slow cooker

Slow Cooker Mongolian Chicken

February 10, 2016 by Amy 2 Comments

That’s why I was excited to find this recipe. It sounded so good to me – and yet we didn’t have all of the original ingredients, so we played around a little bit.

We ended up with something that takes a few minutes to throw together and then cooks on its own. There are no last minute items to do, which makes it especially great for those days when you have little time at home before dinner.

If you’re a fan of Asian food, this is definitely a recipe to try because it’s just as tasty as it is simple.

What’s your favorite busy-night dish?

Also shared at:

Home to 4 Kiddos

Slow Cooker Mongolian Chicken

2016-01-26 21:02:07

Serves 4

A tasty and healthy Oriental-style dish

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Prep Time

10 min

Cook Time

4 hr

Total Time

4 hr 10 min

Prep Time

10 min

Cook Time

4 hr

Total Time

4 hr 10 min

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size

203g

Servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 318

Calories from Fat 37

% Daily Value *

Total Fat 4g

Saturated Fat 1g

Trans Fat 0g

Polyunsaturated Fat 1g

Monounsaturated Fat 1g

Cholesterol 96mg

32%

Sodium 1908mg

79%

Total Carbohydrates 31g

10%

Dietary Fiber 1g

Sugars 20g

Protein 38g

Vitamin A

102%

Vitamin C

Calcium

Iron

11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your Daily Values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

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Ingredients

1 lb skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1" pieces
1/2 c. soy sauce
1/4 c. cornstarch
1 clove of garlic, minced
1/3 c. brown sugar
2 grated carrots

Instructions

Toss chicken with cornstarch. Set aside.
Whisk sugar, water, soy sauce, and garlic together.
Add liquid mixture to slow cooker.
Add grated carrots and stir to combine.
Stir chicken into slow cooker.
Cook for 4 hours.
Serve over rice with veggies.

By Amy Bradsher

Adapted from The Recipe Critic

beta

calories

318

fat

protein

38g

carbs

31g

Adapted from The Recipe Critic

A Nest in the Rocks http://anestintherocks.com/

How to Cook a Pumpkin

August 6, 2014 by Amy

For the past few years, I’ve roasted pumpkins in the oven to make puree for cakes and breads.

This year, however, I heard of a new, much easier way: the Crock Pot.

I love this method! There’s no more guesswork about when it’s done, no more waiting for it to finish, no more heating the house (when here in the South it’s often still pretty warm outside) while the pumpkins bake.

Instead, I just go about my business – even cooking one overnight while I slept – and come back to it when I’m ready. No rush, no guessing, no waiting, no crazy mess.

To cook your own pumpkin in a Crock Pot, here’s what you do:

First, of course, find a pumpkin. I’ve always used a pie pumpkin.

Next, you need to break it. Now, pie pumpkins are not as easily cut into as the ones many people carve around this time of year. First, My Little Man and I tried these tools:

Surprisingly enough, I couldn’t really smash the pumpkin with the hammer as I hoped, so then I used the massive knive as a chisel and hammered the knife in all the way around. (I wouldn’t recommend this, but I was in a hurry. My Little Man got a good laugh out of the whole thing.)

This method works much better – just be sure to wash both the saw and the pumpkin before beginning. Watch out for those fingers!

The hard part is now over. Pat yourself on the back!

Scrape out all the pumpkin ‘guts’ and the seeds. Put them into your slow cooker, making sure that the lid will fit on securely. Add an inch of water to the bottom and cook the pumpkin for several hours, until completely soft and mushy.

Place the pumpkins on a cutting board and give them time to cool. When you can handle them safely, use a serving spoon to scoop out the soft flesh of the fruit.

My Little Man absolutely loved this part! He cleaned out this whole pumpkin by himself, and he did a great job.

Put the pumpkin into a blender or food mill to puree it.

Or, as he likes to do, you could eat a bit of straight up pumpkin.

When you’re done, you’ll have several cups of fresh pumpkin puree, ready to freeze or bake into your favorite pumpkin recipe.

S’Mashed Italian Potatoes

August 4, 2014 by Amy

I learned to make this dish from a friend of a friend in college. They’re easy, versatile, full of flavor, and yet different from your everyday mashed potatoes. Best of all, they can be prepared three different ways, depending on the time you have for serving.

I once made them in a slow cooker to serve after my son’s baptism. Several of our guests actually asked to take home leftovers – you know they must be good! Here’s what you do:

Wash and dice six potatoes. I usually use your basic Idaho.

Boil until soft. Drain.

This is where the three different endings come in. You can prep this dish on the stove top, in the oven, and in a slow cooker. Each is very similar, but the timing is a bit different.

