Lemon Herb Turkey Breast with Summer Salad

Ingredients:

• 1 turkey breast, up to 6 pounds
• 2 tablespoons Mrs. Dash lemon pepper seasoning
• 1 sprig of rosemary
• 1 head of red leaf lettuce, cut up
• 1 tomato, cut into slices
• ½ cucumber, sliced
• 1 can of yellow corn, rinsed and drained
• ¼ cup of Italian dressing

Preparation:
Rub the seasoning into the turkey breast.
Place the turkey breast and the rosemary sprig in the slow cooker.
Cook on LOW heat 6-8 hours.
To make the salad, toss the lettuce with the cucumber, corn, and dressing.
Top with the tomatoes.
Let the turkey breast rest for ten minutes before slicing and serving with the salad.


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Chicken Tagine over Couscous with Green Beans and Slivered Almonds

Tagine is a Moroccan stew that can be made with vegetables or without. My family loves vegetables in it, but if you prefer, you can leave out the bell pepper and garbanzo beans. We also love green olives, so I stir a few in during the last few minutes of cooking, but those are optional, too. This is another slow cooker meal that allows you to create a wonderful dinner without heating up the kitchen. This recipe will serve 4-6 people.

Ingredients:
1 ½ pounds of boneless, skinless chicken thighs
2 yellow onions, sliced
½ cup of apricot jam
¼ cup of golden or dark raisins
1 can of garbanzo beans or chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 red or orange bell pepper, cut into pieces
1/2 cup of grated carrot
1 cup of chicken broth
2 tablespoons of tomato paste
2 tablespoons of lemon juice (you may substitute white vinegar for this)
1 ½ teaspoons of cumin
1 ½ teaspoons of powdered ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 small package of green beans
¼ cup slivered almonds
2 cups uncooked couscous

Preparation:
Mix all ingredients together and place in the crock pot.
Cook on LOW for 6-8 hours.
Cook the green beans in the microwave and toss with the slivered almonds.
Cook the couscous with boiling water according to package directions.
Serve the tagine over the couscous with the green beans on the side.



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Homestyle Baked Beans and Bratwurst in the Crock Pot

This dish takes almost no prep and cooks in the crock pot. It's an easy dish to take to a potluck.

Ingredients

• 4-6 bratwurst, sliced
• 6 slices of bacon
• 1 cup of brown sugar
• ½ cup of white vinegar
• ½ cup of catsup
• 1 tablespoon Dijon style mustard
• 1 can of lima beans, drained
• 1 can of kidney beans, drained
• 1 can of baked beans

Preparation
Cook the bacon and crumble into small pieces.
Put all of the ingredients into a slow cooker and stir.
Cook on low heat for 2-3 hours.
That's it!

Turkey in a Sweet and Tangy Sauce

This easy meal cooks all day in the crock pot. All you have to do is enjoy it.

Ingredients:
4 russet potatoes, peeled and quartered
1 onion, quartered
2 or 3 turkey legs
1/3 cup of Dijon style mustard
1/3 cup maple flavored syrup
1 tablespoon of tapioca (for thickening)
Lettuce, tomato, and cucumber for a salad
Salad dressing

Preparation:
Place the potatoes and onions in a slow cooker.
Lay the turnkey legs on top.
Mix the mustard, syrup, and tapioca together.
Cook on low for 7-8 hours or on high for 3 hours.
Serve with a tossed salad.

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Roasted Pork in the Crock Pot

 

We used a red pepper instead of a relleno pepper in this dish.

