Crock Pot Beef and Noodles

I couldn't hardly believe it when I logged on and realized it's been four months since I last posted a new recipe on here!  I've been pretty busy lately with the holidays, my daughter's birthday, and my burgeoning career as an author.  I have 8 books out now!  Planning new meals has taken a backseat, so I haven't even made anything new lately, let alone anything that was worth blogging about.

The other day, I found a bag of frozen noodles at Wally World, and they looked intriguing.  I picked them up, figuring I'd find a use for them eventually.  A quick Pinterest search led me to a beef and noodles recipe that sounded yummy, so I decided to give it a try tonight.  So glad I did!

I threw this together in minutes on my lunch break and finished it off while I set the table and made a salad after work.  I tried it out on my bestie (my second favorite guinea pig after my husband), and she and everyone else thought it was great!  Plus, there were enough leftovers to share.  She was pretty happy about that.

Crockpot Beef and Noodles

Prep time: 5 min  Cook time:6-8 hrs
Serves 8

2 lbs of beef roast or beef tips
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can golden mushroom soup
1 packet Au Jus Gravy mix
1 packet beefy onion soup mix
4 cups water
1 (16 oz) bag frozen egg noodles
1 Tbs of Kitchen Bouquet Browning & Seasoning Sauce (optional)
1 large can sliced mushrooms, drained (optional)

Spray, oil or butter your slow cooker insert.
Dice up the meat, season with salt and pepper, and toss it in the slow cooker. (If you have the time, you can give the meat a quick sear in a bit of oil in skillet first, just to up the meaty flavor, but this isn't essential)
Mix your canned soups, onion soup mix and au jus mix with 4 cups of water. Pour over the beef tips.  Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.
60 minutes before serving, turn the crockpot to high.  Add the seasoning sauce, mushrooms, and noodles. Stir and squish down the noodles so they're under the liquid.
Cover and cook on high for 60 more minutes.

542 calories per serving.  Click here for more nutritional info and shopping list!

Crock Pot Corn Casserole

My best friend has this really great corn casserole recipe. It's sweet and creamy and very corny (I mean that in a good way--unlike my husband's sense of humor!) The only problem is that it has to bake for a long time. It's totally worth it, but still, I don't have that kind of patience when I come home from work hungry and cranky.

So I found this recipe on Pinterest the other day for Crock Pot corn casserole, and the ingredient list was pretty much identical to my friend Melissa's.  Of course, I had to give it a try, and it was awesome! It had the same crispy exterior, creamy interior and corny sweetness, but I can throw it together on my lunch break and it's ready when I get home!

Crock Pot Corn Casserole

Prep time: 5 min  Cook time:2-4 hrs
Serves 8

8 oz cream cheese, softened
2 eggs, beaten
½ cup sugar
8 ½ oz corn muffin mix
2 ½ cups frozen corn
1 can (16 oz) creamed corn
1 cup milk
2 Tbsp butter, melted
1 tsp seasoned salt
¼ tsp nutmeg

Grease a slow cooker or line it with a liner.

In a bowl, stir together cream cheese, eggs and sugar. Add in remaining ingredients and mix well.

Pour into slow cooker and cook on high for 2 hours or low for 3-4 hours.

Tip: If you need to be away from your slow cooker for longer than this takes, put your Crock Pot on a timer! I assembled this at 1pm and set the timer to start at 3 so it would be ready around 5.  It worked out perfectly!

417 calories per serving.  Click here for more nutritional info and shopping list!

Crock-Pot Sticky Chicken

Today I had the day off work as the start of my Christmas break. My vacation activities included a doctor's appointment, picking up my child from swim practice and taking her to her friend's house, a two-hour drive to get my brother-in-law from the airport and take him to his mother's, a trip to Aldi and a full cart of groceries to buy and put away, three days' worth of dishes to wash, the whole house to vacuum, and supper to make. How relaxing!

As you can imagine, when it was time to make dinner I was awfully glad I had a Crock-Pot meal planned. This one was as easy as most slow cooker meals, but tasted even better thanks to the final few minutes of oven-broiling that turned the sauce into a sweet, crispy crust.  The thighs were great, but I'm sure any type of chicken you like would be fine.
  

