Crockpot French Onion Roast

I sure do love me a good roast. I didn't always, but once I learned the secrets of getting a yummy roast every time (low and slow; lots of salt), it's one of my favorite dishes. This was a good roast, the kids and Brad loved it, but I though the gravy fell a little flat. It didn't have as much flavor as a roast made the same way with Onion Soup mix. But it was still pretty good.

Crockpot French Onion Roast
kosher salt
coarse ground black pepper
3-4 pound boneless beef chuck roast
1-2 Tbsp canola oil
8 carrots, peeled and cut into large pieces
1 onion, quartered
1 (10.5oz) can Campbell’s condensed french onion soup
flour (optional)
water (optional)

Rub the roast with a generous amount of salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large skillet and sear meat over high heat. You want a nice brown color on each side of the roast. Add more oil and lower heat if needed. Remove from heat and set aside. Add the carrots and onion to the bottom of the crock pot. Pour the soup into the bottom of the crock pot along with 1/2 can of water.
Place roast in the crock pot on top of the vegetables. Cook on low for 10 hours.
Slice or shred roast removing and big pieces of fat. You can serve it like this with the "juice" from the roast or you can make gravy, like I did. Ladle most of the "juice" into a saucepan and bring to a simmer. In a small cup, mix 3-4 tablespoons of flour with a little water until it's the consistency of school glue. Pour slowly into the saucepan, a little at a time, whisking furiously to (hopefully) avoid lumps. Keep adding the "glue" until it's the consistency you desire...you may have to make more glue. Taste and adjust seasonings. I had to add salt and pepper.

Adapted from REAL MOM KITCHEN

Family Rating:
Brad: ****
Jordan: ***
Eli: ****
Phoebe: ****
Overall Family Rating: 15/20

Crockpot Carnitas

Despite the weird ingredients, this is soooo yummy! We usually freeze half after it's cooked because it makes so much. It makes really good tacos or quesadillas.

Crockpot Carnitas
3 pounds Boneless Pork Shoulder, Cut Into Cubes
¾ cups Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice
½ whole Lime, Juiced
7 cloves Garlic
1 Tablespoon Kosher Salt
1 Tablespoon Cumin
¼ cups Cilantro, Chopped
¼ cups Chicken Or Beef Stock

In a slow cooker, combine all ingredients and stir. Cook on high for 4-5 hours or low for 8-10 hours. Shred with a fork and serve in hot tortillas with cheese, sour cream, and fresh cilantro.

Adapted from TASTY KITCHEN

Family Rating:
Brad: *****
Jordan: ****
Eli: ***
Phoebe: ***
Overall Family Rating: 15/20

Crockpot Teriyaki Chicken

I made a half recipe of this, but next time I think I'll do the whole thing and freeze half. I think it would work well.

Crockpot Teriyaki Chicken
1 1/2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken thighs
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
1/3 heaping teaspoon ground ginger
2 cloves minced garlic
a pinch of pepper
2 1/4 teaspoons cornstarch
1 1/4 teaspoons cold water
Hot cooked long grain rice

Place chicken in a 4 qt. slow cooker. In a large bowl, combine the sugar, soy sauce, cider vinegar, ginger, garlic and pepper. Pour over chicken. Cover and cook on low for 2 to 3 hours or until chicken is tender. Remove chicken to a serving platter; keep warm. Skim fat from cooking liquid. Place liquid in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Combine cornstarch and water until smooth. Gradually stir into liquid and stir until sauce is thickened. Serve with chicken and rice.

Recipe adapted from LAKE LURE COTTAGE KITCHEN where you can find the doubled recipe.

Family Rating:
Brad: ****
Jordan: ***
Eli: ****
Phoebe: ****
Overall Family Rating: 15/20

Crockpot Italian Roast

It's not that I've forgotten about this little blog, I've just haven't been cooking the last several weeks. After my seizure (which you can read about HERE, HERE, HERE, and HERE), people were bringing me food for almost two weeks. It was great! And we had some great food, but I didn't have recipes for any of them so I didn't post. I'm back in the saddle again posting about a dish my dad made while he was here. Its an old family-favorite I grew up eating. And it's super-easy! Be sure to serve it with whole green beans, too. Not sure why (except they're pretty), but that's what we always ate with this dish. :)

Crockpot Italian Roast:
3-4 lb. rump roast (I normally use a chuck roast because I usually have one in the freezer)
1 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1 (4 oz.) can mushrooms, drained
1 diced onion
1 (1 1/2 oz.) package spaghetti seasoning
8 oz. tomato sauce
optional: 1/2-1 cup red wine (It makes it really, really good!)
1 lb. egg noodles

Place roast in the crockpot. Pour the rest of the ingredients (except egg noodles) over the top. Cook on low 8-10 hours or on high 4-5 hours. Shred roast with a fork. It should shred very easily. If it doesn't, it's not done. Serve over hot, cooked egg noodles.

Family Rating:
Brad: ****
Jordan: ****
Eli: ****
Phoebe: *****
Overall Family Rating: 17/20

Crockpot Creamy Chicken Enchilada Soup

I put this in the crockpot before church on Sunday. It was perfect! I served it with hot tortillas and a fruit salad.

