{Thrice Favorites} Creamy Mexican Chicken

Jana here with a delicious slow cooker meal that is super fast to prepare!  This is a great meal for a day when you only have a few minutes to spend on dinner.  One of the things I love about it is the finished product is very versatile!  We ate it the first night over brown rice.  The second time we had it, we put it in tortillas, added salsa and cheese, and had a yummy burrito!

Creamy Mexican Chicken 

2-2.5 lbs frozen chicken breasts
1 can corn, drained
1 package cream cheese
1 can Rotel
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried cilantro (optional)

1. Place frozen chicken breasts in your slow cooker.

2. Add remaining ingredients on top.

3. Cook on low for 6-8 hours, stirring every few hours if possible.

About halfway through the cooking time, I used a fork to stir and shred the chicken.  It did so very easily, and made it where the chicken could absorb the flavors and moisture of the sauce even more!  This would make a great freezer meal also!

Printable Version

{Thrice Favorites} Slow Cooker Chicken Curry

Jana here with a recipe that my family really enjoys!  After eating at an Indian restaurant last year, I discovered that I really enjoyed the flavors of the food we ordered!  I came home, and decided to start making different forms of curry. This recipe is so delicious, and you can make it as spicy (or not!) as you prefer!   I found the recipe here, and followed it fairly closely.  I hope you'll give this a try, even if it's different from what you normally cook!

Slow Cooker Chicken Curry

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or tenders)
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
15 ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
1/2 cup coconut milk
1/2 cup chicken broth
15 ounce can tomato sauce
2 tablespoons curry powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
cayenne powder (to taste)

1. In the bottom of the slow cooker, mix together the coconut milk, broth, tomato sauce, curry powder, salt, and cayenne.

2. Add chicken breasts, onion, chickpeas, and sweet potatoes. Gently toss ingredients to evenly coat.

3. Cook on low for 4-6 hours.  Serve over rice. (I found Basmati rice at my local store, and it was delicious!)

Enjoy!

Printable Version

German Lentils with Sausage

Becca here with a recipe (no photo, sorry, we ate it before I got a picture!) that my family really enjoyed.  I recently did a big freezer cooking session, and adapted this recipe to be both freezer and Instant Pot (electric pressure cooker) ready.  I have used an Instant Pot for many years; I'm actually on my second one, after the first had had an unfortunate incident with the plastic part of the lid coming in contact with the hot stove-top and melting.  When we had to leave our home last year and stay in a hotel for 60 nights, because of a water leak, my Instant Pot was the one thing from our kitchen I took with me to the hotel.  I love the popularity they have gained in the past few years; my newer model Instant Pot has several great features that my original one did not, one of them being the "saute" button.  This was my first time using saute, and I'm wondering why I haven't before.  I was able to brown the sausage, and then cook the meal all quickly, and in the same stainless steel (no toxic chemical non-stick finishes!) pot.  My family all really enjoyed this recipe, and our youngest son that is a new eater even had seconds, as did most of the kids!  The seasonings were delicious, and had just enough of a distinctly different taste, to make the recipe unique.

The recipe makes a generous portion; my family of seven, with several large appetites in the bunch, ate it for a meal once, and had enough to accompany lunch the next day, with the five kids and I each having a small portion.  I will include the directions for making up a double batch to keep in the freezer, as I did, below the recipe.


German Lentils with Sausage

1 pound dried brown lentils
Orrington Farms Chicken Base or 'Better Than Bouillon' (use package instructions, see amount needed for 10 cups of water)
1/2 teaspoon celery seed
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 bay leaf
2 Tablespoons dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

10 cups water

4 cups grated carrots
2 Tablespoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
21 ounces Kielbasa Sausage or Ham, diced

Place diced Kielbasa Sausage (or Ham) into the instant pot.  Stir on 'saute' setting until browned.

Add remaining ingredients, stir, and cook on meat/stew setting.

Enjoy! -Becca


To make ahead and freeze:
Multiply all ingredients times the number of meals you want to freeze.
Put top ingredient section (lentils, chicken base, and spices) into a quart bag, and label with recipe name.
In order, place the grated carrots, worcestershire sauce, minced garlic, and then diced sausage into a gallon bag, and label with recipe name.
To prepare the dish, follow the recipe above (the sausage needs to be on top of the freezer bag, so it can be browned first, before adding the other ingredients!)

