Hot Apple Cider

Jennifer S.

CIDER SPICE BUNDLE
6 whole cloves
6 whole allspice berries
1 tsp dried orange rind
1 cinnamon stick, crushed

Using a clean coffee filter (or several layers of cheese cloth cut into squares and stacked on each other. Place cloves, allspice berries, orange rind and cinnamon on top, pull up corners and tie into bundle with string. Makes 1 bundle, enough for 1 gallon of cider or apple juice.

To make: Pour 1 gallon cider or apple juice in crock pot. Place Cider Spice Bundle in cider. Heat on high, until just until boiling, remove spice bundle. Serve hot.

Overnight Apple Oatmeal

Jennifer S.

2 apples, peeled, cored and sliced
1/3 cup brown sugar
4 cups water
2 cups old-fashioned or steel cut oats or Irish oats
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
Optional: chopped pecans or walnuts, and additional fruit such as raisins, dried cranberries, or chopped dates

Mix brown sugar and cinnamon with apple slices, coating apples.
Mix oatmeal with water and salt.
Put apples in bottom of crock pot and pour oatmeal mixture on top. Do not stir.
Cover and cook overnight on LOW (8 to 9 hours).
In the morning, stir thoroughly. Serve with milk and additional brown sugar.

Crock Pot Apple Butter (for those who don’t have the Squeezo thingys)

From Elaine V.’s grandma

8 cups apples diced
3 cups sugar

Place apples and sugar in a crock-pot and cook on high for 3 hours. Then on low for about 8 hours or overnight. Use hand mixer and blend to desired consistency. Add cloves and cinnamon and stir. Cook another 2-3 hours uncovered to thicken.

Pour into jars and seal. Hot water bath for 15 min.

Canned Apple Butter

Alison A.

13 cups apple pulp
3 ½ cups sugar
3 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp cloves
¼ tsp salt

Add all ingredients to crock pot, and set on low. Simmer until desired thickness (anywhere from 2-8 hours).
Stir occasionally
Simmer without lid on
Put in jars and process 10 minutes in water bath

Slow Cooker Chicken Burritos

Jennifer S.

1 clove garlic, minced
1 small red onion, chopped
14 1/2 oz canned diced tomatoes, with chiles
15 oz canned kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp dried oregano, crushed
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 pound skinless chicken, cut into bite-size pieces
3/4 cup canned chicken broth
12 medium tortillas, about 7-inches in diameter each
3/4 cup shredded Mexican-style cheese
salsa
sour cream

Place garlic, onion, tomatoes, beans, chili powder, salt, oregano and pepper in a 3-quart slow cooker; stir well. Add chicken and broth. Cover and cook on low setting for 5 hours; drain off liquid (there should be about 6 cups of burrito mixture).

To serve, spoon about 1/2 cup of burrito mixture down center of each tortilla; top with 1 tablespoon of cheese. Fold bottom 1/3 of tortilla to center. Fold left side to center; fold right side to center, covering filling. Repeat with remaining ingredients.
Serve with salsa and sour cream.

Easy Enchiladas

Mileka T.

Enchilada Sauce (from a can, your favorite)
Tortillas, corn or flour
Shredded chicken (cooked in crock pot)
shredded cheese

Coat tortilla with sauce on both sides (using a spoon on a large plate)
Sprinkle shredded chicken in a line in the center
Sprinkle shredded cheese on shredded chicken
Roll into a burrito
Line up in pan with fold side down
Sprinkle top with shredded cheese
Bake at 350 for 15-20 min.
Serve with salsa, spanish rice, refried beans, corn, veggies, sour cream, etc.

Note: cook a whole bunch of chicken in your crock pot and freeze the extra for later...so easy!

Fajita Pot Roast

Jennifer S.

3-5 lb beef or pork roast
1 med white onion thinly sliced
3 cloves of garlic minced
1 envelope taco seasoning
1/2 cup salsa
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup bell peppers and onions mix (frozen food section)

Place onions and garlic in crock pot, add roast.
Sprinkle with taco seasoning, salt and pepper. Cover with salsa.
Put lid on and cook on low for 8 hours or high 4 hours
Remove meat and shred. Put crock pot on high (If you cooked meat on low) Add peppers and onions mix to juice in crock pot.
Add meat back to crock pot after 20-30 mins and peppers and onions have heated through. Stir well.
Serve in warm tortillas with cheese, sour cream, salsa and avacado slices.

Totally Veggie Soup

Jennifer S.

