Smoked Sausage & Black Eyed Pea Stew

This a slow cooker meal that is perfect for hurried nights. It uses ingredients that I have on hand to make a great tasting take on traditional hoppin' john. I use a large bag of frozen black eyed peas, but you can sub canned ones in this recipe  if you have them on hand . 4 cans would be the right amount. This cooks up to a nice stew and is perfect with corn muffins on the side.

Smoked Sausage & Black Eyed Pea Stew
Ingredients
1 large bag frozen black eyed peas ( or 2 small ones)*
2 cans Rotel tomatoes
1 medium onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can beef broth
1/4 tsp fresh black pepper
1/8 tsp salt
1 lb beef smoked sausage , sliced
2 bags of boil in bag rice,cooked per package directions
* you can substitute  bag of frozen black eyed peas with 4 cans of black eyed peas

Directions
1. In a slow cooker , add all the ingredients except the rice. Stir to mix well.
2. Cook on low 6 -8 hours or high 4-6 hours . ( Times will vary depending on your slow cooker)
3. The last 30 minutes of cook time, add both bags of rice and stir well into the stew.
4. Cook for 30 minutes longer, or until the rice is hot.
5. Serve warm with cornbread.

Slow Cooker Chicken & Dumplings

This is a go-to recipe for me when I have a full calendar day and need to make a slow cooker meal to get dinner on the table without a mommy breakdown . ( You moms know what I am talking about) . I am a slow cooker user, but it has to be a really good recipe for me to go back and make it again. The texture of slow cooked food is unappealing to me, so I try to stick to recipes that are soups, stews, chilies or pulled meats for sandwiches. This chicken and dumpling recipe is a tried and true that my husband and sons love. I serve a side salad and make a big pitcher of sweet tea is a great weeknight meal. Especially for the cooler months. There is something about comfort food that is perfect for a cold  night.

Slow Cooker Chicken & Dumplings
4 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless
2 T butter
2 (10.75oz) cans cream of chicken soup
1 onion, small diced
2 (10 oz ) packages refrigerated biscuit dough ( I use Grands)

1. Place the chicken, butter, soup and onion in the slow cooker. Fill with enough water to cover .
2.Cover and cook on high 5-6 hours. The last 30 minutes of cook time, tear each biscuit into pieces and  drop in the slow cooker.
3.Stir and cover the slow cooker and cook for 30 minutes, or until the bread has cooked through.

Pineapple Ginger Shredded Pork

As a mom of boys, one thing I figured out early on in the madness that is motherhood, is that if I put dinner in a taco or tortilla, it will be eaten. It is just one of those meals that I know that they will eat. This shredded pork is no exception. It is slow cooked all day in a slow cooker, yielding perfectly tender meat that stands out in flavor. It really packs a punch. It has a hawaiian/ pacific islands type taste to it, but I use it as my staple shredded pork. It tastes so good with cilantro and pickled onions on tacos as well as piled onto a sweet hawaiian bun or even atop a bed of coconut rice to make a quick meal.
We always have leftovers of this meat and the sauce, and the next day I  make grilled naan pizza with the shredded meat. I thicken up the leftover sauce in a saucepan over medium high heat and a bit of cornstarch to thicken it up a bit to spread over the naan. Then I pile on the meat, add fresh pineapple , red onion and cilantro, topping it all off with fresh buffalo mozzarella cheese. Heaven !
This pork is a good idea for weeknight meals , especially during the school year. It has become a favorite in our rotation. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do.

PINEAPPLE GINGER PULLED PORK

Ingredients
3.5 lb boneless pork shoulder (or butt)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp garlic powder
2 1/2 cups pineapple juice
2 tsp ginger
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup low sodium soy sauce
2/3 cup ketchup
1/4 c rice vinegar
1-2 T Sriracha sauce

DIRECTIONS
1.In a small bowl, mix together the salt, pepper and garlic powder. Sprinkle evenly all over the pork shoulder.
2. Place the pork shoulder in the slow cooker. With a sharp knife, stab the meat a few times. (This helps absorb the sauce)
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the pineapple juice, ginger, garlic,brown sugar,soy sauce, ketchup, rice vinegar and sriracha sauce.
4. Pour 1/2 of the sauce over the pork, reserving  the rest.
5. Cook on low. for 6 -7 hours.
6. Shred the pork and add the reserved sauce to your liking .

