Slow Cooker Applesauce

3-4 lbs apples, cored, peeled and thinly sliced
1/2 c. sugar
2 T. brown sugar, packed
1 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. nutmeg
1/4 c. water

Fill slow cooker with apple slices to about 2 inches from top.
Stir together sugars and spices in a small bowl; mix into apples and add water.
Cover and cook on low setting for 8 hours, or until apples are tender.
Drain; mash apples with a potato masher to desired consistency. Store in refrigerator.

Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken

Ingredients:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 packet Ranch dressing mix (I like Hidden Valley)
1 1/2 bottles of your favorite wing sauce
optional: blue cheese and/or additional wing sauce for dipping

Directions:

1. Add chicken to slow cooker & top with ranch mix
2. Add wing sauce
3. Cover & cook on low 6-7 hrs.
4. Add 2 tbsp. butter & mix through
5. Remove chicken.  You can shred & add to rolls/buns or serve with noodles, rice, etc.


*Courtesy of AllRecipes.com

Apple Pork Chops

Ingredients:

3-4 boneless pork loin chops
3-4 red delicious apples, peeled & sliced
4 tbsp. brown sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. salt

Directions:

Place pork in slow cooker, cover with sliced apples.
Mix remaining ingredients & sprinkle over contents.
Cook on LOW 6-7 hours.


What I did different:

We dont like cinnamon apples too mushy, so I cooked the pork (w/salt) for 3 hours, then tossed in the apples, brown sugar & cinnamon and cooked an additional 3 hours.

*Serves 2-3

Best Ever Ribs

Ingredients:

4 pounds pork baby back ribs
salt and pepper to taste
2 cups honey BBQ (I used Sweet Baby Ray's Honey BBQ)
1 cup chili sauce
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
4 tablespoons vinegar
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 dash hot sauce

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
2. Season ribs with salt and pepper. Place in a shallow baking pan. Brown in oven 15 minutes. Turn over, and brown another 15 minutes; drain fat.DO NOT SKIP THE BAKING!
   
3. In a medium bowl, mix together the ketchup, chili sauce, brown sugar, vinegar, oregano, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, and salt and pepper. Place ribs in slow cooker. Pour sauce over ribs, and turn to coat.
4. Cover, and cook on Low 6 hours, or until ribs are tender.

Easy Tortilla Soup

Ingredients:
4-6 chicken breasts
taco seasoning packet
diced onion
1 can of chicken broth
diced tomato
fiesta corn (drained)
black beans (drained)
optional: shredded cheese, sour cream, tortilla chips

Directions:

1. add first 4 ingredients to crock pot & cook on low for 2-3 hours.
2. add remaining ingredients, cook another 30m-1hr
3. top with optional ingredients.

Mango Chicken

Ingredients:

Chicken Breasts
Mango Salsa (Newman's Own has a great one)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven at 350 degrees
2. Cover chicken breasts with salsa
3. Bake for 30-40 mins until chicken is cooked through
4. Serve over rice

or cook in crockpot on low for 6 hours

Cheesey Chicken

Ingredients:
2 cans broccoli cheese soup
1 can cheeder cheese soup
1 cup non fat milk
1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon Garlic Salt
6 Chicken breasts1 huge bag of broccoli added at the end
Optional: any spices you like (kick'n chicken, etc)

Directions:
Add all ingredients except broccoli.
Cook on low 6 hours or high for 4.
add broccoli with one hour left.

6 servings - 250calories each.

*This will make a lot of food, so it can be used to make individual freezer meals.