This recipe makes a nice, light dinner for a night you might not be up to cooking or eating a hearty meal. It's also versatile in that just about any vegetable can be put into the pot. Use either leftover, frozen or fresh veggies. It freezes nicely, so take out large and small freezer-safe containers and pack up the soup for lunch- and dinner-size portions. Freeze and serve whenever you want a deliciously light meal.
And if you happen to have leftover "meat" in the fridge or freezer (chicken, roast, ground beef) you can add it during the last hour of cooking to heat through, if you don't want a "veggie" meal.

* 3 (14-oz.) cans chicken or vegetable broth
* 1 (29-oz.) can tomato purée
* 1 cup water
* 2 stalks celery, chopped
* 1 (1-lb.) bag frozen mixed vegetables
* 1 cup frozen corn
* 1 cup frozen green beans
* 1 onion, chopped
* 1 (15.8-oz.) can Great Northern beans, drained
* 2 TBS Worcestershire sauce
* 1/2 tsp. coarse-ground black pepper
* 1 tsp. minced garlic

1. Put all ingredients into slow cooker and cook on Low for 6 to 8 hours.

Buffalo Chicken Wing Soup

Jennifer S.

Love buffalo chicken wings? This easy crock pot recipe has the same zippy flavor. This spicy chicken soup recipe is very popular with friends and family. It's bound to receive compliments.

* 6 cups milk
* 3 cans (10-3/4 ounces) condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted
* 3 cups shredded cooked chicken (about 1 pound)
* 1 cup celery, diced (Optional)
* 1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
* 1/4 to 1/2 cup hot pepper sauce. More or less to your taste.
* blue cheese crumbles (Optional)

Combine all ingredients in a crock pot, except for blue cheese. Cover and cook on low for 4 - 5 hours.
Serve topped with blue cheese crumbles.

Chicken Ramen Soup

Jennifer S.

* 3 cups water
* 3 oz. pkg. chicken flavored ramen noodles
* 2 cups chopped cooked chicken breast
* 2 leaves bok choy (Chinese cabbage), sliced into thin strips
* 1 carrot, sliced thin
* 1 tsp. sesame oil

Place all into crock pot, except for oil and season packet from ramen noodles.
Stir, and set on low for 3 hours.
Before serving stir in oil and season packet.
Serves 1-2 can be doubled.

Tomato Tortellini Soup

Jennifer S.

* 2 (10 oz.) cans condensed tomato soup
* 2 cans of water
* 9 oz. pkg. refrigerated cheese tortellini
* 1 cup frozen peas
* 1/2 cup grated Parmesan or Cheddar cheese

Place all, except cheese, in crock pot. Stir well. Set on LOW for 3 hours.
Serve topped with cheese.

Slow-Simmered Chicken Rice Soup

Jennifer S.

1/2 cup uncooked wild rice
1/2 cup uncooked regular long-grain white rice
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
5 1/4 cup Chicken Broth
2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves , crushed
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 stalk celery , coarsely chopped (about 1 cup)
1 medium onion , chopped (about 1/2 cup)
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast half (about 1 pound), cut into cubes
sour cream (optional)
Chopped green onion (optional)

Stir the wild rice, white rice and oil in a 3 1/2-quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on HIGH for 15 minutes.

Stir the broth, thyme, red pepper, celery, onion and chicken in the cooker. Reduce the heat to LOW. Cover and cook for 7 to 8 hours or until the chicken is cooked through.

Serve with the sour cream and green onions, if desired.

Time-Saving: This recipe may also be cooked on HIGH for 4 to 5 hours.

Time-Saving: Speed preparation by substituting 3 cans (4.5 ounces each) Chicken Breast in Water, drained, for the skinless, boneless chicken breast halves.

The Whole Enchilada Chicken Soup

Jennifer S.

* 3 cups chicken broth
* 1 1/4 cups finely chopped celery
* 1/2 cup diced sweet yellow onion
* 3 cups green enchilada sauce
* One 15-oz. can pure pumpkin
* 10 oz. canned cooked and shredded chicken breast, drained
* 1 cup frozen white (or yellow) corn
* Optional: dash hot sauce, or more to taste
* Optional toppings: shredded cheddar cheese, crushed tortilla chips

Add all except for hot sauce, cheese and tortilla chips to crock pot.
Simmer on low for 3-5 hrs or high for 1-2 hr.
Before serving stir in a dash or two of hot sauce or NOT it's your soup!
Top with cheese and tortilla chips.

Chicken Corn Chili

Jennifer S.

2 TBS olive oil
1 1/4 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into bite size pieces
1 large onion, chopped
1 green pepper, cored and diced
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 can (14.5-oz) chicken broth
1 can (14.5-oz) diced tomatoes, drained
1 can corn, drained OR 1 10-oz box frozen corn, no need to thaw
2 cans (15-oz each) beans, drained and rinsed. This is where you can choose to mix or match your favorite beans (dark kidney, light kidney, white kidney, pinto, white, black, Navy, garbanzo)
grated cheddar cheese

In a skillet heat oil, brown chicken, onion and pepper together until chicken is no longer pink. Add to crock pot.
Add all ingredients except for cheese to crock pot, stir.
Set on low for 5 hrs or high for 2 hrs.
Serve topped with grated cheese.

