Slow Cooker Grilled Honey Chicken

 

  This recipe is a variation of an old favorite recipe we used to make years and years ago. We made Honey Chicken for every graduation party, birthday party, and family event, and it was always a sure-fire hit. 

 So I was recently trying to come up with ideas for the slow cooker, and I remembered this recipe which was usually made in the oven. I thought, what if we make it in the slow cooker and then finish on the grill? That sounded pretty fabulous to me, so I went with it. 

 OH. MY. GOD. 

It turned out so much better than I even imagined it would! Who knew this would be such a win??? It was the perfect sweet and savory chicken, and it managed to hit all the right notes. 

 So if you're tired of the usual tomato based BBQ chicken, try this one for a little diversion. 

It's REALLY yummy! 

 

 

Chicken legs and/or thighs, bone in, skin on

1 cup honey

1 stick butter

1 tbs Roasted Chicken Better Than Bouillon 

 

Place chicken in your slow cooker. Melt together the remaining ingredients in the microwave. Stir until well combined. Pour half of the honey mixture over the chicken. Cook on low for 4-5 hours.

 Remove the chicken from the slow cooker, and place on a hot grill. Brush with remaining honey mixture. Grill them just for a couple minutes on each side, just until slightly charred. Done!

 

 

 

Tips;

If you're not cooking a lot of chicken, you can cut the sauce ingredients in half. Or you can just make the whole batch, and then keep any extra in the fridge until next time. 

When you're cooking chicken in the slow cooker, you don't want to let it go for too long. When using boneless chicken, 4 hours on low is the MAX you should be cooking it. In this case, since we're using bone in, you can let it got for a little longer, but definitely no longer than 5 hours.  

 

Slow Cooker Pork and Butter Beans

 

 So, I have a question for you. 
Do you ever throw something in the crock pot in the morning before work, and then come home at the end of the day to a house that smells completely heavenly?? Yeah, that just happened. It 100% reminded me of coming home from school to the aroma of whatever magic my Mom was creating in the kitchen. LOVE that!
 Anyway, this recipe was inspired by a tick tocker called Mississippi Kween. I see her cooking videos all the time and I just love her! But here’s the thing…. I’ve noticed her recipes are always very heavily seasoned, more so than I would prefer, I think. (I guess I’m just not that spicy of a guy?) Not that there's anything wrong with that, if you like that sort of thing!
So this is sort of her recipe, but as I always do, I tweaked it ever so slightly. 
 Instead of adding a bunch of spices like Cajun seasoning, etc,, I opted to just let the smoked sausage season the dish. I also used pork hocks instead of neck bones because I already had them in my freezer. And since the pork hocks are already very salty, I didn't even need to add salt. I just added the usual aromatics and some black pepper. Another change I made was the amount of water. I didn't add as much liquid because hers was a little more like soup, and I was going for more of a stew. (Yet another reason why I didn't add all the extra spices!)
My main reason for telling you all of this is that you should cook it the way you like it!! Want more seasoning? Do it! Don't care for it? Leave it out! Just as I learned from cooking like my Mom, if you like a lot of something, add a lot! 
Now you can have this to look forward to after a long day. 
You will LOVE how good it smells when you first walk in, and it tastes even better! 


1 lb bag butter beans (aka large lima beans)
2 lbs smoked pork hocks
1 lb smoked sausage, sliced into coins
1 onion, chopped
2 or 3 cloves of garlic, minced
4 cups low sodium chicken broth

4 tbs butter
Black pepper

Simply place all ingredients in a slow cooker, cover, and cook on low for 8-9 hours. That's all there is to it! Pull all the meat off the bones and add back to the pot. Taste and adjust seasonings if desired. Serve over rice. 



Tips:
Usually when using a slow cooker, I'll mention cooking on LOW for X amount of time, and then give the option of cooking for half as much time on HIGH. But in this case, I think I would only do the longer cook time. Since there's no soaking of the beans in advance, I like to give the beans a longer time to cook. If I ever try the faster option, I'll let you know! 
Don't like butter beans? Use any kind you like, or a mixture ! 
I think this would be great with white navy or great northern beans. Maybe I'll try them next!
Oh! One other thing…. In case you’re wondering if there’s a difference between butter beans and lima beans.. Lima beans are smaller and green. Butter beans are much larger and white, but are very often just called large lima beans. Use whichever one you like!

Slow Cooker Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

 

   Once again, I have a lot to do today, so I’m turning to my trusty slow cooker for dinner. (Seriously, if you don’t own a slow cooker, what are you even doing with your life?) Anyway, I saw this recipe from Good Vibes Cooking, and I thought “There’s no way this could be bad”,  and I knew it would be an easy meal for a busy Saturday or Sunday. Plus, I already had all of the ingredients, so this was a no brainer. Added bonus, we’re still having some brisk Spring nights, so a casserole still hits the spot, especially one as delicious as this one!!! Just set it up around mid day, and boom, one less this to worry about! Serve it with a salad or a fresh green veggie, and dinner is sorted. Easy, right? I think I need to keep this one in the rotation. (wait.. I say that every time I find a new recipe... but I really mean it this time!)

If you love a creamy cheesy chicken casserole, you must give this one a try!
 

 

 
2-3 boneless chicken breasts or thighs
8 oz diced ham
8 oz sliced Swiss cheese
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tbs Dijon mustard
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp dried oregano
1 pkg Stove Top stuffing mix, any flavor
1/2 stick butter

Cut up chicken and add to a crock pot along with the diced ham.
Place slices of Swiss cheese over the meat in one layer.
In a small mixing bowl, stir together the soup, cream, mustard, and seasonings. 
Spread over the cheese layer. Sprinkle dry stuffing over the cream mixture. Dot with butter. 

Full disclosure, I kept the recipe the same but I did tweak the cooking time ever so slightly. The original recipe said to cook it for 6 hours on low. It’s been my experience that the rule for cooking chicken in the crock pot is 2 hours on HIGH, or 4 hours on LOW. That’s it. Chicken just doesn’t need that long to cook!!  I know I’ve said this before, but I’ll say it every time because it’s worth repeating. Otherwise you’d wind up with dry rubbery chicken. And no one wants that!



Tips:
 This is one of those recipes where the amounts are just guidelines. So I didn’t really fuss with each ingredient. I used the whole package of 4 pieces of chicken, I’m sure I used more than 8 oz of ham, definitely more than 8 oz of cheese, the seasonings were to taste, and I KNOW I used more than a half stick of butter. I also swapped brown mustard for the Dijon, I added a little extra cream, and I bet you could use half and half instead of the heavy cream. You do you! I’m sure it will turn out fine as long as you don’t overcook it! One thing, though.. if you'll notice, there's no salt in the recipe. That's because the ham and the stuffing mix have quite enough. If you add any more it would be too salty. I only mention this because my Dad used to fix his plate for dinner and then proceed to put salt and pepper over everything, even before he took his first bite, and it would drive my Mom crazy. She would say "it's already seasoned!" So, yeah. Don't add any extra salt. Doesn't need it!
I’m guessing you could easily bake this in the oven instead of a crock pot. Just assemble it in a casserole dish and bake it at 350º for about 30 minutes. Easy!