Creamy Mexican Chicken

Jana here with a delicious, fast slow cooker meal!  This is a great meal for a day when you only have a few minutes to spend on dinner.  One of the things I love about it is the finished product is very versatile!  We ate it the first night over brown rice.  The second time we had it, we put it in tortillas, added salsa and cheese, and had a yummy burrito!

Creamy Mexican Chicken 
2-2.5 lbs frozen chicken breasts
1 can corn, drained
1 package cream cheese
1 can Rotel
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried cilantro (optional)

1. Place frozen chicken breasts in your slow cooker.

2. Add remaining ingredients on top.

3. Cook on low for 6-8 hours, stirring every few hours if possible.

About halfway through the cooking time, I used a fork to stir and shred the chicken.  It did so very easily, and made it where the chicken could absorb the flavors and moisture of the sauce even more!  This would make a great freezer meal also!

Sausage, Bean, and Spinach Stew

Becca here with a great hearty stew.  It's early Spring in Arkansas here, meaning that some days are really warm, but we still get a few really chilly, damp days from time to time.  I fixed this stew on one of those brisk days, and it was a winner in my book - fairly inexpensive, quick, healthy, and tasty.  With the Italian Sausage and spinach, it reminded me a bit of another of our favorite soups, Tuscan Soup, but the addition of beans and subtraction of milk makes it different also.  My inspiration recipe, that I deviated from quite a bit, was from a Rachael Ray magazine our Grandma had passed on to me after she had read it.  She suggested squeezing fresh lemon juice in at the end, just before serving, which I'm sure would be good, but I didn't try. 


Sausage, Bean, and Spinach Stew


1 pound dried great northern beans
8 cups chicken broth or stock (I use homemade usually :)
1 onion, peeled & diced (I used purple)
2 carrots, diced (I didn't peel, just coined them)
2 ribs of celery, diced
8 cloves of garlic, diced if you prefer
20 ounces of Italian Sausage, already cooked (I browned in a skillet)
16 ounces of raw spinach leaves


Combine all ingredients, except spinach, in a large slow cooker (mine is 6 quart).  Cook on high about 3 1/2 hours, or until beans are tender.  Just before serving, stir in raw spinach leaves, cover, and let stand until the spinach wilts, about 10 minutes.

Crock-it Lock-it Review & Giveaway!

Jana here with a new product I want to introduce you to.  I recently got to review the Crock-it Lock-it product, and am really excited to share this with you all!  If you've ever traveled somewhere with food in your slow cooker, you know that it is a challenge to make it to your destination without the food spilling out of your slow cooker!  I've personally spilled chili from my slow cooker onto the carpets of  my vehicle, and it was difficult to remove the food and the smell afterwards!  So, to solve this problem, there is a product called Crock-it Lock-it!  It not only locks the lid in place, it also provides a sturdy handle for you to carry your slow cooker!  It also helps you carry your hot slow cooker without burning your hands.  So many benefits to this product!

This is how the product looked when I first got it. I love that it folds up into a small size for easy storage.

 There are instructions on the back that clearly describe how to attach the product to your slow cooker. Even with 3 young children making lots of noise and distraction around me, I was able to figure this out quickly. :)  This is a universal crock pot carrier, and is easily adjustable for different sizes.

I tested it out one night with a big pot of chili, and was very pleased with how tightly it held the lid on, and how secure it felt while I was carrying it!  There's even a clip on the top to hold a ladle!  This product is very helpful, and I would highly recommend it.

We are giving away a Crock-it Lock-it to one of our readers! Enter below!  Contest ends at 12 a.m. on 3/25!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Slow Cooker Applesauce

Jana here with a recipe that we love to make when Fall has arrived!  We purchased apples from a local orchard, and bought the 'seconds'. This meant that some may have a small spot or two on them, or they were irregular in size or shape. We bought a bushel and a half, and it averaged out to about 50 cents per pound of apples!  I buy natural (no sugar added) applesauce often at the grocery store, so this is a great savings for our family, and something we enjoyed making together!

