Another Great Slow Cooker Potato Recipe

I love potatoes in every form and prepared by every cooking method. They just never get old for me. Here's a great slow cooker mashed potato recipe for you to try.

Crockpot Three Cheese Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients:

5 pounds russet potatoes or Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cubed (you can leave the peels on, if you like)

4 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed

3 cups whole milk

1 cup low sodium chicken broth or water

1 teaspoon salt and pepper, plus more to taste

1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1 cup shredded gruyere cheese

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

6 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon sage

Directions:

Add the potatoes, garlic, 1 cup milk, the chicken broth, salt, and pepper to your slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for 5-6 hours, or on low for 6-8 hours. When the potatoes are fork tender, mash them using a potato masher or a hand held mixer until completely creamy, adding the remaining 2 cups milk, if needed, to thin. Stir in the cheese, cover and cook another 15 minutes or until melted and creamy.

Meanwhile, in a skillet, melt the butter over medium heat until just browned, whisking the browned bits off the bottom of the pan. Stir in the sage and let cook for 30 seconds. Pour the browned butter into the warm mashed potatoes. taste and season with salt and pepper, if desired.

Source: Half Baked Harvest. You can find it here.

Notes: You can serve with the butter poured over the top, or you can stir the butter in to mix it throughout. One picture shows pools of butter while the other shows the butter mixed in.

Easter Leftovers Part 2

 

This was a really good and easy recipe. It was a nice and different way to use up some of my leftover Easter ham.

 

Slow Cooker Ham and Eggs

Ingredients:

6 large eggs
1 cup biscuit/baking mix
2/3 cup 2% milk
1/3 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 cup cubed fully cooked ham
1 cup shredded Swiss cheese
1 small onion, finely chopped
1/3 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Directions:

In a large bowl, whisk the first eight ingredients until blended; stir in remaining ingredients. Pour into a greased 3- or 4-qt. slow cooker.

Cook, covered, on low 3-4 hours or until eggs are set. Cut into wedges.

Yield: 6 servings.

Source: Taste of Home, submitted by Andrea Schaak of Jordan, Minnesota. You can find it here.

Notes: I really liked this. It was really easy to throw together too. My son helped me mix it up and thought it was a lot of fun. Of course, he wouldn't eat it, but that's life, right?

Leftover Easter Ham Part 1

 

The best part about Easter dinner, for me, at least, is the leftover ham and all the things I can make with it. I love trying new ham recipes every year. This one is a recipe that I thought was good, but my husband found quite addicting. He couldn't get enough of this. My kids, of course, wouldn't even touch it. So, to each his own, I guess!

Pineapple-Dijon Ham Sandwiches

Ingredients:

2 pounds fully cooked ham, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 can (20 ounces) crushed pineapple, undrained
1 medium green pepper, finely chopped
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon dried minced onion
10 hamburger buns, split
10 slices Swiss cheese
Additional Dijon mustard, optional

Directions:

In a greased 4-qt. slow cooker, combine the first seven ingredients. Cook, covered, on low 3-4 hours or until heated through.

Preheat broiler. Place bun bottoms and tops on baking sheets, cut side up. Using a slotted spoon, place ham mixture on bottoms; top with cheese. Broil 3-4 in. from heat 1-2 minutes or until cheese is melted and tops are toasted. Replace tops. If desired, serve with additional mustard.

Yield: 10 servings.





Source: Taste of Home submitted by Camille Beckstrand of Layton, Utah. You can find it here.

Notes: My husband wanted something different than just hamburger buns, so he got some ciabatta rolls. The meat filling is quite juicy and needs to be served with a slotted spoon, so having a heavier bun was perfect, and perhaps even necessary. A regular hamburger bun--even toasted--would get too soggy with this sandwich filling.

Standing the Test of Time

 

Some recipes can fade in and out. Sometimes you're in the mood for them, and other times you're not. Some recipes, while fantastic, can somehow be forgotten. Other recipes, you just keep going back to because they become tried and true favorites. They stand the test of time. This is one of those recipes for me. It is so flavorful and versatile, and the leftovers are fantastic.

I have already posted it before on our blog here, here, and here, but it always gets lost in the shuffle of the other recipes that I have posted with it. This time, I'm posting it all by itself so that it can shine and get the recognition it deserves.

