Slow Cooker Pepper Steak

I know that all of you are just aching to see another one of the fabulous dishes that my Mother in law made for me while in recovery.  Yeah, I get pretty spoiled when she cooks! The thing I like about this one, is that it is a crock pot recipe.  I have to thanks my sweet Stephanie for taking the picture for me. 

We served this over Coconut Rice.  Though I liked this dish better fresh, it freezes quite nicely. So double your batch and just freeze the leftovers. Thaw, then warm it in the microwave. Yummo!

Slow Cooker Pepper Steak

2 pounds beef sirloin, cut into 2 inch strips

garlic powder to taste

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 cube beef bouillon

1/4 cup hot water

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1/2 cup chopped onion

2 large green bell peppers, roughly chopped

1 (14.5 ounce) can stewed tomatoes, with liquid

3 tablespoons soy sauce

1 teaspoon white sugar

1 teaspoon salt

Sprinkle strips of sirloin with garlic powder to taste. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the vegetable oil and brown the seasoned beef strips. Transfer to a slow cooker.

Mix bouillon cube with hot water until dissolved, then mix in cornstarch until dissolved. Pour into the slow cooker with meat. Stir in onion, green peppers, stewed tomatoes, soy sauce, sugar, and salt.

Cover, and cook on High for 3 to 4 hours, or on Low for 6 to 8 hours.

This recipe taken from All recipes

 

Sara's Chili

It's day one of the biggest loser contest that my husband and friends will be doing.  I wanted to post a nice protein packed dish for ya today. 

 My dear vegan friend Sara, shared this recipe with me a few years ago.  I created my own version of it that I posted a while back. Worlds Best Chili .  Her recipe is much healthier.  We figured out that this dish has about 375 calories per serving.(1 1/2 cups) It's a filling dish and is a great way to get loads of protein without eating all of the calories that red meat has to offer.  This dish would even be healthier if you soaked your own beans and didn't used the canned ones.  This is a quick and easy version for ya though. 

Sara's Chili

2 Cans Pinto Beans

2 Cans Diced Tomatoes

1 Can Black Beans

1 Can Dark Red Kidney Beans

1 Can Light Red Kidney Beans

1 Can Red Beans

1 Can Chili Beans

Crushed Red Pepper to taste (I did about 1/4 tsp)

Onion Powder to taste (I used 1 tsp)

Pour all ingredients into a crock pot. Do not drain. Cook 8-10 hours on low or 4-6 hours on high.

Serve with your favorite toppings

Make a double batch and freeze it for a rainy day!!



Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

There is something so comforting about homemade chicken noodle soup.  My favorite part is the homemade noodles.  Don't get intimidated by making your own noodles.  They are so easy. This recipe is very easy and basic.  It's also one that allows tons of room for creativity.  So have fun with it and make it the way you like it.  If you don't want to make your own noodles, you can also just add in egg noodles right at the end. But that's not nearly as yummy!

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup



1 box of chicken broth

2 chicken breasts (cooked and cubed or shredded)

4 cups of chopped veggies (I used carrots, celery, corn and onions)

6 cups of water

Chicken Boullion cubes (optional, if you like a heavy chicken flavor2-3)

Combine all ingredients into a stock pot. Bring to a boil. Lower heat, cover and simmer until vegetables are cooked through.  Remember to cook your chicken ahead of time.

While it's simmering... do the following.

Mix 1 cup  flour, 1 beaten egg and just enough milk to moisten.  (do not over moisten. You want it to be a stiff dough.) Roll out onto a floured surface, turning over a couple times until it's no longer sticky. Roll thin and cut into thin strips.  (I like mine a little wider and thicker) Drop into boiling broth a couple at a time and boil 10 minutes more. Serve immediately.

Crock Pot You can also cook this in the crock pot. Add everything but the noodles and cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4. You will probably have to cook the noodles stove top, to get the pasta cooked through and firm.  Just add them to a pot of boiling broth and cook for about 10 Minutes.  Add them into the soup just before serving.