Crockpot Creamy Chicken Enchilada Soup

1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes
1 can whole kernel corn
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 10-ounce can enchilada sauce (I used mild)
1 10.75-ounce can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 1/2 cups milk
shredded Pepper jack cheese (4 ounces)
2 chicken breasts

In a 3 1/2 to 5 quart slow cooker, combine drained beans, tomatoes, corn, and bell pepper. Place 2 chicken breasts on top of mixture. In a large bowl, whisk together enchilada sauce and soup. Gradually whisk in milk until smooth. Pour sauce mixture over ingredients in cooker.Cover; cook on low heat for 6 to 8 hours or on high for 3 to 4 hours. Remove chicken and cut or shred into bite sized pieces. Add chicken back into soup. Top with pepper jack cheese and serve. Can also be topped with avocado, sour cream, or crushed tortilla chips. Note: if the soup is too thick for you, just add a little more milk after it’s all cooked.

Adapted from REAL MOM KITCHEN

Family Rating:
Brad: ****
Jordan: ***
Eli: *****
Phoebe: ****
Overall Family Rating: 16/20

Classic Beef with Noodles

This dish didn't get great reviews, but I think it's because I thought I had more sour cream than I did. I had to make a buttermilk/butter substitution that affected the taste. I'd like to try it again sometime with ALL the right ingredients because it was so fast!

Classic Beef with Noodles
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 1/2-2 lbs. stew meat
1/4 lb. mushrooms, cut in half
2 tablespoons chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt
black pepper
1 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon marjoram
1 bay leaf
1 1/2 cups beef broth
1/3 cup dry sherry
8 oz. sour cream
1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup water
egg noodles

Brown beef in oil in a large skillet over high heat. Combine beef, mushrooms, onion, garlic, slat, pepper, oregano, pepper, marjoram, and bay leaf in a 4 qt. slow cooker. Cook on low 8-10 hours or high 4-5 hours. Remove and discard bay leaf. Combine sour cream, flour, and water in a small bowl. Stir in 1 cup liquid from slow cooker into sour cream mixture. Add to the slow cooker. Cook, uncovered, on high for 30 more minutes or until thickened and bubbly. Taste to adjust seasonings. Serve over hot egg noodles.

Family Rating:
Brad: **
Jordan: ***
Eli: ****
Phoebe: *****
Overall Family Rating: 14/20

Crockpot Beef Bourguignon

Crockpot Beef Bourguignon
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon course salt
2 pounds beef stew meat
3 tablespoons bacon fat, olive oil or a combination of the two
2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
5-6 carrots, diced
3 stalks celery, chopped
1 1/2 cups good-quality red wine, such as Burgundy or Beaujolais
1/2 cup beef broth
1 bay leaf
4-5 sprigs fresh rosemary, chopped finely
2-3 sprigs fresh thyme, strip off the leaves
2 to 3 tablespoons butter
2 shallots, peeled and separated if large
1 (8-ounce) package Baby Bell mushrooms, cleaned and halved
1 lb. egg noodles

Put the flour, salt and pepper in a zip-top bag. Trim the meat to remove visible fat and place in the bag. Shake to coat the meat with flour and seasonings. Heat the bacon fat or olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the meat and sauté, in batches if necessary, on both sides until browned. Once the meat is browned, add the garlic and cook a few minutes. Transfer the meat to a slow cooker. Sear the carrots in the pan and then add to slow cooker. Add wine and broth to the sauté pan and stir with a wooden spoon, scraping up the browned bits that stick to the pan. Pour the liquid over the meat in the slow cooker. Add the bay leaf, rosemary, and thyme, cover and cook on low for 5 to 6 hours.

One hour before the finished cooking time, heat the butter in a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and mushrooms and sauté, in batches if necessary, until lightly browned. Add to the slow cooker, cover and cook an additional hour. Right before ready to serve, cook noodles according to package directions. Serve stew over noodles.

Adapted from THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS

Family Rating:
Brad: ***
Jordan: ****
Eli: ***
Phoebe: ****
Overall Family Rating: 14/20

Crockpot Chicken and Dumplings

I cannot tell you how good this is. Be sure to use name brand biscuits because I think the store brand ones have a funny taste to them. But I'm crazy that way.

Crockpot Chicken and Dumplings
chicken, 1-2 pounds
1 can cream of chicken
2 cans chicken broth
1 1/2 cup water
cut up carrots
celery
about 1 teaspoon of ground thyme (I don’t measure this and I use sparingly because I don’t love thyme.)
lots of ground black pepper
salt
1 package of biscuits

Combine chicken (I just put the frozen, whole chicken breasts in the crock pot), chicken broth, cream of chicken, water, peas, carrots, and your choice of seasonings, such as parsley, salt, pepper, garlic and onion powder to the Crock Pot and turn it to low (high if you want it to cook faster). Cook on low all day. (I’ve never had the chicken not cook all the way through.)

About 30 minutes before ready to eat, shred the chicken, cut biscuits into quarters, roll into balls and place in the Crock Pot. Stir occasionally. Sometimes it takes the biscuits about an hour to cook. Cover again until ready to eat.