Slow Cooker Pork Ragout

 

 

  I was recently looking for a “let it cook all day” kind of recipe, so I turned to my big freezer (aka the Snow Miser) to see what I happened to have on hand. Sitting right on top was a pork shoulder that I was lucky enough to get on sale, and I immediately knew that this was the clear winner. 
 But what to make?? I’m sure that when I bought it I was thinking I’d do a BBQ pulled pork in the slow cooker, but now I’m thinking “how ‘bout something different?”
 Enter this recipe. You may be asking what is a ragout? Well a ragout (or ragu) is an Italian dish of braised meat (usually pork) in a tomato sauce with aromatics, herbs, and wine, finely shredded and then served over a hearty wide pasta. Sounds heavenly, right? Yeah, I thought so too. And since I pride myself on keeping a well stocked pantry, I just happened to have all the rest of the ingredients to make it. 
 First and foremost, I have to say this was just about the easiest thing to throw together, and the payoff was AMAZING.  It was only about 15 minutes of prep, and then it cooked all day, low and slow, filling my house with the most intoxicating aromas. It was so good that it could literally be an option for my next dinner party. It’s just that good. (Hmm.. actually, that’s a really good idea.) 
 I made this during the biggest snow storm in the last 10 years, but you don’t have to wait for it to snow to make this recipe. Make it for a Sunday Dinner. Make it for a holiday. Make it for your friends. Make it just for yourself! It’s definitely a good one to keep in your back pocket. I actually already wanna make it again. (Not even kidding!) Good thing I still have another pork in the Snow Miser!



Olive oil
3 or 4 lb pork shoulder
1 onion, minced
2 carrots, peeled and finely diced
1 28oz can tomato puree
1 6oz can tomato paste
A couple sprigs of fresh thyme, leaves removed and stems discarded
1 tsp poultry seasoning 
1 tsp dried basil
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup red wine (such as Chianti or Merlot)
1 heaping tsp chicken Better Than Bouillon 
2 cups water

In a very hot skillet, in a little oil, brown the pork on all sides. Meanwhile, throw everything else into your slow cooker. 
Place the pork in the slow cooker, nestling it down into the sauce. Cover and cook on low for 8 or 9 hours, or until the pork shreds easily. 
Using two forks, pull the pork into fine shreds, removing any fat, stirring until well combined. 

Serve over wide egg noodles, pappardelle, or tagliatelle pasta with warm crusty bread. 



Tips:
When browning the pork, don’t move it around in the skillet. I know you want to, but resist the urge! Just leave it alone, and you’ll get a nice brown sear. Do this one all sides. Conversely, you can certainly just skip this step altogether, and it will be just fine. But I believe it gives a richer deeper flavor with the browning. 
A few things you can substitute:
Crushed tomatoes instead of puree. 
Dried thyme leaves instead of fresh. 
Vermouth or just a splash of red wine vinegar instead of the wine.
2 cup of chicken broth instead of the Better Than Bouillon and water.
Instead of cooking on low for 8 or 9 hours, you can cook it on high for 4 or 5, but I always prefer lower and slower if you have the time. 
Even though pork is the classic choice for this recipe, it also works very well with beef. Just be sure to cook it long enough so the meat shreds easily. 
If you’d prefer to cook this in the oven instead of the slow cooker: Brown the meat in a heavy pot with a lid, throw in all the sauce ingredients, then place in a low-ish oven, around 325ºF, for about 3-4 hours.

Slow Cooker Butter Beef

  Have you ever heard of Butter Beef? I must confess I hadn't heard of it, but of course as soon as I saw it, it started popping up on every feed. So I thought, "ok ok, I'll make it!"

 If you've never heard of it, it's literally just three ingredients: beef cubes, onion soup mix, and butter. That's it. Throw it all in a slow cooker, and there's dinner. Super simple, right? You can serve it over rice or wide egg noodles and it's absolutely delicious. SO easy!!! 

 Then I saw that it was wide open for one's own variations. Some people added mushrooms and bell peppers or other veggies. I decided to go with garlic, potatoes, and carrots for a beef stew vibe. It's delicious no matter which direction you choose. And it literally comes together in minutes.  

  Btw, full disclosure, I saw it on several different websites, so I have no idea whose recipe it is. One site called it "buttery beef," but it was basically the same thing. 

 Anyway, whether you serve it over noodles, or add potatoes and veggies, you definitely need to give this one a try! 

 

 

3 lbs beef cubes or stew meat

1 envelope dry onion soup mix

1 stick butter 

 

Place all ingredients in a slow cooker. 

Cook on low for 7 or 8 hours. 

Serve over wide egg noodles or rice.  

 

 

Tips: 

The recipe calls for 3 lbs of beef, but since there's only one of me, I didn't want to cook that much meat. So I added 1 lb of baby carrots, 2 lbs baby potatoes, and some minced garlic. 

If you don't want to add any veggies and you don't want to cook 3 lbs of beef, just cut everything in half, and save the other half of the onion soup mix packet for next time. 

 

 

 

Joey's Slow Cooker Turkey with Apples and Cider Gravy

 

 

 

 People always ask me what my favorite dinner is, and I'll say the same thing every time: Turkey dinner with the usual everything that goes with it. But I think we only cook it on holidays because it's a bit of a production number, and it can turn out dry if it's overcooked.. and unless we're cooking for a giant crowd, most times we just don't need to cook that big of a roast. 

 And then we discovered the 3 lb boneless turkey breast cooked in the slow cooker. It was viral all over the interwebs, with its cranberries and onion soup mixture. Of course, I took the cooking method and ran with it, trying all kinds of other versions, and that's where this recipe was born. 

 As always, my first thought is "what do I happen to have on hand?" In this case, it was apples and apple cider. So I threw it in the slow cooker, added some sliced onions (why? because I love apples and onions together) and then made gravy after it was done. It was sweet from the cider and savory from the onions and poultry seasoning, Absolutely DELISH! Perfect for anytime, but special enough for your holiday dinner, especially if you only have a 3 or 4 mouths to feed. This would also be a great thing to add to your table in addition to a holiday ham, just in case anyone might like to have turkey too. The apples and cider gravy will go  PERFECTLY with everything! 

100% would make again! Enjoy! 

  

  

 

 

3 lb Butterball boneless turkey breast
1 sweet onion, peeled and sliced
1 Honeycrisp apple, peeled, cored, and sliced
1 tsp poultry seasoning
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup apple cider 
1 tbs apple cider vinegar
4 tbs butter, cut into small pats



Place your completely defrosted turkey breast in a slow cooker, making sure to leave the netting on. (Save the gravy packet for another time, or discard)
Place the onion and apple slices on and around the turkey.
Sprinkle with poultry season, salt, and pepper. 
Now add the cider and vinegar.
Top with pats of butter. 
Cook on low for exactly 6 hours. 
Remove turkey to a cutting board. Remove apples and onions to a serving platter.
Let the turkey rest while you make the gravy. 

Add a slurry of cold water plus 2 tbs of flour. Pour into slow cooker while stirring constantly. Turn the slow cooker to high and let it continue to cook until desired thickness. Pour into gravy boat for serving. 
Using a sharp knife or kitchen shears, remove the netting from the turkey.
Slice the turkey and place on the platter with the apples and onions. 
Garnish with parsley, if desired. 
Serve with gravy on the side. 