Mexican-Style Shredded Beef

Ingredients:

1 boneless beef chuck shoulder roast (about 3 pounds)
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 cup salsa or picante sauce
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon cornstarch

Directions:

Place roast in slow cooker. Combine cumin, coriander, chili powder, salt, and red pepper in a small bowl. Place beef in slow cooker. Pour spices over beef and top with salsa.

Cover; cook on low 8-10 hours or until meat is tender.

Remove beef from slow cooker. Trim and discard excess fat from beef. Shred meat with two forks.

Let cooking liquid stand 5 minutes to allow fat to rise. Skim off fat. Blend water and cornstarch until smooth. Wish into liquid in slow cooker. Cook, uncovered, 15 minutes on High until thickened. Return beef to slow cooker. Cover; cook 15-30 minutes or until hot. Adjust seasonings.

Serve as a meat filling for tacos, fajitas, enchiladas, quesadillas, or burritos. Leftover beef may be refrigerated up to 3 days or frozen up to 3 months.

Source: This recipe came from a cookbook called "Simple 1-2-3 One Dish" ISBN-13: 978-1-4127-2323-7. You can find the cookbook on Amazon here.

Deserving of a Repeat

 

This recipe was already blogged long ago, and you can find that original post here. However, this is such a great go-to recipe and is definitely one of our family favorites, so we felt it deserved to be posted again!

Crock Pot Sticky Chicken

Ingredients:

4 tsp. salt

2 tsp. paprika

1 tsp. cayenne pepper

1 tsp. onion powder

1 tsp. thyme

1 tsp. white pepper

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1 large roasting chicken
1-2 packets turkey or chicken gravy mix

Directions:

In a small bowl, thoroughly combine all the spices. Remove the giblets from the chicken and clean the cavity well. Pat dry with paper towels. Rub the spice mixture into the chicken, both inside and out, making sure it is evenly distributed and down deep into the skin.

Place the chicken into the slow cooker. Do not add any liquid. As the chicken cooks, it will produce its own juices. Cook on low 8-10 hours and it will be falling off the bone tender. You can brown the chicken in the oven, if desired. The drippings can be used to make gravy which can be served over mashed potatoes or rice.

Source: This is a recipe we have had for years. I believe my mom got it from one of her friends.

Notes: Save the drippings to make a wonderfully spicy gravy. Simply use a turkey or chicken gravy packet (or two) and substitute the drippings for the water called for on the packet and prepare according to package directions. The gravy is fantastic served over the chicken, over mashed potatoes, or over rice.

 

Above: This is such an affordable and delicious meal.

 

Above: The gravy is fantastic served over the chicken as well as served over mashed potatoes or rice. My oldest son prefers mashed potatoes while my middle son prefers rice, so this time, we simply made both. We served it with our favorite Quick Yeast Rolls, which you can find the recipe for here, and an easy bagged salad mix.

Mystery Ingredient: Beef Jerky

 

I love recipes with mystery ingredients. We call it a "guess the ingredient" kind of recipe. As you saw from the title, I already gave away the mystery ingredient for this recipe, but serve it for dinner and see if everyone can guess what the mystery ingredient is!

Original Jerky Chili

Ingredients:

2 medium yellow onions, diced and divided
2-4 jalapeno peppers, chopped
1 pound Oberto Original beef jerky, chopped
2 pounds chopped sirloin
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons biscuit mix or flour
Worcestershire sauce, to taste
2 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons oregano
2 teaspoons coriander
1 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
3 teaspoons cinnamon sugar
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 (28-ounce) can tomato puree
2 (14-ounce) cans red kidney beans
1 (14-ounce) can pinto beans with jalapeno
1 (14-ounce) can black beans
1 (10-ounce) package frozen corn
Shredded smoked gouda
Shredded smoked white cheddar
Chopped cilantro
Lime wedges
Tortilla chips

Directions:

In the bowl of a food processor, pulse 1/2 cup onion and jalapeno peppers 2 to 5 times. Transfer to a bowl and set aside. Using the feed tube, gradually add small amounts of jerky and pulse to process. Set aside.

Preheat a slow cooker on low. In a cast-iron Dutch oven or large soup pot over medium heat, heat olive oil. In a medium bowl, combine chopped sirloin with biscuit mix or flour. Add to pot. As meat browns, add remaining onions. When softened, stir in onion-jalapeno mixture. Season to taste with Worcestershire. Reduce heat to simmer. Add spices and stir in tomatoes and puree. Add processed jerky.