Crock -Pot Sticky Chicken

Prep time: 5 min  Cook time: 4 hrs

Serves 6

3 lbs chicken thigh

3/4 cup brown sugar, divided

1/4 cup soy sauce, divided

1 tsp ground ginger

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tsp cayenne

1/4 cup tomato paste

1/4 cup water

Combine 1/4 cup brown sugar, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, ginger, and garlic in the slow cooker. Add chicken and stir to coat evenly. Cook chicken for 4 hours on low or until done. 

Meanwhile, combine remaining 1/2 cup brown sugar, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, water, and tomato paste to create the sauce. When chicken is done, place on a lined cookie sheet and brush all sides with sauce.

 Broil in the oven for about 5 minutes or until desired crispness.  

403 calories per serving.  Click here for more nutritional info and shopping list! 

Cheesy Sausage Pot

You know what happens when you put a whole bunch of yummy things in a Crock-Pot and let 'em simmer together for a half a day?  You get a super yummy supper, that's what!  The magic ingredient in this dish is definitely the smoked sausage, but it's the Crock-Pot that turns it into something truly magical.  Slow cooking causes the delectable flavor of the sausage to permeate all the other ingredients, turning plain potatoes and vegetables into a creamy, smoky pot of deliciousness.  This turned out quite saucy, so I served it with some crusty dinner rolls to sop up the extra because I didn't want to waste a drop.

Crock-Pot Cheesy Sausage Pot
Prep time: 5 min  Cook time: 6 hrs
Serves 6

1 (16 oz) bag frozen mixed vegetables
3 large potatoes, diced
2 (14 oz) pkgs smoked sausage, sliced 1/4 in thick
1 (10 oz) can cheddar cheese soup
1 (10 oz) can cream of celery soup
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Mix all ingredients together and pour into the slow cooker. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

760 calories per serving.  Click here for more nutritional info and shopping list!

Good-anoff for Company

We've got company in town this week, my husband's aunt and uncle, and although they are staying with my mother-in-law I felt the need to take a turn feeding them.  Unfortunately, their visit just happened to coincide with the one day my bosses decided to double up on the schedule, creating the busiest workday I've ever had!  Let me tell you, I have never been happier to have a great Crock-Pot meal up my sleeve!  Beef stroganoff sounds fancy enough to impress even the most important company, but this recipe was so easy it didn't take an ounce of extra effort from me.  In fact, I even had enough energy left to blog about it!  I've tried a dozen different stroganoff recipes, but this one is so simple and tasty, it beats them all.

Crock-Pot Beef Stroganoff
Prep time: 5 mn Cook time: 8 hrs
Serves 6

1 lb stew beef chunks
1 (10.5 oz) can cream of mushroom soup
1 (1 oz) envelope onion soup mix
8 oz sliced mushrooms (fresh or canned)
8 oz sour cream
6 oz egg noodles, prepared

Spray slow cooker with cooking spray and add beef, soup, soup mix, and mushrooms.  Cook on low for 6-8 hours till beef is tender.  Stir in sour cream and prepared noodles. 

338 calories per serving.  Click here for more nutritional info and shopping list!

Ranch-tastic

Have you ever noticed that no matter how much time you have, you always have plenty of chores to fill it all?  I'm a working wife and mother, I'm involved in 4 different ministries at my church, I'm a homeowner, a pet owner, and a blogger, and yet, somehow I manage to get it all done everyday, without having an anxiety attack.  So you'd think that when I get lucky enough to have a few extra hours off work they would be gloriously empty and full of me-time potential.  Yeah, right!

Somehow they always manage to get filled up before I can even think about using them for personal pleasure.  Orthodontist appointments, doctor appointments, pharmacy pick-ups, important phone calls, and a million little errands always seem to eat up every extra minute.  I don't even bother trying to plan some extravagant dinner on those bonus days because I know I won't have an extra minute to make anything time-consuming.  A lot of times, I just throw something in the Crock-Pot and skip "making dinner" altogether!

Today was one of those busy days and what did I do to add even more to my plate?  I invited friends over for dinner on impulse!  What on earth would possess me to do such a thing?

