Slow Cooker Sweet and Sour Chicken

I don't remember where this one came from. I've had it for quite awhile and have made it several times. I keep thinking I am going to post it, but obviously didn't get around to it. For that, I apologize. It has been so unfair of me to keep this away from you. If you like sweet and sour chicken because of the fried chicken, you may not like this version. If you like sweet and sour chicken because of the sweet and sour, then you will love this. 

Slice up an onion and green pepper. Add this to the bottom of your slow cooker and sprinkle with a quarter cup of quick cooking tapioca.

Layer your chicken on top. The recipe calls for cut up chicken breasts. I had thighs. And did not cut them up.

Mix together a can of pineapple chunks with the juice, a quarter cup of soy sauce, a half a cup of brown sugar, two minced garlic cloves and a half a teaspoon of ginger.

Pour this mixture over the chicken. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Serve over rice.

The whole family loved this. The Kids even ate the peppers and onions. I like it better than what you get at the restaurant, and it has the added benefit of being done when I get home from work.

Click Here for Printable Recipe


Slow Cooker Sweet and Sour Chicken
Found at Try-It-Tuesday
1 green pepper, thinly sliced
1 onion, thinly sliced
¼ cup quick cooking tapioca
4 chicken breasts, cut into chunks
8 oz pineapple chunks
½ cup brown sugar
2/3 cup pineapple juice
¼ cup soy sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ teaspoon ground ginger
Put vegetables in bottom of slow cooker and sprinkle with tapioca. Layer chicken on top. Combine all other ingredients and pour over chicken. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. Serve over rice.

Pork Abodo

I may have mentioned that I took a physics class last month. While I really increased my understanding of the laws of kinematics, one of the greatest things to come out of the class ended up being lunchtime. Now, lunch itself wasn't that spectacular (I had a turkey sandwich most every day), but the company was incredible. Not only did several of the teachers take over the conference room, but any professor who happened to be in the department joined us as well. You want to blow your mind, have a discussion about how those guys are trying to get cancer radiation treatments to only burn the bad cells. Wow. Just wow.

We had a two guys from the Philippines, one from Iran and a couple who had lived pretty much everywhere. Food was a pretty common topic. I learned that Iran has "real" olives, most of the world is not freaked out by squid on their plates and balut is a delicacy best tried in the dark (so you don't see what you are eating, seriously, do NOT Google that).

Arthur is from the Philippines and one day, he mentioned what many consider to be the Philippine's national dish:  Pork Abodo. I was one of two people who didn't immediately swoon and discussion ensued as to the proper way to cook this dish. Of course, I was intrigued and so Arthur sent me a website that had what he considered to be a pretty good recipe for Pork Abodo. After getting lost for a couple hours on that site and making a list of all the dishes I want to try, I got around to trying this for our anniversary.

Marinate a 2 pound pork belly in 1 cup of soy sauce and 5 cloves of minced garlic. Now, you probably cannot find pork belly in your grocery store. There is probably some kind of regulation about purchasing that much fat in one checkout line. Arthur insisted that I MUST use pork belly. I'm sorry Arthur, I used pork butt instead.

At the end of marination, brown the pork just a little bit on each side for a few minutes.

Add to a slow cooker along with a cup of water, 5 dried bay leaves and a tablespoon of peppercorns. Cook on low for six hours. The last 15 minutes add in 1/4 cup of vinegar.

This doesn't even need to be sliced. I couldn't get it out of the cooker it was so tender.

Delicious. So, so tender. I was expecting a much stronger flavor than what I got. I am not complaining. The flavor of this was just enough to distinguish it from just plain pork. Perfect.

And did I mention it was tender?

I have been wanting to venture into Asian cooking and this was the perfect way to start. Easy to make and didn't completely take my family by surprise. And I can't wait to make a sandwich out of it for lunch tomorrow.

Click here for Printable Recipe

Pork Adobo
2 Pounds Pork Belly or Pork Butt
2 Cloves Garlic, minced or crushed
5 Dried Bay Leaves
4 Tablespoon Vinegar
1 Cup Soy Sauce
1 Tablespoon Whole Peppercorn
1 Cup Water
Salt to taste
Combine the pork belly, soy sauce, and garlic and marinade for at least 1 hour. Heat a saucepan and sear the marinated pork belly until browned. Transfer the pork to a large crockpot. Add water, whole pepper corn, and dried bay leaves. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. Add in the vinegar and simmer for the last 15 minutes. Add salt to taste. Serve hot.

