Crock-Pot Sweet Kielbasa

I pinned this recipe months ago, finally made it about two months ago and am now getting around to posting it here. This was found at Crock-Pot Ladies. They have a wonderful variety of recipes for your crock pot. I will prob be using more of them when I change jobs. So easy and sooo yummy!!

2 lbs kielbasa sausage, cut into bite sized pieces
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 Tbsp dijon mustard
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 cloves garlic, minced

Place sausage in crock pot. Mix remaining ingredients. Pour over sausage. Heat on low for six hours. Serve and enjoy!

Sorry for the lack of pics, will add those next time I make this - I hope. Meanwhile the crock pot ladies to have a pic of the final product that you can view by clicking on the link at the top of this page.

Slow Cooked Shredded Venison on a Bun

I found this wonderful recipe HERE. It was very good and I really enjoyed it. However, if I'm in a hurry to get it in the pot, I think I will use my homemade BBQ sauce or other pre-made sauce rather than the sauce used here, just in the interest of saving time measuring and mixing. Either way it makes a great high-protein, low-fat meal!

2 lb boneless venison roast
3/4 cup ketchup
1 1/2 Tbsp brown sugar
1 1/2 Tbsp prepared mustard
1/2 Tbsp lemon juice
1/2 Tbsp soy sauce
1/2 Tbsp liquid smoke
1 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
dash of ground nutmeg
1 to 2 drops hot sauce
hamburger buns

Place roast in slow cooker. Mix together in large bowl ketchup, sugar, mustard, lemon juice, soy sauce, liquid smoke, salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce, onion pwdr, garlic pwdr, nutmeg and hot sauce. Pour over roast. Cook on low for 7 to 8 hours.

Remove roast from slow cooker, allow to cook slightly. Shred the roast using two forks.

Return to slow cooker, mix with sauce and heat through.

Serve on buns and enjoy!

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Simple Slow Cooked Taco Soup

I pinned this recipe over a year ago from A Year of Slow Cooking. It makes quite a bit, so I had put off making it when we were just two. It was sooo yummy and simple! Ready for another pot!

2 16 oz cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed
2 15 oz cans pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 14.75 oz can cream style corn, no salt added, undrained
1 15.25 oz can whole kernel corn, no salt added, undrained
1 28 oz can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 10 oz can tomatoes and green chilies, mild, undrained
1 1.5 oz packet taco seasoning, low sodium
1 .4 oz packet ranch dressing mix
1 lb lean ground beef or turkey
shredded cheese and avocado slices for topping

Gather ingredients.

Brown meat and drain off fat. Place in slow cooker. Top with both seasoning packets. Pour in beans, corn and tomatoes.

Stir. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours (high 4 to 5 hours). Serve topped with cheese and avocado.

Enjoy!

Creamy Slow Cooked Hot Cocoa

My MIL found this recipe posted on Facebook. I checked and followed it back to it's source - Creamy Crockpot Hot Cocoa @ Mrs. Happy Homemaker. It was very good and I will make it again although I don't see it being my go to recipe for hot cocoa. Two hours was longer than we normally want to wait for a warm cup of creamy, chocolaty, goodness. Maybe you and your bunch have more patience, if so you should def give this a try!

1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
6 cups milk
1 tsp vanila
1 12 pkg semi-sweet chocolate chips (if you want it even sweeter you can use milk chocolate chips)

Combine all ingredients in slow cooker.

Cover and cook on low for about two hours, stirring occasionally until heated through and chips are melted.

Serve with or without mini marshmallows and enjoy!

Pulled Pork

This pulled pork was awesome! It was a little spicy for my MIL, but not really spicy at all for the rest of us. I also like the idea that this recipe comes from Diabetic Living - BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches so it's a little healthier than most pulled pork recipes.

1 large yellow onion, cut into thin wedges
1/2 cup water
2 to 2 1/2 lb boneless pork sirloin roast
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 cup low-cal BBQ sauce (I used my homemade, not real sure if it's low-cal)
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1 Tbsp honey
1/4 tsp ground ginger

In a large slow cooker combine onions and water, set aside. Trim fat from roast and if necessary cut to fit in slow cooker. In a small bowl combine the chili powder, 1/4 tsp cumin, black pepper and garlic powder.

Sprinkle over the meat and rub in. Place meat in slow cooker with the onions. Cover and cook on low for about 8 to 9 hours or on high for about half that time.

While roast is cooking, in large bowl combine BBQ sauce, vinegar, honey, ginger and the remaining 1/4 tsp cumin; set aside.

Remove roast and onions from cooker using slotted spoon and place on platter. Using two forks shred the roast and add to bowl with sauce, tossing to coat.

Serve on buns or tortillas. Enjoy!

