Slow Cooker

Beef Tips

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As you already know, we first began blogging with several more contributors.  We like to highlight recipes from the past that received a lot of views.  Our sweet Aubrey shared this Beef Tips recipe.  We sure miss her, as she lost her long battle with cancer several years ago.

So here is our remake of this dish, with no changes other than adding some broccoli as a side dish.

It’s tasty and you know how good your kitchen smells when something’s in the slow cooker!

Beef Tips
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Ingredients
  1. 1 lb. beef tips (any cut of beef roughly chopped)
  2. 1 can golden mushroom soup
  3. 1 can French onion soup
  4. 1 package dry onion soup mix
  5. Hot cooked rice
Instructions
  1. Place all ingredients in slow cooker.
  2. Cook on low for 5 to 6 hours.
  3. Serve over hot, cooked rice.
Notes
  1. Ingredients double easily.
  2. Great dish for sharing.
Adapted from Aubrey Williford
Adapted from Aubrey Williford
Mormon Mavens https://www.mormonmavens.com/

Slow Cooker Chicken Chile Verde

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If you follow us on Instagram, you have already seen this picture.  Not your typical beautifully crafted finished product recipe image, right?  But, the technique used to shred this chicken is such a game changer, you will appreciate why I shared this.  

Besides, there wasn’t a particular dish that I was preparing this chicken for.  There are many ways you can use this Chicken Chile Verde.  Let your imagination run wild with that.

When I made this yesterday, I just scooped some of the chicken into a couple of romaine lettuce leaves and added chunks of avocado–low carb diet is happening right now.  Sort of.  You know what I mean.  My husband, however, made a burrito with his portion.

So, enjoy this recipe and the many ways in which you can use it. I would bet you could freeze it, as well, for future use.  

Slow Cooker Chicken Chile Verde
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Ingredients
  1. 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts*
  2. 1 medium onion, diced
  3. 1 bottle Herdez Salsa Verde
  4. 2 t. chili powder
  5. 1-2 t. ground cumin
  6. 2 cloves garlic, minced
Instructions
  1. Rub the chicken with the chili powder and cumin. Place in a covered dish and marinate overnight in the refrigerator.
  2. When ready to cook, place chicken in slow cooker; add garlic, onion and then top with the Salsa Verde.
  3. Turn slow cooker to low and cook for 8 hours.
  4. To shred, remove the chicken from the slow cooker to a large mixing bowl, leaving the liquid inside.
  5. With a mixer (I used a hand mixer) shred the chicken--literally takes less than 10 seconds. I think I had my setting on about 2 or 3.
  6. Return shredded chicken to the slow cooker and toss to coat with the liquid.
  7. Serve in a variety of ways.
Notes
  1. Original recipe calls for 6-8 chicken breasts, but I used a pack of 4. You may want to increase your seasonings if you use that much chicken.
Adapted from PaleoBurn Fat Burning Cookbook
Adapted from PaleoBurn Fat Burning Cookbook
Mormon Mavens https://www.mormonmavens.com/

Slow Cooker French Dip Sandwiches

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Is it Throwback Thursday, or do they still do that?  It’s the time of year when you want to pull out the slow cooker and make your house smell like “yum”.  This post is an oldie but a goodie from a past Maven.  Enjoy!

“Oh my goodness these are delicious! My family was completely quiet while they ate these. It was so funny! No one had time to talk…too busy eating! We were so craving a roast for Sunday dinner. I wanted something a bit different. I found a recipe for French Dip sandwiches and tweaked it for my family and this is what happened! Very yummy.”

3-1/2 lbs beef chuck roast
16 oz beef broth
1- 10.5 oz can condensed French onion soup
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 tsp. garlic powder
2-3 TBSP. Worchestershire sauce
salt and pepper, to taste
4-6 French rolls
olive oil
sliced provolone cheese, optional

1.  Trim excess fat off beef roast and season meat with salt and pepper.

2.  Into the slow cooker add the following ingredients: beef broth, condensed French onion soup, red wine vinegar, garlic powder, Worchestershire sauce and mix well. Then add the beef roast.

3.  Set your slow cooker on high! Set the time for 5 1/2 to 6 hours. This will be falling apart when you next look at it! But, you need to adjust this to your slow cooker. My slow cooker cooks really hot and fast. So think about yours before you set it. If you have time, put this on earlier in the day and set it to low. Since this is cooking in liquid it will not dry out.

4.  When it’s time, take beef out and rest it, covered with aluminum foil, for about 15 minutes. Slice beef and return to slow cooker on low for another 20 minutes.

5.  Slice French rolls and brush them with olive oil. Lay cut side down onto baking sheet and toast them to your liking. If someone wants cheese on their sandwich add the cheese onto roll to melt in the oven face up!

6.  Divide beef onto rolls and spoon the au jus sauce into little bowls for each person. (no one wants to share their au jus sauce!) Serve while hot! Your family will love this!