Slow Cooker Applesauce

Apples of choice, peeled, cored, and sliced
water
sugar (if desired)

1. Depending on the size of your slow cooker, prepare the apples as described above, and fill your slow cooker to the top. Add approximately 1/2 cup water to a standard/large slow cooker.  If you would like to add sugar, I would suggest starting with 1/4 cup - 1/2 cup. 

2. Cook the apples on high for one hour, then turn to low and cook for 2-3 hours. A great way to tell when the apples have cooked long enough is when you start seeing 'frothy' looking bubbles at the top. Stir the apples, and make sure they are soft.

3. We ran ours through a foley food mill to remove any peel or seeds that could have been accidentally added. It also achieved great texture for our applesauce!  If you don't own a foley food mill, mash the apples with a potato masher, and stir well. After doing this, if you want a smoother texture for your applesauce, put it in a blender on low speed for a short time.

*We put our applesauce in quart sized Mason jars, and freeze it. Make sure to leave some room at the top of your jar.

Enjoy!

Tomato Basil Parmesan Soup

Jana here with a slow cooker recipe for a delicious soup! Although some of you may think of soup as a fall or winter meal, I think there are several great reasons to make soup in the spring and summer months!  (especially when it's made in the slow cooker)  Spring in the south has many rainy days, and cloudy rainy weather always puts me in the mood for soup!  Also, your slow cooker won't heat up the kitchen like making a meal in the oven meal, so that helps when it begins to warm up outside!  I also like knowing that dinner is ready in the slow cooker, and my kids and I can play outside and enjoy the beautiful afternoon sun without having to come in early to make dinner.  Having said all of that, this soup is rich, flavorful, and so tasty!  We paired ours with a grilled cheese sandwich, and everyone was happy!  I found the recipe at 365 Days of Slow Cooking.

Tomato Basil Parmesan Soup

2 (14.5 ounce) cans diced tomatoes, with juice
1 cup finely diced celery
1 cup finely diced carrots
1 cup finely diced onions
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried basil
4 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup flour (I used whole wheat)
1/2 cup butter
1 cup Parmesan cheese
2 cups half and half, warmed (or any type of milk to lower the calories)
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1. Add tomatoes, chicken broth, celery, carrots, onions, oregano, and basil to a large slow cooker. 

2. Cover, and cook on low for 5-7 hours, or until vegetables are soft.

3. About 30 minutes before serving, prepare a roux. Melt butter over low heat in a skillet, and add flour. Stir constantly with a whisk for 5 minutes.  Slowly stir in one cup hot soup.  Add 3 more cups, and stir until smooth. Add all back into the slow cooker.

4. Stir and add the parmesan cheese, half and half, and salt and pepper.  Cover and cook on low for an additional 30 minutes.

Enjoy!

Whole Rotisserie Style BBQ Chicken in the Slow Cooker (plus homemade chicken broth!)

Becca here with a super easy recipe for making a rotisserie style chicken in your slow cooker.  I didn't get a good photo of the chicken before we ate it, but chickens are a bit hard to make attractive looking anyway I think, even if they taste amazing, and I hope you'll try this recipe anyway!!

I love the chickens that you can buy pre-cooked at most grocery stores and warehouse clubs now, but after actually reading the ingredient list on what all the chicken 'marinade' contains, including partially hydrogenated oils, tons of sodium, and several different preservatives, I didn't feel so great about purchasing them anymore.  Whole chickens where I live are rather inexpensive, with their everyday price being just under $1/pound for 'regular' chickens, and just under $1.50/pound for antibiotic free/cage free chickens, my preference.  Don't let the long list of spices in this barbeque style dry rub scare you, it's likely all things that you already have in your spice cabinet, and leaving one or two out or substituting something similiar will still result in a delicious chicken!  I was inspired by the recipe here. With things like this that have several dry ingredients (like my favorite cornbread), I like to prepare several 'mixes' at a time in either reuseable containers or plastic zip top bags, so that when I'm ready to make it again half of the work is already done, and it really takes barely any extra time to measure out the extra meals once you already have everything out.  I actually started my chicken late Saturday night and let it cook on low all night so that it would be ready and waiting for lunch after church on Sunday.   You can't beat the convenience of that!  Don't forget to make a big pot of super yummy homemade chicken stock with the bones & skin too!  You just return those things to the slow cooker after you've removed the 'good' chicken, making this an extra economical recipe.  My method for doing that is here. 

