Crockpot Beef Stroganoff

Finding yourself short on time and needing an easy dinner recipe?  I've got a new one we tried last night and loved!  I typically make beef stroganoff on the stove, but this recipe was similar with a few extras that made it a hit with both the adults and (almost) all of the kids!

Crockpot Beef Stroganoff
Source:  Campbell's Soup

2 cans cream of mushroom soup
1/4 cup water
2 T. Worcestershire sauce
1 package sliced white mushrooms
3 medium onions, coarsely chopped (I omitted)
3 cloves garlic, minced (I used 1 1/2 t. garlic from jar)
1/2 t. black pepper
2 pounds boneless beef round steak, sliced into thin chunks
1 cup sour cream
12 ounces medium egg noodles, cooked and drained

Stir the first 7 ingredients together in the crockpot.  Add meat and make sure it is coated.  Cook on low for 8-9 hours or until beef is fork-tender.  Stir in the sour cream while mixture is still in the crockpot.  Serve over noodles.

  

This Week's Dinner Line-up....Fantastic!

This was a week for comfort food.  Something nice and hot to warm up from all of this frigid weather.  I must say, I nailed this week's menu...almost.  We started off this weekend with a new recipe, Lasagna Soup, and it was delicious (and kid-approved!).  Sunday I tried a new crockpot recipe, Chicken Santa Fe, but it was not delicious.  Pinterest fail.  

Next up?  A whole chicken in the crockpot.  I've always been intimidated by the idea of cooking a whole chicken.  Not anymore!  It was quick and easy to prep and it was a crockpot meal, so no fuss.  The end result?  Delicious, tender chicken.  I'll share the recipe at the end of this post.  You can get a great price on a whole chicken if you keep your eye out for one.  The bonus for the one I had in the freezer?  No giblets!  I'm a little squeamish when it comes to meat, so this was a pleasant surprise.

To round out our week, I made Goulash and we will have our traditional Friday night pizza tomorrow.  We ate well this week and as silly as it sounds, it felt like quite an accomplishment.  All of the recipes I made did not take a lot of time in the kitchen and made plenty of leftovers for the lunch box, a quick dinner, or lunch.    

Crockpot Chicken

1 whole chicken
1 lemon
Olive Oil
Italian Seasoning
Salt
Pepper

Rinse chicken and pat dry.  Slice lemon into quarters and stuff into cavity.  Roll up three balls of tin foil and place the chicken on top of them.  Rub olive oil on the chicken.  Sprinkle Italian Seasoning, salt, and pepper to taste on the top.  Turn on to low and cook for 6-7 hours.  It releases so much juice!  I made some gravy from scratch using it to complete our dinner:  chicken, mashed potatoes, and gravy.  Some serious comfort food.

Crocking Monday (Wednesday?!)

I have been MIA for a few weeks!  My life was busier than normal, as we completed our first donation for our organization From Cover to Cover last Friday and the preparation took a long time!  On top of that, we put on a fundraiser for the organization on Saturday, so needless to say I was busy, busy!  Both events were amazing and we are looking forward to a bright future!

This meal is perfect for a busy schedule.  Of course I found it on Pinterest and we tried it out a few weekends ago.  Olive Garden Pasta Fagioli sound good?  It was delicious and healthy!  Here's the recipe:

Olive Garden Pasta Fagioli

 2 lbs. gound beef, cooked and drained
1 onion, chopped
3 carrots, chopped
4 stalks celery, chopped
2 (28 oz) cans diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (16 oz) can red kidney beans, drained
1 (16 oz) can white kidney beans, drained
3 (10 oz) cans beef stock
3 t. oregano
2 t. pepper
5 t. parsley
1 t. Tabisco (optional, we omitted)
1 (20 oz) jar spaghetti sauce
8 oz. rotini pasta

Add all ingredients except pasta to the crockpot.  Cook on low 7-8 hours or high 3-4 hours.  Add pasta in last hour on low or 30 minutes on high.  DO NOT ADD MORE PASTA THAN CALLED FOR!  (It will lose it's liquid.  Trust me, I know!).

