Slow-Cooker Salsa Chicken

Because I am a working woman, I use my slow-cooker a lot!  This recipe is so good and so easy.  Since my husband and I are big fans of Mexican cuisine, I usually have all these ingredients on hand.  This recipe is one of our favorites.

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 package taco seasoning
16 oz salsa (2 cups)
1 can green chilies
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can black beans
1 can corn
1/2 8oz package cream cheese

Place the chicken in the slow-cooker.  Sprinkle the taco seasoning over the chicken.  Add the soup, salsa, chilies, black beans, and corn.  Cook on low for 8-10 hours.  Add the cream cheese for the last 1/2 hour.  This is good served over rice, on a burrito, or on nachos.  If you want a little more heat, try adding a jalapeno, or some extra chili powder.  

Slow Cooker Venison Chili

This is what is on the menu for tonight!  It smelled so good when I got home from work, I could hardly wait for my husband to get home!  Well, I did snitch some before he got home.  I couldn't resist!  This recipe can be adapted with whatever beans you want.  Also, lean beef can be substituted for the venison.  This recipe totally fills up my slow-cooker, so we will be eating this tomorrow too.  I also made my favorite corn bread recipe to go with it.  I'll share that next.

1 1/4 cup dry pinto beans
1 cup dry black beans
2 cans diced tomatoes
2 cans green chilies
1 can corn
1 can tomato soup
1 medium onion (diced)
1 lb venison stew meat or equivalent
1 tsp El Pato hot sauce
1/2 tsp pepper
3 tsp chili powder
2 tsp garlic powder
1 1/2 tsp salt
enough water to cover (2-3 cups)

Soak beans overnight, rinse.  Place beans and all the other ingredients in slow-cooker.  Add enough water to cover everything, cook on low for 8-9 hours.  Top with crackers, cheese, or sour cream.  Great served with corn bread.  Enjoy!

Slow-Cooker Lemon Garlic Chicken

 

 

 

 

 

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup low sodium, low fat chicken broth
• 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley

Directions

1. In a bowl, mix the oregano, salt, and pepper. Rub the mixture into chicken. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Brown chicken in butter for 3 to 5 minutes on each side. Place chicken in a slow cooker.
2. Put broth, lemon juice, and garlic over the chicken in the slow cooker.
3. Cover, and cook on High for 3 hours, or Low for 6 hours. Add the parsley to the slow cooker 15 to 30 minutes before the end of the cook time.

Slow-Cooked Orange Chicken

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ingredients

• 1 (3 pound) broiler-fryer chicken, cut up and skin removed
• 3 cups orange juice
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1 cup chopped green pepper
• 1 (4 ounce) can mushroom stems and pieces, drained
• 4 teaspoons dried minced onion
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 3 tablespoons cold water
• Hot cooked rice

Directions

1. Combine the first nine ingredients in a slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 4 hours or until meat juices run clear. Combine cornstarch and water until smooth; stir into cooking juices. Cover and cook on high for 30-45 minutes or until thickened. Serve over rice if desired.

Slow-Cooker Homemade Beans

 

 

 

 

 

Ingredients

• 3 cups dry navy beans, soaked overnight or boiled for one hour
• 1 1/2 cups ketchup
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 tablespoon dry mustard
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 6 slices thick cut bacon, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1 cup brown sugar

Directions

1. Drain soaking liquid from beans, and place them in a Slow Cooker.
2. Stir ketchup, water, molasses, onion, mustard, salt, bacon, and brown sugar into the beans until well mixed.
3. Cover, and cook on LOW for 8 to 10 hours, stirring occasionally if possible, though not necessary.

Slow-Cooked Baked Beans

 

 

 

 

 

Ingredients

• 2 cups kidney beans
• 5 cups water
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 4 ounces cured pork
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 4 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1/4 cup ketchup

Directions

1. In a slow cooker place beans, water, onion, salt and pork. Cover the pot and cook on low for 9 to 10 hours.
2. Drain beans, saving the liquid. Add molasses, brown sugar, dry mustard, ketchup and 1 cup of the bean liquid. Cover and cook on low for 1 hour.