Pasta Fagioli

Jennifer S.

1 lb sweet or hot Italian sausage, with casing removed
1 large onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (14.5-oz) Italian flavored stewed tomatoes
2 cans (14.5-oz each) chicken broth
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 cans Cannellini beans (white kidney beans)drained and rinsed
1 TBS tomato paste
2 cups small pasta shells OR another small pasta shape you like
1 bunch fresh kale, washed, tough stems discarded, cut into 1" pieces OR 1 small box frozen spinach, thawed and drained
grated Parmesan cheese

Brown sausage, breaking into smaller pieces, with onion and garlic. Drain and add to crock pot.
Add everything except pasta, kale and cheese to crock pot. Stir well. Cook on low for 5-6 hrs OR high for 2-3 hours.
During last 30 minutes of cook time add pasta and kale, stir well. Let simmer until pasta is tender (20-30 min) and kale is wilted.
Served with Parmesan cheese sprinkled on soup.

Beef and Bean Chili

Jennifer S.

2 lbs. ground beef
1 large onion, diced
1 red sweet pepper, cored and diced
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
6 TBS chili powder
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp cayenne
1/2 tsp salt
1 (28-oz) can fire-roasted, diced tomatoes
1 (15-oz) can tomato sauce
1 TBS sugar
1 TBS tomato paste
2 (15-oz) cans dark kidney beans, drained and rinsed
shredded cheese, sour cream, green onions

Brown beef with onions, sweet pepper and garlic. Drain and add to crock pot.
Add rest of ingredients EXCEPT for cheese, sour cream and green onions. Stir well. Cook on low for 5 hours or high for 2 hours.
Top with cheese, sour cream and green onions.

Slow Cooker Creamy Potato Soup

Marcy F.

6 slices bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 onion, finely chopped
2 (10.5 oz.) cans chicken broth
2 cups water
5 large potatoes, diced (red potatoes are excellent for this soup)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. dill weed
1 cup all purpose flour
2 cups half and half cream
1 (12 oz.) can evaporated milk

Place bacon in a skillet and cook over medium heat until brown. Add to slow cooker leaving the grease in the skillet. Saute onions in bacon grease until soft. Drain off excess grease and add onions to the cooker.
Stir in broth, water, potatoes, salt, pepper, and dill. Cover and cook for 6-7 hours on low, stirring occasionally.
In a small bowl, whisk together flour and half and half. Stir into soup along with the can of evaporated milk. Cover and cook another 30 minutes before serving. Serve with grated cheddar cheese.

Crock Pot Chicken and Dumplings

Marcy F.

4 skinless boneless chicken breasts
2 T butter
2 (10.75 oz.) cans condensed cream of chicken soup
1 can chicken broth
1 onion, finely chopped
2 ribs celery, diced
salt/pepper
2 (10 oz.) packages refrigerated biscuit dough, cut in pieces

Cut each chicken breast into 4-6 pieces. Place chicken, butter, soup, broth, onion, celery, salt and pepper in a slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for 5-6 hours. About 90 minutes before serving, put cut biscuit dough in cooker and cook until no longer raw in center. Serves 6

BEEF STEW

Shelli C.

Season to taste, salt, pepper, garlic.
1 can of Basil Spaghetti Sauce
1 can tomato sauce
1 can diced Italian (Flavor) Stewed Tomatoes, pour in entire can, not drained
1 can kidney beans, pour in entire can, not drained
1 can Corn, pour in entire can, not drained
1 can Green Beans, pour in entire can, not drained
1 cup noodles, (noodles will cook in stew)
1 lb ground beef, cook ground beef and drain, season to taste w/ Italian herb, salt and pepper

Put all contents in Cock pot for a few hours, on high.

Smashed Potato Soup

Jennifer S.

3-1/2 pounds potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch cubes
1/2 cup chopped yellow and/or red sweet pepper
1-1/2 teaspoons bottled roasted garlic
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
4-1/2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup whipping cream, half-and-half, or light cream
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
Sliced green onions ((optional)

In a 4- to 6-quart crock pot, combine potatoes, sweet pepper, garlic, and black pepper. Pour broth over all.
Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 8 to 10 hours or on high-heat setting for 4 to 5 hours.
Mash potatoes slightly with a potato masher. Stir in whipping cream, cheddar cheese, and the 1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions. If desired, top individual servings with additional sliced green onions. Makes 8 servings.