Crockpot Chimichangas

Ingredients:

1- 1 1/2 lbs of meat (ground beef, top round or even pork)

salt and pepper

1/2 cup water

1 tsp dried minced onion, or 1/2 diced fresh onion

1 can tomatoes and chiles-drained

1 can diced tomatoes-drained
burrito-sized tortillas

shredded cheese

optional: guacomole, salsa, sour cream or any other toppings your family likes

Directions:

1. Salt and pepper your meat on all sides. Add to the crockpot and cover with 1/2 cup of water and onion. Cook on low 6-8 hours (ground beef should be ready to go in about 6 hours, while top round or pork may take longer)

2. After your meat has cooked all day, drain most grease (leave about 1 cup) & shred meat with two forks, if necessary.
3. Turn crockpot to HIGH & add the can of drained diced tomatoes and drained tomatoes and chiles. Cook for approx. 30 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, prepare your toppings & steam a few tortillas at a time by stacking them on a plate and covering with a dampened paper towel. Microwave for 60 seconds.
5. Add oil to a large skillet and set heat to medium-high

6. Take a steamed tortilla and plop a spoonful of meat mixture in the center. If you use too much meat, it won't fold correctly. Fold the bottom and top of the tortilla, then the sides. The sides need to overlap a bit, so the meat doesn't escape, like this:

7. Carefully put the chimichanga into the hot skillet, seam-side down. Fry until golden brown (about 1-2 mins) then carefully flip and cook an additional 1-2 mins.)
8. Top with cheese, salsa, sour cream and guacamole.

** WHAT I DID DIFFERENT:

1. Add 1/2 packet of Taco seasoning to beef
2. Cook beef in a skillet before putting in crockpot.
3. Add all ingredients at the same time & cook on low 5 hours.
4. Added 1/2 green pepper

*Courtesy of A Year of Crockpotting


*This recipe can also be made on the stove in a large pot if you are short on time.

Asian Peanut Butter Pork

Ingredients:

1.5-2lbs pork tenderloin
1 onion, sliced in rings
1/4 cup soy sauce (I used La Choy low sodium)
1/4 cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
3 tablespoons water
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
Optional ingredients: 2 tbsp chopped peanuts and 1 lime, cut in wedges

Directions:

1. Put onion slices into the bottom of your crockpot. Put the pork on top.
2. Add brown sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, water, garlic, and peanut butter.
3. No need to stir-the peanut butter needs to melt before you can do so.
4. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, or on high for 4-6. The pork will be more tender the longer you cook it.
5. 1 hour before serving, flip the meat over in the crockpot to allow the other side to soak up the peanut buttery goodness. Garnish with chopped peanuts, and serve with lime wedges (optional, but the lime juice mixed with the peanut butter is delicious.)

*courtesy of A Year of Crockpotting

Easy Mexican Crockpot Chicken

Ingredients:

3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 can of "mexicorn" (corn with peppers), drained
1 can of black beans, drained
1 jar (16oz) of Salsa
1 (8oz) block of cream cheese (1/3 less fat tastes great to save some calories)
Scoops Tortilla Chips and/or soft tortillas
Shredded Mexican Cheese Blend

Directions:

1. Layer ingredients in the crockpot in the following order: (DO NOT STIR!): line the bottom of the crockpot with the chicken. Add corn, then the beans, and finally the salsa
2. Cook on HIGH for 3-4 hours or LOW 5-6 hours.
3. Stir and shred chicken.
4. Cut the cream cheese block into small cubes and and add it to crockpot.
5. Wait 5-10 mins. and stir until cheese is completely melted.
6. To serve with chips, place a serving in a bowl and sprinkle with shredded mexican cheese. Scoop out with chips. To serve with tortillas, put a generous amount of shredded cheese and chicken mixture on the tortilla. Roll up, serve.

Slow Cooked Chili

Ingredients: (I double this recipe and its enough for 2 dinners and leftovers)

1 lb. ground beef or turkey
1 packet Chili Seasoning
1/2-1 onion
1-2 cans of your favorite beans
1-2 can tomatoes with sauce (I buy them whole and use the magic bullet to puree them)

Directions:

1. Cook beef & add to slow cooker
2. prepare seasoning as directed (usually just add water)
4. mix all ingredients in the slow cooker
5. cook on high 2 hours or low for 4.

