Coconut curry lentils

 1 onion- diced

2 cloves minced garlic

1 sweet potato- cubed

2 carrots- sliced

2 cups lentils

2 T curry powder

1 can diced tomatoes

1 can tomato sauce

4 cups of vegetable broth

Put in a slow cooker and cook for 8 hours.

Add 1 can coconut milk at the end.  A great freezer meal as well!

Brown Rice "Enchiladas"

This is really more like taco filling and is great as a freezer meal that can be put in the crock pot.

1 can black beans

1 cup corn

1 can enchilada sauce

1 can tomatoes with green chiles

1 cup brown rice

1/2 cup water

Cook 8 hours on low.  Add in 1/2 cup of cream cheese and and handful of shredded cheese at the end.

Curried Split Pea Soup

Curried Split Pea Soup

1 or 1.5 cups of dry yellow split peas
1 qt chicken broth (or vegetable broth for vegetarian option)
1 cup water
1/2 cup salsa
2 tbsp curry powder
1/4 cup dried onion flakes
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup white rice

Directions:
Cook split peas ahead of time by following directions on the package.  Pour off foamy liquid 1-2 times as you cook (helps digestability of peas)
Throw all ingredients in the crockpot and cook on low for 8-9 hours or until rice is tender
Optional: puree soup with an immersion blender if you want a smoother soup

Slow Cooker Thai Peanut Chicken Soup

Very rarely do I try a new recipe and then all 5 of us eat it up.  The boys were actually licking their bowls.  No leftovers on this one!

• 2 Tablespoons red curry paste
• 1 12 ounce can coconut milk
• 3 cups chicken stock or broth
• 2 Tablespoons brown sugar
• 3 Tablespoons natural smooth peanut butter
• dash of soy sauce
• 1½ pounds chicken breast or thighs
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 red (or any color, or a combination) bell peppers, seeded and cut into bite-size pieces
• 1-2 cups frozen mixed veggies (I used corn, green beans, peas, and carrots)
• 2 tsp. fresh ginger
• 1 Tablespoon fresh lime juice

Place chicken and onion in slow cooker.  In a bowl, whisk together curry paste, soy sauce, chicken broth, brown sugar, and peanut butter.  Pour into slow cooker.  Set on low for about 6 hours or until chicken is cooked through.  Add coconut milk and vegetables and cook for another hour.   Remove chicken and shred, then return to slow cooker.

I adapted this recipe from monicaswanson.com

Savory Chicken

4-6 chicken breasts

2 cans stewed tomatoes

4 T white wine

2 bay leaves

Several shakes of pepper

4 garlic cloves minced

1 onion, chopped

1 cup chicken broth

4 cups broccoli

Combined everything in the crockpot except the broccoli.  (Or in a freezer bag for later.)

Cook on low 9 hours, add broccoli in last 30 min.

Slow Cooker Creamy Ranch Chicken

Ingredients:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 (10.75 ounce) can cream of chicken soup
1 (1 ounce) envelope dry ranch dressing mix
1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon parsley flakes
1/8 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon oregano
1 (8 ounce) block cream cheese

Directions:
Spray slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray.  Place chicken breasts inside slow cooker.  In a small mixing bowl, combine cream of chicken soup, ranch dressing mix, chicken broth, garlic powder, parsley flakes, paprika, and oregano.  Pour evenly over chicken breasts.  Cover and cook on low for 4-5 or high for 2-3 hours.  Remove chicken and stir cream cheese into the sauce until smooth.  Put chicken back in the slow cooker and serve over cooked egg noodles or rice.  Drizzle with extra sauce.

Slow Cooker Continental Beef

Ingredients

1 cup onion ( diced )
6 tablespoons butter ( or light margarine )
2 pounds beef rump roast ( cut into cubes )
8 ounces tomato sauce 

1 can diced tomatoes

1 cup chopped mushrooms

1 bell peppper- chopped, optional
2 teaspoons worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon sufar
2 teaspoons paprika
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons garlic ( minced )
1 cup low fat sour cream

Directions

Optional:

Saute onions in butter. Remove from pan and brown beef cubes. 

 Place beef, onions, tomato sauce, Worcestershire, sugar, paprika, salt, pepper and garlic in slow cooker. Cook on low 6-8 hours or until beef is very tender. Add sour cream to beef mixture just before serving. Stir until smooth and heated through. Do not boil. Serve over cooked egg noodles. 

Freezer Meal: Coconut Chicken Curry

IN THE BAG- 3 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts/thighs, 2 lbs of chopped butternut squash, 2 cups onions, chopped, 8 minced garlic cloves, 1 oz fresh ginger, 2 Tbsp curry powder, 1 tsp ground coriander, 1 tsp ground cumin, dash coarse salt

TO COOK- Add the contents of the bag and a can of coconut milk to a slow cooker and cook on low for 4-6 hours. 25 minutes before serving, add another can of coconut milk and a bag of frozen peas.