Whole Rotisserie Style BBQ Chicken in the Slow Cooker

1 whole chicken, 4-5 pounds, giblets removed if they're included
1 large onion
2 Tablespoons paprika
2 Tablespoons salt (I use Real Salt)
1 Tablespoon onion powder
1 Tablespoon mustard powder
1 Tablespoon dried granulated garlic (minced garlic could also be used)
1 Tablespoon chili powder
1 Tablespoon lemon pepper
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon ground red pepper

In a small bowl, combine all spices (everything except for the onion & chicken) and stir well to combine.

Slice the onion horizontally into 4-6 thick slices, keeping the rings together.  You want to line the bottom of your slow cooker with these, so slice accordingly. 

Line the bottom of your slow cooker with the onion slices.  You're making a platform of sorts for the chicken to sit on.

Add the whole chicken, breast side up.  Be sure to remove the giblets first!  The antibiotic/cage free chickens I get at our local store have these in a plastic bag inside of the chicken that's super easy to pull out.  The same type of chicken at Sam's Club is slightly less expensive for me, plus doesn't include the giblets that you're paying for and don't use when cooking a whole chicken, so I get those when possible.

Rub your spice mixture over the top and sides of the chicken.  You want as much of it to stay on the chicken as possible, so just put pour any extra in right on top of, or even inside, the chicken.

Cover the slow cooker, and cook approximately 8 hours on low.  My chicken the last time I made this recipe was five pounds, and I cooked it on low for 12 hours and it was great.  Since you're cooking it with the skin on, and on the onion platform, you can get away with cooking it for a bit longer without it drying out.  I actually like it to be so tender that it pretty much falls apart when you remove it from the slow cooker, since it makes removing the meat from the bone significantly easier. 

Be sure and leave the onions in the slow cooker, as well as returning all of the non-edible parts of the chicken (bones, skin, etc.) to the slow cooker to make a great homemade chicken stock!  The extra seasonings will make it really tasty, and a great base for soups!  I love to cook quinoa in the homemade chicken broth too, it makes it extra tasty.  You can see all the details here.

Slow Cooker Seasoned Pork Tenderloin {freezer friendly - 3 pounds}

Becca here with another of my favorite type of meals - those that are both freezer friendly AND can be cooked in the slow cooker.  My original inspiration recipe that I started using a couple of years ago is here, though I have changed it quite a bit to suit my family (for example, my husband doesn't love cumin, and I don't usually keep apple juice at home, but almost always have organic apples in the fridge)!  Using a 3 pound pork tenderloin insures that you'll have plenty leftover for a quick meal or two from the freezer later.  I like to serve the meal the day I cook it with the pork sliced, with slow cooker baked sweet potatoes on the side, and then shred the remaining pork and freeze it to use later for a quick Mexican meal that goes great with your favorite toppings, and/or refried beans.  I know the searing of the pork gets an extra pan dirty, but I really think the flavor of browning the meat is worth it.  If you aren't going to try the recipe otherwise though, you *could* skip this step, although I wouldn't recommend it.  Enjoy!

Slow Cooker Seasoned Pork
{freezer friendly - 3 pounds}

3 pound boneless pork tenderloin
1 Tablespoon olive oil
3/4 cup water
1 whole apple

3 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons granulated garlic
1 teaspoon paprika
2 teaspons Real Salt

Combine spices (chili powder, cumin, granulated garlic, paprika, Real Salt) in a small bowl.  Rub dry spice mixture onto outer surface of pork.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet until very hot.  Sear (brown) the pork roast in the hot skillet, turning every minute or so, until all sides are browned/seared.

Cut apple into 4-6 large slices, and place into bottom of slow cooker.  Place seasoned, seared pork on top of apples.  Pour 3/4 cup of water around the edges of the slow cooker.  Cook on low about 4-6 hours, or until it is done (it will easily cut/shred with a fork). 

To freeze:  Let cool to room temperature.  Remove any bits of remaining, and shred pork.  Package into your-family-sized portions in quart freezer bags.  Defrost overnight in the fridge, and serve warmed.  We like it served with Mexican/fajita type toppings, carnita style, or it makes an amazing taco filler.  Try refried beans on the side too!