Ingredients

• 1 pork butt or shoulder roast, up to 6 pounds
• 3 cloves of garlic or 2 teaspoons garlic, crushed
• Salt and pepper
• 3 carrots, sliced
• 2 potatoes, cut into chunks
• 1 onion, quartered
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 whole jalapeno or relleno pepper

Preparation
Place the vegetables, the garlic, and the bay leaves in the bottom of the slow cooker.
Salt and pepper the roast, then place it on top of the vegetables.
Place the jalapeno or relleno pepper next to the roast. Do not cut the pepper open.
Cook on low for 8-10 hours.
Place the roast on a platter with the vegetables.
If you would like gravy, place two tablespoons of drippings in a preheated pan.
Add two tablespoons of flour, and stir until smooth.
Add milk slowly, stirring constantly with a whisk, until the gravy reaches the consistency you desire.
Add salt and pepper for taste.
Serve with a green vegetable as a side dish.

Wine Pairing
This dish pairs well with two red wines: Beaujolais or Barefoot Pinot Noir.

More great recipes are at my Sacramento Easy Meals Examiner website.

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Easy Cassoulet in the Slow Cooker

A cassoulet doesn't get much easier than this.

Ingredients:
2 cups Navy beans
2 slices of bacon, cut into small pieces
1 pound of chicken thighs and drumsticks
1 large onion, chopped
3 carrots, peeled and sliced (or ½ a small bag of baby carrots)
1 clove of garlic, crushed
1/2 cup white table wine
2 Tablespoons tomato paste
1 can (15 ounce) diced tomatoes
1 cup of low sodium chicken broth
½ pound of Italian sausage, hot or mild
1 tablespoon olive oil
¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped

Preparation:
Soak the Navy beans overnight in water. Rinse and drain in the morning.
Cook the bacon until crisp. Brown the chicken in the bacon grease.
Add all the ingredients to the slow cooker.
Cook on LOW for 7 hours.

If you like recipes with beans, check out my selection of bean soups, chilis, and casserole recipes.

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All Day Italian Spaghetti Sauce in the Slow Cooker

This is as close to the traditional, cook all day marinara sauce as you’ll find. I add crushed garbanzo beans (chickpeas) to my sauce to up the protein content. Serve it up with Barilla spaghetti, angel hair, or any other type of pasta you desire. After trying many different boxed pastas, my family seems to prefer Barilla. You may have another favorite brand.

Just an FYI...this recipe makes a full crock pot of sauce. We had it this week, and we had our spaghetti, then I made a Spaghetti Pie with it, I reserved some of the sauce for my Garden Veggie Pizza, and I still had sauce left over to freeze for another meal. Make sure you have plenty of dishes to store the sauce in before you make it!

Ingredients for all day Italian spaghetti sauce

• 1 onion chopped
• 1 stalk of celery, chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
• 2 tablespoons of chopped parsley
• 1 tablespoon of basil
• 2 teaspoons oregano
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• ½ teaspoon of salt
• ½ cup of red wine
• 1 can (28 ounces) of tomato sauce
• 1 can (6 ounces) of tomato paste
• 1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes
• 1 can of garbanzo beans, drained and crushed with a potato masher
• 1 small can chopped black olives
• 1 pound of Italian sausage links

Preparation:
Place all ingredients in a crock pot or slow cooker.
Cook on low all day. Remove the bay leaf before serving.
In the afternoon, cook the pasta according to the package directions.
Fry the sausage. Cut on the diagonal into slices and add to the sauce.
Serve the spaghetti with parmesan cheese and sliced black or green olives for topping.

Photo/Foodista

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Country Chicken Stew with Dill Dumplings

This recipe will make enough to serve for dinner one night with plenty left over for another meal. Before serving, put half of the stew in a freezer safe dish, label, and freeze. Then, on a cold winter night, when you don’t feel like cooking, just pull it out of the freezer and reheat. It tastes just as delicious the second time around.