Beat the Heat: Crockpot Monday!

Once again we are going to be hit with some excessive heat for a few days this week.  On days like these, I try to avoid running the oven if at all possible.  Luckily for us, it's Crockpot Monday so it all works out well.  This week we're having one of our favorites, Chicken Tacos.  Just in case you've missed this recipe before, I'm going to share it again.  Instead of using the pre-packaged taco seasoning, we are going to use our homemade taco seasoning this time around.  Enjoy!

Chicken Tacos

1 to 1.5 pounds chicken breasts
2 T. homemade taco seasoning (or packet of taco seasoning)
1 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes and chiles

Place all ingredients in the Crockpot.  Cook on low 6-8 hours.  Shred and serve.

No time for dinner?  This took less than a minute to put together.

Crocking Monday (a little late!): Crockpot Sloppy Joes

I am back to making a Crockpot meal on Mondays.  I'm trying new recipes as of late, so it's taking me an extra day to share those with you.  We love Sloppy Joes, but not all of the junk that is added in the canned mix. so yesterday I took a stab at them from scratch and they were delicious!  They could easily just be made in a skillet, but I browned my meat, put it in the Crockpot, and dumped in the rest of the ingredients so I could forget about it until dinnertime.  If you're family is larger and you like leftovers, I would highly recommend doubling the recipe.  I would say it makes 6-7 larger sandwiches.

Crockpot Sloppy Joes
Source:  The Happy Housewife

1 lb. ground beef
1/4 c. chopped onion (I omitted)
1/2 t. garlic powder
1 t. prepared yellow mustard
3/4 c. ketchup
1 T. brown sugar
1 t. salt
ground black pepper, to taste

Brown beef.  Put in crockpot and add all other ingredients.  Cook on low for 4 hours.  Turn to warm until ready to serve.

Served with a side of Tator Tots...I LOVE Tator Tots!  :)

Crockpot Monday (a day late!) Dairy-free BBQ Meatballs

Yesterday was the most productive day I've had in the kitchen in a long time.  It's amazing what I can get done when the Queen Bee takes a three hour nap and Grandma takes the little guy for the day.  I think I need one of those days at least once a month!  I was able to make some oatmeal chocolate chip cookies and pumpkin muffins to store in the freezer for lunches and I tried a new recipe for homemade BBQ sauce and meatballs.  

Today I thought I'd share the delicious dairy-free BBQ meatballs we had for dinner.  It takes some time to prep, but it is worth it!  If you find yourself with some time on the weekend, you can make these meatballs and freeze them for later use.  Making the BBQ sauce ahead of time and keeping that in the refrigerator will also reduce your time the day you'd like to make the meal.

Meatballs

1 lb. lean ground beef
1 egg
2 T. water
1/2 c. bread crumbs (I used Panko)
1/4 c. minced onion (I omitted)
1/2 t. salt
1/8 t. pepper

Mix together all ingredients put the ground beef until bound together.  Add ground beef in chunks and mash with hands until all mixed up.  Roll into balls 1 inch in diameter.  Place on a jelly roll pan prepared with parchment paper.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minute or no longer pink in the center.  Cool and place in crockpot or freeze.

BBQ Sauce
Source:  Food Network (adapted)

2 cups ketchup (I used Annie's homegrown organic)
1 c. water
1/2 c. apple cider vinegar
5 T. light brown sugar
5 T. sugar
1/2 t. fresh ground black pepper
1/2 t. onion powder
1/2 t. ground mustard
1 T. lemon juice
1 T. Worcestershire sauce

In a medium sauce pan, combine all ingredients and cover.  Bring to a boil.  Turn town and simmer for 1 hour 15 minutes uncovered stirring frequently.

Crockpot Meatballs and BBQ Sauce

Place meatballs in crockpot.  Using a large spoon, scoop in BBQ sauce until meatballs are covered.  I used about half of the sauce that I made.  Cook on low for 2 hours if using freshly made meatballs.  If using frozen, cook on low for 4 hours.