A) Oven: Put the drained potatoes into a 9 X 13″ pan (spray first for easy cleanup). Add a minimum of 6 tablespoons of butter, one packet of Good Seasons Italian salad dressing seasoning, and enough milk to come halfway to the top of the potatoes. Stir to combine well. Sprinkle with 1/2 c. of mozzarella cheese and stir again. Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Top with a 1/4 c. more mozz and serve.

B) Slowcooker: Put the drained potatoes into the slow cooker (spray first for easy cleanup). Add a minimum of 6 tablespoons of butter, one packet of Good Seasons Italian salad dressing seasoning, and enough milk to come 1/3 of the way to the top of the potatoes. Stir to combine well. Cook on the low setting for 3 – 4 hours. Top with a 3/4 c. more mozz, stir, and serve.

C) Stove top: Put the drained potatoes into a dutch oven. Add a minimum of 6 tablespoons of butter, one packet of Good Seasons Italian salad dressing seasoning, and enough milk to come 1/3 of the way to the top of the potatoes. Stir to combine well. Sprinkle with 3/4 c. of mozzarella cheese and stir again. Serve when the cheese is melted and bubbly.

Enjoy!

Simple Slow Cooker Stuffing

August 4, 2014 by Amy

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My mom adapted her stuffing recipe years ago to use in a slow cooker, and that’s the basis for this recipe. It’s perfect for the holidays – it frees up oven space for roasting pans, it neither burns nor dries out, and the flavors only intensify with time.

Stuffing – my family calls it filling – has always been my favorite part of a holiday meal (besides the mashed potatoes, maybe). My family tears the bread together, chops the veggies together, and then we smell it cooking for hours.

Making it in the slow cooker is even better. We still get the togetherness of tearing and seasoning, even the great smell, but without the hot-oven-stirring or the fear of burning the bread. It can even be made ahead!

Making our stuffing this way has totally simplified our holiday meal. I hope that you like it, too!

Simple Slow Cooker Stuffing

2014-08-04 14:22:00

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Nutrition Facts

Serving Size

1813g

Amount Per Serving

Calories 4495

Calories from Fat 1199

% Daily Value *

Total Fat 137g

210%

Saturated Fat 68g

340%

Trans Fat 4g

Polyunsaturated Fat 25g

Monounsaturated Fat 33g

Cholesterol 247mg

82%

Sodium 7041mg

293%

Total Carbohydrates 681g

227%

Dietary Fiber 41g

164%

Sugars 77g

Protein 130g

Vitamin A

69%

Vitamin C

21%

Calcium

365%

Iron

280%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your Daily Values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

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Ingredients

2 loaves of bread, white, wheat, or a mix of both
2-4 celery stems, minced
1 onion, minced
1 stick of butter
1/2 c. chicken stock
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 - 1 t. poultry seasoning
1/2 t. celery seeds

Instructions

Tear the bread into small, bite-sized pieces.
Saute the veggies into a small frying pan with the butter and seasonings.
If you're making this ahead, put the butter mixture into the fridge. Otherwise, continue!
Put as much of the torn bread as fits into your slow cooker. It's okay if it doesn't all fit right away - it will!
Stir the butter mixture into the bread until it's well mixed.
Cook over low heat for several hours or all day. The flavor will intensify as it cooks, so the longer it cooks, the stronger the flavors! I like it best after about 6-7 hours.
As the bread cooks down, add more and stir. For a stronger, moister stuffing, add the chicken stock.
Serve hot.

By Ann Laughlin

beta

calories

4495

fat

137g

protein

130g

carbs

681g

A Nest in the Rocks http://anestintherocks.com/

How do you make your filling?

Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken Sandwiches

August 1, 2014 by Amy

This is one of my favorite quick-and-easy meals to throw together. It smells great, comes together quickly, and it’s fairly healthy. Everyone in my family likes this dish, and it’s versatile enough for them to customize it on their own plates. THAT makes me happy!

Ingredients:

bone-in chicken breasts, skin removed
your favorite BBQ sauce

So to make your own slow cooker BBQ chicken, try this:

Put your chicken in your slow cooker and add just a bit of the sauce. Doesn’t need to be much – I pour on maybe 1/2 cup or so, just enough to be on the outside of the chicken but not enough to sit in the bottom of the dish.
Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours or until chicken is done.
Turn off the slow cooker and allow to cool for 15 minutes or so.
Using forks or a stand-alone mixer, shred the chicken to your preferred texture.
Stir in enough BBQ sauce to flavor the meat. I also add in some of the juice from the slow cooker. Stir together.
Add to buns or tortillas with all your favorite toppings – onions, cheese, spinach, lettuce, tomato, etc.
Enjoy!

With some steamed broccoli – or even carrot sticks if you’re in a big rush – this is a complete, hot meal that everyone will love!