Crock Pot Corned Beef & Cabbage Stew

**originally posted on WGLR.com on 3-9-15**

Oh my, with temps in the 50’s coming this week, and St.Patrick’s Day next week, spring is in the air! Yay! This week’s recipe is perfect for your St.Patrick’s Day celebrations this weekend and next week. It’s Crock Pot Corned Beef & Cabbage Stew! This is a great way to prepare the traditional St.Patty’s Day tradition, or it’s a great way to use up the leftovers from a meal of corned beef & cabbage! We really liked it, and the leftovers were even better. My only suggestion is to chop the cabbage up well and get the corned beef in a bite size way, because my pieces were a bit to large and made quite a mess when we tried to eat it, but the mess was worth it! Bake some crusty soda bread to go with it, and you have a perfect Irish meal to celebrate this fun holiday with. I got this from the awesome Skinnytaste blog. a serving of 1 3/4 cups is only about 280 calories. And if your corned beef brisket doesn’t come with a seasoning packet, you will have to season this up yourself.

CROCK POT CORNED BEEF & CABBAGE STEW

Ingredients:

• 2 leeks, chopped (whites and light green only)
• 2 cloves garlic
• 3 medium carrots, chopped (I just used matchstick carrots to save some prep time)
• 1 yellow pepper, chopped
• 1 lb lean corned beef brisket (yields 9 oz cooked)
• 6 cups of water
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley, plus more for garnish
• 1 small head cabbage, cored and chopped
• 1 large potato, peeled and cubed

Place the corned beef brisket in your crock pot. Add leeks, garlic, carrots, yellow pepper, water, bay leaves, and parsley. Cook on low for 6-8 hours, or until the brisket shreds easily. Remove the brisket from the crock pot onto a plate, and shred it up. Return meat to the crock pot, and then add the chopped cabbage and potato. Cook on low for another hour, and serve!

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!

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 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.

German Dinner in the Crock Pot

**originally posted on WGLR.com on 12-23-13

This week’s recipe is a unique one! I came across this recipe a year or so ago, and having a lot of German heritage in me, thought I should make it! Don’t dismiss it before trying it, it really was delicious. And there is beer in it, so that can’t be bad! Although, if you are one of those people who absolutely cannot stand sauerkraut, then this recipe isn’t for you, haha!

German Dinner in the Crock Pot

2 rings smoked sausage, sliced into 3 inch pieces
2 pounds sauerkraut
8 to 12 red potatoes, washed and halved or quartered depending on the size
1 onion sliced
6 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled
2 apples, cored and sliced
2 bottles (12 ounces) beer
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon caraway seeds (optional)

Lay the potatoes in the bottom of the slow cooker. Then add onion, apples, bacon, and sauerkraut. Place sausage on top. pour in beer, brown sugar, and caraway seeds.  Cook on low for 4-6 hours or on high for 2-3.

Slow Cooker Shepherd's Pie

(originally posted on WGLR.com on
3-11-13)

HAPPY ST.PATRICK’S DAY! 

Last year for this Irish holiday, I posted the classic St.Patrick’s meal of  Corned Beef & Cabbage , made easy peasy in your crock pot! So I am offering you another traditional Irish meal this week, Slow Cooker Shepherd’s Pie! This recipe uses beef, and I have to say that I really like how it turned out. I have made it before in the oven, and the potatoes tend to get overdone and too dry, in my opinion. But, the potatoes stayed nice and moist when made in the slow cooker. Yum, yum YUM! This meal is great year round, and will make all of your leprechauns, young and old, very happy!

SLOW COOKER SHEPHERD’S PIE

• 2 lbs potatoes (yukon gold work well)
• 1/3 cup milk
• 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 lb lean ground beef
• 1 Tbsp tomato paste (or ketchup)
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 Tbsp cornstarch
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup frozen mixed vegetables
• salt & pepper
• seasoned salt

Prick potatoes all over with a fork. Microwave potatoes on high, turning once, until tender, about 15 minutes (I have one of those cool baked potato microwave bags) . Remove from microwave, let cool slightly, then peel and mash with milk and butter. Season with salt and pepper. You could also peel and then boil and mash, or even use instant mashed potatoes if you like.