Family Rating:
Brad: ****
Jordan: ****
El: ****
Phoebe: *****
Overall Family Rating: 17/20

Brown Sugar Crockpot Pork Loin

Photo from C&C Marriage Factory

Brown Sugar Glazed Pork Loin
1 (2 pound) boneless pork loin
1 teaspoon ground sage
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/2 cup water

Glaze
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons soy sauce

Combine sage, salt, pepper and garlic. Rub over roast. Place in slow cooker with 1/2 cup water. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. About 1 hour before roast is done, combine ingredients for glaze in small sauce pan. Heat and stir until mixture thickens. Brush roast with glaze 2 or 3 times during the last hour of cooking. Serve with remaining glaze on the side.

Recipe from C&C MARRIAGE FACTORY

Family Rating:
Brad: ****
Jordan: ***
Eli: ****
Phoebe: ****
Overall Family Rating: 15/20

Crockpot Enchilada Soup

The day I served this, the kids both had friends over after church. All four kids gobbled it up and asked for seconds!

Photo by Real Mom Kitchen

Crockpot Enchilada Soup
1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes
1 10-ounce package frozen whole kernel corn
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped yellow, green, or red bell pepper (I used red)
1 10-ounce can enchilada sauce (I used mild)
1 10.75-ounce can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 1/2 cups milk
1 cup shredded Pepper jack cheese
2 chicken breasts

In a 3 1/2 to 5 quart slow cooker, combine drained beans, tomatoes, corn, onion, and bell pepper. Place 2 chicken breasts on top of mixture. In a large bowl, whisk together enchilada sauce and soup. Gradually whisk in milk until smooth. Pour sauce mixture over ingredients in cooker.Cover; cook on low heat for 6 to 8 hours or on high for 3 to 4 hours. Remove chicken and cut or shred into bite sized pieces. Add chicken back into soup. Top with pepper jack cheese and serve. Can also be topped with avocado, sour cream, or crushed tortilla chips.

Recipe from REAL MOM KITCHEN

Family Rating:
Brad: *****
Jordan: ***
Eli: *****
Phoebe: ****
Overall Family Rating: 17/20

Crockpot Cajun Spaghetti

Recipe from Carrie Nimz (aka "Sister")

Crockpot Cajun Spaghetti
2 lbs. ground beef
1 regular bag seasoning blend (this is in the frozen vegetable section at Wal-Mart and it has diced onions, celery, and bell peppers)
1-2 teaspoons Tony Chachere's Cajun seasoning
1/2 teaspoon white pepper (I substituted black)
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Tone's granulated garlic, to taste (I used a small palmful)
Tone's Italian seasoning (I used a small palmful)
Tone's Rosemary Garlic seasoning (about a tablespoon)
Bay leaves ( I use 3 large or 5 small)
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 jar Alfredo sauce
1-2 jar Tomato Basil spaghetti sauce (I used one, but next time I'll use two)

Cook beef until done in a large skillet and season with everything except sauces and bay leaves. Add to crockpot, along with sauces and bay leaves, and cook on low anywhere from 2 hours to all day. Serve over spaghetti noodles. Freeze leftovers in ziplock bags for future use.

Family Rating:
Brad: **
Jordan: **** (Extra star because it's an easy, crockpot meal and makes enough to freeze for two more meals.)
Eli: ****
Phoebe: *****
Overall Family Rating: 15/20

Notes: This was one of those recipes that didn't really come with measurements so I just guessed and documented what I did. It wasn't Brad's favorite because he said he like "regular" spaghetti better. Unfortunately, "regular" spaghetti is a little more involved and this was so dang easy.

Pepperoncini Beef Sandwiches

Pepperoncini Beef Sandwiches

1/2+ tsp. kosher salt
1/2+ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons of olive or cooking oil
3 lb. beef roast, trimmed of excess fat
4-5 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 16-oz. jar sliced pepperoncinis, undrained
Crusty sandwich rolls (for sandwiches)
Sliced provolone cheese (for sandwiches)

Heat oil in a pot or high-sided skillet over high heat. While the oil is heating, combine the salt and pepper and rub it into the meat. Add more if necessary. When the oil is hot, sear the roast on all sides so the outsides of it is browned and a little crispy. Transfer the roast to a slow cooker and add the minced garlic and the entire jar of pepperoncinis. If possible, cook on high until the liquid comes to a boil and then turn it to low and cook until the roast shreds easily with a fork, for a total cooking time of about 6-8 hours. If not possible, cook on low for 8-10 hours or until the beef is fork tender.

For sandwiches, slice the rolls and spread lightly with mayonnaise and then top with the shredded beef. Add a slice of provolone cheese and then place under the broiler for 1-3 minutes or until the bread is toasted and the cheese is melted. Serve immediately. Makes 12 large sandwiches.

Recipe adapted by Our Best Bites from Allrecipes

Rating:
Brad: ***
Jordan: **** (Four stars because it's waaaaay easy.)
Eli: ***
Phoebe: * (She thought it was too hot, but ate a little.)
Overall Family Rating: 11/20