Slow Cooker Corned Beef & Cabbage

I never grew up eating corned beef. My nana and mama never made it, and I had never heard of it until I was in middle school and was served it at my friend Maria's house. Back then, I remember not liking it and making a note to myself  to not eat it again. Fast forward 25 years and I am now married to a man that loves corned beef. He has asked me for years to make it and I have always made excuses not to. Until this year. I bit the bullet, bought the beef and set out to figure out how to slow cook it . After finding a simple recipe in a local church cookbook , I decided to just cook it in the slow cooker with vegetables and a bit of water. I did add the spice pack, but that is it. Reading some recipes, some said to ditch the seasoning packet and add your own. I dumped it in for flavor. I figured  a simple recipe and method of cooking was my best bet for the first time. I just let it cook all day. the verdict: everyone loved it. There were no leftovers. kids and hubby went back  for seconds.I will definitely make it again, only using a bigger roast to make sure there are leftovers so we can have reubens for lunch the next day ( my husbands favorite) .

Slow Cooker Corned Beef & Cabbage

ingredients

2 1/2 to 3 lb corned beef roast
2 medium onions, cut up
8-10 carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
12-15 small red or yellow potatoes
2 c water
1 head of cabbage, cut into fourths

directions

1. Place the onions and carrots at the bottom of the slow cooker
2.Place the corned beef roast over the vegetables and put in the seasoning packet that came with the roast.
3.Add 2 cups of water and place the potatoes around the roast. Place the quartered cabbage on top of the beef and potates.
 4. Cover and cook on high for 6-8 hours, depending on your slow cooker ( some are hotter than others. I cooked mine for just a bit under 8 hours and it was perfect)
5. Remove the roast and serve with the vegetables and cabbage.

Slow Cooker Potato Soup

School started a few weeks ago here in WV. The boys have already started their fall sports practices and we are carpooling and running all over to practices, scrimmages and games. 

We still like to sit down and eat as a family, albeit later in the evening. Slow cooker meals are a life saver for hurried weekdays. This potato soup is a staple slow cooker meal on our rotation. So easy to throw together in the morning.  I have used both frozen diced potatoes or the frozen hashbrowns. Both work well, but I prefer the hashbrowns. They cook down amd make the soup a bit creamier. If you like chunks of potatoes in your soup, go with the diced ones. 

SLOW COOKER POTATO SOUP

Ingredients 

 1 30oz bag frozen hashbrown potatoes

1/2 c chopped onion

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp garlic powder

2 cans low sodium chicken broth

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 package cream cheese

Shredded cheddar cheese

Directions

1. Combine all ingredients except the cream cheese and shredded cheese in a slow cooker. 

2. Mix well and cook on low  6 to 8 hours .

3. The last 30 minutes of cooking, add the cream cheese. 

4. Stir well until the soup is smooth and all of the cream cheese has melted into the soup.

5. Spoon into bowls and add shredded cheese.

Beef & Broccoli

Summer is winding down , the kids have started football practice in the afternoons and school starts in a few short weeks. Which for me means slow cooker meals.  Fortunately  both kids are in the same school this year, so they will both be home at the same time, which will make dinner a whole lot easier than when they were home in shifts. I tend to rely on slow cooker meals to feed them a few nights a week. This beef and broccoli has been a staple dinner for us for years. Chinese food always gets smiles from them and this recipe is no exception. If my older boys are home I will double this recipe and use my large oval slow cooker, but now that there are just 4 of us at home, one recipe seems to work for us if I also make a salad and bread.
For the broccoli, I buy a bag of steamable broccoli and microwave it  for half the time it states  (you don't want the broccoli too mushy) and put the broccoli into the slow cooker the last 30 to 45 minutes of cooking.  If you do not have fresh ginger , just use ginger powder. A few shakes to your taste. Or you can leave out the ginger altogether,  but I always use it. It makes the sauce super flavorful. Serve the beef over steamed rice and you have a great weeknight meal.