 

Tips:
Usually, I say that slow cookers are very forgiving when it comes to cooking time, but in this case, I’ve found that cooking any longer than 6 hours runs the risk of overcooking the turkey. To insure that your turkey is perfect, use a meat thermometer. I'd test it at about 5 1/2 hours. Take it out when the turkey breast reaches an internal temperature of 160ºF. Then let it rest. The carry over cooking time will bring it up to the required 165º.
If your turkey breast is still frozen, cook it for about 8 hours. 

Crockpot Herbed Dinner Rolls

 

 I recently discovered this recipe from a short video by a Youtuber named Chef Robyn Q. Frankly, I love everything she makes, and when I saw this technique, I thought "Why have we not done this before?" So I immediately tried it, posted a quick pic on FB, and everyone had LOTS of interest. Usually, when you think of a crock pot, you're not thinking of BAKING, but this recipe works perfectly! And when you have limited oven space around the holidays, this allows you to have freshly baked warm dinner rolls on the table with your fabulous holiday feast. How perfect is that? This one is definitely a keeper!

 

 

 

 

Frozen unbaked dinner rolls

1/4 cup melted butter

1/2 tsp garlic powder 

Choice of fresh or dried herbs- thyme, rosemary, oregano, etc

 

 

 

Line a crockpot with a piece of parchment paper.

Arrange the frozen dinner rolls in the bottom of the crockpot, leaving space between them.

Cover and set on warm for 1 1/2-2 hours or until double in size.

Drizzle with melted butter. Sprinkle herbs and garlic powder.

Cover the top with a paper towel and put the lid over it. 

Cook on high for 1 1/2 hours. Then, turn the crockpot OFF, and let stand covered for 30 minutes.

Remove the herbed dinner rolls from the crockpot and serve with butter.

Tips:

The amount of rolls you bake depends on the size of your crock pot. In the original video by Chef Robyn, she used an oval shaped crock pot, and was able to fit 14 rolls. I used a 9x13 rectangular crock pot, which has more space for more rolls, so I was able to do 24. You just want them to be close to each other, but not touching. That will give them space to rise.  

Slow Cooker Creamy Mushroom Chicken and Potatoes

 

 This recipe comes from the category of “what do I have in my pantry to throw into a slow cooker?”
 Do you ever do that? After taking a quick inventory, I realized I had a few Yukon Gold potatoes that needed to be used. I’ve also been working on finishing some of the items in my freezer before they get burnt. So that landed me with a package of boneless chicken thighs. So far so good. Add a few sauce ingredients to the equation, and there we have it! Easy right? (BTW, I must say that having a supply of home canned ingredients such as fresh mushrooms is always a good thing for occasions such as this!)
 It turned out so good that I immediately wrote everything down! This was too good and too easy not to share! Especially at this time of year when kids are starting back to school, schedules are crazy, and you just need to get dinner on the table. All you need is a steamed veggie and maybe some fresh buttered rolls to sop up the delicious sauce. SO good! Definitely keep this one in the rotation!



2-3 lbs of Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and quartered
8 boneless skinless chicken thighs
1-2 cups canned button mushrooms, drained
1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 can condensed cream of celery soup
1 cup heavy cream
1 tsp dried thyme leaves
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder

Fresh parsley for garnish, if desired


In a large slow cooker, add the potatoes first, then add the chicken pieces on top.
For the sauce, simply stir together all remaining ingredients. 
Pour over the chicken. Cover.
Cook on low, for 4 - 4 1/2 hours, but no longer.
That’s all there is to it!
If you’d like a thicker sauce, remove the chicken and potatoes to a serving plate. 
Make a slurry of 2 tbs corn starch and two tbs water. 
Whisk into sauce, and turn the slow cooker to high. Let it cook for an additional half hour. 

Pour sauce over chicken and potatoes.

Garnish with chopped fresh parsley.
Serve with your choice of green veggie for a pretty presentation. 




Tips:
The most important thing with this recipe is your cooking time. Many recipes instruct you to cook chicken in a slow cooker for 7 or 8 hours, or even longer. That’s WAY too long. Poultry just doesn’t take that long to cook. You definitely don’t want to wind up with rubbery and/or dry chicken. 4 hours, 4 1/2 tops. That’s it. If you need the extra time, start with frozen chicken. That’ll buy you another hour…-ish.
Don’t have cream of mushroom or celery soup? Use any kind of condensed cream soup you have! You could also make your own cream sauce, if you feel so compelled. Who am I to stop you? 
Want to make it cheesy? Add a handful or two or shredded Cheddar or Gruyere Swiss cheese over the top for the last hour. 
Want to add veggies? Baby carrots would be great.. add them with the potatoes.. or peas… just add them for the last hour of cooking time. I served mine with steamed green beans on the side and it was the perfect accompaniment. . 
The seasonings are just guidelines. Want to add a lot of black pepper? Go for it. Want to use fresh thyme instead of dried? Definitely. I added a sprinky dink of dried onions too, just for funsies. You could also add a splash of white wine to the sauce. OOOH that’s actually a great idea, come to think of it!
Wanna use boneless pork chops instead? Great! NOW you can increase your cook time to 7 or 8 hours. 
I used my own home canned mushrooms, but you do you. Canned, fresh, whatever you like, and as much as you want. It’ll all work!

Slow Cooker Pepper Steak

 

 

  

 

One of my favorite things about summer is that I get to enjoy all of my favorite Jersey produce. I swear I go to the produce market at least once a week and buy TONS of fruits and veggies for canning and roasting and making jams, you name it. 
 So, recently, I had a bunch of bell peppers and figured I’d do something with them, but what? I thought, well, pepper steak is the obvious choice, right Then I realized…wait.. after all these years, do I not have a go-to pepper steak recipe??? What is going on??? Clearly I needed to remedy this!
 I was originally thinking of using my wok, but then I figured it would be a lot easier to just throw it into the slow cooker and let it cook all afternoon. Perfect! This is a  version of a recipe from All Recipes and it’s absolutely delicious. If you’re a fan of pepper steak, then this one is for you! Also, if you still don’t have a slow cooker, what are you waiting for? No time like the present!




2 lbs beef sirloin, London broil top round, or flank steak, cut into 2 inch strips
3 tbs vegetable oil
1 onion, sliced 
2 large green bell peppers, sliced
2 large red bell peppers, sliced
1 (14.5 oz) can stewed tomatoes, with liquid
3 tbs soy sauce
1 tsp white or brown sugar
Salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste
2 cups beef stock, divided
2 tbs corn starch

 

 

 

In a large skillet, over medium heat, sear the beef strips in oil until brown on both sides. Do this in batches so as not to crowd the pan. While the beef is searing, place all other ingredients in a slow cooker, except the beef stock and corn starch. After removing the last of the beef from the skillet, pour 1 cup of stock into the pan and use a wooden spoon to scrape up any brown bits. Add that liquid to the slow cooker. Cover. Cook on low for 7-8 hours or on high for 3 1/2 - 4 hours. After the cooking is done, make a slurry with the corn starch and remaining cup of beef stock. Add to slow cooker. Let it continue to cook and thicken. Serve over rice, riced cauliflower, or mashed potatoes. 