24 Meatballs Ready to Bake

BBQ Sauce

Crocking Monday

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday for food and I could eat it all of the trimmings all of the time!  When I had Baby #4, I requested a turkey dinner when we got home.  It was delicious!  To satisfy the cravings, I have incorporated some of the trimmings into my lunch menu.  One of my favorite things to eat is turkey and gravy over mashed potatoes.  Since I'm doing my best to eliminate dairy from my diet, this is one of my go-to recipes.  It's easy and quick if you make the turkey breast ahead of time, chop it up, and freeze it in portions.  I've been making my mashed potatoes with chicken broth instead of milk and it's been working out pretty well.  Here is a simple recipe to make a turkey breast in the crockpot!

Crockpot Turkey Breast

1 turkey breast (I've used bone-in, but can be boneless)

1 can chicken broth

Salt, pepper to taste

Seasoning to taste (Oregano, Poultry Seasoning, Rosemary, Sage); your preference

Place turkey breast in crockpot.  Pour in chicken broth and sprinkle in seasoning.  Cook on low 6-8 hours.  Chop up and eat how you desire.  Very tender!  You can save the broth, add flour, and make your own gravy.

Crocking Monday!

When I had my third child, I received a beef stew Mommy Meal from a member of one of my mom's groups.  It was delicious and I had every intention of making it, but never got around to it.  Since I am trying to avoid dairy again, I have been looking for meals that contain no milk products.  This one came to mind and my mom offered to make it for me (bonus!).  

She prepped everything for me and we turned the original recipe into a crockpot meal.  It turned out quite well and I will be adding it to my growing list of crockpot recipes.  Here is our modified recipe!

Beef Stew in the Crockpot
Adapted from Paula Deen courtesy of a Peanut Blossom blog post

2 lbs. beef stew meat
flour, for coating meat
2 T. oil
1 1/2 cups beef broth (or half beef broth, half water)
1 T. Worcestershire Sauce
1 clove garlic, peeled (I omitted)
1 bay leaf
1 medium onion, sliced (I omitted)
1 t. sugar
1 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper
1/2 t. paprika
3 large carrots, sliced
3 ribs celery, chopped
4 red potatoes, peeled and sliced into large pieces (may omit and serve over mashed potatoes instead)
1/3 c. flour
*fresh mushrooms would be a wonderful addition!

Heat oil.  Coat meat in flour and cook until brown.  In a large bowl, mix vegetables and flour.  Add beef broth, Worcestershire Sauce, sugar, salt, pepper, and paprika.  Mix well.  Add meat and mix again. Pour into a lightly greased crockpot.  Place bay leaf on top and cook on low for 10 hours.  If adding the mushrooms, place in crockpot a few hours before it is done.  When reheating, may want to add some water to thin out.

   

Crocking Monday Returns!

For this week, Crocking Monday returns.  I tried a new crockpot recipe the other day and thought I'd share it with you.  My husband declared it a keeper and I agreed!

Crockpot Scalloped Potatoes and Ham

3 lbs. potatoes, peeled and sliced (sliced medium thickness)

1 cup chopped onion

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

3 cups cooked diced ham

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1/2 cup water

Combine potatoes, onion, cheese, and ham in crockpot.  Mix water and soup together in a bowl and pour over top of potato mixture.  Cover and cook on high for 4 hours, or until potatoes are tender.  Gently stir before serving.  

Crocking Monday!

Happy Monday!  I hope everyone had a fantastic weekend and you're ready for a new week.  I feel like I've been in a bit of a cooking rut lately, but I am hoping to share some old and new recipes with you soon.  I've bookmarked quite a few and am looking forward to some new dishes!  Today is "Crocking Monday" and I'd like to share a simple beef and mushroom recipe with you.  It's easy and doesn't contain too many ingredients!  Hope you enjoy!

Beef and Mushrooms

3 pounds stew meat, cubed
1 can cream of mushroom soup
2 cans mushrooms with liquid
1/2 cup apple juice
1 envelope dry onion soup mix

Combine all ingredients in greased 3 1/2 to 5-quart slow cooker.  Cover and cook on low heat 10 hours.  Makes 4-6 servings.  Serve over rice.

