Slow Cooker Jambalaya

I love jambalaya and love it even more when I can throw everything into the slow cooker and walk away. This was full of flavor and the perfect dinner to come home to after working all day. All I had to do was cook up some rice...I used flavored rice for an extra punch of flavor.

From Plain Chicken

INGREDIENTS

1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into 1 inch cubes
1 pound smoked turkey sausage, sliced
1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice
3 Tbsp dried minced onion flakes
1 cup chicken broth
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons dried parsley
2 tsp minced garlic
2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
white rice or instant rice (I used 2 packs of Uncle Ben's Ready Rice - Garlic & Butter flavor)

DIRECTIONS

In a slow cooker, mix the chicken, sausage, tomatoes with juice, onion, garlic, celery, and broth. Season with oregano, parsley, Cajun seasoning, cayenne pepper, and thyme.  

Cover, and cook 7 to 8 hours on Low, or 3 to 4 hours on High. Mix in cooked rice cook for about 15 minutes to warm through.

Slow Cooker French Dip

I just love coming home from a long day at work to the smell of dinner that is ready to go. This is an easy recipe that is filling and tasty. And don't skip dipping your sandwich in the sauce, it is a must!

Adapted from: Allrecipes

INGREDIENTS

4 pounds rump roast
1 (10.5 ounce) can beef broth
1 (10.5 ounce) can condensed French onion soup
1 (12 fluid ounce) can or bottle beer
a few good dashes of worcestershire sauce and hot sauce
6 French rolls
2 tablespoons butter
salt and pepper

DIRECTIONS

Trim excess fat from the rump roast, salt and pepper the roast, and place in a slow cooker. Add the beef broth, onion soup, beer, worcestershire sauce and hot sauce. Cook on Low setting for 7 hours. (Mine cooked for about 11 hours while I was at work).

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Split French rolls, and spread with butter. Bake 10 minutes, or until heated through.

Slice the meat on the diagonal, and place on the rolls. Serve the sauce for dipping.

Recipe Rewind: Manly Meaty Pasta Salad

Italian Beef Sandwiches

This is another recipe from an exchange. The theme was sandwiches or burgers this time around. I was happy when I saw a recipe I could throw in the slow cooker from The Cooking Nurse. There is nothing better then coming home to the smell of dinner in the air. I used a sirloin tip roast for this is it worked perfectly. The main thing I did differently was I separated the fat from the juice out of the slow cooker and mixed it in with the meat to keep it from getting dry.

Adapted from: Midwest Living

INGREDIENTS

1 (4 pound) boneless beef sirloin roast or beef rump roast
1/2 cup water
1 package dry Italian dressing
2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning
1/2 to 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
10-12 hoagie buns
1 1/2 cups shredded Italian cheese (I used sliced provolone)
pickles, sliced onion, sliced pepperoncini peppers (optional)

DIRECTIONS

Place beef in a 4-5 quart slow cooker. Add water, dry Italian dressing, Italian seasoning, crushed red pepper, and garlic powder. Cover and cook on low for 10-11 hours. Shred meat with two forks and place on hoagie buns. Top with cheese and peppers if using.

Recipe Rewind: Warm Bacon Potato Salad and Lemon Cheesecake Ball

Ultimate Meatballs

People are always on the lookout for a new meatball recipe for parties. Give this one a try next time you have a gathering...your slow cooker will be empty before the party is over!

Adapted from OceanSpray

INGREDIENTS

1 14-ounce can Ocean Spray® Jellied Cranberry Sauce
1 12-ounce bottle Heinz® Chili Sauce
1 2-pound bag frozen, pre-cooked, cocktail-size meatballs
1 lime

DIRECTIONS

Combine sauces in a large saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring until smooth. Add meatballs. Cover and cook for 15 minutes or until meatballs are heated through, stirring occasionally. Just before serving squeeze the lime over the meatballs and mix in the lime juice.

Slow cooker Preparation: Place meatballs in a slow cooker. Combine sauces and pour over meatballs. Cover and cook 4 hours on HIGH.

Recipe Rewind: Chicken, Lemon and Dill with Orzo and Dijon Ranch Roasted Potatoes

Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches

I made a double batch of this for the football get-together and they were a hit. The chicken ends of being juicy and full of great flavor. I love finding a slow cooker recipe for get-togethers because I can still enjoy my guests since all the work is done ahead of time. People will be asking you for this recipe!

From Allrecipes

INGREDIENTS

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1 (17.5 ounce) bottle buffalo wing sauce, divided
1/2 (1 ounce) package dry ranch salad dressing mix
2 tablespoons of butter
6 hoagie rolls, split lengthwise

DIRECTIONS

Place the chicken breasts into a slow cooker, and pour in 3/4 of the wing sauce and the ranch dressing mix. Cover, and cook on Low for 6 to 7 hours.

Once the chicken has cooked, add the butter, and shred the meat finely with two forks. Pile the meat onto the hoagie rolls, and splash with the remaining buffalo wing sauce to serve.

