Slow Cooker Coconut and Red Curry Beef

 Chay liked it!

Vegetable oil

2 lbs beef stew meet

1/2 cup beef stock

1/4 cup Thai red curry paste

2 T fish sauce

1 T brown sugar

1 sliced yellow or sweet onion

1 can full fat canned coconut milk

Green beans

Lime juice

1. Heat skillet over medium-high, add oil, and swirl to coat. Add beef and cook in batches to brown on all sides. Place beef in slow cooker. Add stock to skillet to loosen browned bits from bottom of skillet. Transfer mixture to skillet.

2. In slow cooker, add curry paste, fish sauce, sugar, onion, coconut milk and stir to combine. Add trimmed green beans. Cook for 6-8 hours.

3. After finishing cooking, add lime juice. 

Serve with brown rice.

Slow Cooker French Dip Sandwich (also known as "Roast Beef")

 I made these last week and told the kids we were having French Dips. They crinkled up their face and refused to eat. The next day, I asked Ray what she wanted for dinner because she was going to be home for the first time in awhile. She said, "Something savory. Like, roast beef." 

I was driving and almost slammed into the car in front of me. "You know we had roast beef last night, right?"

"French Dips are Roast Beef? Why didn't you tell me that? I would have eaten it!"

So that night we had the rest of the French Dip and both kids cleaned their plate. From now on, we are having roast beef...

3 lb chuck roast

Montreal Seasoning

Canola oil

Salt and Pepper

1 cup beef broth + more

1 T Worcestershire Sauce

1 can beer (preferably dark but use something flavorful)

Rosemary

Thyme

Garlic, chopped

1 yellow onion, sliced thickly

Hoagie Rolls

Butter

Sliced Provolone Cheese

1. Heat oil in pan. Season roast with Montreal Seasoning or just salt and pepper. Sear on each side for 3-5 minutes. Place in slow cooker.

2. Cover roast with Beef broth through onion. Cover and cook for 6 hours in slow cooker.

3. When roast is finished, remove from slow cooker and shred. Place back in juice to keep warm.

4. Butter inside the rolls and lightly grill in pan. Place shredded beef in grilled roll and cover with sliced cheese. Place under broiler until melted. 

Tuscan Chicken Stew in the Crockpot

 Chicken breasts or thighs

4-5 carrots, sliced

3 celery stalks, chopped

1 onion, sliced

Yellow or red waxy potatoes, chopped

1 15 oz can diced fire-roasted tomato

1 6 oz can tomato paste

Parmesan rind and grated parmesan

2 T Italian seasoning

2-3 garlic, minced

32 oz chicken stock

1 T balsamic vinegar

2 T olive oil

Salt and Pepper

Just before serving:

1/4 cup water

2T cornstarch

1 T balsamic vinegar

1. Add everything to the slow cooker. Cover and cook 4-6 hours.

2. Remove the chicken and shred.

3. Mix together the water, cornstarch and balsamic vinegar until smooth. Add to the slow cooker, stirring to combine. Cover and cook on high an additional 5 minutes until the stew begins to thicken.

4. Add the chicken back to the stew.

Slow Cooker Mexican Shredded Beef

 Great protein for the Burrito Bowls!

1 3 pound beef chuck roast

1 medium onion, sliced

4 cloves garlic, chopped

1 4 ounce can green chilies

2 chipotles, chopped

1/2 cup beef broth

2 T apple cider vinegar

2 limes, juiced

1 T ground cumin

1 T dried oregano

1 t smoked paprika

Salt and Pepper

1. Layer sliced onion in the bottom of the slow cooker. Season meat with salt and pepper and place on top of onions. Sprinkle chopped garlic around the side of the beef.

2. In a small bowl, add green chilies, chopped chipotle, beef broth, vinegar and lime juice. Whisk and pour over the roast.

