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Slow Cooker Beer Pulled Pork

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Making pulled pork is as simple as putting the pork roast in the slow cooker and letting it cook all day omitting wonderful fragrances into your home. With many options out there for flavouring your pork, it really comes down to preference, ingredients on hand and what flavours appeal to you. For example husband had some Village Brewery Blacksmith (beer) hanging around. I had a pork roast. We married the two with some spices and new a pulled pork recipe was born. I purposely kept the flavours simple as I wanted to have leftover pork for pork carnitas the next day. This is why the barbecue sauce in this recipe is served on the side.

Slow Cooker Beer Pulled Pork
Slow Cooker Beer Pulled Pork

Since I’m trying to be more organized with my meals, my motto for this year is cook once and stretch it into 2-3 meals. We typically make Braised Pork in the oven, however nothing beats getting your meat and/or ingredients ready, set into the slow cooker and the refrigerator the night before, to bring it out and on the next morning.

Beer Pulled Pork in the Slow Cooker

Looking forward to enjoying leftover pork tomorrow in these Pork Carnitas. We “pulled”, get it pulled?! a third meal out of this dish by making Pulled Pork Mac and Cheese. A little went a long way!

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Slow Cooker Beer Pulled Pork
Author: 
 
Ingredients
  • 1 tbsp cumin
  • 1 tbsp ground pepper
  • 1 tbsp coarse salt
  • 1 tbsp oregano
  • 1 tbsp garlic powder
  • 2 tbsp chili powder
  • 1 (5-7 lb) boneless pork shoulder or pork butt
  • 1 medium sized onion, sliced thin
  • 1 lime, juice
  • 1 bottle beer (2-3 cups)
  • Olive oil
  • Pam
Instructions
  1. In a bowl mix together cumin, pepper, salt, oregano, garlic powder and chili powder. Rub all over pork and let set in refrigerator covered overnight or for at least an hour.
  2. Add a drizzle of olive oil and onions to a hot frying pan. Cook for about 5 minutes until starting to soften.
  3. Using Pam spray inside of slow cooker. Add onions, pork, lime juice and beer. Drizzle olive oil over top and let it cook up to 8 hours for low or 5 hours on high. The pork is done with it flakes easily.
  4. Remove from slow cooker and let sit for a few minutes on a baking sheet. Shred with two forks and add to serving plate or bowl. Pour additional juices from slow cooker over top including onions.
  5. Serve with your favourite barbecue sauce and fresh buns.
  6. Since we didn't have a slaw to go with the pulled pork, we put out some fresh toppers including: sliced red onion, cilantro, sliced fresh jalapenos

Slow Cooker Teriyaki Chicken Wings

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If you are like me, chicken wings are one of those things you just can’t get enough of. Then there’s my husband who would eat them every night if he could. Even the kids enjoy the non spicy wings now so there’s rarely any left when we make them as it’s all in every time wing night happens.

Slow Cooker Teriyaki Wings
Slow Cooker Teriyaki Wings

When I fry the wings I tend to do it outside on the burner of our BBQ to avoid grease splatter. I do not have a deep fryer and really do not want one. When winter approaches here in Canada and temperatures drop to low to BBQ I have to find new ways to create recipes as the grease splatter drives me a little crazy. As a chicken wing lover I do prefer my wings to be crispy vs fatty and as such I’ve been challenged with baking them as they never crisp up the way I like them.

Slow Cooker Teriyaki Chicken Wings
Slow Cooker Teriyaki Chicken Wings

We use chicken wings to help make our gravy when ever we roast a turkey and I always end up with a few leftover in the freezer allowing me the opportunity to play. These wings were tossed with some of my favourite ingredients and added to our slow cooker or they can be done in the Instant Pot.

In a little over two hours the wings were perfectly cooked with a little added time for a good broil in the oven.

Slow Cooker Teriyaki Wings
Slow Cooker Teriyaki Wings

These wings are so moist they practically fall off the bone but still have a nice crisp on the outside.

Here’s how we do it.

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Slow Cooker Chicken Wings
Author: 
Serves: 2
 
Ingredients
  • 20 chicken wings, tips removed
  • ¼ cup soy sauce
  • ¼ cup brown sugar
  • 2 tsp ginger, freshly grated
  • pepper
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
Instructions
  1. In a large bowl mix together soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger, a pinch of pepper and sesame oil.
  2. Add chicken wings and stir to coat.
  3. Pour all into oval slow cooker.
  4. Cook on high for 2- 2.5 hours.
  5. Preheat oven to broil.
  6. Remove from slow cooker and place on baking sheet with a rack.
  7. Broil for 5 minutes, turn chicken wings over and broil for another 5 minutes. Watch them carefully.
  8. Serve with a little of the slow cooker sauce drizzled over top.

 

Baked Beans

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We grew up eating baked beans, the baked beans out of a can. They were pretty darn good back then. Little did I know baked beans could be even better.

I was dating a guy from another town before I moved to Vancouver. His parents had a cabin at a lake about halfway between our two little towns. Plus a boat, water skis and all the fun summer toys. We spent our summer at this cabin with his family and friends having a good old time – the summer of 1989! There was this one time his mom cooked up a big batch of home made beans for our farewell BBQ. I am pretty sure I still have that recipe since she wrote it out for me. This is how I learned beans could be more than just out of a can.

Baked Beans
Baked Beans

I became more adventurous with baked beans when I got married. Some of the recipes we enjoy are these Smoky White Beans and Salsa Baked Beans. Several years ago my father in laws girlfriend Paulette introduced us to her baked beans with all kinds of yummy extras. I’ve had them a few times and they are really good. She shared the recipe with me and I will share it with you soon. It was Paulette’s use of large canned ready to eat beans, with an added flavour boost, that inspired me to make these beans.

Baked beans are oh so popular here in Calgary around Stampede time. They are a delicious side to any BBQ fair and we love to serve them with our Beef on a Bun. We’ve made these beans for a camping potluck and in the slow cooker.

 

Camping Beans
Camping Beans

 

This recipe makes enough for a big potluck or crowd. You will want to cut the recipe in half for smaller groups.

