Crock Pot Star Crunch® Snack Cakes

Here is how I did it:

• 2 jars of crock pot caramel (easy peasy recipe can be found here)
• 1 1/2 cups of semi sweet chocolate chips
• 1 3/4 cups of a crispy rice cereal

Pour the caramel and chocolate chips into a 1 1 /2 - 2 quart crock pot.

Place the lid on and turn to low.

Cook for 1 - 2 hours until chocolate chips start melting well. Stir to incorporate as they're melting. I checked after about 40 minutes.

Once it's completely melted turn the heat off and stir in the crispy rice cereal.  Make sure the cereal is completely coated.

You can either pour onto a wax paper lined cookie sheet or drop by the spoonfuls into lined muffin tins. I put cupcake liners in my muffin tin and it was perfect for portion control 

Potatoe TOpped, Vegetable Beef Stroganoff.

Ingredients

 

1

medium baking potato

1

teaspoon olive or vegetable oil

4

oz beef flank steak, cut across grain into thin bite-size strips

1

cup sliced fresh mushrooms

1

small onion, cut into thin wedges

1/2

teaspoon garlic powder

1/8

teaspoon pepper

1

can (18.5 oz) Progresso® Light savory vegetable barley soup

1/4

cup fat-free sour cream

2

tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

• 1 Generously pierce potato with fork; place on microwavable paper towel. Microwave on High 4 to 5 minutes, turning once, until tender. Cover; let stand covered 5 minutes.
• 2 Meanwhile, in 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat oil over high heat. Add beef, mushrooms and onion; sprinkle with garlic powder and pepper. Cook 5 to 7 minutes, stirring frequently, just until beef is browned and vegetables begin to soften.
• 3 Stir in soup. Heat to boiling. Cook uncovered over high heat 7 to 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until mixture thickens. Remove from heat; stir in sour cream.
• 4 To serve, place 1/2 potato on each serving plate. Top each with 1 1/2 cups beef mixture; sprinkle each with 1 tablespoon parsley.

FOR crockpot, cube potatoes into large chunks, place meat, mushrooms, onions, garlis and pepper together add soup. turn on low for 8 hours, high 4 hours, add sour cream 10 minutes before serving.

Easy Baked Chicken and Potato Dinner for Two

 

2

boneless skinless chicken breast halves (1/2 pound)

2

tablespoons Dijon mustard

1/2

cup Bisquick Heart Smart® mix or Original Bisquick® mix

3/4

pound small red potato, cut into fourths

1

small red or green bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1

small onion, cut into 8 wedges

Cooking spray

2

tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese, if desired

1/2

teaspoon paprika

• 1Heat oven to 400ºF. Spray baking dish, 13x9x2 inches, with cooking spray.
• 2Brush chicken with 1 tablespoon of the mustard, then coat with Bisquick mix. Place 1 chicken breast half in each corner of pan. Place potatoes, bell pepper and onion in center of pan; brush vegetables with remaining mustard. Spray chicken and vegetables with cooking spray; sprinkle evenly with cheese and paprika.
• 3Bake 35 to 40 minutes, stirring vegetables after 20 minutes, until potatoes are tender and juice of chicken is no longer pink when centers of thickest pieces are cut.

Sausage and Beef Crock Pot Chili Beans

In the winter time I am constantly looking for an excuse to make chili beans. With the Super Bowl coming up I figured it was the perfect time to make a crock pot of sausage and beef chili beans with the Carroll Shelby's Chili Kit (which I LUHUHUHV!).

Since I called this go around a test run and promised to make it again on Super Bowl Sunday the hubs and Miss Maddy were okay with that. They're a little accustomed (or spoiled... just sayin') to having these crock pot chili beans on Super Bowl Sunday.

Here is how I did it:

• 1 Carroll Shelby's Chili Kit
• 1 pound of ground turkey sausage, cooked and drained
• 1 pound of ground chuck, cooked and drained
• 1 medium sized onion, peeled and diced
• 28 ounce can of crushed tomatoes
• 15 ounce can of stewed tomatoes
• 8 ounce can of tomato sauce
• (2) 15 ounce cans of red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• (2) 15 ounce cans of pinto beans, drained and rinsed

In a 5 - 6 quart crock pot add the sausage, ground chuck, onion, crushed tomatoes, stewed tomatoes, tomato sauce and the packet of large seasonings from the chili kit.

Cover and cook on low 7 - 9 hours or on high for 3 - 4 hours.