3. Sprinkle the top of the roast with the cumin, oregano, smoked paprika, salt and pepper. Place lid on the slow cook and set for 8 hours on low or high for 4 hours.

4. When finished, remove from the slow cooker and shred. Drain off 3/4 of the liquid from the pot. Add shredded beef back into the pot and gently toss with remaining juice.

Pork Carnitas in the Crock Pot

Great for Whole 30 or just any night. Serve with guacamole and salsa and Spanish cauliflower rice.

Pork rub
2 lb pork tenderloin
Dried oregano
Ground cumin
Salt and pepper
Olive oil (or avocado oil)

Crockpot carnitas
1/2 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeño, chopped
Salt and pepper
Juice of one lime
Juice of one navel orange

1. Combine rub ingredients and rub over tenderloin. Place in crockpot.

2. Top with remaining ingredients, cover, and cook on high for 4-6 hours or low for 6-8.

3. Remove tenderloin from crockpot and shred. Reserve juices.

4. Heat drizzle of oil in medium skillet over medium heat. Add enough carnitas to cover surface and ladle a little juice over. Cook until juice is evaporated and bottom of carnitas is crispy and browned. Continue until all meat is browned.

Parmesan Honey Pork Roast in the Slow Cooker

1 3 lb boneless pork roast
2/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup honey
3 T low-sodium soy sauce
2 T dried basil
2 T minced garlic
2 T olive oil
Salt and Pepper
2 T cornstarch
1/4 cup water

1. Spray slowcooker with cooking spray. Lay pork roast in cooker.

2. Whick Parmesan cheese, honey, soy sauce, basil, garlic, oil, and salt and pepper in a small bowl. Pour over pork roast.

3. Cook until roast is cooked completely through, 6 to 7 hours. Remove roast to cutting board and let rest.

4. Skim fat from cooking juices; discard. Ladle remaining juice to a small saucepan; bring to a boil.

5. Whick cornstarch into cold water in a bowl until dissolved; pour into boiling liquid in saucepan. Cook the liquid, stirring frequently, until thickened into a gravy, about 2 minutes.

Crockpot Pierogi Casserole

Great for Sunday Funday!

3 boxes pierogies
4 cups chicken broth
1 block cream cheese
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 lb kielbasa, sliced
Salt and Pepper

Combine all ingredients in your crockpot. Cook on high 3-4 hours or low for 6 hours.

Banh Mi Pork

2.5 lbs pork tenderloin
1 jalapeño
2 T ginger, grated
8 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1/3 cup brown sugar

1. Add pork to slow cooker

2. In a bowl, mix together jalapeño, ginger, garlic, soy sauce, vinegar, and sugar

3. Pour over pork. Cook on low for 4 hours. Serve with cucumber salad.

Harvest Pork and Parsnip Stew

From the Biggest Book of Slow Cooker Recipes

1 lb boneless pork shoulder
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 medium parsnips, peeled and cut into pieces
2 small green apples, cored, peeled and cut into slices
Medium onion, chopped
3/4 t dried thyme, crushed
1/2 t dried rosemary, crushed
Salt and pepper
2 cups apple cider

1. Trim fat from meat. Cut into 1 inch cubes

2. In a large crockpot, layer potatoes, parsnips, apples, and onion. Sprinkle with seasonings. Add meat. Pour apple cider over all.

3. Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours or high for 4 hours.

Thai Style Pork

2 lbs boneless pork loin, cut into four pieces

1 - 2 red bell peppers, julienned

1/4 cup teriyaki sauce

2 T rice vinegar or white wine vinegar

1 t crushed red pepper or one chopped jalapeño 

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 cup peanut butter

1/2 cup chopped green onions

Chopped roasted peanuts

Lime wedges

1. Place pork through garlic in slow cooker. Cook on high for one hour; reduce heat to low and cook for six hours. Remove pork and shred/chop. Add peanut butter and shredded pork.

