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.

Wednesday, December 11, 2024

SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE

2 cans (18-oz each) sweet potatoes, drained and mashed

1/3 cup butter, melted

2 tbsp granulated sugar

2 tbsp brown sugar

1 tbsp orange juice

2 eggs, beaten

1/2 cup milk

TOPPING:

1/3 cup chopped pecans

1/3 cup brown sugar

2 tbsp all-purpose flour

2 tbsp butter, melted

Lightly spray crock pot or slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray.

Mix sweet potatoes, 1/3 cup butter, 2 tablespoon granulated sugar and 2 tablespoons brown sugar together in a large bowl. Beat in the orange juice, eggs, and milk; transfer to the prepared cooker.

Combine topping ingredients and cover the sweet potato mixture.

Place lid on cooker and cook on high setting 3 to 4 hours.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings.

file photo for reference
NOTE: There are more sweet potato casserole recipes on this blog.

Tuesday, December 10, 2024

CROCK-POT DOUBLE CHOCOLATE CANDY

36-oz salted dry-roasted peanuts

4 squares (4-oz) German sweet chocolate

1 pkg (12-oz) semi-sweet chocolate chips

2 1/2 lbs white almond bark

Place peanuts in the bottom of a 4-qt crock-pot or slow cooker. Place layered over the peanuts in the following order: German sweet chocolate, semi-sweet chocolate, followed by the allmond bark.

Set cooker on low setting and cook 3 hours without stirring! After 3 hours, stir mixture with a wooden spoon until smooth.

Drop candy into small candy liners by teaspoon or into cupcake liners by tablespoon. Allow candy to cool completely before removing liners (if you choose to do so).

file photo for reference


Monday, December 9, 2024

LEMON TURKEY BREAST


1 (3 lb) turkey breast
1/2 cup lemon juice
6 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 tsp dried parsley
1/4 tsp dried tarragon
1/4 tsp dried rosemary
1/4 tsp dried sage
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp coarsely ground pepper
1/2 cup chicken broth, may use low-sodium broth

Place the turkey breast in a crockpot or slow cooker.

Combine the lemon juice, garlic, parsley, tarragon, rosemary, sage, salt, pepper, and broth in a small bowl, mixing well.  Pour the mixture over the turkey.

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

Remove from cooker and allow to set about 4 or 5 minutes before slicing to serve.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

NOTE: This is a good recipe for diabetics and for those on the weight watchers program.
Credit on photo.

Friday, December 6, 2024

SPICED APPLE AND CRANBERRY COMPOTE

1 pkg (6-oz) dried apples
1/2 cup dried cranberries
2 1/2 cups cranberry juice cocktail
1/2 cup apple juice
1/2 honey
2 cinnamon sticks, broken into halves

Mix apples, cranberries, juices, honey, and cinnamon stick halves in the slow cooker. Cover and cook on low 4 to 5 hours or until liquid is absorbed and fruit is tender. Remove and discard cinnamon stick halves.

Serve warm over ice cream, pound cake, etc.

file photo for reference

Thursday, December 5, 2024

CHEESEBURGER MACARONI


1 lb ground beef or turkey
1/2 cup chopped onions
1/2 tsp garlic salt  
1 can cream of chicken or celery soup
1 jar (16-oz) Ragu double cheddar sauce
1 can Rotel diced tomatoes with green chilies 
2 tbsp ketchup
1 pkg (16 oz) small elbow macaroni
2 cups shredded Jack and Colby cheeses

Spray frying pan with cooking spray; add onions and cook for a couple minutes until softened. Add hamburger and garlic salt; cook, stirring until hamburger is brown and crumbly. Drain off all grease then transfer hamburger and onion to a slow cooker.
Stir in the soup, Ragu, Rotel, and ketchup. Cook on high 3 to 4 hours.
Cook macaroni just until tender.
Add macaroni and cheeses to the cooker, Stir to mix well and cook until cheeses are melted.
 Yield: 4 to 6 serving


file photo for reference only

Wednesday, December 4, 2024

EASY SLOPPY DOGS


8 to 10 hot dogs cut-up into 1-inch pieces
1 can (15-oz) chili beans
1 can (6-oz) tomato paste
1/4 cup ketchup
1 small green bell pepper, chopped
1 small onion, chopped fine
1 tsp prepared mustard
1 tbsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt, optional
1/2 tsp chili powder
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
hot dog or hamburger buns

Place all the ingredients except the cheese and buns in a crockpot or slow cooker; stir to combine well.  Place lid on cooker and cook on low setting for 6 to 8 hours or on high for 3 to 4 hours.  Approximately 10 minutes before serving, stir in the cheese to melt slightly.  Serve on the buns.

