California Tamale Pie

Monday seems to have come and gone this week and I forgot to post something. I spent yesterday driving from one appointment to another, a bit overcome with distraction. By the time I got home,  I had to fix dinner. Then the rest of the day seemed to fly by. I woke up this morning remembering that I hadn't posted anything on my blog.

So for the frazzled among us, here's an easy recipe for the crock pot that's really tasty! Serve with salad and you have a complete meal. Enjoy!

California Tamale Pie

3/4 cup yellow corn meal
1 cup milk
1 egg slightly beaten
1 lb lean ground beef
1 t chili powder
1/2 t ground cumin
1 t seasoned salt
1 (14 oz.) can chunky salsa
1 (16 oz) can whole kernel corn, drained
1 (2.25 oz.) can sliced ripe olives, drained
1 cup cheddar cheese

In a large bowl, mix cornmeal, milk and egg.  Stir in meat, chili powder, cumin, salt, salsa, corn and olives.  Pour mixture into slow cooker.  Cover and cook on HIGH 3 to 4 hours.  Sprinkle cheese over top; cover and cook another 5 minutes.  Makes 6-8 servings.

Have you ever had California Tamale Pie? Thanks for visiting and have a great week!

Crock Pot Chicken Tacos

I've been looking for an easy chicken taco recipe and just found one at Spendwithpennies.com. This is super simple and prepared in the crock pot. That just happens to be my favorite kind of recipe. Can't wait to try it!

Ingredients
4 skinless boneless chicken breast halves
1 cup salsa
1 cup canned diced tomatoes with chiles
1 package taco seasoning mix
1/2 onion, diced

Instructions
Combine salsa, canned tomatoes, and taco seasoning.
Place onions & chicken in the slow cooker and top with tomato mixture.
Cook on low 7-8 hours or high 3-4 hours.

Remove chicken from slow cooker and shred. Return to slow cooker and stir in juices.
Serve in taco shells, on salads, pizzas or in bowls over rice!

Do you like chicken tacos?  Thanks for visiting and have a great week!

Slow Cooker Chinese Barbecue Pork

I've recently discovered the website Chefsavvy.com, and I absolutely love the recipes there! Easy and delicious are what counts with me, and this recipe has become my go-to pork loin favorite (even though they suggest using pork shoulder or butt). Serve this with jasmine rice and a salad, and you have a great and very tasty meal! Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS

1 4 pound pork shoulder/pork butt trimmed of excess fat and cubed

Sauce
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup mirin
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup hoisin
1 teaspoon sriracha or more to taste
2 teaspoons sesame oil
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 1/2 teaspoons Chinese 5 spice powder
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger (I love ginger, so I use 2 t)

INSTRUCTIONS

Add the pork and the sauce ingredients to the slow cooker and toss to coat the meat.
Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.
Once the pork is tender shred it with two forks. I just do this in the slow cooker.
You can drain some of the liquid or serve the extra liquid over rice!

Serve immediately with sesame seeds if desired.

Have you ever tried Chinese barbecued pork? Thanks for visiting and have a great week!

Sweet Aromatic Chicken

Love easy recipes? Me too. I found this one when I was in a pinch and needed to fix something easy that wouldn't require a lot of time, other than sitting in the crock pot. This recipe from Fix It and Forget It is really delicious and takes only minutes to assemble. Serve over rice with a salad on the side and you have a wonderful and tasty dinner! Enjoy!

Sweet Aromatic Chicken

1/2 cup coconut milk
1/2 cup water
8 chicken thighs, skinned
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 T soy sauce
1/8 t ground cloves
2 cloves garlic

Combine coconut milk and water. Pour into greased slow cooker. Add remaining ingredients in order listed. Cover and cook on low 5-6 hours.

Wow, that's it! What's your favorite easy recipe?

Thanks for visiting and have a great week!

North Carolina Barbecue

I made this yesterday and it was enjoyed by all. I've posted this recipe before, but thought I'd post it again since it's so easy and tasty. 

