Coca-Cola Roast

Ingredients:

• 1 small beef roast
• 1/2 large white onion, sliced
• 1 envelope dry onion soup mix
• 1 20 oz cola soft drink **not diet**

Directions:

• Combine all ingredients in the order listed above into medium or large crock-pot.
• Cook on LOW for 6-8 hours.
• Enjoy!

This recipe has surprised my sons.  The last time I made roast using this recipe, my second son walked into the kitchen as I was pouring the soft drink into the crock-pot and was totally confused by my actions.

However, when he tasted the end results - he was quite pleased!

For dinner we added home fries (oven baked, seasoned sliced potatoes), steamed brussel sprouts, and stuffing.

Best meal this week in our house!

**Hints:  A single can of soda isn't really enough, unless you are preparing a small roast.  I bought the 20 ounce bottle because it is the right size and we don't keep this kind of soft drink in our pantry.  This recipe is a little sweeter, so if you prefer a more savory roast beef...use less soft drink and substitute either water or beef broth for the removed liquid.  Get the family involved!  This recipe is so easy....even my children can make it!  Enjoy!!**

Mu Shu Chicken Wraps

Into the crock-pot, on LOW for 6 hours:

• 1 white onion, chopped
• 2-3 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 1 TBS sesame oil
• 3/4 cup Hoisin sauce
• 1 TBS soy sauce
• 1 TBS honey
• 2 tsp rice vinegar
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• salt & pepper to taste

Prep for serving 30 minutes prior to mealtime:

• fajita size flour tortillas, warm
• shredded napa cabbage (1/2 cup per person)
• sliced green onions

HINT:  We couldn't find any napa cabbage so I used regular cabbage sliced very thin.  Slivered almonds would be a good additional topping to these wraps, make sure you have extra Hoisin sauce on hand for dipping...enjoy!!

Chicken Chow Mein (Crock-Pot)

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2-2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 1/2 small head of cabbage, chopped
• 1/2 lb baby carrots
• 1/2 large white onion, chopped
• 1 small can sliced mushrooms, drained
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 2 TBS rice vinegar
• 1 TBS sesame oil
• 3 chicken bouillon cubes
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 4 cups water
• crispy chow mein noodles (for garnish)
• rice

Directions:

1. Combine in the crock-pot:  chicken, chopped cabbage, baby carrots, chopped onion, drained mushrooms, rice vinegar, sesame oil, bouillon cubes, minced garlic, and water.  Stir well.
2. Cook on LOW for 6-7 hours, or on HIGH for 4-5 hours.
3. Add chopped celery approximately 1 hour before serving. Stir well.
4. Serve over rice, garnished with crispy chow mein noodles.

BBQ Chicken Sandwiches

Ingredients:

1 1/2-2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1/2 bottle prepared BBQ sauce
1/2 medium white onion, sliced

Directions:

* Combine all ingredients in a crock-pot and cook on LOW 5-6 hours.

* Serve on toasted bread.

Hint: I added sliced tomatoes and sliced Colby cheese to my sandwich. We used whole-grain bread, toasted in the oven at 450 degrees F for 4 minutes. The longer the chicken cooks, the thicker the sauce will become. Stir often, and enjoy!

Pork-N-Kraut

Ingredients:

• 2 lb pork shoulder roast
• 1/2 cup cider vinegar
• 1/8 cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 TBS sugar
• 1 tsp fennel seed
• 1 - 1 1/2 tsp house seasoning (salt, pepper, garlic powder, & red pepper)
• 1 can sauerkraut

Directions:

1. Combine ingredients in a crock-pot.
2. Cook on low 6-8 hours. (Not suggested to be cooked on high.)
3. Shred with fork prior to serving. Mix until completely combined.

Hint: We made sandwiches for our dinner with a fresh salad on the side. If you any unfamiliar with fennel, taste it first - it is truly an acquired taste. During colder weather this is a great crock-pot dish that we would serve with mashed potatoes or cooked egg noodles. My husband and I are looking forward to leftovers for lunch tomorrow!!

This recipe is linked up to Friday Foods over at MomTrends...go see what other great recipes are being shared - and share one of your own!!

