Slow Cooker Eggnog Cranberry Steel-Cut Oatmeal

**originally posted on www.WGLR.com on 12-22-14**

Ah, Christmas morning. The morning where everyone wants a delicious special breakfast, but nobody want to cook one! Spend more time with your family and make breakfast the night before! This week's recipe is Slow Cooker Eggnog Cranberry Steel-Cut Oatmeal! Now, there are two kind of people in this world: Those who eat oatmeal and those who don't. If you are not generally a fan of oatmeal, this recipe will not change your mind, even though it is good! Haha! But, if you enjoy oatmeal, this is a nice twist on the regular stuff. I topped mine with some extra cranberries and some chopped pecans, and it was a nice, filling dish. I would recommend doing this if you have a digital crock that can switch to "warm", otherwise it may get a bit overdone on the edges if you cook it overnight. But if you are up late and plan to get up early (about 6 hours), then you are fine if you don't have a digital one! I cooked on low for 6 hours and then my crock switched to warm for a few hours and it was fine. You could probably cook it on high for 2-3 hours too, if you just get up early enough.

 

SLOW COOKER EGGNOG CRANBERRY STEEL-CUT OATMEAL

• 4 cups eggnog
• 4 cups water
• 2 cups uncooked steel-cut oats
• 1 cup dried cranberries or Craisins
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tablespoons chia seeds or ground flax seeds
• (optional toppings: chopped nuts, cinnamon, nutmeg, additional eggnog or cranberries, etc)

Spray your slow cooker with cooking spray. Put all the ingredients in the slow cooker (except optional ingredients) and mix together. Cook on low for 6 hours or until oats are cooked and softened and the edges have browned a bit. Spoon it up in bowls to serve and add additional toppings if desired! Merry Christmas!

Crock Pot Black Beans & Rice

**originally posted on WGLR.com on 12-15-14**

When I make Mexican meals at home, I have a hard time coming up with a side dish! In a restaurant, they include yummy beans and rice, but that seems like too much work, doesn't it? Well, thanks to the crock pot, it isn't! We had some guests for supper a few weeks ago and I made a delicious baked sour cream enchilada dish (which is in the photo below, too!), but I really wanted something to go along with that. So I hit Pinterest, and found this recipe for Crock Pot Black Beans & Rice. It was easy to throw together, and pretty delicious! Not only can you use this as-is for a side dish (or a meal in itself!), but I'm sure it would be great as a burrito filling or even just eaten with tortilla chips. It is nice because it doesn't take long to cook, too. I actually had two crock pots going for this meal, one with the rice & beans, and one with the chicken breasts for the shredded chicken mixture I used to fill the enchiladas with! Embrace your slow cookers, people! They help make meal prep easy!! :)

CROCK POT BLACK BEANS AND RICE

• 2 (14OZ) cans black beans, drained & rinsed
• 3/4 cup UNCOOKED rice
• 1-1/2 cups water
• 3/4 cup salsa
• 3 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper

Spray your crock pot with cooking spray. Add all ingredients into the crock pot and stir well to combine. Cover and cook on low for 3 hours. Stir well before serving! You can top it with additional salsa or sour cream, if desired.

Crock Pot Peppermint "Muddy Buddies"

**originally posted on WGLR.com on 12-8-14**

Holiday baking season is here! Did you know that your crock pot can help you with that? Here is a delicious treat that can be made quickly and easily in your crock pot, and it will be loved and devoured quickly by all! In October, I did a Crock of the Week for Autumn Harvest Chex Mix. This is a similar recipe, except it's full of chocolate and Christmas joy! It's Peppermint Muddy Buddies! Muddy Buddies are the chocolate cousin of Chex Mix :) I made a double batch of this recipe, and there was plenty of room to mix it in my crock pot. You could use a double boiler for a single batch if you wanted, but if you are doing a double batch, you won't have enough room in a double boiler. It only took about 10 minutes for the chocolate to melt completely for a double batch in my crock pot. And I only got the crock dirty which made clean up a snap! Loved it! I brought it along to the WGLR Holiday Auction this past weekend for the crew and volunteers to enjoy, and got many compliments! So add this easy treat to your holiday baking list. It would be a nice thing to package up in ziplocs and ribbon to hand out to co-workers, neighbors, or wherever you need a bunch of small gifts this holiday season.