Transfer mixture to slow cooker. Add beans and corn. Cook 6 to 8 hours, stirring occasionally. To serve, garnish with cheeses, cilantrol, lime, and tortilla chips, as desired.

Makes 10 to 12 servings.

Source: Oberto. I can't seem to find this online. I think my mom said she got the recipe out of a Costco recipe booklet or something like that. I really loved this chili recipe. I think you will too.

Easy Recipes are a Must Right Now

 

I have a baby (who is almost a year old--crazy--but he still takes up a ton of my time and energy), we just moved into a new house, everyone is about to start a new school year...so, life is kind of crazy right now and I don't have much time to cook. That's why a recipe like this is so appreciated. It took hardly any time at all and that is a must for me right now.

Root Beer Slow-Cooker Chicken

Ingredients:

2 1/2 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts
Salt and pepper
1 1/2 cups barbecue sauce
1 cup root beer

Directions:

Spray slow cooker with cooking spray. (Or use slow cooker liners like I do)

Season chicken breasts on both sides with salt and pepper, and place inside slow cooker. Pour in barbecue sauce and root beer; spread around. Cover and cook on high heat setting 2 hours.

Remove chicken from slow cooker, and use two forks to shred. Place chicken back in slow cooker on warm heat setting; simmer 30 minutes. Serve on burger buns, as desired.

Source: Pillsbury. You can find it here.

Notes: The root beer added some nice depth to this rather than just cooking the chicken in barbecue sauce alone. I used frozen chicken breasts and it took about four hours before they could be shredded. Then I left it on "warm" until we were ready to eat dinner. Very easy and tasty.

Cook it Slow and Low

I could never live without my slow cooker. It is worth its weight in gold. Here is a great slow cooker recipe that will be ready after a long day (when the last thing you want to do is cook).

 

Chicken Korma

Ingredients:

2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 cups coarsely chopped onion (1 onion)
2 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger
2 teaspoons curry powder
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups (1/2-inch) cubed peeled baking potato
1 teaspoon salt
1 (14.5 ounce) can petite diced tomatoes, undrained
2 bay leaves
1 (3-inch) cinnamon stick
1/2 cup plain fat-free yogurt
4 cups hot cooked long-grain brown rice (we used white)
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken; saute 8 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove chicken from pan; place in a 5-quart electric slow cooker. Add onion to pan; saute 3 minutes. Add ginger and next 5 ingredients (through garlic); saute 2 minutes. Pour mixture over chicken in slow cooker. Stir in potato and next 4 ingredients (through cinnamon stick).

Cover and cook on low for 5 hours. Discard bay leaves and cinnamon stick. Turn slow cooker off; let stand 15 minutes. Stir in yogurt. Serve chicken mixture over rice. Sprinkle with cilantro.

Source: MyRecipes.com. You can find it here.

Notes: This had a lovely mild flavor to it. Delicious, but not overwhelming.

Our Family Loves Pork

 

I am waaaay behind on blogging (though I am catching up). A new baby and moving to a new house will do that to you! I thought about doing separate posts for each of these recipes, but decides to just group them together instead. We have a lot of family dinners and pork is a great way to feed such a large group. Here are some great pork tenderloin and pork roast recipes we have found over the past year.

By the way, in case you are curious, the pork in the picture above is Grilled Pork Tenderloin (recipe below), served with some corn on the cob (in the foil), Minty Watermelon-Cucumber Salad,  Layered Buffalo Chicken Salad, and Warm Dijon Potato Salad.

 

Honey-Mustard Pork Tenderloin

Ingredients:

1/4 cup coarse-grain or Dijon-style mustard
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons mayonnaise, such as Hellmann's
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley, rosemary, or tarragon, or 1 1/2 teaspoons dried
1 1/2 teaspoons Traeger Pork and Poultry Rub
2 pork tenderloins, each 12 to 14 ounces, silver skin trimmed

Directions:

In a small bowl, combine the mustard, honey, mayonnaise, parsley, and Traeger Pork and Poultry Rub; stir to mix. Lay the pork tenderloins in a flat baking dish. Pour the mustard-honey mixture over the tenderloins, turning to coat all sides. (If not cooking immediately, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.)

When ready to cook, start the Traeger grill on Smoke with the lid open until the fire is established (4 to 5 minutes). Set the temperature to 325 degrees F and preheat, lid closed, for 10 to 15 minutes.