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Baked Beans
Author: 
Recipe type: side, dinner, lunch
Serves: 12
 
Ingredients
  • ½ package bacon
  • 2 cans baked beans, 1.36L
  • 1 can pineapple tidbits
  • 1 cup BBQ sauce (your favourite)
  • 1 tbsp brown sugar
  • 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tbsp dijon mustard
  • 1 tsp maple syrup
  • salt
Instructions
  1. Cook bacon in a dutch oven or heavy bottom pot over medium heat until cooked through. Do not cook until crispy as they will continue to cook with the beans. Rough chop and set aside.
  2. Drain half of the bacon fat into a jar for later use and keep the rest in your pot.
  3. Pour both cans of beans in the pot. Add pineapple tidbits and stir.
  4. In a small bowl mix together BBQ sauce, apple cider vinegar, dijon mustard and maple syrup. Add a small pinch of salt. Stir in BBQ mixture and bacon.
  5. Bring beans to a boil then reduce to low simmer stirring regularly. Let cook 30-60 minutes and sit 15 minutes before serving. They will thicken as they sit.

 

Slow Cooker Carrot Bread

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It’s cookbook review day and I’m checking out 175 Essential Slow Cooker Classics by Judith Finlayson and her Slow Cooker Carrot Bread. The best smell ever is walking in the door to something cooking in your slow cooker or crockpot.

I’ve been using my slow cooker for over 20 years, and when one dies or burns out (because they all do eventually) it’s a mad dash to replace it with a new version. I’ve made a bread pudding in my slow cooker, but never bread, so when I saw how easy Judith made it sound, I couldn’t wait to try it out. Plus I had some summer garden carrots to use up. Missing pecans, I used toasted slivered almonds instead.

This book is a reissue with a new cover and all new trade paper binding. It’s one of several slow cooker cookbooks from Judith Finlayson, and this book includes 60 new recipes, plus many of her favourites from three of her previous slow cooker cookbooks with both vegetarian and vegan recipes. There are recipes for everyday to elegant entertaining, and so many to choose from including recipes such as Kids’ Favourite Fondue, Leek Risotto, Country Stew with Fennel, and Sumptuous Spinach and Artichoke Dip.

Judith offers up this advice to Maximize Slow Cooker Convenience:

  • Use Make ahead instructions to partially prepare a dish up to 2 days prior to cooking.
  • Do any additional chopping and slicing the night before you intend to cook to keep work to a minimum when it is less convenient.
  • Cook a recipe overnight and refrigerate until ready to serve.

With so many great recipes to try in this book, you could be busy all winter long. We are admittedly on our third recipe from the book with more to go.

175 Essential Slow Cooker Classics
175 Essential Slow Cooker Classics

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Slow Cooker Carrot Bread
Author: 
Recipe type: snack, breakfast, lunch
 
Ingredients
  • 1½ cups all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup whole wheat flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • ½ tsp ground cloves
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ cup packed brown sugar
  • ¼ cup sugar
  • 3 tbsp canola oil
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • ¾ cup plain greek yogurt
  • 1½ cups shredded peeled carrots
  • ½ cup slivered almonds, pecans or walnuts
Instructions
  1. In a bowl, combine flours, baking powder, cinnamon, cloves and salt.
  2. In a second bowl, beat together sugars, canola oil, egg and yogurt. Add to flour mixture, stirring just until combined. Fold in carrots and nuts.
  3. Spoon batter into prepared pan. Cover tightly with foil and secure with a string or elastic band. Place pan in slow cooker stoneware and pour in enough boiling water to come 1 inch up the sides of the dish. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours or low for a bit longer - until a tester inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean. Unmold and serve warm or let cool.

 

Carrot Bread
Carrot Bread

 

Courtesy of 175 Essential Slow Cooker Classics by Judith Finlayson, 2015 © www.robertrose.ca Reprinted with publisher permission.

Asian Pulled Chicken

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Asian Puled Chicken
Asian Puled Chicken

Summer is coming, grilling has ramped up, camping is around the corner and I’m all about the grill this year. And pulled meat. With Canadian Beef prices here in Canada skyrocketing, there won’t be much beef in our house this year. It’s a sad state of affairs when you can actually buy lobster cheaper than Alberta beef. Here’s hoping things change and we get back to some better prices.

In light of watching our beef intake, we came up with this Asian Pulled Chicken recipe cooked in our slow cooker. I’ve played with these flavours many times before and decided with a broken stove I needed to get creative with dinners. So I pulled out the slow cooker, added all my favourite ingredients and success! Asian Pulled Chicken was born.

Since my chicken breasts were boneless it’s important to note they will cook quickly. I gave them 1.5 – 2 hours tops in the slow cooker before I pulled them out avoiding dry chicken. Wrapped them in foil and set them aside until ready. Boneless chicken breasts will take a little longer and hold the moisture. I pulled the chicken apart with my fingers and put the leftover liquid into a saucepan to reduce and intensify flavours.

I topped this chicken with some sliced green onions and served with buns. Feel free to add a slaw or dressed green salad as a topper.

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Asian Pulled Chicken
Author: 
Recipe type: dinner, slowcooker
Serves: 6
 
Ingredients
  • 4 boneless chicken breasts
  • 1 white onion, sliced
  • ½ cup honey
  • ½ cup soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp sherry
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tbsp sesame oil
  • ¼ cup oyster sauce
  • ½ tsp sambel oelek
  • 3 green onions, sliced
Instructions
  1. Place chicken breasts in slowcooker and cover with onions.
  2. Whisk together honey, soy sauce, sherry, garlic cloves, sesame oil, oyster sauce and sambel oelek.
  3. Pour over chicken & onions, stirring to ensure all of chicken coated.
  4. Cover slowcooker and cook on low for 1.5-2 hours.
  5. Remove chicken, cover and set aside.
  6. Pour remaining liquid into saucepan. Bring to a boil and drop heat to a simmer. Cook for about 10 minutes to reduce slightly.
  7. Shred chicken with a fork or your fingers. Place in a bowl and pour liquid over chicken stirring to combine.
  8. Serve with buns.

 

Dulce de Leche Bread Pudding

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This Dulce de Leche Bread Pudding, made in the slow cooker, was part of The Great Cream Challenge 2014. In this challenge I went against two other food bloggers from across Canada, and their recipes. The one with the most votes won the challenge.

While I didn’t win the challenge, I am sure grateful for all the votes and support I received for this recipe. It was a fun challenge to compete in!

This recipe has an Eggnog Sauce that is more seasonal. You could do a vanilla sauce or spiced rum sauce if you want to make this dish any time Eggnog is not available. Or, as my mom used to do, you could make your own Eggnog! Before making this recipe test your casserole/baking dish to ensure it fits inside your slow cooker. I have an oval slow cooker so the baking dish I chose worked well.