Slow-Cooker Venison BBQ

Ingredients

• 1/4 pound bacon
• 2 pounds venison stew meat
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon prepared Dijon-style mustard
• 1 cup ketchup
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Remove from skillet, crumble and set aside. Brown stew meat in bacon grease for flavor.
2. Put onion, sugar, vinegar, cumin, chili powder, garlic, mustard, ketchup, salt and pepper in slow cooker and mix well. Add bacon and venison and stir together.
3. Cook for a minimum of 8 hours on Low setting. Use a fork to separate the meat.

Slow-Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup

Ingredients

• 1 pound shredded, cooked chicken
• 1 (15 ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, mashed
• 1 (10 ounce) can enchilada sauce
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chile peppers
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups water
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 (10 ounce) package frozen corn
• 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
• 7 corn tortillas
• vegetable oil

Directions

1. Place chicken, tomatoes, enchilada sauce, onion, green chiles, and garlic into a slow cooker. Pour in water and chicken broth, and season with cumin, chili powder, salt, pepper, and bay leaf. Stir in corn and cilantro. Cover, and cook on Low setting for 6 to 8 hours or on High setting for 3 to 4 hours.
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
3. Lightly brush both sides of tortillas with oil. Cut tortillas into strips, then spread on a baking sheet.
4. Bake in preheated oven until crisp, about 10 to 15 minutes. To serve, sprinkle tortilla strips over soup.

Raspberry Pecan Crockpot Turkey

This is a good recipe if you are not serving a crowd.  It keeps the turkey really moist, and it helps avoid the conflict between people who like cranberry sauce and those who don’t.  And it is super easy.

Serves 6 – 8

1 (3 to 4 lb) boneless turkey breast, fully thawed

10 oz. raspberry jam

1 tsp. prepared mustard

1/2 cup pecan pieces

Fresh raspberries and pecan halves, for garnish

Place the turkey breast in the slow cooker.  Mix the raspberry jam, mustard, and pecan pieces together and spoon over the turkey.  Cook for 6 to 8 hours on the low setting, occasionally spooning some of the jam mixture back over the turkey breast.  Garnish with fresh berries and pecans before serving, then listen to the oohs and ahhs.  Also, don’t plan on any leftovers.

Pulled Pork Sandwiches

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 boneless pork shoulder  roast (3 1/2 to 4 pounds), netted or tied
1 can (10 1/2 ounces) Campbell's® Condensed French Onion Soup
1 cup ketchup
1/4 cup cider vinegar
3 tablespoons packed brown sugar
12 round sandwich rolls or hamburger rolls, split

• Heat the oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pork and cook until well browned on all sides.
• Stir the soup, ketchup, vinegar and brown sugar in a 5-quart slow cooker. Add the pork and turn to coat.
• Cover and cook on LOW for 8 to 9 hours* or until the pork is fork-tender.
• Remove the pork from the cooker to a cutting board and let stand for 10 minutes. Using 2 forks, shred the pork. Return the pork to the cooker.
• Spoon the pork and sauce mixture on the rolls.
• *Or on HIGH for 4 to 5 hours.

Easy Crock Pot Black Beans

Wanna use up those dry beans??  Don't want to soak, pre-soak, blah, blah, blah.....
Here's an easy way to cook them.  You can cook any variety of bean this way and it works great.

3 cups dry black beans
9 cups water

Rinse beans and add to crock pot.  Add water and cook on low 7-9 hours or until beans are soft.  So much easier than soaking, boiling, etc...  Great for soup, burritos, salad, chip dip, etc.