Drunken Mushrooms

The biggest thing that happens in my hometown is the Rodeo. Three nights of great fun and catching up with friends I only seem to see at this event. Well, or Wal-Mart, but that doesn't really count.

On Saturday afternoon is the parade. It starts in Cottonwood Falls, circles by the nursing home, down by the courthouse and down the highway, before finally ending at the rodeo grounds in Strong City. All in all, it's somewhere around 5 miles of horses, floats, ATVs and antique tractors.

My family has mostly moved on from riding horses in the parade to riding on contraptions rolling on 2 to 4 wheels. For several years now, those of us who don't ride in the parade have ended up over in the park where it all starts waiting for the riders to return. This usually took on the form of everyone sitting around in the hot sun getting really hungry. It took us awhile, but this year, we finally decided to do a picnic kind of thing in the shade. Jeff brought the smoker and everyone else brought other stuff.

I brought Ree's mushrooms. She actually makes hers on the stove. I haven't tried that, because I made mine in the crockpot the first time and never looked back.

For every pound of mushrooms, mix together 1/2 cup butter, a chicken bouillon cube, a beef bullion cube, a minced clove of garlic, a dash of ground pepper, 1/2 teaspoon Worchestershire sauce and 1/4 teaspoon dill seed. Heat until the butter is melted.

Add a cup of hot water. Bring this to a boil over medium heat.

Pour in 2 cups of alcohol. This is Burgundy wine. I have also used a stout beer and whiskey to great effect.

Let that simmer a bit while you wash the mushrooms. Just add these to your slow cooker. My large pot holds four pounds comfortably.

Pour the boiling mixture over the mushrooms. Cook on low for 6-9 hours. I have also cooked these on high for a couple hours less, but slow is better.

I cannot describe these to you. There are no words. You can eat these on steak. On baked potatoes. On bread. On the side. You can eat these right out of the steaming hot pan if you want. 

Like I said, you can use pretty much anything as flavoring. Every version I have tried have been devoured. If I were to pick, though, I would probably choose the wine. It gives them a little sweeter flavor that I really liked. The beer was more of a salty flavor that was really good as well. Hmmm...maybe I don't have a favorite. 

Try these. I hearby declare tomorrow steak and mushroom night. You will not be sorry.

Click here for Printable Recipe

Drunken Mushrooms

4 pounds White Button Mushrooms

2 sticks Butter

1-1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce

1 liter Alcohol of Your Choice (I have had great success with Burgundy Wine, Dark Beer and Whiskey)

1 teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper

2 cups Boiling Water

4 whole Chicken Bouillon Cubes

4 whole Beef Bouillon Cubes

1 teaspoon Dill Seed

5 cloves Garlic, Peeled

Thoroughly wash the mushrooms and add to a large crockpot. 

Add all the remaining ingredients to a large saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Pour over mushrooms. Stir to combine. Simmer on low, covered, for six to nine hours. Add salt to taste at the end if desired. The mushrooms will be very dark in color. Simmer until needed. 

Slow Cooked Italian Chicken

Before our house burned, I had a wonderful cookbook. Actually, I had many, but this one was one of the best slow cooker books I had ever used. To be honest, I am not sure if it was Betty Crocker or Better Homes and Gardens. Maybe it was neither.

Anyway, there was a recipe in there that changed my life forever. It used Italian diced tomatoes. I have never been a fan of cooked tomatoes. They are too mushy for me, so even trying these was a big step. But the picture looked sooooo good. Did you hear that cookbook people? Put pictures next to your recipes!

I have been trying to recreate that recipe for awhile now, with no success. I don't remember the exact name (it was long) or all the ingredients. I miss that supper.

This is not it.

But, it is pretty good.

Add 4 chicken breasts, 1 can of Italian diced tomatoes and 1 can whole kernal corn to your slow cooker.
Cook on low for 6-8 hours. Mine took about 6 1/2 hours. That's it. Don't you LOVE your slow cooker?
Actually, I added in another step. I added about a tablespoon of cornstarch to thicken it up. Cook on low...
...for about the time it takes you to boil some of your favorite pasta. I didn't measure how much, but probably about 2 cups.
Spoon over the pasta and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
While not quite what I was going for, it was really good. The kids both had seconds. Jeff was not home, so I don't have a manly opinion available. I think you could substitute beef or pork in there and it would be just as delicious.

