a year and a half late Thanksgiving Soup

a year and a half late: this is the Tuscan White Bean Soup recipe that I made for my All Crock Pot Thanksgiving in 2013:
Cooking Light Tuscan White Bean Soup

Ingredients

6 cups unsalted chicken stock (such as Swanson) 

1 1/2 cups chopped onion 

1 cup diced carrot 

1 cup diced celery 

5 garlic cloves, chopped 

4 fresh thyme sprigs 

1 bay leaf 

12 ounces dried Great Northern beans 

3 cups kale, stemmed and chopped 

2 tablespoons unsalted tomato paste 

3/8 teaspoon kosher salt 

1 pound hot Italian sausage links, casings removed 

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 

1 ounce Parmesan cheese, shaved (about 1/4 cup)

Preparation

1. Place first 8 ingredients in a 6-quart electric slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW for 8 hours. Discard thyme and bay leaf.

2. Stir kale, tomato paste, and salt into bean mixture. Shape sausage into 32 meatballs; arrange on top of bean mixture. Cover and cook on HIGH 30 minutes or until meatballs are thoroughly cooked. Stir in juice. Divide soup among 8 bowls; top with cheese.

3 Ingredient Chicken & Potatoes

This super simple 3 ingredient Chicken & Potatoes dish can be found on: Homemaking Hacks blog

ANOTHER EASY BITE: CHICKEN AND POTATOES SLOW COOKER RECIPE

April 20, 2015 by Dawn Lopez

You can really go to town with a basic recipe like this. Using cream of chicken soup to bring flavor and creaminess, it enables you to add and play around with ingredients and spices to make it something your whole family will be asking for again and again. My son particularly loved the potatoes in this dish, so I’ll be adding it to my rotation. This Chicken and Potatoes Slow Cooker Recipe is great with a nice fresh veggie salad served alongside it for a wonderful and simple rounded off meal for busy nights.

Print

Chicken and Potatoes Slow Cooker Recipe

Ingredients

• 16-20 Baby Dutch Yellow Potatoes (or other thick small/baby potatoes)
• 1.5 lbs Boneless Chicken Tenderloins or Thin Sliced Chicken Breast
• 2 - 10.75 Oz Cans of Cream of Chicken Soup
• Salt & Pepper to Taste

Instructions

Place potatoes in the bottom of slow cooker, evenly place the chicken on top and then cover with the cream of chicken soup. Sprinkle desired about of salt and pepper on top. Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6.5 hours.. Do a taste test to determine if your dish could use a little more salt & pepper. This simplistic recipe relies on the seasonings to kick up the flavor. Enjoy!

Ninja's Dry-Rubbed Roasted Turkey with Sweet Chili

For last year's (2014) All-Cropckpot Thanksgiving I made this Dry-Rubbed Roasted Turkey with Sweet Chili Sauce from the Ninja Crockpot's recipe book... it was great! (See below for the link)

If you don't have a Ninja, you can use the same recipe but cook on the stovetop and then the oven following the directions below.
A spiced, sweet dry rub seasons the turkey before it’s seared in the pot. It’s pan-roasting, but with an all-in-one appliance that doesn’t heat up your kitchen!

Not the best photos - but it tasted fantastic!

 

Ingredients

1 tablespoon sugar,
1 teaspoon salt,
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon,
1 teaspoon garlic powder,
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves, crushed,
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin,
1 package (24 ounces) boneless turkey breast tenderloins,
2 tablespoons olive oil,
1/3 cup sweet chili sauce,
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Instructions

1. Stir sugar, salt, cinnamon, garlic powder, thyme, and cumin in bowl. Brush turkey with 1 tablespoon oil. Rub turkey with sugar mixture. 
2. Pour remaining oil into pot. Set to STOVETOP HIGH and heat oil. Add turkey to pot. Cook uncovered 15 minutes or until browned on both sides. Remove turkey from pot. 
3. Place roasting rack into pot. Place turkey on rack. Set OVEN to 350°F for 10 minutes, checking after 8 minutes. Cover and cook until turkey is cooked through. Remove turkey from pot and let stand 5 minutes before slicing. 
4. Stir chili sauce and Worcestershire sauce in bowl. Serve chili sauce mixture with turkey.

