{Thrice Favorites} 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!

Printable Version

Restaurant Style Salsa

Jana here with a salsa recipe that is a great addition to any Mexican meal!  I have made many different homemade salsas, but this is by far my favorite. It has a similar texture and taste as the ones they serve at our local Mexican restaurants. It is just spicy enough, but not overwhelmingly so. I got inspiration for this from the Pioneer Woman's cookbook.



Restaurant Style Salsa 

1 can whole tomatoes (with juice) or 1 quart canned garden tomatoes
2 cans (10 ounce) Rotel
1/2 onion, chopped
1 clove minced garlic
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried cilantro
*one jalapeno finely chopped if you prefer more heat



Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor. Pulse 5-10 times until you get the desired consistency. If the salsa looks too runny, I put it through a fine strainer to get some of the excess liquid out. Adjust seasonings as needed.  Refrigerate for at least an hour.



Enjoy!

The Gravy "Formula"

Jana here with a 'formula' to make perfect, smooth, yummy gravy every time! For some of you, this may be something you've mastered. For others, this information will help you feel confident making a gravy in minutes!  There are so many uses for a gravy, or cream sauce. In the above picture, I had cooked a whole chicken in my slow cooker. I wanted a way to quickly make it different from just seasoning the plain chicken, so I mixed up a quick gravy to stir in. (and also added canned mushrooms)  I also like to make gravy to put on top of burger patties that we eat without bread. Of course, you always need a good gravy to go with mashed potatoes!  Delicious!  This recipe has so many different options for mixing ingredients, that I'm sure you have things on hand to make a quick gravy!

First, you need to start with an oil or butter. I typically prefer butter, but you could use any oil you have on hand as well.  I usually use 2 tablespoons of butter, and melt it over medium heat in a small skillet.

Next, you need an equal amount of flour. You can use any variety (all-purpose, whole wheat, etc). Slowly add in the 2 tablespoons of flour, stirring constantly. (I prefer to stir at this point with a fork or whisk)  Once combined, will have a thick 'paste'.

Last, you need a liquid.  You can use milk, water, chicken/beef broth, etc. I slowly pour in the liquid, stirring constantly, until I am happy with the consistency of the gravy.  I would estimate that you will need around 1 cup of the liquid you are choosing. This will vary, depending on the ingredients you have chosen.

Add salt and pepper to taste, and you have a delicious gravy!  Enjoy!

Apple Vinaigrette

Becca here with a quick & easy vinaigrette recipe that's great for any season, especially if one of your New Years' Resolutions was to eat more healthy greens!  Salad dressings are one of my favorite things to make, especially when we have guests.  We actually have several different dressing recipes you can browse by clicking on 'salads' on the right sidebar.  I like to serve the toppings on the side, so everyone can add their favorites and make their own custom salad.  This apple vinaigrette pairs great with ingredients that are available even in the cool weather months of fall and winter; I served it with an organic spring mix, apple, roasted pecans, and dried cranberries.  Enjoy! 

Apple Vinaigrette

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar (I used unfiltered raw)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup apple juice
3-4 fresh basil leaves
2 teaspoons honey
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Combine all ingredients in food processor or blender; pulse a few times, until combined.  Refrigerate any leftovers!

Garden Tomato Spaghetti Sauce

This delicious spaghetti sauce actually happened on accident.  One night I needed a quick dinner and decided to make a quick spaghetti sauce with some of our garden tomatoes.  The result was a delicious meal that tasted like it had taken all day to prepare.  My favorite.  In fact, this sauce was so good I made it again, on purpose!  It's easy, only has a few ingredients, and comes together in minutes.  

Garden Tomato Spaghetti Sauce

Ingredients:

29 oz. can tomato sauce

24 oz. jar canned whole garden tomatoes

2 cloves garlic

Salt

Handful of fresh basil and parsley, chopped

Directions:

1.) Combine all ingredients in a pan on the stove-top over medium heat.  Use a potato masher to smash the whole tomatoes.  Let simmer for 10 minutes or so. 

We ate this over whole-wheat pasta and it was delicious!  I also added more garlic to our sauce, but we like a lot so you can flavor it to suit your taste! 