2. Serve over jasmine rice with onions, peanuts and lime juice.

Cheesy Spinach and Artichoke Dip

1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes
1 14 oz can artichoke hearts, drained and coarsely chopped
1 10 oz package frozen spinach, thawed, drained and squeezed dry
1 8 oz block of cream cheese
1 8 oz tub sour cream
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup feta cheese
1/2 cup diced onion
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 T red wine vinegar
Black pepper
2 garlic cloves, crushed

Place all ingredients in a crock pot and cook on low for at least two hours, probably more.

Slow cooker chicken teriyaki

2 lbs. skinless chicken breasts
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup chopped sweet onion
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1 large chunk of ginger, minced
Ground pepper
1/4 cup water
3 T corn starch
Sliced onions and toasted sesame seeds

1. Add chicken to bottom of slow cooker.

2. In a bowl, whisk together garlic, onion, soy sauce, rice vinegar, ginger, and pepper. Pour mixture on top of chicken. Cover and cook 4-5 hours.

3. Remove chicken and shred. Transfer remaining sauce to saucepan.

4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the cold water and cornstarch until dissolved. Pour cornstarch slurry into teriyaki mixture and whisk to combine. Bring mixture to a boil and let boil for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat and pour over shredded chicken.

Serve with brown rice and steamed broccoli, and topped with scallions and toasted sesame seeds.

Reese Peanut Butter Cup Swirl Cake

Cake:

1 box yellow cake mix (Betty Crocker Super Moist)
1 cup water
3 eggs
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/3 cup softened butter
1/2 cup chocolate syrup

Topping:

3 T creamy peanut butter
2-3 T milk
1 cup powdered sugar
2 T chocolate syrup
 1 bag Reese miniatures, cut in half

1. Spray slow cooker with cooking spray.

2. Beat cake mix through butter with electric mixer on low for 30 seconds then medium speed for 2 minutes.

3. Remove 2/3 cup of the peanut butter mix; stir in 1/2 cup chocolate syrup to make fudge batter.

4. Spoon 1/2 of the remaining peanut butter mix into slow cooker, followed by all of the fudge batter. Top with remiaining peanut butter mix and swirl with a knife.

5. Cover and cook on high for 2 hours. Turn off slow cooker, uncover and remove insert to cool for at least 15 minutes.

6. In medium bowl, beat 3 T peanut butter and 2 T milk with whisk until smooth. Add powdered sugar. Mix until smooth. Spread glaze over cake. Drizzle with chocolate syrup. Sprinkle peanut butter cups over top.

Slow Cooker Chicken Parmesan

2 large or 3 small chicken breasts
Salt and pepper
3 or 4 (28 oz) cans crushed tomatoes
1 onion, diced
2 T dried basil
1 T dried oregano
1 T dried parsley
1 lb penne
2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1. Season chicken with salt and pepper and place in slow cooker.

2. Combine tomatoes through parsley. Stir over chicken in slow cooker. Cover and cook for 4 hours.

3. Remove chicken and shred.

4. Cook pasta according to cooking instructions. Drain and add to chicken mixture.

5. Top mixture with cheeses and cover. Cook on low heat for 30 minutes or until cheese has melted.

Beef Stew in the Crock Pot

We like it soupy, so we don't bother thickening the gravy.

3 lb chuck roast
5 or so red potatoes, chopped into one inch pieces
Sliced mushrooms
4 or so carrots
1 onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 T tomato paste
1 T Worcesrshire sauce
Salt and pepper
1 t dried thyme
1 t dried rosemary
3 cups beef broth
1 cup red wine

Brown the roast in olive oil for one or two minutes per side then place in the crock pot. Add remaining ingredients and cook for 8 hours on low. Shred meat and return to stew.

Company Pot Roast

The meat needs to be marinated for 8 hours - I always forget that! Now that the kids and I are back in the north, this one will be made regularly. Adapted from Cooking Light: Essential Slow Cooker, p. 20.

