CrockPot

Chicken Noodle Soup

~ lk529 ~ 1 Comment

The New Year brings with it resolutions for self-improvement, hope and dreams, and a fresh start. But it is also that time of year where colds are being spread amongst family and friends. (That must be why January is National Soup Month.)

If you find your body rebelling against returning to work and post-vacation responsibilities, this slow cooker soup might be just what you need! Curl up on the couch with some warm tea, a good book, and a bowl of chicken noodle soup.

Chicken Noodle Soup

Ingredients:

  • 2 large chicken breasts
  • 4 C water
  • 4 C chicken broth
  • 2 stalk celery, sliced
  • 1-2 carrots, sliced
  • 1/2 onion, chopped
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1/8 C dried parsley
  • 1/2 tsp dried marjoram
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp pepper
  • 6 oz dried noodles, any kind you like

Steps:

  1. Combine all ingredients, except noodles, in a slow cooker. Cook on LOW for 5 hours. 
  2. Remove chicken and cut meat (away from the bones if you used bone-in chicken) into bite sized cubes. Return the chicken to the soup and add the noodles. Note: Traditionally, egg noodles are used in Chicken Noodle Soup but if you don’t have any use your favorite shaped pasta. Cook on LOW another hour, or until noodles are cooked.

*This recipe is adapted from Diana at http://southernfood.about.com/od/crockpotsoup/r/bl43c14.htm*

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Pork Chops and Applesauce

~ lk529 ~ Leave a comment

I bring you a comfort food classic combination. I don’t recall ever having Pork Chops and Applesauce growing up and wanted to know why these two foods are traditionally paired together.

The answer? Because it works! The flavors complement each other nicely.

I made a quick spice rub for my pork – salt, pepper, paprika, ground mustard, thyme. Seared them over the stove top and served them aside homemade apple sauce and a baked potato. (Yes, I realize there should have been a green of some sort, probably broccoli served with this too. But apple is a fruit!)

Slow Cooker Applesauce

Ingredients:

  • 4 pink lady apples, peeled
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 1-2 tbsp brown sugar, to taste

Steps:

  1. Cut peeled apples into chunks. Place in a slow cooker. Add the cinnamon stick.
  2. Cook on LOW 4-6 hours.
  3. Taste apple sauce and add brown sugar to sweeten if desired.

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Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos

~ lk529 ~ 3 Comments

This taco recipe is probably the most popular taco recipe on foodgawker! After making this dish it’s obvious why – you couldn’t come across a simpler recipe! 3 ingredients, set it and forget it. Except that you can’t forget it because your kitchen will start to smell like a Mexican restaurant. I don’t suggest making this when you’re home all day – it’ll just make you hungry!

Stuart has been raving about last month’s Healthy Chicken Tacos so I served my tacos with the same avocado lime sauce.

The shredded chicken also makes for great nacho meat. For lunch the next day I took Tostido’s Scoops, topped them with chicken and cheese, popped it in the microwave for 25 seconds and dipped in salsa!

Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos

Ingredients:

  • 5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 16 oz jarred salsa
  • 1 oz taco seasoning

Steps:

  1. Place chicken in slow cooker. Sprinkle with taco seasoning and cover with salsa. Cook on LOW 6 hours.
  2. Remove chicken from slow cooker and shred.
  3. Assemble tacos with desired toppings: sour cream guacamole, tomatoes, lettuce, cheese.

*This recipe is adapted from Sarah at http://www.mychocolatetherapy.com/2012/01/crockpot-chicken-tacos.html*

Slow Cooker Tacos Slow Cooker Tacos

Chinese Barbecue Chicken

~ lk529 ~ 1 Comment

The slow cooker isn’t just for easy week night meals; it’s also great for busy weekends! When my friend and I get together or my mother-in-law is in town for quilting weekends we throw together a slow cooker meal before hunkering down in the “sweat shop” for the day.  (I like to tell my husband I’m “Super Wife” on these days.)

I served these with rice and fresh green beans. The leftovers were turned into sandwiches.

Chinese Barbecue Chicken

Ingredients:

  • 2 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 1/2 C honey
  • 1/2 C soy sauce
  • 1/4 C hoisin
  • 1/4 C blackberry jam
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 onion, diced
  • 1 tbsp cornstarch
  • 3 scallions, sliced

Steps:

  1. Combine honey, soy sauce, hoisin, jam, oil, and garlic.
  2. Place chicken in slow cooker. Cover with onion and sauce. Cook on LOW 4 1/2 hours.
  3. Remove chicken and shred. Pour the sauce in a saucepan. Mix together cornstarch with 3 tbsp water. Whisk into sauce and bring to a boil until thickened. Pour over shredded chicken.

*This recipe is adapted from Kelly at http://www.justataste.com/2013/09/slow-cooker-crock-pot-honey-garlic-chicken-recipe/*

Chinese Chicken

Chinese Chicken

Slow Cooker Engineering

~ lk529 ~ Leave a comment

Just like any busy cook, one of my best friends in the kitchen is my slow cooker. But what do you do when you find a recipe that makes your mouth water and your stomach growl that on LOW only takes 5 hours? Depending on how far from the office you live, there is the opportunity to go home during your lunch hour and prep dinner. Or, if your slow cooker has a fancy “delay” button, then no worries. But what if it doesn’t and you can’t get away in the middle of the day? Well, this engineer has figured out a solution!

Here’s what you’ll need: An outlet timer like those used for holiday lights ($10) and a simple slow cooker with a dial, not the electric kind ($30).

Timer Slow Cooker 

Note: The electric slow cookers will not work because to turn them on you have to be home to physically push the buttons.

Here’s what you’ll do: Plug your slow cooker into the timer and the timer into the outlet. Set your timer to turn on for as long as the recipe calls for, making sure the hours you set it for coincide with when you want to eat! Turn the dial on your slow cooker to LOW (or HIGH based on the recipe). Fill ‘er up, put on the lid, and walk away! Image

The only disadvantage to this method is that the slow cooker will not be able to switch to “keep warm” once the timer turns off because at this point your slow cooker will also be off. I don’t consider this to be a show stopper though because I know I’ll be home close enough to the time it turns off.