Cinnamon Apples (like Boston Market)

I finally got a cinnamon apple recipe that turned out pretty well!   Next time add half the amount of water that goes into it. Being in the crock pot keeps the moisture in a lot more than the oven.  I added more butter than it called for and ended up adding more corn starch half way through to thicken it up.  It was still runny.  So when you are making it, if you like it thick and more like a caramel type sauce, double the cornstarch and half the water. 


Either way, the flavor was fantastic.  It was light and satisfying.  Mmmm Mmmm Good! If you want the original recipe, you can find it here.  I just realized I forgot the salt.  So I bet if would taste even better with the salt added :)  Gotta love the pregnancy brain.  At least I remembered the apples!!!

Cinnamon Apples

3 Apples

1 teaspoon Cornstarch (I used 2 tsp)

2 teaspoons Butter (I used 3 Tbsp) Cut into small chunks

1/2 cup Brown sugar

2/3 cup Water (I would use 1/3 next time)

1/2 tablespoon Flour

1/4 teaspoon Cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon Salt

Peel and core the apples. Cut into thin slices.  (This is when one of those cool apple peeler/slicer gadgets really come in handy!) Lay them into the bottom of the crock pot.

In a small bowl combine the water with the flour, cornstarch, stir until the dry ingredients are dissolved and not lumpy.

Add the brown sugar and cinnamon and stir until smooth. Then Add butter

Pour the cinnamon mixture over the apple slices, Set on low for 3- 3 1/2 hours on low or 2 hours on high. Or until apples are tender.  Enjoy

Rotisserie Chicken in a Crock Pot

Another family favorite is a good rotisserie chicken. I never knew you could do it in a crock pot until about 6 months ago when my Mother in law showed me the light!  Though chicken absolutely grosses me out right now.  I'm really impressed with how it turned out.

Raw chicken and pregnancy don't mix. That's all I can say about that!  So my sweet hubby prepared it for me.  He is a fabulous cook and does wonders with chicken and turkey.  I can't wait until Thanksgiving! Especially because I won't be prego any more and will actually enjoy it.

He just added things until it "looked" right, which is how both of us like to cook. Though I've had to change my ways for the blogs sake :)  The only down fall to cooking that way is that I don't have exact measurements this time.  I had him tell me about how much he put in, right after he did it, so these will be pretty close. 

You may wonder why you put the foil in the bottom. It's to raise the bird up a little bit so it's not sitting in the fat drippings all night or all day.  Don't worry, it will be plenty moist!  Also, if you want a bird that you can carve and has a beautiful presentation, start checking for doneness about 6-7 hours on low or 3-4 hours on high.  The longer you cook it, the more it will fall right off the bone.  I had mine on for 9 hours and there is no keeping that bird in one piece!

Rotisserie Chicken in a Crock Pot



2-3 Tbsp olive oil

1 1/2 Tbsp chicken bullion (mine is the one with parsley in it) 

1 Tbsp garlic powder

1 Tbsp onion powder

1 tsp kosher salt

Pepper to taste

Aluminum foil

Rub Oil into the outside of the bird.  Then rub remaining ingredients (except foil ha ha ha) into the outside of the bird. Get friendly with your little friend. Really massage it into the little guy. Make
Four aluminum balls and set on the bottom of the crock pot, about the size of a lime. Just enough to raise the chicken up about 2 inches.  Cook on low for 8 hours or high 4-5 hours.  The longer you cook it, the more it will fall off the bone.

Crockpot Pasta

For day two of our Crockpot week, I've got a delicious Italian dish for you.  You will have to turn on the stove to boil the pasta and brown the hamburger, but then the rest is done in the crockpot. 

You are supposed to use small shells. I used the large ones this time and they got really big and started to fall apart.   If that's all you have, don't make a special trip to the store. Just boil them a little less than called for. The small ones seem to work so much better for some reason.

This makes a ton, so be prepared for leftovers!  Or you can always half the recipe.

Crockpot Pasta



1 lb. box small Shell macaroni

24 oz. mozzarella cheese, grated

48 oz jar spaghetti sauce

16 oz. can tomatoes

2 lbs. ground beef

Cook shells to al dente according to package instructions. Brown hamburger. Throw all ingredients into a crock pot and cook on low for 4 hours.    

