[Matushka]

Lylac's "what's cooking" got me wondering what everyone makes in their slow cooker. I'd love some SIMPLE recipe's that kids will eat. Thanks!

[skirbo]

Ooh, same here. The best one I have personally is to cook a whole chicken in it all day. 30 - 45 minutes prior to wanting to eat, remove the chicken and I personally just stick it in the fridge to cool off. Add enough rice to the slow cooker to either make it like a casserole or a soup depending on your tastes. Let the rice cook for 30 minutes or so, until done. Add a can or two of a cream soup, like cream of mushroom or cream of chicken with herbs. Then just tear the chicken up by hand and mix it in.

This is great winter food and, for me, comfort food-it has a long family history. You can also throw in things like peas if you like, but I rarely do that.

Sarah

[Lylac]

I have a ton of those recipes too. But I havn't tried most of them.

[AmyAnne]

Darnit I can't find my crockpot book! As soon as I do, I will post my enchillada cassarole one

[kay]

I use mine a lot in the winter, but don't generally use a recipe. (Note to self: sometimes recipes are better!!!)
I do chicken thighs with some sort of cream soup (mushroom or celery); pot roast with onion, potatoes and carrots (I brown the meat first); beef stew (same idea as the pot roast - brown the stew meat, cut the veggies smaller, add more liquid); pork chops or ribs (with bbq sauce).

I have tried the frozen crock pot meals you can get in the store, and wasn't impressed enough with the taste to try again.

I'm looking forward to seeing the enchilada casserole recipe, Amy - that sounds delicious!

[Lorraine123]

Love this.

I don't use my crock pot nearly as often as I would like. Really the only thing I cook in it is beef stew, which is actually really yummy and easy.

Winter is coming soon so post those recipes!!!

[zebramom]

Crockpot Chicken Tortilla Soup

• One 15 oz can of tomatoes (don't drain the juice off)
• One 32 oz carton of chicken stock or broth
• One jar salsa
• One package frozen corn
• Two chicken breasts, cooked and cut into bite size pieces
• One can of black beans (I consider this optional because I don’t like beans)
• One package of tortilla chips

Now, here’s the really tough part.


Dump it all into your slow cooker or crock pot (depending on what you call it) and put it on low and let it go for eight hours. If you need it faster, put it on medium for four hours.


Spoon soup into a bowl and add tortilla chips on top. If you want you can add shredded cheese, sour cream, guacamole, black olives, or whatever else you like.


If you want things spicier, use the hot salsa and tomatoes with jalapeños in them, or throw some jalapeños or cayenne pepper in.


I made this when we went camping with a group and it was a hit with everyone. Serve it up with some good bread and you’re all set.

[sdiedre]

Chicken breasts, cream of mushroom soup, low-fat sour cream, 6-8 red potatos

Throw it all in and cook for 6 hours - YUM!

[Lylac]

CROCK POT STROGANOFF
2 lb. round steak
1/4 c. flour
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. garlic bits
3 tbsp. butter
1 sm. onion, chopped
1 tbsp. soy sauce
2 beef bouillon cubes
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 c. water
Cut steak into 1 x 1/2 inch strips. Mix with flour, pepper, salt and garlic. Add to crock pot with rest of ingredients. Cook on low for 5 hours. Stir occasionally. Last 1/2 hour, add 1 (8 oz.) package of cream cheese, cubed. Serve over cooked wide noodles.

HAMBURGER CROCKPOT CASSEROLE
2 lbs. browned ground beef
3 carrots, peeled and sliced
2 onions, sliced
4 potatoes, peeled and sliced
1 can peas, drained
2 stalks celery, diced
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can water
Place potatoes in bottom of crock pot, top with carrots and other vegetables. Place ground beef on top. Combine soup and water and pour over ground beef. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.

EASY BEEF CROCKPOT CASSEROLE
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 (4 oz.) can sliced mushrooms
1 lg. env. instant onion soup mix
1/2 c. milk
1 or 2 lbs. stew beef
Combine above and cook in crockpot on low 8 to 10 hours (can be thickened with 1 tablespoon flour and water mixture for thicker gravy). Serve over rice or egg noodles or elbow macaroni. Serves 4. Preparation time 5 minutes. Cooking noodles 20 minutes.

CROCKPOT MACARONI PIE
8 oz. box (cooked) macaroni
3 c. grated cheese
1 (16 oz.) can of evaporated milk
1 1/2 c. sweet milk
2 eggs
1/4 c. margarine
1 tsp. sugar
Salt and pepper to taste
Combine cooked macaroni with other ingredients and pour into a greased crockpot. Cook 3 1/2 hours on medium heat.

CROCKPOT ROAST (French Dip Sandwich)
3-4 lb. beef roast
1 can beer
1 pkg. onion soup mix
Trim fat from roast. Put roast in crock pot and sprinkle with soup mix. Pour beer over top. Cook on low for about 8 hours. Cut or pull apart to make sandwiches on hard roll. Juice makes an excellent dip.

CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER CAKE - CROCKPOT
2 c. chocolate cake mix
1/2 c. water
1/3 c. creamy peanut butter
1/2 c. chopped nuts
Combine all ingredients in bowl mixing well. Beat about 2 minutes. Pour batter into greased and floured 2 pound coffee can. Place can in crockpot. Cover top of can with 8 paper towels. Cover crockpot and bake on high 2 to 3 hours.

SPECIAL BURRITOS CROCKPOT
1 (10 oz.) can chopped Ortega peppers
Meat from bones
1 c. chopped onion
2 (4 oz.) can tomato sauce
2 lb. chuck roast
Night before begin cooking 2 lbs. chuck roast in crock pot (cook all night). In morning, remove the bones. Add to crockpot the above. Cook on low heat the rest of day. Add mixture to flour tortillas. Also add refried beans, sour cream, grated cheese with meat. Wrap in foil and bake 350 degrees for 10 minutes.

CROCKPOT CABBAGE ROLLS
12 lg. cabbage leaves
1 lb. lean ground beef or lamb
1/2 c. cooked rice
1 (6 oz.) can tomato paste
3/4 c. water
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. leaf thyme
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
Wash cabbage leaves. Boil 4 cups water. Turn off heat. Soak leaves in water for 5 minutes. Remove, drain and cool. Combine ground meat; rice, salt, pepper, thyme, nutmeg and cinnamon. Place 2 tablespoons meat mixture on each leaf and roll firmly. Stack in electric slow cooker. Combine tomato paste and water; pour over stuffed cabbage. Cover. Cook on low setting for 8-10 hours.

CROCKPOT POTATO SOUP
Put the following in a crock pot: 2 carrots, pared & sliced 2 onions, chopped (opt.) 1 stalk celery, sliced 5 c. water 4 chicken bouillon cubes 1 tbsp. salt 1 tbsp. parsley flakes Cover and cook 8 hours on low or 3 to 4 hours on high. One hour before serving, add 1 can evaporated milk.

SPANISH CHICKEN (CROCKPOT)
3 to 4 lb. chicken, cut up
1/2 can beer
6 oz. can tomato paste
1 sm. jar stuffed olives with liquid
Salt, pepper, paprika, garlic salt to
taste
Season cut up chicken with salt, pepper, paprika, and garlic salt. Place in crockpot. Mix tomato paste and beer together (the cook may have the remainder) and pour over the chicken. Add olives. Cover and cook on low for 7 to 9 hours. Serve over rice or noodles.

SWISS STEAK (CROCKPOT)
1 1/2 t 2 lbs. round steak
Flour
Salt and black pepper
Cooking oil
1 (16 oz.) can tomatoes, cut up
1 lg. onion, sliced
1 stalk celery, thinly sliced
1 tbsp. bottled steak sauce
Cut steak into serving size pieces. Coat with flour, salt and pepper. In skillet, brown meat in oil and drain on paper towels. In crockpot, combine meat with tomatoes, onion, celery, and steak sauce. Cover pot and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or until tender. ("Budget" cuts of beef may be used. Crockpot cooking will tender)

CROCKPOT FRENCH BEEF
2 lb. steak, cut into 2" pieces
Pepper
1 can golden mushroom soup
1 can French onion soup
1 (8 oz.) pkg. cooked wide egg noodles
Coat steak with flour and pepper. Brown in a little oil in a skillet. Place in crock pot. Add soups; mix well. (I pureed the 2 soups together to make the gravy smooth.) Cook on low 6-8 hours or until beef is tender. Serve over cooked noodles.

CROCKPOT ITALIAN BEEF
3 to 4 lb.s chuck roast
1 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
1 tsp. basil
1 clove garlic
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. sage
1/2 tsp. thyme
1/2 tsp. marjoram
1 pkg. dry onion soup
1/2 c. water
Cook in crockpot on low 24 hours or on high 12 hours. Shred and serve on buns.

MAGIC MEATLOAF (Crockpot)
2 lbs. hamburger
1/2 c. chopped green peppers
1/2 c chopped onions
1 c. milk
6-8 potatoes, cut up
1 egg
1 packet gravy mix
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. cracker crumbs
VARIATION: May use 8 ounce can tomato sauce (instead of milk and gravy). Mix meatloaf ingredients - shape into loaf and put potatoes on side. Cook on low heat for 8-10 hours. VARIATION: Put 1/2 of the tomato sauce into the meatloaf, pour the rest over the loaf.

