My new favorite cookbook- Make it Fast, Cook it Slow

My new favorite cookbook- I just ordered it from Amazon- Make it Fast, Cook it Slow by Stephanie O'Dea. This woman had a new year's resolution to cook in her crockpot every day for a year- WOW. Needless to say, she made a lot of meals and has a BIG cookbook. She also made a lot of interesting things in her crockpot like corn on the cob and lattes and SHRINKY DINKS.

crockpot365.blogspot.com

Her blog is fun (and has all her recipes on it)- and her cookbook is fantastic. I followed her blog while she was writing it. I like having things in print though so I ordered her book.

I have so many dishes that I want to try. We made a couple of dishes last night that were HITS with the kiddos: Applesauce Chicken and Quinoa Casserole (without the tomatoes, feta and spinach- which sort of makes it just a side dish and not really a casserole).

Lentil Soup Magnifique

1 3/4 cups dry lentils, rinsed
6 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 cups chopped celery
1 1/2 cups chopped carrots
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 red pepper, seeded and chopped
1 small zucchini chopped
1 large white potato chopped
1/4 cup dry sherry
salt and pepper to taste

sour cream and scallions for garnish

Rinse lentils in collander. In 3-4 quart crockpot, combine all ingredients (except garnishes). Cook on low for 8-10 hours.

This was excellent. It would very good with some chicken or sausage in it as well.

Chicken Delicious

6-8 chicken breast halves
lemon juice
salt to taste
pepper to taste
paprika to taste
10 3/4-oz. can cream of mushroom soup
10 3/4-oz. can of cream of celery soup
1/3 cup of dry sherry or white wine
grated parmesan cheese

Season chicken with lemon juice, salt, pepper and paprika. Place in 3-4 quart slow cooker. Combine soups and sherry in crockpot. Stir. Cover and cook for 8-10 hours on low. Serve over rice and sprinkle with cheese.

My kids LOVED this. Alex, my 6 year old, told me he wanted me to make this every night for 30 days. Enough said.

Mango Chutney Chicken Curry

6 chicken breast halves

1/2 onion, thinly sliced or chopped

1 medium red pepper, chopped

1/2 cup water

2 tbsp cornstarch

1 tbsp curry powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 jar (9-10 ounces) mango chutney

1 cup fresh snap pea pods, strings removed

Combine chicken, onion and red pepper in 3 quart crockpot. In small bowl, mix 1/2 cup of water, cornstarch, curry powder, salt, pepper and chutney; pour into cooker and mix with chicken and vegetables. Cover and cook on low heat for 6-7 hours. Increase heat setting to high and stir in pea pods. Cover and cook for 20-30 minutes longer until pea pods are crisp-tender. Meanwhile, cook rice as directed on package. Serve chicken over rice.

I used some red and orange pepper in this because I wanted to use them up. It was great. You should add more curry powder if you like it spicy. I like it with only a hint of spice- so this was just the right amount for me.

Everyone loved this dish- even the kids. WOW. Enjoy!

Chicken with Italian Sausage

10 to 16 ounces mild or hot Italian sausage
6 to 8 boneless skinless chicken thighs
1 15-ounce can white beans, rinsed and drained
1 15-ounce can red beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup chicken broth
1 medium onion, chopped
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tbsp dried parsley

Brown sausage, stirring to break up meat. Drain fat and put into 3-4 quart crockpot. Saute onions for 5 minutes or so to soften. Put onions, raw chicken, drained and rinsed beans, broth and spices into the crock pot. Cook 6 hours on low.

I cooked this with Jimmy Dean ground Italian Sausage. It was pretty good. We were all sick with a cold today, so it was great to have the wonderful smell around the house during the day. The spiced sausage flavors this dish, so you could try this with different kinds of sausage and wind up with different results.

I doubled this recipe and froze half in a big ziplock. I'll have to update and tell how it turns out after freezing.

My favorite crockpot cookbooks...

A friend recently asked what my favorite crockpot cookbook was. I really like cookbooks- BUT they need to have PICTURES. Otherwise, they don't inspire me enough... I want a picture for every recipe, or almost every recipe... These two fit the bill.

Cooking Light Slow Cooker

So-Easy Slow Cooker (Better Homes & Gardens)

I have made many recipes out of each and really enjoy both of these cookbooks!

Black Bean Soup

3 cans of black beans (undrained/ unrinsed)
1 can of Italian diced tomatoes (undrained)
2 cups of chicken broth
2 tbsp taco seasoning
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups chopped carrots (or whatever vegetables you need to use up)

Chop up vegetables with a food processor or blender. Combine vegetables with rest of ingredients in 3 quart crock pot. Stir. Cook on low for 8-10 hours or high for 5-6. Longer on a lower setting is better.

