Slow Cook Pulled Pork with Applesauce

I love this recipe because it's so delicious, easy, & low fat. This will give you 12 servings and prep time is only 30 minutes. It's a favorite weekend go to of mine. 

Ingredients:

3 lb. pork roast

4 cups unsweetened applesauce

18 oz. bottle of your favorite barbecue sauce

Place the pork roast in the slow cooker.

            Spread the applesauce over the top of the roast.

             Spoon the barbecue sauce over the top carefully.

Cover and cook on low 6-8 hours or until the roast is tender.

Remove from the slow cooker and place on a platter. Pull apart with two forks until shredded.

Place the shredded pork in a bowl and spoon some of the sauce from the slow cooker over the top.

Serve on multi grain or wheat buns with a healthy side of your choice. 

Happy Weekend!

Have You Tried a Corned Beef Reuben?

My husband is part Irish and corned beef is a seasonal favorite at our house.  Whenever I find a recipe that combines a favorite food with the ease of using my slow cooker, I am all over it.  Check this out. 

Ingredients:  1 corned beef brisket with spice packet (2 - 3 lbs.) 1/2 cup bottled Thousand Island Dressing, 12 Rye or Wheat split rolls (toasted if you prefer), 8 ounces thinly sliced Swiss cheese and Bottled Thousand Island dressing

Trim the fat from the corned beef brisket.  Place the brisket in your slow cooker and sprinkle with the spices from the packet.  Spread drained sauerkraut over the brisket.  Drizzle the 1/2 cup Thousand Island over all.

Cover the slow cooker and cook on low heat for 4 - 6 hours or on high for 2 - 3 hours.

Remove the brisket from the cooker to a cutting board.  Thinly slice the brisket against the grain. 

Spoon the corned beef mixture onto the rolls.  Top each with Swiss cheese and, with additional Thousand Island dressing if you desire.  

*For a shortcut, make your sandwiches using sliced corned beef from the deli counter at your supermarket. It's a huge timesaver and tastes just as delicious. 🍀 

Slow Cook Macaroni and Cheese

We're all in need of comfort food and macaroni and cheese is one of the ultimate comfort foods.   This is a comfort food that can be put in the slow cooker in the morning, and is ready to serve for dinner. Here is a simple recipe that is so delicious.    

Ingredients:  1/2 pound elbow macaroni, 4 cups shredded Cheddar cheese, 1 (12 fluid ounce) can evaporated milk, 1 1/2 cups milk, 2 eggs, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions:  Coat the inside of the slow cooker with cooking spray.  In a large bowl, beat eggs with both the fresh and evaporated milk.  Mix in uncooked macaroni and 3 cups of the shredded cheese.  Transfer to your slow cooker and sprinkle remaining cheese on top.

Cook on LOW for 5-6 hours.  Don't stir or remove lid while cooking.

Enjoy the goodness!

Homemade Applesauce in the Slow Cooker

Granny Smith Apples

TheSpiceHouse is where I purchase all of my spices. Have you tried it? 

Fall's in the air and the orchards are chock full of apples. Here is my recipe for homemade applesauce you make in the slow cooker. The simple ingredients are apples, water, sugar and cinnamon. Modifying the ingredients for your servings needed is simple too. This recipe will easily make 12 servings.  I peeled, cored and quartered 10 lbs. large Granny Smith apples,  1 1/2 cups water, 2-3 tablespoons cinnamon and 1 1/4 cups sugar.  Place all of the ingredients into the slow cooker.   Cover and cook on low 8-10 hours or 3-4 hours on high.  I promise you will love it! An added bonus is your house will smell amazing,  If you have any leftover, place in food containers and refrigerate to enjoy for the next couple of days. 

Have you been apple picking yet this year?

Easy Homemade Apple Butter

Slow Cooker Apple Butter

Apples are in abundance, presenting the perfect opportunity to enjoy these gifts of Fall in so many ways. I love apple butter on toast, english muffins, and delicious on ham and turkey sandwiches.  

Here is an easy recipe for you to enjoy tonight, in coming weeks, and for the next year.

Yields 4 half pints

Ingredients:  12 (14 cups) cooking apples, peeled, cored and sliced, 2 cups sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves, 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice.  

Place apple slices in slow cooker.  Stir in sugar, cinnamon, cloves and allspice.