My husband devoured this pudding and hopefully you will to. Here’s how we did it.

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Dulce de Leche Bread Pudding
 
Ingredients
  • 1 can Dulce de Leche sweetened condensed milk
  • 1½ cups 35% cream
  • 2 eggs, slightly beaten
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • ¼ tsp nutmeg, grated
  • ½ tsp cinnamon
  • 4 cups 1-inch bread cubes, day old French bread
  • ½ cup raisins, seedless
  • Aluminum Foil
  • 2 tbsp sugar
  • 2 tbsp cornstarch
  • 1 cup eggnog
  • ½ tsp vanilla
  • ¼ tsp nutmeg
Instructions
  1. Lightly butter a 1.5 quart (1.4 L) baking dish, and set aside. Then, place a small metal rack or trivet in bottom of slow cooker. Add ½ - ¾ cup water.
  2. In a large bowl mix together sweetened condensed milk, cream, eggs, vanilla, nutmeg and cinnamon until combined. Add bread cubes and raisins, and stir. Let it sit for 5-10 minutes.
  3. Spoon into baking dish and cover with tin foil, then place it on rack in slow cooker.
  4. Then, put lid on slow cooker and cook on high for 3 hours. Remove and let stand 10 - 15 minutes before serving. Serve with warmed Eggnog Sauce.
Notes
To make eggnog sauce: In a bowl, mix together sugar, cornstarch, eggnog, vanilla and nutmeg. Pour into sauce pan and cook over medium-low heat on stove. Stir until slightly thickened and remove from heat. Drizzle over bread pudding and serve warm.

 

Slow Cooker Five Spice Chicken

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So many recipes, so little time. There are many ways to make chicken in a crockpot, the options are virtually endless. I want to get back to experimenting again with my crockpot now that Fall, and soon to be Winter, are upon us. Not to mention all the evening activities that have us rushing out the door and shoving a sammy down our throats, once work is done for the day. Slowcooker meals are perfect for busy nights. Hearty and healthy they can even become 2 meals in one. This dish is currently smelling up my house with flavours of comfort food, driving both me and the cats nutty. I can’t wait to dish this up this evening with a side of rice and a robust glass of wine.

I always brown my chicken before I put it into the slowcooker. I recommend you do the same. Browning imparts bits of goodness and flavour into the chicken that you won’t get if you just drop it raw into the crockpot dish.

If there are leftovers (and I say if because it’s so yummy you may have to fight for the last bits), remove the chicken meat from the bones and use the next day to make soup, quesadillas, chicken salad or a sandwich. This is your two meals (or more) in one.

My mom first introduced me to a bok choy salad in the 90’s. I loved it back in my single Vancouver days and so this became a one dish meal for me on many occasions. Happy to share the wealth, I also introduced it to my husband. As it turns out, he loves it as much as I do…in fact scrapping for the last bowl full of this salad when it comes to the table, is common.

I keep the salad for this meal simple. Bok Choy, vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper. The flavours combine so nicely with the chicken, broth and rice. It’s definitely a keeper. Slice or rip up some crusty bread to dip in the broth. And you to will be hooked.

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Slow Cooker Five Spice Chicken
Author: 
Recipe type: Dinner, Supper, Main, Entree, Slowcooker
Serves: 5
 
Ingredients
  • 2-3 lbs chicken pieces (we had 5 bone in thighs & 5 drumsticks)
  • ⅔ cup chicken stock
  • ½ tsp sesame oil
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tsp 5 spice powder + more
  • 1 tbsp oyster sauce
  • 3 green onions, chopped
  • 2 stalks celery, chopped with leaves
  • 1 can (398 ml) whole young corn
  • canola oil
  • salt and pepper
Instructions
  1. Pour some oil into a pan and turn to medium high. Season chicken pieces with salt, pepper and a sprinkle of 5 spice powder on both sides. Brown chicken on both sides and remove to slowcooker.
  2. Toss chopped celery and green onion into slowcooker on top of chicken.
  3. In a bowl whisk together chicken stock, sesame oil, soy sauce, 1 tsp 5 spice powder and oyster sauce. Pour over slowcooker ingredients.
  4. Turn on low and let cook 6-8 hours, or high for 3-5 hours.
  5. The last hour of cooking add your whole young corn and nestle it in around the chicken pieces.
  6. Remove chicken pieces from broth and serve with rice, egg noodles or cheesy mashed potatoes. Ladle on some of your delicious broth and add a little of your bok choy salad on the top before serving.

 

Slow Cooker Beef & Barley Stew

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One thing we love to do as a family is fondue. Husband used to fondue as a kid, I was introduced to fondue in the 90’s, and currently own at least 4 or 5 fondue pots. A fondue variety is so much fun, especially when it includes broth, cheese and chocolate all in one night. When we beef broth fondue we add flavour enhancers like ginger and garlic to the broth plus we’ve usually marinated the beef and add those marinating juices as well. As the broth cooks down it intensifies the flavour.

Beef Stew is a comfort food we can’t get enough of. If you do not have leftover fondue broth, beef broth is just as delicious, and you can easily toss some additional garlic, and ginger into the pot as it cooks away.

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Slow Cooker Beef & Barley Stew
Recipe type: Main, Slowcooker, Supper, Entree
 
Ingredients
  • 1-2lbs stew beef (1/2-1 inch cubes)
  • oil
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 3 stalks celery, chopped
  • 3-4 med sized carrots, chopped
  • ¾-1 cup barley
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • ½ tsp ginger, minced
  • 6 cups beef broth
  • salt & pepper
Instructions
  1. In a skillet over medium high heat add your oil and brown/quick sear your beef in small batches. Remove from pan and place in slowcooker. Continue until all beef is browned.
  2. Turn heat down, pour a little more oil into pan and add your onions, carrots and celery stirring for about 5 minutes. IN the last 2 minutes add your garlic. Pour in a splash of beef broth and scrape up all the brown bits from the pan. Add contents of saucepan into slowcooker with beef.
  3. Pour in the remaining beef broth. Add your bay leaves, soy sauce, ginger and a pinch of salt & pepper. Give a stir and pour in your barley.
  4. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours.

 

Slow Cooker Beef Chili

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I make a couple different versions of chili. When I was single my favourites were Veggie Chili, and a Four Bean Chili. Enter the meat eater I married, and this is now one of our family favourites since it is slow cooked all day in the crockpot allowing the flavours to marry creating the most delicious tasting beef chili. We also make a mean chicken chili.

