Chili

2 medium onions, chopped
1 - 1 1/2 lbs ground beef, browned and drained
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 finely diced green pepper
2 14 1/2 oz cans diced tomatoes
30-32 oz canned beans -- kidney, or pinto, or mixture of the two
8 oz can tomato sauce
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp freshly grownd pepper
1 tsp seasoned salt
1 Tbsp, or more, chili powder
1 tsp dried basil
red pepper flakes to taste
any other spices in the cupboard that strike your fancy

1. Combine all ingredients in slow cooker.
2. Cover. Cook on Low 8-12 hours, or High 5-6 hours.

This recipe was modified from one found in "Fix-It and Forget-It Cookbook."

Crockpot Issues

The thing that keeps me from making crockpot dinners more than anything is the cleaning of the crockpot. I specifically got one where the inner part of it can be removed for easy cleaning. Still not easy enough in my book.

Since this months assignment is crockpot recipes, I thought I would bring to everyone's attention a commerical I saw the other day. Its a new product from Reynold's Wrap. Its these cool inserts you put around the porecelain bowl of your crockpot. When dinner is done, you just remove the bag, and throw it away. Then its clean! Who Hoo! Talk about an ingenious invention that should have come around years ago.

I'm going to look for them the next time I'm at the grocery store, I'll let you know how it works. If anyone else picks them up and tries them out, I want to know what you think too!

Before Payday Supper

1 lb of ground beef (cooked)
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
16 oz. canned tomatoes, cut up
1 Tbsp chili powder
2 tsp. beef bouillon
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1 - 3 mushrooms, sliced
2 1/2 cups Rotelle pasta

Mix all ingredients except pasta in slow cooker and mix well. Cook on low for 4 - 6 hours (at least), or as long as you would like. In the last 10 minutes, boil pasta on the stove. Serve over pasta with garlic toast.

Chicken Soup

2 1/2 lb chicken pieces
1 onion -- chopped
3 potatoes -- peeled and diced
4 carrots -- sliced
3 stalks celery -- sliced
3 Tbs Soy sauce
1 tsp Tabasco sauce
1 tsp salt
3 1/2 cups water -- or enough to cover

Combine all ingredients in large kettle. Cover and cook on low for 2-3 hours. Stir occasionally. Add water if necessary.

Chicken Rice Soup

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken -- cut into cubes
5 cups water or chicken broth
8 ounces fresh mushrooms -- sliced
3/4 cup sliced celery
1/2 cup sliced carrots
1/2 cup raw rice (not instant!)
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 cup frozen or canned mixed vegetables
5 teaspoons chicken flavor instant bouillion or 5 cubes (unless you use chicken broth)
1/2 tsp ground sage
1/4 teaspoon pepper

In a slow cooker, combine chicken, water or broth, vegetables, and seasonings. Cover and cook on low setting 6-8 hours (or high for 4 hours). Makes 2 quarts. Refrigerate leftovers.

Thyme Baked Chicken

This was a recipe I found in Betty Crocker Cooking Basic's Cookbook. It was originally supposed to be cooked in the oven, but I've altered the recipe for the crockpot. Everyone knows something that supposed to be slow roasted in the oven ALWAYS ends up so much drier than it does when cooked in a crockpot.

Thyme-Baked Chicken with Vegetables
Makes 6 servings

ITEMS NEEDED:

3-3 ½ pound whole broiler/fryer chicken
6 medium carrots
4 medium stalks celery
3 medium baking potatoes
1 medium onion
1 tablespoon chopped fresh
Or 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
Crockpot

Rinse the chicken under cold water, and pat dry with paper towels. Pat the inside of the chicken with paper towels. Stuff the inside of chicken with onion chopped. Rub dried thyme leaves into skin of chicken, place in Crockpot breast side down.

Peel the carrots and cut into 1-inch pieces. Cut the celery into 1-inch pieces. Scrub the potatoes thoroughly with a vegetable brush or peel the potatoes, and cut into 1 ½ inch pieces. Place all vegetables into crockpot. Sprinkle thyme leaves over all veggies.

Set crockpot for low setting (8-10 hours).

When done, remove vegetables from crockpot, place in bowl. Remove chicken from crockpot,(meat will probably fall from bone). Separate onion from chicken and serve with vegetables.

Roast Sticky Chicken

This is such a yummy dish! I got it from my same friend that I got most of my other recipes from. In the directions it says you can do it in a crockpot or the oven, I HIGHLY reccommend doing it in the crockpot. When it comes time for serving, don't be surprised when the whole chicken falls apart, and don't worry about the onions, just toss those. Serve with your favorite version of potatoes!

Beef and Chipolte Burritos

Wow, These are excellent! I found this recipe in the New Betty Crocker Cookbook. Oh SO yummy. Just be warned, it is pretty spicy. Use the rice, sour cream, radishes, and pico de gallo salsa to help cool down the spiciness.


INGREDIENTS:
1 ½ pounds boneless beef round steak, cut ¾ inch thick
1 14 1/2 oz can diced tomatoes, undrained
1/3 cup chopped onion (1 small)
3 canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
1 tsp dried oregano, crushed
¼ tsp ground cumin
1 clove garlic, minced
6 flour tortillas
¾ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Pico De Gallo Salsa
Shredded jicama or radishes
Sour Cream
White Rice


DIRECTIONS:
Trim fat from meat. Place meat, undrained tomatoes, onion, chipotle peppers, oregano, cumin, and garlic in crock pot. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 8-10 hours.

Remove meat from cooker. Using 2 forks, pull meat apart into shreds. Place meat in a large bowl.

Place cooked white rice on tortillas, add meat; spooning it into center, top with cheese, salsa, jicama or radishes and sour cream. Roll up tortillas.

Directions for Pico De Gallo Salsa:
In bowl combine 2 medium finely chopped tomatoes, 2 TBSP fined chopped onion, 2 TBSP snipped fresh cilantro, 1 fresh Serrano chile pepper, seeded and finely chopped; and dash of sugar. Cover; chill several hours.

Mmmmmm, yummy!

I'm so excited to do this month's recipe assignment! I have some good stuff, but am always looking for new and different things. I have posted two recipes in this category before (Easy Shredded Pork and Tuscan Pasta... I gave you the links on the names), so check those out if you want. Can't wait to see what you guys have!!

February Recipe Posts

I would like for you to post Crockpot recipes for the month of February. I'm sure we are all very busy with our families a few more meals that we could put together in the morning and forget about until dinner would be wonderful.

Nanaimo Bars

Layer I: Cream 1/2 cup of butter and 1/4 cup of sugar. Mix in 1 egg, 5 tbsp of cocoa and 1 tsp vanilla extract. Place bowl in boiling water and stir until smooth. Mix in 2 cups of graham crumbs, 1 cup of coconut and (optional-I do not do this: 1/2 cup walnuts.) Press into 8x8 pan. Let cool in fridge.

Layer II: Mix 1/4 cup of butter, 3 tbsp of milk, 2 tbsp dry custard and 2 cups of icing sugar*. Smooth over first layer and cool until firm (usually a couple of hours).

Layer III: In a double boiler and using only dry, metal utensils**, melt 1/2 cup of butter. Add cocoa to desired consistency, 2 cups of icing sugar*, 1 tsp of vanilla, and 3 tsp of cream. Blend well. Spread over second layer when firm.

Refrigerate.

*icing sugar is also known as "powdered sugar" to you Americans
**the chocolate will seize if it comes in contact with water and then it is ruined and you have to start over. Wooden spoons often harbour water, metal is safest. Trust me.