Originally posted on March 6, 2012.

 

Slow Cooker Taco Soup

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Slow cooker or crockpot.  However you say it, this is probably my most favorite kitchen tool.  How much fun is it to throw a bunch of ingredients into a pot, put the lid on, plug it in and come home to dinner?  I was at my sister’s house last week and she had just started her new job and asked me if I would mind throwing the Taco Soup in the crockpot and making the Sweet Corn Cakes (another recipe–stay tuned).  I was delighted to help out and we had just had this recipe a couple of weeks before at her house and I was excited to have it again!  You do need to brown some ground beef and add it at the end of the cooking time, but that was no problem.  I think you will really enjoy this–I sure did!  And of course the house smelled wonderful all afternoon.

This is a great dish to have during these crazy busy days leading up to Christmas, when we are all over-extending ourselves with holiday prep.  You know I’m right.

Slow Cooker Taco Soup
Serves 6
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Ingredients
  1. 1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained & rinsed
  2. 1 (15 oz.) can pinto beans, drained & rinsed
  3. 1 (15 oz.) can kidney beans, drained & rinsed
  4. 1 (14 oz.) can petite diced tomatoes, drained
  5. 1 (15 oz.) can sweet corn, drained (I used creamed corn undrained--because who wants to drain that?)
  6. 1 (10 oz.) can green enchilada sauce
  7. 1 (10 oz.) can red enchilada sauce
  8. half an onion, chopped
  9. 1 cup chicken broth
  10. 1 poblano pepper, chopped
  11. 1 (1 oz.) packet taco seasoning
  12. 1 T. cornstarch + 2 T. water
  13. 1 lb. ground beef
Instructions
  1. Add all beans, tomatoes, corn, onions, peppers, enchilada sauce, chicken broth and taco seasoning to a large crock pot. Stir to combine. Cover with lid and cook on low heat 3-6 hours.
  2. Mix together the cornstarch and water to create a "slurry." Add to the soup in the crock pot as a thickener.
  3. Brown and crumble the ground beef in a large skillet until thoroughly cooked. Drain off the grease and add beef to crock pot and stir to combine.
  4. Serve with shredded cheese, tortilla strips, sour cream, etc.
Adapted from Life in the Lofthouse
Adapted from Life in the Lofthouse
Mormon Mavens https://www.mormonmavens.com/

Slow Cooker Roast Beef

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I could not tell you how many times I have prepared a roast this way.  I learned it from a roommate in college, and have used it ever since.  Everyone loves it and I rarely fix it any other way.  So easy, so delish.  This is my favorite roast beef dish.  It’s actually cooking in my CrockPot, as we speak.

Ingredients:
3-4 lb. chuck roast (cheaper cuts are fine, because the slow cooker tenderizes everything)
1 pkg. dry onion soup mix
1 10-oz can condensed cream of mushroom soup (Golden Mushroom is great, as well)

1.  Place roast in slow cooker.
2. Sprinkle onion soup mix over roast.
3.  Spread condensed soup over top of roast.
4.  Cook on HIGH 4-6 hours (you can cook this on low; just make the time adjustment.  I usually only have time to cook on HIGH!)

Slow Cooker Chicken Chili with Cream Cheese

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This is a multi-use dish that is tasty and easy to prepare.  You will love walking in the door after work and remembering that dinner has been cooking for you all day and the aroma is calling you in.  This dish can be used with rice, as pictured, or without.  It would also be great as a taco or burrito filling–even as a dip with tostadas!
Ingredients:
2 frozen boneless, skinless chicken breasts (do not thaw)
1 can Mexican-style chopped tomatoes
1 can sweet corn, undrained
1 can black beans, drained & rinsed
1 pkg. Ranch Dressing mix
1 T. cumin
1 t. chili powder
1 t. onion powder
1 8-oz. pkg. cream cheese ( I used Neufschatel)


1.  Place the chicken in the slow cooker.  Top with remaining ingredients, ending with the cream cheese.

2.  Cook on low for 6-8 hours, stirring once or twice to blend the cheese.
3.  When done, shred the chicken into bite-size or larger pieces and serve over rice.  Can also be served with burritos or tacos.
NOTES:  Serves 4-6.  Also makes a great dip!
Source:  Rita’s Recipes via Pinterest.

Pulled BBQ Chicken

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My neighbor told me this recipe over the phone. Super easy and satisfying.

Pulled BBQ Chicken in the Crockpot
Ingredients:
3-4 Frozen chicken breasts
1 onion
smoked paprika
garlic powder
a bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce- I used Stubbs original

Directions:
Slice up the onion and place on the bottom of your crock pot. Lay the chicken breasts over the onions. Sprinkle with smoked paprika and garlic powder. Pour some of the BBQ sauce over the top of it all. Cover and cook on low until chicken is cooked through.
Shred the chicken with a fork and add more BBQ sauce as needed.