In this recipe I only add 2 tbsp of chili powder..any more makes it quite spicy, and I want the kids to eat it! Hubs likes to add more chili powder to his bowl after the fact to give it more heat. While I don’t quite understand this method since the spice would be a little raw for my liking, I don’t question bizarre behavior ha ha!

There are many ways we like to enjoy eating our chili keeping it fun for the kids: in a bread bowl, on nachos with melted cheese, in scoops (taco chips), chili dogs, chili on mac & cheese, chili on a pizza (yes it’s good), chili fries, like a sloppy joe on a bun, with corn muffins or better yet Chili Cheese Corn Muffins, in lasagna, and even on perogies. Don’t be afraid to experiment since a little chili goes a long way!

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Slow Cooker Beef Chili
Recipe type: Supper, Lunch,
 
Ingredients
  • 2 lbs ground beef
  • 2 tbsp oil
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 tsp cumin seeds or cumin
  • 1 tsp pepper
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 tbsp chili powder (or more if you like it spicy)
  • ½ tsp allspice
  • 1 tsp cocoa powder
  • 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • ¼ cup tomato paste
  • 5 cups tomato sauce
  • ½ cup beef broth
  • 1 can (19oz) red kidney beans, drained & rinsed
  • 1 can (19oz) black beans, drained & rinsed
Instructions
  1. Over medium-high heat add your oil to a saucepan. Add beef and cook until nicely browned. Add to your slowcooker and put lid on.
  2. In same pan add oil and onions cooking until soft. Drop in garlic, cumin, salt, pepper, chili powder, allspice and cocoa powder stirring for a minute or two. Next add your worcestershire sauce, beef broth, tomato paste and tomato sauce stirring well. Bring sauce to a boil scraping up any bits from the bottom of the pan.
  3. Take pan off heat and pour over beef in slowcooker. Add your beans and stir to combine. Cover and cook on low for about 8 hours or until hot & bubbling.
  4. Once ready bring slowcooker stoneware to table and serve.
  5. Add whatever crunchies & fixins you like!
Notes
Fixins can be anything you like: chopped jalapeno peppers, chopped cilantro, chopped bell peppers, chopped purple onion, chopped green onion, shredded cheese, hot sauce, chopped tomatoes, sour cream. Find the combo that works for you!

 

Beef Carbonnade, Crockpot

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Spring has definitely sprung and today would have been a great night to BBQ. However I had some stew meat to use up so I decided to pull out the good old reliable slow cooker perhaps one last time until the Fall and make a nice hearty beer infused Beef Carbonnade, Crockpot.  It’s a Belgian dish and I choose this time to use a dark beer or more specifically Rickards Dark (an English style porter) because I had it on hand.

I initially found the flavour quite strong so I added in some beef broth to help mellow it a bit.  And take the edge off it did….however the flavour of the dark ale was still present (and yummy by all accounts).  We served it with a cheesy mashed potato.

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Beef Carbonnade, Crockpot
Author: 
Recipe type: Dinner, Entree, Main,
 
Ingredients
  • 2 tbsp oil
  • ½ half a package bacon
  • 2 lbs stewing beef
  • 2 medium onions, sliced thin
  • 6 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 tsp dried thyme leaves
  • 1 tsp old bay seasoning (or celery seeds if you have on hand)
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 1 tsp seasoning salt
  • 1 tsp pepper
  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • ¼ cup flour
  • 2 cups beer (or beer/beef broth combo)
Instructions
  1. Season your stew meat with salt & pepper.
  2. In a sauce pan over medium-high heat add a glug of oil and then brown your beef stew in batches. Transfer to Slowcooker.
  3. Next add in your bacon and cook until crisp. Remove and drain on paper towel. Set aside. Once cool cut into 1 inch pieces and add to the slow cooker.
  4. In pan with remaining bacon fat add in your sliced onions. Cook until soft. Add garlic, thyme, old bay seasoning, bay leaves, another dash of salt & pepper and cook for 1 minute or so. Sprinkle sugar over mixture in pan and stir well. Add flour and cook for another minute (stir as you go). Finally add your beer/broth combo, increase your heat a little and cook until mixture thickens.
  5. Pour saucepan mixture over beef & bacon. I give it a little stir, cover and cook on low for about 5-6 hours or until meat is tender. Remove bay leaves and serve immediately.

Slow Cooker Chicken with Dumplings

0 · · 2 Comments

When you need some comfort food, or having a busy evening planned and need a quick meal, you don’t like to cook, or want a special meal for the family, this Slow Cooker Chicken with Dumplings is it. You will be amazed how easy it is to pull together this meal. The dumplings go in and cook for the last 30 minutes.

When you are ready to eat, bring entire slowcooker to the table and serve. Rice, mashed potatoes, even egg noodles pair nicely with this comfort dish.

5.0 from 1 reviews
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Slowcooker Chicken with Dumplings
Recipe type: dinner, lunch, potluck
Serves: 5-6
 
Ingredients
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 1 tbsp olive oil or canola oil
  • 1 medium onion, sliced in chunks
  • 3 carrots, sliced into chunks
  • 2-3lbs of fryer chicken (thighs, thigh/legs attached)
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp Mrs. Dash
  • ½ tsp marjoram
  • ½ tsp thyme
  • 3 bay leaves
  • ¾ cup chicken broth
  • ½ cup dry white wine (any that you like-not sweet) or extra broth
  • 3 tbsp cornstarch
  • ¼ cup water
  • 1 cup packaged biscuit mix
  • 1-2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
  • 1 tbsp Parmesan cheese, grated
  • 6 tbsp milk
  • Salt & Pepper
Instructions
  1. In a pan heat your oil & butter over medium-high. Season your chicken pieces then place in pan careful not to overcrowd pan. Get your chicken nice and crispy brown on one side, than flip the chicken pieces and do the same on the other side. Remove from heat and set aside.
  2. Add your onions, garlic, marjoram, thyme, bay leaves, broth, wine to your slow cooker with a little pinch of salt & pepper. Drop in carrots and add your browned chicken pieces on top and cook on low 6-8 hours or until chicken is nice and tender. Fish out your bay leaves and discard. Turn control to HIGH.
  3. In a small bowl mix together cornstarch and water stirring to combine. Add to chicken mixture. Now put the lid back on crock pot while you make your dumplings.
  4. In a medium bowl combine biscuit mix with parsley, Parmesan cheese and milk, mixing with a fork until moistened. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto chicken mixture in crock pot. Put cover back on and cook approximately 30 minutes more or until dumplings are cooked in centers (test with fork or toothpick).