CROCK POT PEPPERMINT MUDDY BUDDIES

• 3 squares white chocolate bark
• 3 squares chocolate bark
• 3 cups rice (or corn) Chex cereal
• 3 cups chocolate Chex cereal
• 10 crushed up mini candy canes

Crush up the candy canes and set aside. Then start with the white chocolate bark, and place that in your crock. Cover and turn the crock on high until it melts. Add in the rice or corn chex, and stir until the cereal is completely coated with the white chocolate. Then pour the mixture out onto a piece or wax paper or foil, and spread it out. Immediately sprinkle the crushed peppermints all over the mixture, before the chocolate starts to harden up, because you want the peppermints to stick!

Then add the chocolate bark to your crock (no need to clean it from the white chocolate that was just in there). Cover and melt. Then add the chocolate Chex until well coated, and pour the mixture onto wax paper or foil, just as you did with the white chocolate mixture. Let it harden up.

When both mixtures are set, break up and mix together in a lidded bowl or big ziploc bag. And watch it quickly disappear!! Yum!

Crock Pot Balsamic Chicken

**originally posted on WGLR.com on 12-1-14**

This week's recipe is so so sooooooo simple! And so so sooooooo delicious! I served it with mashed potatoes and gravy, but it is so versatile that it could be served in many different ways, like with pasta, veggies, tacos, gyros or even on a salad. It is Crock Pot Balsamic Chicken, and you probably have all the ingredients needed already in your kitchen. I did! It smells delicious while cooking too :)

CROCK POT BALSAMIC CHICKEN

• 2 lbs chicken breasts or thighs, bone-in or out, your choice
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 2 tsp dried minced onion
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 pinch fresh chopped parsley (if desired)

Combine the garlic powder, basil, salt, pepper & minced onion in a bowl. Spread it over the chicken pieces, on both sides.  pour olive oil and the garlic on the bottom of your crock pot, and add chicken on top. Pour the balsamic vinegar over the chicken. Cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 5-6 hours.

Crock Pot Green Bean Casserole

**originally posted on www.WGLR.com on 11-24-14**

Thanksgiving week is upon us! I would like to wish all of you a very Happy Thanksgiving, and I hope you enjoy a delicious meal with family and friends this year. If you are hosting the big meal, or need to bring a dish to contribute to a gathering, I am helping you out! This recipe is a traditional holiday dish at my family celebration, and likely at yours, too. Using your crock pot to help with meal prep is a great idea, especially if your turkey is hogging the oven. So, put your GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE in your crock pot! This is easy and delicious. I tweaked the original recipe I found for this online by adding a few dashes of soy sauce, but the grated parmesan cheese in this recipe really stepped this dish up a notch, so I was happy I found it! Sometimes we never revisit recipes we have been making for years, but this one proves that it doesn’t hurt to do that now and then.

CROCK POT GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE

• 3 cans (14.5oz) green beans (I prefer french cut. You can also use fresh or frozen beans)
• 2 cans cream of mushroom soup
• 1/2 cup milk
• a few dashes soy sauce
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1-6oz can french fried onions

Drain the beans and pour into crock. Stir in soup, milk, soy sauce, parmesan cheese, salt & pepper, and HALF (3oz) of the container of french fried onions. Stir until well combined. Cook on low for 4 hours or high for 2. Just before serving, sprinkle the remaining french fried onions on top.

Crock Pot Cranberry Applesauce

This week's recipe is a nice treat that uses ingredients of the season, Crock Pot Cranberry Applesauce! I always use my crock pot now for making applesauce, it is so easy, and not as labor intensive when cooking, in my opinion. I'm also a lover of all things cranberry, so I thought I'd give this recipe a whirl this year. I had a bunch of orchard apples in my pantry that were starting to go soft, so that means applesauce time in my house! With this recipe, you add the brown sugar to taste, as it really depends on your preference and the type of apples you use. Cranberries are naturally tart, so some sweetener is likely needed. My apples were a mix of Macintosh and honey crisp, and I used a half cup of packed light brown sugar, and it was perfect. My 2 year old gobbled some up at breakfast this morning, so if she likes it, it's a good recipe, LOL!