Lift the tenderloins out of the mustard-honey mixture and arrange on a diagonal on the grill grate. (Discard the remaining mustard-honey mixture.) Grill for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the pork reaches 160 degrees F on an instant-read meat thermometer. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest for 3 minutes. Slice into 3/4-inch slices and serve.

Source: Traeger recipe. You can find it here.

Notes: As I mentioned in another post, my brother now has a Traeger grill. I don't think there is any way to duplicate this amazing smoked meat without a Traeger grill, but I'm sharing this recipe for those of you out there who have one.

 

Above: You'll get a wonderful pinkish smoke ring on your meat when you cook with the Traeger grill. It is nothing to be afraid of. The meat is not underdone. Just use a meat thermometer to check the meat.

Grilled Pork Tenderloin

Ingredients:

1 whole pork tenderloin, approximately 1 pound
1 lime, zest finely grated
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
1/4 cup honey
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 chipotle chile pepper in adobo sauce
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Directions:

Trim the pork tenderloin of any excess fat and silver skin.

Place the lime zest, lime juice, honey, salt, and garlic powder in a small, lidded jar, and shake to combine. Pour half of the marinade mixture into a 1-gallon resealable bag, add the chipotle pepper, and move around to combine. Add the pork tenderloin to the bag and seal, removing as much air as possible, and place in a container to catch any leaks. Marinate in the refrigerator for 6 to 24 hours, rotating the bag halfway through the time. Place the remaining marinade in a covered container and refrigerate until ready to use.

Remove the tenderloin from the bag and allow to sit at room temperature while preparing the grill. Remove the reserved marinade from the refrigerator.

Fill a large chimney starter with natural lump charcoal and light. Once the charcoal is ashy and white, approximately 30 minutes, dump the hot charcoal onto the lowest grate of the grill and spread into an even layer using extra-long tongs. Place the cooking grate back on the grill and cover with the lid; heat the grate to medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes.

Brush the grill with vegetable oil. Remove the tenderloin from the bag and place in the center of grate. Discard bag with marinade. Cover and cook for 12 to 15 minutes, turning ever 1 1/2 to 2 minutes, until the tenderloin reaches an internal temperature of 140 degrees F.

Remove the tenderloin from the grill and place on a large piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil folded at the edges to create a basket, and pour on the reserved marinade. Wrap tightly and rest for 10 minutes. Remove to a cutting board and slice. Garnish with cilantro and serve.

Source: Food Network, recipe by Alton Brown. You can find it here.

Notes: This was good stuff! We let people top it with cilantro on their own according to their preference.

 

Slow Cooker Cranberry Orange Pork Roast

Ingredients:

2 tbsp. oil
1 flat boneless pork loin roast (4 lb.)
1 can (14 oz) whole berry cranberry sauce
1/2 cup Kraft Classic Catalina Dressing
1 tbsp. less-sodium soy sauce
1 tbsp. cornstarch
1 tsp. zest and 1/4 cup juice from 1 orange

Directions:

Heat oil in large skillet on medium-high heat. Add meat; cook 4 to 5 minutes. on each side or until browned on both sides. Transfer meat to slow cooker.

Mix cranberry sauce, dressing, and soy sauce; pour over meat. Cover with lid.

Cook on low 4 to 5 hours. Remove meat from slow cooker, reserving liquid in slow cooker. Cover meat to keep warm. Whisk remaining ingredients in small bowl until blended; stir into liquid in slow cooker. Cook, covered, on high 10 minutes or until thickened.

Slice meat; place on platter. Drizzle lightly with sauce. Serve with remaining sauce.

 

Source: Kraft recipe. You can find it here.

Notes: Tasty and so easy! The sauce was really nice with the pork.

 

Balsamic Roasted Pork Loin

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons steak seasoning rub
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
2 pounds boneless pork loin roast

Directions:

Dissolve steak seasoning in balsamic vinegar, then stir in olive oil. Place pork into a resealable plastic bag and pour marinade on top. Squeeze out air and seal bag; marinate 2 hours to overnight.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Place pork into a glass baking dish along with marinade. Bake in preheated oven, basting occasionally until the pork reaches an internal temperature of 145 degrees F, about 1 hour. Let the roast rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Source: Allrecipes.com, submitted by Melissa S. You can find it here.

Notes: This is one of our family favorites. We have posted it before, and you can find the original post here. We like to save the drippings as a sauce to serve over our pork. Delicious!