Before serving, put soup in blender, then back in the crock pot. Be careful, it is hot. Don't fill your blender too full like I did or else you will have hot soup spattering out the edges when you turn it on. Not fun. And yes, I did use a lid on my blender, but I filled it too full and hot soup came out the edges. Yikes.

This soup was very good- but I recommend Beano if beans bother your tummy. This is a lot, a lot of beans.

Mint Brownies in a Mug

I saw this recipe on A Year of Crockpotting and I just had to make it. I was kind of obsessed with it. I had to get it out of my system.

Here's the details: Buy some mint brownie mix. It was on sale at Safeway for about a $1.69- what a bargain. Make it up, pour it into mugs (however many can fit into your largest crockpot). My Hamilton Beach 6-qt. fit 5 mugs o' brownie. Bake on high for 2-3 hours. Mine took 3 hours. The mugs are going to be really hot- turn off the crock pot, take off the lid and cool for a long time. Serve warm mugs of brownie with ice cream. Yummmmm.

My kids were EX-CIT-ED about these. I made them try my black bean soup in order to have one. They ate only one bite of the soup- they hated it, but they tried it. What a tough mean mom I am.

BBQ Pork Sandwiches

¼ cup packed brown sugar
1 cup chopped onion
1½ tbsp taco seasoning
3 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
3 tbsp cider vinegar
3 tbsp molasses
1 tsp dry mustard
1 6-ounce can of tomato paste
¾ tsp pepper
¼ tsp salt
1 2-pound boneless pork loin roast (or shoulder)
8 hamburger buns

This one is from one of my favorite cookbooks- Cooking Light Superfast Suppers: Speedy Solutions for Dinner Dilemmas
Everything is always good.

I often double this recipe. Use a 3 quart crock pot for this recipe and a 5 or 6 quart for a double recipe. I made this for my family when we were staying in the Steven’s Pass area for the weekend. I even forgot the Worcestershire and it was still good. I just used a little extra cider vinegar and molasses to make up for it.

Cut the pork into 4 pieces (8 if you double the recipe). Combine meat and all ingredients in the crock pot. Stir with a large spoon until mixed and meat is coated. Cook on high heat for one hour and then reduce to low for 7 hours. If your crock pot runs hot or the meat seems like it is drying out, add a little water. Remove pork and shred with 2 forks on a cutting board or plate. Return the shredded pork to the crock pot and stir well to coat with sauce.

Serve on buns. A little coleslaw on the bun is yummy. I learned that from Greg at BI BBQ. I am sure that nothing I make is as good as the food at BI BBQ. We love it there.

Neal's Pork Spareribs

4 1/2 pounds boneless spare ribs
1 onion
1 lemon

Cut up the ribs into 4-5 rib segments and place on a baking pan. Then sprinkle with chopped onions and squeeze ½ lemon over pork ribs. Cook for 30 minutes at 450.

Put ribs in crockpot and top with following sauce. Neal used another recipe and made up this sauce- it was good!

1/3 cup vinegar
2/3 cup ketchup
1 cup orange juice
2/3 cup water
6 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp paprika
2 tsp salt
2 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp chili powder
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper or to taste
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
4 tbsp molasses
½ lemon squeezed into sauce

Mix together all ingredients. Make up the night before- turn on crockpot on low in morning and cook for 7-9 hours. The meat will be falling off the bones after 9 hours, so cook for less time if you don’t like that. I would also recommend buying a lower fat set of ribs. These were a little fatty and I don't like that very much.

My favorite crockpot....

Out of all the members of my crockpot family, do I have a favorite? Why yes I do! The Hamilton Beach has recently become a part of my family after I ordered it on a whim from amazon.com (I love amazon). I also have a 6 quart Rival, but I think it cooks everything too hot- even at low, it simmers. So I banished it to the family cabin, where I still cook with it, but not as often. (Caveat- I do have two 3-quart Rivals that are not such hot cookers!)

The Hamilton Beach cooks everything just right and is definitely the best crock pot I have owned. Here she is...she can be yours for $49.99. Not bad...

Hamilton Beach 6-qt. Programmable Slow Cooker - 33966

Louisiana Spinach-Shrimp Dip

We went to a party this weekend, so I used it as a chance to try out a recipe for this yummy dip. I turned out great. I cooked it at home and brought it over to the party. Once we got to the party, I just left the pot unplugged and it stayed warm for quite a while. We served it with crackers and celery for dipping.

1 can cream of chicken soup
3-4 cups fresh baby spinach (steamed and chopped)
1 8 oz. package cream cheese, cubed
4-6 ounces baby shrimp, rinsed
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1 tsp. Cajun seasoning
2 cloves garlic, minced
Celery sticks and crackers for dipping

Steam spinach for 5 minutes. Drain and chop on cutting board. The spinach will still be a little watery, so be prepared with some papertowels or a cutting board with a well around the edge.