Click here for Printable Recipe

Slow Cooked Italian Chicken
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1 can Italian diced tomatoes
1 can whole kernel corn
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 cups cooked pasta

Add chicken, tomatoes and corn to slow cooker. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. Stir in cornstarch and cook additional 20 minutes. Serve over pasta.

Crock Pot Chicken Lickin

So the last week or so, I haven't even put my slow cooker away. This kind of weather makes me want to hibernate. Since my children will not allow me to do that, the closest I seem to be able to get is snuggling in a blanket with my caramel milk.

There is nothing quite as satisfying as walking in from the cold after a long day at school and breathing in the smells of supper already cooking.

I believe this recipe came through my Google group, so I'm not sure of it's exact origin. Whoever you are, thank you for coming up with this one!

In a large mixing bowl, add all the ingredients - tomatoes, onion, mushrooms, garlic, salt, paprika, ginger and chili powder - everything except the cream.

Mix them all up good.
In a large slow cooker, add 6-8 chicken legs. The recipe says to brown these before adding them in. You will notice that I didn't even get them defrosted, so I skipped that step. I also realize this practice is frowned upon and usually thaw my meat before slow cooking it. Actually, I put this in the microwave and thawed them before moving on. I will do better in the future.
Add your tomato mixture on top of the chicken legs. Cook on low for 8-10 hours. I cooked mine for 6 hours, but my slow cooker seems to run pretty hot.
Just before serving add in 1/2 cup of heavy cream.
Stir it all up and serve over hot noodles.
The sauce didn't really thicken up like I would have liked it to, so we kind of made it into more of a soup than a pasta dish. Either way, it's delicious.

Click here for Printable Recipe

Crock Pot Chicken Lickin

8 chicken legs, thighs and/or breasts

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

3 tablespoons butter

1 (16 ounce) can whole tomatoes

1 large onion, chopped

1 (4 ounce) can mushrooms, drained and sliced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/2 cup heavy cream

2 teaspoons paprika

Rinse the chicken parts and pat dry. Melt the butter in a skillet. Brown the chicken on all sides in the butter. Place the chicken in a crock pot.

Combine all the other ingredients except the cream together. Mix well. Pour over the chicken. Cook on LOW for 8 to 10 hours.

Stir in the heavy cream just before serving.

Serve over hot spaghetti.

Crock Pot Chicken and Sausage Stew...Revisited

There are three recipes that are consistently visited here: the Wonder Pets cake, the Gronkle cake and Crock Pot Chicken and Sausage Stew. The cakes I understand and am rather proud of them. The other one? Ugh. That was one of the worst disasters ever to come out of my kitchen.

Now part of the problem was I had accidentally substituted Pork and Beans for the Baked Beans. Yes, Virginia, there is a difference. Whatever my excuse, I never had much of a desire to try it again.

But so many people were arriving here looking for that recipe, I finally decided to give it a second try.

I mean chicken and sausage stew? In a crock pot? How could you possible go wrong?

Cut up a pound of chicken breast and kielbasa sausage and put them in the bottom of your crock pot.

Add a half a bag of baby carrots. You can slice them up if you want, but I didn't want.
Half of a sliced onion goes on top of that.
Some ketchup, mustard and brown sugar, along with a bit of white vinegar.
Topped with a can on Baked Beans. I almost said Pork and Beans. That would have been tragic.
With about 15 minutes left until dinner, add in 2 cups of THAWED green beans. If you haven't gotten them out to thaw, pop them in the microwave for a few minutes.
Stir it up and serve.
This was better. Much, much better. The chicken was still a little chewy. I'm not sure if it was cooked too long of if something was working against it. I would almost leave out the baked beans all together next time as neither child was thrilled about them.

It has been saved. This will probably not be the first recipe I pull out when I am wanting soup, but definitely be an option.

Click here for Printable Recipe

Crockpot Chicken and Sausage Stew

1/2 lb. kielbasa sausage, cut into 1/4-inch slices

2 boneless skinless chicken breast halves, cut into thin bite-sized strips

1/2 cup thinly sliced carrot

1 small onion, thinly sliced, separated into rings

1 (16-oz.) can baked beans, undrained

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 teaspoon dry mustard

1/2 cup ketchup

1 tablespoon vinegar

2 cups Frozen Cut Green Beans, thawed

1. In 3 1/2 to 4-quart crockpot, combine all ingredients except green

beans; mix well.