Mini Luau Dinner

 

I have been craving some Hawaiian pork, and this recipe helped me satisfy that craving in a very low-key way.

Slow-Cooker Hawaiian Pork Rice Bowls

Ingredients:

3 lbs. boneless pork shoulder roast
2 teaspoons liquid smoke
1 tablespoon coarse sea salt
3 cups fresh stir-fry vegetable mixture
1/4 cup teriyaki sauce
6 cups cooked white rice
1 cup chopped fresh pineapple
1/3 cup sliced green onion

Directions:

Spray 5- to 6-quart slow cooker with cooking spray. Place pork in slow cooker; drizzle liquid smoke on top of pork, and sprinkle with coarse sea salt. Cover and cook on low heat setting 7 to 8 hours.

Carefully transfer pork to large cutting board. When cool enough to handle, shred pork with 2 forks; discard fat and cartilage. Strain juices in slow cooker, and add 3/4 cup of strained juices to the shredded pork. Cover and keep warm.

Meanwhile, in 10-inch nonstick skillet, heat 1/ cup water and the vegetable mixture over medium-high heat. Cover and steam 5 minutes; add teriyaki sauce, and continue cooking uncovered about 2 minutes or until tender-crisp.

Divide rice among 6 serving bowls; top each with 3/4 cup shredded pork, teriyaki vegetables, pineapple, and green onion. Serve with additional teriyaki sauce, if desired. Any remaining pork can be refrigerated for another use.

Source: Pillsbury. You can find it here.

 

If you want to add another taste of the tropics, try some dragon fruit! I had never had any before, but I bought some on an impulse buy the other day and it was fantastic. I would describe the taste and texture as a lot like kiwi fruit. Cut the fruit in half and eat the white fruit out of each half with a spoon.

 

From My Sister-in-Law's Blog

 

My lovely sister-in-law has a blog of her own where she shares recipes and DYI projects. This is a yummy and easy recipe that I found on her blog that I wanted to share here (and give a shout out to go check out her blog, Spoonful of Fun!).

Crockpot Chicken and Gravy

Ingredients:

2 (0.87 oz) packets dry chicken gravy
1 (10.75 oz) can cream of chicken soup
2 cups water
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Garlic powder, to taste
Pepper, to taste
1/8 cup sour cream, optional
Rice or mashed potatoes

Directions:

Season chicken breasts with garlic powder and pepper.

In slow cooker, whisk together the gravy packets, cream of chicken, and water.

Add chicken and cover with gravy.

Cover and cook on low 6-8 hours.

Shred chicken.

Stir in sour cream, if desired.

Serve over rice or mashed potatoes.

Source: Again, this came from my wonderful sister-in-law, Robin. You can check out her blog here.

Notes: I served this over mashed potatoes and rice. I personally preferred the rice. The sauce over the rice really popped. Perhaps it was because I went the easy route and made instant mashed potatoes though (I was busy!) rather than making mashed potatoes from scratch. It was delicious either way though. This was so easy and it was such a welcome dinner on a crazy weeknight.

Get Right to the Heart of the Matter

 

I like the artichoke leaves just as much as the heart...they're just different. Besides, have both!

Slow-Cooker Braised Artichokes with Toasted Garlic Breadcrumbs

Ingredients:

8 cloves garlic, 4 peeled and smashed, 4 grated or minced
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups flavored breadcrumbs
1/2 cup grated Pecorino-Romano
5 large globe artichokes

Directions:

Add 1/2 cup water and the 4 peeled and smashed cloves garlic, bay leaves, and peppercorns to the insert of a 6-quart slow cooker.

Heat the butter and grated garlic in a medium skillet over medium heat until the butter is melted and the garlic starts to sizzle and become aromatic, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the breadcrumbs and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper and cook until golden and toasted, about 4 minutes more. Transfer to a bowl, and let cool. Stir in the Pecorino-Romano and 1/4 teaspoon salt until well combined. Set aside 2 tablespoons of the breadcrumb mixture for garnish.

Pull off the small, tough petals near the stems of the artichokes. Cut the stems close to the base so the artichokes will stand upright. Cut off the top inch of each artichoke. Snip off any thorny tips on the remaining petals with kitchen shears. Fan out the larger leaves with your fingers.