White Pizza Sauce

Jana here with a simple recipe that will make you excited to cook a pizza at home!  I was planning to make 'traditional' pizza one night for dinner, but then saw several ingredients in my pantry that would make a yummy Alfredo style pizza. After a quick Google search, I found a recipe on Food.com that looked like a good place to start for making a white pizza sauce.  The results were so delicious!  We chose to add mushrooms, chicken, artichokes, spinach, and mozzarella to top our pizza, but the options are endless!

White Pizza Sauce

1 tablespoon butter
1 and 1/2  tablespoons flour
1/2 cup milk
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/2 garlic clove, minced
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

1. Melt the butter in a small saucepan, over medium heat.  Stir in the flour until combined.  (be careful not to overcook...remove from the heat for a minute or two while you get the milk ready to pour in if necessary)

2.  Slowly whisk in the milk, then stir in remaining ingredients.  It will thicken upon standing for a few minutes.

Enjoy!

Extra Zucchini?

Jana here with a solution to a 'problem' we recently had.  I had a kitchen counter that looked like this:

 

...and we had already been eating squash for several night at dinner!  How was I going to cook this squash in new and creative ways?  I decided to steam some zucchini, puree it in my blender, and add it to the spaghetti sauce that I was cooking for dinner that night. 

And it was a hit!  No one could tell that there were added vegetables in the sauce, the flavor was excellent, and we were able to find a way to eat more of the zucchini from our garden! 
Do you add vegetable purees to anything you cook? 

Fresh Tomato Marinara Sauce

Jana here with a recipe that is so good, you won't ever want to buy canned spaghetti sauce again!  I took my inspiration from a blog I found through a search for marinara using fresh tomatoes.  We have more tomatoes from our garden than we can eat, so I wanted to turn them into something yummy!  If you don't have fresh tomatoes, you could substitute canned tomatoes.  I suggest using the seasonings listed, but also seasoning to taste once it has cooked down. 

If you aren't familiar with how to peel fresh tomatoes, it isn't hard!  I get a large pot of boiling water going on the stove, and a sink of cold water ready.  Core the tomatoes first, and slice an 'x' on the bottom.  Put them in the boiling water for 45 seconds to a minute, then place them in the cold water for about the same amount of time.  Once they have cooled, you can easily peel the skin off!

Fresh Tomato Marinara Sauce

 

8-10 medium/large garden tomatoes

2 tablespoons olive oil

6 cloves minced garlic

2 teaspoons dried basil

1 teaspoon dried oregano

2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon sugar

2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar

1. Peel the tomatoes, as mentioned above.

 

2. Chop the tomatoes into quarters, and put them into a medium sized pot.  Simmer for 30 minutes.

3. Add the remaining ingredients, and simmer for several hours.  The amount of time it simmers depends on how thick you want the sauce to be.  (longer simmer = thicker sauce)  I have found that 3-4 hours total simmer time is a good amount for us!

 

4. Taste the sauce, and add additional seasonings if necessary!

 

Enjoy!

Creamy Horseradish Dip

Hi everyone!  Today's recipe is so easy and so tasty!  We are a family that loves dips, although I'm not a fan of the calories that come with the store-bought kind.  This dip only requires three ingredients and is super tasty.  We ate it on top of quinoa, with pretzels or chips, or with veggies.

Creamy Horseradish Dip

Ingredients:
1 cup plain greek yogurt
2 TB prepared horseradish
Lemon Juice

Directions: Mix all ingredients together.  I would add about 1 TB of lemon juice first and then taste.  If you prefer, add a bit more.  Enjoy!

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!

Restaurant Style Salsa

Becca here with a "Pioneer Woman" recipe that I adapted to fit my family's tastes.  My husband is a salsa connoisseur (meaning he's picky about good salsa, ha!) and absolutely loves this salsa.  It has a bit of a kick to it, the kids thought it was a bit spicy, but still ate a bit on chips.  You could easily 'turn up the heat' by using jalapenos instead of the anaheim pepper I used.  Also, feel free to blend or process it in the food processor to reach your desired consistency - I went for a rather thin, without any big chunks, blend, similar to what we get at our favorite local Mexican restaurant here.  This makes a good sized batch, so it's great to make for company, or to have as leftovers.  Enjoy!

1 large can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes
2 cans (10 ounces each) rotel (diced tomatoes with green chilies; I used 1 mild, 1 regular)
1/4 cup dried minced onion
2 teaspoons granulated garlic (the dried kind on the spice aisle)
1 anaheim pepper, seeded and chopped
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 cup fresh cilantro, loosely chopped
1/4 cup lime juice
2-6 teaspoons salt, to taste (I use Real Salt)

In a large mixer or food processor, combine diced tomatoes & rotel, and process to desired consistency.  Pour them into a large bowl, leaving a small amount (about 1 cup) in the bottom of the blender or food processor (I use the blender attachment for my Bosch mixer).

