Finally! As I mentioned in my OTG update, we made Corned Beef and Cabbage for St. Paddy's Day. It was easy and delicious.

ingredients:

3-4 lbs corned beef

4 carrots, cut into thirds 

2 onions, quartered

1 head of cabbage, quartered

*These amounts should be adjusted to what will actually fit in your slow cooker. I did not think of this, and everything almost did not fit. Lesson? I need a bigger slow cooker!

how to:

put your meat and the veggies (minus the cabbage) in your cooker

cook on low for 6 hours

remove corned beef and slice into smaller pieces to be served

return corned beef to cooker

add the cabbage

cook on low for another 2 hours

The corned beef I purchased had already been cured and spiced, so all I had to do was throw it in with the veggies. It was super easy, and we had plenty left over, too. Dave actually liked it better as left overs so it had even more time to marinate. 

Next time I make this I might add some red skin potatoes, but its definitely not necessary. And, I like to dip mine in a nice, grainy, horseradishy mustard. YUM! Serve it along side of your favorite porter or stout beer, and your good to go.

Enjoy!

Well, it might not be on a Sunday, but the slow cooker, cooking, returned to our house this last week. It totally slipped my mind to even take photos while I was putting everything together, but it was delicious, so I wanted to share what I did with all of you.

The fall, and cooler temperatures always make me crave chili, and more hearty meals. I had two cans of shredded chicken (you know, like how tuna comes) in my cupboard and was trying to find a good use for them. In the summer I make a mean chicken salad, but it's certainly not the time of year for that, and chili is a pretty easy meal to throw together without any instruction. I'm usually not that adventurous, but I was confident that I couldn't screw this one up!

So, after deciding I was going to make a chicken chili, I had to run to the store to get the remaining ingredients. At the store I grabbed a can of red kidney beans, a can of corn, a can of stewed, sliced tomatoes, a packet of chili seasoning, and of course a box of Jiffy corn bread mix. The cans of chicken that I had on hand were large cans (from Costco) and I used two. (If you had the "normal" (tuna sized) cans, I'd probably use four cans.)

Everything can go into the slow cooker together. Drain the beans and corn, and use the juice from the tomatoes. I also added about 2/3 a bottle of beer. You can use whatever type of beer that you prefer. I used a brown ale since that's what we had at home. The chicken is already cooked, so it basically will just need to marinate together and warm. I had ours in the cooker for about 6 hours on low. Before we got ready to eat I whipped together the corn bread muffins so they would be warm with our meal. I also added a bit of flour to the chili to thicken it before we dug in. If you like a more soupy chili, don't add the flour, this is purely personal preference.

Next time I make this chili I'll be sure to take some photos and update the post.

In the mean time, now that Noelle and I are into a better routine, I should be able to find some time to write more. I wrote this last week, and am just now finishing it. We have a big milestone coming up though - Noelle's one month birthday!

Today for Slow Cooker Sunday we tried meatloaf. Now, I'm not posting a picture of this one. Not because it didn't turn out, but because I'm not a food stylist, and don't know how to make meatloaf look great in a picture. I do however have some comments about this one.

I got the recipe off of GMA's website from a slow cooker contest that they had back in 2009. The biggest problem that I had is that my Crock Pot is vintage. It's not like the shallower, oval shaped ones they make now-a-days, it's a four quart Crock POT. This made making an actual loaf in it a bit of a challenge.  Ours was more of a giant meat ball. It was very juicy, and the flavor was great, just not the best item to make in this vessel.

The recipe also includes a ketchup-y sauce which I loved! It was very sweet and somewhat tangy. Dave on the other hand was not so much a fan. He preferred A.1.

All in all, dinner was good, but I'll probably stick to meatloaf in a loaf pan, and probably whip up some of this ketchup sauce on the side.

They all can't be winners I guess, so, until next Sunday ... happy slow cooking!

Have a great week, all!