Working over the bowl with the breadcrumb mixture, spoon the crumbs into the gaps of each artichoke until they're filled all the way around. Stand the artichokes up in the slow cooker. Cover, and cook on low until the stems are tender and the leaves come loose easily when pulled, about 7 hours. Being careful of the steam, transfer the artichokes to a serving platter, and sprinkle with the reserved breadcrumbs.

Source: Food Network. You can find it here.

Notes: This was a fun and different way to prepare artichokes. These were very tender and flavorful.

This Really Is the Easiest

 

If you want a super easy dinner to throw together in your slow cooker, this is it. I love dinners I can throw in my slow cooker in the morning and forget about...until that wonderful smell reminds me that dinner is already ready.

 

Easy Chili Verde

Ingredients:

1 boneless pork shoulder roast (4-5 pounds), cut into 1-inch pieces (or cubed pork stew meat can be used)
3 cans (10 ounces each) green enchilada sauce
1 cup salsa verde
1 can (4 ounces) chopped green chilies
1/2 teaspoon salt
hot cooked rice
Sour cream, optional
Chopped cilantro, optional

Directions:

In a 5-qt. slow cooker, combine pork, enchilada sauce, salsa verde, green chilies, and salt. Cook, coverd, on low-5-6 hours or until pork is tender. Serve with rice. If desired, top with sour cream.

Yield: 12 servings (3 quarts)

Nutrition information: (calculated without rice and sour cream): 287 calories, 17 g fat, 90 mg cholesterol, 729 mg sodium, 5 g carbohydrate, 27 g protein.

Source: Taste of Home submitted by Julie Rowland. You can find it here.

 

Who Doesn't Love Meat and Potatoes?

 

When you think of Sunday dinner--especially in the winter--it's pretty easy for roast and mashed potatoes and gravy to come to mind. Here's one of our favorite and easiest versions. Oh, and if you don't have time to make mashed potatoes, maybe you should make them in a slow cooker. Check out that recipe below too.

Spade L Roast Beef

Ingredients:

1 beef roast (2-4 lbs)
Spade L Ranch Beef Seasoning
1/2 cup of water

Side dish suggestion: Serve with mashed potatoes. Use the roast drippings to make a gravy to pour over the roast and mashed potatoes.

Directions:

Place meat in slow cooker. Rub Spade L Ranch Beef Seasoning onto the roast, according to your taste. The more you use, the spicier your roast and gravy will be. Cover, and cook on low for 8-10 hours.

Source: I don't know. This is a recipe that my Mom has been making for years.

Notes: If you would like to use the roast drippings to make gravy, simply use 1-3 packaged beef gravy mixes and substitute the water called for on the package with the beef drippings. If you don't have enough drippings, supplement with water to get the amount of liquid called for on the gravy packet. This makes some spicy and tasty gravy!

I usually find Spade L Ranch Seasonings easily in the grocery store (I usually shop at Smith's). But if you can't find it, check out their website here.

Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients:

2 pounds red potatoes, cut into 2-inch pieces (peeled or unpeeled, your preference)
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup milk
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon black pepper

Directions:

Put potatoes into your slow cooker. Cover and cook for 2-3 hours on high or 5-6 hours on low.

Add sour cream, milk, garlic, salt, and pepper. Use a hand mixer to blend together all ingredients (but be careful not to over mix). Or you can smash the potatoes for a chunkier texture. Season with additional salt and pepper, if necessary.

Serve plain, or with any favorite toppings such as gravy, or cheese and bacon.

Source: Creme De La Crumb. You can find it here.

Notes: These are really easy and such a time saver. My personal suggestion is that most slow cookers will take longer than 2-3 hours on high to fully cook your potatoes to the point where they are soft enough to mash. I would suggest cooking these potatoes on low for 6-8 hours and adding in a little liquid (for instance, one can of chicken broth) to keep them from drying out or becoming rubbery.

We served ours as smashed potatoes rather than mashing them until they were smooth.

 

Above: Of course, you can top these however you like! Top them with gravy, or with shredded cheese and huge pieces of bacon!

It's Got a Kick!

 

This is a meal with a kick to it. It was too spicy for my boys, but my husband and I liked it a lot.

Peppery Chicken with Potatoes

Ingredients:

1 pound red potatoes (about 6 medium), cut into wedges
1 large onion, chopped
2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 broiler/fryer chicken (3 1/2 to 4 pounds)

Directions:

Place potatoes and onion in a 6-qt. slow cooker. In a small bowl, mix seasonings. Tuck wings under chicken; tie drumsticks together. Rub seasoning mixture over outside and inside of chicken. Place chicken over vegetables.

