Slow Cooker Mexican Shredded Beef

1 4lb chuck roast
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 lg onion, chopped
2 4-oz cans diced green chiles
1 tsp chili powder
dash of chipotle chili powder
1/4 C hot pepper sauce
1 tsp garlic powder

Trim the roast of any excess fat and season with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium-high head. Place meat in hot skillet and brown quickly on all sides. Transfer the roast to a slow cooker and sprinkle onion over meat. Season with chile peppers, chili powder, chipotle chili powder, hot pepper sauce and garlic powder. Add enough water (or beef broth) to cover 1/3 of the roast. Cover and cook on high for 6 hours, checking to make sure there is always at least a small amount of liquid in the bottom. Reduce heat to low and continue cooking for 2-4 hours, or until meat is totally tender and falls apart. Shred.

(Stephanie Zollinger)

Sweet Cafe Rio Pork

Sooo good - from Jamie Cooks it Up! Serve with Cilantro Lime Rice and Cilantro Lime Dressing. You won't be disappointed!

Time: 5-8 hours slow cooking
Yield: 8 servings

1 3 lb pork loin roast (be sure the roast is completely thawed)
1 16 oz jar salsa (2 C salsa)
1 can green chilies
½ C brown sugar
1 can black beans, undrained

Tortillas
Cheese
Lettuce
Tomato
Onions
Guacamole
Sour Cream
Cilantro Lime Rice
Cilantro Lime Dressing

1. In the bottom of a large crock pot mix salsa, green chilies, brown sugar, and black beans.
2. Add the pork roast and cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 7 hours.
3. Take the meat out of the Crockpot and shred it up with a fork.
4. Return meat to the Crockpot and cook 1 more hour.
5. Serve on tortillas with your choice of toppings.

Neil's Sausage and Veggie Food

Here's a similar recipe to Neil's Veggie Chowder that he made up a while ago. It was really good too - if it's the one I'm remembering.

1 can vegetable broth
1 can mixed vegetables
1 cup instant rice
any kind of hillshire farm sausage/kielbasa - whatever you want.

Brown sausage first (if you want), combine everything and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 12 minutes. It's good with corn bread.

Neil's Sausage Chowder

Neil put this recipe together. Super simple and quick and not half bad! ;)


1 can Cream of Chicken soup
1/2 can of water
1 cup instant rice
about 3/4 can of corn - so it's about even proportions to everything else
cut up chicken smoke wood hillshire farms sausage (it's in a pkg, long and skinny and is folded around in a U shape.)


He didn't brown the sausage, but we've had other recipes that are similar where you do brown it first, then add everything and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 12 minutes.

Slow-Cooker Lasagna - from Kraft

This is what's on the menu for today! :) Hopefully it's good! (I'll update this and let you know) Don't miss out on the Kraft Kitchen Tips at the end... especially the 2nd one, they make me laugh!

UPDATE: This is a super delicious recipe! It's quick and easy to put together, and the flavor is really good. It's not bland at all, and is a good mix of meat and cheese and pasta. It was a big hit with us tonight. For our little family of four, we ate about half of it and put the rest in the freezer for another day. I was really impressed with this recipe! :)

 

 

Slow-Cooker Lasagna

avg rating

   (274)

total time

4 hr 15 min

prep

15 min

servings

8 servings

what you need

1 lb. ground beef 

1 jar  (24 oz.) spaghetti sauce

1 cup water

1 container  (15 oz.) POLLY-O Original Ricotta Cheese

1 pkg. (7 oz.) KRAFT 2% Milk Shredded Mozzarella Cheese, divided

1/4 cup  KRAFT Grated Parmesan Cheese, divided

1 egg

2 Tbsp.  chopped fresh parsley

6 lasagna noodles, uncooked

make it

BROWN meat in large skillet; drain. Stir in spaghetti sauce and water. Mix ricotta, 1-1/2 cups mozzarella, 2 Tbsp. Parmesan, egg and parsley.