Kickin' Chicken Chili

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 1 lb sliced, frozen pepper mix (stir-fry blend)
• 1 (16 oz) jar green salsa
• 1 (15 oz) can white kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 (14.5 oz) can fired roasted tomatoes with garlic
• 2 tsp cumin
• 1/4 tsp salt
• shredded mexi-blend cheese, for garnish
• 2 green onions, chopped

Directions:

1. In a crock-pot combine: chicken thighs, pepper mix, green salsa, beans, tomatoes, cumin and salt.
2. Cook on low 6-7 hours, or on high 4-5 hours - stirring occasionally.
3. Serve topped with shredded mexi-blend cheese and chopped green onions if desired.

Hint: I have to confess that this meal was cooked today quite simply because I ran out of energy. At 10 in the morning. Because I knew I would have a hungry husband and teenagers come dinnertime, I decided to throw this in the crock after lunchtime today. We added crackers and drank cold milk. Chili beans or kidney beans, or even black beans could be substituted for the white kidney beans - and your choice of red salsa could be subbed for the green salsa. Plus, the house smells wonderful as it gets closer to dinnertime...if you like the smell of chili cooking! Good thing we do :) Enjoy!!

I'm so excited to share this recipe over at Lil House on the Prairie Living's ...Old Fashioned Recipe Exchange this week!! Last week the Mexi-Stuffed Shells recipe made it this week's featured recipe - go see what other great recipes are being shared!!

Herbed Chicken & Shrimp (Crock-pot)

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

1 large onion, chopped

1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce

1/2 cup white wine

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tsp dried basil

1 lb uncooked medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

* Prepare the crock by spraying lightly with non-stick cooking spray. Lay the boneless, skinless chicken thighs on the bottom on the crock and season with salt and pepper.

* Next, top the chicken breast with chopped onion, tomato sauce, white wine, garlic, and basil.

* Cook on low 4 1/2 - 5 1/2 hours. During the last 45 minutes, add the peeled and deveined shrimp. Stir well.

* Serve over rice or pasta.

Hint: This is a great dinner to start later in the day. The cook time is shorter, and the prep is next to nothing. If you buy frozen chopped onion - as I do on occasion - prep will be even less. We topped ours with grated Parmesan cheese....delightful!

Ooey Gooey Chicken *Nachos*

We mixed it up a bit last night and served our Ooey Gooey Chicken as nachos for dinner.

The chicken filling served over restaurant style tortilla chips - topped with guacamole, sour cream, and extra cheese. Delicious!



This recipe was shared at the Old Fashioned Recipe Exchange over at Lil House on the Prairie Living...go see what other recipes are linked up here!

Corned Beef & Cabbage

Corned beef is one of my favorite foods. This recipe I found a few years back and have used it faithfully whenever I want to cook this meal for my family. I cook it in my crock-pot even though it was originally written to be cooked on the stove top in a stock pot.

I hope your family enjoys this as much as we do! Happy St. Patrick's Day!!



Ingredients:

3 small onions, cut in wedges
1 lb. baby carrots
3 lb. corned beef brisket with seasoning packet
1/2 c. vinegar (malt is best, I use white)
1/2 c. Irish stout
1 lb. small red potatoes
1 medium cabbage, cut into wedges
*water*

* Layer ingredients into crock-pot with the carrots, onions, and potatoes on the bottom. Corned beef next, and cabbage wedges on top.

* Add vinegar and stout with seasoning packet.

* Add enough water to crock-pot to just cover corned beef. (Cabbage will not be covered in liquid.)

* Cook on low 6-8 hours. Serve with rolls and dijon mustard. Enjoy!

Hint: Looking for something to do with the leftovers? Try these Reuben Quesadillas.

Meatball Subs

Ingredients:

1 package frozen, Italian style meatballs

1 can diced tomatoes, undrained

1 can stewed tomatoes, undrained

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

1 1/2 TBS balsamic vinegar

1 small can tomato sauce

1 medium red onion, cut into rings

*Ciabatta rolls*

*provolone cheese slices*

*banana peppers*

* Combine meatballs, tomatoes, red pepper flakes, balsamic vinegar, tomato sauce, and red onion in crock-pot. Cook on low 4-5 hours.