Spaghetti Sauce Italiano

8	oz.	bulk Italian sausage
4	oz.	lean ground beef
1	med	onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
1/2	tsp.	bottled minced garlic
1	can	tomatoes, cut up (16 oz.)
1	can	tomato sauce (8 oz.)
1	can	sliced mushrooms, drained (4 oz.)
1	sm.	green pepper, chopped (1/2 cup)
2	tbsp.	quick-cooking tapioca
1		bay leaf
1	tsp.	dried Italian seasoning, crushed
1/8	tsp	black pepper
6	oz.	packaged dried spaghetti
		Dash salt

• Cook sausage, ground beef, onion, and garlic in a large sillet until meat is brown and onion is tender. Drain off fat.
• Meanwhile, combine the undrained tomatoes, the tomato sauce, mushrooms, green pepper, tapioca, bay leaf, Italian seasoning, black pepper, and salt in a 31/2 or 4-quart Crockery Pot. Stir in meat mixture.
• Cover; cook on low for 8 to 10 hours. (Or, cook on high for 4 to 5 hours.) Discard bay leaf.
• Cook spaghetti according to package directions. Serve meat mixtue over spaghetti.

Makes 4 to 5 servings.

Cranberry Pork Roast

1		boneless rolled pork loin roast (21/2 to 3 pounds)
1	can	jellied cranberry sauce (16 oz.)
1	tsp.	dry mustard
1/4	tsp.	ground cloves
1/2	c.	sugar
1/2	c.	cranberry juice
2	tbsp.	cornstarch
2	tbsp.	cold water
		salt to taste

Place pork roast in a slow cooker.  In a medium bowl, mash cranberry sauce; stir in sugar, cranberry juice, mustard and cloves.  Pour over meat.  Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or until meat is tender.  Remove roast and keep warm.  Skim fat from juices; measure 2 cups, adding water if necessary, and pour into a saucepan.  Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.  Combine the cornstarch and cold water to make a paste; stir into gravy.  Cook and stir until thickened.  Season with salt.  Serve with sliced pork.
Yield: 4-6 servings

Beef Fajitas

11/2	lbs.	beef flank steak
1	lg.	onion, chopped (1 cup)
1	med.	green sweet pepper, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1		or 2 jalapeño peppers, chopped
1	tbsp.	snipped fresh cilantro
1	tsp.	chili powder
1	tsp.	ground cumin
1	tsp.	ground coriander
1	tsp.	bottled minced garlic
1/4	tsp.	salt
1	can	stewed tomatoes (8 oz.)
12		flour tortillas (7-onch.)
2	tsp.	lime juice (up to 3 tsp.) (optional)
		Shredded colby and Monterey Jack cheese (optional)
		Guacamole (optional)
		Sour Cream (optional)
		Salsa (optional)

• Trim fat from steak. Cut steak into 6 portions. Combine steak, onion, green sweet pepper, jalapeño peppers, cilantro, chili powder, cumin, coriander, garlic, and salt in Crockery Pot. Add undrained tomatoes.
• Cover; cook on low for 8 to 10 hours. (Or cook on high for 4 to 5 hours.)
• Set oven to 350°. To heat tortillas, wrap them in foil and bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until softened. remove steak from cooker and shred. return steak to cooker. stir in lime juice, if desired.
• To serve, use a slotted spoon to spoon steak mixture onto warm tortillas. Top with cheese, guacamole, sour cream, and salsa, if desired. Roll up tortillas.

Beef and Pasta Casserole

1	lb.	ground beef
1		onion, chopped
1	tsp.	salt
1/4	tsp.	garlic powder
1	tsp.	Worcestershire sauce
1/4	c.	flour
11/4	c.	hot water
2	tsp.	beef bouillon granules
2	tbsp.	red wine
1	pkg.	shell macaroni (6 oz.)
1	can	mushrooms, drained (4 oz.)
1	c.	sour cream

In skillet brown the ground beef and onion.  Drain; place in crock pot.  Stir in salt, garlic powder, Worcestershire sauce and flour.  Add water, bouillon and wine; mix well.  Cover and cook on low for 2-3 hours.  Cook macaroni per package directions.  Add cooked pasta, mushrooms and sour cream to Crockery Pot; stir to mix.  Cover and cook on high for 10-15 minutes.