SPOON 1 cup meat sauce into slow cooker; top with layers of half each of the noodles, broken to fit; and cheese mixture. Cover with 2 cups meat sauce. Top with remaining noodles, broken to fit; cheese mixture and meat sauce. Cover with lid.

COOK on LOW 4 to 6 hours or until liquid is absorbed. Sprinkle with remaining cheeses; let stand, covered, 10 min. or until melted.

* Made with quality cheeses crafted in the USA. Ziploc® Brand is a registered trademark of S.C. Johnson and Son, Inc. All rights reserved.

kraft kitchens tips

HEALTHY LIVING

Save 4g of fat per serving by preparing with lean ground beef, POLLY-O Skim Ricotta Cheese and KRAFT Reduced Fat Parmesan Style Grated Topping.

STORING LEFTOVERS

Leftovers will be just as tasty tomorrow if you store them in Ziploc® Brand Slider Bags with the Smart Zip™ Seal.

NOTE

Recipe was successfully tested in 4-, 5- and 6-qt. slow cookers. For best results, do not cook on the HIGH heat setting.

Brisket in a Bag

We had this last night and it was delish.

3 T all-purpose flour, divided
1 oven roasting bag (17 1/2 by 16 in)
1 fresh beef brisket (2 lbs), trimmed
1 can (16 oz) whole-berry cranberry sauce
1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce
1 envelope dry onion soup mix

Place 1 T flour in the roasting bag, shake to coat. Place bag in an ungreased 9x13 baking pan and place brisket in bag.

Combine cranberry sauce, soup, tomato sauce, soup mix and remaining flour. Pour over beef. Seal bag with tie that comes with bag and cut slits according to package directions.

Bake at 325 for 1 1/2 to 3 hours or until meat is tender (they cooked at 250 for about 5 hours). Let stand 5 minutes. Carefully remove brisket from bag. Pour gravy into a serving bowl. Thinly slice meat across the grain. Was served with mashed potatoes - topping both the meat and potatoes with the gravy. Shredded brisket would also be yummy on a hamburger bun.

Chicken-Prosciutto Bundles

Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 15 mins
Ready in: 30 mins

Ingredients
4 chicken breasts
8 leaves fresh basil
4 slices mozzarella cheese, 1/4 inch thick
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
8 slices prosciutto
1 T olive oil

Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place chicken on cutting board. Holding sharp knife horizontal to board, cut a 3-inch deep pocket lengthwise int eh thick side of each breast.

Place 2 basil leaves on each slice of mozzarella, then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Stuff each breast pocket with a cheese bundle. Wrap 2 slices prosciutto around each breast, anchoring with toothpicks.

Heat oil in large oven-proof nonstick skillet over medium-high. Add chicken and cook about 3 minutes on each side or until browned. Transfer chicken in skillet to oven; bake 12 mins or until done (internal temp 170 deg).

Serving suggestion: serve with pasta primavera and freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

Carol's Sloppy Joe's

The best sloppy joe mix! The original recipe that I got was for 40-50 people, so modify accordingly. The numbers in parenthesis are the amounts I use when making a smaller batch - even though they aren't exactly the same proportions. If not making it for a big group it freezes really well (freeze portion sizes separately, then it's easy to just pull one out), and is also a delicious topping on baked potatoes.

10 lb hamburger (2lb)
2 onions (1 small)
2 green pepper (1 small)
6 C catsup (1C)
6 tomato paste (1)
2-3 T Worcestershire Sauce (3/4 T)
1-2 t sage (1/2 t)
2 t oregano (1/2 t)
2-4 BBQ mix packets (I just use BBQ sauce)
Au Jus
5 T brown sugar (1 T)

Cook hamburger with onions and green peppers. Mix in remaining ingredients, heat through, and serve.

