Archive for the ‘Crock Pot’ Category
Hello Friends and Happy Fri-Yay!
Today there is a twist to the Friday Foodie Feature which I think you will like. It’s a party – that’s right a P * A * R * T * Y and you are cordially invited to attend the first Weekend Wind-Down Party!
You can link up now or wait until this evening when you get home from work. The party is casual so you can kick off your shoes, turn on the Crock Pot, relax and then share… share… share!
The house rules are simple, you can link any post and it will be featured on 8 different blogs. We will each choose several features from the link up each week to highlight the following week! We will also be pinning features to Pinterest as well as social media shout-outs! So link up, visit others and have fun!
This Simple Home @
DeDivahDeals @
Snippets of Inspiration @
A Ranch Mom @
Mendez Manor @
A Living Sacrifice @
Mustard Seed Mommy @
Moms Who Save @
If you are joining the party, please copy this button and add it to your blog.
Now let the party begin with today’s Friday Foodie Feature
Slow Cooked Spinach Ziti
I had been thinking about making this dish for quite sometime and hubby kept asking if I wanted him to make it (baked) in the oven. I said, “nope, I want to slow cook it.” He didn’t think the uncooked noodles wouldn’t get done in the Crock Pot but they did and he loved it.
Ingredients
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1 1/2 lbs of ground turkey/chicken/beef
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2 jars of Spaghetti Sauce
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medium onion – diced
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2 cloves of garlic – diced
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1 package of frozen spinach
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1 package of Mozzarella and Shredded Parmesan Cheese
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Brown the ground turkey and dice the onions and garlic. Remember to turn on stove’s blower while cutting onions for no tears.
Add the two jars of spaghetti sauce, diced onions and garlic then stir to mix ingredients thoroughly.
Spray the Crock Pot with cooking spray for easier clean up.
Cover the bottom of the Crock Pot with the meat sauce, then begin layering the pasta, spinach, and Ricotta cheese, repeating until you’ve reached the top of the Crock Pot but you can use less if you want.
Add a few dollops of Ricotta Cheese
Sprinkle with Mozzarella Cheese
Sprinkle the final layer with Parmesan Cheese, cover and cook on high 4-5 hours or low 8-10 hours, or until pasta noodles are soft.
Stir to thoroughly mix all ingredients and to ensure noodles are soft. Sprinkle with more Parmesan Cheese, cover and let sit for an additional 5 mins before serving.
We definitely had more than enough for two meals, I even froze half to be used next month.
Invite your family and friends to the first
Weekend Wind-Down Party!
31 Comments
Hello Friends and Happy Fri-Yay after Christmas!!!
Today’s Friday Foodie Feature is
Slow Cooked Boneless Beef Ribs & Bean Soup
This recipe would definitely be something to fix during your time off from work. It’s an easy-breezy-no-stress-fix-it and-forget-it hardy meal.
Ingredients
Boneless Beef Ribs or any cheap cut of beef
1 large can of Tomato Sauce
1 large can of Diced Tomatoes
1 medium onion – diced
1 bag of dry beans
seasoning of choice
Cooking Spray
Rinse beans in cool water and strain then dice onion into bite size pieces. Spray Crock Pot with a cooking spray for easier cleanup.
Layer ribs and sprinkle with seasoning of choice, I crushed a Knorr’s Cilantro Bouillon Cube over mine.
Top with diced onions
Add beans and cans of tomato sauce and diced tomatoes
Stir slightly
Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours or high for 4 hours – depending on Crock Pot Model. Needless to say, the house was smelling delicious and my men loved it!
I think this might be my new favorite Crock Pot soup, what is yours?
Linking up with the Northeast Bloggers Network for the
Five on Friday (there ARE 5 ingredients in this recipe) blog hop and Pin It Link Party.
Have a blessed day and be a blessing to others – Smooches!
14 Comments
Hello Friends and Happy Fri-Yay!
This week’s Foodie Feature is Slow Cooked Oxtail Stew
Oxtails or tails of cattle is a very popular dish in *South Africa and this bony, gelatin-rich meat is usually slow-cooked. In our Delaware home as soon as the weather cools Oxtails are definitely on the menu-of-must-haves and this is how I slow cook mine.