 

Crock Pot Cranberry Applesauce

• About 5 lbs apples, peeled, cored and sliced
• 1 bag fresh cranberries (12 oz)
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• brown sugar, to taste (add a quarter cup at a time until you get the sweetness you want)

Peel, core & slice apples, and place in your slow cooker. Pour in the bag of fresh cranberries and throw in the cinnamon sticks. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

When done, remove the cinnamon sticks and mash the applesauce in the crock, or use an immersion blender, depending on whether you want a chunky or smooth sauce. Add some brown sugar, 1/4 cup at a time and taste it until you get the desired sweetness you want.

Store in an air tight container in the refrigerator for up to a week. You can also freeze or can this. I canned it, and got 6 pint jars out of the recipe.

Crock Pot Ham in Cider Gravy

**originally posted on WGLR.com on 11-10-14**

Oh do I have a good one for you this week! Are you like me, and still have some apple cider sitting in your fridge from a trip to an orchard this fall? I came across this recipe a few weeks ago and thought it would be a good one to try to use up the cider. Can’t get much easier than a 3 ingredient recipe! I admit I was a big skeptical, because generally, I am not a fan of fruit and meat together, but let me tell you…the gravy that this dish creates is AMAZING! For real. It’s worth making just to get the gravy. I was expecting sweet, and it wasn’t. It’s a super delicious combination of flavors. I’m so glad I decided to whip up some mashed potatoes to enjoy the gravy even more!

Putting a ham in a crock pot for your holiday celebrations is so easy, and it really helps to juggle other entrees because your oven is free for many other delicious Thanksgiving and Christmas dishes. I used a boneless hickory smoked ham, mainly because I could cut it in half to help it fit into my crock pot! So keep that in mind when choosing a ham, you want it to fit in your pot! Try this recipe this year, you won’t regret it!

Slow-Cooked Ham in Cider Gravy

• One ham, 1-4 lbs
• 2 cups unsweetened apple cider
• 3/4 cup REAL maple syrup (not the fake stuff!)
• 3 Tbsp cornstarch

Place ham in the slow cooker and pour cider and syrup over it. Cook on Low for about 6 hours.

Then, remove the ham to a plate. Put liquid into a large 4 cup measuring cup or bowl.

Now, make the gravy. Whisk the cornstarch with 1/2 cup of the cider on the stove-top over low heat until smooth. Turn the heat up to medium, and continue to add the cider a bit at a time, whisking constantly, until all the cider is in the gravy.  Serve with the ham.

Crock Pot Beef Barley Soup

**originally posted on WGLR.com on 11-3-14**

This week's recipe is one of those that will "stick to your gut!" This one is for the beef lovers out there...it's Crock Pot Beef Barley soup! This is a really easy way to make a barley soup. On the stovetop, it takes a long time for barley to cook, and you have to keep an eye on it. For this recipe, the uncooked barley goes in with all the other ingredients at the start, and cooks to perfection, with no babysitting required! Good one to throw in your slow cooker before work, so you can come home to a perfectly cooked soup. It's more like a stew though, as it's quite hearty. Similar to an Irish Stew, but without potatoes.

Crock Pot Beef Barley Soup

2.5 lb. chuck roast - cut into bite size pieces (or just buy stew meat)
1 cup pearl barley
2 medium onions - chopped
1 green pepper - chopped
6 carrots - chopped
1 14oz. can diced tomatoes
48oz. beef stock - more if needed
5 sprigs of fresh thyme - leaves pulled off stem (or 5 teaspoons dried)
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper

Add all ingredients to a 6-qt crock pot. Stir it all up and cook on low for 6-8 hours. You may want to check for liquid level and add more stock or water if needed, as the barley will absorb a lot of liquid as it cooks.