Tips:
This makes a very saucy pepper steak. If you’d prefer less sauce, just cut the stock down to 1 cup total.
If you’ve never tried riced cauliflower, you should! It’s as easy as buying any other frozen vegetable, and it absolutely works instead of rice, especially for those of us who happen to be counting carbs. Just sauté in a skillet with a little butter. Delish!

Slow Cooker Oyster Sauce Chicken

 

 

  Ok, I know I say this all the time, but seriously, this is one of the easiest and tastiest recipes you'll ever make. You just throw everything into a slow cooker and it comes out perfectly every time! I might even go so far as to say it's fool proof. It's just that easy. It also happens to be so delicious, you'll want to add this to your recipe rotation or even serve it for your next dinner party. SO GOOD.

 So lets talk about oyster sauce, shall we? 

Let me be the first to say that oysters are not the first thing I would order from a menu, and NEVER raw on a half shell. No thank you very much. If you like raw oysters, more power to you, but they're just not for me. So I will happily tell you that oyster sauce does not taste fishy or briny in that way. It does, however, have a sweet and savory umami flavor that one might compare to a sweet soy sauce, with a texture that is more like ketchup. It's great as a condiment in Asian cooking, and in this case, it takes center stage as the main sauce ingredient. 

 Now, I could make home made oyster sauce by boiling and straining shucked (or dried) oysters to make a broth and then adding soy sauce, sugar, and corn starch, But who has the time or money for that? Again, it's kind of like ketchup: Yes, you could make it at home, but Heinz has already done it perfectly, so why would you? It's just easier and cheaper to buy a bottle and call it a day. 

 This recipe is the tweaked version of the one I found on Allrecipes.com. and if you're a novice cook, it's definitely the one to try. Just follow the recipe as written and I PROMISE you'll get rave reviews. I just made it last night and I literally already want to make it again! Time to buy another bottle of oyster sauce!

8 boneless skinless chicken thighs
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tbs minced garlic
1 bottle purchased oyster sauce

Enough water to rinse bottle
2 tbs corn starch
1/4 cup cold water

Sliced scallions for garnish, if desired


Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper. Set aside.
Add brown sugar, garlic, and oyster sauce to a slow cooker. Rinse out the bottle with water, and add to the mixture. Stir well. Add chicken thighs and toss to coat well.
Cook for EXACTLY 4 hours on low or 2 hours on high.
Remove chicken pieces to a cutting board.
Make a slurry with corn starch and 1/4 cup cold water. Add to slow cooker. Stir well and let the sauce thicken. Meanwhile, with a very sharp knife, slice the chicken. Serve the chicken slices on a bed of rice. Pour sauce over all. Garnish with sliced scallions, if desired. 

Try not to eat all 8 pieces of chicken in one sitting.


Tips:

  I've also made this recipe with the addition of sliced baby bella mushrooms. It was absolutely AMAZING. If you like mushrooms, DO IT. Just throw about 8oz of sliced mushrooms in with everything else. LOVE.
 The most important part of this recipe is the cooking time. Trust me when I say to just do 4 hours on low, or 2 hours on high. That's it. No more!! Any longer than that and your chicken will turn out rubbery and overcooked. Chicken just doesn't need that much time to cook. And if you see other recipes that tell you to cook chicken on low for 7 or 8 hours, you can tell them I said "Liar liar pants on fire."

  Yes, you can absolutely make this in the oven instead of the slow cooker. And you can use whatever kind of chicken you like. I used boneless thighs (why? because I like them!) but you can use boneless breasts, or even bone in skin on. Just mix together your sauce ingredients, pour over raw chicken pieces, then bake at 350 until chicken is cooked through. Probably about 25-30 minutes, depending on your choice of chicken.
  You can use regular white granulated sugar instead of the brown, if that's what you have, and feel free to adjust the amounts of the sugar and garlic to suit your tastes. For me, the balance of flavors is just perfect as is, but you do you.

  One other thing.. I've noticed that different brands of oyster sauce come in different sized bottles. You might find a 7oz or even a 10oz, but just go with it. It'll be fine. When you rinse out your bottle, it will automatically be the right ratio of water to oyster sauce. Also I have no preference for brands. They all taste pretty fabulous!

Slow Cooker Mongolian Chicken

 

So, lets talk about slow cookers, want to?
You KNOW how much I love my collection of slow cookers, and you know I use every single one of them. It's kind of one of those things where the more you use it, the more uses you find for it. I've used them for different kinds of beef stew, mac 'n' cheese, lasagna, and an entire 9 lb turkey. I've done soups, baked beans, breakfast casseroles, applesauce, fruit butters, hot dogs and sauerkraut, and even desserts, like bread or rice pudding. But there has always been one elusive thing that never comes out the way I want it.
 And that's CHICKEN. Wait, what??  Yes. Chicken. Specifically boneless chicken. 
 I know. I know. It's crazy, right? You'd think that chicken would be one of the go-to basics, right? Nope. I would see tons and tons of recipes, all saying the same thing:"Place chicken in your crock pot, cook for 8 hours on low." and I'd think to myself, NOOOO! That's too long! It doesn't need that long to cook! But I would try it anyway, because surely this was a tested recipe....and sure enough, it would turn out dry and rubbery and WAY overcooked. 

 Then I started following All Recipes. There's a woman by the name of Nicole McLaughlin who does many of their videos, and (I've said this before) I want to try every single thing she makes. (Seriously, look her up. You won't be disappointed!) So this one night, I'm going down the usual tiktok rabbit hole, and I'm watching her make 5 different slow cooker recipes, and she's talking about this ingredient and that.. 

 And then... lo and behold... as if she were reading my mind.... she states that her one big peeve is that people cook boneless chicken for way too long in the slow cooker. 

WHAT????? Did she just say that?? I was like YES! EXACTLY! THANK YOU! And in that exact moment, I felt so seen and so validated. FINALLY someone stated what I was thinking all along. She went on to say that all you need is 2 hours on high, or 4 hours on low. That's all. No more. Boom. That's it. THIS was the answer I had been wanting for so long. She had cracked the code!
 And then the clouds parted, and glorious rays of golden sunshine came down from The Heavens, with choirs of Angels singing for all joyous souls to hear, and all seemed right with the world.
 And guess what? She was absolutely right!! Since then, I've tried several recipes using this formula, and every single one of them has turned out perfectly. Dontcha just love it when you find something that just ...WORKS?????
 So... finally... that brings us to THIS recipe.
Since I've been on an Asian flavor kick for a while, my original thought was just to make my favorite Slow Cooker Mongolian Beef (it's my go-to entree at P.F. Chang's). But then I thought, why not chicken? So here's a slightly tweaked recipe from a website called Chef Savvy. It's super simple to make, only uses a few readily available ingredients, and it was just the thing I wanted for dinner that night. Side note, it made enough to feed a crowd as well. That ticks all the boxes for me!
 So there we have it. Give this one a try. I know you'll love it. Thanx again to Chef Savvy for the inspo, and BIG thanx to Nicole at All Recipes for cracking the code. GAME CHANGER!
 Now... what's my next slow cooker chicken recipe going to be??? Hmm... 