Unfortunately the cost of Oxtails in the grocery stores can be outrageous which is why I stalk Dutch Country Farmer’s Market to get them!
Ingredients:
- Oxtails 6-8 pieces
- Vegetable Broth
- Ground Ginger
- Brown Sugar
- Vegetables: Onions/Celery/Parsley/Carrots
- Canned or Fresh Tomatoes – optional
- Garlic fresh or minced
- Oxtail Seasoning
- Dry Beans or Lentils
- Flour
- Olive Oil
Put Oxtails into a plastic bag and pour in enough flour to coat, adding as little or as much of the Oxtail Seasoning, Ground Ginger and Brown Sugar according to your tastes. Seal bag and rub all dry ingredients onto Oxtails.
Pour in just enough olive oil to cover bottom of a pan, heat on low and add coated Oxtails turning to brown on all sides.
In the meantime, chop and dice veggies
I also added a little Curry to the browning Oxtails, however, this is optional.
Remove browned Oxtails from the pan, then rinse the lentils or beans. Coat inside the Crock Pot with cooking spray for easier clean up.
Put in the Oxtails…
…add lentils or beans
…top with sliced and diced veggies
Pour in 2 containers of broth or use water seasoned with Beef Bouillon Cubes – enough to cover all ingredients
Cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4 depending on your Crock Pot/Slow Cooker
I had to work late and none of my men took pictures so I don’t have the finished product, but trust me it was good! You can add any vegetable or potato or omit the beans and serve over rice. No matter how you make it, it’s oh so good and filling especially on a cold winter’s night!
What is your favorite Slow Cooked Stew?
* This post was written only a few hours before Mr. Mandela’s death
RIP “Giant for Justice”
26 Comments
Hello Friends and Happy Fri-Yay!
Friday’s Foodie Feature
Slow Cooked Cranberry Turkey
Ingredients:
Turkey Breast Tenderloin
1 small onion diced*
1 can Whole Berry Cranberry Sauce
1 cup Barbeque Sauce
Salt and Pepper to season (optional)
Spray Crock Pot with Cooking Spray
Add Turkey Tenderloin and sprinkle with salt and pepper if desired
Add diced onions, cranberry and barbeque sauce.
Cover and cook on LOW 4 hours
When I got home I could smell it, but it wasn’t a good aroma, it was the smell of burning meat, my son turned the Crock Pot on HIGH!!!! “Waste Not Want Not” so we ate it anyway with Stovetop Stuffing and String Beans!
Hopefully our Thanksgiving turkey won’t suffer the same fate!
*tip
cut onions on stovetop with exhaust fan running – no more tears
9 Comments
Hello Friends and Happy Fri-Yay!
What a perfect way to kick off the month dedicated to all things food!!!
Friday’s Foodie Feature is Slow Cooked BBQ Beef Ribs – this is one recipe that had my mouth watering and my mind on the Crock Pot all day long. Since we don’t eat a lot of red meat it was definitely a treat for the entire family!
Ingredients:
- Beef Ribs
- McCormick Grill Mates
- Bottle BBQ Sauce
- 1 Medium or Large Onion
- Cooking Spray
- Water
Place ribs inside a large plastic bag, add Grill Mates Seasoning then rub to coat each rib.
I usually get a few extra produce or meat bags from the grocery store which comes in handy for marinating or dry rubbing meat so that I don’t have to touch it.
Rub dry seasoning to coat each rib
Lay ribs flat in the bag, then using another bag cover to seal and place in the refrigerator overnight.
Remove ribs from the bag and dice onion
Spray Crock Pot with Cooking Spray then layer the ribs, diced onion and a little BBQ Sauce
Continue layering ribs, onion and sauce
I had some leftover pineapple chunks so I tossed them in over the last layer of ribs. Added a little water to the empty BBQ Sauce bottle, shaken and poured over fruit – “waste not want not”
Cover and cook on LOW for 8 hours
Oh how I wish this was “smell-o-vision” because when I walked through the door…oh la la the aroma was overwhelmingly delicious and I know you would have loved it!
These finger-licking-good ribs were served with mashed potatoes and string beans to complete our family meal.