If you're not from North Carolina, you may not appreciate NC barbecue.  I lived in the Tar Heel State for about 15 years and never liked its version of BBQ as much as Ohio's, but it is tasty.

My husband, who grew up in NC, really loves it!  And my kids, who are picky eaters, actually like this version I cooked in my crock pot the other day. If you find it strange, douse in your favorite BBQ sauce and you'll love it!

This recipe is from my Slow Cooker Recipe Book that came with my GE crock pot. Hope you like it!

North Carolina Barbecue

3 lbs boneless pork butt, shoulder or blade roast
1 (14 ounce) can diced tomato
1/2 cup vinegar
2 T Worcestershire sauce
1 T sugar
1 heaping T red pepper flakes
1 T salt
2 t black pepper

Combine all ingredients in crock. Cover and cook on low 8-10 hours. Pull meat apart with fork when done.  Makes about 3 pounds of BBQ. Great Served with baked beans and cole slaw.

What's your favorite BBQ? Thanks for visiting and have a great week!

Slow Cooker Honey Balsamic Pulled Pork

Time for an easy recipe! Thought this one from The Recipe Rebel sounded tasty. Enjoy!

Slow Cooker Honey Balsamic Pulled Pork

Ingredients:

• 3 lb boneless pork roast
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 2 tsp seasoned salt
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 cup ketchup
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup honey
• 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 3/4 tsp salt
• a pinch of black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 2 tsp minced garlic

Instructions:

1. Add the roast to a slow cooker. Top with water, seasoned salt and garlic powder. Cook on low for 8-10 hours or until falling apart.
2. Just before your roast is ready, add the rest of the ingredients (vinegar through garlic) to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat.
3. Boil over medium heat for about 15-20 minutes, until thick and syrupy.
4. Drain juices from pork. Shred your pork and stir in half of the prepared sauce. Serve the rest of the sauce alongside the pork with buns.

I love any kind of pulled pork! Do you?

Thanks for visiting and have a great week!

Crock Pot Curry Chicken

I'm recuperating from gum surgery, so today I'm reposting one of my favorite recipes -- one that I won't be able to eat for another two weeks! I can't enjoy it any time soon, but I hope you will!

I've come to realize that people either love Indian food, or they hate it, because of all the exotic spices not normally found in plain old American fare. 

Then there are those who enjoy it, but their bodies can't tolerate all those wonderful spices. 

I fall into the category that absolutely loves Indian food! And it doesn't cause me any digestive issues.

The recipe I'm sharing today is from Rebecca MacLary over at Paleohacks. It's the first Indian dish I've ever tried for the crock pot and it's extraordinarily delicious!  In addition, it's easy to prep, and tastes just as good as the chicken curry you can get in an Indian restaurant. Hope this is something you'll enjoy!

Crockpot Curry Chicken 

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs skinless chicken breast
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tbsp organic, cold-pressed coconut oil
• 1 cup full-fat coconut milk
• 3/4 cup chicken broth
• 1 thumb fresh ginger, minced
• 2-6 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 medium fresh green chilli, minced
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 medium red bell peppers, diced
• 3-4 tbsp Garam Masala
• 1/2 - 1 tsp cumin seeds
• salt
• pepper

Directions:

1. Take your crockpot and give it a big sloppy kiss because, believe me, it’s about to provide you with a life-changing gastronomic experience!
2. Optional: Heat the coconut oil in your crockpot and add the Garam Masala and cumin seeds, gently heating them until they begin crackle. The idea here is to infuse the oil and gently roast the spices, so have the rest of your ingredients ready to throw in right away.
3. Add the tomato paste, coconut milk, ginger, garlic, chilli, salt, and pepper, and mix thoroughly.
4. Give your spicy, coconutty mixture a hearty sniff and then throw in the onions, peppers, chicken, and broth.
5. Make sure everything is thoroughly mixed together and then cover, ready to cook.
6. Now for the most difficult part, time to play the waiting game! Depending on your level of patience you can cook on a high heat for around 4 hours, or if you’re feeling particularly disciplined (yeah, right!) you can place your curry on a low heat and cook for 7 or 8 hours.
7. Remove the lid and savor that wondrous, magical smell of the spice-infused coconut goodness! Serve up and you’re good to tuck right in!