Slow Cooker Pumpkin Harvest Chex Mix

**originally posted on www.WGLR.com on 11-27-14**

Happy Halloween Week! As I have mentioned often, I use my slow cooker year round. But, I do try to do seasonal dishes when called for. This time of year, I love to experiment with fun recipes that involve what I love about fall! One thing I definitely love is the spices in autumn dishes, from pumpkin spice to cinnamon and all that goes with it. I stumbled upon this recipe over the summer, and couldn’t wait for Fall to get here so I could try it. My son is a September baby, so this year, I finally had his birthday party (5th!) at a pumpkin patch, like I had always wanted to do! I made this recipe for guests to snack on at the party, and wow, is it delicious! My husband and I were snitching more of it than we should have when I first made it, because it is quite addicting (especially when warm out of the crock pot!). I almost had to make a second batch for the party, haha! This is a great one to do with your kids or grandkids, because they can help you measure and add all the ingredients easily. With Halloween parties/school events this week, this would be a perfect treat to make and throw in some decorated up small ziploc baggies to give to kids or co-workers. It would also make a really nice thing to set out at your Thanksgiving celebrations, so people can snack on something while waiting for the big meal to hit the table! PLUS, it makes your house smell DELICIOUS when you make it!!!!!

*note: The original recipe calls for mini graham crackers. I don’t think these are made anymore, i couldn’t even find them online. You can just break up larger grahams or omit them from the mix. If you don’t mind shapes in your mix, use Teddy Grahams, or I used Annie’s little graham cracker bunnies in mine!

SLOW COOKER PUMPKIN HARVEST CHEX MIX

• 2 cups cinnamon Chex cereal
• 2 cups Wheat Chex cereal
• 3 cups Vanilla Chex cereal
• 1 cup pecans
• 1 cup mini graham crackers* (see note above)
• 1 cup dried cranberries
• 1 cup salted & roasted pumpkin seeds
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
• 2 teaspoons vanilla

In a 5-6 quart oval crock pot, stir in cereals, pecans, graham crackers, cranberries & pumpkin seeds. Stir gently so you don’t break up the cereal too much.

In a small bowl, mix together melted butter, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice & vanilla. Pour over mixture in the crock pot, and gently stir until the mixture is evenly coated.

Cook UNCOVERED on HIGH for 2 hours, gently stirring every 15 to 20 minutes. When done, spread mix onto ungreased baking sheet or waxed paper. Let cool for 3-5 minutes (yeah right, I was eating it right out of the crock, YUM!).

Store in an air-tight container!

Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Chili

**originally posted on www.WGLR.com on 10-20-14**

It's BACK! Season FOUR of "Julie's Crock of the Week" is here! I just want to say thank you to all the folks who chat with me year 'round about the Crock of the Week. It is so much fun for me! Happy to be kicking off another season here on WGLR!

I'm going to start with a chili I made over the summer. This isn't your typical chili recipe though! This caters to those with a love of heat, specifically, the kind of heat you get when you eat some buffalo wings covered in sauce. My husband LOVED this one, it's definitely a "man-pleasing" meal, haha! I am a fan of dousing buffalo wings in ranch dressing when I eat them to counter the heat. So, this chili was a bit hot for me, BUT I stirred in a few tablespoons of light ranch dressing into my bowl and it gave it a great flavor and helped turn it down a notch for me to enjoy. Leftovers tasted even better with this one. Top with some crumbled blue cheese or mozzarella, and it's a delicious meal in a bowl! Enjoy!

BUFFALO CHICKEN CHILI

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ½ cup diced onion
• 3 cloves garlic
• ½ cup diced bell pepper (any color you prefer)
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 2 cups diced chicken breast
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 2 cans pinto beans rinsed and drained
• 1 28 oz canned diced tomatoes
• 28 oz chicken broth
• ¾ cup Buffalo wing sauce (or to taste. I used 1/2 cup of Frank's)
• Blue cheese or fresh mozzarella for topping (optional)

Throw veggies and garlic with the olive oil into a skillet, and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Dump into crock pot. Using the same skillet, salt and cook the diced chicken breast until it is browned up. Add to slow cooker. Stir in remaining ingredients of cumin, paprika, chili powder, oregano, pinto beans, canned tomatoes, and chicken broth. Cook on low for 7.5 hours. THEN add wing sauce, and cook for another half hour on low.  When serving, top with cheese if desired (or stir in some ranch dressing to "cool" it down a bit!).