Shared with:

See Ya In The Gumbo - Ms. EnPlace

Thursday Favorite Things - Katherines Corner

Freedom Fridays with All My Bloggy Friends - My Turn For Us

Freedom Fridays with All My Bloggy Friends - Love Bakes Good Cakes

Slow Cooker Mexican Cheese Soup

This is one of those recipes that I have had around for years but have not made in quite a while. One of those recipes I have that are written on a little scrap of paper and stuck in a binder with zillions of other recipes that tend to get forgotten. This soup is way to good to stay forgotten though. I had to pull it out, dust it off and devour it's yummy, cheesy goodness!

1 lb processed cheese such as velveeta, cubed
1 26 oz can cream of chicken soup
1 cup cooked chicken (I've used both canned and fresh cooked chicken - either will work)
2 cups chicken broth
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 can tomatoes with green chilies such as rotel
1 16 oz pkg frozen corn

Combine all ingredients in slow cooker, stirring to combine.

Heat on low for about two hours or until cheese is completely melted and soup is heated through, stir every hour.

Serve over tortilla chips if desired and enjoy!

Shared with:

Freedom Fridays - My Turn For Us

Slow Cooker Chicken Tator Tot Casserole

I seem to falling behind on my posts and I think it is only going to get worse the rest of this week. I've had this recipe ready to post for a week now. A yummy Nacho Chowder waiting in the wings. Coming up this week is Simple Fudge, Snowman Poop and Chicken Bacon Alfredo Pizza. Of course there is also my menu plan for the week, which I will try to have ready sometime tomorrow. With family visiting, last minute shopping and just being a little bit lazy I just keep putting the blog off. Anyway, back to today's post. This was a really yummy casserole that I made for our group this last week. I found this recipe over at The Country Cook or rather I was led to it by Jamie over at Love Bakes Good Cakes when I saw it on her menu plan for the week. Everyone seemed to really enjoy it, to me it was missing something but I have yet to figure out what that was. John and I enjoyed the leftovers for breakfast and it actually seemed better the second time around. I will have to make this again just to see if I can figure out what was missing.

32 oz bag frozen tator tots
3 slices crisp cooked bacon
1 1/2 to 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast, cubed
2 cups shredded cheese, colby jack and cheddar
1 cup milk
salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder

Spray 4 qt slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray.

Layer half of the tator tots into the bottom. Top with one slice of crumbled bacon and 2/3 cup of cheese.

Layer chicken on top of tator tots. Season to taste with salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder. Top with the remaining tator tots, cheese and crumbled bacon. Season with additional onion and garlic powder if desired. Pour milk over the top.

Cook on low for about six hours. Serve and enjoy!

Oven Variation:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. After you've cooked the bacon; season the chicken with the salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder; then cook the chicken in the grease remaining in the skillet. Layer half the tator tots into the bottom of a large casserole pan. Top with one slice of the crumbled bacon and 2/3 cup of shredded cheese. Layer chicken on top of the tots. Top with the other half of the tator tots, remaining cheese and bacon. Season with additional onion and garlic powder. Poor milk over the casserole. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until tots are browned and crispy.

Serve and enjoy!

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Almost Healthy Sloppy Joes

I pinned this recipe a while back after one of my friends here at the park had to go on a fairly strict diet. At the time this recipe didn't quite fit into her diet as she was going to cut out all bread. She is back to eating bread in moderation so I decided to give this a try. It was pretty good! I guess everyone else thought so too since there was barely enough leftover for one sandwich - little to no leftovers is always a good sign! I pinned the original recipe from HERE. I doubled it and tweaked it slightly and this is what I came up with:

2 lb extra lean ground beef (I used 93/7)
2 1/3 cups frozen mixed vegetables (mine had just corn, carrots and peas)
1 2/3 cups frozen chopped green pepper
1 6oz can tomato paste
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce (low sodium)
1 1/2 tsp sea salt
2 Tbsp sriracha chili sauce
16 small hamburger buns
American cheese slices

In skillet brown ground beef.

In slow cooker combine ground beef, vegetables, green pepper, vinegar, tomato paste, worcestershire sauce, salt and chili sauce.

Cover and cook on low for four hours or on high for two hours.

Serve on buns adding cheese slices if desired. Enjoy!

**For a healthier version use tomato paste with no salt added, whole grain buns and omit the cheese.**

Slow Cooker Coffee Braised Chile Beef

Well I finally went and bought a larger slow cooker.

