Crock Pot Bolognese

It is hard to find time to try new recipes these days. I finally tried out a new crockpot recipe that made enough to stock the freezer. While this goes against my usual crockpot recipes that just have you turn it on, dump everything in and come back to a finished dinner. I was able to save a few steps and buy pre chopped onions, but can also find pre chopped celery and carrots. You can adjust the flavor based on your preference but this is a great go to sauce that doesn't require you to stand over the stove all day to get flavor.

Crock Pot Bolognese
Serves:10
Adapted from: Skinnytaste

Ingredients:
1 large white onion
2 celery stalks, minced
2 carrots, minced
2lbs ground turkey or meat of choice
(2) 28oz cans crushed tomatoes
1 tsp garlic powder
1 Tbsp dried oregano
salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 bay leaf

Directions:
In a large deep sauté pan, add onions, celery, carrots and cook on medium low heat until soft, about 5 minutes.

Increase to medium-high; add meat, season with salt, pepper, garlic powder and oregano. Saute until meat is browned. Drain the fat.

Add meat mixture to crockpot, then add tomatoes and bay leaf. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours. Serve over pasta and can freeze leftover sauce.

Slow Cooker Quinoa Chili

This is one of the easiest meals to make and no one will ever know! Anyone with a slow cooker knows that the greatest part is how you can throw everything in then go about your day and dinner will be ready when you get home. Dishes like this are even easier because they use a lot of dried goods so you don't have to go to the store. The only downfall when using canned vegetables is that they can be high in sodium, so I used all low sodium versions to cut back and be sure to wash them to rinse off some of the sodium as well. Be sure to compare even those because each brands idea of low sodium is different and in many cases the store brand is the best. This chili is packed full of protein from all of the beans and quinoa. If you are a football fan, this would be great for game day, especially as we get into September and maybe some cooler weather in parts of the country.

Slow Cooker Quinoa Chili
Source: Six Sisters Stuff
Serves: 8

Ingredients:
1 cup quinoa, rinsed
1 (28 oz) can reduced sodium diced tomatoes (undrained)
1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes with green chilies (undrained)
2 (16 oz) cans reduced sodium black bean, drained and rinsed
1 (15 oz) can of corn, drained

1 (15 oz) can of reduced sodium kidney beans

2 cups reduced sodium chicken or vegetable stock
1 bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 minced onion
1 tsp garlic
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp crushed red pepper
1 tsp chili powder

Directions:

Place everything in a 6 quart slow cooker and cook for 5-7 hours on low. Keep warm until ready to serve.

Slow Cooked Pork Carnitas

Mexican is up there with one of my favorite types of food to eat. And like most people I am a sucker for Chipotle, even though it is awful for you. This is a spin on their pork carnitas that we made into tacos. It is packed full of flavor and can be made spicier or more mild depending on how many peppers and how much seasoning you add. I had never used adobo seasoning before, which comes from the Spanish word meaning "to marinate" and is rich in flavor and spice but not hot. This recipe was definitely a keeper, but it does require you to brown the meat before putting it in the crock pot, something I normally feel defeats the purpose of the ease of a crock pot recipe, but in this case took about 10 minutes and adds more flavor so don't skip the step.

Slow Cooked Pork Carnitas (Mexican Pulled Pork)
Source: Skinnytaste
Servings: 8 • Serving Size: 4 oz (1/2 cup)
Calories: 176 • Fat: 7.7g  Protein: 25.8 g  Carb: 1.3 g  Fiber: 0.1 g

Ingredients: 

2.5 lb pork shoulder blade roast, lean, all fat removed
4 cloves garlic, cut into sliver
1 tsp cumin
dry adobo seasoning (I used Goya)
1 tsp powder
3/4 cup 99% fat free chicken broth
2-3 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (to taste)
2 bay leaves

Directions:
Season pork with salt and pepper. In a medium sauté pan on medium-high heat, brown pork on all sides for about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Using a sharp knife, insert blade into pork, cutting small holes and insert garlic slivers. Season pork generously with cumin, adobo and garlic powder all over.