 
 
 
Sauce:
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tbs toasted sesame oil, plus more
3 tbs Hoisin sauce
Splash of rice wine (can also use white wine, or just omit)
1-2 tsp minced ginger
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
 
2-3 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs
1/2 cup cold water
1 tbs corn starch
3 cups broccoli florets
Sesame seeds and sliced scallions for garnish
 
Place all sauce ingredients in a slow cooker. Whisk well to combine.
Taste the sauce and make adjustments, if needed.
Add chicken pieces, then toss until well coated with sauce.
Cover and cook on high for 2 hours or on low for 4 hours.
 
Remove the chicken pieces to a plate. Set aside.
Turn slow cooker to high. 
In a small bowl, stir together cold water and corn starch to make a slurry. Add to sauce and stir well. Add broccoli florets. Toss to coat with sauce. Cover. Let it cook for another half hour or until the broccoli is tender and the sauce has thickened. Meanwhile, using a very sharp knife, slice the pieces of chicken. When the broccoli is tender, add the chicken back to the slow cooker, toss all to combine. Serve over rice. Garnish with sesame seeds, sliced scallions, and an extra drizzle of toasted sesame oil.
 
 
To make the best rice:
Start by adding half of an onion, minced, to a sauce pot with a few pats of butter. Stir and saute until the onions begin to soften. Now add your dry rice. Stir well until each grain is coated with the butter, then add your liquid.
Now here's the big secret... don't just use water to cook your rice... if you add just water, your rice is gonna taste like just water. Use broth or stock or any other liquid instead. Onion soup, mushroom broth, beef stock, anything you like. For Tex-Mex dishes, I've used tomato juice. I've even made pineapple rice with pineapple juice. It'll make your rice SO much better. In this case, I used my own home made chicken stock. The rule of thumb is one part dry rice to two parts liquid. So I did one cup of rice, and two cups of stock. Bring it to a boil, give it a good stir, then cover and turn the heat to low. Leave it alone and let it cook for 18-20 minutes. Resist the urge to keep removing the lid and stirring it! It'll be fine. Just trust the process. It's finished when the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender. 

 

Tips:

 I have to say it again, because it's worth repeating: 4 hours on low or 2 hours on high.  That's literally as much time as you should be slow cooking your chicken. You can use boneless breasts if you like, but I think the thighs have more flavor. 

Be sure to taste the sauce before adding the chicken. That's a biggie. You won't be able to taste it after you add raw chicken, so now is the time. Then you can tweak it to your liking. Does it hit all the right notes for you? Do you want it to be sweeter? Add more brown sugar. Do you want it to be saltier? Add more soy sauce. Do you want more heat? Add more crushed red pepper flakes, some hot sauce, or some minced chili peppers.

 

Perfect Slow Cooker Boneless Turkey Breast

   Every year, when Autumn starts creeping in, I'm always searching for different recipes and methods of cooking all of our holiday favorites. This year, my new favorite thing is cooking a boneless turkey breast in the slow cooker. Now, if you know me, you know about my love of slow cookers and the fact that I have an entire collection of them, (only 10, but who's counting?)
 Anyway, I first tried this method with a tik tok Cranberry Turkey recipe, and I loved the method so much that I thought "ok now lets try this with your usual traditional herbs and spices." I mean, you just can't beat the aroma of a Thanksgiving turkey cooking all day, am I right?
 The result was AMAZING! It's literally fall apart tender, flavorful and juicy as can be, and it absolutely smells and tastes like Thanksgiving. And the good news is, you can customize it for the amount of people you're serving. If you only have 3 or 4 people, you're good to go. If you have 6 or 7 people, just use a larger slow cooker and make two! And so forth. Oh! And here's the kicker: I wondered whether you even have to defrost the turkey, and guess what? You don't! You can literally take it out of the freezer, frozen solid, and throw it into the crock pot. Who knew? The only thawing I did was I held it under running COLD water until I could detach the frozen gravysickle packet. That was it! You do have to cook it for a longer stretch of time, but that seemed to be a worthwhile trade off. And it comes out exactly the same! Game changer.
Bonus: It also frees up your oven for all of your other casseroles and side dishes. Actually, come to think of it.. now that all the worry and stress about your turkey is sorted, what other side dishes are you gonna make??? Make lots, invite friends, and enjoy!

 

 

 

 

1 (3lb) Butterball frozen boneless turkey breast
1/2 tsp poultry seasoning blend
1/2 tsp ground sage
Salt and pepper to taste
4 pats of butter (about 1/2 stick)
1/4 cup white wine

Simply throw all ingredients into a crock pot, leaving the webbed netting on the turkey breast. 

Cover and set your slow cooker to low.
If your turkey breast is completely thawed, cook it for 6 hours.
If it's frozen, cook it for 8 hours.
Remove from slow cooker to a cutting board. Use scissors to remove the netting. Be careful! It's hot! Using a very sharp knife, slice into nice thick slices and serve.

For the gravy;
After removing the turkey from the crock pot, add a slurry made of 1/2 cup COLD water or chicken broth and a 1/4 cup flour to the slow cooker. Whisk to combine until it thickens. 

Pour gravy over everything!

Tips:
 Gravy- Be careful not to add too much wine. Once I just eyeballed it and it came out tasting much too winey for me. I found that measuring 1/4 cup was just the right amount.
 Seasoning- If you'd like to use fresh herbs instead of dry, go for it! You definitely can't go wrong with sage and thyme!
 Slicing- I found that using a really sharp knife will help you to make cleaner slices. That sounds kind of obvious, but if your knife is dull, the meat will just fall apart instead of making nice pretty slices. Presentation is everything! Also, making thicker slices helps to that end as well!
 And lastly, this recipe also works really well with a whole oven-stuffer roaster chicken. My biggest crockpot literally fits a whole 9 lb bird. Crazy, right? Just be sure to completely thaw it, remove the bundle from inside the cavity, rinse and dry it, then add a jar of chicken gravy to the listed recipe since it doesn't come with a gravy packet. Boom.

Slow Cooker Cranberry Turkey Breast

 When we think of a traditional Thanksgiving Dinner, the image that immediately comes to mind is something like the iconic Norman Rockwell painting, Freedom From Want. It depicts a large group of people gathered around the dinner table while a humongous turkey is being presented as the centerpiece for the feast. Since I have a ginormous wonderful family, I can certainly relate to this idea!

 But what if your wonderful family isn't so ginormous? What if you have maybe 3 or 4 people instead of 20 or 30? Yes, you'd still love to serve a terrific Turkey Dinner for Thanksgiving, but you've decided you're definitely not gonna cook a giant turkey. What are your options? Well, this recipe answers that question! 

  I first saw a version of this recipe in a tik tok video, and I gave it a try. LOVED it! But immediately thought I could make it better. After a few tries, I think THIS is the best one! It's SO easy to do, it only takes a few minutes to throw together, and since it's in a slow cooker, it frees up your oven for other dishes like casseroles or roasted veggies. And the gravy that it makes is absolutely delicious! Another great fact about this recipe is that you don't have to serve it just for thanksgiving. It's an easy simple weeknight meal! Also it's perfect for me, since most of the time I'm just cooking for myself. Turkey just happens to be my all time favorite dinner, and now I get to have it as often as I want! This recipe is just that easy. 

 So if you're looking for a Thanksgiving option, or if you just happen to love turkey as much as I do, give this one a try.  It's definitely a keeper!