Dinner confidence, that's what.  I knew I had a winner simmering away in my Crock-Pot and all I'd have to do is serve it up and rake in the compliments.  Then I was "free" to spend the rest of the evening relaxing with my besties...planning a baby shower for 60 of their closest friends!

Ranch Chops 'n Gravy
Prep time: 5 min  Cook time: 4 hrs
serves 6

6 pork chops, 1/2 inch thick
1 (1 oz) packet ranch dressing powder
1 (10 oz) can cream of chicken soup
1 Tbs parsley flakes

Place pork chops, ranch powder, and soup into a medium-sized Crock-Pot and cook on high heat for 4 hours or low heat for 6 hours.  Sprinkle with parsley flakes.  This is great served over mashed potatoes!

404 calories per serving.  Click here for more nutritional info and shopping list!

A Mouthful of Mmmm

Sometimes, a girl just needs a break from the kitchen. Organized mama that I am, I tend to plan my breaks well in advance--like last night, for instance. I get home from work around 5:15 on a good day, and yesterday we had to be at Rachel's school by 6pm for a back-to-school orientation meeting that could last till 9 for all I knew.  Practically no time to even eat, let alone cook a meal. So I wrote "grab fast food on the way" on my menu and expected to scarf down burgers and fries in the car.

We don't go out to eat a lot, but more than my frugal husband would like, so I should have known he'd have something to say about this grand plan, especially since we just went out to eat like, a month ago and all! Sure enough, he says, "Can't you make a Crock-Pot meal or something?"

Sigh.

"I suppose," I say, dreaming of a nice, juicy McDouble. So, instead of making a run for the golden arches, I scoured my Pinterest Crock-Pot page looking for a recipe I could make without having to go to the store again.

Cans of corn, beans, and tomatoes? Check, check, and check. Cream cheese? You betcha. Boneless skinless chicken breasts? Always. I tell ya, it pays to keep your pantry stocked with the basics! Even better, Allen just happened to bring home a bag of Fritos the other day, and I knew they'd add the perfect touch of crunchiness at the end.

So I tossed it all in the slow cooker and came home that night to a gorgeous bowl of yumminess. I didn't miss the drive-thru even a little bit. Crock-Pot Cream Cheese Chicken Chili is the original name of this recipe, but that is one humdinger of a name, so I prefer to just call it a mouthful of mmmm.

Crock-Pot Cream Cheese Chicken Chili 
Prep time: 5 min  Cook time: 5-8 hrs
Serves 5

2-3 chicken breasts, still frozen
1 (10 oz) can tomatoes with green chilies
1 (15 oz) can corn kernels, undrained
1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (1 oz) pkg. Ranch dressing mix
1 Tbs cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 (8 oz) pkg. cream cheese, cubed

Serve over rice and topped with Fritos and chopped fresh cilantro, if desired. (And, yes, my cilantro plant is still alive and kicking!)

Pour all ingredients (except rice and Fritos) into Crock-Pot and cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-8 hours.

427 calories per serving.  Click here for shopping list and nutritional info!

Ready for Tamale

If you've read much of my blog, you know how I feel about my Crock-Pot.  It's pretty much true love.  I mean, what's NOT to love?  It takes up very little space, it makes delicious meals with little effort from me, it's easy to clean, and I can leave it unsupervised for hours at a time without worrying about it!  About the only thing easier than a Crock-Pot meal (besides going out to dinner!) is a Crock-Pot meal that you can prepare a day in advance.  I'm not much of a morning person, so sometimes getting up early enough to fill the slow cooker before leaving for work in the morning is just too taxing to contemplate.  I know, I know, it only takes a couple minutes, but my pillow is a jealous mistress!
This recipe is great because I was able to put everything in the pot the night before, so all I had to do in the morning was turn it on.  Now, because I work till 5 every night, I don't want to wait very long for dinner to bake when I get home - I'm hungry!  This recipe calls for another hour of cooking after the cornbread mix is added in at the end, but I didn't want to wait that long for it, so I just baked the cornbread separately the day before and served the Crock-Pot mixture on top of it.  That worked great, but if time permits next time, I will follow the original directions because that will save the extra work of prepping the cornbread ahead.  Either way, it's delicious, and easy, and if you prepare it tonight you'll get to enjoy it tamale!
P.S. I don't know why this is called Tamale Pie, because it has very little in common with a tamale or a pie, but that's what the original source called it, so I'm stickin' with it! 