 

Slow Cooker Beef Minestrone Soup

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Delicious beef soup on a cold, fall/winter day comes in the form of our Beef Minestrone Soup in the Crockpot.  Many variations of Minestrone soup are available, this is one version we enjoy.  We prefer to cook our pasta and add it separately since when  it sits in the soup over night (leftovers) it tends to soak up all the soup broth.

In the photo I did not have cabbage for this some so I shredded extra zucchini and added in some chopped carrots & celery.  Really anything goes.

Our preferred noodles for this soup are Ditali noodles but you could use macaroni or any smaller type noodle.

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Slow Cooker Beef Minestrone Soup
Author: 
Recipe type: Dinner, Lunch, Soup
 
Ingredients
  • 1 lb beef stew meat
  • 6 cups beef broth
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 4-5 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 2 tbsp fresh parsley, minced (dried works too if you do not have fresh)
  • Splash (tbsp) worcestershire sauce
  • Splash hot sauce
  • 1 (16oz) can diced tomatoes
  • 2 cups napa cabbage, chopped
  • 1 (15oz) can cannellini or white navy beans, drained & rinsed
  • ½ cup zucchini, grated
  • 1½ cup cooked macaroni
  • ¼ cup parmesan cheese
  • salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. In a skillet over medium high heat, add a little oil and quickly sear your stew beef in small batches. Transfer to crock pot.
  2. Next add in your broth, onions, thyme, bay leaves, worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, tomatoes, cabbage and salt/pepper to taste.
  3. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours. At about 6-8 hours add in your beans, zucchini and parsley. Allow to cook another 30 minutes or so.
  4. Meanwhile cook your pasta, drain, mix in some butter and set aside.
  5. When serving ladle some soup into a bowl, add some macaroni and top with a good heaping of parmesan. Yum.

Cabbage Rolls, Crockpot

1 · · 2 Comments

This Cabbage Rolls, Crockpot recipe stems from my ethnic background/heritage (a blend of Ukrainian, German and Romanian). There are a few recipes my mom really excelled at when I was a wee thing and they included anything surrounding our heritage (Holubtsi-cabbage rolls), Borscht, Sauerkraut-fermenting somewhere in the house and Pierogi’s). There were all kinds of German baking and pastries that came our way regularly as well.

Some of these recipes continue to be favourites. Cabbage rolls are one of them. Simple to prepare and delicious to eat it’s comfort food when it’s a good childhood food memory. Even easier is when they are done in your crockpot. My mother would make them with tomato juice and bake them in an oven. I prefer tomato sauce and allowing them to simmer all day in my slow cooker.

The seasonings are fairly simple.  So if you’ve never rolled a cabbage roll before – give it a try….you will find it easier than you think.

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Cabbage Rolls
Recipe type: Entree, Dinner, Lunch, Crockpot, Slowcooker,
 
Ingredients
  • Small head cabbage (sometimes I use napa)
  • 1 egg, slightly beaten
  • ¼ cup milk
  • ¼ - ½ cup finely minced onion
  • 1 lb ground beef (lean works)
  • ⅓ cup uncooked basmati rice
  • 23oz (680ml) tomato sauce
  • 2 tbsp brown sugar
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
  • Salt & Pepper to taste (1 tsp each)
Instructions
  1. Immerse cabbage leaves in a large pot of boiling water and cook about 3 minutes or until limp. Drain leaves and set aside.
  2. In bowl combine egg, milk, onion, beef, rice, salt and pepper.
  3. Depending on the size of your cabbage leaf, place 2-3 tbsp meat filling in middle of leaf. You do not want to much that it over flows or too less that it is not enough to fill the cabbage leaf. Tuck in sides and roll ends over meat mixture. Set aside. Continue on until you have used all your meat filling. You may have leftover cabbage leaves.
  4. In bowl mix together tomato sauce, brown sugar, lemon juice and Worcestershire sauce. Spoon a little on the bottom of your slow cooker. Place your cabbage rolls into the crockpot covering the bottom first and then layering as necessary. Pour the sauce over the cabbage rolls, cover and cook on low 6-7 hours.
  5. Sometimes I add in even more tomato sauce since we enjoy a lot of sauce with our cabbage rolls. These freeze well.
Notes
I tend to slice off the hard outer rib of the cabbage leaf after it has been cooked (about an inch from the bottom). Tends to make rolling a little easier.

Cheesy Hamburger Casserole

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Crockpot or Slowcooker?  I can not decide which word to use in this Cheesy Hamburger Casserole recipe. Crockpot is the trade name and slow cooker is another way of saying crockpot?

Slow Cooker recipes are all the rage again. Everywhere you look there are slow cooker recipes showing up left, right and centre. Even Rachael Ray, a confessed non crockpot fan has been presenting crockpot recipes on her show the past 2 years (perhaps ratings were low?).

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Cheesy Hamburger Casserole
Author: 
Recipe type: Slowcooker, crockpot, dinner, entree, main, lunch,
 
Ingredients
  • 1-2 tbsp oil
  • 1-1.5 lb ground meat
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 4 stalks celery, thinly sliced
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tsp dry mustard
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • ½ tsp (each) salt and pepper
  • ½-1 cup beef broth (change to chicken if using ground chicken or turkey)
  • 1 cup tomato sauce
  • 4oz cream cheese softened, cut into cubes
  • 1 pkg egg noodles, cooked just to al dente and buttered
  • Pam
Instructions
  1. In a saucepan heat your oil and cook your ground meat until nicely browned. Set aside.
  2. In same saucepan cook your onions and celery adding another drop of oil as necessary. Cook until softened.
  3. Add garlic, mustard, oregano, salt, pepper and cook for about 1 minute stirring continuously.
  4. Then add in your beef broth and tomato sauce stirring until blended.
  5. Finally stir in your cream cheese and stir until melted.
  6. Now you are ready to assemble your meal. Spray your slow cooker with Pam. Spoon in approx. 1 cup of cooked ground meat spreading all over bottom. Add a layer of cooked noodles and then some sauce. Repeat until all ingredients used, finishing with the sauce.
  7. Now alternately you can pour all the meat on the bottom, spread all the noodles on top and then pour the sauce all over (covering entirely) the noodles. Both ways work.
  8. Turn on low. In my slowcooker this meal is done in 3-4 hours.
  9. Your topping (if using) goes on the last 30 minutes of cooking (or until bubbling), just to melt the cheese a little.
  10. During this time you can drink some wine and ask your partner to make a salad!