1 (3lb) Butterball boneless turkey breast, including gravy packet

1 can jellied cranberry sauce

1 packet dry onion soup mix

1/2 cup pure maple syrup

1/2 tsp poultry seasoning

Cracked black pepper to taste 

Big splash of white wine

3 pats of butter

3 tbs flour 

 

 

  Defrost your frozen turkey breast in the fridge for a day or two. Since it's so small, it doesn't take a long time. When it's completely thawed, remove the packaging, but be sure to leave the netting that holds the turkey intact. I usually rinse the turkey of all the extra liquid from the packaging, and then pat it dry with a paper towel. 

  In a 3 quart slow cooker, combine all of the sauce ingredients, except the butter and flour. Be sure to include the packet of gravy that comes with the turkey breast. I usually use a whisk to break up the jellied cranberry sauce. Place the turkey breast in the slow cooker, and turn until coated. Place a few pats of butter on top. Cook your turkey for 6 hours on low.

 Remove the turkey to a cutting board. Very carefully remove the netting using scissors or a sharp knife. Slice the turkey into nice thick glorious slices. Place on a serving platter.

 Now make the gravy. Turn the slow cooker to high. In a small bowl or mason jar, make a slurry by mixing 3 tbs of flour with the same amount of COLD water. Pour the slurry into the slow cooker and stir well. Let it continue to cook for a few minutes. Your gravy will thicken perfectly. Pour gravy over your fanned turkey slices, or serve in a gravy boat. 

 Now dig in!

Tips:

 You can easily use home made or whole berry cranberry sauce. It will all work!

Yes, I know, I know. Onion soup mix and cranberries.. who knew? But it definitely works, just like when I made Cranberry Chicken many years ago. In fact, you could use this same recipe with chicken too! Actually, come to think of it, if you have a large 7 quart slow cooker, you could easily use this recipe to make a 9 lb oven stuffer. I just might have to do that one of these days. 

 If you don't want to add the wine, add a splash of something else to add a little acid. Balsamic or cider vinegar, a squeeze of lemon, anything with a little tang to it. It will brighten the flavor and balance the sweetness. 

 There is no added salt included in this recipe because the onion soup mix already has that covered. 

 The cooking time is listed as 6 hours on low. I suppose you can do 3 hours on high, but I've never tried it. Some things just taste better when you cook them low and slow. Usually I just set it up at lunch time and then it's perfectly ready by dinnertime.

Serve this with more jellied cranberries, mashed potatoes, roasted veggies, corn casserole, stuffing, and candied sweet potatoes. Pro tip: Pour gravy over everything!

 

Slow Cooker Korean Beef

 

 

  This year, the Summer Olympics are being held in Paris, France. So, naturally, I decided to host a party to celebrate! Actually, we used to have parties all the time to celebrate the Olympics Opening Ceremonies, but it's been a while. So I decided to bring it back this year. It's always so exciting to see the lighting of the Olympic Cauldron, and of course The Parade of Nations (Tonga's shirtless flag bearer anyone??)

  So, in addition to having several screens for viewing, my party will also feature a smorgasbord of different international foods. Normally, I would choose just a few things for a cohesive menu, but for this party, all bets are off. It'll be a huge variety of International foods for everyone to sample. I've already decided on a few things.. but I'm still looking for other recipes to include. And that brings me to this one!!!

 OMG... I need to say right off the bat that this is one of my favorite dishes that I've made in quite a long time! It's sweet, it's savory, and it has HUGE flavor. I found it on a website called The Recipe Critic, and it's SUPER easy to throw together. I did tweak it ever so slightly, just because I thought the soy sauce and the brown sugar were just slightly too much, and this is a better balance. But other than that, it's perfect!!!! Seriously, I couldn't stop eating it. So, there we go! I think this wins a place on the Olympic Menu! Hmm.... which other countries to feature? Definitely some Italian and German dishes ... and, of course, France! Maybe I'll make some French pastries for dessert.... Hmm.. So many options! 

1-2 lbs London Broil, Flank, or Skirt Steak
2 tbs baking soda
2 tbs toasted sesame oil
1 tsp minced garlic
1/2 cup soy sauce

1 cup beef broth

1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (or to taste)
1/4 cup corn starch
Sesame seeds and sliced scallions for garnish

  Using a very sharp knife, slice the meat against the grain into small bite-sized pieces. Place the slices in a bowl, sprinkle with baking soda. Toss well. Cover and place the bowl in the fridge for about 30 minutes. 

In the meantime, in a slow cooker, stir together the toasted sesame oil, garlic, soy sauce, beef broth, brown sugar, chopped onions, and crushed red pepper flakes.
Remove the beef from the fridge. Rinse the beef very well under cold running water. Use a clean tea towel to pat dry. Now toss the beef strips with cornstarch and add to the slow cooker. Stir until well coated with mixture. Set your slow cooker to low, cook for 5-6 hours.  Serve over rice.
Garnish with sesame seeds and sliced scallions.



Tips:
-- Be sure to marinate the beef in the baking soda as directed. This technique is called "velvetting" , and it's the key to making melt-in-your-mouth-tender beef.
--After your beef is cooked, if the sauce isn't thickened to your liking, mix a few more tablespoons of cornstarch in some COLD water. Stir it into the sauce, turn your slow cooker to high. It will gradually thicken.

 

 

Slow Cooker Leg of Lamb

 

 

 

  Not too long ago, a friend was kind enough to gift me a huge leg of lamb. (Yes, I have pretty awesome friends!) My first thought was "ok.. I've never cooked a leg of lamb before... how am I gonna tackle this?" It sounds a little daunting doesn't it? Seriously, the only lamb dish I've ever made was a stew that I made from cut up pieces of lamb stew meat (which was AMAZING btw) but it wasn't an entire leg roast. 

  But then I thought of the slow cooker. That makes easy work out of a pot roast or a pulled pork, right? How hard can it be? I'm sure it would be the same thing with lamb. So that's exactly what I did! This recipe is the same exact thing as one would do for a beef roast, and it all works perfectly with lamb. Potatoes, carrots, onions, fresh and/or dry herbs, and few seasonings.. that's all there is to it!

  This is the perfect thing for your Easter holiday meal, but it would be equally good for any week night dinner. No muss no fuss! Doesn't seem so daunting now, does it?!

 So the next time a friend gifts you a four-pound leg of lamb, now you know what to do! 

 

 

1 4lb leg of lamb 

1 onion, roughly chopped

4 or 5 potatoes, cut into quarters or eighths 

1 lb carrots, peeled and cut into chunks (can also use baby carrots)

a few springs fresh thyme or a tsp dried thyme leaves

1 few sprigs fresh rosemary or a big pinch of dried rosemary leaves

a good pinch each of salt and pepper

2 or 3 bay leaves

5 or 6 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup of chicken broth

a few splashes of Worcestershire sauce

1 cup of red wine, or a few splashes of good balsamic vinegar

 

 

 

 

Place all ingredients in a large slow cooker.

Cover and cook for 8 or 9 hours on low. 

Remove all items from the slow cooker to a large serving platter.

Discard sprigs of herbs and bay leaves.

Slice the meat. It will be fall-apart tender.

Using a ladle, spoon away some of the fat from the liquid in the pot.