Meatball Subs

(from Suzy)

36 meatballs (can cut them in half)
2 C mozzarella cheese
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
1 Tbs minced garlic
1 jar marinara sauce
6 sub rolls
butter or margarine

Put meatballs, onion, garlic and marinara sauce in crock pot for 6 hours on low or until sauce is bubbly. Cut rolls in half and spread with butter and sprinkle with 1/2 of the cheese and broil until golden brown. Add meat mixture (6 whole meatballs per sub) and top with remaining cheese.

Baked Orange Chicken

(from Suzy)

4-6 chicken breasts
1/4 C butter
orange sauce (recipe below)
1 Tbs cold water
1 tsp cornstarch
cooked rice

orange sauce:
1/4 C honey
1/4 C orange juice concentrate
2 Tbs lemon juice
1 Tbs mustard
1 tsp salt
1 tsp curry powder

Preheat oven to 375. Melt butter in 9 x 13 baking dish, then add chicken. Combine orange sauce ingredients and mix well, and pour over the chicken. Bake 30 mins, then turn breasts and bake 30 mins more.

Remove chicken and put sauce in saucepan. Mix 1 water and cornstarch and add to sauce. Bring to boil for 1-2 minutes to thicken. Serve over rice and chicken. A little sauce goes a long way so drench lightly!

Hawaiian Chicken

(from Suzy)

6 boneless skinless chicken pieces
1 pkg dry onion soup mix
1 C pineapple apricot jam
1 C Russian salad dressing

Arrange chicken in greased baking dish. Combine remaining ingredients and pour over chicken. Bake 45 mins at 350. Serve with rice.

(This may be frozen in freezer bag prior to baking. To serve, thaw and pour into greased baking dish. Bake uncovered at 350 for 1 hour. Or it can be frozen after cooking and then heated to serve.)

Smothered Chicken

(from Suzy)

Honey Mustard Marinade
1/2 C Dijon mustard
1/2 C honey
1 1/2 tsp vegetable oil
1/2 tsp lemon juice

Chicken
4-5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 Tbs vegetable oil
2 C slices mushrooms
2 Tbs butter
salt and pepper
5-10 slices bacon, cooked
2 C shredded Colby jack cheese
2 tsp finely chopped parsley

Using an electric mixer, combine marinade ingredients in small bowl. Whip mixture for about 1 minute. Place chicken in gallon-size ziplock baggie and pour about 2/3 of marinade over the chicken and marinade in the refrigerator for about 2 hours. Chill the remainder of marinade until later.

While chicken is marinading, cook bacon and saute the sliced mushrooms in 2 T butter.

Heat frying pan over medium heat with 1 Tbs of oil. Sear chicken in pan for about 4 mins per side or until golden brown.

Evenly coat the bottom of the baking dish with a portion of the set-aside marinade. Remove chicken from frying pan and place into baking dish and brush top side with marinade, then season with salt and pepper. Stack 1-2 pieces of bacon on each chicken breast. Spoon the sauteed mushrooms on the bacon evenly. Top with cheese and parsley. Serve with any remaining marinade.

Bake at 375 for 30 mins or until cooked and cheese is melted.

Salsa Chicken Tacos

(from Suzy)

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
24 oz jar salsa
8 oz pkg cream cheese
1 pkg tortillas

optional toppings:
lettuce
tomato
olives
etc.

Cook chicken and salsa in slow cooker on high for 3 hours. Shred chicken and add cream cheese. Cook until cream cheese is melted. Place mixture on tortillas with toppings of your choice, roll, and enjoy. Yum!!

For a low-carb choice it can be served over lettuce and black beans in a salad.

Can be frozen after cooked for later eating.

Spiced Chicken with Tangerine Sauce

Spiced Chicken with Tangerine Sauce

The tangerines, which soak up the savory juices, are a wonderful complement to the cumin-crusted chicken.

2 tablespoons ground cumin
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon lower-sodium chicken
broth, divided
1/2 cup tangerine juice
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons chopped jalapeño chile
2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 tangerines, peeled, broken into segments
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup chopped cilantro

1. Sprinkle cumin over chicken, coating both sides well. Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Cook chicken 4 minutes or until browned, turning once. Remove chicken.