Cover and cook on high heat setting for 4 hours, stir and uncover.  Continue to cook on high heat setting for 2 - 2 1/2 hours longer until apples are tender and most of the liquid has evaporated.  

Cool the mixture at least 1 hour OR cover and chill overnight.

Process the mixture in a blender.  

You can process with an immersion blender instead and apple butter will be thicker using this method.

Ladle apple butter into half pint freezer containers.  Leave 1/2 inch space at the top.  Seal and label.  

Stores in refrigerator for 3 weeks or freezer for up to a year.

Do you have a favorite apple recipe?

Tis the Season for Cranberry

Today I'm featuring an easy recipe you can make for your holiday entertaining that is incredibly easy.  You can serve it as a main dish or slice the cooked chicken into small pieces and serve as a delicious appetizer.  The best part is you need just 3 ingredients.

All you need is your slow cooker and the following.

4-6 Boneless skinless chicken breasts

15 oz. can cranberry sauce

1 cup bottled French dressing

Lightly spray your slow cooker with cooking spray.  Place the chicken breasts on the bottom of the slow cooker.  

Whisk the cranberry sauce and french dressing together in a bowl.  Pour over the chicken.  Turn the chicken so both sides of the chicken are covered. 

Place the cover on the slow cooker and cook on high for 3-4 hours making sure the chicken is cooked .

I like to serve this dish with sides of mashed potatoes and either fresh green beans or spinach.  It's such a simple comfort meal to prepare in the cold months that lie ahead.  

Enjoy💗

Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili

I've been searching for a new crock pot recipe to make when my family of 9 gathers together in our home up north.  Chili is always a favorite but this recipe is a new twist made with chicken instead of ground beef or turkey.  I think it is sure to please everyone, particularly when offering a make your own station with toppings choices.  

Here's what you need to get started for 8 servings. 

1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts

2 (15 oz.) cans navy beans or great northern beans

1 (15 oz.) can (white) corn (I used yellow corn because it's what I had). Either tastes great.

1 envelope taco seasoning

1 (10 3/4 oz.) can condensed cream of chicken soup

1 (14 oz.) can chicken broth

Rinse and place the chicken in the slow cooker.  Top with the beans and corn. In a medium bowl, combine the taco seasoning, condensed soup and chicken broth.  Pour the mixture into the crock pot.

Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours.  

Before you serve, shred the chicken with two forks.  Stir in the sour cream.  

Offer shredded Monterey jack cheese, sour cream and sliced Jalapeno peppers as toppers. 

Supper is served!  It's as simple as that🍜

Slow Cooker Cranberry Stuffing you make in the Slow Cooker

`SLOW COOKER CRANBERRY STUFFING~

With Thanksgiving Day days away, many of us are tweaking our last minute menus for the family holiday.  I really appreciate my double oven this time of year and it will soon be filled with turkey, ham, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, green bean casserole. I utilize my slow cooker as much as possible, particularly during the holidays when oven space is in demand. It's delicious and easy. What could be better?

Ingredients:  1 cup butter, 2 cups chopped onion, 2 cups celery, 1/4 cup parsley, 12 1/2 cups dry breadcrumbs, 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning,  1 1/2 teaspoon sage, 1 teaspoon thyme, 1 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, 4 1/2 cups chicken broth, 2 eggs, beaten, 1/2 cup dried cranberries, 1 large apple, cut in bite size pieces.

Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat.  Cook onion, celery and parsley in butter, stirring frequently.

Spoon cooked vegetables over bread cubes in large bowl and add seasoning.  Pour enough broth to moisten and mix in eggs.  Add cranberries and apples.  Transfer mix to slow cooker and cook on high for 45 minutes.  Reduce heat to low and cook for 4-6 hours.  

* To make this recipe in the oven, prepare as directed, using full amount of broth.  Transfer to a 9x13 pan (lightly sprayed with cooking spray), Bake at 350 uncovered for 45 minutes to an hour.

Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup

Photo Food Network

It's crockpot time and "halfway homemade" is a simple way to use the canned goods in your pantry and create a tasty and hearty dish for your family.  This slow cooker chicken tortilla soup creates 6 servings and cooks on low for 4-5 hours. Easy ingredients include:

1 cup store bought picante sauce

2 cans condensed cream of chicken soup

1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

2 cups frozen whole kernel corn

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 soup can water

4 corn tortillas, cut into strips

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1/3 cup chopped cilantro leaves (optional)

1 teaspoon ground cumin spice

Stir picante sauce, chicken, corn, beans, water, cumin, and cream of chicken soup in a slow cooker.  Cover and cook on LOW for 4-5 hours or until the chicken is cooked through.  

Stir the tortilla strips, cheese and cilantro into the slow cooker and cook for another 15 minutes.  

Serve with bowls of extra cheddar cheese, sour cream and fresh lime wedges. 

Let me know what you think!😉

Slow Cooker Barbecued Short Ribs - Sweet, gooey and fun!

1

 I love short ribs that fall off the bone.  Particularly when the prep time is short!  I can pop them in my slow cooker and enjoy them with my family at the end of the day. This recipe is so easy and tastes like you worked on it all day.  

These ingredients will make 6 servings. Modify to your needs.

1/2 cups water (you can substitute beer for the water), 1 1/2 cups ketchup, 1 1/2 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste, 1 cup and 2 tablespoons brown sugar, 3/4 cups vinegar, 3 tablespoons prepared mustard, 1 tablespoon and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, 3 pounds beef short ribs, 1/4 cup honey.

Season the ribs with salt and pepper first and brown lightly in pan to caramelize your meat.  This step really seals the flavor during the cooking process. 

Mix the water, ketchup, tomato paste, brown sugar , vinegar, mustard and salt in a slow cooker, stirring to dissolve brown sugar and salt.

Place the short ribs into the sauce and stir to coat.  Cook covered on low for 8 hours.  I love this dish served on hot buttered cooked noodles.  I hope you enjoy them like we do!

No Blarney it's Easy Crock Pot Corned Beef and Cabbage

☘

May the Irish hills caress you.

May her lakes and rivers bless you.

May the luck of the Irish enfold you.

May the blessings of Saint Patrick behold you.

Easy crock pot corned beef and baggage recipe below you put together in minutes!

Place the corned beef in a slow cooker lightly sprayed with non stick cooking spray. Open the packet of seasoning that comes with the corned beef and sprinkle on top before cooking.

Place the potatoes on top of the beef.

Baby carrots placed on top of the potatoes. I cook my corned beef without cabbage, but traditionally you place the cabbage on top on the carrots.  Pour 5 cups of water into the slow cooker, cover and set for 10 hours. 

Aroma packed and delicious Irish soda bread served sliced with butter.
Have you tried Kerry gold Irish butter?  It's sold in most super markets and it adds exceptional creamy flavor.

Whether you were born Irish or are Irish for the day...celebrate St. Patrick's Day with great food, drink, family and friends.  This crock pot recipe gives you a delicious corned beef and cabbage dinner. 

Let the crock pot do the work so you don't have to. We plan to celebrate this coming weekend. How about you?  

Ingredients are:  1 head cabbage cut into 6 wedges, small bag of  baby carrots, 1 corned beef (about 3 pounds) WITH seasoning packet included, 5 cups water, 1/3 cup prepared mustard, 1/3 cup honey. 

Place the corned beef in the bottom of the slow cooker. Place the cabbage into the crock pot with the carrots, a 3 lb. bag of rinsed small red potatoes (skins on) and sprinkle the contents of the seasoning packet on top.  Pour in the water, cover and cook on low for 10 hours.

  Before serving, combine the mustard and honey in a small bowl.  Stir to blend.  Remove the corned beef to a cutting board and slice.  Serve with the vegetables and mustard sauce.    

Irish soda bread is a must to serve with this meal.  You can make your own or buy it fresh from the bakery at your local supermarket as I did.  

Many Irish Blessings to you & Yours☘☘

Slow Cook Your Beef Stew

When midwest temps are cooling and the leaves are falling, I begin to pull together my favorite cold weather recipes.  They are my comfort foods that remind me so much of my childhood and coming in from school to smell the aroma of dinner cooking. With so many working parents in the household now, it's easy to keep the tradition going.  This can be put together and made in your slow cooker all day, or you can make it the night before in your oven, refrigerate and heat before serving the next day.  Both my Mom and Mother in Law made delicious beef stews, and I hope my family carries on the simple recipe we love.

Peel and slice a yellow onion.