Do you like Indian food? Thanks for visiting and have a great week!

Crock Pot Honey Garlic Chicken

I just read an interesting  article in Marieclaire.com that discussed Meghan Markle's diet now that she has become a member of the royal family. Although she's allowed to eat anything behind closed doors, while in public acting in a royal capacity, certain dietary restrictions apply:

As a royal, Meghan is not allowed to eat garlic while traveling—at least not while she's on official royal visits anyway. 

Per Sunday Express: "Garlic is banned from being included in foods eaten by royal family members. With many meetings between official visitors, it is thought to be advised against to prevent any awkward bad breath."

Shellfish is restricted as well: 

Members of the royal family are also not allowed to eat shellfish while traveling for royal visits, due to the high risk of food poisoning associated with the dish...

It's certainly nice to be able to eat what you want, when you want including this tasty garlicky recipe I found at Diethood.com. I love garlic, so if you do too, I'm sure you'll enjoy this easy Crock Pot Honey Garlic Chicken!

Crock Pot Honey Garlic Chicken

Ingredients

• 6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 4 garlic cloves , minced
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1/2 cup low sodium ketchup
• 1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley
• 1/2 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

Instructions

1. Arrange chicken thighs on the bottom of your slow cooker; set aside. 
2. In a mixing bowl, combine garlic, honey, ketchup, soy sauce, oregano and parsley; whisk until thoroughly combined.
3. Pour the sauce over the chicken thighs.
4. Close with a lid and cook for 4 to 5 hours on LOW, or 3 to 4 hours on HIGH.
5. Remove lid and transfer chicken to a serving plate.
6. Spoon the sauce over the chicken and sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds.
7. Serve.

Did you know the royals had to restrict their diets in some circumsatnces? Thanks for visiting and have a great week!

Balsamic Chicken with Capers

I've been experimenting with Mediterranean cooking and recently ordered The Mediterranean Slow Cooker by Michele Scicolone. I love this book! Here's a healthy recipe I made last week and served with rice and a salad. It's really delicious and Hubby gave it two thumbs up. Did I mention that it's really easy to make? That's my favorite part. Enjoy!

Balsamic Chicken with Capers

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
2 T Dijon Mustard
2 large cloves of garlic, finely chopped (I used 1 t garlic powder)
1 T chopped fresh rosemary (I used 1 t dried rosemary)
2 T drained capers, chopped
Salt and freshly ground pepper (I used 1 t of each)
4 pounds of bone-in chicken breasts, legs and thighs (I used 3 lbs of boneless, skinless thighs)

Spray the insert of a large slow cooke rwith non-stick cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the vinegar, mustard, garlic, rosemary, capers, 1/2 t salt and pepper to taste. Dip the chicken pieces into the mixture, turning to coat on all sides. Place the chicken in the cooker and pour on any remaining sauce.

Cover and cook on low 4-6 hours, or until the chicken is very tender and coming away from the bone.  Serve hot.

Do you like Mediterranean food? Thanks for  visiting and have a great week!

Slow Cooker Hawaiian Pork Chops

I was looking for something easy to make this week and found this over at Creme de la Crumb. Looks simple to throw together and sounds delicious! Enjoy.

