Slow Cooker Coconut Thai Curry Chicken Breasts

YUM.  EASY.

That's all you need to know about this recipe!  Now go get the ingredients and make it asap!

I found this recipe at Slender Kitchen and we loved it.  I made it with 2-3 oz of curry paste and no jalapeños because our children were eating this too.  My oldest liked it okay - the 4 year old didn't care for it at all.  Next time I would make this spicier for us and just give the kids something else to eat.  It has great flavor and is so easy!!

Ingredients:
2 pounds chicken breasts
1 14 oz can coconut milk
up to 4 oz green curry paste or to taste (I would say we like about 3 oz)
3 T brown sugar
1 12 oz bag Asian vegetables
Optional: up to 2 whole jalapeños
Serve over rice or noodles

Directions:

Add chicken to slow cooker.  In a bowl, whisk together coconut milk, curry paste and brown sugar.  Taste and add more curry paste if needed.  Add sauce to crockpot.  Stir to combine.  If using jalapeños for extra heat add them whole to the crockpot.

Cook on low for 4 hours.  Add vegetables and cook for 30 minutes more.   Now is a good time to start cooking the rice or noodles you are serving this on top of.  (I did salt and butter the rice)  I served over rice to keep this gluten free.  Enjoy!

Blue Ribbon Chili

Anyone who really knows me knows that I don't like chili that much. As a child that was one meal I didn't have to eat and could have a bowl of cereal instead. I also didn't have to eat sweet and sour meatballs. The smell of those two meals cooking would send me gagging and running to my room to get away from the smell. Blech!

Now that I am an adult I do like some chili recipes. I have only ever made one chili recipe because I was afraid I wouldn't like it. Well, I overcame my fear and tried a new chili recipe. This chili, to me, is very similar to what you would order in a diner. It is a hearty chili and a great to eat on a cold winter night. I still like MY chili recipe better but I would make this again. For you chili lovers out there, definitely give this recipe a try!

I found this on allrecipes.com and used a slow cooker instead of cooking it on the stove. I also made Beer Bread in my bread machine to serve with this chili. I'll get that recipe up soon. :)

Ingredients:
2 pounds ground beef
1/2 onion, chopped
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
2 1/2 cups tomato sauce (I used spaghetti sauce)
1 (8 ounce) jar salsa
4 tablespoons chili seasoning mix
1 (15 ounce) can light red kidney beans
1 (15 ounce) can dark red kidney beans
(I only used one can of beans b/c that is what I had!)

In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine the ground beef and the onion and saute for 10 minutes, or until meat is browned and onion is tender. Using a slotted spoon, add the beef/onion mixture to a slow cooker. Add the ground black pepper, garlic salt, tomato sauce, salsa, chili seasoning mix and kidney beans. Mix well, and cook on low 5-6 hours or until hot and bubbly.

Serve with crispy bread and a salad. Frito scoops also go nicely with this chili if you want something with a little extra crunch. :) Enjoy!

Crockpot Pumpkin Chili

This is a great recipe for a cool Fall day.  Jordan is doing the South Beach diet right now so I have been trying to find recipes that will meet his dietary needs but also fit my need to have comfort food when it's cool outside!  I follow this blog Kayln's Kitchen and she only puts up recipes that will fit one of the three phases for South Beach.  This chili you can eat under any of the three phases.  I thought it was good and Jordan thought it was better than the chili I normally make!  Definitely a keeper and it's healthy for you too!

Here's the recipe with the changes I made.

Ingredients:
2-3 tsp olive oil
1 pound ground beef (10% or less fat for South Beach)
1 medium onion, diced
1 green pepper, diced
1 T minced garlic
1 T ground cumin
1 T chili powder (I used a heaping tablespoon)
1 tsp dried oregano
4 oz diced green chile peppers
2 cups beef broth
15 oz can red kidney beans, rinsed with water
1 can pumpkin puree
2 cans petite diced tomatoes, with juice
grated cheddar cheese & sour cream for serving

Directions:
Heat a small amount of oil in a large heavy frying pan, add ground beef, season with salt and fresh ground black pepper, and cook until the beef is well browned.  Add browned meat to the crockpot.

I had plenty of oil in my pan so I didn't need to add more - add a little more oil if you need it - add diced onion and green pepper and cook 2-3 minutes, until the onion and pepper are starting to soften.



Add minced garlic, ground cumin, chili powder, dried oregano & green chilies and saute a couple minutes more. 















Put the onion mixture into the crockpot, then deglaze the pan with the beef broth and add that to the crockpot.

Drain the beans into a colander in the sink and rinse with cold water.  Add beans to the crockpot along with the canned pumpkin and diced tomatoes.















Stir the mixture to combine and then cook on high for 4-6 hours. 















Mine cooked on high for about 4 1/2 hours and was perfect.

Serve hot topped with grated cheese & sour cream.  I also served this with a salad and biscuits (for me only) Yum!!