2. Increase heat to high. Add 1 cup of the broth to skillet; boil 1 minute to reduce slightly. Whisk in tangerine juice, mustard and chile.

3. Return chicken to skillet; cover and gently simmer 5 to 8 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink in center, turning once. Remove chicken; cover loosely with foil.

4. Whisk remaining 1 tablespoon broth and cornstarch in small bowl until smooth; whisk into sauce in skillet. Bring to a boil; cook until thickened. Add tangerine segments; cook briefly to warm. Stir in salt and pepper. Serve sauce over chicken; sprinkle with cilantro.

4 servings

PER SERVING: 235 calories, 8 g total fat (1.5 g saturated fat), 28.5 g protein, 12 g carbohydrate, 65 mg cholesterol, 325 mg sodium, 2 g fiber

Pan-Seared Mustard-Peppercorn Steak with Mushroom Sauce

Pan-Seared Mustard-Peppercorn Steak with Mushroom Sauce

Any tender beefsteak can be used in this recipe. For the best flavor and most mustard coating per bite, the steaks should be no less than 3/4 inch thick. Jars containing a mixture of green, black and white peppercorns are available in the spice section of many markets.

1 oz. dried porcini or shiitake mushrooms
(about 1 cup)
2 teaspoons multicolored peppercorns
2 teaspoons whole mustard seeds
3/4 teaspoon coarse salt, divided
4 boneless New York strip steaks (3/4 inch
thick)*
3 tablespoons butter, divided
1/4 cup chopped shallots
1/4 cup red wine or mushroom soaking liquid
1 tablespoon coarse-grain Dijon mustard

1. Place mushrooms in small bowl with enough boiling water to cover; let stand 20 to 30 minutes or until softened. Drain well, reserving 1/4 cup liquid. (If using mushroom liquid in place of wine, reserve 1/2 cup liquid.) If using shiitakes, remove and discard stems.

2. Place peppercorns in heavy-duty plastic bag; coarsely crush with flat side of meat mallet. Add mustard seeds; crush slightly. Mix in 1/2 teaspoon of the salt. Firmly press peppercorn mixture onto both sides of steaks.

3. Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook steaks 5 to 7 minutes for medium-rare, turning once. Place on serving platter; cover loosely with foil.

4. Melt remaining 1 tablespoon butter in same skillet over medium heat. Cook and stir shallots 1 minute. Add mushrooms; cook and stir 1 minute. Add wine, 1/4 cup reserved mushroom liquid, mustard and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cook 2 to 3 minutes or until liquid is slightly reduced, stirring frequently. Add any juices from steaks. If necessary, return steaks to skillet 1 to 2 minutes to reheat.

TIP *New York strip steaks are also called loin, Kansas City or strip steaks.

4 servings

PER SERVING: 365 calories, 21.5 g total fat (10 g saturated fat), 38 g protein, 3 g carbohydrate, 120 mg cholesterol, 490 mg sodium, 1 g fiber

Sweet Pork Tacos with Cilantro Lime Slaw

I got this recipe from a friend, Summer, and love it!!

Cilantro Lime Slaw
1 package Cole Slaw or whole shredded cabbage (Summer used red cabbage in her demonstration......so I bought red cabbage too. I'm sure it's healthier. Or something.)
1 c. Mayonnaise
1 c. Cilantro, chopped
1 tsp. minced Garlic
1/4 tsp. Cayenne Pepper or a dash of your favorite hot sauce
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. Lime Juice
1/2 tsp. Cumin

Combine all but slaw in a mini food processor or chop and combine yourself. Mix desired amount of dressing with slaw mix no more than 30 minutes before serving.
(I used the above recipe with only 1/2 a head of red cabbage and it was perfect for my taste. I liked the slaw to be more juicy. And we didn't need as much slaw because I didn't make as much meat as the recipe below.)