Crock Pot Beer Cheese Soup

Well, this is it, folks! The last recipe of Season 3! Thanks for another fun season, I so enjoy chatting with you all about crock pots and recipes :) This week's recipe is from the GRAND PRIZE WINNER of the Crock of the Week contest! Congratulations to Bernadine Mezera from Boscobel! You all need to make her recipe, it's delicious! Crock Pot Beer Cheese Soup! When this recipe was randomly chosen as the winner, I admit that I was a bit afraid because I wasn't confident that a great beer cheese soup could be made by me, but I was so wrong! This is restaurant quality beer cheese soup! Now, neither my husband or I are beer drinkers, but he does like the occasional Blue Moon, which is a wheat beer. So I went with that, since I knew there would be extra to drink up. It worked well, but you can use any beer of your choice, but I suggest not getting a cheap one or using a light beer.  Also, get a block of cheddar and shred it up instead of buying the already shredded stuff, which is more dry and has a chemical on it to keep it from sticking together. Go for the block cheese here. 

CROCK POT BEER CHEESE SOUP

(FROM BERNADINE MEZERA)

32 OUNCES CHICKEN BROTH

16 OUNCES BEER

1/2 CUP CORNSTARCH

1/4 cup BUTTER, MELTED

1 CUP CARROT, DICED VERY THIN

1 CUP WHITE ONION DICED VERY FINE

4 OUNCES CREAM CHEESE

8 OUNCES SHARP CHEDDAR CHEESE, GRATED

SEA SALT, ABOUT 1 TEASPOON

BLACK PEPPER TO TASTE

ADD CHICKEN BROTH AND BEER TO SLOW COOKER, AND WHISK IN CORNSTARCH AND BUTTER UNTIL SMOOTH.

ADD CARROTS AND ONIONS TO SLOW COOKER.

COOK ON LOW FOR 8 HOURS.

ADD CREAM CHEESE AND SHREDDED CHEDDAR, AND SEASON WITH SALT, ABOUT A TEASPOON IS WHAT I USED, ADD GRADUALLY TO YOUR TASTE.  ADD PEPPER TO TASTE.

LADLE INTO BOWLS, AND SERVE IMMEDIATELY.

Crock pot baked Potato Soup

I got this recipe on a blog called "Mama Loves Food!" and wow, is it delicious! I have tried a few potato soup recipes in the past, but non were a keeper until this one. I think it's because this recipe uses cream cheese instead of heavy cream or milk. It is delicious! I used the new product from Green Mountain Farms that is a blend of cream cheese/greek yogurt. It works well in any cream cheese recipe, and is less calories. Enjoy!

Crock Pot Baked Potato Soup

• 5 pounds russet potatoes, washed but NOT peeled. Diced into 1/2 inch(ish) cubes
• 1 medium/large yellow onion, diced
• 10 cloves of garlic, minced (if you use jarred, it's a 5 teaspoon equivalent)
• 64 ounces (8 cups) chicken stock or broth
• 16 oz cream cheese, softened 
• 1 tablespoon seasoned salt 
• optional garnishes: crumbled bacon, shredded cheese, green onions

1. Add potatoes, onion, garlic, seasoning, and chicken stock to slow cooker.
2. Cook on high for 6 hours or low for 10 hours.
3. Add the softened cream cheese and puree soup with an immersion blender until the cheese is incorporated and about half the soup is blended. (Alternately you could remove half the soup and the cream cheese to an upright blender, then re-incorporate).
4. Stir well, top with your choice of garnishes & enjoy!

Crock Pot Beef & Broccoli

Oh this is so delicious! Honestly, one of the best recipes I have ever thrown together in my slow cooker. The flavors are fantastic!

Crock Pot Beef & Broccoli

• 1-1/2 to 2 lbs thinly sliced sirloin steak
• 1 cup beef broth
• 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
• 1/4 cup oyster sauce
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar
• 2 tsp sesame oil
• 2-3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 cup water
•  2 tbsp cornstarch
• 12oz bag frozen steamable broccoli florets, prepared per package directions
• 2 cups cooked rice for serving

In a small bowl, whisk together broth, soy sauce, oyster sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil & garlic. Pour over meat and let it marinate at room temp for 15 minutes. Put in slow cooker and cook on low for 4-5 hours.

