Recipe: Crockpot Cowboy Casserole

A friend of mine knows how much I love new recipes that are easy, crockpot, or freezer friendly!  She shared this recipe with me and right away I added it to the meal plan.

It is super easy and the perfect time for us to turn on the crock pot before leaving in the morning on Sunday and having it ready when we arrive home from church.  And to make it even better--I add in a crock pot liner so clean up is super easy!

This is not technically a freezer meal, but I have in fact assembled as a freezer meal (yes, potatoes and all!) and it turned out great.  It was more watery when made as a freezer meal than fresh on the morning of cooking, but still had great taste.

I recommend this one and hope you like it too!

Ingredients:
1 lb. ground beef or turkey
1 can corn, drained
1 can dark red kidney beans, drained
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 lb red potatoes (about 3-4), sliced thin
1 can diced tomatoes
salt and pepper to taste
onion, optional

Directions:
1. Brown meat and drain
2. slice potatoes 
3. add all ingredients to slow cooker
4. cook HIGH 4 hours or LOW 7-8


To freeze: combine all in ziplock freezer bag, label and freeze. 
To cook, thaw and place in sprayed slow cooker.

Top with cheese, then recover until melted.  We like to eat it with tortilla chips or fritos.
 

Recipe:Hawaiian Chicken (Freezer to Crockpot)

Tried a new recipe this week that I found at New Leaf Wellness for Hawaiian Chicken.  It is very healthy and very very easy.  It's great to have in the rotation for a variety and great for the budget because pineapple is often on sale for 99 cents.

Only thing about this was that the chicken was dry, but I think that was probably user error and either it was over cooked or was slightly freezer burned (only because I had used frozen chicken that was all alone in a bag in the freezer.  I was excited to make this and had pineapple so I didn't want to wait until I had fresh chicken).

But, with that said, I'm still recommending it.  Because we did like it a lot.  I just cut up the chicken real small and added a little more soy sauce on my plate and ate it along with the pineapple and it was fine. 

I have another pineapple on my counter right now and plan to make this as a freezer meal again with fresh chicken and see how it goes.  I'll try to remember to update! 

 

 

 

Ingredients:
1lb boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into pieces
1 fresh pineapple, but into pieces (or two cans, drained)
2 T brown sugar
2 T soy sauce



Directions:
1. cut chicken and pineapple
2. add all ingredients to a ziplock bag
3. label and freeze



To cook:
thaw overnight in fridge and cook in slow cooker low 3-6 hours

Serve over rice

 

Recipe: One Pan Chicken Dinner (gluten free)

As much as I love my crock pot, I love one dish dinners.  This is an EASY and yummy dinner! Everyone else has probably been making this for years, but I just tried it for the first time.  I'm a fan because of the ease and it was tasty too.  We don't intentionally eat gluten free here, but it's great to have a good recipe to make for others that do.

 

Ingredients:

Seasonings (onion soup mix is what I used this time.  Next time I will try something different)

1/2 cup butter (I did not use this much!)

chicken breasts (I used two full breasts)

1 bag frozen vegetables

potatoes (I used red potatoes)

Directions:
1. Quarter potatoes
2. Cube chicken
3. Dump frozen vegetables in pan
4. Separate the vegetables, meat, and potatoes into three sections (they can touch though.  Honestly they could probably be mixed up in the pan, but I liked this arrangement)
5. Slice butter overtop entire dish
6. Sprinkle seasoning over entire dish

7. Cover with aluminum foil and bake in oven at 350 degrees for 1-1.5 hours

*at the 1 hour some of the potatoes were slightly hard and a couple pieces of chicken weren't fully cooked.  I had the dish in the oven for about 1 hour and 15 minutes.  I think part of the problem was the pan I used.  The butter was caught in the rivets in the bottom which slowed the cooking on the top pieces a little.
*I wasn't a big fan of the onion soup mix.  I think next time I will just use some seasonings from the cupboard.

Recipe: Crock Pot Enchiladas

You know how I love my crock pot.  I tried a new recipe this week and we all enjoyed it.  I found this twist on enchiladas to be made in a slow cooker.  It was easy and tasty.  Not so much pretty.  It tasted much better than it looked:)

 

Ingredients:

1 pound meat (I used pre seasoned pork and actually only used 1/2 a pound)

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 can corn (or frozen corn would be fine)

1 cup salsa

1 can green chiles

taco seasoning

10 oz enchilada sauce

9 inch flour tortillas (4-5)

2 cups cheese

 

 

 

Directions:

1. brown meat (with taco seasoning if needed)

2. add in corn, salsa, beans, chiles, and half the enchilada sauce

3. spray crock pot--spray it up high enough! I didn't!!

**also, I used my circle crock pot.  If you only have a large oval one, I think you could just put two tortillas down side by side and follow same steps.