Pour chicken broth in the crock-pot, add bay leaves and chipotle peppers. Place pork in crock pot and cover. Cook low for 8 hours. After 8 hours, shred pork using two forks and combine well with the juices that accumulated at the bottom. Remove bay leaves and adjust salt and cumin (you will probably need to add more). Let it cook another 15-30 minutes.

Easy Crockpot Pulled Pork

I have always enjoyed having friends and family over, it just makes meals that much better. I had a friend over Friday night after work to catch up. Usually, weeknights can be  tough to get dinner on the table, let alone have friends over...in comes the crockpot! Whoever invented them made life a lot easier. I was able to buy all of the ingredients in advance and just throw them in the crockpot in the morning, allowing it to do all of the cooking while we were all working. By the time our work day was over and my friend came over the house smelled delicious and the pork was nice and tender. This definitely made weeknight meals and entertaining a lot easier and allowed us to just kick back and enjoy our company instead of fussing the kitchen. I made a smaller cut of meat and still had extra left over for lunch the next day!

Easy Crockpot Pulled Pork
Source: My Baking Addiction
Serves: 6-8

Ingredients:
1 large Vidalia onion, sliced thin
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
1 Tablespoon paprika
2 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 (4-6 lb) boneless pork butt or shoulder
¾ cup cider vinegar
4 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 ½ teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
1 ½ teaspoons sugar
½ teaspoons dry mustard
½ teaspoon garlic salt
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

Directions:

1. Rinse pork roast under cold water and pat dry with paper towels.
2. Place onions in crock-pot. In a small bowl, combine brown sugar, paprika, kosher salt and pepper; mix thoroughly. Rub mixture all over roast and place the roast on top of the onions.
3. In a medium bowl, combine vinegar, Worcestershire, red pepper flakes, sugar, mustard, garlic salt and cayenne pepper; whisk to combine. Drizzle about 1/3 of vinegar mixture over roast. Cover and refrigerate remaining vinegar mixture.
4. Cover crockpot; cook on low for 10-12 hours. Drizzle about 1/3 of reserved vinegar mixture over roast during last ½ hour of cooking.
5. Remove meat and onions; drain. Chop or shred meat and onions. Serve with remaining vinegar mixture or your favorite barbeque sauce.

Crock Pot Italian Turkey Meatballs

I love Italian food, especially spaghetti and meatballs. The only problem's that I was not great at making meatballs that don't have chunks of onions or taste mealy. So when I came across this recipe for healthy meatballs that can be made in the crock-pot and left alone it was a perfect match. As you know, we received a crock pot for our wedding and since then have been trying to find a variety of recipes to make in it since it's such a great invention. The recipe is really easy and doesn't take much prep time or cost a lot of money. I think this whole recipe cost under $10 and can serve at least 4-6 people. It does call for 93/7 lean ground turkey, the additional fat is what gives it more flavor, but you can use the 99/1 ground turkey if you prefer, just a bit drier. I didn't brown the meatballs in the oven prior since I was tight on time, but if you want to you can bake them at 350° for 15 minutes to brown them and add a bit of crunch. I plan to do this next time.Overall, this was a success and Jason was impressed that not only did I make the meatballs but homemade sauce that they cooked in.

Crock Pot Italian Turkey Meatballs

Serves: 6

Source: Skinnytaste

Ingredients:

20 oz (1.3 lb) ground turkey breast 93% lean
1/4 cup whole wheat seasoned breadcrumbs
1/4 cup Reggiano Parmigiano cheese, grated
1/4 cup parsley, finely chopped
1 egg
1 large clove garlic, crushed
1 tsp kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

For the sauce:
1 tsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic, smashed
28 oz can crushed tomatoes with basil
1 bay leaf
salt and fresh pepper to taste
1/4 cup fresh chopped basil or parsley

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine ground turkey, breadcrumbs, egg, parsley, garlic and cheese. Using clean hands, mix all the ingredients and form small meatballs, about 1 heaping Tablespoon each.