Refried Beans {slow cooker, freezer friendly}

Becca here with one of my family's favorite recipes.  Some recipes that I post here are new favorites that I've seen online, or made up, and I've made once or twice, while others are good old 'standby' recipes that I know I can count on for a good, healthy, quick meal that everyone will eat.  These refried beans (affectionately referred to by my children as "smashed" beans) are definitely in the latter category.  They literally are easier to throw into the slow cooker to get started cooking than it is to try and get the refried beans out of the cans they cram them into!  The first time I made these, a couple of years ago now, my daughter noticed that they were a bit different than the typical canned ones I used to serve, and kept going on and on about how good they were, and said that we ought to go to the place that packs them into cans and teach them how to make REALLY good refried beans!  Pretty good endorsement from a 5 year old!  Even though they are super simple to make, I always make enough for more than one meal because they do freeze and reheat so well, and all you need are a few tortillas or some chips and a veggie to make a super quick meal.  My kids love eating the beans just like this, in a bowl with cheese on top.  Sometimes I serve them (twice this week actually, by request!) with my favorite guacamole and homemade tortillas (still experimental, I'll be sharing the recipe once I have it 'perfected' :) for a super economical and tasty meal, not to mention healthy!  I order dry organic pinto beans in bulk for $1.28 a pound, and you can get 'conventional' (aka pesticides used, non-organic) for under a dollar; either way it's still a bargain!  My original inspiration was here.  As a bonus, no soaking is required, as traditionally is with dried beans, so you can start this at breakfast and be eating them for dinner!

Refried Beans
{slow cooker, freezer friendly}

1 large or 2 small onions, outer layer removed, cut into half (your favorite onion, any kind is fine) OR 1/4 cup dehydrated onion pieces
4 cups pinto beans
water
2 Tablespoons minced garlic (or 1 Tablespoon dry granulated garlic)
2 teaspoons salt (I use Real Salt)
1 teaspoons black pepper
1 Tablespoon chili powder

Add all ingredients (onion, pinto beans, garlic, salt, black pepper, and chili powder) to a large slow cooker (at least 6 quart) with enough water to cover.  Cook on high for about 8 hours.  Just before serving, remove large chunks of onion, drain off excess water, and smash with a potato masher. 

To freeze:  Cool to room temperature and place into airtight container (I like to use quart freezer bags for this, they lay nice & flat in the freezer to store).  Defrost in the fridge overnight, and heat in small saucepan over low heat (or microwave if that's your preferred method).  Serve as a bean dip, in tortillas as a burrito or quesadilla with cheese, in tacos, nachos, etc.  Enjoy!

Sweet & Sour Meatballs {freezer friendly - makes 6 meals}

Becca here with a really tasty meal that you'll love having in the freezer.  Even better, you can just pour it into the slow cooker to heat up, so it couldn't be easier!  Honestly, meatballs aren't my favorite thing to make, but my family and I do like to eat them, and the ones you can buy at the store are full of fillers & other things we try to avoid.  Plus, the homemade ones taste SO much better!  I like to make a huge batch at a time, so all of the messy work is done at one time.  In fact, this is our very favorite meatball recipe, and I often make two huge batches of meatballs at a time, one for this Sweet & Sour, and one for the Stroganoff Meatball recipe I posted last week.  My inspiration recipe that I follow fairly closely is from Fix, Freeze, Feast.  I like to serve the meatballs & sauce over brown rice or noodles, with stir-fry veggies on the side.  I use a rice cooker so I just add the rice & water and let it do all of the work, but you can prepare either rice or noodles ahead of time and freeze it to go with the meatballs as well if you prefer.  Enjoy!


Sweet & Sour Meatballs
{freezer friendly - makes 6 large meals}

Meatballs:
6 pounds lean ground beef
3 cups dry bread crumbs (whole wheat homemade preferred, I buy them if I don't have any made though)
2/3 cup milk
4 large eggs
1 medium/large minced onion
2 Tablespoons minced garlic
1 Tablespoon salt
1 Tablespoon black pepper

Sauce:
2 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup cornstarch
1 huge can (106 oz) pineapple tidbits
1/2 cup soy sauce
2 1/2 cups red wine vinegar

Preheat oven to 500.

In a large bowl (really large, the largest one you have) combine all meatball ingredients (beef, bread crumbs, milk, eggs, onion, garlic, salt, and pepper).  Start stirring to combine.  I usually start with a large wooden spoon, and then use my hands to make sure everything is thoroughly blended.