I have been seeing a lot of recipes I would love to do in the slow cooker for our group but there was no way my little 2 qt slow cooker was going to do the job. HEB had a nice 4 qt slow cooker on sale so I grabbed one up and immediately made this recipe, and I really do mean immediately. I hadn't been home from the store quite an hour and this Chile Beef was already in the cooker. I am so glad I came across this recipe, it was almost accidental that I did. While looking at recipes at Crock Pot King I came across a link to this recipe for Coffee Braised Chile Beef over at Stuff I Make My Husband. It sounded like the perfect recipe for our group here at the park and a great way to try out my new slow cooker! Thanks to Mamie there are actually pics of the final product, she reminded me to take them. I had to make a couple of adjustments but mostly followed the original recipe. I did not have enough garlic cloves so I used a combination of cloves and powder - 1/4 tsp garlic powder = 1 garlic clove. I used red pepper in place of chipotle powder and did not add water to the rub to make it a paste, instead I used it as a dry rub. Here is how it came out with the adjustments:

1 large red onion, sliced thick
4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 tsp garlic powder
4 tsp cocoa powder
1/3 cup chili powder
2 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground red pepper
1 tsp sea salt
beef roast (I used two bottom round rump roasts at about two pounds each)
1 1/2 cups strong brewed coffee
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

Place onion slices in bottom of slow cooker. Combine garlic (cloves and powder), cocoa, chili powder, oregano, cinnamon, cumin, red pepper and salt.

Rub onto all sides of roast (or roasts). Place roast on top of the onion slices. Combine the coffee and balsamic vinegar.

Pour over roast. Cook on low for six to eight hours.

 Remove from cooker and shred using two forks. Return shredded beef to cooker and cook in sauce for an additional 30 minutes.

Serve on tortillas with your favorite taco toppings and enjoy!

Shared with:

Chopped BBQ Chicken on a Bun

This is the second time we have tried this but I never got around to posting it the first time. It is VERY easy, few ingredients and yummy! It made just enough for three large sandwiches, perfect for the two of us. The idea for this recipe came from The Mommyhood Chronicles recipe for Easy & Tasty BBQ Chicken Crock Pot Sandwiches. I adjusted it only slightly, preferring fresh onion to onion cooked with the chicken and added cheese. This is a definite keeper for us!

1 large boneless skinless chicken breast
bbq sauce
red onion
3 slices american cheese
3 large hamburger buns

Place chicken in crock pot.

Cover with BBQ sauce. Cook on low for about six hours.

Remove chicken from crock pot, shred using two forks. Return to crock pot and mix with sauce.

Serve on buns with slices of red onion and cheese. Enjoy!

Shared with:

Crispy Chicken Tacos - Super Simple

I saw this recipe for Two-Ingredient Chicken Tacos over at Kitchen Meets Girl about a month ago. It sounded sooo simple I knew I had to try it! We loved these tacos!! I will be making these again and again and again!!

1 - 1 1/2 lbs chicken breast
1/2 of a 16 oz jar of your favorite salsa
your favorite taco toppings (we used lettuce, cheese and sour cream; next time I'm adding guacamole or avocado)
crispy taco shells

Place chicken in bottom of crock pot.

Pour salsa over the chicken. Cook on low for 3 - 4 hours. Shred chicken.

Serve on taco shells with all your favorite toppings. Add a yummy side, like these Bacon-Wrapped, Cream Cheese-Stuffed Jalapenos and enjoy! Warning: These are very juicy, so have a napkin ready!

Shared with:

Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Participating in a brand new linky, Freedom Fridays, hosted by Evelyn  over at My Turn (for Us). You will find a little bit of something for everyone linked up here - crafts, recipes, tutorials, giveaways and more. I found this recipe for Spicy Pulled Pork through an email I receive with recipes from Better Homes and Gardens. I didn't think it was at all spicy but it was yummy and the hubby loved it! So that makes it a keeper in my book!

1 1/2 lb pork roast

1 medium red onion

salt and pepper

1 1/4 cup spicy bbq sauce

3/4 cup cola

small hamburger buns

Cut onion into wedges and place in bottom of a 2 quart crock-pot. Trim fat from pork roast and season to taste with salt and pepper. Place on top of the onions in crock-pot. Mix together bbq sauce and cola, pour over roast. Cook on low for about 8 hours. 

Remove roast and pull apart using two forks. 

Return roast to crock-pot, stirring to coat completely with the sauce. Serve on hamburger buns and enjoy!

We had these with BBQ chips and sriracha dip - definitely spicy!

Sriracha Dip

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup sour cream

2 Tbsp sriracha hot chili sauce

Mix together all ingredients until well combined. Serve and enjoy.

Crockpot Buffalo Chicken

When I bought my crockpot about a month ago I went in search for crockpot recipes. This is one of the recipes I found on pinterest and re-pinned. We loved it! Good thing because it made a LOT, at least a lot for two people. We had enough leftovers to have this a second time, very soon. Possibly a third time using her suggestion to serve it as a dip by adding it to melted velveeta - yum! You can find the original post along with other serving suggestions here at My Kitchen Apron.

1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts, frozen
1 cup Louisiana wing sauce, original
4 tsp ranch dip mix
1 Tbsp butter

Place frozen chicken breasts in two quart crockpot. Pour sauce on top of chicken then sprinkle with ranch dip mix. Cook on low for six to eight hours.

Remove chicken from crockpot and using two forks shred chicken. If chicken does not shred easily it needs to cook a little longer.

Return shredded chicken to sauce and add butter. Continue cooking for one hour.

Serve on hamburger buns and enjoy!

Shared this over at:



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