Crock-Pot Tamale Pie
link to original recipe
Prep time: 15 min  Cook time: 6 hrs
Serves 6

1 lb ground beef

1 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp chili powder

1/4 tsp pepper

1 can (15 oz) black beans, rinsed and drained

1 can (14-1/2 oz) diced tomatoes with mild green chilies, undrained

1 can (11 oz) whole kernel corn, drained

1 can (10 oz) enchilada sauce

2 green onions, chopped

1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro

1 package (8-1/2 oz) corn bread/muffin mix (I used Jiffy brand)

2 eggs

1 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend

In a large skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Stir in the cumin, salt, chili powder and pepper.

Transfer to a slow cooker; stir in the beans, tomatoes, corn, enchilada sauce, onions and cilantro. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or until heated through.

In a small bowl, combine muffin mix and eggs; spoon over meat mixture. Cover and cook 1 hour longer or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.

Sprinkle with cheese; cover and let stand for 5 minutes. Serve with sour cream and additional cilantro if desired.

471 calories per serving.  Click here for more nutritional info and shopping list!

 

Chicken 'n Dumplings Dump-In

I love comfort food.  Anything that Grandma used to make gets me all warm and fuzzy inside.  The only problem is, Grandma's recipes always took forever to make because she had nothing better to do than spend hours in the kitchen creating delicious food for her loved ones.  Not that we don't all love our families just as much as Grandma did, but I ain't got time fo' dat!  This is how I imagine my hillbilly grandma probably talked; in reality, my grandmas both died before I was born, so I didn't even have the chance to ask them how they made their favorite comfort food dishes.  I've had to figure it all out on my own, and here's what I've figured out....the most comforting dishes are the ones that don't take half my night to make!  This recipe is a perfect combination of quick and comforting.  I think Grandma would be proud. 

Crock-Pot Chicken n' Dumplings
Prep time: 5 min  Cook time: 7 hrs
Serves 6

4-6 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 cups frozen mixed vegetables 

1 onion, diced 

2 tablespoons butter

2 (10 oz) cans cream of chicken soup

1 14 oz. can chicken broth

1 tablespoon dried parsley 
1 can refrigerator biscuits, cubed

3 cups mashed potatoes, if desired


Spray Crock-Pot with cooking spray.  Add all ingredients except biscuits.  Cook on high for 4-6 hours or low for 8 hours.

Break up chicken into smaller chunks.  Stir in biscuit pieces and cook for 30 more minutes.  Add more chicken broth to thin down, if desired.

This is great by itself, but even better served over mashed potatoes!  

300 calories per serving.  Click here for more nutritional info and shopping list! 

Bork! Bork! Bork!

I have to admit, I know almost nothing about Sweden.  I know they like lingonberries, and low cost, sleek-lined, assembly-required furniture, and they have a fish-shaped candy and a meatball named after them.  I'm not entirely sure if they actually eat Swedish meatballs in Sweden, but they serve them at Ikea, which is where I attained most of my meager knowledge about the Swedish people.  There, and from watching the Swedish Chef on the Muppet Show.  But I'm not sure his portrayal is entirely accurate, either.  That being said, I greatly appreciate a tasty meatball, authentic Swedish cuisine or not, and this recipe is tasty, indeed.  As the Swedish Chef would say, "Bork! Bork! Bork! You betcha!"

Slow Cooker Swedish Meatballs
link to original recipe 
Prep time: 30 min  Cook time: 4 hrs
Serves 8

4 slices white bread
2 lbs lean ground beef

4 egg yolks

4 Tbs chopped fresh parsley 
1 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp mustard powder 
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 Tbs dried onion flakes
1 tsp salt

(you can use a big bag of frozen Italian meatballs instead, to save time)

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

2 (10 1/2 oz) cans French onion soup

1/2 cup sour cream

2 Tbs Worcestershire sauce

16 oz cooked egg noodles, if desired

In a large bowl, combine bread with 1/2 cup water; let stand until absorbed (about 2 minutes). Stir in beef, yolks, 2 tablespoons parsley, onion, salt, mustard, ginger, garlic, and pepper. With wet hands, roll heaping tablespoonfuls of meat mixture into balls, about 60. Place in Crock-Pot.

