Stuffed Peppers

These little guys are divine!

You'll need:
2c cooked rice
1 can Italian diced tomatoes
3Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
4 peppers
1/2c water
salt & pepper to taste
(You could also add 1/2lb cooked ground beef if you'd like)


Stir the rice, tomatoes, salt, pepper, and Worcestershire sauce together in a bowl. Cut the tops off the peppers & remove the seeds. Cram the peppers full of the rice mixture. Set the peppers in your slow cooker and pour water into bottom.

Set on low for 8 hours.
Yum!

Cinnamon Breakfast Bites

I got this recipe from here and it's so good I've made it at least once a month since I discovered it. When my family come to visit, they ask for this every time!

You'll need:
1 can biscuits (I use Grands)
1/4c melted butter
1/2c brown sugar
1tsp cinnamon (I add 1/2tsp more)
1tsp vanilla
1 1/2c powdered sugar
2Tbsp milk

Spray your slow cooker with cooking spray and add the vanilla to your melted butter. In a separate bowl, mix brown sugar and cinnamon. Cut the biscuits into quarters. Roll the biscuits in the butter then in the cinnamon mixture, making sure every inch is covered. Place the biscuits in the slow cooker. Cover the slow cooker with a paper towel then place the lid on top. The paper towel catches the condensation and prevents your rolls from getting soggy. ...Ugh, soggy rolls! Gross!

Cook on low for 2 hours. Mix powdered sugar & milk & pour over rolls when done.

Forgotten Chicken

I think by now you guys understand the love I have for my slow cooker. I've made this dish many, many times, but I tweaked it to accommodate my new allergy. I call it "Forgotten Chicken" for 2 reasons: 1) I can cook this when I forgot to take something out the night before to thaw for dinner and 2) it cooks unattended for a long time, like all day, so you can forget about it until it's time to eat.

Needed:
2 boneless, skinless frozen chicken breasts
1 can Rotel
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can black beans, drained & rinsed
1/4c taco seasoning
(I used to also add a can of white corn, drained)

Add everything to the slow cooker & stir to mix as well as you can. Set cooker to low for 8 hours.

Once you're back home from a long day at work, grab a couple of forks & shred the chicken. Stir again and eat. We used to serve it over tortilla chips. Now we eat it on flour tortillas with a little sour cream.

Now watch reruns of How I Met Your Mother on Netflix.

Brown Sugar Apples

I love my slow cooker! This is the one I have:

(Source) 5 quarts of wonderful!

If you don't have one, please invest in one. It's one of those things you don't think you necessarily need, but once you get one you don't know how you lived without it. To entice you, here's another recipe for a slow cooker: Brown Sugar Apples. I found this recipe on Fake It Frugal which gives tips on how to save money making knock-offs of everything from Bisquick to Windex.

You'll need 3 pounds of apples (I've made this with several different kinds and they all tasted yummy so just go with your favorite), 1 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup water, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, and 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger (not the fresh stuff). You'll also need 4 Tablespoons corn starch which I forgot to include in the picture.

Peel, core, and slice your apples.

Place all the ingredients in the slow cooker, adding the water last to help dissolve the sugar.

Cook on low for 4 hours stirring once every hour.

(Note: This is where my computer or memory card or camera--in other words something complicated I don't understand--lost my pictures. You'll just have to rely on my instructions for now. I'm SO sorry!)

Turn off slow cooker and let cool. Separate the apples from the sauce and place the sauce in a sauce pan. Add the corn starch and cook over med-high until thickened. It should coat the back of a spoon.

Add the sauce back to the apples and let cool. The sauce will continue to thicken as it cools. You can put the apples in plastic freezer bags to keep for pies or anything else that calls for apple pie filling and it's so yummy on its own! Stay tuned to find out what I did with mine!

Slow Cooker Braised Beef

I got this recipe from the kitchn & they called it "Mexican Braised Beef". The thing is, I don't know how "Mexican" this thing really is. I do, however, know how yummy it is! I did change a few things though, so if you want the original, you'll want to check out that link.

This is theirs.

You'll need 2 Poblano peppers, a roast that's somewhere between 1.5 & 2 lbs, a can of diced tomatoes (drained), a can of Mexican stewed tomatoes (not drained), a sliced onion, and a little bit of oil. Sorry I didn't snap a picture for you.

You'll want to roast the peppers. Just turn your oven to broil and place the peppers. Keep an eye on them & turn as it browns. You want them to look like this all the way around.

Wrap them in foil & put them in time out for a few minutes.

While they're thinking about what they did wrong, cut the roast into chunks. Remove as much fat as you can and place in pan with oil.

Sear for a couple of minutes on each side. We're not trying to cook it, we just want it brown. While that's going, unwrap the peppers and peel the skin off.

Remove the stem & the seeds then dice.

Once the meat is done, place it on a plate, but don't clean the pan. Toss in the onion & brown.

Add the peppers.

Toss around a bit then add the tomatoes.

Simmer the sauce for a few minutes then pour into your slow cooker. Put the beef on top & let cook on low for 7 hours.

Once done, shred the meat using a couple of forks. I served ours on top of rice. I made it a little special by adding some cilantro & the juice of one lime to the water I cooked the rice in.

What I found was that it was tasty as is, but it really was over-the-top with a tad of sour cream & a little salt.

Diversity Day Soup

Whether you call today Civil Rights Day or Martin Luther King, Jr Day, today is a day for celebrating what makes us all different yet all the same.

Source--Isn't he inspiring?! 

If you're a nerd (like your's truly), here's a little history for ya. My friend Torrie was nice enough to share a recipe that combined foods of all colors and I thought it was appropriate for today.

Needed:
1 can black beans (drained & rinsed)
1 can red kidney beans (drained & rinsed)
1 can white corn (drained)
1 large or 2 small cans chicken (drained)
1 can chicken or veggie stock (drained)---Just kidding. Wanted to make sure you're paying attention.
1 packet taco seasoning (or 1/4c if you're using something like in the photo)

Add everything to a slow cooker & cook on low for 6 hours or on high for 3. You can also do this on the stove top and just heat through, but the chicken won't break up as well and the flavors won't have time to really blend.

Yum!

Okay, so this picture doesn't look much different from the one
before, but I promise this is the end result. Also, the
chicken breaks up quite easily once it's cooked to give it a nice
texture. It may need a little salt though, depending on your taste.

Top with sour cream, cheese, corn bread, crackers...whatever your heart desires! I won't judge.

Cranberry Roast

I grew up not liking roasts. I don't know why. I think it's because the ones I've had before were dry. A little more than a year ago we had dinner with friends and they served roast. This roast was delicious! I loved every bite. I stole their recipe...shhh!

Needed:
1 pack dry onion soup mix
canned cranberry sauce
roast (this one was about 1.5lbs)
1c water
2Tbsp corn starch or flour (not pictured)

Sprinkle the soup mix in the bottom of your slow cooker & place roast on top. Flip the meat so that it's coated. Break up cranberry sauce. Put in the sauce & water.

Cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 3-4.

Turn slow cooker off. Take roast out of slow cooker. Create a roux by whisking the corn starch with some of the sauce left in the slow cooker.

Pour the roux in the slow cooker & whisk it with the remaining sauce. Slice meat & place back in sauce.

Honestly, the meat is so tender, you don't have to cut it with
a knife. This was the result of trying to pick it up from the plate
with a fork!

Delish!!