In a skillet on medium heat, pour in the olive oil. Add onion and cook for a few minutes, until the onions start to get translucent. Add garlic and cook for another minute, then add in the ground beef.  When the meat is almost browned, add the tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce and thyme.  in a small bowl, whisk together the corn starch with the 1 cup of water, and add to the ground beef mixture when it is all browned up. Once it thickens up some, transfer the mixture into the slow cooker. Layer veggies on top of the meat, and then top with potatoes.  Sprinkle some seasoning salt on the potatoes.  Cook on low for 3 hours.

Crock Pot Garlic Smashed Potatoes

(This was originally posted on the WGLR website last week, so it WAS Thanksgiving week, LOL!)

Thanksgiving week is here! If you are prepping the big meal for your family, or contributing a dish to pass at your celebration, I am here to help! With the oven full, why not use your crock pot to make one of your side dishes?! Brilliant! Pull it out and make some Garlic Smashed Potatoes! You can mash these and keep them warm in the crock so you don't have to worry about the last minute mashing and prepping of the potatoes while trying to get the dinner to the table. They taste great with or without gravy! Happy Thanksgiving!

 

CROCK POT GARLIC SMASHED POTATOES

3 lb red potatoes (you can choose to peel or leave the skin on, whatever you prefer)
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
2/3 cup water
1 cup onion & chive cream cheese (one 8oz tub)
2 Tbsp butter
1/3 to 1/2 cup whole milk or heavy cream (I just used 2% milk)

Cut potatoes in half or quarters to make chunks about the same size. Place potatoes in a 4qt crock or larger. Add garlic, onion, oil, salt, pepper, and water and mix to coat. Cover crock pot and cook on high for 3 to 4 hours until potatoes are tender.

Mash potatoes roughly with a fork or potato masher. Stir in cream cheese and butter until melted and mixed in, then add enough milk or cream for desired consistency.

You can serve this right away, or cover and hold it in the slow cooker up to 2 hours on low/warm. Makes about 14 servings, 1/2 cup each.

Despite the fact that we had some days last week with near record high temps in the 70's, I am passing along a true chill-in-the-air-yummy-in-your-tummy classic recipe today, Slow Cooker Beef Stew! This goes great with some fresh made baked bread. It is also one of those recipes that you can tweak to your liking, by adding or taking out some veggies and seasonings. I like to throw in some seasoning salt when I make it.

NOTE: I have a 6qt slow cooker, so if yours is smaller, you may want to cut the recipe.

Slow Cooker Beef Stew

-2 lbs cubed stew beef

-1T olive oil

-1 large onion, chopped

-3 ribs celery, diced

-4 large carrots, sliced

-potatoes of your choice (I use about 6 yukon golds, unpeeled) diced into bite sized pieces

-one 28oz can crushed tomatoes

-1 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning blend

-3 cups reduced sodium beef broth, divided

-3 bay leaves

-1 cup frozen peas

-1/2 tsp salt

-1/4 tsp black pepper

-1/2 cup all purpose flour

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and then lightly brown the meat in batches. Transfer browned beef to a plate and set aside.

Dump the tomatoes into the slow cooker, then add the onions, celery, carrots and potatoes. Sprinkle the Italian seasoning over the vegetables and then add the beef and any drippings. Pour 2 1/2 cups of the beef broth over the meat and veggies. Stir and then add the bay leaves.

Cover and cook on low for 8 – 10 hours.

About 20 minutes before serving, add the peas (no need to defrost first), salt and pepper. In a small bowl whisk together the flour and remaining 1/2 cup of beef broth, creating a smooth paste. Stir into the stew. Cover and cook until thickened (about 15-20 minutes). Remove the bay leaves before serving.

Italian Chicken

Well folks, we are nearing the end of this weekly feature for the season. Spring is inching in, so I will shelve the Crock of the Week for now, and maybe bring it back in the Fall. Next week will be the last Crock of the Week. But don't cry, because here is another recipe to add to your collection, Italian Chicken. Super easy and tasty! My 2 year-old son gobbled this up like he was never going to get another meal in his life.