Ingredients:
1 lb of boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 lb of boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3 tsp crushed fresh garlic
1 large bell pepper, chopped
1 lb fresh green beans, cut into 1 inch lengths
6 small new potatoes, or 2 russet potatoes, cut up
1 tsp salt
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 cups of chicken broth
1/3 cup of milk
1 cup of baking mix, such as Bisquick
1 Tbsp dill

Preparation:
Spray the slow cooker with cooking spray.
Place the vegetables in first, and the chicken on top of the vegetables.
Sprinkle with the garlic, salt, and pepper.
Pour the broth into the crock pot.
Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

In the afternoon, make the dumplings:
Stir together the milk, baking mix, and dill just until moistened.
Drop by spoonfuls on top of the hot stew in the crock pot.
Cover and cook another 30 minutes, until the dumplings are firm.
The dumplings will thicken the sauce on the chicken and vegetables.
This is nice served with a crisp white wine.

Saucy Beef Crockpot Stew

Hot Homemade Bread




For this dinner, everything is prepared in the morning. All you have to do is take the bread out of the bread machine in the afternoon and slice it. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
2 lbs. beef stew meat, trimmed of all fat
2 potatoes, peeled and chopped into quarters
1 onion, sliced
3 carrots, peeled and sliced
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 can condensed cheddar cheese soup
2 cans condensed tomato soup
1 Tbsp Kitchen Bouquet Browning & Seasoning Sauce-32 oz.

Flour and yeast for the bread machine bread

Preparation:
Spray the crock pot with cooking spray or a thin coating of cooking oil.
Place the vegetables in the crock pot.
Place the meat in the crock pot on top of the vegetables.
Stir together the soups, red pepper flakes, and Kitchen Bouquet.
Pour over the meat and vegetables.
Cook on low for 8 to 10 hours.
Place all the ingredients for the bread in the bread machine according to directions.
Set the delay bake function to have the bread ready 20 minutes before the stew.
Serve the beef stew with the hot homemade bread.


I've used Kitchen Bouquet for years, and there's nothing quite like it for browning and seasoning beef. There isn't any substitute for it. It has it's own unique flavor which is quite tasty. One bottle will last a long time in the kitchen. Store it in the refrigerator for best results.

Mediterranean Chicken Dinner in the Crock Pot

The flavors in this dish combine all day in the slow cooker to make a meal that is tasty and warm. The list of ingredients is long, but the preparation is easy. Buy the vegetables that are already chopped to shorten the prep time.

Ingredients:
2 cups of sliced crimini mushrooms
1 can of diced tomatoes with Italian seasoning (14 ounce can)
1 small jar of artichoke hearts in olive oil
1 cup of chicken broth
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 small peeled and chopped eggplant (about 2 cups)
1 small can of sliced black olives, drained
2 Tbsp capers
3 teaspoons poultry seasoning
1 teaspoon crushed thyme
Dash of salt and pepper
1 fryer chicken, cut up, or 4 large chicken breasts
Cooked risotto (arborio rice)

Preparation in the morning:
Put the first twelve ingredients in the slow cooker and stir them together.
Add the chicken, and cover with the other ingredients.
Cook on low for 8 hours, or high for 4 hours.

In the afternoon:
Cook the arborio rice following my basic risotto recipe directions.
If the sauce on the chicken is too thin, add 1 Tbsp cornstarch mixed with ¼ cup water to the broth. Allow it to thicken.

Serve the Mediterranean Chicken over the risotto.

Creamy Ranch Potatoes with Ham in the Slow Cooker

Winter Vegetables

This is a dish my family requests over and over again. You won't mind if your family requests it often either, because it's so easy to make.

Ingredients:
3 pounds of small red potatoes, quartered (Russet potatoes are fine, too.)
8 ounces of sour cream (Low fat or whole fat, your preference.)
1 package of buttermilk ranch dressing mix
2 cups of milk
2 cups of cut up ham (This is a great dish for using leftover ham.)
Frozen winter vegetables
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
Grated cheddar cheese for topping (optional)

Preparation:
Spray the slow cooker with cooking spray.
Mix the sour cream, dressing mix, and milk.
Stir in the potatoes.
Place in the slow cooker and cook on low heat 8 hours or high heat 4 hours.
Turn off the heat and use a potato masher to gently smash the potatoes.