Make a slurry of about 1/2 cup COLD water or chicken broth and a couple tbs flour. Vigorously stir the slurry into the liquid and turn the slow cooker to high. Let it thicken for about a half hour or until desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper. Pour gravy over all and serve.

 

 

Tips:

If you want to, you can brown the lamb on all sides in a hot pan before you add it to the slow cooker. That makes a deeper richer flavor, but it's still delicious even if you don't. I didn't feel like washing a pan this morning, so I just threw everything into the slow cooker, boom, done.

Instead of cooking all day on low, you can cook it on high for 4-5 hours. Personally, I think low and slow is the better way to go. It really takes a while for that meat to break down and fall off the bone.

Use any kind of root vegetables you like. I used carrots and potatoes because I had them on hand, but feel free to use parsnips or turnips, anything you like!

When you make the gravy, be sure to use COLD water or broth to make the slurry. If you use hot water or just throw flour into the hot liquid, the flour will clump and you'll have lumpy gravy. Nope!

 

Joey's Slow Cooker Cowboy Franks and Beans

 

 

  I was recently in one of those moods where I just wanted to throw a bunch of things together and see where it lands. Since I've been on a slow cooker kick lately, I figured I'd stick with it. Then I just started throwing things in. This is basically how it went:

 I knew I wanted to do an embellished hot dogs and beans dish, and I remembered seeing one on The Spruce Eats blog... so I kind of had that in mind as a flight heading.....  I cut up a package of hot dogs and threw in some home canned pork and beans. What else... oh! smoked sausage would be perfect... and maybe I'll add some red beans.. great... Needs some aromatics... ok... chopped onions and peppers.. garlic? sure, why not. hmm... what else... something to make it saucy.... BBQ sauce, ketchup, mustard, molasses, maple syrup... just a little of each...moving right along... now, what about spices... chili powder? yes, but not too much... cumin for a little Cowboy flare..... salt and pepper..  do I want any more heat? hmm... maybe not this time... OK, now give it a taste... good, but not sweet enough... oh! brown sugar! duh, can't have baked beans without brown sugar.... another taste... just a little more salt...MUCH better. Now I'll just let it cook all afternoon while I'm at work, and when I get home I'll whip up a corn bread. 

 That's literally the flight of ideas leading up to this dish. It turned out SO GOOD! I had thought about pouring it over mashed potatoes, but this time I'll just serve it with some corn bread. 

 Could I have added bacon? Yup. How about some heat like a minced jalapeno or serrano pepper.. or just plain crushed red pepper flakes...absolutely... could I have made it more substantial by adding potatoes? or even some browned ground beef? Definitely.  The point is I was cooking flavors that I like in a way that sounded good to me. So, for the people who say they don't know how to cook... take it from me... it can be as easy as throwing a bunch of things into a  slow cooker and seeing where it lands!!

 

 

 

1 onion, chopped

1 red bell pepper, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 pkg (8) beef hot dogs, cut into 1 inch pieces

1 lb smoked pork sausage, cut into coins

1 28oz can pork and beans

1 15oz can red beans, rinsed and drained

1/2 cup ketchup

1/2 cup BBQ sauce

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 tbs mustard

1/4 cup molasses

1/4 cup maple syrup

1 tbs chili powder

1 tsp cumin

salt and pepper

 

Place all ingredients in a slow cooker and cook on low for about 6 hours or on high for 3 hours.

That's literally all there is to it. 

 

 

Tips:

If you'd like, you can brown the meat in a saute pan before adding to the slow cooker, but I didn't. Full disclosure, I just didn't feel like washing another pan. I bet it would add a nice depth of flavor, tho. maybe next time.

Try any beans you like. Black beans, white beans, pinto beans...any will work!

Instead of the slow cooker... 

you can also just simmer in a heavy cast iron Dutch oven pot on the stove over low heat for about an hour.Just give it a stir e ery so often to make sure it's not burnt on the bottom.

You could also do a Shepherd's Pie sort of vibe.  Place the meat and bean mixture in a casserole dish. Spread some mashed potatoes over the top and then cover with shredded Cheddar cheese. Bake another 15-20 minutes until it's heated through and the cheese is melted.

Joey's Slow Cooker Teriyaki Beef

 

 

    I was in the mood for a slow cooker kind of beef something. You know, like when you let it cook all day in the slow cooker until it just falls apart? Yes, that. But I wasn't feeling my usual go-to beef stew with potatoes and brown gravy vibe. So, I thought, why not do something fun and new? To be quite honest, my original thought was to do something with lots of toasted spices, sort of in an Indian inspired direction... with lots of onions, garlic, ginger, and garam masala. But then I took a quick inventory of my pantry ingredients and decided that a fabulous teriyaki might be the way to go. Ok then! We have our heading!

  Now, of course, it would be easy to just open up a bottle of purchased teriyaki sauce and call it a day, but I always have more fun making it home made, Don't you? I must admit that I only had a general idea of what goes in a good teriyaki sauce, but I figured , how hard can it be? I knew I wanted it to include pineapple juice and soy sauce, and I absolutely love the flavor of toasted sesame oil. I also figured it would probably have honey and brown sugar, but this was as far as I could go on my own. So I did what I always do! I started with those ingredients, googled a few recipes, took what I liked from each one, and made my own! I took one taste and YES! It turned out beautifully! Don't you just love when that happens? And it was super easy too. I just threw everything into the slow cooker, gave a stir, and let it cook all afternoon. You can't get much easier than that, right?  I thought of browning the beef before throwing it in, which would absolutely be fine, but I just wanted a quick set up an no extra dishes to worry about. THIS was it.

  Just set it up in the morning for an easy week night meal, or do like I did and make it for a fabulous Sunday supper. Pour it over some cooked white rice and you're good to go! Hope you'll give it t a try!

2 cups pineapple juice

1/4 cup honey

1/4 cup ketchup
2 tbs brown sugar
1 tbs soy sauce

1 tbs rice vinegar

1 tbs toasted sesame oil

2 tbs Hoisin sauce
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbs fresh ginger, minced 

3 scallions, sliced

2-3 lbs beef chuck, cubed 

 

 

For thickening the sauce:

2 tbs corn starch

2 tbs cold water or pineapple juice 

 

Garnish:

More sliced scallions

sesame seeds

Add all of your sauce ingredients into the insert of your slow cooker. Give it a good whisk until it's all well combined. Now add the scallions and beef cubes. Give it another stir until the meat is well coated. Cook on low for about 8 hours, or on high for about 4 hours. 

 When the beef is tender, stir together the corn starch and water (or juice, if using). Add to the sauce, and stir. If your slow cooker is on low, turn it to high, and let it cook for about 15-20 more minutes, uncovered, until the sauce is thickened. This is the perfect time to make the rice, so that everything is done at the same time. To serve, pour your beef and sauce over a mound of rice, add veggies on the side, garnish with more sliced scallions and a sprinkle of sesame seeds, if desired.

Tips:

 Be sure to adjust seasoning after it's cooked. Sometimes it needs more salt or soy sauce than you think it will!

  If you'd like to stretch the meal a little further, add some beautifully colorful steamed vegetables on the side. Some broccoli florets or sugar snap peas would be absolutely perfect. You can put them on for steaming around the same time as you cook the rice!