White Bean and Apple Chili

I received 5 new cookbooks for Christmas this year. I've been going through them and tagging recipes that I'd like to try at some point. I found this recipe in Make it Fast, Cook it Slow by Stephanie O'dea. She is also a blogger and I had checked her food blog out a few times before I got her cookbook. She used nothing but her crock pot for cooking for a whole year! She's got some interesting recipes, that's for sure! You can check out her blog by clicking here.

This is a completely different twist on chili. But we really liked it so definitely give it a try!

Ingredients:
3 Tablespoons butter
2 (15 oz) cans of white beans, drained and rinsed
1 onion chopped
2 green apples, cut in tiny chunks (no need to peel)
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
3 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1/2 cup plan nonfat yogurt
1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Directions:
Put the butter in your crock pot along with the beans, onion & apple. Add garlic chili powder, thyme, cumin, salt and pepper. Pour in broth & the yogurt.



Combine ingredients together.



Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4-5 hours. The chili is done when the onion has softened and the flavors have melded.

My new crockpot cooks hotter than what I was expecting so mine got a little overcooked. Still tasted great but yours might not look like mine when it's done.



Stir in cheddar cheese before serving. I just sprinkled the cheddar cheese on top of the chili once I placed it in the bowls.

We liked this chili but it is very light. I'd recommend serving some sort of bread with it along with a salad. Definitely a different kind of chili but in a good way!

Slow-Cooked Moroccan Short Ribs

I found this recipe in one of my Cuisine at Home magazines. I've never made short ribs before but this recipe was really good. It went nicely with crusty garlic bread and a salad. My photos were not the greatest this time - but this recipe is definitely worth trying!

For the rub:
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground tumeric
1 tsp salt

For the ribs:
2 1/2 bounds short ribs (I used 4)
1 tbsp olive oil
3 1/2 cups beef broth divided
2 cups carrots cut into 2-inch chunks
10 baby Yukon gold potatoes (2 cups)
1/2 onion, root intact
2 Tbsp honey
1 tsp red pepper flakes
6 Tbsp flour
1/2 cup dried apricots
2 tsp lemon juice

Directions:

Combine cinnamon, ginger, cumin, tumeric, and salt in a small bowl and rub onto ribs.

Sear ribs in oil in a large saute pan over high heat until browned on all sides. Transfer to slow cooker and pour off oil from pan.



Deglaze with 3 cups broth, scraping bits from the bottom. Transfer deglazing broth, carrots, potatoes, onion, honey and pepper flakes to the slow cooker.

Simmer ribs in the slow cooker on high-heat setting until fork-tender, about 3 1/2 hours. Discard onion and strain fat from the surface of sauce. Whisk flour and remaining broth together and stir into the slow cooker with the apricots. Simmer until ribs are fork tender and sauce has thickened, about 30 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice before serving.

Slow Cooker Beef Stew

I have several beef stew recipes. This particular recipe I tried for the first time this week and I found the recipe on allrecipes.com. I made the recipe as it was stated except I shredded the meat once it was cooked. I really liked this recipe because I didn't have to brown the meat first ~ tasted great without having to do that extra step!

Ingredients:
2 pounds beef stew meat, cut into 1 inch cubes
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 onion, chopped
1 1/2 cups beef broth
3 potatoes, diced
4 carrots, sliced
1 stalk celery, chopped

Directions:
Place meat in slow cooker. In a small bowl mix together the flour, salt, and pepper; pour over meat, and stir to coat meat with flour mixture.



Stir in the garlic, bay leaf, paprika, Worcestershire sauce, onion, beef broth, potatoes, carrots, and celery. Cover, and cook on Low setting for 10 to 12 hours, or on High setting for 4 to 6 hours.

So, here is where the recipe and I differ. I saw this in the crockpot and it just did not look appetizing to me. I didn't want to have to eat my stew with a fork.



I took out as much meat as I could and placed it on my cutting board.



At this point the meat is so tender you barely have to pull at it with a fork for it to shred. Once the meat is shredded, put it back into the crockpot for another 20 minutes to warm back up.



At this point I tasted the stew and decided to add some seasoned salt.



Serve with toasted bread, garlic bread - some sort of bread is a must!

Stefanie's Chili

Well, actually it's not my chili. It's real name is Stratford's Sweet Chili from a Crockpot Cookbook. But it's the only chili recipe that I make! When I was little I HATED chili. Really, really hated it. The smell of it cooking would make me gag. That was one of the meals that I was allowed to eat something else for dinner if my parents were eating chili. I am still not the biggest fan of most chili but I really like this one. You must make garlic bread to eat with this - this is a must!!! I promise it won't be as good without it!