 

4. Place tortilla in bottom of crock pot.  Mine folded up a little bit, but that is just fine.

5. Pour 1/3 of meat mixture on tortilla and top with some cheese

6. Repeat the tortilla, meat, cheese process until meat mixture is gone. 

 

7. Pour remaining enchilada sauce on top and top with cheese.

 

8. Cover and cook on low 3-4 hours or high 2-3 hours.

 

I cooked on high for almost 3 hours.  This is served much different than traditional enchiladas, but it tastes just as good.  I just scooped out with a spoon and we cut up and ate.  I will make this again!

Crock Pot Recipe: Chicken Parmesan

I have seen this recipe in the past was always skeptical of it so I never made it.  Now I don't think I will ever go back to the oven recipe!  This slow cooker recipe is so easy and just as tasty!! I used a combination of a couple recipes and tweaked it as I wanted.

 

Ingredients:

Chicken Breast

onion

Italian seasonings of your choice

32 oz spaghetti sauce

Parmesan cheese

1 cup grated mozzarella cheese

olive oil (optional)

bread crumbs (optional)

 

Directions:

1. This is an optional step--coat chicken breast with bread crumbs and heat oil in pan.  Pan fry both sides of chicken. (some recipes do not call for this step.  Others call for coating but not the pan frying.  Do what is easiest and most pleasing to your taste buds)

 

2. spray slow cooker and add onion on bottom, then pour in spaghetti sauce. 

 

3. Press chicken into spaghetti sauce and top with seasonings and parmesan cheese (shredded or grated)

 

 

4. Cook on low 4-6 hours

 

5. Once chicken is cooked, top with mozzarella cheese and place slow cooker lid back on. Let cheese melt.

 

6. Cook noodles of your choice while cheese is melting

 

Serve chicken over noodles with sauce and enjoy.  This was a hit for the whole family!!

Recipe: Mexican Mac n Cheese

No pictures, but I wanted to share a recipe! It's not a crockpot or freezer meal, but it IS a one pot dish which I also love.

It came from a website that had a great tutorial and directions.  I followed them almost exact--I did not add the jalepeno and used a variety of the cheeses I had on hand.

The Mexican Macaroni and Cheese is a great meatless dish that was a hit for the whole family.

Enjoy!

Recipe: Salsa Chicken Casserole

Winner, Winner! Salsa Chicken for Dinner!

This was so yummy! I was a little nervous after reading very conflicting reviews in the comments section on the original blog with the recipe. 

It is a one pot dump and bake meal so it's a very easy clean up! I prepped it on Friday and didn't cook it until Saturday.  Turned out perfect.

Salsa Chicken Casserole

Ingredients:
-1 cup rice (I used brown minute rice)
-1 cup frozen corn, thawed 
-1 can black beans, drained
-16 oz salsa
-1 cup chicken broth or water (I used water)
-1/2 T chili powder
-1/2 t oregano
-2 large chicken breast, 1.5 pounds
-1.5 cups cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375.
2. Drain beans and thaw corn
3. Add rice, beans, corn, salsa, broth, and seasonings into an 8x8 casserole. (I used a stoneware dish probably about 9x7 and it worked fine)

4. Cut breasts into 3 pieces each
5. Push down into rice mixture as far as they will go. (mine were completely covered by the mix)

6. Cover tight with foil, bake 1 hour
7.  Test rice and chicken.  If it is ready, sprinkle cheese over top and return uncovered for a few minutes until cheese is melted.  If not, then return until rice and chicken are ready then add cheese.

It was so yummy! Didn't even need to add sour cream.  Chicken was moist and the dish was so tasty.  A winner that will be added into our rotation!  This could easily be made ahead to be a freezer meal, but I would wait to add the water until ready to cook.
 

Recipe: Marinara Chicken and Vegetables

I've had this recipe for a while but am just now making it.  It is a freezer to crockpot meal (the BEST kind of recipe!)


I didn't make it from the freezer, but next time I buy chicken I do plan to make a couple of these ahead of time and freeze.  It was SO tasty! And not what we expected.  Even though it calls for spaghetti sauce, it didn't taste like spaghetti.

This recipe got 12 thumbs up! (yes, twelve now....Colt enjoyed it, too!)

Recipe is for Marinara Chicken and Vegetables

Ingredients:
-3-4 boneless chicken breasts (I used two large)
-4 cloves garlic
-1 can diced tomatoes and chilies (I used 1 can diced tomatoes + a few ounces of verde salsa)
-4 ribs celery, chopped
-2 cups (2 small) zucchini, chopped (our meals got switched around last week and I used the zucchini on another dish! So I didn't have this, but it was just as good! I will add it next time)
-1 green pepper, chopped
-2.5 cups spaghetti sauce (I just used one jar)
-1 t basil
-bow tie noodles (I used one whole box + a little extra from another box)
-(I also added salt and pepper)

 

Directions:

1. Chop Vegetables.

2. Place all ingredients into slow cooker and cook on low for 6-7 hours or on high for 4 hours.

3. Cook noodles about 10 minutes before dinner.

4. Remove chicken and shred then put back in crock pot.

5. Mix cooked noodles into crock pot

6. Top with cheese and serve

**We paired ours with my new favorite recipe--easy garlic knots--and the kids love rolling them out and twisting them!

 

TO FREEZE:

 Chop all vegetables and add all ingredients EXCEPT noodles to a zip lock bag.  Label and freeze.  Thaw enough to get into the slow cooker and cook as directed.