In August 2011 many people became aware of the Crockin Girls, (formally Crockpot Girls) a couple of Southern ladies who decided to team up, create a page on Facebook and share some of their crockpot recipes. What they didn’t plan on was getting over 1 million followers in a matter of weeks! Who knew there was such a void for crockpot recipes.

As for me – I am happy to see the explosion of slow cooker recipes since I’ve been using mine since the late 80s and love the variety of recipes to try, not to mention love having dinner ready at the end of a long day.

Here is one that 3/4 in our family enjoy. Think of this as a healthy (no additives) slow cooker hamburger helper. You can use any ground meat you want…I’ve tried both ground beef and chicken….it tastes equally delicious. If you find the dish getting a little dry (because your slow cooker gets to hot like mine) pour a little beef broth in.

Beef Roast with Shiitake Mushroom Gravy

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I grew up eating roasts that had been over cooked and had absolutely no flavour. I remember covering it with HP Sauce and trying to choke it down since I was “forced” to eat it. Two things came from this; A) I am not a huge Roast Beef fan, and B) I will never force my children to eat something they do not like.

I am however someone who loves to cook and is married to a Carnivore of English decent (think beef & potatoes). Plus I want my kids to grow up enjoying a wide range of foods. And so we/I cook Roasts several different ways (indirect grilling, rotisserie, slow cooker, dutch oven) and it always has to have a ton of flavour for me to eat it.

I came across this recipe awhile ago and have adapted it for our family making with vodka, red wine and more recently Cointreau. If you can not find shiitake mushrooms use white or cremini mushrooms, they work just as well and may be preferable for those not used to the texture of a shiitake mushroom.

Tip: You can make this recipe and/or any crockpot recipe the night before. Assemble all your ingredients in the stoneware the evening before and place covered stoneware in fridge. The next morning pull it out, plop it into it’s home, plug it in and get on with your day knowing supper will be ready when you get home. I did this a lot when I worked outside of the house and my first born was in a dayhome.

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Beef Roast w/Shiitake Mushroom Gravy
Recipe type: Dinner, Entree, Supper, Main
Serves: 8
 
Ingredients
  • 10 dried shiitake mushrooms
  • 1 cup boiling water
  • 1 tbsp oil
  • 1 beef pot roast (blade), approx 3-4lbs
  • 3-4 large french shallots, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tbsp ginger, minced
  • salt & pepper
  • 1 cup fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems removed & sliced
  • ⅓ cup vodka
  • 1.5 cup beef broth
  • 2 tbsp soya sauce
  • 2 tbsp oyster sauce
  • 2 tbsp hoisin sauce
  • 2 tbsp cornstarch dissolved in 2 tbsp water
Instructions
  1. Soak shiitake mushrooms in boiling water for 30 minutes to plump. Strain through a sieve or colander reserving liquid. Pat mushrooms lightly to dry and slice. Set aside.
  2. Add oil and preheat frying pan. Brown your roast over med-high heat until all sides on roast are brown. Place into your crockpot.
  3. In same pan with oil and roast drippings saute your shallots and cook until soft. Add garlic, ginger, a pinch of salt and pepper and reserved plump mushrooms. Stir and cook 1 minute, then add fresh mushrooms and cook one more minute. Add your vodka and cook another minute. Finally add reserved mushroom soaking liquid and beef broth, bringing to a boil.
  4. Pour broth over roast in crockpot and cook on Low for 8 hours or High for 4-5 hours. Once roast is tender transfer to a plate and using a slotted spoon, remove solids from cooking liquid and arrange around roast. Cover with foil to keep warm.
  5. Almost done....in a pan over medium heat, bring cooking liquid (you get this from the crockpot) to a boil. Add soy sauce (careful here, soy sauce can be salty), oyster sauce and hoisin sauce. Bring to a boil and cook approx. 5 minutes to reduce and concentrate flavours. Stir in cornstarch mixture and cook a minute or two until it thickens. Serve gravy along side roast.
Notes
Tip: If you do not have dried shiitake mushrooms, slice four white or cremini mushrooms and use in place of dried ones in recipe. I also add a splash of Worcestershire sauce to the beef broth to give it another flavour boost.

 

 

 

 

Chicken Cassoulet – Crockpot

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I haven’t experimented too much with cassoulet’s, but it’s good comfort Fall & Winter food and I’m all about getting more of that into us. A cassoulet is a rich, slow-cooked casserole originating in the south of France, containing any kind of meat and layering it with beans.

This simplified version is made in the slowcooker and is delicious apres ski, fireside, after a building snowmen, snowshoeing, an afternoon skate or a walk in the crisp Fall leaves. This dish warms your soul.

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Chicken Cassoulet - Crockpot
Serves: 4
 
Ingredients
  • 3-4 pieces chicken thigh/leg combo or 2-3 lbs bone in thighs
  • 1 small leek, thinly sliced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2-3 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
  • salt & pepper
  • 1 19oz can small navy beans, drained
  • ½ lb smoked sausage links, cut into ½-inch slices
  • ¼ cup dry white wine
  • oil
Instructions
  1. In a pan over medium high heat, add some oil. Season chicken with salt and pepper and add chicken to hot pan. Brown on each side and then place in slowcooker.
  2. On top of chicken place leek, garlic, parsley, and another sprinkle of salt and pepper. Top with beans and sausage. Add wine. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours (give or take) until chicken is tender.

Orange Barley Casserole, Crockpot

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I love my crockpot.  Nothing better then smelling the aroma of supper cooking on a cold day…or a day where there are evening activities and not much time to cook.  Hmmm come to think of it any day I smell supper simmering away is a good day!

This casserole is surprisingly delightful.  We love barley and this dish a perfect accompaniment to pork or ham….although husband indicated it would be great with ice cream!

As this is a kid friendly recipe consider getting the kids involved with helping…they can dice, slice and toss into the slow cooker!