Yield: 6 sandwiches
FREE CLIPART

MINESTRONE ALLA MILANESE


2 cans (14 1/2-oz each) reduced-sodium beef broth
1 can (14 1/2-oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 cup diced potato
1 cup coarsely chopped green cabbage
1 cup coarsely chopped carrots
1 cup sliced zucchini
3/4 cup chopped onion
3/4 cup sliced fresh green beans
3/4 cup coarsely chopped celery
3/4 cup water
2 tbsp olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp dried rosemary
1 bay leaf
1 can (15-oz) cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
Grated Parmesan cheese, optional

Combine the broth, tomatoes with juice, potato, cabbage, carrots, zucchini, onion, green beans, celery, water, oil, garlic, basil, rosemary and bay leaf in a 5-quart cooker; mix together well.

Place lid on cooker and cook on low 5 to 6 hours.

Add the beans; cover and cook on low 1 hour or until veggies are tender.

Remove and discard the bay leaf before serving.

Garnish each bowl with the grated Parmesan, if desired.

Yield: 8 to 10 servings

file photo

Tuesday, December 3, 2024

POTATO BROCCOLI CHEDDAR SOUP

This recipe was submitted to my diabetic blog. It doesn't meet my diabetic guidelines, so I moved it to this blog. It was submitted by Diabetic Recipes New Ideas 2024.

Crock Pot Potato Broccoli Cheddar Soup
• 4 cups shredded hash browns, thawed
• 3 cups small-chopped broccoli florets
• 1 cup shredded carrot
• 1 shallot (or 1/2 small sweet onion), minced
• 3 cups sodium reduced chicken broth
• 4 oz (1/2 cup) herbed cream cheese
• 1 cup milk (2% fat or higher)
• 8 oz (1 cup) shredded sharp Cheddar cheese, plus more for topping
• salt and pepper
Serves 4 to 6
1. To a 6-quart crock pot add hash browns, broccoli, carrots, shallot and chicken broth, then stir to combine, cover, and cook on LOW for 4-5 hours or until broccoli is very tender.
2. To a blender add the cream cheese, milk, and roughly 1/3 of the cooked vegetables. Blend until very creamy then stir back into the crock pot, cover, and cook on LOW for 10 minutes.
3. Then sprinkle 1/2 cup of Cheddar cheese into soup, stirring until the cheese is completely melted before adding the second 1/2 cup. Add salt and pepper to taste, then serve. Garnish each serving with a little more shredded Cheddar cheese if you wish.



 


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Monday, December 2, 2024

EASY SHRIMP CREOLE


2 tbsp butter
1/3 cup chopped onion
2 tbsp buttermilk biscuit mix (such as Bisquick)
1 1/2 cups water
1 can (6-oz) tomato paste
1 tsp salt
Dash of freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp sugar
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
2 lbs frozen shrimp, thawed, shelled and cleaned OR 3 (5-oz each) cans shrimp, rinsed and drained
Hot cooked rice (for 6) serving

In a skillet, melt butter; add onion and cook slightly. Add biscuit mix and stir until well blended.

Combine water, tomato paste, salt, pepper, sugar, bay leaf, celery and bell pepper in the crock-pot or slow cooker; add onion mixture and stir well. Cover and cook on low 7 to 9 hours.

One hour before serving, turn cooker to high and add shrimp.

Remove bay leaf and serve shrimp mixture over the hot rice.

file photo for reference



Sunday, December 1, 2024

VEGGIE MAC AND TUNA


1 1/2 cups dry elbow macaroni
3 tbsp butter
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 med size red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 med size green bell pepper, chopped
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 3/4 cups milk
8-oz cubed pasteurized process cheese product
1/2 tsp marjoram
1 pkg (10-oz) frozen peas
1 can (9-oz) tuna in water, drained

Cook macaroni according to package directions until just tender; drain.

Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat; add onion and bell peppers. Cook, stirring, 5 minutes or until tender. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring, another 2 minutes. Stir in the milk and bring to a boil. Boil, stirring constantly until thickened. Reduce heat to low; add cheese and marjoram. Stir until the cheese is melted.

In a slow cooker, combine the macaroni, cheese sauce, peas, and tuna. Cover and cook on low setting 2 1/2 hours or until bubbly around the edges.

Yield: 6 servings
file photo