In a small saute pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and saute until golden, being careful not to burn. 

Pour crushed tomatoes into the crock pot with bay leaf. Add garlic and oil.

Drop meatballs into the sauce but do not crowd them or they won't cook well. Cover and set crock pot to low, 4 to 6 hours. When meatballs are ready, adjust salt and pepper to taste and add fresh chopped basil or parsley. Serve over your pasta of choice, I like the fresh linguini from the refrigerated section and enjoy!

Slow-Cooker Honey Sesame Chicken

One of our favorite  guilty pleasures is to order sesame chicken from the local chinese restaurant. Some days you are just too tired to cook and want chinese take out. I came across this recipe that has a lot of the same flavors and uses the infamous crock pot to make it almost as easy as ordering take out. I am always looking for recipes for my crock pot that aren't a stew or shredded so this fit those requirements. It is a combination of sweet from the honey and a little spice from the red pepper flakes. Served over brown rice with some steamed vegetables makes a complete faux chinese take out dinner.

Slow-Cooker Honey Sesame Chicken
Serves 4
Source: Foodie with Family

Ingredients:

2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs

salt and pepper

3/4 cup honey

1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce

1/2 cup minced onion

1/4 cup ketchup

1 Tablespoon canola oil

1 Tablespoon toasted sesame oil

1 Tablespoon minced or grated fresh ginger

2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

3/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

4 teaspoons cornstarch

1/4 cup of water

Hot cooked brown rice

Sesame seeds

Scallions, thinly sliced

Directions:

Very lightly season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper and place them in the slow cooker.

Whisk the honey, soy sauce, onion, ketchup, canola and sesame oils, ginger, garlic and pepper flakes together in a mixing bowl and pour over the chicken thighs. Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 4 hours, or until the chicken is tender and cooked through.

Use tongs or a slotted spoon to transfer the chicken to a rimmed plate or bowl and cover lightly with foil, leaving the pan juices in the slow cooker.

Stir the cornstarch into the water with a fork or small whisk until dissolved. Whisk the mixture into the pan juices in the slow cooker. Re-cover the slow-cooker and turn the heat to high. Let it cook and thicken for 15 minutes.

Carefully transfer the chicken back into the slow-cooker. Serve the pieces of chicken over the hot cooked rice, spoon the sauce over the chicken and garnish with sesame seeds and scallions.

Slow Cooker Chicken Tika Masala

I have never actually had Indian food before, let alone made it myself. Yet when I saw this recipe in the January issue of Real Simple, the flavor combination sounded interesting. Why not start the new year off by trying new food? I also liked that it was something I could make in our slow cooker that wasn't shredded and seemed healthy. This turned out really well and the flavors are nutty and warm not extremely spicy like I had associated with Indian food.

 
Slow Cooker Chicken Tika Masala
Serves 4
Slightly adapted from: Real Simple Magazine

Ingredients:
1 15-ounce can crushed tomatoes
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 Tablespoons tomato paste
2 teaspoons garam masala (Indian spice blend)
kosher salt and black pepper
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 8)
1 cup rice

Garam Masala mix
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon coriander
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
a pinch of cayenne

Directions:
In a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker, combine the tomatoes, onion, garlic, tomato paste, garam masala, ¾ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Place the chicken on top of the vegetables, cover, and cook until the chicken is tender, on low for 7 to 8 hours or on high for 3 to 4 hours.

Twenty minutes before serving, cook the rice according to the package directions.

Crockpot BBQ Chicken

The holidays have started and that means family is in town! We had some over last night and needed a meal large enough to serve all of us but also that didn't require me to be in the kitchen preparing it while they were here. I immediately thought of our crock pot. I have been trying to get as much use out of it as I can. This recipe was really flavorful and super easy, you threw a few ingredients in the pot in the morning and they were ready by dinner time. This makes a ton so either make it for a group or you will have lots of left overs.