Cook, covered, on low 5-6 hours or until a thermometer inserted in thickest part of thigh reads 170-175 degrees F. Remove chicken from slow cooker; tent with foil. Let stand 15 minutes before carving.

Transfer vegetables to platter; keep warm. If desired, skim fat and thicken cooking juices for gravy. Serve with chicken.

Yield: 4 servings.

Source: Taste of Home. You can find it here.

Notes: As I said, this was pretty spicy. Not for little kids. I used a packet of chicken gravy mix and replaced the water called for on the gravy mix for the cooking juices.

 

Above: Not spicy enough for you? Sprinkle some more salt and pepper on top before serving!

The Other White Meat

 

Pork tenderloin is hard to screw up...but pork chops? They are pretty easy to mess up. They can get tough and overcooked so easily...but not if you cook them in a slow cooker!

Slow Cooker Pizza Pork Chops

Ingredients:

6 pork loin chops, 1 inch thick (about 2 1/4 pounds)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
2 cups tomato pasta sauce
4 cups cooked orzo pasta
1 cup (4 oz) shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:

Remove excess fat from pork. Sprinkle pork with salt and pepper. In 12-inch skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add pork, cook about 5 minutes, turning once until brown.

Place pork in 3 1/2 to 4 quart slow cooker. Sprinkle onion over pork. Add pasta sauce.

Cover. Cook on low heat setting for 4-6 hours. Place orzo on platter. Top with pork and sauce. Sprinkle with cheese.

Nutrition information: 510 calories per serving.

Source: Betty Crocker website. You can find it here.

Notes: This is just such a nice, easy dinner. It makes a great weeknight meal.

The Easy Way Out

 

I have a new baby (now a little over three months old), and you can bet your boots that I am looking for easy meals to make for my family until we get on a better schedule. Here is a great recipe I found.

Slow-Cooker Creamy Ranch Pork Chops

Ingredients:

4 bone-in pork loin chops (2 lbs.)
1 package (1 oz) ranch dressing and seasoning mix
2 cans condensed cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup milk
White rice, for serving
Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish, optional

Direction:

Place pork chops in the slow cooker.

Mix ranch dressing and seasoning mix, cream of mushroom soup, and milk and pour over pork chops.

Cover and cook on Low heat setting 5 to 6 hours or until fork-tender. Serve pork chops and sauce over rice. Sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley, if desired.

Source: Pillsbury. You can find it here.

Notes: I changed this recipe from the original. The original recipe used a can of Progresso creamy mushroom soup--which I didn't have on hand. Since I had condensed cream of mushroom soup, I used that. The original recipe also called for cornstarch to thicken the sauce, but I felt that the sauce was a good consistency, so I omitted that.

This was really easy to throw together for a family weeknight meal. I didn't have any fresh parsley (it would have looked a lot prettier with that color differentiation), but it tasted great anyway!

Eat Your Veggies, Part 1

 

Well, it isn't hard to eat your veggies when they are slathered with three different kinds of flavored butter, now is it?

Slow-Cooker Corn on the Cob with Flavored Butters

Ingredients:

Taco Butter:

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 tablespoon Old El Paso taco seasoning mix (from 1-oz package)

Bacon Ranch Butter:

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 tablespoon dry ranch dressing mix
1/4 cup diced cooked bacon

Cilantro Lime Butter:

1/2 cup butter, softened
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/4 cup loosely packed diced cilantro

Corn on the Cob:

6-8 ears fresh sweet corn, husks removed
3 to 4 tablespoons butter

Directions:

To make flavored butters, mixed together ingredients for flavor(s) of butter desired until well combined. Use immediately, or cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Wrap ears of corn individually in foil with about 1/2 tablespoon butter in each and place tightly wrapped ears in 6-quart slow cooker. Cover; cook on Low heat setting 4 to 5 hours or High heat setting 2 to 2 1/2 hours.

Carefully unwrap corn, and season to taste with salt or flavored butters.

Source: Betty Crocker. You can find it here.

Notes: We broke each ear of corn in half because we had more than enough side dishes, and because the corn goes farther this way. This was really tasty and it was fun to have different flavor options.

 

Above: Taco Butter. 

 

Above: Bacon Ranch Butter. 

 

Above: Cilantro Lime Butter.