In a small bowl, mix together soup and flour; pour over meatballs.

Cook on high until cooked through (about 4 hours.) Stir in sour cream and Worcestershire sauce. Serve over egg noodles and sprinkle with remaining parsley.

(Note: I doubled the sauce ingredients from the original recipe because I like to have extra sauce to serve over the noodles.  Feel free to half the soup, sour cream, and Worcestershire sauce if you only want sauce on the meatballs.)  

469 calories per serving.  Click here for more nutritional info and shopping list!

French Dip-licious

After what I considered a long, cold winter, spring has finally arrived here in North Carolina!  Actually, we pretty much skipped spring and went straight from winter to summer, seeing how last week it was in the 40's and this week it's in the 80's, but I'm a heat lover, so that's just fine with me.

Spring time always puts me in the mood to freshen up my home, and, since I just celebrated my 37th 29th birthday, I'm also feeling the need to treat myself to some retail therapy.  So, I decided to redecorate my great room with a fresh new color scheme.  Between cleaning the house and shopping for accessories, I haven't had a lot of time left over to do pesky chores like cook a proper supper every night!

While I could happily survive on cold cereal and frozen pizzas, my husband and child have come to expect some sort of balanced meal on the table, so what's a busy girl to do?  Throw some stuff in the Crock-Pot and come home to a ready-to-eat supper, that's what!

This recipe makes a hearty, flavorful sandwich that keeps my man happy and requires very little prep time for me, which means I have time to go to the mall, and the hubs will be so satisfied, he won't even notice.


Slow Cooker French Dip Sandwiches 

Prep time: 5 min  Cook time: 7 hrs
Serves 6

3 1/2 lbs beef chuck roast
14 oz beef broth
1 10.5 oz can French onion soup
6 oz red wine (or more broth)
1 tsp garlic powder
salt and pepper, to taste
4-6 French rolls
sliced provolone cheese, optional

Trim excess fat off of beef roast and season meat all over with salt and pepper.

Pour beef broth, condensed French onion soup, red wine and garlic powder into slow cooker and place beef roast into liquid. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Take beef out and rest it, covered with aluminum foil, for about 15 minutes. Slice beef and return to slow cooker on low for 30 minutes.

Lightly toast the bread and evenly distribute cheese between rolls, if using. Divide beef onto rolls and spoon the au jus (leftover roasting juices) into small bowls. Serve each sandwich with a bowl of au jus for dipping.

Slow Cooker Beef Stew

Today was a ladies' brunch day at my church, and like usual, I was responsible for making oodles of delicious edibles for the lovely ladies of Word of Life Family Church.  Also as usual, I wanted to do this as quickly and easily as possible because set up and clean up for these events is enough work for one day, especially a Saturday!

Enter the ever useful Crock Pot. I mean, seriously, why spend all day stirring a simmering pot of stew on the stove, when you can just dump the stuff in the Crock Pot and come back a few hours later to a perfectly cooked meal? Unlike most of my favorite slow cooker meals, this one does require you to spend a few minutes browning the meat before you add it to the pot, but the extra flavor is totally worth it. Thank you Maillard Reaction! So, if you didn't get the pleasure of trying this dish at today's Girlfriends Brunch, do yourself a favor and make it at home. There's nothin' to it!

Slow Cooker Beef Stew
Prep time: 15 min  Cook time: 6 hrs
Serves 8
 
1 1/2 lbs stew beef
32 oz. frozen stew vegetables
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can tomato soup
1 envelope onion soup mix

In a large skillet, fry beef in a little oil till nicely browned.  Put beef and veggies in slow cooker.  Combine all other ingredients and pour into slow cooker.  Stir well.  Cook on low for 6-7 hours.