Costa Vida Sweet Pork

This week I am going to focus on some yummy crock pot recipes for you.  With the heat still climbing, the last thing we want to do is heat up the house! Crock pots are nice because they don't heat up the house and you can still enjoy a delicious meal at the end of the day!  If you don't have a crock pot, don't worry... You can still cook these over the stove or in the oven (you'll just have to make some adjustments including cook time).

Today I've got a real treat for ya! Three recipes in one post! Only the pork is the crock pot portion of the post, but you can't have one without the other.  The dressing and rice are a must! I've also made this recipe with chicken. It works great. I got this recipe from my sister in law.  It's a copy cat of the restaurant Costa Vida.  It's a lot like Cafe Rio or other similar.  Enjoy!

Costa Vida Sweet Pork



2 lbs pork loin roast

2 cups brown sugar

1 clove garlic

1/2 to 1/3 cup ketchup

1 can coke

1 cube butter

In a crock pot, combine meat and garlic together. Cook on low for 8 hours. When you have about an hour left, shred your meat and add the rest of the ingredients. 

Better Than Costa Vida Rice 

3 cups water

4 tsp chicken bullion

1 can green chilies

1 Tbsp butter

1-1/2 cups rice

 4 tsp minced garlic

1/2 bunch cilantro

1/2 onion

Combine all ingredients into a pot.  Simmer on low for about 20 min or until rice is cooked through and tender.  Or you can combine all ingredients into a rice cooker and cook on the white rice setting.

Cilantro Lime Ranch Dressing

1 can green chilies

1/3 cup cilantro

1 small tomatillo (husks removed)

1/2 tsp lime juice

1 dash of cayenne pepper

1 clove garlic

1-2 fresh jalapeno

1 tsp salt

1 pinch of brown sugar

¾ c buttermilk ( I just make my own)

Combine in Blender adding the buttermilk slowly

Add 1 packet ranch dressing mix



Delicious Baked Beans

I have to admit, making homemade baked beans has always intimidated me. There are a few things that I have always avoided making, because of intimidation. And because they are just so much easier to pull from the box or the can. Because of this blog, I've jumped to higher heights. Thanks everyone for the motivation!!!  Brownies, cakes, tortillas, tamales and baked beans are on my list.  Tortillas are the only things I haven't checked off the list so far.   The funny thing is, these hurdles are so much easier than what I thought they would be, but for some reason, they just seemed so out of my league.  Do you have some like that?  Seriously, what a rush, to tackle a recipe that you have been avoiding because you were too intimidated.

So yesterday I was browsing around, wanting to give it a try. I was looking for a from scratch recipe (almost all recipes I had seen added canned baked beans... It doesn't make sense to me! Why not just eat it straight from the can then.) I found a few recipes to get an idea of what I needed in it, and then decided to just create my own recipe.  I figured, hey, face the fear and try something new. 

I am not going to lie... I am so proud of myself.  To me, tweaking someone else's recipe to be my own, is easy.  Even creating my own recipes on every day meals, is pretty easy for me now. (It hasn't always been.  Actually following others' food blogs and seeing what they do, has really helped me to be more confident in the kitchen.  I am realizing that a recipe, is just a guide, not a "must do") For this though, it was a huge accomplishment for me.  I've never seen anyone make baked beans from scratch, and only know of two people in my entire life that have. It was a huge shot in the dark, but it turned out fabulously!!!

Ok I'm off the bragging train now :) I made these more of a southwest style. But play around and change things to your tastes.  My husband who doesn't like bell peppers, LOVED these beans.  There is no greater feeling than to create something and then to have your family chow down on it because they like it so much!!  I wanted the beans to be done, that day, so I opted out on soaking them etc.  So not 100% from scratch, I used canned beans, but not canned baked beans :)

Delicious Baked Beans

1lb bacon crumbled

1 medium onion minced

1 green bell pepper minced

1-2 cloves garlic

2 cans northern beans

1 can red beans

1 can black beans

1 1/2 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup molasses

3/4 cup ketchup

1 ½ tsp salt

½ tsp pepper

1 ½ tsp dry mustard



First: chop your onion and bell pepper. (I liked mine chopped pretty small)

Chop bacon into pieces.  You can do this after it is cooked, but I like it better this way.