  You can use this same recipe for chicken as well. Just add your boneless chicken to the crock pot with your sauce, and cook it on low for about 6 hours. Then remove the chicken to thicken the sauce. While the sauce is thickening, you can shred the chicken and add it back to the slow cooker. Come to think of it, that would be FABULOUS in a lettuce wrap! Yum. 

  When you add the corn starch for thickening, be sure to stir it into COLD liquid (either the water or the juice) before adding it to a hot liquid. If you add it directly to the sauce, it will clump into little starchy blobs, and no one wants that!

Light and Fluffy Dairy Free Mashed Potatoes

 

Usually, when I'm choosing recipes, my first thought naturally goes toward what I like to eat. But then it occurred to me that very often people have food allergies and can't eat certain things that I take for granted.

 So today I decided to do a delicios recipe for mashed potatoes that doesn't have all the heavy cream that I usually add. But how do you make it rich without all the cream?? The answer is coconut milk! Yes, yes, I know, crazy, right? But seriously, trust me on this. No, it does't make them taste like coconut. It just adds the richness that you want! Add whatever seasonings you like, and there you go. Perfectly fluffy delicious mashed potatoes without any of the problems that might come with dairy. 

Surprising? Yes. Delicious? Absolutely! !

5 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and quartered

1 1/2 cups chicken broth

1 can coconut milk

4 tbs ghee, melted 

Salt and pepper

Chives

Place potatoes and chicken broth in a slow cooker. Cook on low for 8 hours until fork tender.

Scoop the potatoes out of the slow cooker, and push them through a potato ricer set at its finest setting. 

Shake the can of coconut milk before you open it.  Now stir in the coconut milk a little at a time. 

Do the same with the melted butter and any broth left in the slow cooker. 

Season with plenty of salt and pepper.  Top with chopped chives.

Tips:

Usually, at this point, I'll mention what I believe to be the "key" to the recipe. Well, in this case, there are several:

First, you want to make sure you use the right kind of potato. Yukon Golds give you just the right amount starch without turning into spackle. 

Next is the potato ricer. If you've never used one, it kind of looks like a giant garlic press, and it's the best tool for mashing potatoes. Of course, you can use a hand masher, but I wouldn't use a mixer. Again, spackle.

Have you ever used ghee? It's just clarified butter with all of the milk solids removed. It works much better for people who don't do well with dairy. Of course, regular butter also works.

And finally, it's all about flavor! Use any seasonings you like. Garlic powder, onion powder, seasoned salt, all good! And remember, it will need more salt than you think it will!

Cooking the potatoes in chicken broth adds lots of flavor too, but you can easily keep it Vegan. Just use Vegan butter, and use water or a vegetable broth.

Joey's Slow Cooker Bean and Beef Stew

 

 

  Whenever we transition from Summer to Autumn, my way of cooking changes too. Suddenly, we go from cookouts and grilling to making large pots of stews and soups. I'm immediately reminded of going back to school and then returning home to the intoxicating aroma of whatever my Mother had cooking on the stove that day. 

  This year, instead of a slow transition from warm Summer days into crisper Autumn nights, it seemed like Summer clocked out on its very last calendar day, and we jumped right into Autumn. I kept thinking "whoa, that was abrupt! Time to make a pot of stew!" And so, after thinking about it for a little while, I decided to find a new beef stew recipe for just a little variety. 

  As I was browsing recipes, I found a slow cooker recipe that had beans, beef, and potatoes. Nothing else, that was it, thrown into a crock pot. My first thought was "hmm....that's probably pretty bland." No seasonings, no aromatics, nothing. Just beans, beef, and potatoes. OK, lets build on this, shall we? I bought a few ingredients, and got down to business. I started throwing things into the slow cooker, and before I knew it, I had basically just made a tweaked version of my beef stew, with the addition of baked beans. OK! Lets run with it and see where it lands!

  HOLY BEEF STEW, Batman! Why have we never added beans to beef stew before?? It's fabulous!! Not only does it add body to the sauce, it adds a fabulous, almost velvety texture to the gravy. I thought, "oh this would be perfect with some freshly baked corn bread!" Yum!

 I threw it together and let it cook overnight, just because I knew I would want it for earlier in the day, and then it occurred to me that this would be the perfect plan for your Trick or Treaters. 

 When I was growing up, my Mother always had a huge pot of something cooking on the stove all day for Halloween. It was great because we had a houseful of kids, all coming and going at different times, and this was the perfect thing whenever we returned home. It was love in a bowl, and it always warmed us right up. Plus, Mom always said it was easier because there was no worry of trying to fix dinner while answering the door all day giving treats to the neighboring ghouls and goblins. 

So, prep this the night before Halloween, let it slow cook all night, and you'll be ready for the next day. Keep this recipe handy for winter too. It'll warm you up on the snowiest of days!!
If you like beef stew and/or baked beans, you must give this a try!!!

2 lbs stewing beef cubes

1-2 lbs baby red potatoes, halved

1-2 lbs baby carrots

1 large onion, roughly chopped

1 28oz can pork and beans

1 10oz jar beef gravy

1 1/2  tsp dried thyme leaves

2 tbs soy sauce

Salt and pepper to taste 

2 heaping tbs corn starch

1/4 cup cold water

If the beef cubes are large, cut them in half. 

Place all ingredients except the cornstarch and water in a large slow cooker. Cover.

Cook on low for 8-10 hours. 

In a small bowl, stir together the corn starch and cold water to make a slurry. 

Add to the stew. Gently stir to combine.

The sauce will gradually thicken. 

Serve with corn bread, or a hearty crusty bread with lots of butter. 

Tips:

-For an extra added campfire vibe, add about a 1/2 cup of your favorite smokey BBQ sauce. If everyone isn't keen on BBQ sauce, just add a little to your bowl when serving!

-I mentioned cutting the beef cubes in half because I believe they should be bite sized. Sometimes, they leave them in such giant chunks, you can barely even fit them in your mouth! They need to be cut down.  

-Using baby potatoes and baby carrots eliminates the need for peeling and cutting. So much easier! I do like to cut the potatoes in half, though, because of that whole bite sized thing again. Plus, I like the way the look when they're cut in half!

-The amounts of beef, carrots, potatoes, and onions are up to you. I like a lot of potatoes and carrots, so I added 2 lbs of each. Plus adding more potatoes and carrots will make the meal go further! You can literally feed your entire family and only use one little pound of beef. The kids will never know!

-When choosing your brand of baked beans, just go for the basics. There are a million kinds from honey to brown sugar to maple and on and on. In this case, you don't want them to be too sweet. Just the plain original baked beans here. 

-Usually I would use fresh thyme, but in the case of something cooking over a long period of time, I think the dried is just fine. 

-Btw, one of the key ingredients is the soy sauce. You don't really taste it, but it gives you that little bit of savory umami flavor that you want in a beef stew. If you don't have soy sauce, a little Worcestershire sauce or a sprinkle of MSG will do the same thing.

-And as always, when a recipe says "add salt and pepper to taste", it really needs more salt than you think it does. A little sprinkle across the top of the pot isn't gonna cut it. I'm not saying to add a HANDFUL of salt, but you should definitely add a good 2-3 teaspoons of salt and a good teaspoon of black pepper for a whole pot of stew. Did you ever wonder why food at a fancy restaurant always tastes so good? It's because they use enough salt!!! True story.