In a small bowl, stir together water and cornstarch until dissolved. Add to the crock pot and cook for another 30 minutes for the sauce to thicken up. 

Add broccoli before serving. Serve over rice and enjoy!

Crock Pot Cheesy Chicken Bacon Tater Tot Casserole

Oh boy, do I have a tasty recipe for you this week. I mean, just the NAME of the recipe is enough to get your mouth watering...Crock Pot Cheesy Chicken, Bacon & Tater Tot Casserole! I mean, how can something called that taste anything but awesome? Low calorie? NO. Delicious? YES! And it's so easy to throw together, and cooks fast, too.

Crock Pot Cheesy Chicken, Bacon & Tator Tot Casserole

• 1 (32oz) bag tator tots (I used onion tots)
• 3 oz crumbled bacon pieces (NOT the artificial "bacon" bits!)
• 1.5 lbs chicken breasts (don't use frozen in this recipe, it will create too much liquid)
• 3 cups shredded colby-jack cheese
• 3/4 cup milk
• salt & pepper

Spray crock pot with cooking spray, and then start the layering process...start with 1/2 the bag of tots, then half the bacon pieces, then 1/3 of the cheese. Add the chicken on top of the cheese and sprinkle with salt & pepper, then add another 1/3 of the cheese on top of the chicken. Next, add the rest of the bacon, then the rest of the tots, and top with the last 1/3 of the cheese. Pour the milk over the whole thing. Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours.

Slow Cooker Italian Sausage Pasta Sauce

One of the best comfort foods is spaghetti with meat sauce, in my opinion! But, it is made even better with homemade pasta sauce instead of the canned, pre-made stuff. Now, in the middle of winter you may have to rely on canned tomatoes to make this (unless you have a bunch canned from your garden last summer), but I still think it tastes better then the jarred sauce. And I am most definitely going to grow more tomatoes this year to make my own garden-fresh sauce! I made a double batch of this a few weeks ago and froze most of it to enjoy yet this winter. It's very versatile to use in other ways, too, like for lasagne or manicotti. Also, I did a mixture of italian sausage and ground turkey to cut the calories a bit. Tweak as you wish, as always!

Slow Cooker Italian Sausage Pasta Sauce

• 1-1/2 lbs bulk italian sausage
• 1 cup diced onions (about 2 medium)
• 3 Tbsp sugar
• 2 tsp dried basil
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 cloves minced garlic
• 1 can (28oz) diced tomatoes
• 2 cans (8oz) tomato sauce
• 2 cans (6oz) tomato paste

Brown up the italian sausage, drain, and pour into slow cooker. Then add all remaining ingredients. Use at least a 4 qt slow cooker. I doubled it and it fit fine into my 6 qt cooker. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Slow Cooker Ranch Chicken

**originally posted on www.WGLR.com on 2-10-14**

This week’s recipe is easy to throw together, you may have all the ingredients on-hand already. I am a fan of ranch flavored anything, so I was pretty sure I would like this recipe before making it, and I was right! It’s Slow Cooker Ranch Chicken!

SLOW COOKER RANCH CHICKEN

• 1-1/2 lbs. skinless boneless chicken breasts
• 6-8 medium potatoes, chopped into large pieces (I used red potatoes)
• 2 cups baby carrots
• 1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
• 1 package dry ranch dressing mix (or 3 Tbsp)
• 1/4 cup milk
• parsley to put on top when serving (optional)

You may want to spray your crock before adding ingredients. Place carrots and potatoes in the slow cooker, then lay chicken on top.  In a separate bowl, mix together soup, ranch mix, and milk. Pour over chicken in the slow cooker.

Cook on low for 4-5 hours. Use the sauce as gravy on chicken and potatoes when serving.

Crock Pot Monkey Bread

**originally posted on www.WGLR.com on 2-3-14**

This is one of those recipes that makes your house smell AMAZING while it cooks! Plus, it is an easy one to include your kids or grandkids in the prep for some extra fun and family time.