See more at: Ninja Kitchen Recipe Link

Apple-Cranberry Sauce for Thanksgiving!

in 2013 I made an Apple-Cranberry Sauce for Thanksgiving that was delish!

Ingredients

• 4 medium Gala apples, peeled, cored, quartered & sliced
• 1 (12 oz) package fresh cranberries
• 5 tbsp brown sugar (or more to taste)
• 1 tsp grated orange zest
• 1/4 cup fresh orange juice
• 1/4 cup chopped crystallized ginger

Instructions

1. Place all of the apple pieces and cranberries in a large bowl and stir in brown sugar and orange zest.
2. Pour orange juice into the bottom of a large crockpot (slow cooker) and add the apple mixture.
3. Cover, turn the crockpot setting to Low, and cook for about 8 hours, stirring occasionally and breaking up the apple slices and cranberries with a wooden spoon as they soften.
4. Stir in crystallized ginger. Taste and add an additional tablespoon or two of brown sugar if you find the sauce to be too tart.
5. Serve warm or room temperature.

This post was taken from:

http://www.cookincanuck.com/2011/11/apple-cranberry-sauce-with-orange-crystallized-ginger-recipe/

As promised: Thanksgiving Stuffing Recipe

Last year, as you may have read, I had an ALL-CROCKPOT-Thanksgiving

As promised, I will try to share as many of those recipes as possible this Thanksgiving week!

This was the stuffing recipe I used from Taste of Home:

Taste of Home Crockpot Stuffing

Outback's Baked Potato Soup

its getting cold outside, and nothing is better than warming up with some soup!

I found this recipe that pretty closely parallels Outback's Baked Potato Soup, here you go:

1 30oz bag of frozen, shredded hash browns
3 14 oz cans of chicken broth
1 can of cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1/4 tsp ground pepper
1 pckg cream cheese (not fat free - it won't melt)


Combine everything in your crockpot except the cream cheese - cook on low for 6-8 hours.
1 hour before serving add the cream cheese!

Serve with your favorite loaded baked potato items!

(recipe courtesy of Pearls, Handcuffs, and Happy Hour blog)

an ALL Crock Pot Thanksgiving!

Last year, 2013, I finally realized one of my life goals:
an ALL Crock Pot Thanksgiving.

in the past, we have used a crock pot here or there, but my mother would never allow every. single. dish. to be prepared in a crockpot...

Last year I hosted my OWN Thanksgiving for the very first time, and below you can see how glorious it actually was.

Thats 7 crockpots. Count them!

I never posted all the recipes like I had planned, but I will try to do so between now and Thanksgiving 2014, next week!

From the left, I made Turkey in my ninja, stuffing, white bean soup, an apple cranberry sauce, collards, green beans, and last but certainly not least, mashed potatoes.

Happy Crocking and Happy Thanksgiving!

Buffalo Chicken Wings

Delicious fall off the bone Buffalo Chicken Wings:::

3# of chicken drummettes
1 bottle of  Moore's Buffalo Wing Sauce (GF)
Garlic powder
Onion Powder
Salt
Pepper
Olive oil

Place chicken drummettes on a baking sheet.
Season with garlic, onion, salt and pepper.
Lightly coat with olive oil.
Broil @ 400* for 5-10 minutes on each side.

Place in crockpot, pour bottle of Moore's Buffalo Wing Sauce over drummettes, cover and cook for 5-6 hours on low.

Chicken Marsala from Southern Living

From Southern Living's big book of Slow Cooking, Company's Coming section:

Chicken Marsala

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tbsp vegetable oil
8 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 jars sliced mushrooms, drained (6 oz each)
1 cup sweet Marsala wine or chicken broth
1/4 cup cornstarch
Hot cooked rice
Fresh parsley for garnish

1. Mix garlic and oil in a lightly greased slow cooker (4 or 5qt is best).
Sprinkle chicken w salt and pepper, place in slow cooker, put mushrooms on top and pour wine all over.

2. Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours

3. Remove chicken, cover to keep warm.
In a small bowl mix 1/2 cup of water and cornstarch til smooth.
Stir liquid into slow cooker. Increase heat to high, and cover and cook for 10 minutes or until sauce is slightly thickened.

4. Return chicken to slow cooker, and cover and cook on high for 5 more minutes.
Serve over rice, Garnished with parsley.

Weekend Spinach Artichoke Dip

This one is so easy and so delish!

1 box frozen spinach
1 can artichoke hearts (quartered)
1 package cream cheese (8 oz)
1 container fresh grated Parmesan (6-8oz)
1 squeeze of Gourmet Garden garlic paste
1 dash salt & pepper

Grated Parmesan to top it off with at the end

Combine all in your crock pot and cook on high for 1.5-2 hours or on low for 3-4

Enjoy!

Ninja Beef Tenderloin

Delish Beef Tenderloin
(if you have a Ninja crockpot)


Marinate Beef Tenderloin for a few hours ahead of time:

Balsamic Truffle Oil
Olive Oil
Garlic
Salt


(Marinate in a bag or dish for a few hours)



Put Ninja on Stove Top High:

Pour whole bag into Ninja Crockpot

Brown the tenderloin for 10 min

then take tenderloin out, put in the rack, place tenderloin on rack, and pour in 3 cups of beef broth and pour balsamic truffle oil over tenderloin before placing lid on crockpot.


Cook on OVEN @ 375 for 40 minutes - Medium...

I'm going to try 35 next time so its a little more Medium Rare.


So. Good.

Pren's Peas

Pren's Black Eyed Peas

6 cups chicken stock
1 pound dried black eyed-peas, sorted and rinsed
1 onion diced
2 cloves garlic, diced
1 red bell pepper (or red/yellow/green mix) diced
8 slices thick cut bacon, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoon cumin
Salt (to taste)
1 teaspoon ground black pepper


Add all ingredients to slow cooker, stir to blend.
Cover and cook on low for 6 hours (max).

Enjoy!

2 ingredient BBQ Pulled Chicken

2 1/2 - 3 pounds chicken breasts
1 bottle of BBQ Sauce*

Slow Cook on Low for 7-8 hours
Shred and Serve

*I use Sweet Baby Rays Hickory and Brown Sugar

Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Chicken shown here with Collards, Cheese Grits and Rosemary Lemon Fried Catfish...

Chicken Alfredo

2-3 chicken breasts

1 bottle of Alfredo Sauce

Cook on Low for 7 hours, or on High for 3.5 hours

Roughly Shred and serve with Pasta (and bacon if you'd like).

Cuban Mojo Pork

8-10 oz Mojo Sauce
1 pork tenderloin (1+/- pounds)
(sliced onions optional)*


Cook on low for 7-8 hours (or on high for 4)
Roughly separate meat, serve with rice.

*Use a 1.5 qt crock pot

This serves 2 with leftovers

Next time I might use a little less mojo and add water to make up the difference for a more mild citrus taste.

SKIRT STEAK TACOS

This recipe is virtually the same as the Shredded Chicken Tacos:

Package of Skirt Steak (about a pound to 1.5 pounds)
One Jar of your favorite salsa

Cook on Low for 7 hours, or on High for 3.5
Shred and enjoy

No Crust Bacon & Cheese Quiche

Good Morning Weekend! Its one week til College Football season which means weekends are about to get busy! Hopefully this recipe will come in handy when you have out of town visitors for the big game!

Bacon & Cheese Quiche

Really Easy Gluten Free recipe for when you have company!