TIJUANA PIE (CROCKPOT)
1 1/2 lbs. ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
3/4 lb. Cheddar cheese, grated
1 (10 oz.) can enchilada sauce
1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce
2 (16 oz.) cans chili seasoned beans
1 (16 oz.) can corn, drained
1 (6 oz.) pitted olives
6 corn tortillas
Brown beef, onion, garlic in skillet. Pour off excess fat and season with salt and pepper. Wipe inside of crockpot with oil. Place a tortilla in the bottom of the pot and spoon some of the meat mixture onto it with a little sauce and cheese. Top with another tortilla and layer on a bean, cheese and corn section. Drop in a few olives. Continue layers of filling, sauce and cheese and olives finishing with cheese and olives on top. Cover and cook at low 5-7 minutes.

SPAGHETTI SAUCE IN CROCKPOT--TURKEY MEAT BALLS
1 (26 oz.) jar prepared spaghetti sauce
1/4 c. grated Romano cheese
1 (14 oz.) can clear chicken broth
(or use your own)
2 eggs, beaten
2/3 c. Italian-flavored bread crumbs
Pinch of garlic powder (optional)
Pinch of black pepper (optional)
1 lb. ground turkey
Cooking oil
In saucepan combine spaghetti sauce, grated cheese and chicken broth from which the fat on top has been removed. Heat over medium heat until it starts to bubble. Transfer to crockpot -- use high setting for 1 hour; turn to low setting and allow to cook for 4 hours or longer. Mix eggs and bread crumbs (add more if needed to make a smooth paste). Add garlic powder and/or pepper, if desired. Add ground turkey; mix thoroughly. Shape into about 15 meat balls; brown on all sides in small amount of cooking oil. Transfer meatballs to sauce in crockpot; cook for 2 hours longer. If desired, add some water to the pan in which meatballs were cooked. Scrape pan and strain liquid to add to sauce. Convenient method for making extra sauce for a crowd.

CROCKPOT TAMALE PIE
lb. lean ground beef
3/4 c. yellow corn meal
1 1/2 c. milk
1 egg, beaten
1 pkg. chili seasoning mix
1 tsp. seasoned salt
1 (1 lb.) can tomatoes, cut up
1 (1 lb.) can whole kernel corn,
drained
1 (2 1/4 oz.) can sliced ripe olives,
drained
1 c. grated Cheddar cheese
In skillet or slow-cooking pot with browning unit, cook meat until crumbly; drain. In large bowl, mix corn meal, milk, and egg. Add drained meat, dry chili seasoning mix, seasoned salt, tomatoes, corn, and olives. Pour into a slow- cooking pot. Cover and cook on high for 3 to 4 hours. Sprinkle cheese over top. Cook another 5 minutes. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

There's a few..I'll post more later

[zebramom]

Lylac-

Will you marry me??? You have a recipe for everything.

[jennandsteve]

I love these kinds of recipes.

We just made a slow cook minestrone, it was so good and the kids even liked it.

1.5 lbs round steak, cut into bite size chunks, two cans chopped tomatoes with garlic, oregano, and basil, include the juice, 1 can cannelini beans (drained and and rinsed), 1 can kidney beans (drained and rinsed), two cans beef broth, 2 carrots sliced thinnly. Throw that into the crock pot, cook on low for 8 hours. 30 mins before serving add 2 summer squash or zucchini, sliced, and a cup of uncooked pasta (rotini or shells or small macaroni) salt and pepper to taste, cook 30 more mins on high, serve with bread! yummy

[SuzBerg]

This is not gourmet by any means but my kids will eat it and it's really easy!

Creamy Chicken & Rice (AKA Comfort Chicken)

3 chicken breasts cubed
1 family size can cream of chicken soup
1 8oz pkg cream cheese (cut in cubes)
1 envelope Zesty Italian Dressing Mix

Put everything in the crock-pot, mix it up. Cook for a bout 3-4 hrs on High (totally depends on your crock-pot) just make sure the chicken is cooked all the way! Serve it over cooked rice. If you want to be somewhat healthy, I serve it with brocolli and a mixed green salad.

A friend and I always call it "comfort chicken". The first time I had it a friend brought it over because I had pneuomonia (okay i spelled that wrong), then when I had some miscarriages the same friend brought it over each time because she knew my family liked it. Then I would take it to people when they needed a meal, illness, new babies, death in family etc. It just became comfort food for us. I actually served it this week because I have been stressed-out and am in desperate need of Comfort Food.

[kikibrando]

This is a family favorite and a variation of a recipe I found years ago. My kids LOVE it and it's super easy to make. I serve it with baked apples for a fall treat.

2 cans creamed corn
1 can corn
3 cups water
2 cans low-fat or Healthy Recipe Cream of Chicken Soup
1 can evaporated milk
1 can chicken broth
2 stalks celery, chopped
1/2 onion
2 chicken breasts (optional)
1 tsp. white pepper

Mix all ingredients together in a crock pot. Boil chicken breasts until cooked thoroughly. Cool and cut into cubes. Add chopped onion and celery. Cook on low for 3 hours or more.