Slow Cooker Hawaiian Pork Chops

• 2 pounds pork chops (see note)
• ½ cup soy sauce
• ⅓ cup brown sugar
• ¼ cup ketchup
• 1 15-ounce can pineapple slices (including the liquid), divided.
• 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 2 teaspoon minced garlic
• ½ cup cold water + 3 tablespoons corn starch
• cooked rice and chopped cilantro for serving

1. Whisk together the soy sauce, brown sugar, ketchup, the liquid from the can of pineapple slices (save the pineapple, you'll use it in step 2), rice vinegar, and minced garlic. Whisk together the cold water and corn starch til dissolved. Stir into the sauce mixture.
2. Lightly grease your slow cooker. Pour half of the sauce mixture into the slow cooker. Place pork chops in the slow cooker along with the pineapple slices. Pour the remaining sauce over the top. Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low 6 hours.
3. Serve pork chops over rice and garnish with chopped cilantro.

I've never been to Hawaii. If you have, does this sound authentic? Just wondering. Thanks for visiting and have a great week!

Easy Crock Pot Beef Burgundy

I was planning meals for the week and found this incredibly easy recipe for Beef Burgundy over at FamilyFreshMeals.com.  I've never made this dish because the name sounds too intimidating for me to even try. However, when I found this three-step crock pot version, I decided that I could make it after all! Enjoy!

Easy Crock Pot Beef Burgundy

Ingredients:

1.5 lbs boneless beef round steak, cubed
1 (1 oz) package dry onion soup mix
2 cups mushrooms sliced
1 small onion, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup beef broth
1/2 cup red wine
1 (10 .75 0z) can of condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
1 package of egg noodles, prepared

Directions:

1. In a 5-6 qt crock pot, add in your cubed steak.
2. Sprinkle with dry onions soup mix. And the mushrooms, onion and garlic.
3. Pour wine, broth and Worcestershire sauce into crock pot. Top every thing with cream of mushroom soup. Cover and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours or HIGH for 4-5 hours. Serve over egg noodles.

Have you ever made Beef Burgundy? Thanks for visiting and have a great week!

Shredded Turkey Sandwiches

My Friend Lorie gave me this recipe recently and she says it's absolutely wonderful and incredibly easy! It's for the crock pot, so how can you go wrong with that? I hope to try it this week! Enjoy.

Shredded Turkey Sandwiches 

1 frozen Butterball boneless breast (thaw in fridge for at least 24 hours and up to 48 hours)

1/2 bottle or can of beer

1/4 cup of water

1/4 cup of butter

A few sprigs of fresh rosemary

Remove plastic wrap from turkey, remove gravy packet, cut off netting over turkey and trim excess fat (pull up on fat and it trims off very easily with kitchen scissors)

Wash the turkey breast and place in crock pot with beer, water and butter.  Add the rosemary to the top pot for flavor.

Cook on low for 5 - 6 hours.  (Cook on high if the breast is still partially frozen.)

Discard rosemary.  Shred the turkey using two forks.  Turn crock pot to low and cook on low until ready to eat.  Serve on favorite buns either alone or with you favorite BBQ sauce.

One Butterball breast feeds about 7 people.

Don't you think this sounds healthier than pork BBQ?

Thanks for visiting and have a great week!

African Chicken Treat

I'm always looking for quick, easy and delicious meals, and this one sounds like a winner from Fix It and Forget It, one of my favorite slow-cooker cookbooks. Enjoy!

African Chicken Treat

1 1/2 cups water
2 t chicken bouillon granules
2 ribs celery, thinly sliced
2 onions, thinly sliced
1 cup red pepper, sliced
1 green pepper, sliced
8 skinless chicken thighs
1/2 crunchy peanut butter
crushed chili pepper of your choice

Combine water, chicken bouillon granules, celery, onions and peppers in slow cooker. Spread peanut butter on both sides of chicken. Sprinkle with chili pepper. PLace on top of ingredients in slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW 5-6 hours.

I'd serve this with rice and a salad. I have another African chicken recipe, but this one sounds a lot easier! I love peanut butter with chicken. Do you? Thanks for visiting and have a great week!