TO SERVE- Serve with rice. Garnish with chopped cashews and cilantro.

Freezer meal: Braised Peanut Chicken

IN THE BAG- 2 cups onions, 2 cups carrots, 2 cups zucchini, 1 cup red pepper, 1/2 tsp grated lime peel, 2 Tbsp lime juice, 2 Tbsp soy sauce, 2 Tbsp flour, 4 garlic cloves, 2 lbs. cubed boneless, skinless chicken breasts/thighs.

TO COOK- Dump contents of bag in slow cooker. Cover with 3/4 cup chicken broth and 3 T peanut butter (whisked together). Cook on low for 5-6 hours. For the last five minutes, add in 1 can of coconut milk and 1 bag of frozen peas.

TO SERVE- To make it spicy, add 1/2 teaspoon of red curry paste before serving (I kept ours not-spicy for the kiddos). Garnish with chopped peanuts and cilantro. Serve over rice.

Cilantro Lime Chicken with Black Beans

Recipe:

6-8 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
4 Tbs Olive Oil
2+ Limes, juiced (I like a little more lime then the recipe calls for)
1 large bag of Frozen Corn (or two smaller bags)
4 minced Garlic Cloves
1 finely Chopped Red Onion
2 cans of Black Beans, drained and rinsed
2 tsp Cumin or Chipotle powder
Salt and Pepper to taste

Take ingredients and split everything into two containers. Mix bag by shaking, seal, label and put in the freezer. Cooking instructions: Cook in Crockpot on Low for 8 hours or High for 4 hours. Serve with hot tortillas and dress with sour cream, guacamole, and/or cheese.

Crock Pot Mongolian Beef

Ingredients

• 1 lb. stew meat
• 2 tsp. olive oil
• 1 onion, thickly sliced
• 1 tbsp. minced garlic
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp. fresh minced ginger
• 1/2 cup hoisin sauce 

Instructions

1. Freezer directions- dump all ingredients into a labeled freezer bag, seal, mix up, freeze flat. It's as easy as that!
2. When you're ready to cook- take the bag out of the freezer the night before and let it defrost in the fridge. The next morning dump the bag into the crockpot and cook on low for 6-8 hours. If you're going to be longer just add a bit more water so it doesn't dry out. Serve with fresh slice green onions and rice. Yum! 

Crock Pot Honey Sesame Chicken

Ingredients

• 2.5 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts (thighs would be fine too)
• Salt and pepper
• 1 cup honey
• ½ cup soy sauce
• 4 tablespoons diced onion
• 4 tablespoons ketchup
• 2 tablespoon canola oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
• 4 teaspoons cornstarch dissolved in 6 Tablespoons water
• Sesame seeds

Instructions

1. Spray slow cooker with cooking spray.
2. Season both sides of chicken with lightly with salt and pepper, and place in the bottom of slow cooker.
3. In a small bowl, add honey, soy sauce, onion, ketchup, oil, garlic and pepper flakes and stir until well combined. Pour over chicken.
4. Cook on low for 3-4 hours, or just until chicken is cooked through.
5. Remove chicken from crock pot, leave sauce. Dissolve 4 teaspoons of cornstarch in 6 tablespoons of water and pour into crock pot. Stir to combine with sauce.
6. Replace lid and cook sauce on high for ten more minutes or until slightly thickened.
7. Cut chicken into bite size pieces, then return to pot and toss with sauce before serving.
8. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve over rice or noodles.

Sweet Hawaiian Chicken

1 cup Pineapple Juice

1/2 cup Brown Sugar

1/3 cup Light Soy Sauce

2 lbs Chicken tenderloins; in chunks

Original recipe makes 4 Servings.
Place all ingredients in crock pot and cook on low for 6-8 hours or until chicken is fall-apart.

Slow Cooker Marinara

Have I really not posted new recipes since the summer?  This made me ponder if I had made anything new since the summer.  The answer was yes, but honestly, there have been quite a few "cereal for dinner!" nights in there, too.  I cracked open a few cookbooks this last week when I was *gasp* menu planning, and thought I'd share those recipes along with a few I've stashed away the last few months, as well.

This recipe for slow cooker marinara came from a new blog I've been following called Budget Bytes.  Here is the original post on her site.  This made enough for 3 meals.  We ate one right away, and I froze the other two.  I think the only thing I did differently was to make it smooth with my stick blender when it was done, to please my "no chunk" eaters.  The sauce is so very rich and "real" tasting, compared to many jars and cans, and it made the house smell remarkable all day long!

