Easy Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup

Classic split pea soup is good any time of the year.  If you prefer all vegetables, omit the ham hock and replace it with vegetable stock.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lb ham hocks
• 1 c diced celery
• 1 1/2 c diced carrots
• 2 c diced onions
• 1 lb dried green split peas
• 3 chicken bouillon cubes
• healthy dash black pepper
• 2 tsp minced garlic

1. Preheat slow cooker.  Heat 7 cups of water to simmering but not boiling and carefully pour into warming cooker.
2. Add all ingredients. 
3. Cover and cook on high 6 hours or low for 10 – 12 hours until pease are very soft and break down.
4. Remove ham, when cool enough to touch, cut meat off the bone and dice, returning to hot soup.

Serve the split pea soup with hot buttered cornbread, or break cornbread up into soup bowls.

Easy Slow Cooker Tips

Do’s and Don’ts For The Slow Cooker

1.  Do test your slow cooker before using it for the first time:  Fill it with 2 quarts of water and heat it for 8 hours.  If the final temperature fails to reach 185F, it is not safe to use.

2.  Don’t fill your slow cooker more than 2/3 full for best cooking, especially if you are going to be gone while it is on.

3.  Do preheat the slow cooker before adding ingredients, for best results.

4.  Don’t add raw pasta directly into the slow cooker.  Cook it first and add it during the last hour of cooking. 

5.  Do make sure that when cooking meat, always have water or stock level just covering the meat for even heat distribution.

6.  Don’t add raw rice unless you increase the liquid in the dish by 1 cup for eacup of uncooked rice.  Or, you can also add the cooked rice to the meal just before serving, allowing time for it to heat through.

7.  Do mist your slow cooker with vegetable oil cooking spray before adding ingredients to save time during cleanup.

8.  Don’t add dairy products like cream, milk and cheese until the last hour of cooking or they will curdle.

9.  Do thaw frozen meat and any other ingredients before adding them to the slow cooker.

10.  Don’t raise the lid during cooking time to peek.  The temperature of the cooking meal drops 10 to 15F and slows down the cooking process.

11.  Do use the low setting for all-day cooking.

12.  Don’t cook large pieces of meat like an entire chicken or roast because they will not cook evenly.  Cut the meat into uniform sections, if possible and always preheat that cooker!!

13.  Do soak precooked beans for 10 minutes and dried beans for about 90 minutes before using them in the slow cooker.

14.  Don’t let food cool down in the slow cooker.  If not serving inmmediately, store meal in the refrigerator. 

15.  Do remember vegetables cook slower than meats and poultry, so keep vegetables as close to the bottom as possible. 

16.  Don’t use the slow cooker to reheat leftovers.

Easy Slow Cooker Corn Casserole

YUM, add these ingredients to your slow cooker and enjoy a wonderful side dish tonight to any meat and salad.

Ingredients

• 3   1lb packages of frozen corn
• 12 ounces of cream cheese, chunked for best results
• 1/4 c stick margarine, chunked
• 6-7 slices American cheese, chunked
• 3 tbsp milk or 3 tbsp half and half
• 3 tbsp water
• 2 tbsp Splenda

Hint:  Add 1/4 c fiber powder for extra nutrition!!  You won’t taste it, and your colon and weight loss efforts will thank you! 

Combine all ingredients stirring to blend and pour into slow cooker that has been sprayed with cooking spray.  Cook on low for 4 hours, stirring occasionally.

This compliments a baked chicken meal, salad, and bread of your choice.

Easy Chicken and Biscuits

Keep your slow cooker on the counter and in plain view.  Soon, you will be using it for nearly every meal.  The convenience of letting dinner cook all day while you do other things is a wonderful habit!  Enjoy the Slow Cooker!

Use refrigerator biscuits, or let your homemade ones sit in the refrigerator until they are sticky/doughy like store-bought.  Otherwise, they will fall apart in cooking.  Leftover chicken makes this dish so economical!