In a 2-3 quart crockpot, combine soup, cooked and chopped spinach, cream cheese, shrimp, onion, seasoning and garlic. Cover and cook on low for 2-3 hours. Stir before serving. Serve with celery and crackers.

Pumpkin Bread Pudding

This one looked so good, I just had to make it. I cooked this in my 6 quart Hamilton Beach for 3 hours on high and it turned out delicious! I cooked it part of the time at my house and then carried it across the street to my friend Rachel's house, where I finished cooking it for dessert. We all loved it! Even the picky kids... they gave it the thumbs up... until 3 of them demanded ice cream.... on a plate... not in the bowl.... not touching the bread pudding... which they would no longer eat... Oh well- the rest of us devoured it and I brought some to my other neighbors who were very happy to see me.

Rachel and I thought this recipe would be perfect around the holidays, especially with the brown sugar rum sauce on top. It would also be delicious topped with whipped cream or ice cream.

2 cups whole milk
2 tablespoons butter
2 eggs
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
2 teaspoons vanilla
½ cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon salt
1 loaf of cinnamon raisin bread, torn into small pieces (about 16 slices/ 8 cups)
Sauce:
½ cup (1 stick) butter
½ cup packed dark brown sugar
½ cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons rum (optional)

Lightly spray crockpot stoneware with cooking spray. Heat milk and butter in microwave on high 2 ½ to 3 minutes or until very hot.

Mix together remaining ingredients except bread in a large bowl. Stir in hot milk. Add bread cubes; toss to coat completely. Pour into slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for 2-3 hours or until knife inserted into center comes out clean. Turn off heat or turn to warm if you are serving shortly. Uncover; let stand 15 minutes.

To make sauce, stir butter, sugar and cream in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring frequently. Remove from heat. Stir in rum, if desired. Spoon bread pudding into individual bowls and top with sauce.

Hot Bean Dip

We made a little appetizer yesterday.... Hot Bean Dip with tortilla chips. Mmmmmmmm- it was good. I made it in my little dipper pot. I suppose you could multiple this recipe times 4 or 6 and this make it in a 3 quart pot for a party. Just be careful not to let it it get TOO hot or it will burn tongues...



1/2 of a 16 oz. can of refried beans
1/4 cup Mexican salsa
1/2- 3/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1/2 of a 4 oz. can of diced green chilis

Combine ingredients in the Little Dipper. Stir. Cover and heat 30-60 minutes or until hot. Serve with tortilla chips.

Chinese Beef and Pea Pods

I found this one in an old school crockpot cook book from the 70s. I changed it up a bit and it turned out great. I didn't have time to throw it together in the morning like I planned. So I wound up cooking it on high for 2 1/2 hours instead of the 5-7 hours on low it asked for in the recipe. It turned out great! This one will be a new favorite in my family for sure. I used my oval 3 quart crock pot. It should definitely not be cooked in a bigger crock pot unless you double it or it will dry out.



1 to 1 1/2 pound flank steak
1 14 oz. can beef broth
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1 bunch green onions, sliced
2 tbsp cornstarch
2 tbsp cold water
1/2 pound fresh pea pods

Thinly slice flank steak diagonally across the grain. Combine strips in slowcooker with beef broth, soy sauce, ginger and onions. Cover and cook for 5-7 hours. Turn to high. Stir in cornstarch that hasbeen dissolved in cold water. Cook on high for 10-15 minutes or until thickened. Drop in pea pods the last 5 minutes. Serve over hot rice.

Pesto Lasagne

I was wondering how lasagne in the crock pot would be... I had low expectations and this turned out great. IT WAS DELICIOUS!! This was a little more work than my usual crock pot recipes are, but that isn't saying much since I like them really easy and fast to put together.



4 cups spinach
1 package of presliced mushrooms
1/2 cup of commercial pesto
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 15 oz. carton ricotta cheese
1 large egg, lightly beaten
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1 26 oz. jar of tomato-basil pasta sauce
1 14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes
cooking spray
1 16 oz package of lasagne noodles (I used regular noodles, not the no-boil or ovenready kind)

1. Steam spinach, covered, for 3 minutes or until spinach wilts. Drain and coarsely chop. Combine spinach, mushrooms (you may want to chop them a little too) and pesto into a medium bowl, and set aside.
2. Combine mozzarella, ricotta, 1/4 cup of the parmesan and egg in a medium bowl, stirring well. Set aside. Combine pasta sauce and diced tomatoes in a medium bowl.
3. Spread 1 cup pasta sauce mixture in bottom of a 6-quart oval electric slow cooker coated with cooking spray.
4. You will need to break the corners off of the noodles in order to have them fit in the slow cooker. I found it easiest to break them to fit and spread the cheese mixture on the hard noodle before placing it in the cooker.
5. Make sure you have sprayed the cooker with cooking spray. Then, layer some pasta sauce mixture on the bottom (about a cup or so). Spread cheese on noodles- for my cooker, I had one whole noodle down the middle and then a noodle with broken corners on each side. Lay down noodles. Pour 1 cup spinach mixture over the top and spread evenly. Pour 1 cup pasta sauce mixture over the top. Repeat layers until you have only a cup or more of pasta sauce left. End the lasagne with noodles and sauce. Top with remaining cheese. Cover and cook on low for 5 hours or until done. 8 servings.