Sweet Aromatic Chicken

Love easy recipes? Me too. I found this one when I was in a pinch and needed to fix something easy that wouldn't require a lot of time, other than sitting in the crock pot. This recipe from Fix It and Forget It is really delicious and takes only minutes to assemble. Serve over rice with a salad on the side and you have a wonderful and tasty dinner! Enjoy!

Sweet Aromatic Chicken

1/2 cup coconut milk
1/2 cup water
8 chicken thighs, skinned
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 T soy sauce
1/8 t ground cloves
2 cloves garlic

Combine coconut milk and water. Pour into greased slow cooker. Add remaining ingredients in order listed. Cover and cook on low 5-6 hours.

Wow, that's it! What's your favorite easy recipe?

Thanks for visiting and have a great week!

Creamy Tomato Slow Cooker Chicken

When it comes to cooking, I love quick and easy! Over the summer, my oldest son decided he wanted to cook three meals a week--gourmet meals with Mom's help. We're talking labor intensive with lots of time in the kitchen! The results were wonderful, but crock pot cooking is more my thing. Here's something that sounds really delicious from BettyCrocker.com. Enjoy!

Creamy Tomato Slow Cooker Chicken

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/4 lb) 

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 teaspoon dried basil leaves

½ teaspoon dried oregano leaves

¼ teaspoon pepper

1 jar (15 oz) Alfredo sauce 

1 can (14.5 oz) Muir Glen™ organic fire roasted petite diced tomatoes, drained

1 can (8 oz) Muir Glen™ organic tomato sauce

1 box (12 oz) uncooked pasta (such as penne or mostaccioli) 

2 tablespoons cornstarch

2 tablespoons water 

½ cup shredded Italian cheese blend (2 oz), if desired 

Spray 3- to 4-quart slow cooker with cooking spray. Arrange chicken in bottom of slow cooker. Top with garlic, basil, oregano and pepper. In separate bowl, stir together Alfredo sauce, tomatoes and tomato sauce until well combined. Pour mixture over chicken.Cover; cook on Low heat setting 5 to 6 hours.

Ten to 15 minutes before serving time, cook pasta as directed on package. In small bowl, stir together cornstarch and water; stir into mixture in slow cooker. Increase heat setting to High; cook uncovered 5 to 10 minutes longer.

Do you prefer quick and easy, or do you like preparing gourmet meals?

Thanks for visiting and have a great week!

Kalua Pork with Cabbage

In the middle of summer, who wants to spend a long time in the kitchen over a hot stove? Even with air conditioning, it can still get pretty hot in the heart of the home.

Today I'm sharing a super easy crock pot dish that my mother-in-law introduced me to a couple of years ago. It takes only minutes to prepare and my kids love it. I posted this recipe back in December of 2015, but it's certainly worth posting again!

This meal is great for a busy weeknight. Serve with hot applesauce and a salad. Enjoy!

Kalua Pork with Cabbage

7 slices bacon
1 T coarse salt
1 3-4 lb pork roast (I used a 3 lb pork loin)
1 head cabbage, coarsely chopped
1 cup pineapple chunks

Place four strips of bacon in bottom of slow cooker. Salt all sides of pork roast, then place on top of bacon in slow cooker. Put the remaining bacon on top of pork roast. Cover and cook on LOW 8-10 hours or until meat is tender. Put cabbage and pineapple chunks on top of roast and cook an additional 1 1/4 hours, or until cabbage is tender.

Have you ever heard of this recipe?  Thanks for visiting and have a great week!

Slow Cooker Barbecued Meatloaf

Too busy to blog today, so here's a republished post with a great recipe!

There’s more than one version of barbecued meatloaf, and I believe this one is from a very old version of a Betty Crocker Slow Cooker Cookbook. A few years ago when we visited North Carolina, my mother-in-law served it for supper and shared the recipe with me.  Everybody loved it, even my picky kids! I have since made it at home, but the kids swear Grandma’s is better—go figure! Anyway, this is very easy to throw together, it tastes great, and it’ll remind you of one of your mother’s home cooked meals. Enjoy!