Company Pot Roast
1 (2 lb) boneless chuck roast, cut in half
1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup beef broth
1 small package of shiitake mushrooms
Ground black pepper
3 Tablespoons tomato paste
2 medium onions, quartered
1 16-oz package of carrots, cut into 2-inch pieces
16 small red potatoes, halved
1 Tablespoon canola oil
1 1/2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 Tablespoons water

1. Combine roast, soy sauce, and garlic in a large ziploc bag and marinate in refrigerator at least hours, turning bag occassionally.

2. Bring beef broth to a boil in a small saucepan, add mushrooms. Remove from heat, cover and let stand 20 minuts. Drain mushrooms over a bowl, reserving broth mixture.

3. Remove roast from bag, reserving marinade. Sprinkle roast with pepper, gently pressing pepper into roast. Combine reserved marinade, mushroom broth mixture and tomato paste, stir well, and set aside.

4. Place mushrooms, onion, carrot, and potato in slow cookr.

5. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, and add roast, browning well on all sides. Place roast over vegetables in cooker. Pour tomato past mixture into pan, scraping to loosen browned bits. Pour tomato paste mixture over roast and vegetables. Cover and cook on LOW 10 hours or until roast is tender. Place roast and vegetables on a serving platter, keep warm. Reserve cooking liquid in cooker, increase heat to HIGH.

6. Place flour in a bowl. Gradually add water, stirring with a whisk until well blended. Add flour mixture to cooking liquid in cooker. Cook, uncovered, 15 minuts or until slightly thick stirring frequently. Serve gravy with roast and vegetables.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

Our neighbor in Fort Myers, Meghan, made this dip for all of her parties. It makes an entire crock pot full of gooey, spicy goodness.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

1 stick Philly cream cheese
1 bottle Texas Pete's Buffalo Sauce
1 regular bottle of Ranch dressing
4 chicken breasts (boil the chicken in 2 cups of water for 15 minutes, flipping halfway, shred and throw in the crock pot)

Smoky Slow Cooker Chili

Can't take credit, it's totally from a Cooking Light mag, but very good! It asks for only a pound of pork shoulder, so this is good to use up leftovers, or if you can find a good butcher then you're golden. We made some adjustments, so the version below is a little different from the magazine.

Smoky Slow Cooker Chili, courtesy of Cooking Light, January/February 2009, p. 208.

1 lb ground pork
1 lb boneless pork shoulder
3 cups chopped onion
1 ¾ cups chopped red bell pepper
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup beer (lager, like Bud)
½ teaspoon salt, divided
3 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoons cumin
2 teaspoons dried oregano
Freshly ground pepper
6 tomatillos, quartered
2 bay leaves
25 oz (2 cans) plum tomatoes, undrained and chopped
1 (15 oz) can pinto beans, drained
1 (7 3/4 oz) can Mexican hot style tomato sauce
3 jalapenos, chopped (with ribs and seeds added)
1 smoked ham hock
1 tablespoon sugar
½ cup chopped cilantro
½ cup chopped green onions
½ cup crumbled queso fresco
lime wedges

1. Heat large skillet over medium heat. Add a little olive oil until heated through, add ground pork until brown. Drain well. Put in slow cooker.

2. Put a little more olive oil in the pan and add the pork shoulder. Brown on all sides and transfer pork to slow cooker.

3. Add a little more olive oil, add onion and bell pepper, sauté about 8 minutes. Add garlic, stir for a minute. Add tomato paste, stirring constantly for 1 minute then add beer, also cook for 1 minute. Put mixture in slow cooker.

4. To the slow cooker, add ¼ teaspoon salt, chili powder through ham hock.

5. Cover and cook on high 5 hours. Remove bay leaves and ham hock (do whatever you want with it afterwards). Stir in remaining salt and sugar.

6. Once in bowls, top with cilantro, green onions, and cheese.