*I double this recipe for lunch leftovers

Bourbon Chicken - Crockpot Version

Ingredients:

2 lbs boneless chicken breasts, cut-up into bite-sized pieces
1-2 garlic cloves crushed (I use more, 3 or 4 - we love garlic!)
1/4 teaspoon ginger
3/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 cup apple juice
1/3 cup light brown sugar
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup soy sauce
2 tbsp of corn starch

Directions:

Mix all ingredients into your crockpot, then throw in the chicken.
Cook on high for 2-3 hours or on low for 4-5 hours.

Serve with rice or butter noodles.

Now how easy is that???

Chicken & Angel Hair Pasta

Ingredients:

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 envelope onion soup mix
3 cups of water
1 tbs. minced garlic
8 oz. fresh sliced mushrooms
1- 8 oz. package fat free sour cream
1 tbs. fresh chopped chives
1 pkg angel hair pasta

Directions:

Spray slow cooker with nonfat cooking spray.
Add all ingredients except pasta.
Cover and cook on high for 3 hours or low 5-6 hours.
Add the pasta the last 10 minutes of cooking.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Ingredients:

4 Boneless skinless chicken breasts
2- 15oz can black beans (undrained)
2- 15oz can Mexican Stewed Tomatoes
1 cup salsa (mild, medium, hot, whatever you prefer)
1- 4oz can chopped green chilies
1- 14 1/2oz can tomato sauce
2 cups grated cheese
Bag of tortilla chip

Directions:

Add all ingredients except chips and cheese to slow cooker.
Cook on low for 8 hours.
Just before serving remove chicken breasts and cut into bite size pieces and stir into soup.
Serve over a handful of chips in individual soup bowl.
Top with cheese.

Cheesy Crockpot Chicken

Ingredients:

1 can of cheddar soup
1 can of cream of chicken soup
1/2 pkg. shredded cheese (any variety)
2-4 chicken breasts

Directions:

Cook chicken and soup on low for 6 hours in slow cooker
Top with cheese, cook an additional 30mins. - 1 hour (or until cheese is melted)
Serve with rice and broccoli

Chicken Stroganoff

Ingredients:

2-4 chicken breasts
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 packet of onion soup mix
1 container of sour cream
1 pkg/box egg noodles OR rice

Directions:

Add chicken to slow cooker and top with both cans of soup and onion mix
Cook on low for 8-10 hour.
Add a container of sour cream about 15 minutes before you serve.

Serve over rice or egg noodles.

Salsa Chicken II

Ingredients:

4 chicken breasts
1 jar of peach mango salsa (i like the one from the grocery's fridge section)
1 jar plain salsa (i use mild because i'm a wimp)
1 can of corn drained
1 can of black beans drained
tortilla shells
shredded cheese
optional: shredded lettuce, sour cream

Directions:

PLace chicken in slow cooker
Top with salsa, corn and beans
Cook on high for 4 hours- shred chicken
Cook on high an additional 30 minutes.

(if it seems a little runny, just remove the lid and cook uncovered until it thickens)

Serve over tortilla shells & and top with cheese, lettuce and sour cream.

Hawaiian Chicken

Ingredients:

Chicken Breasts
Hawaiian Marinade (Mrs. Lowry's)
Medium can of pineapple chunks -juice and all

Directions:

Add all ingredients to slow cooker.
Cook on Low 4-6 hours.

Optional: about 20 minutes before serving add 1-2tbs of flour and stir to thicken sauce.

Bubbly Chicken

Ingredients:

Chicken Breasts
1 cup Ketchup
1 can Coke or Pepsi (diet is fine too)
chicken breasts

Directions:

Add everything to slow cooker
Cook on low 4-6 hours.

Salsa Chicken

Ingredients:

boneless chicken breasts
1 jar of salsa

Directions:

Add chicken and salsa to slow cooker and cook on low 6-8 hours.
Chicken will easily fall apart.
Use to make chicken tacos or nachos.
You can also serve alone with spanish rice and/or beans.