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!

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!

Hawaiian Chicken

Summer is quickly approaching, and with summer comes vacation planning!

I don't know about you, but I'd love to go to Hawaii!  Unfortunately, with two kids in college, that won't happen any time soon. 

But I can always dream, and this Hawaiian Chicken recipe makes me feel like I'm there... well not really, but it sure tastes good!

Hope you enjoy it, too! It's a crock pot recipe and only takes minutes to assemble, but you will need to set aside up to five hours for it to cook. It's delicious over rice!

This recipe is from my General Electric Slow Cooker Recipe Book.

Hawaiian Chicken

3 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts, halved (I use thighs)
1 16 ounce can pineapple slices, drained (I use chunks)
1 15 ounce can mandarin oranges, drained
1/4 cup corn starch
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground ginger

Combine all ingredients in the crock. Stir well. Cover and cook on:
Low - 4 to 5 hours or High - 2 to 3 hours

Where will yo be vacationing this summer? 

Thanks for visiting and have a great week!

Busy Day Brisket

I absolutely love beef brisket, and the first time I posted this recipe, I had never made it until that day. As a matter of fact, it was in my crock pot cooking as I wrote this post back in October of 2017, so I didn't even get a chance to taste it until later that evening. I must say, this recipe is absolutely fabulous and so, so tasty, not to mention easy! Many thanks to Allrecipes.com for this wonderful dish. Enjoy!

Busy Day Brisket

• 1 T dried thyme leaves
• 1 T paprika
• 2 t black pepper
• 2 t salt
• 1 t onion powder
• 1/2 t garlic powder
• 1/2 t cayenne peppet
• 1/2 cumin
• 3 lbs. beef brisket, trimmed of fat
• 1/2 t liquid smoke
• 2 T Worcestershire sauce
• 1 1/2 cups Barbecue sauce  
  
     
  
  

  1. Combine thyme, paprika, pepper, salt, onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne, and cumin in a small bowl; set aside. Rub brisket all over with liquid smoke, then rub with spice mixture.
  2. Pour Worcestershire and barbeque sauces into a slow cooker; place beef on top. Cover, and cook on LOW 8 to 10 hours, until fork tender. 

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

Creamy Portobella Chicken

Here's a recipe from Cutefetti.com that sounds absolutely delicious, and oh, so easy!

Creamy Portobella Chicken

Ingredients

• 1 Pint of Baby Bellas (or equivalent in sliced portabella mushrooms)
• 1.5 - 2lbs Boneless Chicken Tenderloins or Sliced Chicken Breast
• 1 Can of Cream of Chicken Soup
• Salt & Pepper to Taste

Instructions

Place chicken in the bottom of slow cooker, evenly dump the mushrooms on top and then cover with the cream of chicken soup. Sprinkle desired about of salt and pepper on top. Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6 hours. Do a taste test to determine if your dish could use a little more salt & pepper. Enjoy!

Does this sound good to you? 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!

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!

Busy Day Brisket

I absolutely love beef brisket, but I've never prepared it myself until today! This version is currently in my crock pot and I can't wait until dinner. It's very easy and according to the reviews at Allrecipes.com, it sounds delicious. Maybe you can give it a try too. Enjoy!

Busy Day Brisket

• 1 T dried thyme leaves
• 1 T paprika
• 2 t black pepper
• 2 t salt
• 1 t onion powder
• 1/2 t garlic powder
• 1/2 t cayenne peppet
• 1/2 cumin
• 3 lbs. beef brisket, trimmed of fat
• 1/2 t liquid smoke
• 2 T Worcestershire sauce
• 1 1/2 cups Barbecue sauce  
  
     
  
  

  1. Combine thyme, paprika, pepper, salt, onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne, and cumin in a small bowl; set aside. Rub brisket all over with liquid smoke, then rub with spice mixture.
  2. Pour Worcestershire and barbeque sauces into a slow cooker; place beef on top. Cover, and cook on LOW 8 to 10 hours, until fork tender. 

   

  Do you like brisket? 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!

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 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!

Scrumptious Beef

A few years ago I found the cookbook Fix It and Forget It at Half Price Books. I think I paid less than five dollars for it, and what a great investment! It's filled with lots of great recipes for crock pot, including this one, Scrumptious Beef. It sounds fabulous and EASY, which I love! I'm not a fan of cutting and chopping, so for the one chopped onion, I'd use 1 cup of pre-chopped frozen ones. They're a real time saver. Hope you enjoy this!

Scrumptious Beef

2 lbs beef, cubed
1/2 lb mushrooms sliced
10 1/2 oz. can beef broth
1 onion chopped
10 3/4 oz. can cream of mushroom soup
3 T dry onion soup mix

Combine all ingredients in slow cooker. Cover and cook on HIGH 3-4 hours. or LOW 7-8 hours. Serve over hot cooked rice.