Form into meatballs approximately 1 - 1 1/2 inches in size, and place onto large rimmed baking sheet.  Bake at 500 for 15 minutes, or until no longer pink inside (a meat thermometer inserted into the center should read 160).  Allow meatballs to cool to room temperature.

Meanwhile, drain pineapple tidbits juice into a large pot.  Add in remaining sweet & sour sauce ingredients (brown sugar, cornstarch, soy sauce, and red wine vinegar) but NOT the actual pineapple tidbits!  Stir well to combine.  Cook on medium level heat, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens, about 20 minutes.  Allow sauce to cool to room temperature.

Divide pineapple tidbits, meatballs, and sauce evenly among freezer containers (I use 6 gallon freezer ziploc bags, each with about 20 meatballs in them). 
When ready to serve:  Thaw in refrigerator overnight.  Add contents of bag to slow cooker & cook on low a few hours, until heated through and sauce is bubbling, or bake in the oven for 30 minutes at 350 until heated through and sauce is bubbling.  We enjoy them served over brown rice, with stir-fry veggies on the side.

Slow-Cooker Sweet Potato and Lentil Soup

Hi everyone!  I'm excited to share another soup recipe with you today.  I know there's a popular tagline of "Meatless Mondays" or other catchy titles floating around the web for meat-free recipes.  While I don't cook meatless on certain days we do go without meat once or twice a week, as I've stated on the blog before.  Mostly for cost reasons, and it also benefits our health too! Plus, we really like the meatless meals we've had so far, furthering our interest in continuing!
Keep in mind that I always serve other things on the side, such as cheese and crackers, olives, baby carrots, or celery with peanut butter.

Slow-Cooker Sweet Potato and Lentil Soup
Ingredients:
1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced
1 and 1/2 cup baby carrots, cut in half
3 stalks celery, diced
1 small white onion, diced
3/4 cups lentils (I used what was available at Wal-Mart)
1 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. curry powder
salt
1 TB unsalted butter
2 cloves garlic

*Lemon juice
*Parsley or cilantro

Directions: 
1.) Combine the sweet potato, carrots, celery, onion, lentils, ginger, curry powder, and 1 teaspoon salt in a 4-6 quart slow cooker.  Add 6 cups water and stir, then cover and cook on low for around 8 hours. You don't need to stir the soup during this time!

2.) After the 8 hours (or close to it), stir the soup quickly with a whisk to make a rough puree.

3.) Melt the butter in a small skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the garlic and cook about 1 minute.  Stir the mixture into the soup and add your desired amount of lemon juice, parsley, or cilantro.

*I made several modifications to a recipe I originally found in a Food Network magazine.  The original recipe called for cilantro, but I used parsley instead.  Also, I just squirted some lemon juice in the soup, stirred and then tasted.  The soup was delicious with some additional lemon juice added on top in each individual bowl before serving!

Happy Eating!
Sara :)

Slow Cooker Apple Butter

Jana here with a recipe for delicious Apple Butter!  If you're not familiar with apple butter, it is a spread typically used on breads. (toast, sandwiches, biscuits, etc)  It is sweet, and can be used as a jelly.  Although it has the word 'butter' in the name, butter is not one of the ingredients.  After doing some research, I learned that the name comes from the spread's thick, soft consistency.  The ingredient list below will yield approximately one pint of apple butter.  You can store the apple butter in a sealed container in your refrigerator, or freeze the apple butter. If you choose to freeze the spread, make sure you leave space at the top of the container to allow the spread to expand as it freezes. I used Gala apples to make mine. You can use any variety of apple, although I would recommend using a sweet(ish) apple.  I used this recipe as my starting point, and then changed several things.

Slow Cooker Apple Butter

2.5 pounds apples, peeled, cored, chopped finely
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup honey*
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1. Once apples have been prepared as described above, place in a slow cooker.  Mix remaining ingredients together in a small bowl.  Pour the sugar mixture over the apples.

2. Cook on high for 1 hour. Reduce heat to low, and cook for 9-11 hours.

3. Once the cooking time has passed, check the mixture for the following things: it should have thickened considerably, darkened in color to a dark brown, and most of the moisture should be gone.  If these things have happened, it is done cooking. If not, cook for an additional hour in the slow cooker with the lid removed.