To the remaining tomatoes in the blender, add remaining ingredients (onion, granulated garlic, anaheim pepper, sugar, cilantro, lime juice, and 2 teaspoons of salt to start with).  Process until everything is very finely chopped, then add to tomatoes in the large bowl.

Stir well to combine, then taste to see if you need to add more salt (be sure and taste with a chip, not a spoon, since the chip will add saltiness when you're eating it!) and serve immediately, or store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.  I filled a quart canning jar & a half with the salsa. 

Easy Homemade Nacho Cheese Sauce

Jana here with a healthier alternative than Velveeta for making nacho cheese dip!  My husband despises the thought of eating Velveeta, because he's not sure what's in it. I am 9 months pregnant, and was craving nachos one evening, and this is what we came up with! 

Easy Homemade Nacho Cheese Sauce

12 slices American cheese*
2-3 tablespoons milk
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
pinch of cumin

1. Separate the 12 slices from the block of cheese.  Cube the cheese.

2. Put the cheese and 2-3 tablespoons of milk in a microwave safe bowl. Melt in the microwave heating for 30-40 second increments, stirring in between each time.

3. Once the cheese has melted to a smooth consistency, stir in the seasonings. 

Can be kept warm in a small crock, so that it stays the right consistency.  Enjoy with chips, refried beans, or whatever nacho toppings you prefer!

*When you are looking for 'real' American cheese slices, make sure to avoid anything labeled as 'pasteurized process cheese FOOD' or 'cheese product'.  Instead, it should just say 'pasteurized process cheese'. 

Honey Red Wine Viniagrette Salad Dressing

Becca here with one of my very favorite recipes.  This salad dressing that I've adapted for our family, is my all-time favorite of any kind, store-bought, restaurant, or homemade.  It's the perfect blend of sweet & tangy, and uses pantry staples, so it's easy to mix up a batch anytime.  I love it with organic spring mix as the base, blue cheese, and then a fruit & a nut.  Here I've just used the pantry staples of craisins & roasted almonds, but I love peaches & pecans, pears & walnuts, and apples with any kind of nut.  The possibilities are endless, and this is a salad that even my non-salad-loving husband enjoys!  A great refreshing quick meal.  If blue cheese isn't your favorite, you could use mozzarella instead, although I very highly recommend the blue cheese!  You can store the dressing in the refrigerator for a couple of weeks, if it lasts that long before being eaten (it never does at my house)!  It will separate & the olive oil will solidify some, so removing it 30 minutes or so before serving will ensure that it shakes and mixes together well again before serving.

Honey Red Wine Viniagrette Salad Dressing

1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup honey (I use local honey)
1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
1 teaspoon salt (I use Real Salt)
1/2 cup olive oil

Combine all in a jar with a tight fitting lid (a canning jar works great!).  Shake well to combine.  Serve immediately, or refrigerate until ready to serve, removing to the counter 30 minutes before serving for best results.

Sausage Gravy

Becca here with a good basic sausage gravy recipe that is a real treat for breakfast here!  This was one of my favorite breakfast treats growing up too, and I learned the milk & flour trick from our parents.  Although making gravy sounds a bit intimidating sometimes, it's actually quite easy if you know a few basic tricks, and only takes a few minutes to make once you have your sausage cooked.  I use leftovers in my breakfast pizza recipe I'll share soon too.  Enjoy!

Sausage Gravy

1 pound breakfast sausage (I use my Homemade Breakfast Sausage Recipe)
1/4 cup flour
2 cups milk
salt and pepper to taste (this will depend on the type of sausage you used)

In a large skillet over medium high heat, cook and crumble sausage until it's browned and no longer pink.  If there is enough oil you can pour it off, do so.  You want a bit of oil left in the skillet, but not several tablespoons worth. 

In a small lidded container, combine flour and 1/2 cup of milk.  Shake well until combined.  Stir flour & milk mixture into sausage in skillet, until well combined and beginning to bubble.  While continuing to stir, add remaining 1 1/2 cups of milk.  Cook gravy until it's a nice thick consistency and bubbling.  Taste, and season with salt and pepper as desired.  Enjoy!