My tips: I think a little extra lasagne ingredients are always a plus, so if you have a little extra in the package of pesto or sauce, throw it in! Also, more cheese is always good. This took exactly 5 hours for my slow cooker- the Hamilton Beach (I find that Rival cooks a little hotter, so check it if you are using a Rival). I left it on warm after that for 2-3 hours and it was still perfect! I also was worried that it would be very sloppy and just fall apart in the cooker after pieces were cut. But no- it was firm (but not too firm) and maintained it's shape. Enjoy!

Sara's Beef and Bean Chili

I have cooked this recipe a 100 times- it is so easy and I keep most of the items on hand so I can throw it together at the last minute. I have tried it lots of ways, but the best way is when it cooks on low all day (8-10 hours). I have also cooked it in as short as 2 hours (on high)/ 4 hours (on low). Very easy- very yummy. I usually cook it in my 3 quart crock pot or double it to cook it in my 6 quart crockpot. I forgot to take a picture, so I'll have to add that later.

1 pound ground beef (I have also used ground turkey which is good too)
1 small- medium onion, chopped
1 15 oz. can of corn (undrained)
1/4 cup red wine
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 garlic clove, pressed/ minced
1 15 oz. can kidney beans (rinsed, drained)
1 14.5 oz can Mexican style stewed tomatoes with green chilis (undrained)
Grated cheese, sour cream to top with

Brown the beef (or turkey), and pour onto a plate with papertowels to drain the grease. You can cook the onions for a few minutes too if you want. I usually don't and just throw them in the pot. Combine everything else in the crockpot. Stir and cover. Cook for at least 4 hours on low in a 3 quart crockpot. Longer is better. You may just need to add a little water to keep it from drying out if you are using a larger crock pot or cooking for more than 8 hours. Double the recipe and cook in a 6 quart crock pot.

Cranberry Chicken

4 chicken breasts, skinless, boneless
1 15 ounce can whole cranberry sauce (I used Ocean Spray)
1/3 cup chili garlic sauce- I used Lee Kum Kee (you can increase the amount if you like really spicy food)
2 Tbsp cider vinegar
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1/2 onion, chopped

Put breasts in 2 or 3 quart crockpot. Combine remaining ingredients and pour on top of chicken. Stir to coat chicken well with sauce. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours.

This was delicious and spicy! The cranberry flavor was very subtle to me- what I could taste was the chili garlic sauce! I am a "no star" or maybe "1 star" Thai Food person, so if you like spicy, consider increasing the chili sauce.

I used a 3 quart crock pot. If I had a 2 or 2 1/2 quart crock pot, that would have been better since the chicken didn't fill the 3 quart pot. I think it may have dried out a little bit. I also could have turned it off a little earlier. This crock pot doesn't have a warm option, which would be nice.

I just ate this plain with a side salad since I am trying to use up what we have in the fridge before we go on a trip. I think this would be tasty with rice.

Sausage Vegetable Soup

4 cups beef broth
1 can diced tomatoes with diced chilies
1 package Adelle's chicken apple sausage-around 6-8 links, sliced into 1/4 inch slices
1 can white beans- drained, rinsed
1 can red kidney beans- drained, rinsed
1 bay leaf
4 cloves of garlic- peeled and minced
2 tbsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp pepper
1 cup diced carrots
1 cup diced celery
1/2 cup broccoli
2 cups diced potatoes ( I used baby reds)
1 onion- diced

Combine all ingredients in a 6-quart crock pot. Cook on low 6- 8 hours.

This recipe might be more appropriately named "Leftover Soup" because that is what it was. We were going out to our cabin for the weekend and I had a ton of vegetables in the fridge that needed to be eaten. So I brought them all out, chopped them up, added some sausage and a few other things. Viola! A fantastic soup. My kids gave this a thumbs up, even though Alex only would eat the sausage and Hailey would only eat the beans out of it. My husband absolutely loved it. So did I.

Neal's only suggestion was that I try cooking the sausage first on high heat to brown it and seal in the flavor. I'll try that next time. I usually like one step cooking- throw it all in the pot and turn it on. Sometimes a few extra steps are worth it though.