I has been a long week. I have had the flu and after feeling super-yucky for a while, I came home after a speaking engagement on Thursday and (if I were living in a Jane Austin novel,) took to my bed.
I will announce the winners of the Husband Mini-Project on Wednesday. (I will let my super-assistant Sunnie handle the details – otherwise I will start sending out books to people randomly.)
It the meanwhile, I would love to spend this week sharing and collecting great slow cooker recipes. This is so the time of year to be dragging out the Crockpot! Plus, if you share a recipe that I love, it may be included in my upcoming book, The “What’s for Dinner?” Project.
So please, share your best slow cooker recipes with me and check back each day for something new and yummy.
Here is the first recipe from my agent Rachelle Gardner (if you are interested at all in writing, be sure to check out her award-winning blog.)
Salsa Tri-tip Sandwiches
1 bottle beer (can be non-alcoholic)
1 jar salsa (mild to hot, your choice)
2-3 lbs tri-tip roast
Sandwich rolls
Mayo
Put the tri-tip in a crock pot and cover with beer and salsa. Cook for about 6-7 hours on low. To serve, slice it thinly or shred with a fork, put on sandwich rolls with mayo. Use the extra sauce in the crock pot for dipping (as “au jus”). Easy and the whole family loves it!
If you don’t have a crock pot, you can put the meat, beer and salsa in a baking dish, cover and bake in 400 oven for about 3 hours.
This is the most versatile recipe I have ever found! I use the base (which can also be changed up) with tortillas for burritos, or cooked tortillas for tostadas, over pasta and over salads.
BASE:
6 frozen boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 Large Can Chicken Broth
1 package dry taco seasoning (can also use McCormick seasonings as a substitute. Some of my McCormick favorites; Chipotle, Tomato/Garlic/Basil, Zesty Herb)
2 tablespoons butter (not required)
TOPPINGS:
cheddar cheese (amount depends on how much your family likes cheese)
salsa
1 – 2 tomatoes (amount depends on how much your family likes them)
1/2 Onion
1 head lettuce
soft flour tortillas or cooked pasta
anything else you love on tacos or in burritos
Directions:
BASE
1. Place the frozen chicken breasts into a slow cooker, and pour in can of Chicken Broth, then fill can with water and pour in. Add package of seasoning. Cover, and cook on Low for 7 to 8 hours.
2. Once the chicken has cooked, add the butter (not required), and shred the meat finely with two forks.
TOPPINGS:
Cut tomatoes, dice onions, shred cheese and lettuce, open salsa
PRESENTATION:
You can assemble or let everyone do it for themselves. Our household this is a great DIY as we have very picky eaters mixed with very hearty eaters.
This meat (the base) is also good all by its lonesome. I have been known to place it on the plate as my protein and add vegetables next to it. Like I said earlier such an incredibly versatile crockpot creation!
This is the easiest recipe from my friend Arlean, great for families coming and going at different times and needing to eat on the fly! Makes about six burritos.
Chicken burritos a la crock pot
2 cooked chicken breasts shredded or a grocery store roasted chicken pulled off the bone.
1 can refried beans
shredded cheese
soft flour burrito shells
anything else you love in burritos
Take your cooked chicken (leftovers or the roasted grocery store chicken is great) and shred it with two forks. Place in a ziploc bag with a packet of taco seasoning.
Take some beans (cold out of the can) and spread them onto a burrito sized flour tortilla. Then place a few pieces of the shreded chicken on the tortilla. Next put whatever else you like on the burrito, rice, cheese, olives etc. and fold up. Wrap each burrito individually in foil and place in your slow cooker on low. They are crispy on the outside and warm and gooey when you get home in the evening. YUM!
This is a super easy recipe that you can throw into the crockpot in less than 5 minutes and have dinner ready. The whole family loves this recipe.
Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches
Incredients:
4 frozen boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 (17 ounce) botte Buffalo Wing Sauce, divided (I use Franks Wing Sauce)
1/2 package dry ranch dressing
2 tablespoons butter
6 french rolls
Directions:
1. Place the frozen chicken breasts into a slow cooker, and pour in 3/4 of the wing sauce and the ranch dressing mix. Cover, and cook on Low for 7 to 8 hours.
2. Once the chicken has cooked, add the butter, and shred the meat finely with two forks. Pile the meat onto the hoagie rolls, and splash with the remaining buffalo wing sauce to serve.
Awesome recipe… I’m totally going to try it. My BEST crock-pot recipe takes a bit of time in the morning, but it’s pretty much the one thing that EVERYONE requests when they come to my house, so I try to make it whenever I can.
Chile Verde
1 onion, chopped
2 lbs pork tenderloin, cubed
10 tomatillos
4 poblanos
2-4 jalapenos
6 cloves garlic
1 bunch cilantro
1 tbsp salt
2 tsp cumin
1. Rinse peppers and peel garlic. Place whole peppers and whole cloves of garlic on a jelly roll pan and pop under the broiler (500 degrees) for 10-15 mins until charred. Flip and repeat.
2. Let peppers and garlic cool for 10-15 mins, then peel charred layer off of each pepper. Take off stems and remove seeds if you don’t like things spicy.
3. Put peppers, tomatillos, garlic, cilantro, salt and cumin in the blender along with any juices left in the jelly roll pan. Blend until smooth.
4. Put pork and onion in crock pot.
5. Pour sauce over pork and onion.
6. Cook on low for 8-10 hours. Serve over brown rice with Tillamook sharp cheddar and warm, buttered tortillas.