Recipe Rewind: Kalamata Olive and Feta Spread and Pizza Pasta

Southwestern Pulled Brisket

I was really craving something Mexican and after searching the web I stumbled across this recipe. I had never made brisket like this before and I was little worried it may end up tough...but it turned out wonderful! Mine was served on chipotle corn tortillas and Chili Lime Rice.

From: Food Network

INGREDIENTS

3 pounds beef brisket
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
5 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
1 Spanish onion, halved and thinly sliced
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 cups water
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, with their juices
2 whole canned chipotle chiles en adobo (2 chiles-not 2 cans)
2 bay leaves
3 tablespoons molasses
tortillas/buns
pickled jalapenos/cheese/sour cream/rice* optional for serving

DIRECTIONS

Season the beef generously with salt and pepper, to taste. Heat a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the oil and heat just until beginning to smoke. Add the meat and cook, turning once, until browned on both sides, about 10 minutes total. Transfer the meat to the slow cooker; leave the skillet on the heat.

Add garlic, onion, chili powder, coriander, and cumin to drippings in the skillet and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add vinegar and boil until it's almost gone, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Stir in water and pour the mixture over the brisket. Crush the tomatoes through your fingers into the slow cooker; add the tomato juices, chipotles, bay leaves, and molasses. Cover the cooker, set it on LOW, and cook the brisket until it pulls apart easily with a fork, about 8 hours (I cooked mine for 10 hours).

To serve, leave the meat in the slow cooker and use 2 forks to pull it apart and stir it evenly into the sauce; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Remove and discard bay leaves. Pile the meat on sandwich buns or tortillas and serve with jalapenos, cheese, sour cream and/or rice.

One year ago: Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars

Kielbasa and Roasted Pepper Trio

Once again we have another "no recipe" recipe using my slow cooker. I chose to make this because it was something I could make ahead of time and it gave a great secondary meat option at a gathering. To prep this ahead of time I roasted some cubanelle, poblano and red peppers. When they were cooled I removed the skin and seeds and cut them into strips. Next I prepped my kielbasa by cutting it into pieces. The next day I browned the kielbasa pieces in a pan (in batches) and combined that with the peppers in the slow cooker. Once it is warmed through people can dig in. You can also serve this with some small rolls so people can make mini sandwiches.

One year ago: Canadian Bacon and Cheese Quiche

Buffalo Style Meatballs

Now I realize this is hardly and recipe and some people may not even think it is blog-worthy. But when I made these they were a big hit. Plus I know people are always looking for another way to serve meatballs in the slow cooker for parties. I thought it as a nice alternative to buffalo chicken wings. I have also come to realize that I like putting wing sauce in traditional recipes =). All I did was throw some frozen meatballs in, poured in some buffalo wing sauce (I used Texas Pete brand) and stirred. Then I followed the cooking directions from the meatball package.

One year ago: Taco Bake

Corned Beef and Cabbage

I should start by saying I have a pretty large (6.5 quart) slow cooker and it was full. You may want to adjust the amounts if you have a smaller slow cooker, don’t have a ton of people to feed or don’t want leftovers. This was the first time I have ever made corned beef and cabbage. I think it will be a St. Patrick’s Day tradition from here on out. For one, corned beef and cabbage are on sale this time of year, two, it is so easy and three is it good! I got the idea to use vinegar, sugar and a bay leaf from a recipe I found on All Recipes.

INGREDIENTS

3.3 pounds corned beef with spice packet

24 ounces baby red potatoes, cleaned
1 pound carrots, peeled and cut in half
1 small to medium cabbage, cored and cut in quarters
1 quart beef broth
2 tablespoons vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
1 bay leaf

DIRECTIONS

Mix together beef broth, spice packet, vinegar and sugar, set aside.

Place carrots in the bottom of the slow cooker and top with corned beef. Place potatoes around your corned beef (it is ok if some are on top). Pour beef broth mixture over corned beef and add in the bay leaf. If the corned beef is not covered in liquid add some water. Top with cabbage wedges and cook on low for 8 hours.

One year ago: Eggs In Purgatory

White Chicken Chili

I wanted to make a white chicken chili, but I wanted to avoid sour cream and heavy cream to make it a little more healthy. After looking at recipes online I could not find one that appealed to me...so I came up with my own. I used a pre-made green salsa that was a blend of tomatillos, jalapenos, roasted tomatoes, lime, cilantro and other spices. Since I served this to a group for Sunday night football I made some rice to serve the chili over so it stretched further. And of course you can top with sour cream and shredded cheese (pepper jack or monterey jack maybe) if you would like.

INGREDIENTS

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

4 cups chicken broth

2 cups green salsa

2 can northern beans, drained and rinsed

2 stalks of celery, chopped

1 small can green chilis

1 teaspoon cumin

1 1/2 teaspoons oregano

1/4 teaspoon white pepper

pinch of cayenne

salt and pepper to taste

cooked rice - optional

DIRECTIONS

In your slow cooker combine salsa, broth, beans, celery, green chilis, cumin, oregano, white pepper, cayenne, salt and pepper. Mix together thoroughly and nestle in the chicken breasts.