Easy Homemade Mac 'n Cheese

Becca here with one of my family's favorite recipes!  And once you've tasted 'real' mac 'n cheese, you won't ever want to go back to the boxed stuff again!  Not to mention that this is a pretty 'clean' recipe, and is really quite easy to make in just one pan.  When we were little, our Mom would add chopped ham, to make it an even heartier main dish.  I like to serve frozen green peas with it, and fruit for 'dessert' for a quick & well rounded meal.  My daughter commented on how filling and yummy this was!  This recipe makes a large batch, and it tastes just as good or better reheated the next day!  My family of five usually has it for the 'main dish' for one meal, and a side dish later.  Enjoy!!

Easy Homemade Mac 'n Cheese

1 package your favorite pasta (12-16 ounces)
8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese (I would highly recommend shredding your own)
2 cups milk (I use whole)
1 cup Greek Yogurt (I use Fage 0% sour cream could be substituted)
2 heaping Tablespoons flour
2 Tablespoons butter

In a large pan, cook pasta according to the package directions.  Drain into a colander, and return now empty pan to the stovetop.  Over low heat, add butter.  When it is melted, stir in flour.  Continue to stir until mixture is smooth, thickening, and bubbling.  (This is called making a roux, pronounced "roo" and the base to most cream sauces).  Slowly pour milk into your roux while constantly stirring.  Add cheese, shredded, and Greek Yogurt.  Continue to cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until cheese is melted and sauce is a thickening, creamy mixture.  You don't want this to boil, the texture will be a bit grainy from the milk separating if it comes to a boil.  Pour your cooked pasta back into the creamy cheese sauce, and stir well to combine.  Enjoy!!

*To make this dish 'extra special' and be able to prepare it ahead of time for company, in the cooler months when you actually don't mind turning your oven on, prepare as directed, and then pour prepared mac 'n cheese into a large baking dish and top with a bit more shredded cheese, or breadcrumbs dotted with butter, salt, and pepper.  Cover and refrigerate up to 24 hours, until you're ready to bake it.  Then, just uncover and put straight from the refrigerator into a cold oven preheated to 350 and bake for 30 minutes, or until heated through.  Enjoy!!

Simple Beef Gravy



Jana here with a recipe that is great to have on hand when you are needing to make an easy, quick gravy!  I got the idea from All Recipes, and changed it slightly.  When I have made gravy in the past, there were times that it was difficult to get the lumps out.  Even though this recipe has you add all of the ingredients at the start, it truly was easy to make a smooth gravy!  This can be made very quickly, and has great flavor!

Simple Beef Gravy

1 1/2 cups water

3 teaspoons beef bouillon

1/4 cup all-purpose flou

1/4 cup butter

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1. Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan.  Bring to a boil over medium heat, and stir until smooth, and heated through.

Enjoy!

Fresh Tomato Marinara Sauce

Jana here with a recipe that is so good, you won't ever want to buy canned spaghetti sauce again!  I took my inspiration from a blog I found through a search for marinara using fresh tomatoes.  We have more tomatoes from our garden than we can eat, so I wanted to turn them into something yummy!  If you don't have fresh tomatoes, you could substitute canned tomatoes.  I suggest using the seasonings listed, but also seasoning to taste once it has cooked down. 

If you aren't familiar with how to peel fresh tomatoes, it isn't hard!  I get a large pot of boiling water going on the stove, and a sink of cold water ready.  Core the tomatoes first, and slice an 'x' on the bottom.  Put them in the boiling water for 45 seconds to a minute, then place them in the cold water for about the same amount of time.  Once they have cooled, you can easily peel the skin off!

Fresh Tomato Marinara Sauce

8-10 medium/large garden tomatoes

2 tablespoons olive oil

6 cloves minced garlic

2 teaspoons dried basil

1 teaspoon dried oregano

2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon sugar

2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar

1. Peel the tomatoes, as mentioned above.

2. Chop the tomatoes into quarters, and put them into a medium sized pot.  Simmer for 30 minutes.

3. Add the remaining ingredients, and simmer for several hours.  The amount of time it simmers depends on how thick you want the sauce to be.  (longer simmer = thicker sauce)  I have found that 3-4 hours total simmer time is a good amount for us!

4. Taste the sauce, and add additional seasonings if necessary!

Enjoy!