Crock Pot Bacon Cheeseburger Dip

**originally posted on www.WGLR.com on 1-26-15**

Super Sunday is this weekend! I wish my Packers were still playing, but oh well. Still had a great season! And it's still a good reason for a PARTY! If you are hosting a party for the big game, or need a dish to pass at somebody else's party, I'm helping you out this week. I made this around Christmas and it is really yummy! Lo-cal? No. BUT, it's the biggest game of the year, and gobbling up extra calories is part of the fun, right? It's Crock Pot Bacon Cheeseburger Dip! Nom nom nom! We ate it with tortilla chips, but I think it would go great on some chunks of big crusty bread, too.

CROCK POT BACON CHEESEBURGER DIP

• 1 lb of lean ground beef or turkey
• 8 oz package of cream cheese, cubed
• 2 c shredded cheddar cheese
• 10 oz can of diced tomatoes with green chiles (like Rotel)
• 6 oz package of real bacon bits, divided
• 1 t dried parsley
• assorted dippers like tortilla chips, bread chunks, etc.

Brown the meat in a skillet and drain. Add to the skillet over low heat: cheeses, the diced tomatoes with it's juices, and all of the bacon bits except for 2 tablespoons (save that for garnish on top when ready to serve). Cook until all cheeses are melted and the mixture is well blended. Transfer to crock pot (a 2 quart one is best unless you are doubling the recipe) and cook on low for 2-3 hours, stirring occasionally. Stir in parsley and top with bacon bits just before serving.

Crock Pot Kielbasa Bites

**originally posted on www.WGLR.com on 12-29-14**

I tested this week's recipe on my lovely co-workers here at QueenB Radio at our Holiday Potluck last week, and it was liked! So, thanks to their approval, I am sharing it with all of you! It's Crock Pot Kielbasa Bites! This is a great dish to take to any New Year celebrations or playoff footbal/Super Bowl parties! I doubled the recipe for the work potluck. Just make sure you don't overcook it though, and Hubs said that the leftovers the next day weren't all that fantastic. But they sure are delicious when eaten fresh right out of the crock! You may look at the ingredients and think I'm crazy, but for real, it's a wonderful flavor. I used a mix of kielbasa and smoked sausage when I made it. I imagine this would taste great on any kind of sausage you wanted to slice up and throw in! Even cocktail weinies!

 

 

CROCK POT KIELBASA BITES

• 1 lb. kielbasa (or smoked sausage)
• 1 cup apricot preserves
• 1/2 cup dijon mustard

Slice up the kielbasa and put in the crock. In a bowl, mix together the apricot preserves and mustard until well combined. Pour into the crock and stir together to evenly coat all of the sausage. Cook on low for 2-3 hours or high for 1-2.

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.

The Crock is back! Season 3's first recipe is Cafe Rio Chicken!

(originally posted on www.WGLR.com on 10-14-13)

IT’S BAAAAAAAAAAAAACK!!!

The first Crock of the Week for this season! This is the third season of sharing recipes with you all, and I enjoy it so much.  I use my crock pot all year long, not just in the colder months. This particular recipe I made a few times this summer, it’s PERFECT for parties and get-togethers. For my daughter’s 1st birthday in June, I had a chicken taco/nacho bar, and made a huge batch of this for people to build their own tacos with. I also had some buns on-hand for those who preferred to eat it in sandwich form. I also made it when we had a cabin getaway weekend with friends, everybody loved it! It’s so versatile! leftovers can be used for a taco salad, enchiladas & burritos, cheesy chicken dip for your next football party, you name it. Plus, it freezes well. Make a double or triple batch and freeze some of it to use later for a lickety-split meal. And I admit that I call it “crack chicken” because it is so addictive! It’s so  tasty! Haha!

CAFE RIO CHICKEN

• 2lbs chicken breasts
• 3/4 cup zesty Italian dressing
• 1/2 Tbsp minced garlic
• 1 packet (3 Tbsp) dry ranch dressing mix (mixed with 1/2 cup water)
• 1/2 Tbsp chili powder
• 1/2 Tbsp cumin

Put chicken in the crock pot. Add all ingredients, and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or until chicken easily shreds up with a fork. Shred chicken with 2 forks and return to crock. I like to let it cook for at least another half hour so the shredded chicken soaks up all the juices. Enjoy!