If you're looking for comfort food, I think this would hit the spot. Speaking of which, do you have a favorite comfort food? Thanks for visiting and have a great week!

Slow Cooker African Chicken Stew

I love African Chicken Stew! It's tasty and healthy. The combination of chicken, peanut butter and sweet potatoes is absolutely amazing! However, the recipe I usually use is made on top of the stove and takes a bit longer to prepare than I'd like. Searching the Internet, I found this one at Ready Set Eat. It's for the crock pot, my all -time favorite appliance! A little bit of stove-top prep is involved, but  not nearly as much as my other recipe. Enjoy!

• Slow Coker African Chicken Stew
• Ingredients
• Non-Stick Cooking Spray
• 1 teaspoon Vegetable Oil
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1-1/4 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut in quarters
• 1/4 cup Creamy Peanut Butter
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 can (10 oz each) Diced Tomatoes & Green Chilies, undrained
• 1 pound (2 medium) sweet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1-1/2 inch pieces
• 2 cups frozen bell pepper and onion strips (from 16-oz pkg)

Directions

1. Spray inside of 4-quart slow cooker with cooking spray. Heat oil in 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle salt over chicken. Add to skillet; cook until browned, stirring occasionally. Stir in peanut butter, water, garlic powder and undrained tomatoes. Cook until mixture is blended and chicken is coated.
2. Layer sweet potatoes and frozen vegetables in slow cooker. Top with chicken mixture. Cover; cook on LOW 7 to 9 hours or until chicken and vegetables are very tender. Gently stir to mix.
3. Have you ever tasted African Chicken Stew?
4. Thanks for visiting and have a great week!

California Tamale Pie

I love delicious food that's easy to prepare. That's why I love my crock pot so much! This dish is a winner in my family, so I hope you'll like it too.

This recipe is from Mabel Hoffman's Crockery Cookery. If there are four or more in your home, I strongly recommend doubling the recipe.  The first time I made it, I sampled some before dinner, but ended up eating nearly half--it's that good! 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.

I'd never heard of tamale pie until I found this recipe.  Have you ever had it?  Thanks for visiting and have a great week!

Originally posted 8/20/12

Easy Pork Roast with Gravy

Here's something kid tested by my kids, and mother approved by me! It's also really easy to prepare and cooks in the crock pot. This recipe comes from Reader's Digest, and they suggest serving it with mashed white potatoes. Rice works well, too. Enjoy!

Pork Roast with Gravy

1 boneless whole pork loin, 3-4 lbs.
1 can chicken broth
1 cup julienned sweet red pepper
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup cider vinegar
2 T Worcestershire sauce
1T brown sugar
2 t Italian seasoning
1 t salt
1 t pepper
2 t cornstarch
2 t cold water

Cut roast in half, transfer to 5 qt. slow cooker.  In small bowl, combine broth, red pepper, onion, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar and seasonings.  Pour over pork.  Cover and cook on low 3-4 hours, or until meat thermometer reads 160 degrees and meat is tender.

For gravy, strain cooking juices and skim fat.  Pour 1 cup into small saucepan. Combine corn starch and water until smooth.  Stir into cooking juices. Bring to a boil, cook and stir two minutes or until thickened.

Do you have a favorite pork roast recipe that your mom used to make? Thanks for visiting, and have a wonderful week!

Reprinted from 4/15/11.

A barbecue competition is like going to a family reunion, only you get to pick your relatives." Judy Fry, The Frying Pan

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 it's 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 weekend!

Reprinted from April 8, 2011

Hawaiian Chicken

As we commemorate Memorial Day, I want to thank all the brave men and women who have served our country!

The Memorial Day weekend kicks off the unofficial start of summer.  And with summer comes vacation planning!

I don't know about you, but I'd love to go to Hawaii!  Unfortunately, with two kids in braces, that won't be happening any time soon. However, I can always dream, and this Hawaiian Chicken recipe makes me feel like I'm there--okay, not really, but it sure tastes good!

Hope you enjoy it, too! It's a crock pot recipe and only takes minutes to assemble, but you will need to set aside up to five hours for it to cook. It's delicious over rice!

This recipe is from my General Electric Slow Cooker Recipe Book.


Hawaiian Chicken

3 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts, halved (I use thighs)
1 16 ounce can pineapple slices, drained (I use chunks)
1 15 ounce can mandarin oranges, drained
1/4 cup corn starch
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground ginger


Combine all ingredients in the crock. Stir well. Cover and cook on:
Low - 4 to 5 hours
or
High- 2 to 3 hours


Where will yo be vacationing this summer? Have you ever been to Hawaii?

Thanks for visiting! By the way, if you're looking for a summer read, give my novel The Governor's Sons a try!