CROCK POT MONKEY BREAD

• 1 tube refrigerated biscuits
• 1/4 cup belted butter
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 cup brown sugar

Cut biscuits into quarters with a knife or kitchen shears. Mix together the brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Melt the butter in another small bowl in the microwave. Spray your crock pot with non stick spray. Take each dough piece and dip it into the butter, then into the cinnamon sugar mix, evenly coating the dough. Place into the crock and build up a pull apart bread in it. If you have leftover cinnamon sugar and butter, pour it all over the top!

Cover and cook on low for 2 hours. I shifted some of it around after an hour to make sure each piece cooked evenly.

Scoop out and enjoy the warm gooey yumminess!!

Crock Pot Cowboy Casserole

**originally posted on www.WGLR.com on 1-27-14**

One of the nice things about a slow cooker is how you can make a complete meal in it, with all the fixin’s! This week’s recipe is just that, a full meal in your crock pot, Crock Pot Cowboy Casserole! Casseroles aren’t just for your oven! This one is full of potatoes, veggies, meat, beans, and of course, CHEESE! All the cowboys and cowgirls in your house will love it.

CROCK POT COWBOY CASSEROLE

1 onion, chopped

1 lbs. ground beef, browned and drained

6 medium potatoes, sliced (I used about 10 red potatoes)

1 clove garlic, minced

1 can corn (drained) or 1 cup fresh or frozen corn

1 (16 oz.) can low sodium kidney bean, with the juices

1 (15 oz.) can diced tomatoes, with the juice

1 (10.5 oz.) can cream of mushroom soup

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

1 cup finely shredded cheddar cheese

This recipe needs a 6qt crock pot. Mix all ingredients together EXCEPT the cheese in the crock. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 4-ish. Then sprinkle cheese on top and continue to cook for another half hour to an hour.  Scoop out to serve.

Crock Pot Tomato Parmesan Soup

*originally posted on www.WGLR.com on 1-13-14*

In my opinion, nothing beats a delicious soup in these cold winter months that are upon us, especially when they contain CHEESE. This week's recipe is CROCK POT TOMATO BASIL PARMESAN SOUP! It goes great as a first course to a larger meal, or as a meal in itself (especially if you pair it up with a grilled cheese sandwich!).

Ingredients:
2 (14 oz.) cans diced tomatoes, with juice
1 cup finely diced celery
1 cup finely diced carrots
1 cup finely diced onions
1 tsp. oregano (or 1 Tbsp. fresh oregano)
1 Tbsp. basil (or 1/4 cup fresh basil)
4 cups chicken broth
1/2 bay leaf
1/2 cup flour
1 cup Parmesan cheese (NOT the grated powder stuff!)
1/2 cup butter
2 cups half and half, warm (can sub milk)
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground pepper

Directions:
Add the tomatoes, celery, carrots, onions, oregano, basil, chicken broth and bay leaf to slow cooker. Cook on low for 5-7 hours.

About 30 minutes before serving prepare a roux. Melt butter over low heat in a skillet and add flour.  Stir constantly with a whisk for 5-7 minutes. Slowly stir in 1 cup hot soup.  Add another 3 cups of soup and stir until smooth.  Add all back into the slow cooker. Stir and add the Parmesan cheese, warmed half-and-half, salt and pepper.  Add additional basil and oregano if needed. Cover and cook an additional 30 minutes or until ready to serve.

Crock Pot Philly Cheesesteak Sloppy Joe

Last week, Mr.Jacobs was my guest “Crocker,” kicking off the new year with a low-cal healthy recipe. I must point out that he has lost 110 pounds in the last year, in large part to the healthy and delicious recipes I whipped up in my crock pot for us. So proud of him! So, if your New Year’s resolution is to get healthier, have your slow cooker help you!

Another New Year resolution that many make, is to save some money, and groceries are a good chunk of everybody’s budget. Slow cookers can help you stretch your pennies, too! So, this week’s recipe helps with that resolution, Slow Cooker Philly Cheesesteak Sloppy Joe’s! This recipe is made with ground beef, and was honestly REALLY good! Better than I was expecting it to be. Depending on how lean your beef is, this recipe costs about $10 total to feed your whole family, and that includes the buns to serve it on. Now, I realize this isn’t an “authentic” Philly Cheesesteak, but get over that. It tastes darn delicious anyway!