Toss the bacon in a skillet and fry until done. (I liked mine crispy)  When done, take bacon out of the pan and set aside. What ever you do... save the bacon grease.  Tons of flavor it this stuff!!!

Fry the onions, garlic and bell peppers in the bacon grease until tender.  (It's ok to even fry it all with the bacon too)

Combine all ingredients into a slow cooker and cook on low for 8 hours.  

Easy Chipotle Meatballs

This is one of the easiest dishes ever to make! It only requires 2 items. It's makes a great meal, served over rice or just as an appetizer.  The flavor of the Chipotle sauce are simply delish.  It's a little zippy but even my 15 month old practically inhaled it. I like this Roasted Raspberry Chipotle sauce.  You can find it at at Costco or Sam's Club. 

We loved these served over Coconut Rice. The Coconut and Raspberry make a great combo!  I like to get the Meatballs pre made from Costco. You can make your own basic meatballs or find any premade Italian style or regular flavor.  I don't really use an exact recipe for this meal.  I just coat the meatballs with the sauce, but this is about how much I like to use. 

Easy Chipotle Meatballs

25-30 frozen Meatballs
1 1/2 Cups of Chipotle Sauce

Place both ingredients into a crock pot.  Cook on low for up to 8 hours.

Chile Lime Chicken Tostadas in a Slow Cooker

This recipe is a huge hit in our home.  Every time I make it, the kids just gobble it up.  I found the recipe over at Real Mom Kitchen one day when I was needing some new "go to" recipes to try. I love that you can just throw it in the crock pot in the morning and it's done by dinner.  And it makes my house smell good all day too! There's nothing like a fabulous meal and a little bit of work right?  You can also can this really easy for a quick meal in the future. See below for details on how to can it. I also like to double this recipe and freeze half of the chicken. That way I have some later for a last minute meal. 

You could use this as a taco filling, on quesadillas or even as an enchilada filling like my Sour Cream Enchiladas.  Just use this recipe (below) to flavor the chicken and leave out the extra can of green chiles in the enchiladas recipe.  Super yummy!

Chile Lime Chicken Tostadas

1 can diced green chilies

4 cloves of minced garlic

1 1/2 Tbsp. chili powder

3 Tbsp. lime juice

1 diced medium onion

2 lbs. boneless chicken breasts

1 can refried beans, warmed

10 tostada shells

Desired toppings such as: shredded lettuce, shredded cheese, salsa, sour cream, sliced olives, guacamole

Add chicken and onion to a slow cooker that is at least 3 1/2 quarts. In a bowl combine green chilies, garlic, chili powder, and lime juice.  Pour over chicken. Cover and cook on low for 5 to 6 hours.

Remove chicken from slow cooker and shred.  Mix in 1/2 cup of juice remaining in slow cooker to the shredded chicken. Spread warmed refried beans on tostada shells. Top with hot chicken mixture and any other desired toppings.

Chile Lime Chicken (how to can it)

Cube raw chicken and pour into a large bowl. Add in, green chiles, garlic, chile powder, lime juice and diced onion.  Mix well.  Using a canning funnel if possible, pour chicken into the jars filling them with 1/2 inch of head space. Wipe rim of jar with a damp paper towel. Secure on the lid.  Process in a pressure cooker for 75 minutes for pints and 90 minutes for quarts.  Remember!!!  You can mix pints and quarts in your pressure cooker. You will just have to process it for the full 90 minutes.  Always Always Always use the greater amount of time when mixing sizes of jars, or when in doubt.  It won't hurt the chicken to be in there a little longer.

Tip You can usually get about 1 lb of meat into a pint jar.  So this recipe will only give you 2-3 pints. (I like doing this one in quarts for my size family) If you want a good supply I would make the recipe x5 or 6.