2. Cover; cook on low setting for 6 to 8 hours or until chicken is no

longer pink in center.

3. Ten minutes before serving, stir in green beans. Increase heat to

high setting; cover

and cook an additional 10 minutes or until green beans are crisp-tender.

4 (1 1/2-cup) servings (9 Weight Watchers points)

Slow Cooker Tortellini and Sausage Soup

For some reason, I haven't had my slow cooker out for awhile. I have been so sick lately, even the thought of getting dinner ready in the crock pot has seemed overwhelming. This recipe came to me in a Google group called Just Crockpot. It's not an overly active group, but once a week, I get a few new recipes delivered to my inbox. There are no pictures, but some of them sound so good I just have to try them.

This was one of them.

And it is soooooo easy. The only chopping you have to do is the sausage. Everything else is frozen or from a can. For no other reason than the simplicity, I highly recommend it. Especially this time of year when you start to feel stressed for no apparent reason.

Add to your slow cooker one can of Italian chopped tomatoes, one can of condensed French onion soup, half a package of frozen green beans and one pound sliced turkey sausage. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. (Note: I halved this recipe from the original.)

Fifteen minutes before supper, add in half a package of frozen cheese tortelli and one cup of coleslaw mix. Switch the setting to high. I actually left mine on low and cooked for about 45 minutes more.

Serve sprinkled with Parmesan cheese.

This was incredible. Definitely the best supper I have tried in quite awhile. In the words of Mantis..."I wish my mouth was bigger." Go watch Kung Fu Panda. Really, it's a good movie. And this was the soup that inspired that line.


Click here for Printable Recipe

Crock Pot Tortellini and Sausage Soup
1 can (14-1/2 oz) Italian style stewed tomatoes
1 1/2 cups water
1 cup loose pack frozen cut green beans or Italian style green beans
1 can (10-1/2 oz.) condensed French onion soup, undiluted
8 oz. fully cooked smoked turkey sausage, halved lengthwise and cut
into 1/2" slices
1 cup packaged shredded cabbage with carrot (coleslaw mix)
1/2 pkg. (9 oz.) refrigerated cheese filled tortellini
Shaved or shredded Parmesan cheese, for garnish

In a 4 or 5 quart crock pot/slow cooker combine undrained tomatoes, water, frozen green beans, onion soup, and turkey sausage. Cover; cook on LOW heat setting for 8 to 10 hours or on HIGH heat setting for 4 to 5 hours. 
If using LOW heat setting, turn crock pot/low cooker to HIGH heat setting. Stir cabbage and tortellini into soup. Cover; cook for 15 minutes more.

Garnish soup with shavings or shredded Parmesan cheese.

Ham and Beans

I haven't been cooking. Actually, I haven't been doing much of anything thanks to a major invasion on my sinus cavity. Jeff has been working nights and he isn't home for supper, so my kids have pretty much been fending for themselves. But I did manage to put together soup for the other night.

I never used to like ham and beans. And to be honest, I have never had much in the way of really good version of the soup. But, my mother sent me home from her house with an enormous ham bone. So what else was I going to make??

This recipe called for carrots. I've never seen them added to ham and beans soup, but I had them and my kids love them, so in to the slow cooker they went. About a cup that have been sliced.

Add in a half a chopped up onion.
  Add in a bag of dry northern beans. This was actually the for this particular recipe. You don't have to soak the beans overnight. Just pour straight out of the package.

Place your ham bone on top of the beans.

Add two cups of water, some salt and pepper, cover and cook on low for about 7 hours.

Remove the ham bone and put it on a plate to cool a little bit.

When you can handle it without injury, remove the meat from the bone and put it back into the cooker.

Heat it all through and serve.

This was really good. Even the kids enjoyed it. I'm thinking that cooking it in the crock pot allowed the ham to flavor everything else. And the carrots were a really neat addition that I will put back in from now on. Try this, even if you think you don't care for ham and beans, this just might be the version to change your mind.

Click here for Printable Recipe

Slow Cooked Ham and Beans

1/2 C Sliced Carrots

1/2 Chopped Onion

1 Bag Dry Great Northern Beans

1 Hame Bone

2 C Water

Add all ingredients to the slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours. Remove ham bone and peal the meat off. Add meat back into soup. Serve.