* Serve on warm ciabatta rolls with a slice of provolone cheese.

* I enjoyed mine with banana pepper rings on top...so yummy!

Creamed Corn & Chicken Soup (Crock-Pot)

It's raining. And I'm cold.

There is no sunshine today...so today shall be a soup day!

I fired up my trusty crock-pot and by the time the boys get back from school today, dinner will be just about ready.

Here's a quick and easy recipe to keep your family warm on days just like today!


Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs. chicken breast tenders
2 cups diced carrots
2 stalks diced celery
1 medium white onion, diced
1 small package of frozen, whole kernel corn
1 can, cream style corn
1 can, cream of chicken soup
1 soup can of water
2 - 2 1/2 cups of chicken broth

*bacon bits for garnish*

* Combine all ingredients except for bacon bits into crock-pot, and cook on low 6-8 hours.

* Top with bacon bits prior to serving.

Buffalo Chicken Soup

Ingredients:

3 TBS vegetable oil

3 cups chopped celery

2 cups chopped onion

1 TBS minced garlic

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 quarts chicken broth

1 cup buffalo wing sauce

1 (16 oz) container sour cream

5 boneless skinless chicken thighs

1 cup uncooked rice, prepared as directed

For garnish: blue cheese crumbles, bacon crumbles, chopped celery & additional buffalo wing sauce

* Saute onion, celery, and garlic in vegetable oil over medium heat in deep skillet or pot on the stove top.

* Add AP flour, stirring constantly for approximately 2 minutes.

* Slowly add chicken broth, whisking into flour and vegetable mixture until smooth.

* Next add buffalo wing sauce and sour cream. Continue to whisk ingredients.

* Pour over chicken thighs in crock-pot.

* Cook on low 6-8 hours, or on high 4-5 hours.

* Add prepared rice, just before serving.

* Garnish with blue cheese crumbles, bacon crumbles, chopped celery & buffalo wing sauce.

**Would be excellent served in bread bowls**

Ooey Gooey Chicken

A few years back, I came across this recipe in a scrapbooking forum - so I claim no ownership or credit for it - but I can testify that it is DELICIOUS!!

Ingredients:

1 1/2-2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken thighs
1 can, cream of mushroom soup
1 can, cream of chicken soup
1 cup water
1 cup salsa
1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (4 oz) can chopped green chilies
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
**shredded mexican cheese for garnish**
**extra salsa for garnish**
tortilla chips <-- for dipping


*Combine chicken thighs, cream of mushroom soup, cream of chicken soup, water, 1 cup of salsa, rinsed and drained black beans, green chilies, chili powder, cumin, and red pepper flakes in crock-pot.

*Cook on low 6-8 hours, or high 4-5 hours.

*Garnish with shredded cheese, salsa (even sour cream or jalapeno slices if you like)

*Serve with tortilla chips

Pork Chop & Stuffing (crock-pot)

INGREDIENTS:

1 small pork chop per person being served
1 box stuffing mix
1 1/4 cup water
1 egg (slightly beaten)
1 small can, chopped green chilies
2 TBS chicken bouillon granules
1/2 tsp Rosemary-Thyme seasoning blend

* Combine stuffing mix, water, egg, green chilies, chicken bouillon and Rosemary-Thyme seasoning in bottom of crock-pot. Mix well.
* Lay pork chops on top of stuffing mixture. Season with salt and pepper (if desired).
* Cook on low 6-7 hours, or high 4 hours.

HINT: Adjust the amount of water if you would like the stuffing to be more moist or more dry.

Italian Stew Beef

Back in the day, before my husband retired, I had a daycare in my home. I found that using the crock-pot to cook dinner was perhaps the best thing I could do to preserve my sanity, save my family money, and de-stress our home after a long day of work and school.

That line of thinking has definitely carried over into our retired life!

This morning when it was time to start our day, I was very happy to see on our menu plan that this dish was for dinner. Easy. Easy. Easy.

My husband likes it because it is BEEF. My kids like it because it is tender. I like it because of the flavor added by the Italian dressing. Win. Win. Win.


