Monday, September 29, 2014

Slow Cooker Pizza

I am sharing this recipe from Pillsbury so I can access it quickly.

It looks and sounds divine!

Sunday, January 9, 2011

Cream of Mushroom Soup

It's been over a YEAR since I last posted on this blog. Not one new post in 2010. I plan to change that. My resolution for 2011 is to make soup. Leonard loves creamed soups and my personal favorite is Cream of Mushroom.

This is so simple and quick. I am sorry, it is not made in the slow cooker but on the stove top.

1 pound mushrooms
1/4 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine
3 tablespoons all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup heavy cream or 1 can evaporated milk
1 can chicken broth
freshly ground pepper

Optional (I did not do this) 1 Tablespoon dry sherry

Slice enough mushrooms to make one cup, Chop remaining mushrooms.

Melt butter in 3 quart saucepan over medium heat. Cook all mushrooms in butter about 10 min., stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are golden brown. Sprinkle with flour and salt. Cook, stirring constantly, until thickened.

Gradually stir in cream and broth, heat until hot. Stir in sherry. Sprinkle with pepper to taste.

This is divine!

Saturday, December 19, 2009

Super Simple Cranberry Roast

I haven't updated this blog recently as I have been addicted to the Korean Ribs! I think we have had them nearly weekly!

Tonight I am in the mood for a cranberry flavor and I am trying another recipe from A Year of Slow Cooking - Super Simple Cranberry Roast.

2-3 pounds beef or pork roast or stew chunks (I picked up a nice 2.5 lb. pork roast at BJ's)

1 tablespoon dried onion flakes, or 1 medium yellow onion, diced
2 tablespoons soy sauce (I only use Kikkoman)
1 (16-ounce) whole berry cranberry sauce
1 package brown gravy mix (my addition - it just needed a bit "something" and this worked well!)


that's it!

The Directions:

Use a 4-quart slow cooker. Plop in the meat (frozen is fine), and add the onion and soy sauce & gravy mix packet. Pour in the entire can of cranberry sauce over the top. Do not add water. Cover and cook on low for 7-9 hours, or on high for 5-6. If you are cooking on high, you may need to "help" the meat break apart by taking it out an hour or so before serving by cutting it into chunks, then returning to the sauce. I like it when the meat is tender and the juice has fully soaked in.

I always cook onl low with plenty of time. Can't wait to try this tonight!

Friday, October 30, 2009

Korean Ribs

I *LOVE* Asian flavors! The first time I had ever had Korean food was when Katrin & Julie took me to a Korean BBQ for my birthday. Ever since I found this recipe, I have been "chomping at the bit" to try it!

Korean Ribs from A Year of Slow Cooking Blog

1 package (1.5 lbs) country style ribs (on sale this week at Aldi!)
1 cup soy sauce (I grew up with Kikkoman)
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup water
5 whole jalapeno peppers (do not cut these)

I put the ribs on the bottom (I did NOT brown them first), and added all the rest of the ingredients. Cook on low for 8-9 hours. Discard peppers after cooking.

I will report tonight what my official taste tester's opinion is.

This is a FAVORITE! I have been making this every week or two!

Saturday, October 10, 2009

Pea Soup

This is my very first time making pea soup. I have been craving this all week and I have had a ham bone in my freezer just waiting for this day.

Unfortunately, my ham bone is too large for my cooker, so I improvised.

1 lb dries peas
10 baby carrots, coined
1 onion rough chopped
1 clove mince garlic
2 slices of cooked bacon pieces*
1 can chicken broth
4 cups water
salt & ground black pepper to taste

Rinse the peas and put them in the bottom of the slow cooker. Add remaining ingredients. I added the fresh ground pepper right away and will taste the soup as it cooks to see how much salt it will need due to the bacon. Cook on slow 10-12 hours.

* My bacon secret I got from Food Network's Melissa d'Arabian. Freeze one pound of bacon. When you need a slice to cook, cut off 1" crosswise from your frozen slab. Cooks into nice bacon pieces without a lot of work.

Note: I found mine soup very bland and today my mother shared her secret - a couple splashes of worcestershire sauce! I will try that next time.

Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Cream Cheese Chicken

Oh I think this is going to be a favorite at our home!

I got the recipe from my favorite slow cooking blog and I revised it as follows:

2-4 pieced of frozen, boneless, skinless chicken (I used breasts)
1 can cream of "something" soup (I used cream of celery)
1/2 cup chicken broth*
1 package Italian Salad Dressing mix
2 cloves minced garlic (or 1 teaspoon of pre-minced garlic in the jar)
1/2 package frozen vegetable medley
1 block of cream cheese

Layer frozen veggies in bottom of slow cooker. Add frozen chicken. Combine soup, chicken broth, dressing mix and garlic. Pour on top of chicken and cook on low 6-8 hours, until chicken shreads. Shread chicken with 2 forks, add block of cream cheese and cook on high for 1/2 hour until cream cheese melts.

I served over orzo pasta. This was an instant hit with the husband!

Next time I am going to try Neufachel cheese which is 1/3 less fat than regular cream cheese.

*Money saving tip: My chicken broth came in a 14 oz can. I brought out 2 small custard dishes and zipper sandwich bags and measured 2 - 1/2 cup portions of the broth into the bags sitting in the cups for the form and froze. I took the froze bags and moved them to a freezer bag and have a ready portion for the next time I make this. The portion that was left less than 1/2 cup was added to the dogs' dinner tonight with no complaints from them.

Monday, September 28, 2009

Buffalo Chicken Lasagna - baked, not slow cooked

I revised this recipe from my favorite slow cooking blog. I was bad and I oven baked my lasagna this weekend since we were home. I personally like a crunchy crust to my lasagna and I have not been brave enough to try one in the slow cooker yet.

My revisions:

1 package oven ready lasagna noodles
1 jar of your favorite pasta sauce (I use tomato & basil)
1/4 cup (or more depending on your taste) of hot sauce (I use Frank's)
8 oz ricotta cheese
2 cups shreaded cheese (I mix mozzerella & cheddar)
6 oz cubed grilled chicken (I bought mine at Aldi)
blue cheese crumbles to taste

Spray your baking pan with cooking spray. Mix pasta sauce and hot sauce together. Add one spoonful of sauce to bottom of pan. Layer noodles, riccotta, chicken, shreaded cheese, sauce & repeat. Top your last layer of noodles with sauce, shreaded cheese and blue cheese crumbles.

Bake in a 350 degree preheated oven COVERED for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for an additional 15 minutes. Let sit 15 minutes before cutting.

I served with butternut squash which I cooked with butter & brown sugar, to offset any "kick" from the lasagna.