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?

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Home to 4 Kiddos

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!

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!