Slow Cooker Stew

Ingredients

• ½ C all purpose flour
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp black pepper
• 2-3 lbs. stew meat or boneless beef chuck, cut into 1 inch pieces

Combine flour, salt and pepper in a large zippered plastic bag. Add in meat and toss to coat.

• ¼ C canola oil

Heat oil in a large pan over medium high heat and cook meat until browned on all sides.

Place meat in slow cooker.

1 large onion, chopped

Add onion into same pan that you cooked the meat in and cook until onion is golden brown.

4 C beef broth
4 tsp chopped garlic

Add in beef broth and garlic. Bring to a boil. Scrape up pieces of food from bottom of pan.

2 Tbsp tomato paste
1 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp dried parsley
½ tsp dried thyme
2 bay leaves

Add in parsley, thyme, bay leaves, sugar, soy sauce and tomato paste.

Pour mixture over meat in crock pot.

Cook on high for 4 hours

1 lb. red potatoes, quartered
3 carrots, peeled and cut into one inch pieces

Add in potatoes and carrots and cook one additional hour.

*This was good but next time I will cut the beef into smaller pieces, and cut the potatoes and carrots larger.

http://www.yourhomebasedmom.com/slow-cooker-irish-stew/

Slow Cooker Fudge Pudding Cake

2 T. butter

1 c. flour

3/4 c. brown sugar

5 T. cocoa powder, divided

2 t. baking powder

1/2 t. ground cinnamon

1/8 t. salt

1 c. light cream or whole milk

1 T. vegetable oil

1 t. vanilla

3/4 c. brown sugar

1 3/4 c. hot water

Whipped cream or vanilla ice cream

Coat inside of 4 1/2 quart crock pot with butter. Combine flour, 3/4 c.

brown sugar, 3 T. cocoa powder, baking powder, cinnamon and salt

in a medium bowl. Add cream, oil and vanilla; stir well to combine.

Pour batter into crock pot. Combine the 3/4 c. brown sugar and

remaining 2 T. cocoa in medium bowl. Add hot water; stir well to

combine. Pour sauce over cake batter. Do not stir. Cover; cook on

high for 2 hours. Spoon portions of pudding cake onto plates. Serve

with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream, if desired.

Slow Cooker Honey Sesame Chicken

Ingredients:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (thighs would be fine too)

Salt and pepper

1 cup honey

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/2 cup diced onion

1/4 cup ketchup

2 tablespoons vegetable oil (could also use olive oil or canola oil)

1 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)

4 teaspoons cornstarch dissolved in 6 Tablespoons water

Sesame seeds

Directions:

Season both sides of chicken with lightly with salt and pepper, put into crock pot. In a small bowl, combine honey, soy sauce, onion, ketchup, oil, garlic and pepper flakes. Pour over chicken. Cook on low for 3-4 hours or on high 1 1/2 – 2 1/2 hours, or just until chicken is cooked through. 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. Replace lid and cook sauce on high for ten more minutes or until slightly thickened. Cut chicken into bite size pieces, then return to pot and toss with sauce before serving. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve over rice or noodles.

http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/2012/01/slow-cooker-honey-sesame-chicken-recipe.html

'Dutch Oven' Chicken in Crock Pot

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 ribs celery, sliced (opt)
1 tsp chicken bouillon salt and pepper
1 lb baby carrots
2 cans cream soup*
6 potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 cup sour cream
1 onion, chopped
1 cup milk

Place chicken in slow cooker, sprinkle bouillon over top. Add remaining ingredients in order given. Cook
on high 4-5 hrs or low for 7-8 hrs.

*Use this recipe instead of canned soup  (http://bunsinmyoven.com/2011/05/04/cream-of-chicken-soup-substitute/#)

Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

4 cups chicken broth
2 cups water
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 package of Rice-a-Roni long grain and wild rice
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup butter
2 cups half and half
1 cup grated carrots
1 cup diced celery 

Mix the broth, water, carrots,  chicken and rice (and the seasoning packet) in the slow cooker.

Cook on low for six to eight hours or on high for four hours.

Once chicken gets tender (couple hours in), break it up into pieces while cooking.

At the end of the cooking time, get a small bowl and mix the salt, pepper and flour. In medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Stir in flour mixture by tablespoon to form a roux.

Then, while still on the heat, whisk in the half and half, a little at a time, into the roux until mixed completely and smooth.

Stir  mixture into the soup in the crock pot then let it cook on low for 15 more minutes.

http://thriftydecorchick.blogspot.com/2011/09/comfort-foods.html

**make sure to use the large crock pot.
*next time try using about half as much flour, butter and half and half.  Would be healthier and probably doesn't need to be so creamy.
*tried using milk in place of half and half.  Worked great.  Would probably still suggest using half as much butter/flour/milk.
*4 tbsp butter, 1/4 c flour, 2 cups milk worked well.

Pork Chops with Parmesan Mashed Potatoes

Ranch House Crock Pot Pork Chops with Parmesan Mashed Potatoes

6 pork chops, 1/2 inch thick
1 packet dry Ranch Dressing Seasoning
10 oz can Cream of Chicken Soup
4 lbs peeled, cubed potatoes
5 Tablespoons real butter
1 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
6 cloves roasted garlic (directions are below)
1- 1 1/2 Cups warm skim milk (any milk will do, I used skim)
1 Tablespoon salt, or to taste
1 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper, or to taste

Place pork chops, Ranch seasoning and soup into a medium sized crock pot over high heat for 4 hours or low heat for 6 hours.
Place potatoes into a large pot of cold water. Place onto stove top over high heat and bring to a boil. Once water is boiling, cook for 10-12 minutes or until potatoes are fork tender. Drain and transfer to the work bowl of a stand or electric mixer. Mix on low until potatoes are mashed then add butter, Parmesan, garlic, milk, salt and pepper. Season to taste if needed. For thinner mashed potatoes add more milk, slowly until your desired consistency.
Scoop mashed potatoes onto serving plates and top with pork chops and soup gravy from crock pot. I put a little parsley on top to serve.

http://realmomkitchen.com/287/ranch-house-crock-pot-pork-chops-with-parmesan-mashed-potatoes/

**Family loved this one, and it was fairly easy.  I liked the mashed potato recipe.

Roast (Kristy)

Roast

1 can cream of mushroom

1 cup beef broth

1 pkg onion soup mix

Put all ingredients in a slow cooker or a covered 9x13 pan.  Cook overnight in crock pot on low or in a 250 oven.  Add potatoes and carrots for the last few hours of cooking time.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

2 chicken breast halves

2 15 oz cans black beans (undrained)

2 15 oz cans tomatoes

1 C. salsa

4 oz can chopped green chilies

14 ½ oz can tomato sauce

2 Tbsp Taco Seasoning

Combine all ingredients in crock pot.  Cover and cook on low 8 hours.  Just before serving remove chicken and shred or slice into bit sized pieces.  Stir into soup.  Serve with chips and cheese.