Crock Pot Spicy Beans and Turkey Sausage

I was looking for something healthy and came across this recipe.

Ingredients:
* 1lb turkey sausage (whole links or sliced)
* 1 can (16oz) kidney beans, rinsed and drained
* 1 can (15.5oz) great northern beans, rinsed and drained
* 1 can (15oz) black beans, rinses and drained
* 1.5 cups frozen corn
* 1.5 cups salsa
* 1 large green pepper, chopped
* 1 large onion, chopped
* .5 - 1 cup water
* 3 garlic cloves, minced
* 1 tsp ground cumin

Directions:
In a 5 qt. slow cooker, combine all ingredients. Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours or until meat is tender. Stir before serving.

When I make this again, I will add less water. I added the full cup and the spiciness was a little watered down. Also, I wouldn't be a wimp and use 'mild' salsa - I'd go for the spicy. We ended up sprinkling our full plates with Frank's hot sauce, which gave this dish a good kick. Overall, very healthy and full of protein! We also steamed up some brown rice and served this crock pot concoction over the rice. Delish!

Chocolate Chocolate Cake from Scratch!

Thou shalt never make a cake from a box again! It was my birthday this week, and I LOVE baking cakes, so I made myself a birthday cake. We were snowed in under 15" so I couldn't go to the grocery store to buy my usual Duncan Hines mix. I scoured the internet for a recipe encompassing all of the ingredients I already had in the house and found an AWESOME recipe for the cake and icing from Hershey's! I had Hershey cocoa in the house.

The cake turned out to be extremely moist and the icing was so chocolaty! It was worth the effort to bake this cake from scratch and I will be making this again ... and again ...

Cake Ingredients
# 2 cups sugar
# 1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
# 3/4 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
# 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
# 1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
# 1 teaspoon salt
# 2 eggs
# 1 cup milk
# 1/2 cup vegetable oil
# 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
# 1 cup boiling water

Cake Directions
1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round baking pans.

2. Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Pour batter into prepared pans.

3. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely. Frost with "PERFECTLY CHOCOLATE" CHOCOLATE FROSTING. 10 to 12 servings.

Frosting Ingredients
# 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine
# 2/3 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
# 3 cups powdered sugar
# 1/3 cup milk
# 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Frosting Directions
Melt butter. Stir in cocoa. Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beating to spreading consistency. Add small amount additional milk, if needed. Stir in vanilla. About 2 cups frosting.

Slow Cookin' Meatloaf

We are about to get a huge snow storm, yielding 8-16" of snow, so I figured baking a meatloaf would be a good way to ensure we had plenty of food for the weekend. We used to make cold meat loaf sandwiches with my mom's meatloaf leftovers. Delicious!

I don't have my mom's recipe (although I don't think there is much mystery to meatloaf), but I found this one for the slow cooker and it turned out to be very delicious - mostly because of the tasty topping.

Ingredients:

* 2 beaten eggs
* 3/4 c. milk
* 2/3 c. seasoned bread crumbs
* 1 tsp salt
* 2 T. grated onions
* 1/2 tsp. ground sage
* 1 1/2 lb. ground meat (I used ground beef)

Sauce
* 1/4 C. Ketchup
* 2 T. brown sugar
* 1 tsp. dry mustard
* 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

Directions:

Mix all the ingredients for the loaf. It may seem a little 'soupy' at first, but the bread crumbs will soak and absorb the liquid. Put loaf in Crock-Pot on low 5-6 hours (Longer is OK.) Pour sauce over meat in the last 15 minutes on high. You can also double the recipe for more people or more leftovers!

Easy Whole Chicken in Slow Cooker

Sometimes, for quick dinner ideas, I will pick up a ready-to-eat rotisserie chicken at the grocery store. Yesterday I decided to bake my own whole chicken using, what else... the crock pot!

I purchased a 5 pound organic chicken for this extremely easy dish and paired it with some steamed asparagus and Parmesan risotto.

Ingredients:
* 5 lb whole chicken
* 1/4 cup Newman's Own Light Sun Dried Tomato dressing
* Salt to taste
* Black pepper to taste

Directions:
I removed the bag on giblets (ew) from the cavity and rubbed the raw chicken down with the dressing, inside and out. I then sprinkled with the salt and pepper. I FORGOT to remove the skin and when I make this again, I will remove it before cooking. I put the chicken in the slow cooker and cooked on low for 8 hrs.

When it was finished, it was cooked so well that it literally fell off the bones!

Chicken Paprikash in the Slow Cooker

I have made this dish the traditional way - slaving over a hot stove. But why take so much time when you can create just as tasty a dish in the crock pot! I would pair this with some boiled, whole-grain noodles or maybe brown rice if you are not a noodle fan. Either way, it's very healthy - low fat, low cal.