The great thing about quiches is that you can add the ingredients that YOU like and don't have to stick to a strict recipe.... so here goes:


Ingredients:
10 eggs
1 cup of cream
8 oz pack of cheese (I used Cheddar)
Salt
Pepper
Garlic
10-12 pieces of bacon, coarsely chopped

[Optional: Diced Onions (one small/medium onion), Chopped Spinach (1/2 cup - 1 cup), Diced Tomatoes (one medium)... the options are endless]


Combine all ingredients in your crockpot, cook on LOW for 4 hours.*

*you may want to use a cooking spray to grease your pot before adding the ingredients.

RYAN'S SHREDDED CHICKEN TACOS

RYAN'S FIRST EVER UNASSISTED DINNER (*that isn't frozen pizza)!!!

Two Chicken Breasts (or more for more people)
One Jar of your preferred salsa


Combine ingredients in a crock pot, and cook on low for 7 hours, or high for 3.5 hours.

Shred chicken with two forks and serve with your preferred toppings and soft/hard taco or burrito shell.

or you could make shredded chicken nachos!

This same recipe works for BBQ/Marinara/Italian dressing - put one bottle of your favorite sauce over the chicken, cook, shred and enjoy!

Whats for dinner? One Pot Low Country Shrimp Boil

In the mood for a low country boil but don't want to dust off your large stainless steel pot, and burner, and can't quite find your propane tank in the garage?

Here's a great low country boil, made from INSIDE the kitchen!

Step 1. Decide how many people you're planning to feed, then multiply how many people by the below ingredients.

Ingredients:
Shrimp: 1/2 a pound (per person)
Red Potatoes: 2-3 (per person)
Large Onion: 1/2 (per person) - cut into wedges
Corn: 1 (per person) - corn should be shucked and can be cut in half
*Sausage: 1 (per person)
Crab Legs: 1 (per person)
Old Bay Shrimp & Crab Boil Bag** (or two if you like things very spicy)
Lemon
Salt

Step 2. Bring a large pot (that will fit all of your ingredients) of water to a boil with the lemon (sliced in half), Crab Boil Bags and salt... depending on how strong of the boil flavor you'd like, add extra bags.  I typically use 1 for a large pot for 3-4 people.

Step 3.  Add potatoes and onions (and if you're including sausage, add it first here too)
Cook for 20 minutes

Step 4. Add corn
Cook 5 minutes

Step 5. (Optional) Add Crab legs, cook for 5 minutes

Step 5. Add your shrimp
Cook for about 2-3 minutes until the shrimp is done.

Total cook time: 32-33 minutes

Drain & Enjoy!

NOTE:
If you add CRAB LEGS to your boil, put them in 5 minutes after the corn goes in... they should only boil for about 7-8 minutes

GF NOTE:
*Make sure your sausage is Gluten Free if you have sensitivity - I do not use sausage in my recipe but a traditional boil does
**Article on Old Bay being Gluten Free

INDIAN FOOD IN A CROCK POT!

CHICKEN TIKKA MASALA --- IN A CROCK POT!

Table For Two Blog - Chicken Tikka Masala


I plan to try this out next week! There are some huge Indian Food fans in my family - I'll have to see what they think about it!

Saj - I expect you to try to make this and tell me if its as good as your moms!


Ingredients:

8 boneless skinless chicken tenderloins (or 5 boneless skinless breasts) - cut into 1.5" cubes
1 large onion diced
4 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tbspn fresh ginger, minced
2 tbspn Olive Oil
2 tbspn Garam Masala*
1 tbspn Cumin
1/2 tbspn Paprika
2 tsp Salt - or to Taste
3/4 tspn Cinnamon
3/4 tspn Ground Black Pepper
1-3 tspn Cayenne Pepper
2 Bay Leaves

1 (29 oz) can of tomato puree
1 1/2 cups plain yogurt
1 cup Heavy Cream
3 tbspn Cornstarch

Chopped Parsley or Cilantro for garnish.

1. Mix all ingredients (but the cream and cornstarch) together in crock pot, make sure chicken is coated well.

2. Cover and Cook for 8 hours on low

3. Whisk heavy cream and cornstarch together - pour into crock pot and stir.  Let cook additional 20 min.

4. Serve over a hot bed of white rice.


*Gluten Free Homemade Garam Masala