Cook on high for 4 hours.

When your 4 hours are up remove chicken and let cool, then shred. Place shredded chicken back in slow cooker and cook on low for another 2 hours.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

This must have been good because I only got a few bites before it was gone. Luckily I got this crappy photo before the dish was wiped clean. I was able to make use of my Magic Bullet when it came time to shredding the chicken. I really have no clue where the first buffalo chicken dip recipe came from...but this is my version that I adapted from a family friend.

INGREDIENTS

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
12 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 cup ranch dressing
1/2 cup buffalo wing sauce or hot sauce (I mixed the two)
celery sticks, tortillas and frito scoops for serving

DIRECTIONS

Mix chicken, cream cheese, racnch dressing, and wing sauce/hot sauce together and place into an 8x8 baking dish. Bake on 350 until warm and bubbly. This can also be done in the slow cooker.

Slow Cooker Chicken Taco Soup

Honestly this is not much of a recipe...it is more of opening cans and throwing them in the slow cooker. But you know what...it sure is good! I added a few extra spices - salt, pepper, garlic powder, cumin, oregano, red pepper flakes and smoked paprika. This is prefect for Sunday Football! I also submitted this recipe as part of Joelen's Tasty Tools - Slow Cooker event.

From Allrecipes

INGREDIENTS

1 onion, chopped
1 (16 ounce) can chili beans
1 (15 ounce) can black beans
1 (15 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (12 fluid ounce) can or bottle beer
2 (10 ounce) cans diced tomatoes with green chilies, undrained
1 (1.25 ounce) package taco seasoning
3 whole skinless, boneless chicken breasts
shredded Cheddar cheese (optional)
sour cream (optional)
crushed tortilla chips (optional)

DIRECTIONS

Place the onion, chili beans, black beans, corn, tomato sauce, beer, and diced tomatoes in a slow cooker. Add taco seasoning, and stir to blend. Lay chicken breasts on top of the mixture, pressing down slightly until just covered by the other ingredients. Set slow cooker for low heat, cover, and cook for 5 hours.

Remove chicken breasts from the soup, and allow to cool long enough to be handled. Stir the shredded chicken back into the soup, and continue cooking for 2 hours. Serve topped with shredded Cheddar cheese, a dollop of sour cream, and crushed tortilla chips, if desired.

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

This is my super easy go-to pulled pork BBQ recipe. I originally tried because I love root beer. But don't worry you non-root beer fans...it does not taste like root beer.

Adapted from Allrecipes

INGREDIENTS

1 (2 pound) pork loin
1 (12 fluid ounce) can or bottle root beer
1 (18 ounce) bottle your favorite barbecue sauce - I used Sweet Baby Ray's
8 hamburger buns, split and lightly toasted

salt, pepper, garlic powder

DIRECTIONS

Place the pork loin in a slow cooker, fat side up. Sprinkle on salt, pepper and garlic powder; pour the root beer over the meat. Cover and cook on low until well cooked and the pork shreds easily, 6 to 7 hours. Note: the actual length of time may vary according to individual slow cooker. *I cook mine about 11-12 hours while I am at work and it comes out just fine.* Drain well. Remove fat from top of pork lion and discard. Stir in barbecue sauce. Serve over hamburger buns.

Salsa Chicken

I have seen Salsa Chicken all over the place. I am not sure who was the originator of the recipe and it seems like everyone has their own version. This was incredibly tasty and easy. It is pretty budget friendly too. Here is my version:

INGREDIENTS

5 boneless skinless chicken breast (frozen or thawed)

24 oz jar of salsa

1 can Campbell's Fiesta Nacho Cheese soup
taco seasoning

rice, tortillas, cheese, sour cream - optional

DIRECTIONS

Combine the first 4 ingredients in your slow cooker and cook on low. Mine cooked for about 11 hours while I was at work.

Shred chicken.

Serve over rice, in a tortilla, or in a tortilla with rice!

Slow Cooker Chicken Stroganoff

I made this for my best friend and her family after they were moved out of their home due to an unfortunate fire. The good news is they should be back in their house next month!!

Adapted from Allrecipes.com

INGREDIENTS

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cubed (I used 6)
1/8 cup margarine (I used butter)
1 .7 oz package dry Italian-style salad dressing mix
1 8 oz package cream cheese
1 10.75 oz can condensed cream of chicken soup (I used low fat)
White Wine (I added about 3 tablespoons)
Worcestershire Sauce (I added about 2 teaspoons)
Sour Cream (I added about 1/4 cup)
Egg Noodles

DIRECTIONS

Put chicken, margarine, white wine and dressing mix in slow cooker; mix together and cook on low for 5 to 6 hours.

Add cream cheese, Worcestershire sauce, sour cream and soup, mix together and cook on high for another 1/2 hour or until heated through and warm.

Serve over egg noodles.