Serve on rolls with lettuce or wrapped in a tortilla with blue cheese cole slaw.

Freezer Meal: Cafe Rio Chicken

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A little confession.  I know the food is good at Cafe Rio.  I ate there once or twice on a trip to southern Utah a few years back.  But I don’t go ballistic nuts over it.  Just sayin’.  Maybe because I have had so much authentic Mexican food that I never feel like I have been deprived, you know? (Not sure if this is a copycat recipe or what, but my source is noted at the end of this post). This was really tasty.  I used it in a salad, but there was plenty left over to do burritos or fajitas, tacos…OMGoodness, this would be amazing in Sopa de Pollo!

Ingredients:
2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
8 oz.  zesty Italian dressing
1/2 T. minced garlic
1 packet ranch dressing mix, combined with 1/2 cup water
1/2 T. chili powder
1/2 T. ground cumin

1.  Place all ingredients in a zippered freezer bag (gallon size). Close bag and smoosh all the ingredients together.  Place bag in freezer until ready to use.
2. Take out of freezer one hour prior to prep time–this is also a slow cooker recipe–OR run room temperature water over the bag for about 30 seconds.  Then, empty ingredients into a slow cooker.
3.  Cook on LOW for 4-6 hours.  Remove from slow cooker and shred with forks.

NOTE:  Great in tacos, salads, burritos, etc.

TIPS:  You might want to put this in two quart-size bags, depending on the size of your slow cooker.  What I have found with these recipes is that however you place them in the freezer is the shape and size you are going to have of your frozen meal.  Hopefully, that fits in your cooker.  Mine barely did on this.  But I tried a different recipe the other day (yuck!!) that I laid out flat to freeze and it wouldn’t fit my smaller cooker and even with my larger oval one I had to chop away at the corners of the food to get them down in order to get the lid on securely.  Good things to know before you start.

Source:  Chef In Training.

Quick and Easy BBQ Chicken

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This is the most tender, juicy chicken, and it SO EASY!
 

Ingredients:
Chicken Breasts (as many as you need to serve your family)
Pepper
BBQ Sauce (your favorite bottled sauce, or homemade)

Directions:
1. Cut up chicken breasts into 3-4 pieces each, depending on the size of the chicken breast and the size you would like each cooked piece to be. (I make sure to trim off any fat.)

2. Put them in a casserole or baking dish. Put pepper on them if desired.

3. Pour on your favorite barbecue sauce. WE LOVE the Kraft Sweet and Spicy Chipotle Barbecue Sauce. I just put on enough barbecue sauce to cover the top of the chicken. Do not add water. Cover with tin foil.

4. Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes, or until the chicken is done. (Check the center piece and make sure it is not pink! The chicken should be white and have clear juices.) When I am feeding a large crowd and have 2 pans full of chicken in the oven, it will take about an hour to cook through. 

Note:
This can also be done in a crock pot!

Pictures:

Cut up chicken and place in pan.
 
Pour on your favorite barbecue sauce. We really like Kraft Sweet and Spicy Chipotle Barbecue sauce. 
 
 
Spread out the sauce. 
 
 Cover with tin foil and bake until chicken is done. (About 30 minutes.) Then ENJOY! You will love how it is so tender!



Itialian Lentil Soup

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This is a family favorite. Healthy and delicious. Can be made over the stove or thrown in the crockpot. I have done both ways, just depends on what’s going on. It is so easy to throw in what you have. I have used fresh tomatoes, canned tomatoes, frozen grape tomatoes, it is such a forgiving recipe. I have also made it with real Italian pork sausage (I don’t like it that way, too greasy), chicken sausage links that I cooked and cut up, and with ground Italian style chicken sausage (my favorite.)

Italian Lentil Soup

1 lb. package Italian style chicken sausage
1 onion, chopped
2-3 carrots, peeled and diced
2-3 celery stalks, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
6-8 C. chicken or vegetable stock
tomatoes (one can diced or a couple fresh diced or a bunch of grape tomatoes, whatever you have or want to use.)
1-1/2 C. Dry lentils
Italian seasonings (Basil, thyme, oregano) or and Italian seasoning blend
1 (10 oz pkg) spinach or a bunch of kale, roughly chopped
1/2 C. cream (optional)

In a large dutch oven, brown the chicken sausage over med. high heat.
Add the veggies and cook and stir for a few minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant.
Pour in the liquid and add the tomatoes.
Add the dry herbs. I usually just sprinkle in some basil, oregano and thyme. Add salt and pepper if needed.
Bring the soup to a low boil, add the dry lentils and turn soup down to a simmer. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally until the lentils begin to soften (about 15-25 mins.)
Stir in the spinach or kale and the cream, if using. Cook til greens are wilted.
Serve with grated Parmesan cheese and crusty bread.

*If using a crock pot, cook the chicken and then dump in all the ingredients except the spinach and cream. Cook on low for a few hours, until lentils are soft. Then stir in your greens and cream, if using.