Roasted Sweet Pork
6 (approx) pounds Pork butt/shoulder
1 19 oz. can Red Enchilada Sauce
1 can Dr. Pepper (20 oz)
2 tsp. Chili Powder
1 tsp. Cumin
1 tsp. salt
1 Clove Garlic or 1 tsp. Garlic Powder
1 1/2 c. Brown Sugar
1/2 onion, chopped
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Combine all ingredients into your crockpot and cook on low overnight or until meat is tender.

(I only had a 2 pound Pork Roast in my freezer and used that with the above recipe. There was way too much sauce. Ooops. But it still worked perfectly. I will buy a bigger piece of meat next time and freeze the extra meat, as Summer recommended. You could also half the recipe if you're using less meat, but I didn't want a half a can of enchilada sauce or soda or whatever else......just going to waste. Anyway, just to let you know.)

Then she placed the meat on top of a tortilla (we used grilled corn tortillas.......but I'm sure flour would be good too) and then the slaw on top of that. Fold in half and take your first mouth-watering bite. She also suggested using the meat in burritos or tostadas as well. Or heck, you know this stuff would be good on a sandwich, or even just by itself.......with a fork. Just sayin'. ;o)

Enjoy.

Fish Tacos

I cannot attest to the yumminess of this recipe, but Mike and Mikaela like it. This is the last of 'em for today, Di. I hope these help.

1 lb talapia or cod
2 T butter, melted
1/4 t ground cumin
1/8 t garlic powder
2 T mayo or MW
2 T plain yogurt
1 tsp lime juice
1 1/2 C shredded cabbage
8 tortillas
salsa

Cut fish crosswise in 3/4 inch thick slices. Place in baking pan. Combine butter, cumin and garlic power and brush over fish. Bake at 450 for 4-6 minutes until fish flakes with a fork.

Combine mayo, yogurt and lime juice. Add cabbage and toss to coat. Spoon into tortilla, add fish and salsa.

Grilled Sirloin Kabobs

Marinade:
5 cloves garlic, crushed
2 T finely chopped fresh ginger
½ C soy sauce
¼ C olive oil
1 T sugar
1 C pineapple juice
1 tsp black pepper

Kabobs:
2 pounds sirloin steak, cubed
Sliced red onion
Sliced green peppers
Pineapple chucks

Combine all marinade ingredients in a medium-sized bowl. Score the beef cubes with a knife or fork several times to allow marinade to penetrate, and add to the bowl of marinade. Stir to coat well. Marinade in the refrigerator overnight, or at least 8 hours, turning occasionally. When you are ready to grill, skewer the meat, onion, peppers and pineapple and barbecue on the grill.

Citrus-Glazed Turkey

This looks like a pretty good bird. If anyone tries it out...let me know what you think! :)

Citrus-Glazed Turkey

The blending of orange, lemon and lime juice creates a sweet citrus glaze with just enough sour to keep it interesting. This tangy combination adds a fresh, bright flavor to the turkey and bakes to a golden brown finish.

GLAZE
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup orange juice
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon lime juice
2 teaspoons grated orange peel
2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
2 teaspoons grated lime peel

TURKEY
1/2 orange, cut into wedges
1 (12-lb.) turkey
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

1. Heat oven to 400°F. Combine all glaze ingredients in small bowl.

2. Place orange wedges in body cavity of turkey. Place turkey on rack in large roasting pan. Brush turkey with some of the glaze; sprinkle with salt and pepper.

3. Bake at 400°F. for 30 minutes; brush turkey with some of the glaze. Cover loosely with foil. Reduce oven temperature to 325°F.; bake an additional 2 1/2 to 3 hours or until internal temperature reaches 180°F. to 185°F., brushing with remaining glaze and basting with any accumulated juices every 30 minutes. Remove foil during last half hour of baking for additional browning, if necessary.

4. Place turkey on cutting board; cover loosely with foil. Let stand 20 minutes before carving.

8 servings

PER SERVING: 225 calories, 8 g total fat (3 g saturated fat), 33 g protein, 1.5 g carbohydrate, 100 mg cholesterol, 170 mg sodium, 0 g fiber