Ingredients

* 1 spray(s) cooking spray, or enough to coat skillet
* 2 cup(s) mushroom(s), coarsely chopped
* 1 small onion(s), chopped
* 1 small garlic clove(s), minced
* 1 small sweet red pepper(s), diced
* 1 tsp paprika
* 3/4 tsp table salt
* 1/2 tsp black pepper
* 1/2 cup(s) canned chicken broth
* 1 pound(s) uncooked boneless, skinless chicken breast
* 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
* 1/2 cup(s) fat-free sour cream


Instructions

Coat a nonstick skillet with cooking spray and heat. Add mushrooms, onion, garlic and pepper; sauté 5 minutes. Stir in paprika, salt and pepper; cook 30 seconds more. Spoon mixture into a 4- to 5-quart slow cooker; add broth. Cut each chicken breast into 4 long strips; add to slow cooker. Cover and cook on low setting for 5 to 6 hours.

Stir together flour and sour cream in a cup; stir into chicken mixture. (Note: Stir flour into the sour cream to prevent the cream from curdling in slow-cooked dishes.) Cover and cook on low until the mixture is thick and hot, about 10 minutes more.

Yields about 1 1/2 cups per serving.

Slow-cooked Acorn Squash

What's better than squash? :) Squash with brown sugar and butter - it is truly like eating a dessert! After sitting in the crock for 4 hours, the squash was so soft that it almost fell apart. The butter and brown sugar mixture melts into a 'pool', so I suggest placing the squash into a bowl carefully, unwrapping the foil from there, and mashing the squash and pool with a fork. It will blend into a perfectly spiced concoction.


Ingredients

* 3/4 cup packed brown sugar (I used the Splenda blend brown sugar)
* 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
* 2 acorn squash, halved and seeded
* 3/4 cup raisins
* 4 tablespoons butter or margarine
* 1/2 cup water

Directions

1. Combine brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg; spoon into the squash halves. Sprinkle with raisins. Top each with 1 tablespoon of butter. Wrap each squash half individually in heavy-duty foil; seal tightly. Pour water into a slow cooker. Place the squash, cut side up, in slow cooker (packets may be stacked). Cover and cook on high for 4 hours or until the squash is tender. Open foil packets carefully to allow steam to escape.

Classic Lasagna - without cooking the noodles!

Italian is one of my favorite types of foods to cook and eat. I was really excited to make this "classic" lasagna recipe over the weekend. We had friends over Saturday night for dinner, and everyone enjoyed it!

It was a little time consuming given that I made the meat sauce rather than simply buying a jar of pre-made, but I think the end result was worth it so I highly recommend taking the extra time. I did, however, buy the Barilla old style flat "no boil" lasagna noodles. Not only did I save time by not having to pre-cook the noodles, they were old world style flat which made the dish a little unique.

This is definitely one of those recipes that could be made a day ahead and baked when needed. Also, the sauce can be made ahead of time and frozen for later use.

Ingredients

* 2 medium onions, chopped
* 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
* 4 garlic cloves, minced
* 1 pound lean ground beef
* 1 (14.5-oz.) can basil, garlic, and oregano diced tomatoes
* 2 (6-oz.) cans tomato paste
* 1 (8-oz.) can basil, garlic, and oregano tomato sauce
* 1 bay leaf
* 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
* 1 1/4 teaspoons salt, divided
* 3/4 teaspoon pepper, divided
* 12 lasagna noodles, uncooked (get the no-boil kind to save time!)
* 8 cups boiling water (not needed if you buy the no-boil noodles)
* 1 (16-oz.) container ricotta cheese
* 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
* 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
* 2 (6-oz.) packages part-skim mozzarella cheese slices
* Garnish: chopped fresh parsley

Preparation

1. Sauté onion in 1 Tbsp. hot oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat 5 minutes or until tender. Add garlic, and sauté 1 minute. Add beef, and cook, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes or until beef crumbles and is no longer pink. Drain beef mixture, and return to skillet. Stir in diced tomatoes, next 4 ingredients, 1 tsp. salt, and 1/2 tsp. pepper; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally, 30 minutes. Remove and discard bay leaf; set meat sauce aside.

2. (Only need to perform this step if you did not buy the no-boil noodles!) Place lasagna noodles in a 13- x- 9-inch pan. Carefully pour 8 cups boiling water and remaining 1 Tbsp. olive oil over noodles. Let stand 15 minutes.

3. Stir together ricotta cheese, eggs, Parmesan cheese, remaining 1/4 tsp. salt, and remaining 1/4 tsp. pepper until blended.