4. Put the apple butter into a blender or food processor, and blend until it has a smooth consistency.

Enjoy!

Deer Meat Crock-pot Picadillo

Hi everyone!  Any deer meat fans? I hope so.  My brother-in-law graciously shared his deer meat with us this year and we have been thoroughly enjoying it!  I prefer deer meat over ground turkey or beef, when it's available.  It's very lean and healthy.  I will say though, if substituting it for regular ground beef you must make sure to season it a bit extra because it can come across as a bit bland if not.  That's not the case with this recipe though!

Crock-pot Picadillo (with deer meat)

Ingredients:
2 pounds ground deer meat (or beef or turkey)
1 onion, minced
1 red bell pepper, minced
3 cloves minced garlic
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1 tomato, diced
8 oz. can tomato sauce
1/2 cup green olives (plus a tablespoon or two of the juice)
1 and 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
Salt/Pepper to taste (I used a pre-made sea salt/vegetable mix from the store that was delicious!  It helped season the deer meat well)

*I served this over white rice (a treat! We usually have brown).  You will also want to prepare however much rice is appropriate for your family just before time to serve.

Directions:
1.)  Brown the meat in a large skillet and season with salt/pepper.  When meat is no longer pink add the onion, garlic, and bell pepper and cook an additional 3-4 minutes.  (if using beef you will need to drain the liquid from the skillet before adding the veggies and garlic)

2.) Transfer the meat to the slow-cooker.  Next add the tomato, cilantro, tomato sauce, olives, and 1 1/4 cups water.  Last, add the spices and give the ingredients a good stir.

3.) Cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 6-8 hours.  Serve over brown rice!

Mitford Spiced Apple Cider

Jana here with a wonderful warm, winter recipe!  My mother-in-law passed this recipe to me, and she got it from her Jan Karon Mitford Cookbook.  This is a cider that is very easy to make, but tastes like you spent a lot of time on it!  Kids and adults alike will love it, and it is a great addition to any winter gathering!  You can make it in your slow cooker, and leave it there to stay warm.  This makes it easy for guests to be served a warm cup of cider at any point!

Mitford Spiced Apple Cider

2 teaspoons whole cloves
2 teaspoons whole allspice
6 cinnamon sticks
1 gallon apple cider
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1. Tie cloves, allspice, and cinnamon sticks in a cheesecloth bag.

2. Pour cider into a large slow cooker, and add brown sugar, salt, nutmeg, and spice bag.

3. Heat on high for one hour, and then turn to warm. 

Enjoy!

Peaches & Cream Slow Cooker {steel cut} Oatmeal

Becca here with a recipe my family enjoyed as a nice change from 'regular' oatmeal that I normally fix.  I was inspired by this recipe and followed it pretty closely.  I used peaches that we picked & froze late this summer, but canned or frozen peaches would work well also.  The steel cut oats are something that I used to have to order, but can now find even at my small town grocery store.  They are significantly sturdier than the old fashioned oats you may be used to, so they hold up well in the slow cooker and give you quite a bit of wiggle room on the length of time the oatmeal cooks, even up to overnight.  I definitely wouldn't recommend old fashioned oats in the slow cooker, as they'd turn into a mush.  I have also doubled this recipe with success, and the leftovers heat up well!  Enjoy!

1 cup steel cut oats
2 cups bite-sized pieces of peaches, frozen or canned (drained, liquid reserved)
milk to bring the total liquid (counting liquid drained from peaches) up to 4 cups
a dash of salt
for serving, additional milk & sugar

Spray the inside of the slow cooker with cooking spray (I use an olive oil mister, and a 4 quart slow cooker).

Place steel cut oats and drained & diced peaches into slow cooker.

Add any drained peach juice, as well as milk to make a total of four cups of liquid, to slow cooker, along with a dash of salt, and stir well to combine.

Cook at least 3-4 hours on slow.  You can cook up to 8 hours, if you're preparing overnight for breakfast the next morning.

Serve with additional milk & a bit of sugar, if desired. 