Queso Dip

Here is a really easy Queso dip for you.  I first tried it at a Halloween potluck cook off for our ward last year. It's so delicious, I thought there were tons of ingredients involved.  Nope only 2.  I overheard them telling the recipe to a friend and decided its about time I pass it along. 

  Queso Dip

1 reg sized box of Velveeta cheese (I just used the Walmart brand)

1 can Rotel

milk (optional)

Put ingredients in a crock pot and let it sit on low for about 4 hours.  If the cheese is too thick, you can add milk if needed to thin it out. Serve with chips.

Chalupa

Last night I was having one moments where I was standing in my pantry thinking... hmm what to make for dinner.  I've heard it names, "the 5:00 stare". So true huh?  Anyway, next I dug through my freezer in hopes for something to jump out at me.  And it did. Chalupa.  I am all about freezer meals.  I made this a few months ago and froze the leftovers.  They come in handy when the 5:00 stare hits!

 I got this recipe from a ward cookbook. It's my friends recipe. She cooks it in the oven for a long time. I don't want to use the electricity so I just throw it all in the crock pot.  I love it! So do my kids. That's always a plus right?

Chalupa

1 roast (pork or beef)  I like beef

3 1/2 -4 cups pre-cooked pinto beans

1 tsp garlic salt

2 tbsp chili powder

1 Tbsp cumin

1 tsp ground oregano

1 small can diced green chilies

1 bottle red taco sauce

1 tsp salt.

Place roast in crock pot then add all other ingredients. Cook on low for 8-10 hours. Shred the beef.  Eat with chips and top with lettuce, tomato, onions, sour cream, olives, green onions, shredded cheese, jalapenos and/or pepperoncinnis.

Worlds Best Chili

It has been really cold here lately. I have enjoyed making some delicious soups to warm up my little ones. I  decided to experiment one day on making my own chili and came up with this one. I love it!!!  It so simple and so full of flavor. One thing that adds some great flavor is to add the can of Chili beans.  This isn't a can of Chili.  There are actually ones called chili beans in the bean section of your grocery store.  They have some chili flavor added to them and make it really tasty. You can also add any kind of beans you want to this one. This is just the combo that I usually use. Also you will want to use Pace salsa.  I've tried it with other kinds and it's just not nearly as good.  Pace really does the trick for this dish! Also if you like really thick chili, drain all of the beans and tomatoes except the chili beans.  If you like it soupy, just open the can and dump it right in.  I like to drain the kidney, pinto and red beans and leave everything else.

I also love to top it with freshly chopped onions, cheese and sour cream. My mom really likes her chili with a little bit if pickle relish. Sweet or dill. You can also add chopped avocado and/or olives. This recipe makes plenty to feed my family of 6 and freeze the leftovers for another meal. It makes a great freezer meal.

Worlds Best Chili

1 Can kidney Beans

2 Cans Pinto Beans

1 Can Red Beans

1 Can Chili Beans

2 Cans petite diced tomatoes

1 lb hamburger (cooked)

1 16 oz jar of Pace salsa.

Salt and pepper to taste.  ( I really like a lot of pepper in mine)

Brown hamburger. Add all ingredients into a large crock pot. Simmer on low for 8 hours. Serve with chopped onions, cheese, sour cream, relish, avocados or olives.

Chicken Soup

This recipe is one of those comfort foods that just hits the spot. I remember my mom making this soup when I had a cold and it always made me feel better! This one works great in the crockpot on low for about 6 hours.

Chicken Soup

1 box chicken broth

4 cups water

1 tsp parsley

2 chicken breasts cooked and shredded

1 cup celery diced

2 cup potatoes diced

1 cup carrots

1 can green beans

1 can corn

1 cup diced onion

1 cup diced green bell pepper

Pinch or two of crushed red pepper

Salt and pepper to taste

Cook Chicken and shred it. (I like to boil the chicken in the broth to flavor it really well.) combine all ingredients into a stock pot and bring to a boil.  Cover and simmer for about 20 minutes until vegetables are tender.