4. Spoon half of the meat sauce mixture in a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch baking dish. Shake excess water from noodles, and arrange 6 noodles over meat sauce; top with half of ricotta mixture and 1 package mozzarella cheese slices. Repeat layers once.

5. Bake, covered, at 350° for 55 minutes. Uncover and bake 10 to 15 more minutes or until bubbly. Let lasagna stand 10 minutes before serving. Garnish, if desired.

Slow Cooker Beef Enchiladas

This was a delicious surprise! The combination of ingredients (namely, the Campbell's soup) threw me off, but the end result was very delicious. I made a few healthier variations along the way, and no flavor or texture was sacrificed. I am excited to have so much left over and will definitely be making this again.

I used my 5qt crock pot to make this recipe.


Ingredients
- 1.5 pound lean ground beef (I used 93/7 fat beef)
- 6 (8 inch) soy/wheat/flax tortillas, quartered
- 1 (1 ounce) package taco seasoning mix
- 1 (14 ounce) jar chunky salsa
- 1 (10.75 ounce) fat free can condensed cream of mushroom soup
- 1 (10.75 ounce) fat free can condensed cream of chicken soup
- 4 cups shredded reduced fat Sargento Mexican cheese blend

Directions

1. Crumble the ground beef into a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir until evenly browned. Add taco seasoning and water; simmer for 15 minutes over low heat.
2. In a medium bowl, stir together the salsa, cream of mushroom soup and cream of chicken soup. Mix in most of the cheese, reserving 3/4 cup for later.
3. Place a layer of tortillas covering the bottom of a slow cooker. Scoop a layer of the ground beef over that, and then spoon a layer of the cheese mixture. Repeat the layers until you run out of stuff, ending with a layer of tortillas on the top. Top with remaining cheese.
4. Cover, and cook on High for 1 hour to 1.5 hours (cooking time may vary with your crock pot, check frequently after 1 hour mark).

Marinated Pork Loin for the Slow Cooker

I made pork loin for the first time in the over about 6 months ago. Again, I hate cooking meat. I am not convinced our oven does the best job of thoroughly cooking food, and since I'd never cooked pork before, I had no idea what the inside should look like (although I've heard as long as the juices run clear, it's finished).

Trying to avoid that debacle again (I think I put that pork loin back in the oven 3 or 4 times AFTER serving it out of paranoia), I made this pork loin in the crock pot. I picked up an uncooked, pre-marinated 2lb pork loin from the grocery store. It was by 1, get 1 free so I got 2 and threw them into the freezer until I was ready. The night before I was to make the pork loin, I put it in the bottom of the fridge and it was thawed by the time I was ready to cook.

I put the pork loin into the crock pot. Since it was pre-marinated, I didn't have to do anything more than that. I put the crock pot setting to LOW and let it cook for 4.5hrs. When it was finished, it was very juicy. We also have enough left overs for dinner again tonight!

Not So Boring Chicken and Rice Crock Pot Dish

Nothing sounds more unadventurous than cooking a chicken and rice dinner... unless it is in a crock pot and accompanied by Italian seasoning and Parmesan cheese.

I have made the old Campbell's Cream of Mushroom chicken and rice skillet dish a few times - usually when I felt uninspired. It's okay, but a little bland and I always forget to use the minute rice so it comes out chewy.

I wanted to try the recipe in the crock pot and when I searched online for that version, I came across something similar but with the additions of Parmesan cheese and Italian seasoning. This not only improved the taste, but also made the aroma in the house during cooking mouth-watering!

Serves 4...

Ingredients
1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 can Campbell's Cream of Mushroom soup and 1 can of water
1 cup long grain brown rice (I use minute brown rice to make it more tender)
1 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1 (16 ounce) package frozen peas or chopped broccoli

Directions
1. Mix all ingredients except chicken and peas in the crock of your slow cooker.
2. Add the chicken breasts and submerse in liquid.
4. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

I cooked this dish for about 7.5 hours and the chicken was a little dry. I would check the chicken closer to 6 hours. 30 minutes prior to serving, stir in the frozen peas. Sometimes 1/2 cup of water is also needed at this point, sometimes it is not. I added at the 7 hr mark and I probably could have done without it.

I hate cooking meat

I love to eat meat, but I absolutely hate cooking it. From picking it out in the grocery store (what's that expiration date say?), to defrosting it from the freezer (how long has this been in here?), to unwrapping it (I use a fork and some kind of knife - my hands never touch raw meat!) to ensuring it is FULLY cooked (all my meat meals look like they have met Zorro).

However, I love using my slow cooker/crock pot, and when I'm putting meat in it, I'm sure it is going to turn out JUST fine. Therefore, most of the recipes I will be sharing on this Blog will be of the slow cooker/crock pot variety.

Enjoy!