Crock-pot White Chicken Chili (Cream of Chicken Soup FREE)

 Recently I came across a popular recipe on Pinterest for crock-pot white chicken chili.  Although I was excited to try the recipe because it sounded delicious, I wasn't excited about the cream of chicken soup it called for.  As a personal choice, I don't typically buy "cream of" anything soups.  However, I bought the rest of the soup ingredients anyway, and decided I would figure out an alternative.  After doing some research, I ended up with a soup I was very happy with, and that included NO cream of chicken soup!

On a good dinner prep night (meaning-time and my baby allow for it) I like to make things look pretty or arrange them differently at least, for the table.  This night I fixed onion, green onion, black olives, avocado, sour cream, and cheese to put on top of the chili.  It added such a nice layer of flavor! And for honesty sakes...we also had ranch-flavored Doritoes on the side as well. Let's keep it real folks! These aren't a normal item in our kitchen, no worries.

Crock-pot White Chicken Chili
Ingredients:
1 and 1/2 lbs. uncooked chicken breast, cut into chunks
2 (15 oz.) cans of white cannelini beans
1 (15 oz.) can of white corn
1 sweet onion chopped
2 cloves minced garlic
1 package taco seasoning (Or you could make your own, using this recipe from Thrice the Spice!)
1 (7 oz.) can of chopped green chilies
1 (14 oz.) can of chicken broth
1 batch of homemade cream of chicken soup (recipe below)

Cream of Chicken Soup

2  Tablespoons butter
3/4 cup all purpose flour (you can substitute a gluten free baking mix if needed)
1 1/2 cups milk
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried parsley
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
Heat a sauce pan over medium heat and melt butter.  Whisk in flour and continue cooking until thick and golden brown – but not too brown – about 1 minute, whisking constantly.  Slowly pour in milk and chicken stock and whisk again.  Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly, until flour has been incorporated and mixture is lightly bubbling.  Add salt, pepper, parsley, and oregano.  Stir, then reduce heat to medium-low and cook until thickened.   Then use in place of cream of chicken soup called for in recipe!

Chili directions:
First-prepare homemade cream of chicken soup and set aside. Next, place chicken chunks into the bottom of your crock-pot.  Add beans, corn, and onion.  Mix the next five ingredients and pour over the top.  Cover and cook on low in the crock-pot for 8-10 hours.
Top with items of your choice and enjoy!

Happy Eating,
Sara

Creamy Chicken Chili

Jana here with a recipe that I wanted to share again!  My whole family absolutely loved this!  This is so flavorful, and great for a winter recipe!  Add a garden salad, and some whole wheat bread, and you have a delicious meal! This is also made in the slow cooker, so it is very low maintenance, and easy to prep! I found the recipe that I based this on here. For a quick meal on a busy day, you will definitely want to try this!

Creamy Chicken Chili

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 can corn, undrained

1 can diced tomatoes, undrained

1 package ranch dressing mix

1 teaspoon cumin

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon cilantro

1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese

2 chicken breast halves, or 1 cup shredded chicken

1. Place the chicken in the bottom of your slow cooker. Add beans, corn, and tomatoes on top.

2. Add ranch mix and seasonings on top, and stir with the beans, corn, and tomatoes to combine.

3. Put the block of cream cheese on top of the mixture, and cover.

4. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

5. Stir cream cheese in, and shred the chicken. (if you have used chicken breast halves) Mix together, and serve.

Enjoy!

Basic Slow Cooker Roast

Jana here with a recipe that is one that many of us have probably eaten many times before!  Putting a pot roast in the slow cooker, along with carrots and potatoes is a delicious meal, perfect for the cooler months!  When I recently tried to find a basic recipe for a slow cooker roast, using seasonings that we all have in our pantry, I couldn't find one like I was hoping for.  So, I created one!  This is a very basic recipe, and is delicious as is.  You could also add some other seasonings to this basic version, to spice it up even more!  In the comments, tell us how you like to cook your slow cooker roast! 

Basic Slow Cooker Roast

2-3 pound beef roast
1 cup water
1 cube beef bullion
1 teaspoon dried onioin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
carrots and potatoes, diced

1. Place carrots and potatoes in the bottom of your slow cooker.  Place beef roast on top. 

2. In a separate bowl, put remaining ingredients, stirring well.  Pour this mixture over the roast.

3. Cook on low heat in your slow cooker for 5-6 hours.

Enjoy!