Ingredients:
1 can (19 oz) Chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 can (19 oz) Red kidney beans, drained & rinsed
1 can (28 oz) Chopped tomatoes with herbs and spices
1 can (10 oz) Corn kernels, drained
2 Carrots, peeled & diced
2 Large garlic cloves, minced
1 Red onion, finely chopped
1 cup Ketchup
¼ cup Liquid honey
3 Tbsp Chili Powder
½ tsp Cayenne Pepper
1 green pepper diced
1 yellow pepper diced
1 red pepper diced
Sour Cream
Cheddar Cheese, grated

Directions:
In slow cooker, combine chickpeas, kidney beans, tomatoes, corn, carrots, garlic & red onion. In a bowl combine ketchup, honey, chili powder, and cayenne; mix well and pour into slow cooker. Stir to combine.

Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 4-6 hours, until hot and bubbling. Add green, yellow & red pepper and cook on high for an additional 20-25 minutes.

Serve in bowls with a dollop of sour cream and grated cheddar cheese.

Venison Italian Soup

For those of you who do not have venison or do not like it hamburger would work just fine with this recipe. When my parents came to visit last time they brought a bunch of venison meat with them and this is a great recipe to use ground venison if you have some and do not know what to do with it. This recipe freezes well too! You can add whatever vegetables you want to suit your tastes.

Ingredients:
1 pound ground venison
1 onion, chopped
1 (14.5 ounce) can stewed tomatoes
2 (8 ounce) cans tomato sauce
3 cups water
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 teaspoons dried basil
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 (15 ounce) can pinto beans
1 (15 ounce) can green beans
1 carrot, chopped
1 zucchini, chopped (I omitted this)
1/2 (16 ounce) package seashell pasta


DIRECTIONS
Brown venison, onion, and garlic over medium heat until meat is no longer pink. Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, water, and spices. Bring to a boil, and then simmer for about 30 minutes.



At this point, taste the sauce and see if it has enough seasonings for you. I felt it was a bit bland for our tastes so I added more basil, oregano, pepper, & some garlic salt.

Stir in beans, carrots, and whatever other vegetables you'd like to add. Simmer soup for 90 minutes.



The recipe calls for you to add pasta and cook it in the soup. I did that this time but next time I would recommend cooking the pasta separate and adding it to the soup when you are ready to serve.

See how the pasta looks like it's taking over the soup?



Top individual servings with grated cheese, and serve.

Slow Cooker Chicken and Dumplings

I've been on a crockpot kick over the past week. I rarely use my crockpot in the summer but for some reason I used it twice last week. I found this Chicken and Dumpling recipe on allrecipes.com and honestly my version is completely different. I thought the original recipe had a good start but really needed extra ingredients to make it a good meal. Here's what I did.

Ingredients:
3 chicken breasts
2 cans condensed cream of chicken soup
1 cup chopped carrots
2 stalks chopped celery
1 cup frozen peas
1/2 medium onion, chopped
2 Tablespoons butter
1 can refrigerated biscuits
1/4 teaspoon pepper (or more to taste)
1/2 teaspoon salt (or more to taste)

Directions:
Place the butter, soup, veggies, seasonings and onion in a slow cooker. Stir to combine, then place chicken into soup mixture. Fill with enough water to cover.

Cover, and cook for 5 hours on High.
This is my favorite part - walk away!!


Remove chicken breasts and shred on a cutting board. Put the chicken back into the slow cooker, stir to combine. Tear the biscuit dough and place on top of the soup mixture.

Cover and cook until dough is no longer raw in the center - mine take about an hour.

Once the dough is cooked take a spoon or a fork and push the dough down into the soup so it mixes in.

Now you are ready to serve!

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Another favorite soup recipe of yours.  You will need a crockpot or instant pot to make this, maybe a future Christmas gift once you have your own apartment.  :)  When it was just dad and I, I would make this for dinner and we would eat this the night I made it and using a freezer bag to freeze the rest so we could have a nice dinner on a night I don't have time or want to cook.

Ingredients:
1 onion chopped
1 can chili beans
1 can corn, drained
1 can black beans
2 (10 oz) cans diced tomatoes
8 oz can tomato sauce
12 oz beef broth (check for gluten)
1 package of taco seasoning (check for gluten)
3 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
Shredded cheese
Sour cream (we like Tofutti Brand)

Diced Avocado
Tortilla chips

Directions:
Place the onion, chili beans, black beans, corn, tomato sauce, broth, taco seasoning and diced tomatoes in a slow cooker. Stir to combine. Lay chicken breasts on top of the mixture, pressing down slightly until just covered by the other ingredients. Set slow cooker for low heat, cover and cook for 5 hours.  Or if using instant pot, 20 minutes, then natural release until you are ready to eat.

Remove chicken breasts from the soup and allow to cool long enough to handle. Shred chicken and place back into soup.  If using crock pot, cook for another 2 hours or until ready to serve.  If using instant pot, you can eat when you are ready.

Serve topped with cheddar cheese, a dollop of sour cream, diced avocado and tortilla chips.