow cookers also allow us to cook many things we would normally have to use the oven for; what a relief in hot Texas weather! Some of these recipes are mine, many are ones I have collected over the years.

Tuesday, March 7, 2023

SLOW COOKED BEEF SHORT RIBS


2 lbs boneless beef short ribs
1 bottle favorite steak sauce
1/4 cup strong coffee
1/4 cup honey
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp spicy brown or Dijon mustard
2 tbsp chopped fine onion
4 garlic cloves crushed
1/2 cup water

Place ribs in a 4-quart slow cooker.

Combine the remaining ingredients and pour over the ribs.

Place lid on cooker and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours or on high for half that time.

file photo marianskitchen
used only for reference

Monday, March 6, 2023

CORNED BEEF AND CABBAGE DINNER

2 lb. small red potatoes

1/2 cups fresh baby carrots
 
1
medium onion, cut into 8 wedges
 
1
(2 to 2 1/2-lb.) corned beef brisket with seasoning packet
 
2
cups apple juice
 
Water

8
thin wedges cabbage

Horseradish Sauce
1/2
cup sour cream
 
1/4
cup mayonnaise
 
2
tablespoons prepared horseradish
 
2
teaspoons Dijon mustard

Place potatoes, carrots and onion in 5 to 6 1/2-quart slow cooker. Top with corned beef brisket; sprinkle with contents of seasoning packet. Add apple juice and enough water to just cover brisket.

Cover; cook on low setting for 10 to 12 hours.

About 40 minutes before serving, remove beef from slow cooker; place on serving platter and cover to keep warm. Add cabbage wedges to vegetables and broth in slow cooker. Increase heat setting to high; cover and cook an additional 30 to 35 minutes or until cabbage is crisp-tender.

Meanwhile, in small bowl, combine all horseradish sauce ingredients; mix well.

To serve, cut corned beef across grain into thin slices. With slotted spoon, remove vegetables from slow cooker. Serve corned beef and vegetables with sauce.
Note: I got this recipe in the mail from Pillsbury several years ago. 

Sunday, March 5, 2023

LIME CHICKEN AND RICE

If you follow my blogs, you know I never eat chicken. However, many of you do and you constantly want more chicken recipes. I hope you like this one.

1 1/4 lb boneless skinless chicken breast halves
1/3 cup lime juice
2 cups chicken broth
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 tbsp butter
2 cups uncooked instant rice
Chopped cilantro for garnish, if desired

Place the chicken in slow cooker/crock pot.

Combine the lime juice and chicken broth; pour over the chicken.

Add the garlic, thyme, pepper, and butter.

Place lid on cooker and cook on low 8 to 10 hours or on high 4 to 6 hours until chicken is very tender.

During the last 15 minutes of cooking time, stir in the rice.

file photo

Saturday, March 4, 2023

WILD MUSHROOM BEEF STEW

 

1 1/2 to 2 lbs beef stew meat, cut into 1-inch cubes

1/8 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 1/2 cups beef broth
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 garlic clove, minced
1 bay leaf
1 tsp paprika
4 shiitake mushrooms, sliced
2 medium carrots, sliced
2 medium potatoes, diced
1 small onion, chopped
1 celery stalk, sliced

Place meat in cooker; combine the flour, salt, and pepper and pour over meat. Stir to coat each piece of meat with the flour.  Add remaining ingredients and stir to mix well.

Place lid on cooker and cook on low 10 to 12 hours or on high 4 to 6 hours.

Stir thoroughly before serving.

Yield: 4 to 5 servings.
file photo

Friday, March 3, 2023

PRALINE APPLE CRISP

 

6 medium-size crisp tart apples (Granny Smith or Braeburn), peeled if desired, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices (about 6 cups)
 
1
teaspoon ground cinnamon
 
1/2
cup quick-cooking oats
 
1/3
cup packed brown sugar
 
1/4
cup all-purpose flour
 
1/2
cup cold butter, cut into small pieces
 
1/2
cup chopped pecans
 
1/2
cup toffee bits

Spray 3- to 4-quart slow cooker with cooking spray. In large bowl, mix apples and cinnamon to coat. Place in slow cooker.

In medium bowl, mix oats, brown sugar, flour and butter with pastry blender or fork until crumbly. Stir in pecans and toffee bits. Sprinkle crumb mixture evenly over apples.

Cover; cook on Low heat setting 4 to 6 hours. 

Serve with ice cream, if desired.

