Here are some of our favorites:
Louisiana Red Beans and Rice
4 cans (16 oz. each) kidney beans, rinsed and drained
14-1/2 oz. can diced tomatoes, undrained
14 oz. smoked turkey sausage, sliced
1 cup chicken broth
3 celery ribs, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1 medium green pepper, chopped
1 medium sweet red pepper, chopped
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
2 green onions, chopped
Hot cooked rice
In a 4-quart slow cooker, combine the first 11 ingredients. Cover and cook on low 8-10 hours or until heated through. Stir before serving. Discard bay leaf. Sprinkle each serving with green onions. Serve over rice.
If you want some extra heat, you can add hot sauce at the table, if you'd like. Makes 9 servings.
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Cranberry Roast Pork
1 boneless rolled pork loin
1 tsp. dry mustard
16 oz. can jelled cranberry
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup orange juice
Place roast in crockpot. Combine other ingredients. Pour over roast. Cook on low 6-8 hours.
Remove roast and skim fat from liquid. Remove two cups of the juice (add water if needed). Bring to a boil over medium heat in saucepan.
Combine 2 tablespoons of cornrstarch with 2 tablespoons of water. Use the cornstarch slurry to thicken juice. Pour over pork and serve.
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Crock Pot Pulled Pork Sandwiches - makes 10 generous servings
2-1/2 to 3 lb. pork sirloin roast or boneless pork shoulder roast
3 Tbsp. cider vinegar
2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. ground cumin OR chili powder
1/2 cup water
Homemade BBQ sauce (below) OR 3-1/2 cups of your favorite BBQ sauce
Hamburger buns
Trim fat from pork roast. Cut roast, if necessary, to fit into a 3-1/2 to 4 quart crock pot. Season meat with salt and pepper. In a small bowl, combine 1/2 cup water, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, and cumin or chili powder. Pour over meat in crock pot. Cover and cook on Low heat 8 to 10 hours or on High heat 4 to 5 hours. Remove meat and discard the cooking liquid.
Using two forks, shred the meat and return the meat to the crock pot. Stir in 2 cups of the BBQ sauce. Cover and cook on High heat 30 to 45 minutes or until heated through.
Serve the meat in split hamburger rolls. Pass the remaining BBQ sauce.
Homemade BBQ Sauce: - feel free to use your favorite sauce, if you like
2-1/2 cups ketchup
1 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
3 Tbsp. bottled Pickapeppa Sauce or Worcestershire sauce
3 Tbsp. cider vinegar
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp. hot pepper sauce
Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan. Bring to boiling. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Use immediately or let it cool. Chill up to 3 days. Makes 3-1/2 cups of sauce.
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Crockpot Stuffing
1 c. butter or margarine
2 c. chopped onion
2 c. chopped celery
¼ c. parsley, minced
12-13 c. slightly dry bread cubes
1 tsp. poultry seasoning
1½ tsp. sage
1 tsp. dried thyme
½ tsp. each salt and pepper
½ tsp. marjoram
2-2½ c. chicken or turkey broth
2 eggs, beaten
Melt butter in skillet and sauté onion, celery, and parsley. Pour over bread cubes in a very large mixing bowl. Add all seasonings and toss well. Pour in enough broth to moisten; add beaten eggs and mix well. Grease crock pot with butter. Pack lightly into crock pot. Cover; cook on high 45 minutes; then reduce to low 4 to 8 hours. Makes 6 servings.
RECIPE
NOTE:Two 7-ounce packages seasoned stuffing mix may be substituted for bread cubes. Use 3 to 3½ cups chicken broth; omit herbs and salt.
I add two Granny Smith apples (peeled and chopped) and a combination of white, whole wheat, and cornbread cubes instead of just one kind of bread. I use a bit more of the herbs than what the recipe specifies. I do not use all of the broth. I remove the lid from the crock pot for the last 45 minutes and only cook the stuffing for about 4 hours.
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Crockpot Baked Beans
1-1/2 lb. ground beef
1 med. onion, diced (I use a nice large onion)
1 lb. bacon cut into 1/2-inch pices
Brown beef and onion, add bacon and cook until soft. Drain and add to crock pot.
Drain:
2 cans dark red kidney beans
2 cans butter beans
2 cans pork and beans
Add:
1 c. brown sugar (I use not quite 3/4 cup)
1 c. white sugar (I use not quite 3/4 cup)
1/2 c. molasses
1 c. ketchup
2 tsp. salt
2 T. vinegar
4 T. dry mustard
Mix everything together in the crockpot, turn on high. This should cook for about 30 minuted, then turn to low for about 5 hours. Stir occasionally, just to have a little taste.
Note: They can be sweet, esp if you're not used to sweeter baked beans. I've cut the sugar down a bit for us. You could probably decrease the amount further, if desired.
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Crockpot Pot Roast
3 lb. BONELESS chuck roast, UNseared
1 can Cream of Chicken OR Cream of Mushroom soup
1 envelope Lipton's Onion Soup mix
2/3 cup white wine
Place the roast whole in a large crockpot and smear the can of soup (not diluted) over the top of the roast. Empty the entire envelope of dry onion soup over the top of the soup and pour the wine around the edges of the roast. Do not add any water. Cover and cook for 10 hours on low. Makes a wonderful gravy and the meat is very tender. Serve with noodles or steamed Yukon Gold potatoes.
Note: You can add chunked potatoes or carrots around it, at the time you start the recipe, too. I serve it over mashed potatoes for a great comfort meal. I use cream of mushroom soup....we're not really fond of "Cream of" anything, but this works.
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Pot Roast with Tomato Gravy
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
3-4 lb. pot roast (round or other cut)
2 onions thinly sliced
3 carrots sliced about ½-inch thick
3 stalks of celery thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic minced
1 tsp. dry mustard
½ tsp. dry thyme
1 tsp. salt
½ tsp. pepper
2 Tbsp. flour
½ c. beef broth
1 can tomato soup undiluted
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire
2 Tbsp. packed dark brown sugar
2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
In a large skillet (heated to med-high) heat vegetable oil. Pat roast dry with a paper towel and brown on all sides. Put roast in crock pot. Lower skillet to medium and add carrots, onion, and celery, stirring until softened. Add salt, pepper, dry mustard, thyme, and garlic and stir one minute. Sprinkle mixture with flour, and stir.
Add beef broth, tomato soup and cook until thickened. Stir in Worcestershire. Pour mixture over roast in crock-pot and cook on Low 10 to 12 hours or on high 5 to 6 hours. Remove roast and add brown sugar and balsamic vinegar. Slice meat and return and heat until warm. Make 8 to 10 servings.
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Crock Pot Macaroni And Cheese
3 cups cooked macaroni
1 Tbsp. butter or margarine
2 cups evaporated milk
3 cups shredded sharp Cheddar
¼ cup chopped green pepper
¼ cup chopped onion
1 tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper
Toss macaroni with butter or margarine. Add remaining ingredients. Pour into lightly greased crock pot. Cover and on High 2 to 3 hours, stirring once or twice.
