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 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.

(originally posted on WGLR.com on 11-25-13)

Well, the holiday food rush is here! Let your slow cooker help you get through all the holiday gatherings at your home over the next weeks. Here is an easy recipe that you can impress everybody with, Crock Pot Cranberry Sauce! Forget the “sauce” in the can that comes out with the ridges from the can on it (although I do love that stuff, haha!)! Throw this in your crock, and you’ll have a delicious, homemade cranberry sauce for all to enjoy. Plus, it makes your house smell divine! I think I love the smells created by crock pot cooking as much as eating the delicious creations that come out of the crock!

Crock Pot Cranberry Sauce

• 12 oz cranberries (fresh or frozen)
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon

Put all ingredients into the crock. It will look like a lot of liquid, but don’t worry, it will cook down to a nice sauce. Cook on high for 3 hours, stirring every hour. After a few hours once the skins on the cranberries are soft, you can smash them against the side to “pop” them. It’s fun! Do it!

After 3 hours, remove the lid and cook another 45 minutes or so, until the sauce is a good, thicker consistency. It will thicken upon cooling and refrigerating, too. You can make this a few days ahead of time and store in the fridge!  It also freezes well. I made this the Saturday before Thanksgiving, froze it until Wednesday, then moved it to the fridge again, and it was perfect on Thursday for Thanksgiving!