You know what another Sunday means. Another delicious slow cooker recipe!

This week I made a recipe that was found on Pinterest. You can find the recipe here at Chocolate Therapy. As usual though, I did improvise just a little bit.

1 packet fajita seasoning ~ 16 oz your favorite salsa ~ 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast

mix all ingredients into your slow cooker

cook on high for 4-6 hours or low for 6-8 hours

remove chicken from slow cooker and shred chicken ~ return to slow cooker

prepare with your favorite topings ~ we used soft taco shells, lettuce, jalapenos, sour cream and cheese

ENJOY!

UPDATED 2.20: So, I just ate the leftover shredded chicken on nachos, and oh my gosh, I think it was better the second day! It's like the flavor just developed that much more, yum! If you have leftovers, and want to try this, here is what I did.

on an oven safe plate spread a layer of tortilla chips

spread leftover shredded chicken onto chips

top with shredded cheese (I love the Mexican Chihuahua cheese!) and any other toppings you want

put nachos in oven under broiler on high until cheese is melty

ENJOY!

Slow Cooker Sunday has returned!

Chili is a great meal to have on a cold wintery night, and today we wanted something warm and comforting.

Whenever we make chili it's never made the same way. We kind of just go with whatever feels right, and add ingredients as needed. This was my first attempt at making chili in the slow cooker, and I think it turned our really great!

2 thawed chicken breasts, cubed
1 red pepper cut into pieces
1 green pepper cut into pieces
1/2 large onion, chopped
1 1/2 cups corn
2 cans diced tomatoes seasoned for chili
1 can beans in chili sauce
1 can kidney beans
cheese & sour cream for top


*If you wanted you could add more or less of these ingredients. You could also throw in some other ingredients that you felt could go well. That's the fun thing about chili! you don't need an exact recipe, just good proportions.

layer all ingredients in slow cooker

cook on high for 4 hours

ENJOY!

Second Installment: Slow Cooker Sunday!

Do you ever have a craving for the comfort food of your childhood? Hoping for something to hit the spot,  and is just like your mom used to make? Well have I got the answer for you, or what!!

Today for SCS I whipped together a grown up's version of Hamburger Helper. I took the essence of HH and put a twist on it, for a more adult friendly, heathy, improved recipe. And, bonus for families out there, I think the kids might like this one too!

2 lbs ground beef, browned & drained
1 green pepper, diced
1 large onion, diced
1 28 oz can of stewed tomatoes, diced
1 10 and 3/4 oz can of mushroom soup
1 tbsp worcestershire sauce
1 box of spiral pasta 
Salt & pepper to taste
Shredded Italian blend cheese to top

brown & drain ground beef ~ dice green pepper & onion ~ dice stewed tomatoes

add all ingredients (except cheese) to slow cooker

cook on high for 4 hours

serve Hamburger Casserole & top with shredded cheese

Enjoy!

Slow Cooker Sunday!


Today I am going to start a tradition - Slow Cooker Sunday! The idea of SCS is to spend the day enjoying ourselves, and not having to interrupt a relaxing afternoon to cook dinner. SCS will be a family day through and through.

My first SCS recipe was found in Real Simple magazine. It was extremely easy to throw together. The best part is that after it goes in the cooker, I don't have to touch it, and five hours later, dinner is served!

4-6 quart slow cooker
1 1/2 lbs red potatoes, cut into large cubes ~ 2 cups sauerkraut, drained ~ 1 small onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth ~ 1/4 cup dry white wine ~ 1 teaspoon caraway seeds
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt ~ 1/4 teaspoon black pepper ~ 1 1/2 lbs bratwurst links ~ whole grain mustard

mix potatoes, sauerkraut, onion, broth, wine, caraway seeds, salt & pepper in slow cooker

nestle the brats in the vegetables ~ cover and cook until potatoes are tender

*7-8 hours on low, or 4-5 hours on high

serve with a side of whole grain mustard

Enjoy!