Barbecued Meatloaf

2 lb. ground chuck or lean ground beef

½ cup uncooked oats (quick or old fashioned)

½ cup dry bread crumbs

2 T nonfat dry milk

½ cup water

½ cup smoky barbecue sauce

2 eggs

1 t salt

¼ t pepper

1 small onion chopped

6 potatoes, cut up

In large bowl, mix all ingredients except potatoes. Shape meat mixture into a loaf. Place potatoes in bottom of Crock-Pot. Top potatoes with meatloaf. Cover and cook on LOW 8-10 hours. Makes six servings.

I never liked meatloaf as a kid, but now I love it! How about you, are you a meatloaf fan?

Thanks for visiting and have a great week!

Originally posted 4/28/14

Herbed Chicken and Stuffing Supper

Hope everyone had a very happy Easter! I did Easter dinner this year for the first time since my mom, an extraordinary cook, has been having some back trouble. Unfortunately, I came down with a cold a few days before the holiday. Fortunately, however, my crock pot came to the rescue! This is an easy dish that's great for a Sunday dinner, or any time.  It's in Betty Crocker's Slow Cooker Cookbook. Enjoy!

Herbed Chicken and Stuffing Supper

3 lbs. bone in chicken pieces, skin removed
1  (10 3/4 oz.) can condensed cream of chicken soup
4 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch slices
1 (6 oz.) package stuffing mix for chicken
1 1/4 cups water
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 cup frozen green beans, thawed

Place chicke in slow cooker. Spoon soup over chicken. Top with sweet potatoes. Mix stuffing mix with butter and water. Spoon over sweet potatoes.

Cover and cook on LOW 4-6 hours or until potatoes are tender, and juice from chicken is no longer pink.

Sprinkle green beans over stuffing. Cover and cook on LOW 15-20 minutes until beans are tender.

Makes 6 servings.

What did you have for Easter dinner?

Thanks for visiting and have a great week!

Good 'n Easy Beef 'n Gravy

There's nothing like a hearty plate of comfort food, and when it's easy to prepare, that's icing on the cake! With that said, a recipe can't get more simple than this one from one of my favorite crock pot cookbooks, Fix-It and Forget-It. Enjoy!

Good 'n Easy Beef 'n Gravy

3 lbs. beef roast, cubed
1 envelope dry onion soup mix
1/2 cup beef broth
10 3/4-oz. can cream of mushroom or cream of celery soup
4-oz. can sliced mushrooms, drained

Combine all ingredients in slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW 10-12 hours.

What's your favorite comfort food?

Thanks for visiting and have a great week!

Slow Cooker Spicy Beef & Bell Pepper

Today I was looking for an easy recipe to share and found this one at Let the Baking Begin. Looks easy, delicious and healthy. Enjoy!

Slow Cooker Spicy Beef & Bell Pepper

• 2 lbs beef chuck, thinly sliced
• 2 cups chopped to 1 inch squares bell pepper
• 1/2 medium onion, peeled, cut in half, sliced
• 1 cup broth or 1 cup water + 3 bullion cube
• 2 Tbsp corn starch
• 2 tsp freeze dried garlic
• 1/3 cup chopped parsley
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp – 1 Tbsp Sriracha sauce

Place meat on bottom of slow cooker. Top with sliced onion. 

Sprinkle with salt, pepper and garlic. Mix the broth with Sriracha; or water, bullion cubes and Sriracha. Pour over the peppers and beef.(if using bullion cubes, add only 1 tsp salt). Set on high heat for 3.5-4 hours.

Mix 1/2 cup water and 2 tablespoons corn starch. Add 1 cup of liquid from the meat & pepper mixture and cook on medium heat until boiling, then cook 2 minutes past boil to remove the cornstarch flavor. Add this mixture back to the meat and bell peppers. Sprinkle with chopped parsley, stir and serve.

Sound good to you? Thanks for visiting and have a great week!