Beef & Broccoli

Ingredients
1 1/2 lbs flank steak, sliced
1/2 onion, sliced
3 cloves garlic,minced
1 tsp fresh grated ginger
1 cup beef broth
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/3 brown sugar, packed
1 T sesame oil
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
2 T cornstarch
4 cups broccoli, steamed
White rice, prepared

Directions

1.In a slow cooker, add strips of flank steak, onions, garlic and ginger.

2. In a medium bowl, stir together beef broth, soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil and red pepper flakes until the sugar has dissolved. Pour sauce over the steak in the slow cooker.

3. Cook on low 3 to 4 hours. After 4 hours, remove about 1/4 cup of the liquid from the slow cooker and whisk in 2 T of cornstarch until smooth. Add back to the crockpot and stir.

4. Add the steamed broccoli and stir well. Cook for another 30 minutes and serve the beef and broccoli over rice.

Slow Cooker Chicken Stroganoff

This is one  of those go-to recipes I use when I really do not want to cook, but  I know that I will be  even more inclined not to cook as the day goes on. Every now and then I am a total sucker for convenience foods. In fact, I always make sure I have packets of italian salad dressing mix and a can or two of Healthy Choice reduced fat cream of chicken soup on hand so I can make this meal on days like today.  I first had this chicken stroganoff almost 12   years ago when our youngest child was born. A friend from our church brought us over   chicken stroganoff ,and my  husband and older sons loved it. So it became a favorite meal very quickly. I love that it is so versatile.You can add mushrooms ,onions,  or even broccoli florets.You could also use sour cream instead of the cream cheese. Or use  both to make it super rich. It can easily be doubled for a larger family. I use reduced  fat  cream of chicken soup  and cream cheese. Who doesn't love a tasty, kid friendly meal that cooks in the crock pot all day?

Slow Cooker Chicken Stroganoff

Ingredients

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cubed  2 T butter 1 (.7 ounce) package dry Italian-style salad dressing mix 1 (8 ounce) package  reduced fat cream cheese (or you can use sour cream) 1 (10.75 ounce) can reduced fat condensed cream of chicken soup Directions

	Put chicken, butter and dressing mix in slow cooker; mix together and cook on low for 5 to 6 hours.
	In a bowl, whisk together the cream cheese and soup. Pour over the chicken and cook on high for another 1/2 hour or until heated through and warm.

Serve  with rice ,egg noodles or  pasta of your choice.

Slow Cooker Italian Sausage Florentine Pasta Sauce

Pin It

Ladies and gentlemen, you have been warned! This is a recipe that you will go back to and make for years to come! I have a few spaghetti sauces in my arsenal, like this one that my nana made in humongous batches when I was growing up. I make both of these sauces quite frequently , but this one is a quick, no fuss recipe that is perfect for weeknight meals. It is just that easy to whip up and not have to worry about dinner.Just brown the sausage and dump the ingredients into a slow cooker to simmer all day. Add it to your favorite pasta, pop in a loaf of garlic bread to crisp up in the oven and toss a quick salad and dinner is done.  The spinach in it is awesome! And...if you have picky eaters who eat by sight and you think that the spinach with deter them.... it cooks down and turns dark , so it blends in with the sausage and the tomato sauce. They won't be able to pick out the green stuff! Score one for mom !!!! Woot woot! (Just don't let them watch you drain the spinach and put it in the pot. ;) * You can sub the hot italian sausage with sweet sausage or a milder version. We like the hot variety. Whatever works for you. Happy Eating!!!!~Liz

Slow Cooker Italian Sausage Florentine Pasta
2 lbs ground hot italian sausage
2 jars your favorite pasta sauce ( I use Classico brand  )
1 10oz frozen package spinach, thawed,drained and squeezed dry
1 box pasta , cooked al dente
grated parmesan cheese , optional
In a medium skillet, cook the sausage until cooked through and crumbly (drain fat if needed
Place cooked sausage in the slow cooker and add the two jars of pasta sauce.
After you thaw the spinach, squeeze it a few times to drain the juice and then place between paper towels to dry it out. Then add the spinach to the sauce and meat in the slow cooker.
Stir well to combine and cook on low 5-6 hours or high 2-4.
Spoon sauce over cooked pasta and sprinkle on grated parmesan cheese. (optional)
Serve immediately.

BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches

This is another great meal that you will definitely add to your list of favorites.It is a favorite at our house.It is a perfect recipe.Crockpot, few ingredients and great taste.Of course you use your favorite bbq sauce.Everyone has one! I serve the pork on buns with baked french fries and coleslaw. I usually have leftovers of the shredded pork, and I make a batch of brunswick stew the next day.








BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches




1 (14 ounce) can beef broth


3 pounds boneless pork roast

1 (18 ounce) bottle barbeque sauce




DIRECTIONS

Pour can of beef broth into slow cooker, and add boneless pork roast. Cook on High heat for 4 hours, or until meat shreds easily. Remove meat, and shred with two forks.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F . Transfer the shredded pork to a Dutch oven or iron skillet, and stir in barbeque sauce.

Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until heated through.

Baja Chicken Tacos

Tacos are a pretty common dinner choice in our house. When all else fails, tacos will be eaten. We love these Baja Chicken Tacos. The chicken is slow cooked in a crock pot all day, so the only thing that I have to do is prep the toppings and cook the sides of rice and black beans.They are not as heavy as beef tacos , which I love.  These tacos are so flavorful. We add shredded cheese, onions marinated in fresh lime juice, lettuce, cilantro and salsa. Sometimes, if I do not have taco shells, we use lettuce leaves and make Baja Chicken Lettuce Wraps. The lettuce wraps are a great option for lunch.

Baja Chicken Tacos
2 1/2 - 3 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts
5 4oz cans green chilies
2 T taco seasoning ( I use Penzey's brand)
1 T ground cumin
Taco shells and toppings of your choice

Place the chicken , green chilies, taco seasoning and ground cumin in a crock pot. Place lid on tight and cook on high 4 hours or low 6. Take chicken out  and transfer to a platter to shred.Add shredded chicken back to the crockpot juices, stir and let it cook for an addition 10 minutes or so to heat back up. Serve shredded chicken in tacos with toppings of your choice.

Pin It

Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Black Bean Chicken

I wish I could say that I like the slow cooker to make meals. But the truth is, there are very few meals that I prepare in the slow cooker. I find that the majority of the meals end up over cooked and the flavors just meld together in a very unsatisfactory way. Not to mention, no matter what it is that cooks in there, it always comes out a weird brown color . Not appealing to me. Now don't get me wrong. There are a few tried and true recipes that I will use a slow cooker for. But on any given day, I would prefer baking a dish in the oven. Which brings me to this recipe. I have had it bookmarked on Allrecipes for years. Yes, years. The majority of reviews love the recipe. And I love anything with black beans, sweet potatoes and cumin. I was so hesitant about trying out this recipe in the slow cooker. Somehow the thought of such beautiful ingredients cooking down to mush was not appealing. I finally decided to just do it. (after converting the recipe to an oven bake time, I decided to make it as written ) Well, folks. Let me say that this is one of the best slow cooker meals I have ever eaten. It is that good. So good that I would make it once a week if I could. I did change it up a bit from the original  based on my husbands disdain for black beans and cilantro . He will eat both, but I am very aware they are not on his short list of favorite foods. So I decreased the amounts of both, and added another half cup of salsa,just because. Next time I will add one more diced sweet potato. The original recipe called for a red bell pepper, but I did not have one and was not about to load up three ornery children in the car  and trek to the grocery store for it. Not a chance, my friends. So I left it out. I didn't miss it, but next time  if I have one on hand I will   put it in with everything else. I served this chicken with steamed brown rice and a  romaine salad. And my 17 year old thanked me for dinner when he was done. Which is a small miracle in itself. That he talked to me. Not that he liked the food ;) .

Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Black Bean Chicken
Ingredients
3 lbs skinless chicken thighs
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup loosely packed cilantro leaves, chopped
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 1/2 cup salsa ( use a med or hot.mild will get lost in the other ingredients)
2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground allspice
3 large garlic cloves, chopped

1.Season the chicken with salt and pepper to taste. Place the chicken in the bottom of a slow cooker.
2.Place the sweet potatoes and black beans on top of the chicken.
3.In a medium bowl, mix together the chicken broth, cilantro , salsa, cumin , allspice and garlic.
4.Pour salsa mixture on top of the sweet potatoes and black beans.
5. Set slow cooker on low and cook for 3-4 hours , until the chicken is cooked through.