The last hour of cooking add the canned beans, just to heat them through.

*NOTES*

1. There will be 3 more packets in the chili kit. Salt, masa and chili powder. Before adding beans taste the chili and see if it needs any more seasoning from the salt or more heat with the additional package of chili powder. Add as needed.
2. If the chili is to thin for your liking, sprinkle some (or all) of the package of the masa over top of the chili and stir in to incorporate. This will thicken it within a few minutes of adding.
3. If the chili is too thick for your liking, add additional tomato sauce, chicken or beef stock or even water. I would start with a 1/4 cup at a time until the consistency you desire is reached.

Serve topped with cheese, sour cream, salsa, chopped green onions and tortilla chips.

Pot Roast Pizzaiola

Pot Roast Pizzaiola

There are a million different recipes for traditional pot roast. Some include vegetables, some are just simply seasoned and some are braised with wines. My idea of pot roast is to mix it up a little bit. Don't get me wrong, I love traditional pot roast with carrots, potatoes and onions. I just want something different from time to time.

Ultimately this is how I came to the conclusion that a crock pot pot roast pizzaiola would be perfect. It gives us something different to eat, but with flavors we all love.

Here is how I did it:

• 4 - 5 lb boneless chuck roast
• 20 - 28 ounce jar of spaghetti sauce (I used a chunky garden style so I wouldn't have to cut extra peppers, garlic and tomatoes)
• 1 yellow onion, peeled and diced

Place the onions in an even layer in the bottom of a 5 - 6 quart crock pot. They will serve as a bed for the meat to rest on. Lay your roast on top of the onions and then evenly pour the jar of sauce over top.

Cook on high for 3 - 5 hours or on low for 6 - 8 hours.

Slice or shred and serve with your favorite starchy side.

This was wonderful. And I don't mean just okay wonderful.... I mean WONDERFUL! We had it with roasted garlic mashed potatoes and it was the perfect accompaniment.

There was a little bit left over so I'm going to shred it and make it a pizza topping for lunch tomorrow (if the hubs can keep from making beefbarbecue with it for a midnight snack).

I definitely will be making this again. I think it would be great to make when the chuck roasts go on sale and freeze it for tacos, soups and sandwiches.

Southwestern Chicken with White Beans

Southwestern Chicken with White Beans

We are big chicken lovers in my household. I'm always trying to do something with chicken in the crock pot that everyone will love. This crock pot southwestern chicken with white beans was perfect. It had everyone wanting seconds (not to mention it was healthy and they didn't even know....shhhhh).

Here is how I did it:

• 3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken (can be breasts, thighs or tenderloins)
• (2) 15 ounce cans of white beans (I used great northern beans, but any white bean wold work)
• 16 ounce package of frozen corn
• 16 - 24 ounce jar of your favorite salsa (I used a chunky salsa)

Place all the ingredients in a 4 - 6 quart crock pot in the order listed.

Cook on low for 6 - 8 hours or on high for 4 - 5 hours.

Serve over rice and enjoy.

This made quite a bit. It served the three of us easily and there were leftovers for lunch the next day (I used the leftovers as a taco filling...YUM!). 

Pizza Casserole

This was so easy and so delicious. I don't really know why I had never made it in the crock pot before. After all, when I would make pizza casserole for cooking in the oven it was devoured immediately.

Here is how I did it:

• 1 pound of ground Italian sausage, browned and drained
• 1/2 pound of ground beef, browned and drained
• 1/2 large white onion, chopped
• 8 ounce box of short pasta (rigatoni, penne or ziti), cooked... but undercooked slightly
• (3) 14 ounce jars of pizza sauce
• 2 teaspoons of Italian seasoning
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 8 ounce package of sliced pepperoni, placed between paper towels and microwaved for a few seconds to remove all the grease
• 16 ounces of shredded mozzarella cheese

In a large bowl mix everything together except for the mozzarella cheese.

Spray the inside of a 4 - 6 quart crock pot with non-stick spray.

Layer the mixture alternately with the shredded mozzarella cheese. I did three layers... ending with the cheese on top.

Cover and cook on LOW for 3 1/2 - 4 hours. If cooked for longer than 4 hours or on high it may burn.

Serve with your favorite breadsticks and a side salad.

This is a great meal to make on the weekends or days that I don't remember to do anything for supper until around lunch time (I'm just saying it happens... not saying how often though (o: ).