Note: If you'd like the apple slices to retain their shape and have a slightly firm texture, use the low end of the cook time range.

file photo

Thursday, March 2, 2023

COUNTRY CLAM CHOWDER

2 cans (10 3/4-oz each) cream of potato soup

1 regular-size frozen corn, thawed and drained

1 cup sliced carrots

1 can (6 1/2-oz) minced clams, drained

Milk

Seasoning salt

Combine all ingredients except milk, in a slow cooker. Add milk to your desired consistency.

Cook on low setting 6 to 8 hours.

Yield: 8 to 10 servings

clipart


CHICKEN PARISIENNE

6 medium chicken breast halves

Salt to taste

Pepper to taste

Paprika to taste

1/2 tsp leaf rosemary, optional

1/2 cup dry white wine or water

1 can (10 3/4-oz) cream of mushroom soup, undiluted

1 can (4-oz) sliced mushrooms, drained

1 cup dairy sour cream

1/4 cup flour

Sprinkle the chicken lightly with the salt, pepper, and rosemary, if using. Place in a slow cooker.

Mix the wine/water, soup, and mushrooms until well blended. (If cooking on low temperature you may add the sour cream/flour mixture now.) Pour over the chicken in the slow cooker. Sprinkle with the paprika.  Place lid on cooker and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours. (You may cook on high for 3 hours then add the sour cream/flour mixture during the last 30 minutes.)

Serve the chicken and sauce over rice or noodles.

Yield: 6 servings Per serving: 308 calories 495 mg sodium, 87 mg cholesterol, 11 g carbs, 29 mg protein, 16g fat

file photo for reference only


KAPUZTA

 This recipe may be baked in the oven and slow cooked in the slow cooker.

1 1/2 lbs fresh pork (any type), trimmed, cut into bite-sized pieces

1 medium onion, chopped

1 1/2 lb Polish sausage, sliced into 1/2" pieces

1 qt sauerkraut, fresh preferred

1/4 head fresh cabbage, coarsely chopped

1 tbsp caraway seed

1 can (10 3/4-oz) cream of mushroom soup

Black pepper to taste

Brown pork and onion in a hot skillet until pork is cooked through, about 10 minutes. Combine with the remaining ingredients into an oven-proof Dutch oven or into a slow cooker/crock pot. Mix lightly, simmer all day. The longer this simmers, the better it is.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

file photo used for reference




ROSEMARY-GARLIC BEEF ROAST

1 tablespoon olive or vegetable oil
 
1
teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
5- to 6-lb beef boneless sirloin tip roast or boneless rump roast
 
2
cloves garlic, finely chopped
 
2
tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves
 
1/2
teaspoon salt
 
1/2
teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
 
1
medium onion, sliced
 
1
cup beef broth
3 tablespoons chili sauce

1/3
cup all-purpose flour

In small bowl, mix oil and Worcestershire sauce; brush over beef roast. Rub roast evenly with garlic, rosemary, salt and pepper. In 5- to 6-quart slow cooker, add onion. Pour 1/4 cup of the broth over onion. Place beef roast on onion. Refrigerate remaining broth.

Cover and cook on Low heat setting 8 to 9 hours.

Remove beef from cooker; cover to keep warm. In small bowl, mix remaining 3/4 cup broth, the chili sauce and flour; stir into hot mixture in cooker. Increase heat setting to High. Cook uncovered 5 to 10 minutes or until thickened. Serve gravy with beef.

Yield: 10-12 servings

This is an old Pillsbury recipe and photo.

Wednesday, March 1, 2023

NORTH WOODS WILD RICE SOUP

I got this recipe in my email from Pillsbury. Obviously, I thought I would share it with you.

2
teaspoons vegetable oil
 
1
medium onion, chopped
 
2
medium stalks celery, diced (1 cup)
 
2
medium carrots, diced
 
1
cup diced smoked turkey (6 oz)
 
1/2
cup uncooked wild rice
 
1
teaspoon dried tarragon leaves
 
1/4
teaspoon pepper
 
3 1/2
cups Progresso® chicken broth (from 32-oz carton)
 
1
cup Green Giant® Valley Fresh Steamers™ frozen sweet peas, thawed
 
1
can (12 oz) evaporated fat-free milk
 
1/3
cup all-purpose flour
 2 tablespoons dry sherry, if desired

In 10-inch skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion; cook about 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender.

Spray 3 1/2- to 4-quart slow cooker with cooking spray. Place onion, celery, carrots, turkey, wild rice, tarragon and pepper in cooker. Pour broth over top.

Cover; cook on Low heat setting 6 to 8 hours, stirring in peas for last 15 minutes of cooking.

In small bowl, mix milk and flour; stir into soup. Cover; cook about 20 minutes or until thickened. Stir in sherry before serving.

This is the file photo.