Just before serving, cook the vegetables according to the package directions, adding ½ of the chopped parsley to the vegetables.
Serve the Creamy Ranch Potatoes with the vegetables on the side.
Sprinkle cheese and parsley over the potatoes.

Hearty Minestrone Soup

Warm Homemade Bread

This soup tastes best when it’s made in the slow cooker because the low heat gives it plenty of time for the flavors to blend. If you would rather cook it on the stove, plan on letting it simmer for about one hour. The second day it’s even more delicious.

If you’re choosing vegetarian dishes, this one qualifies. If you prefer meat in your soup, you can add a can of chopped chicken breast.

Ingredients:
1 can navy beans
1 can pink kidney beans
½ cup sliced carrots
½ cup chopped celery
1 chopped yellow onion
1 cup of chopped green beans, zucchini, or both
2 cans of Italian style diced tomatoes
2 cans of vegetable broth
2 cups of water
1 cup of rotini pasta
1 Tbsp dried parsley
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp basil
½ tsp thyme
½ tsp sea salt
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
Fresh parsley and fresh grated Parmesan cheese for a garnish

Preparation:
Place all the ingredients except the pasta in the slow cooker or in a stock pot on the stove.
Do not drain the canned beans.
Cook on low heat for 8 hours in the slow cooker, or 45 minutes at medium heat on the stove.
Add the pasta to the soup. Cook until al dente. In the slow cooker, this is about 30 minutes. On the stove, it should take about 10 minutes.
Ladle into bowls and top with parsley and parmesan.

This soup is so hearty that it is a complete meal all by itself.

Pork Chops in the Crock

Pork Chops in the Crock
Parley Carrots and New Potatoes
Baked Apple Wedges

Ingredients:
4 thick pork chops (don’t buy the thin ones for this.)
½ cup Italian bread crumbs
1 sprig of rosemary
2 cups of fresh baby carrots
6 new potatoes
4 apples
2 Tbsp parlsy
2 Tbsp real butter
4 Tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp nutmeg
½ cup raisins

In the morning:
Wash and bread the chops.
Place the sprig of rosemary on the bottom of the slow cooker.
Place the chops, standing up on the bone, inside the crockpot. (If you need to balance them, you can place half a potato or onion between them to keep them upright.)

In the afternoon:
Set the table.
Scrub the potatoes.
Place the potatoes and carrots in a saucepan of water.
Simmer about 15 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.
Wash and core the apples. Cut them into wedges.
Place them in a microwave safe baking dish.
Mix the brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg.
Spread over the top of the apples.
Sprinkle the raisins over the top.
Bake in the microwave about 5 minutes. They are done when they are completely soft.
Drain the water off the potatoes and carrots.
Place the butter and parsley on top, and toss to coat.
Take the pork chops out of the crock pot.
Dinner is ready.

Turkey Meatloaf

Turkey Meatloaf
Potatoes Au Gratin in a Crock Pot
Dinner Salad

1 ½ lbs ground turkey
2/3 cup bread crumbs
½ chopped bell pepper
1 onion, chopped fine
2 eggs
1 small can tomato paste
2 tsp thyme
1 tsp sage
1 tsp oregano
2 tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
4 potatoes, sliced
1 onion, sliced
1 can cheese soup
3 cups of romaine
1 sliced tomato
Croutons
Salad dressing

In the morning:
Spray the crock pot with cooking spray.
Mix the sliced potatoes and the sliced onion with the can of cheese soup.
Place the sliced potato mixture in the crock pot.
Cook on low 8 hours.

In the afternoon:
Mix the meatloaf ingredients together. Spray a loaf pan with cooking spray and place the meatloaf mixture in it.
Bake the meatloaf 55 to 65 minutes at 350 degrees.
While the meatloaf is cooking, prepare the salad.