**TIP!!! If you make a double or triple batch, here is a SUPER easy way to shred a large amount of chicken: If you have a stand mixer like a kitchenAid, put the cooked chicken in there with the paddle attachment, and in less than a minute, you will have perfectly shredded chicken!

DIPS!

With our new & improved WGLR website, I can keep a fe recipes at a time on the Midday Buffet page at WGLR.com, so I am a bit behind moving som eover into the archives! These two dips were the Crock of the Week over Christmas & New Year. Both are good year 'round, and especially with the Superbowl just around the corner. Great for parties! Both can be kept warm in the crock pot for hours to serve and enjoy.

Crock Pot Reuben Dip

• 1 8oz brick cream cheese
• 2 cups shredded swiss cheese
• 1 lb. corned beef, finely chopped
• 1 can sauerkraut (about 15oz can), not drained
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup Thousand island dressing (depends on how soft you want the dip)
• 1 to 2 loaves rye or pumpernickel cocktail party bread

Cube up the cream cheese and add to the crock with the shredded swiss cheese and the corned beef. Give that all about a half hour on high to melt together. The add the can of kraut, stir. Add the thousand island dressing until it is the consistency you want (it will get a bit thicker as it cooks together). Continue to cook on high for about another half hour until it is all heated through. Then you are OK to keep it in warm to serve and enjoy for a few hours. Spread on the cocktail bread to eat. YUM! Store leftovers in the fridge, and just warm leftovers in the microwave.

Crock Pot Salsa Spinach Queso Dip

• 1 8oz brick cream cheese, cubed up
• 1 lb Velveeta, cubed up
• 1-10 oz. package frozen chopped spinach, drained
• salsa of your choice, about 12-16 oz (or 1 can Rotel if you want more kick)
• a handful of chopped up fresh cilantro (optional, but tasty!)

Throw the cheeses in the pot and add the other ingredients on top. It will take about an hour on HIGH for everything to melt together nicely, stir every 10-15 minutes to keep it all blended and melting evenly. Then just set on warm for people to enjoy for hours! We used tortilla chips, but I think chunks of bread or cocktail rye would work nicely with this dip too.
You can use light versions of the cream cheese and Velveeta (2%) if you would like.
Happy New Year! I hope 2013 is a great year for you all!

Crockpot Meatballs & Wienies

This week's recipe is like last week's sugared pecans, in that this would make a great dish to take to a potluck Christmas party, or it would be a tasty addition to any appetizer table you may be hosting or attending. I got this recipe from my Dad. When I was growing up, I was active in sports, music & theatre, so we had lots of potluck banquets to attend. My Dad usually brought these, and they were a hit. When I asked him for the recipe when I was in college, I was so surprised at how simple it was, and what the ingredients were. I whipped these up yesterday when we got home, made for a nice quick supper, too! Don't let the ingredients scare you, the sauce is not sweet, like you may think it would be with the grape jelly.

Crock Pot Meatballs & Wienies

One 32oz jar Grape JELLY (NOT jam)
Two 12oz jars chili sauce (chili sauce is by the ketchup/BBQ sauces in the store)
One 32oz bag frozen meatballs (I prefer the Italian style)
Two 14oz bags pork cocktail wienies, beef cocktail wienies, or Lil Smokies weiners (I like to use 2 different kinds, I usually do 1 pork and 1 beef)

For this amount, use a 6 quart slow cooker or larger. Now, you can put the jelly and chili sauce in the crockpot until the jelly melts, but I find that takes waaaay too long. So I throw the jelly in a glass dish (don't use plastic, the jelly gets really hot) and microwave it for about 5-6 minutes to melt it, then I combine it in the crock with the chili sauce. Then add the meat, stirring to coat all the pieces.

When I make these, they are usually for a potluck or holiday get together at midday. So I turn them on high in the morning for an hour or 2 while I get ready. Then I transport them and leave on low for a few hours when I get to where I am going, until it is time to eat. When at home, I cook on high for an hour, then low for at least 3. Everything in there is already fully cooked, so it is up to you how long you want to cook them. The longer you cook, the more tender and flavorful they are. But don't leave on high for long, because the sauce will get too thin and you don't want it to burn.

These are GREAT for football parties too! You can also make a half batch for a smaller event. which is what I do when I make them at home. Just use 1 smaller jar of jelly (around 18oz), 1 jar chili sauce, 1/2 bag meatballs, and one package of wienies. I use my smaller 4 quart crock for that.