If you try this recipe, make sure to come back and let me know how delicious they were!
Have a fantabulous day – Smooches!
16 Comments
Hello Friends and Happy Fri-Yay!
Today’s Crocktober Foodie Feature is Cajun Chicken (of course) AND Shrimp
Ingredients:
- 1 pound skinless chicken thighs
- 1 large onion
- 1 can stewed tomatoes – undrained and chopped
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon Cajun Seasoning
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 pound shelled shrimp, deveined and cleaned
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- Hot Sauce to taste
- 1 cup of prepared rice
- * diced red pepper and celery rib can also be included
Spray Crock Pot with cooking oil
Place chicken thighs in Crock Pot, top with onion, garlic, tomatoes with juice, paprika, pepper, sugar, and Cajun seasoning
Cover and cook on LOW for 8 hours or HIGH for 4 hours – depending on Slow Cooker
In the last hour of cooking add the shrimp, lemon juice and hot sauce.
Serve over hot cooked rice
It is always great to come home to a fully cooked meal with a wonderful aroma.
12 Comments
Hello Friends and Happy Fri-Yay!
Today’s Friday Foodie Feature is Hearty Beef Stew made with Crock Pot Seasonings
Ingredients
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1 package Crock Pot Hearty Beef Stew Seasoning
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2 lbs beef for stewing
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5 cups of veggies – potatoes/onions/carrots
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1 1/3 cup of water
Dice veggies and cube beef, however, I chose not to cut beef
Place beef and veggies into crock pot – spray with cooking oil or use liner for easy clean-up
Mix seasoning with 1 1/3 cup of water and pour over veggies and beef
If you cubed beef, stir all ingredients well
Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, 4 hours if on high
Come home to a fully cooked meal with a wonderful aroma
Serve with biscuit to sop up the gravy!
8 Comments
Hello Friends and Happy Fri-Yay!
Today’s Friday Foodie Feature is a recipe from
Ingredients:
- 3-4 Chicken Breasts
- 1 can of stewed Tomatoes
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 cup of carrots
- 2 medium sweet potatoes
- 4 small yellow potatoes
- 1/8 tsp nutmeg
- 1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp celery seeds
- fresh basil leaves
Dice chicken into bite size pieces, wash, peel and cube potatoes
Measure out dry spices and spray Crock Pot with cooking spray or use liner
Place chicken into Crock Pot
Cover chicken with diced potatoes
Add stewed tomatoes, carrots and chicken broth
Add dry seasonings, STIR, cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours
It was a crazy Monday morning and I forgot to stir all the ingredients so it didn’t look like the picture and it cooked for 10 hours instead of 8. However, this Indian influenced recipe was a good and satisfying meal.
Have a fantabulous day – Smooches!
19 Comments
Hello Friends and Happy Crocktober Fri-Yay!
I missed a few Friday Foodie Features last month but the timing is now right with the official start of Autumn. October begins the season of football, family and comfort foods and it also means a return to my all time favorite way to make a meal and that is with the Crock Pot or Slow Cooker.
It wasn’t too long ago that there were only a few Slow Cooker Seasonings available at the grocery stores, now there are several more options available on the supermarket shelves. I’ve tried a few of the new ones by McCormick’s and the Fiesta Chicken was a hit in my house, my men loved it – ‘ole
Ingredients:
- 1 can of black beans
- 2 cans of diced tomatoes
- 1 cup frozen corn
- 1-2 lbs or chicken thighs or breasts
- 1 packet of McCormick’s Slow Cookers Seasoning – Fiesta Chicken
Spray Crock Pot with cooking spray or use liner, put in chicken thighs or breast – remember NOT to wash the chicken.
Mix all ingredients into a bowl and stir
Pour mixture over chicken
I had this frozen tomato so I added it
tip when a tomato begins to soften, don’t throw it away, put it in the freezer to use later in sauces or the Slow Cooker.
Cook on low 7-8 hours
Served over rice – Cilantro optional – dinner is served!
Have a fantabulous Day – Smooches!
11 Comments
Brown the ground turkey and dice the onions and garlic. Remember to turn on stove’s blower while cutting onions for no tears.