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Orange Barley Casserole - Crockpot
Author: 
Recipe type: Side, Main, Lunch,
Serves: 6
 
Ingredients
  • 2-3 cups orange juice
  • ⅓ cup barley
  • ¼ cup thompson style raisins, sliced
  • ¼ cup dried apricots, diced
  • ¼ cup chopped dates
  • 1 apple, peeled, cored and sliced
  • 3 tbsp chopped pecans
Instructions
  1. Combine all ingredients in your slow cooker. Cover and cook on low 3-4 hours. Serve warm!
Notes
I like to add some chopped apricots, pecans, raisins, apple on top of mine to give it a little extra crunch.

Cumin Steak with Black Beans, Crockpot

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The nights seem crazy busy these days with two events/activities happening on some evenings. And these are the nights I need to have supper ready and on the table early.

I’ve made this dish quite a few times and I love the smokiness the cumin provides and hint of heat from the jalapeno peppers. Like any meat in the slowcooker, if you cook this too long it will lose it’s tenderness, so I’ve learned to keep it at 4-5 hours max. Also add your bacon at the end so it doesn’t get soft.

Serve it with mashed potatoes or buttered egg noodles and a variety of toppings. The toppings (listed in the recipe) pair so nicely with the flavours of the meat. My kids love it all except the beans lol.

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Cumin Steak with Black Beans, Crockpot
Author: 
Recipe type: Lunch, Dinner, Slowcooker, Crockpot,
 
Ingredients
  • 3 slices bacon, chopped
  • 2lbs chuck or blade steak
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp herbes de provence
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds (or cumin)
  • salt and pepper
  • 1 jalapeno pepper, chopped finely (you can omit if you don't like spicy)
  • 1 19oz can black beans, drained & rinsed
  • ½ cup beef broth
  • 1 tbsp fresh lime juice
Instructions
  1. In a pan cook bacon until crisp. Remove and drain on paper towel. Drain most of fat and add steak (in batches if necessary) browning on both sides. Transfer to crockpot.
  2. In same pan fry onion until softened. Add garlic, herbes de provence, cumin seeds, salt, pepper and jalapeno pepper cooking for a couple minutes. Add beans and broth stirring to combine and bringing to a boil.
  3. Remove from heat and pour contents of pan into crockpot. Cover and cook on low for 5 hours or high for 2-3. Before serving mix in your lime juice and serve piping hot. You can add some toppings if you like.
Notes
Toppings: finely chopped red or green onion, finely chopped tomato, finely chopped cilantro, shredded Monterey Jack or Cheddar Cheese, sour cream or salsa.

Black Bean Soup with Bacon, Crockpot

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I’m all about my crockpot and really into soups these days (I try to do one a week). I guess I want our kids to be exposed to more than I was as a child (no offense campbell’s) and learn difference flavours and textures (even if they are fussy right now I’m not giving up).   That’s where our latest soup recipe Black Bean Soup with Bacon, Crockpot comes in.  I love having a big pot of soup for supper in the colder months and some yummy crusty bread/rolls to accompany it.

This month so far we’ve had success with our Pizza Soup, Hamburger Soup and a Minestrone Soup (with napa cabbage). It’s also nice the kids I look after are great eaters and so I can happily experiment more regardless of how our kids eat!

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Black Bean Soup with Bacon, Crockpot
Recipe type: Soup, Main, Entree, Lunch,
 
Ingredients
  • 6 slices bacon, chopped
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 2 stalks celery, finely chopped
  • 2 carrots, finely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp thyme, dried
  • 2 tbsp cumin seeds
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tbsp oregano, dried
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 6 cups chicken stock (or approx. 2 tetra packs for a little more)
  • 2-3 cans - black beans, rinsed & drained (I use canned and put some aside to add whole into the soup)
  • ⅓ cup lime juice, fresh
  • Salt & Pepper to taste
  • Cayenne Pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. Cook your bacon until crisp. Remove from pan to drain and set aside.
  2. Drain most of bacon fat leaving a little behind. Add your onions, celery, carrots and cook until soft.
  3. Drop in garlic, thyme, cumin & cumin seeds, oregano, salt, pepper and cayenne if using. Stir for 1 minute. Next add tomato paste, stirring to combine.
  4. Transfer mixture to crock pot and add bacon, stock and beans. Mix well.
  5. Cover and cook on Low for 8-10 hours or high for 4-6 hours.
  6. Before serving stir in lime juice and puree soup in batches. Pour into bowls and add optional garnishes.
Notes
What I love about crockpot recipes is they can be mostly prepared the night before and stored (in crockpot stoneware) in the fridge overnight. The next morning you take out stoneware, put in crockpot base and turn on. Optional Garnishes can be anything: chopped cilantro, sour cream, salsa, chopped bell peppers or tomatoes, chopped spanish onion or corn, extra black beans. Try different flavour combinations to determine what you enjoy.

Slow Cooker Pork Ribs

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I try hard to get a new recipe posted every week, but all excuses aside, it’s been a busy summer! Cold weather started upon us the end of August and with it came the desire for warm, hearty dishes. This past week we’ve done two crockpot meals with more on the menu. On colder days comfort food is the food of choice in our house. This Slow Cooker Pork Ribs dish is a fall off the bone, melt in your mouth, kind of comfort food that hugs you.

Try this recipe and you will discover a new way to love ribs, even in the middle of a cold winter! Happy to report my little Aiden loved these ribs and as such they are a keeper.

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Slow Cooker Pork Ribs
Recipe type: Dinner, Main, Entree, Crockpot
 
Ingredients
  • 4-5lbs ribs, cut into 2 rib pieces
  • 1½ cup ketchup
  • 2-3 drops hot pepper sauce
  • ¼ cup vinegar
  • ¼ cup packed brown sugar
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • salt and pepper
  • spice rub (any kind)
  • 1 small onion, finally chopped
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400F.
  2. Place ribs on a rack in a shallow baking pan. Sprinkle spice rub on both sides and massage in. Brown in oven 10 minutes per side. You may need to turn the heat up to boril for a few minutes to get the brown. Drain fat. Place ribs in a slow cooker.
  3. In a small saucepan, combine ketchup, hot pepper sauce, vinegar, brown sugar, honey, salt & pepper and onion. Bring to a boil and let simmer 5 minutes. Pour mixture over ribs turning ribs until evenly coated. Cover and cook on LOW about 6 hours or until ribs are tender. Serve immediately.

 

Mulled Cider, Crockpot

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As the weather gets colder it’s time to make those warm & yummy drinks that keep you all toasty inside like this Mulled Cider, Crockpot.  It reminds me of skiing or skating on a cold winters day!

