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.