As you can see, it was a hit!

Recipe: One Pot Cheesy Sausage Pasta

Smoked sausage was on sale last week and I had a buy one get one free coupon (YIPPIE!) so that was on the menu for this week.
 Lately, though, I have been tired of making the same rotations over again so I set out to pinterest for a new sausage recipe.  Usually I always make 'red beans and rice' with my sausage which is a recipe I got from e-mealz when I was a member a few years ago.  We really like that one too, so I'll have to post that recipe!

One pot meals are pretty much my favorite! This one called for pretty much everything I had on hand, so it was the one I chose.  It was a winner!!!  10 thumbs up here...we finished the pot.  In fact, I commented to Brent after dinner "What are we going to do when Colt starts eating more?" His reply was that the days of leftovers are pretty much over for us.  :)



I found the original recipe on Yellow Bliss Road, but I of course tweaked it a bit.

Ingredients:

1 T olive oil

1 package smoked sausage

1 cup diced onion

1 T minced garlic

1 cup chicken broth

1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomato

1/2 cup heavy cream or milk

1 can of corn, undrained

12 oz dry pasta

1/2 t salt

1/2 t pepper

1 cup shredded cheese

 

**If you go to the original recipe, you will notice there are differences! I had chicken broth saved from when I made chicken in the crock pot the day before, but it was only 1 cup.  Original recipe calls for 2 cups.  To make up for the extra liquid needed (so noodles cook) I added the liquid from the can of corn and a 14.5 oz can of tomatoes.  Original recipe doesn't call for corn and only a 10 oz can of tomatoes.  I also added more noodles in mine. But what I did worked perfect and I plan to do the same thing again next time!

 

Directions:

 

1. heat olive oil in pan. 

 

2. add sausage and onions and cook until lightly browned. 

 

3. add garlic and cook 30 seconds.  drain grease as needed.

4. add chicken broth, tomatoes, milk, pasta, and seasonings.

5. boil then cover and simmer 15 min or until pasta is tender

 

6. turn off heat and stir in  1/2 of the cheese. 

 

7. sprinkle remaining cheese on top and cover for about 5 min to melt.

 

8. serve and enjoy!! :)  It's a little runny, but the cheese makes it thicker.  We thought it was fantastic and it will be going in the rotation!

 

Recipe: zucchini bake

It's zucchini season! This is a favorite recipe in our house and I don't think I've shared it yet.  It can be made ahead to freeze then just add the zucchini later--I think it would be better that way than freezing the zucchini.

 

I call it zucchini bake, though you don't even bake it.  It's one of those one pot meals so it is easy clean up--my favorite!

 

Ingredients:

1 lb ground beef or ground turkey

1 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup chopped green pepper

1 cup raw rice (I use brown Minute Rice)

4 cup sliced zucchini

1 1/2 cup beef broth (I use one can chicken broth)

1 large can diced tomato with juice

1 tsp salt

1 tsp oregano

1/2 tsp basil

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp pepper

1 cup grated cheese

 

Directions:

1. In a deep sided frying pan, brown the beef, onions, garlic, and green peppers. Drain if necessary.

2. Add seasonings, tomatoes, broth, rice, and zucchini. 

 

 

3. Cover with lid and simmer for about 20-30 minutes until rice is cooked.

4. Add cheese on top and recover so it melts, then serve! We like ours with biscuits:)

Recipe: Sloppy Joe

I love sloppy joes! I grew up on my mom's recipe that I have always loved--ketchup, mustard and brown sugar.

 

Sorry mom, but I think I have switched:)  While in Fargo, my friend Ally shared with me her sloppy joe recipe.  They are a little more hearty than the others and oooh so tasty!

 

I made these last night on the stove while prepping our dinner.  Now tonight we can just reheat and enjoy!  They do freeze well too!!

 

Here is the recipe--give it a try!  They do take longer than expected to make because of the simmering to get rid of the liquid. 

 

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground beef

1 can chicken gumbo soup

1/4 cup water (pour into can and swirl around first)

3/4 cup ketchup

1/4 cup BBQ sauce

1 heaping Tablespoon mustard

minced onion and green pepper

 

Directions:

1.brown the beef (I always do this as soon as I get home from the store and then store the plain meat in zip locks in the freezer and pull out when I'm ready to prep a meal like this)

 

2. Add green pepper and onion

3. Add all other ingredients

4. Bring to boil then simmer until liquid is gone.  This shows you how much liquid there is at first--so it takes a bit to thicken it up.

 

Get out the napkins, serve and enjoy!! :)

 

Thanks, Ally for the delicious recipe!! It's become one of our favorites.