Ingredients:

1/2 bottle of Italian dressing, (the oil & vinegar type...not the creamy)
1 package of stew beef

Put in crock-pot on low in the morning to have ready at dinnertime after the kids get home from school or start on high at lunchtime.

Excellent with hot buttered noodles or rice or mashed potatoes. *We will be have roasted brussel sprouts and rice at our house*

Cashew Chicken

1 - 1/5 lbs. boneless skinless chicken thighs

3 Tbs soy sauce

1 teas ground ginger

1 can Golden Mushroom soup

1 (4 oz.) can mushrooms stems & pieces, drained

2 cups cashew halves & pieces

green onion, for garnish

Place chicken, soy sauce, ginger, soup, and mushrooms in crock-pot and cook on low 4-6 hours. During the last hour of cooking add cashews. Serve over rice - garnish with green onion.

YUMMM!

**We served with egg rolls, pot stickers, and steamed broccoli. Family pleasing meal!!**

MiMi's Chicken Chili

Ingredients:

1 package boneless skinless chicken thighs

2 can great northern beans, drained & rinsed

1 small can chopped green chilies

1 package frozen fiesta corn blend

1/2 medium onion, diced

5 cups water

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp taco seasoning

1 1/2 tsp garlic salt

*pepper to taste*

*tortilla chips*

*sour cream*

*shredded colby-jack cheese*

- Combine chicken, great northern beans, green chilies, corn blend, onion, water, and spices into a crock-pot

- Cook on low 6-8 hours

- Stir occasionally

- Serve with warmed tortilla chips

- Garnish with sour cream & shredded colby-jack cheese

Chicken Gnocchi Soup (Crock-Pot)

Ingredients:

1-2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 cup half and half
4 cups of water, (more to cover if needed)
8 oz fresh baby spinach
1/2 lb baby carrots, sliced into small rounds
2 stalks of celery
1/2 medium onion
1 TBS garlic
3-4 TBS chicken base (bouillon)
**gnocchi, from the deli or pasta section at the local store**
salt & pepper to taste

-Combine all the ingredients, except the gnocchi and cook on low, 6-8 hours.
-During the last hour - add the gnocchi.
-Stir occasionally.

Greek Chicken Pitas (Crock Pot)

**into crock**

1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken tenders
1 medium onion sliced
1 TBS minced garlic
1 tsp lemon-pepper
1/2 tsp italian seasoning
1/4 tsp allspice

Cook on low 4-6 hours, stir occasionally. Meat should shred easily when fully cooked.




**dressing**

1/2 cup plain yogurt (greek)
1/2 cup sour cream
1 small cucumber, peeled and diced
1 tsp minced garlic
salt & pepper to taste



**toppings**

shredded lettuce
sliced tomatoes
feta cheese
black olives

Serve in split pit bread halves, lightly warmed.

Stewed UP Spaghetti Sauce

I vaguely remember being asked what meat I wanted taken out of the freezer for today's dinner last night before I fell asleep.

Vaguely.

When I got up this morning I decided that spaghetti sounded really good - and we should have it for dinner. I love it when a plan comes together!

But when I went to get meat out of the freezer, I found that this package of stew beef was already thawing.



The only sensible thing to do was to plan on using it in the spaghetti sauce. And I could cook it in the crock-pot! Now we're talking!!

Time to assemble...




Ingredients:

1 1/2-2 lbs stew beef
1 14 1/2 oz can of diced tomatoes
1 26 1/2 oz can of prepared spaghetti sauce
1/4 cup red cooking wine
1 packet, dry onion soup mix
1 1/2 TBS Italian seasoning
1 TBS minced garlic
1 can of water (use the diced tomato can)

Mix well.

1 tsp sugar sprinkled over the combined ingredients.

(Mom always said to do that, and her advice has always been pretty darn good.)

Cook on low 6-7 hours.

With our Stewed UP Spaghetti sauce we served spaghetti noodles, garlic bread, and a fresh salad.

Long after the noodles were gone, the sauce was a welcome dipping sauce for the remaining garlic bread.



Now the garlic bread is gone too.

Success!!