Crockpot Italian Chicken

4 to 6 chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 lbs)

1 envelope dry Zesty Italian Dressing mix

1 8oz brick cream cheese

1-2 cans cream of chicken soup (depending on how much 'sauce' you want

Place chicken breasts in the crockpot (I used frozen, and it worked just fine). Sprinkle the Italian dressing mix over the chicken. In a saucepan, melt the cream cheese on low heat with the cream of chicken soup. Pour mixture over chicken in the crock, and cook on low for at least 4 hours (at least 5 if using frozen chicken), but you can leave it on all day if you need/want to.

When done, you can serve how you want. I shredded the chicken in the crock which made for a good chunky sauce. Serve over pasta or rice. We used rotini pasta this time.

Slow Cooker Corn & Potato Chowder

OK, so no more naughty fudge cake for this week. Back to a good meal! Potato and corn chowder!! This hearty chowder will leave your belly full and your tastebuds happy too. Even my non-corn loving husband ate it. Although I don't think he is having leftovers, but that's his fault, not the chowder's :) And I am plugging an "As Seen on TV" gadget which helps me so much for recipes like this...the Vidalia Chopper. OMG, makes cubing potatoes and dicing veggies for recipes like this a BREEZE!

Slow Cooker Corn and Potato Chowder

-8 ounces (1/2 pound) bacon, cooked until crispy and crumbled (I used the packages real bacon bits, I am all for ease in prep)
-2 1/2 pounds Russet potatoes (approximately 5 medium sized potatoes), NOT peeled, diced in 1/4 inch cubes
-8 cups (about 2 pounds) kernel corn (I used frozen)
-1 medium/large sweet yellow onion, finely chopped
-1 cup chopped celery
-6 - 8 garlic cloves, crushed
-1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
-32 ounces (4 cups) chicken stock
-16 ounces (2 cups) half & half or heavy cream
-salt & pepper

Combine all ingredients EXCEPT half & half in the slow cooker.

Cook on low for 10 hours or high for 6 hours.

Blend about half the soup using an immersion blender or just scoop it into your upright blender then return to slow cooker. (Or if you are like me, and prefer easier ways, I just took a potato masher and mashed up the soup some in the crock pot, I like some potato chunks in my chowder anyway)

Add half & half or heavy cream and continue cooking, uncovered, for about another 15 minutes, until heated through. Salt and pepper to taste.

Recipe from the blog "Mama Loves Food."

Slow Cooker Scalloped Potatoes

This week's recipe is very helpful for those times when you want/need to use your oven for 2 different dishes for your dinner, but their cooking temps and times are much different. I hate that. So, instead of putting your scalloped potatoes in the oven, use your crockpot! Prep is minimal with this dish (although you do have to thinly slice some potatoes, but it isn't all that much), and it makes the potatoes so nice and tender. I have thought about adding some diced ham to this one time too, which would create a whole meal, not just a side dish.

Slow Cooker Scalloped Potatoes

- 1 cup sour cream (I used light)
- 1 can condensed cream of potato soup
- 1 tbsp worcestershire sauce
- 2 lb small red potatoes
- 1.5 cups shredded cheddar cheese or cheese blend (can double cheese to make cheesier, many of you do live in Wisconsin, after all :) - 1/2 tsp paprika
- 3 tbsp chopped fresh chives for topping

Thinly slice the potatoes into rounds, set aside. Mix sour cream, can of soup and worcestershire sauce together in a large bowl. Add the potatoes and stir until they are evenly coated.

Pour half of the potato mixture into your crockpot (I used my 4 quart crock for this recipe). Layer half of your cheese on that, then add the rest of the potatoes, and add the remaining cheese on top for the final layer. Cook on high for about 3 hours, or low for 6-7. If desired, top with the paprika and chives before serving, or just throw it on your plate and salt & pepper it like I do :) Makes 12 servings.