Ingredients

• 2 (28 oz.) cans crushed tomatoes 
• 1 (6 oz.) can tomato paste 
• 1 medium yellow onion 
• ½ Tbsp minced garlic 
• 2 whole bay leaves 
• 1 Tbsp dried basil
• ½ Tbsp dried oregano 
• 1 Tbsp brown sugar 
• 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
• to taste salt & pepper 

Instructions

1. Cut the onion into a small dice and mince the garlic. Place both in the slow cooker. Also add the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, brown sugar, balsamic vinegar, bay leaves, basil, oregano, and freshly cracked pepper. Stir well to combine. If your slow cooker tends to lose moisture and dry things out, add ½ to 1 cup of water as well.
2. Secure the lid on your slow cooker and cook on low for 8 hrs.
3. Remove the lid on the slow cooker, stir the sauce, and remove the bay leaves. Season with salt to taste (I added about 1 tsp). Enjoy over your favorite pasta!

Slow Cooker Cheesy Chicken and Rice

1 cup rice
2.5 cups hot water
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup (can use cream of celery if like more celery taste)
1lb chicken breasts- each cut in 1/2
1 package dry onion soup mix
paprika

Mix all ingredients except chicken together in slow cooker. Place chicken breasts on top. Sprinkle with a little paprika (1/2 tsp or so) and cook high for 3-4 hrs or low for 6-8hrs until Chicken is done. The rice is suppose to be a little sticky with this meal. Sever it up with a side of veggies (or throw some broccoli in to cook with it!) and you've got a great meal.

Again this meal can go in the oven too. Place in baking dish and cover with foil. Bake 375* for 2 hrs.

Sweet & Saucy Chicken (in the slow cooker)

This one was delicious!!

Ingredients

• 1 broiler/fryer chicken (4 pounds), cut up and skin removed
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2/3 cup water
• 1/3 cup white vinegar
• 1/3 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons ketchup
• 1 tablespoon dried minced onion
• 1 teaspoon prepared mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• Hot cooked rice or egg noodles, optional

Directions

• Place chicken in a 3-qt. slow cooker. In a small saucepan, combine
• brown sugar and flour. Stir in the water, vinegar and soy sauce. Add
• the ketchup, onion, mustard, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Bring
• to a boil; cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until thickened.
• Pour over chicken. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or until
• chicken juices run clear. Serve with rice or noodles if desired.
• Yield: 6 servings.

Sweet and Tangy Lemon Chicken

3 to 4 pounds chicken parts (I used frozen legs and a few breast halves)
1 (6-ounce) box Lemon Jello powder
3 tablespoons melted butter
1 tablespoon prepared Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon dried minced onion flakes (or one tiny onion, finely diced)

Directions.

Use a 4 to 6 quart slow cooker. My chicken was frozen solid, too. If you have thawed chicken, shave about 90 minutes off of the cooking time.
Place the chicken into your slow cooker. In a small mixing bowl, combine the jello powder, melted butter, dijon mustard, and onion flakes. Stir together to make a paste. This isn't liquidy at all--- it's sort of a combo between paste and playdough. Smear this onto your chicken the best you can.
Cover, and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours. I cooked our chicken on low for exactly 7 hours, then kept it on the warm setting for another 2 hours.

I thought this one was very tasty.  The kids weren't totally in love though.

Slow Cooker Ham & Cheese Hashbrown bake

2lbs shredded frozen hash browns
1 stick melted butter
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 c. chopped onion (I cooked it first in some butter so it was soft)
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 cup milk
1 cup sour cream
2 cups fully cooked diced ham ( I just used deli meat and sliced it up)
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

Spray crock pot with non-stick cooking spray. Mix everything together in a large bowl, transfer it to your crock pot. This makes a lot so plan to use about a 6qt size slow cooker or so. Place on med/low heat for 8hrs or high for 4hrs. You could also bake it in your oven for one hour at 375 degrees. We had this for dinner but it could also be served for breakfast!!

Creamy Slow Cooker Beef & Noodles

--2 lbs stew meat

--2 T butter

 

--1 T worcestershire sauce

--1 T black pepper

--2 T dried minced onion

--1/4 cup beef broth

--1/2 t kosher salt

--1 t herbs de provence

--1/4 cup milk

--1/2 block of cream cheese

 

Mix together all ingredients except cream cheese and milk in your slow cooker.  Cook on low for a long time, at least 8 hours.  This makes the beef very tender.  Before serving, stir in cream cheese until incorprated.  Serve over noodles.

Homemade Crock Pot Mac N Cheese

Ingredients

• 1 package (16 ounces) elbow macaroni
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 4 cups (16 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese, divided
• 1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk
• 1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed cheddar cheese soup, undiluted
• 1 cup 2% milk
1/2 cup bread crumbs

Directions

• Cook macaroni according to package directions; drain. Place in a
• 5-qt. slow cooker; add butter. In a large bowl, combine the eggs, 3
• cups cheese, evaporated milk, soup and 2% milk. Pour over macaroni
• mixture and stir to combine. Cover and cook on low for 4 hours.
• Sprinkle with remaining cheese and bread crumbs. Cover and cook 15 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.