This dish is NOT chicken and dumplings; this gravy is richer and there are fewer ingredients, concentrating on the flavor of mushrooms and chicken.

Ingredients:

• 1 can refrigerated buttermilk biscuits – 8 count
• 1/2 tsp pepper, coarse ground
• 2 tsp chicken boullion granules
• 2 soup cans water
• 1 can cream of chicken soup
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• 2 c diced cooked, chicken (leftover is perfect)

Procedure:

1. Combine cooked chicken, canned soups, water, boullion, and pepper in slow cooker that has been treated lightly with a oil spray.
2. Cut biscuits into quarters and stir into mixture.
3. Cover, and cook on low 4 – 6 hours, sirring occasionally or until biscuits are cooked.  Do not overcook.

Variations:  Cook 1/2 c chopped onion, and 1/2 c chopped celery, fine, in a skillet until transparent and add to mixture in slow cooker.  This is excellent served in a bowl, or over rice or noodles.

Salad and a light dessert will fill you up!

Mexican Stew and Toppers

Talk About Tequila Sundown!!  Add chopped avocado, grated cheeses, sour cream, sliced olives, chopped fresh cilantro, and various types of peppers and onions for more zip and pizzaz!

This stew is hearty, and the chili powder and taco seasoning give it the South-of-the-Border flavor!  Hot corn and flour tortillas are perfect!

Ingredients:

• 1 can whole-kernel corn, with red and green peppers, drained
• 1 can black geans, rinsed and drained (can use pinto, or kidney)
• 1 envelope your favorite taco seasoning
• 1 tsp chili powder
• dash cayenne for heat; optional
• 1 c frozen whole onions, or 1 cup chopped fresh
• 1 can whole tomatoes (28 oz)
• 2 lb beef stew meat, or your favorite chunked sirloin/or beef cut

Procedure:

1.  In hot skillet, dip chunked meat in flour, and salt and pepper seasoning, and brown meat on all sides. 
2. Prepare the slow cooker with olive oil spray, and heat.  Add the pre-browned meat, tomatoes, onions, and chili powder. 
3. Cover and cook on low 9 – 11 hours until meat is very tender. 
4. Stir in taco seasoning mix, using a wire whisk.  Stir in beans and corn.  One small splash of Tequila for adults only!  Cover and cook on high 15 – 30 minutes or until thickened.

Warm tortillas and your favorite toppings make this Mexican Stew unforgettable.  Can you say Tequila?

Saucy Vegetable Stew

This Mediterranean version slowly cooked vegetable stew will be so tasty you won’t even miss the meat.

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh basil
• Salt and coarsely ground pepper to taste
• 2 tbsp sun-dried tomato paste, no substitute for best flavor
• 1/4 c red wine and a dash more
• 1 lb plum tomatoes, sliced – use plum tomatoes for best result
• 8 oz favorite mushrooms, halved
• 3 zucchini, sliced
• 2 yellow bell peppers, seeded and thinly sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 red onions, thinly sliced
• 2 tbsp olive oil

Procedure:

1. Preheat slow cooker on hit while preparing all the other ingredients. 
2. Heat oil in skillet; add onions, garlic, bell peppers and saute for 5 minutes.  Add zucchini, mushrooms, toimatoes, wine, tomato paste and salt and pepper, then bring to boil, sirring constantly.
3. Transfer mixture to hot slow cooker, cover and turn the temperature down to low, cooking for 6 to 8 hours.  Stir in chopped fresh herbs at the end and sprinkle with freshly grated Parmesan shavings.

Salad and crusty bread completes the meal!

Slow Cooker Chicken Stew

A light, but still hearty chicken stew competes with beef stew for its intense flavor and popularity! 