Crockpot BBQ Chicken

Serves 8-10

Source: How Sweet it Is

Ingredients:

3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 6 large)

1 Tablespoon onion powder

1 Tablespoon smoked paprika

1 teaspoon garlic powder

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon pepper

8 ounces of beer (classic amber), chicken stock, water or ginger ale

32 ounces of barbecue sauce

Directions:

Season chicken with onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, salt and pepper. Add to crockpot, then add beer and 24 ounces of barbecue sauce.

Cook on low for 8 hours, tossing once or twice if desired.

After 8 hours, shred chicken in crock pot and add remaining barbecue sauce. Let it soak up the sauce once shredded and serve as desired.

Crock Pot Santa Fe Chicken

We received a crock pot for our wedding and am always looking for recipes to use it that are not your standard chili, soup or stew. We are fans of Mexican, especially when it is healthy and easy to make. This recipe had ingredients that were already in our pantry, which was a great perk. The seasoning packs a lot of flavor into this dish and made the house smell amazing. We made some cilantro lime rice to serve the chicken over and topped with shredded cheese and lettuce. If you like burrito bowls this is a flavorful and healthier option.

Crock Pot Santa Fe Chicken

Servings: 8 (1 cup) servings

Source: Skinnytaste

Calories: 190 Fat: 1.5g Fiber: 5.6g Carbs: 23g Protein: 21g

Ingredients:

24 oz (1 ½ lbs) boneless, skinless chicken breast

14.4oz can diced tomatoes with mild green chilies

15oz can black beans

10oz bag frozen corn

¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro

14.4 oz can fat free chicken broth

3 scallions, chopped

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp cayenne pepper (to taste)

salt to taste

Directions:

Combine chicken broth, beans, corn, tomatoes, cilantro, scallions, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, cayenne pepper and salt in the crock pot . Season chicken breast with salt and lay on top. Cook on low for 10 hours or on high for 6 hours.

Half an hour before serving, remove the chicken and shred with two forks. Return the chicken to the slow cooker and stir in to absorb the flavors. Adjust salt and seasoning as needed. 

Serve over rice with lettuce and cheese as desired. (Note this will change the nutritional information)

Beef Stew

Everyone has always raved about crock pots and how convenient they are. So after all of the hype we got one for our wedding and I was yet to find a recipe and excuse to whip it out. I thought it might stay in the box for a while since you don't get the cooler fall or winter weather like up north where you want to curl up with a soup, stew or chili that they are known for. However, I came across this beef stew recipe and something about it called out to me. Today was the day the crock pot was taken out of the box and its wrapping. 

Based on this dish it was definitely worth the wait. Our house smelled from all of the delicious seasonings and made us hungry for dinner! By preparing everything ahead of time it allowed me to just throw it all into the cooker, turn it on and go about our day and dinner was ready for us after our evening walk. I wasn't sure with the tomatoes since I am not a huge tomato lover, but there is more of a broth flavor than a tomato sauce so it was perfect. The only thing we missed was some good bread to dip in all the juice...guess I know what I am buying to go with the leftovers tomorrow night ;)

Beef and Tomato Stew

Source: Eat Yourself Skinny

Servings: 8 (1 1/2 cups)

Ingredients:

2 pounds cubed stew beef

1 (15 oz) can stewed tomatoes

1 (6 oz) can tomato paste

3 1/2 cans of water using tomato paste can 

1/4 cup ketchup

1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1 medium onion, chopped

3 large carrots, sliced

3 ribs celery, chopped

1 can peas, drained

2 russet potatoes, quartered

1 Tbsp. dried basil

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. Mrs. Dash original blend

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

1 bay leaf

Directions:

Chop your onion, carrots and celery and set aside. 

 

In a slow cooker, add stewed tomatoes, tomato paste, water, ketchup and Worcestershire sauce and mix together. 

 

Stir in cubed meat, chopped vegetables and peas.  Season with remaining ingredients and slow cook on low for 8 hours.