Crock Pot Philly Cheesesteak Sloppy Joes

• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1 clove garlic
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 large onion, slivered
• 1 large green pepper, sliced
• 1-1/2 cups sliced mushrooms (optional…I didn’t use)
• 2 Tbsp flour
• 1 can condensed french onion soup (or beef broth)
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella or provolone (or a combination of both)

Brown the beef in a pan with the garlic. Don’t break it up too much, you want some good sized chunks. Drain fat and place into slow cooker with onion, green pepper, and mushrooms (if using). Toss with the flour and black pepper. Pour soup and Worcestershire sauce over the mixture and cook on low for 4-5 hours.  Sprinkle the cheese on top and replace the lid for a few minutes to let it melt.  Serve on buns/rolls. I think it would be tasty over pasta or rice, too!

Crock Pot Chicken Teriyaki

**originally posted on www.WGLR.com on 1-6-14**

This week, I have a guest "Crocker", my husband! Mr.Jacobs spent a few weeks over the holidays home with our kiddos while I was working, so I took advantage of it, and asked him to crock something! he was excited to be a "guest crocker" on Julie's Crock of the Week, and I have to say, he did well! This week's recipe is Slow Cooker Chicken Teriyaki! He even went the distance and tried something else I have always wanted to...cooking brown rice in a crock pot! It did get overcooked, but it worked, we will just have to adjust cooking time next time, as every crock is different. But I recommend it, as brown rice takes a long time to make the old fashioned way.  But the chicken over the rice was really delicious and very flavorful. AND, a public shout out to my husband, Scott, who has lost 110 lbs in the last year, in large part due to the healthy recipes I made in my wonderful slow cooker :) So proud of you, honey!

Crock Pot Chicken Teriyaki

• 3 to 4 lbs of boneless skinless chicken thighs (we used chicken breasts)
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup soy sauce
• 6 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 3/4 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 4 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 4 1/2 teaspoons cold water
• Cooked rice (Your choice, we used brown rice)

Put chicken in crock pot.  In a separate bowl, combine the sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, ginger, garlic and pepper.  pour over the chicken.  Cook on low for 4-6 hours, until the chicken pulls apart easily with a fork.  Remove chicken from the slow cooker, and pour the liquid into a saucepan (if you use chicken thighs, you may want to skim the fat off the top of the liquid) and bring to a boil.  Combine cornstarch and water until smooth, then gradually stir into liquid and stir until sauce is thickened. If you use chicken breasts like we did, you will have to use more cornstarch to thicken it up, since there isn't as much fat.

Serve over rice. You can either shred the chicken up and put everything back in the crock, or put chicken on the rice then top with the sauce, whichever you prefer. The flavor was great! Leftovers were delicious as well. This would freeze wonderfully, too.

Crock Pot Whiskey Meatballs

**Originally posted on www.WGLR.com on 12-3-13**

First, a big shout out to my husband who bought me a programmable slow cooker for Christmas! Some women would not be thrilled with a gift like that from their husbands, but NOT ME! I love it. I already used it this past weekend for this week's recipe...Whiskey Meatballs! With New Year's Eve parties, and now a Packer playoff game this weekend, this is a great dish for a party. I actually made it for a gathering of friends yesterday. Now, back in season 1, I shared with you my Dad's meatball & weinie recipe , and I admit that I still prefer that one best, but this one is tasty as well.

Crock Pot Whiskey Meatballs

• 1 bag (2 lbs) frozen meatballs (I prefer Italian Style)
• 1 heaping cup ketchup
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup whiskey
• 2 tsp fresh lemon juice
• 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

Use a smaller crock for this, like a 4 quart one.  Add  all ingredients into the crock pot EXCEPT meatballs. Whisk together to create the sauce, then add in the meatballs and stir to coat them all.  Cook on low for 4-6 hours, or if you need them for a midday event, you can put them on high for an hour, then low for a few. Leave on warm when serving at a gathering. Just don't cook on high too long or the sauce with get too thin.