Ingredients:

• 1 jar of roasted chicken gravy
• 1/2 c dry white wine or chicken broth
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• dash garlic powder to 1/4 tsp
• 1 tsp instant chopped onion
• 1/2 tsp salt to taste
• 12 boneless chicken thighs, or 4 chicken breasts
• 8 oz fresh whole mushrooms, cut in half (cremini, shitake or brown mushrooms, or a mixture of all three
• 2 cups baby-cut carrots or whole carrots, sliced into small chunks
• 3 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 1/2 inch chunks
• Optional: 1 c frozen peas, stirred into the stew the last 5 minutes

Procedure:

1. Lightly oil slow cooker with olive oil.
2. Toss potatoes, carrots, and mushrooms into the larg slow cooker.
3. Arrange chicken on top, slicing chicken into bite sized chunks if prefer.
4. Add seasonings, onion, and garlic over chicken.  If using fresh sliced onions, my preference, thinly slice one whole onion and use in place of the dried onions.
5. Stir tomato paste into jar of gravy.  Pour gravy and wine over all.
6. Cover and cook on low 8 – 10 hours or until vegetables are tender. 

Variations:  Dip chicken pieces in flour and place in hot skillet, to lightly brown in olive oil before  placing in slow cooker.

Crocker Bread

This crocker bread is amazing and was given to me by a friend.  At first, it was a disaster because I didn’t butter it all over.  Be sure to put the frozen dough in a prepared buttered crock pot, and brush the dough with butter, coating thoroughly.

Every crockpot is different, so if your bread doesn’t brown, once it has cooked and sounds hollow, take it out and brown it in the oven.  I really liked the tenderness of the bread prepared this way, but it IS the long  road to fresh bread.  Plus, the smell will drive you nuts but do NOT lift the lid. The bread will fall.

2 Ingredients:

• 1 frozen bread loaf
• butter

Procedure: 

1. Grease frozen bread loaf generously with butter.
2. Place in a well-greased baking pan which will fit in slow cooker.  (This could take quite a search, if you can’t find it, use tin foil, greased. 
3. Place pan in slow cooker; cover and cook on LOW 2 to 3 hours, or until bread is thawed and beginning to rise.
4. Turn to HIGH and bake 2 to 3 hours, until browned.

Bread will sound hollow when tapped on bottom. If needed, brown a few minutes in a 400 degree oven.  Cool on a rack.

Flavored butters go great with this!

Wild Rice and Cherries

Have a potluck party coming up?  Church dinner?  Big family day or Sunday meal?  No matter the menu, this rice dish is a great side!  No Rice Cooker necessary for this recipe!  Turn on the slow cooker and enjoy this sweet wild rice dish.

Ingredients:

• 2/3 c green onions, chopped
• 2/3 c dried cherries
• 1 c shredded carrots
• 4.5 oz sliced mushrooms, drained
• 2 tsp dried marjoram, crushed
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 2 tbs butter, melted
• 2.5 c uncooked wild rice, rinsed and drained
• 3 14 oz cans chicken broth
• 1/2 c chopped pecans, toasted

Procedure:

• In the cooker, mix broth, rice, carrot, mushrooms, butter, marjoram and salt and pepper.
• With lid on, cook rice mixture for 5 hours.  Turn off the heat and add cherries and green onion.
• Replace lid, and let set for 10 minutes.

Before serving, sprinkle with pecans. 

Yield:  15 servings.  This is a great dish for  potluck, or at holiday time, or on Sunday dinner with the family.

Sweet Potatoes With Carrots and Sweet Sauce

Sweet Potatoes are good for us and this recipe will help your family eat them up!!

Gather these Ingredients:

• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp white pepper
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tbs butter, melted
• 1/4 c water
• 1/4 c frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
• 1/2 c pure maple syrup
• 1 c chopped dried apricots
• 2 lb sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1.5 inch chunks
• 1 lb small carrots, baby carrots

Procedure:

• Spray cooker with non-stick spray
• Add carrots and then top with sweet potatoes and dried apricots
• Mix syrup, juice, water, butter, salt, white pepper, and cinnamon
• Add to potato mixture in cooker
• Cover and cook for 8 or 9 hours on low, or 4 1/2 hours 
• Remove potatoes and carrots and serve with a little of the sauce spooned on the top.