Wash and slice fresh carrots.

Bag of small yellow potatoes, washed and no peeling required.

Large undiluted can on tomato soup, diced tomatoes and 46 oz. container of tomato juice. 

Place everything together in a slow cooker, cover and cook for 8-10 hours. If you are cooking it in the oven, place everything is a 13x9 pan, cover with aluminum foil, and bake for 3-4 hours at 350.  

Sprinkle the ingredients with your favorite seasonings. TheSpiceHouse are my spices of choice for their flavor and freshness.

Smells amazing and tastes delicious!

Happy Fall!🍂🍁

Easy Slow Cooker Beef Stew

I love meals I can throw together quickly in the morning in the crockpot, turn it on, go about my day and have a delicious dinner in the evening for my family.  This beef stew is so easy and takes just a few minutes to assemble.

Beef stew cubes, 1 can www.campbells.com tomato soup, 32 oz. bottle tomato juice (you can substitute 2 small cans v-8 for a little extra flavor and spice), chopped onion, baby carrots, and peeled and quartered potatoes. Salt and pepper to your liking.  Cover and set it on low for 8 hours.  It's that easy.  Dinner is served!

Need Comfort Food? Make Slow Cooker Pot Roast Tonight!

Whether you are having a hectic day or feeling post holiday blues, comfort foods help pick you up and bring some warm and cozy into your life.  A favorite dish of mine growing up was my Mom's delicious pot roast.  With a family of 7, my Mom was able to prepare beautiful meals that were within the family grocery budget and one pot meals were always a favorite.  Pot roast is a meal that's easy to prepare, and can be stretched with a variety of potatoes and vegetables.  My Mom always made her pot roast on the stove top, but I have modified the recipe to cook in the slow cooker.  It fills the house with an aroma that is good for your soul!

You need beef chuck roast, Campbell's cream of mushroom soup, a packet of dried soup and onion mix (found in the soup aisle), 1-2 yellow onions peeled and chopped, fresh carrots rinsed and cut into 1" pieces, 10-12 yellow potatoes rinsed and quartered leaving skin on, fresh or frozen green beans, and I like to add a frozen bag of peas to my pot roast.

Heat 2 tablespoons cooking oil in a skillet on low heat.  Brown the top and bottom of the roast. (Whenever I get the chance to visit LakeGenevaCountryMeats in southeastern Wisconsin,  I stock up on the amazing fresh roasts and meats they offer.  Their friendly staff is always so helpful with cooking tips and they offer great recipes on their website so check it out. )

 Remove from the pan and place in the crock pot.  Top with the soup, 1 1/2 cups of water, entire dried onion soup packet, onion, carrots, green beans and peas.  I sprinkle garlic salt, onion salt, and a generous portion of Chef John's signature seasoning I purchased after enjoying a cooking class last year at Lakegenevaschoolofcooking.  It has a tasty blend of salt, pepper, and garlic in one container! Then I cover and cook 8 hours or on low for for 8 hours.

A couple of options instead of adding potatoes to the slow cooker would be serving over buttered egg noodles or mashed potatoes on the side.  Enjoy and Happy Tuesday.

Easy Hearty Supper in the Slow Cooker

Photo Lakehouselyn

Photo Lakehouselyn

Photo Lakehouselyn

Photo Lakehouselyn

Photo  Campbell's 

We are all rushing this week to prepare for Christmas next weekend and don't have a lot of time to prepare creative suppers.  Here's an awesome and tasty go to that you literally put in your slow cooker and let go the entire day.
In a skillet over high heat, brown the 2/3 lb. beef rump roast roast in oil on all sides to seal in the juices. Place the roast in a slow cooker.  Pour two  10 3/4 cans of cream of mushroom soup undiluted over the top of the roast.  Place 4 beef bouillon cubes around the roast, cover and cook on low setting for 8 hours.  (Easy)!  Remove the roast from the slow cooker, let rest for 5 minutes.  Slice thinly or shred with forks and serve on sandwich buns or Texas style toast as open face sandwiches.  You can use the sauce from the slow cooker for dipping.  Delicious and only took a few minutes. This truly is one of the most flavorful slow cooker dishes I've ever tasted. It won't disappoint.

     ~The first falls of snow are not only an event, they are magical events~
                                                        J. B. Priestly