Every Fall/Winter I try to make this when company comes over. The aroma of the cider simmering away fills the house and makes it smell lovely all day long.  Another reason I love my crockpot(s)!  Add some spiced Rum and you have an Adult only beverage.

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Mulled Cider, Crockpot
Recipe type: Beverage,
Serves: 5
 
Ingredients
  • 2 quarts apple cider
  • ¼ cup packed brown sugar
  • ⅛ tsp ground ginger
  • 1 orange (unpeeled), sliced
  • 2-4 cinnamon sticks
  • 1-2 tsp whole cloves
Instructions
  1. Combine cider, sugar, ginger and orange in a slow cooker. If you want you can tie the cinnamon and cloves together in a small cheesecloth bag and add to the slow cooker....(I don't bother and just throw everything into the pot to cook together!) Cover and heat on LOW minimum 4 hours to blend flavours. If you've used the cheesecloth bag remove it before serving. Serve from slow cooker.
Notes
As I am not always able to find apple cider readily available in the grocery stores....I more often than not will substitute a large bottle or a couple smaller bottles of non alcoholic sparkling apple juice with regular apple juice (tetra pack box). It turns out tasty and just as good.

Slow Cooker Stuffing

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This is a recipe we tried and loved so we took it with us to Manitoba one year when we spent Christmas with my husbands family. Our first born was still in my tummy so this recipe has some longevity to it. We explained how delicious it was to my brother in law and since he was making the turkey that year, he decided he would do his stuffing the same way. Only somehow too much salt fell into the slow cooker and so we had a salt enhanced Slow Cooker Stuffing that year.

You can make this vegetarian by removing the sausage, butter, and using vegetarian stock. Making the stuffing in your slow cooker saves room on in your oven and gets the job done for you.

Important to note this dish feeds an army so we tend to half the recipe.

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Crockpot Stuffing
Recipe type: side,
Serves: 10
 
Ingredients
  • 4 or 5 mild italian fresh sausage links (pending size)
  • 2 cups onions, chopped
  • 1.5 cups celery, thinly sliced
  • ¼ cup butter
  • 1 tbsp dried sage, crumbled
  • 1 tsp dried marjoram, crumbled
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ tsp freshly ground pepper
  • ¼ tsp thyme, crumbled
  • 12 cups bread cubes, lightly toasted
  • ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
  • 1.5 cup chicken stock
  • Large/Oval style crockpot
  • Cranberries, dried or fresh
  • Cooking Spray
Instructions
  1. In a large saucepan squish sausage out of casings, breaking up as you cook them. Saute sausage until cooked through and nicely browned. Pour into a large bowl and set aside.
  2. In same saucepan saute your onions and celery in butter until tender. Stir in sage, marjoram, salt, pepper and thyme. Pour this mixture into your sausage bowl. Add in bread cubes and parsley. Finally add your chicken stock and stir well to combine.
  3. Spray your slow cooker with cooking spray. Spoon sausage mixture into slow cooker. Cook on low for approximately 3-4 hours, stirring every hour.
  4. If you love cranberries add a handful of dried or fresh cranberries into the mixture at the beginning of the cooking process to add more flavour and make it colourful.
  5. Remove from slow cooker and dish into serving bowl. Serve warm.

 

Meatballs

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This recipe comes from an old family friend of my moms and makes many, many meatballs. You can cut the recipe in half if you prefer but these meatballs are so delicious and freeze so well, you’ll be surprised how quickly you go through them.

We buy the warehouse pack size of ground beef when it comes on sale and use it to make the meatballs adjusting ingredients appropriately to the amount of beef used. These meatballs can be used in a variety of dishes. Find one that you like and supper is done in no time.

Makes four dozen golf ball sized meat balls. More if you make them smaller.

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Meatballs
Author: 
 
Ingredients
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 cup fine dry bread crumbs
  • 1 cup milk
  • ½-3/4 cup finely chopped onion
  • ½ cup finely chopped parsley
  • 1-2 tsp salt
  • 1½ tsp dry mustard
  • 4 lb ground lean beef
Instructions
  1. In a large bowl, beat eggs and stir in bread crumbs until combined. Stir in milk, onion, parsley, salt and mustard. Add meat and mix with hands until well blended. Roll into small meatballs and place into a large shallow baking pan (or broiler pan). Bake in 400F oven for 25 minutes or until browned. Let cool, then freeze in airtight containers or ziplock bags. Will keep in freezer for up to 6 months.

 

Here are just a couple ideas we use for Meatballs:

Spaghetti & Meatballs.
Buy a bottle of your favourite sweet & sour sauce (or teriyaki), cut up a pepper, open a can of pineapple tidbits, throw all of it plus your meatballs into a crockpot for 4 hours and supper is ready.
Jelly Balls from the Best of Bridge (you can google this recipe), it has chili sauce & grape jelly – is quick, easy and so tasty.
Meatball Sub!
Cook up some pasta, warm up some pasta sauce…mix together with some meatballs…throw it into a casserole dish…top with all kinds of gooey cheese and bake for approx. 30 minutes (350F) for a delish baked meatballs and pasta.

Slow Cooker Hamburger Soup

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Here’s another delicious soup for a cold day. Slow Cooker Hamburger Soup has been done many times before so this is a slight variation of an original recipe using onion soup mix. Cooked in the Slow Cooker it makes for a lovely smelling meal to come home to.

We enjoy this soup and admittedly have it a couple of times a month during the colder Fall and Winter months. Top it with a good helping of freshly grated  Parmigiano-Reggiano or Pecorino Romano (a more salty cheese) & some crouton crumbles.

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Hamburger Soup
Author: 
Serves: 4
 
Ingredients
  • 1lb lean ground beef
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 1 cup celery, chopped
  • 1 cup carrots, sliced
  • ¼ tsp pepper
  • ½ tsp dried oregano
  • ½ tsp dried basil
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 1 package dry onion soup mix
  • 3 cups boiling water
  • 1½ cans tomato sauce (8 oz)
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1-2 cup macaroni (or any small pasta), cooked & drained
  • ¼ cup Parmesan cheese (or more)
  • croutons
Instructions
  1. Over medium high heat brown beef and chopped onion. Cooked until beef is nicely browned. Toss into crockpot and add remaining ingredients except pasta, cheese & croutons. Cook on low for up to 8 hours or on high for 3-5 hours.
  2. To serve add cooked pasta to soup bowls and ladle hot soup over top. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and croutons.