Jen -- I love using my crock-pot. It gets more use in the winter -- because of all the soups -- I'll try not to put too many of my soup recipes as I'm sure you have a lot of those, but it's great for summer too!! Here are some of our favorites...hope there aren't a lot of duplicates from what you already have! I will also pre-warn you.... I am NOT a person that likes to do a lot of "pre-cooking" things before the crockpot. The only thing I usually am willing to do is used pre-cooked shredded chicken (because I have alot of that pre-frozen from previous whole chicken). I'm just lazy that way! :) I will use pre-cooked meat (like meatballs, or kielbasa sausage) or raw that can fully cook in the crockpot.
I don't know if you remember this ... but a year (maybe 2) ago there was a woman who used her crockpot 365 days out of the year -- one recipe a day (not all were "main" dishes). She had a blog. I used it back then for ideas -- she no longer does one a day, however she still has her website and she does post occasional new recipes -- you can also go back & look at her whole year of crock-pot recipes. Her webpage is HERE . She has some great ideas!!
Crockpot Fajitas
1. Sliced Peppers (yellow, red, green)
2. Sliced Onion (I use sweet yellow)
3. Chicken breast (or strips)
4. 1 jar salsa
5. "Mexican spices" use a large pinch of which ever combination you like
(chili powder/cumin/ paprika / garlic powder / oregano / red pepper)
6. Sour cream
7. Avocado
8. Whole wheat tortillas
9. Shredded cheese (sometimes we add, sometimes not)
Add 1st 5 ingredients into crock pot. At about the 4-5 hour mark you can open & "shred" chicken with a fork & let cook final hour. HOWEVER you do not have to shred until the end in case you're not home to do so an hour early. Cook on low about 5-6 hours. It will be slightly "watery", when done however I just scoop out with a slotted spoon. Spoon into tortillas and top with sour cream, cheese, and avocado.
Crockpot Lasagna
1. Lasagna Noodles (keep dry .... not cooked)
2. Sauce (jar or home-made - can use meat or non-meat - meat must be pre-cooked)
3. Fresh spinach (you can leave out, but I LOVE spinach in mine)
4. Ricotta cheese
5. Mozzarella cheese (shredded)
6. Italian spices (again use pre-mixed or combo of your own)
(oregano, basil, marjoram, sage, garlic)
7. Salt & pepper
Mix Ricotta cheese w/ spices & salt & pepper. Start w/ scoop of sauce on bottom of crockpot. Layer dry noodles (fit as best you can) top w/ sauce/meat, next top w/ layer of spinach, next layer scoop of sauce. Keep layering until you end & top all with layer of mozzarella cheese. Cook for 3-4 hours on low.
Creamy Corn & Chicken Chowder
2 cups cooked & shredded chicken
1 cup milk
2 cups chicken broth
15oz can Mexi-corn
4oz cream cheese cubed
1 red bell pepper chopped
1/2 can green chilies
Mexican shredded cheese
Place all items BUT shredded cheese in crock-pot & cook for 5 hours on low. Serve w/ shredded cheese on top.
Sausage/Potato/Cabbage
1 Kielbasa sausage (I use turkey) cut into slices
1/2 cabbage cut into thick shreds
4-5 potatoes sliced med thick slices
1/2 onion cut in thin slices
1/2 c chicken broth
Layer w/ potatoes first, cover with broth, then onion, then cabbage, then top w/ sausage. Cook for 6hr on low. Your potatoes should be cooked through & cabbage should be "wilted".
Stuffed Peppers
1. 1lb ground turkey
2. 1/2 onion chopped
3. 1/2 - 1 Tbs Garlic powder
4. 1/2 c shredded carrot (finely shredded more like grated)
5. 1/4c Parmesan cheese
6. Salt & Pepper
7. 3 Tbs Tomato paste
8. 1/2 c uncooked rice (I use brown, you can use white too)
9. Ketchup
10. Brown sugar
11. Green peppers (tops evenly cut off & seeds & veins removed)
12. 1/4 c chicken broth
Mix first 7 ingredients together in a bowl. (Some people use 1 egg in this recipe too - I've heard it's fine & I've heard some people say don't do it unless you're cooking in the oven to ensure the egg gets totally cooked...so I'm leaving it off this recipe). Stuff mix into pepper shells. Place in crockpot & put tops on peppers. I pour a little chicken broth on bottom to ensure the bottom of my peppers don't scorch during cooking. (but you don't need much...enough to put THIN layer on bottom) Cook on low for 5-6 hours.
Then, I mix ketchup & brown sugar during last hour of cooking I place a "dollop" on top & keep cooking...just for extra flavor -- it's what my mom always did when she made them when I was a kid, so it's not something you have to do.
(I've also heard about making "Mexican flavor" stuffed peppers -- make it w/ corn instead of shredded carrots, add salsa instead of tomato paste, and Mexican spices instead of garlic. Maybe even use a Mexican flavor rice. Then, top w/ a pepper jack or Mexican type cheese. I've never done this, but I've seen recipes for it.)
Some Basic Things
1. Whole chicken (spices, olive oil, salt+pepper) w/ veggies
2. Pork Tenderloins (use a olive oil, soy, garlic, Worcestershire (sp?), onion marinade)
3. Boneless pork ribs (put in w/ BBQ sauce & shred w/ fork for sandwich)
4. Pre-cooked meatballs (or you can make your own ahead of time) put frozen in crockpot w/ duck sauce (Chinese orange colored sauce) & heat through - serve over cooked rice.
5. Brown Beans (Dried brown beans w/ water (and/or broth mix) enough to cover & dash of pepper) + a small ham-hock (this is just for a little flavoring). I always served it with onions on top & cornbread on side....Oh how I MISS my beans :(
No comments:
Post a Comment