Crocking Monday

My posts are brief and recipe-filled these days!  I have had sick kiddos for a week and it still continues. Waiting for some reprieve!  Since it's Monday, here's a crockpot recipe that we like to use when we have family functions, but it could definitely be used for everyday.  It makes a lot of food and if you have a crockpot that's large, it could be doubled!

Company Chicken Casserole

8 oz. egg noodles
3 c. cooked chicken, diced
1/2 c. celery, diced
1/2 c. green pepper, diced
1/2 c. onion, diced
4 oz. mushrooms, canned, drained
1/2 c. chicken broth
1/2 c. parmesan cheese
2 T. melted butter
1 c. sharp cheddar, grated
1/2 t. basil
1 1/2 c. small curd cottage cheese
1 can cream chicken soup

Cook noodles according to package directions until barely tender, drain and rinse.  In large bowl, combine the remaining ingredients with the noodles, making sure the noodles are separated and coated with liquid.  Pour mixture into a greased crockpot.  Cover and cook on low 6-10 hours.  Can cook on high 3-4 hours.

Crocking Monday!

It seems that most people are in the full swing of school, so what better way to start out a busy week than with another crockpot recipe.  I found this Swiss Steak recipe on allrecipes.com when I was on my quest to find some new recipes.  While my picky kiddos didn't quite enjoy it, my husband and I sure did!  It's a nice hearty, healthy meal.  I hope you enjoy it as well!

Crockpot Swiss Steak
1/4 c. all-purpose flour
salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2 lbs. round steak, cut into small pieces
3 T. vegetable oil
3 stalks celery, chopped
1 onion, chopped
3 carrots, shredded
2 (14.5 oz) cans diced tomatoes with juice
1 T. Worcestershire Sauce
2 T. brown sugar

1.  In a shallow bowl, mix the flour, salt, and pepper.  Lightly coat the found steak pieces in the flour mixture.
2.  Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat, and saute the celery, onion, and carrots about five minutes or until tender.  Remove from heat, and set aside.  Mix in the round steak pieces, and cook until lightly browned.
3.  Place vegetables and meat in crockpot.  Mix in the tomatoes with juice, Worcestershire sauce, and brown sugar.
4.  Cover and cook on low8-10 hours until meat is very tender.

Serve with mashed potatoes.

Crocking Monday

My blog continues to be neglected and it makes me a bit sad.  It is for a good reason, though.  I'm spending hours and hours researching about how to advocate for my child and ensure that he will be safe while attending school.  This has no longer become just about us.  We are educating doctors on the law and will be taking this information to the school district next.  Mama's on another mission.  This will benefit many in the end!

Today is Monday, so that means sharing another crockpot recipe.  Given that football season will be upon us soon, I thought I'd share a recipe for BBQ Pulled Pork.  I have a few different recipes, but this was my original that has been a staple for our family birthday parties since we had our oldest guy's first party.

BBQ Pulled Pork

Pork Shoulder Roast (I use 4-5 lbs)
2 18 oz. bottles of BBQ sauce (I use Sweet Baby Ray's Hickory Brown Sugar)
2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons brown sugar
1 medium onion, chopped (option, I do not use)

Cut as much fat as possible from roast.  Place the pork roast, lemon juice, brown sugar, and BBQ sauce in the crockpot and cook on low for 10-12 hours.  Take out of crockpot and shred.  Spoon liquid over top of pork until desired "sauciness" is achieved.  Serve with extra BBQ sauce.

This goes wonderfully with baked beans!    

Crocking Monday

This is the big week.  My little guy starts kindergarten on Wednesday.  He is excited, I am nervous and sad, but in the end it will be an exciting adventure for all of us.  I am trying to say this with positivity and excitement.  Inside, though, I'm just not feeling it!

A new school year brings about some chaos, though.  Don't let dinner add to your stress.  Here is a very simple, delicious Italian Beef recipe.  It makes a lot of meat, so you can easily throw some in the freezer to pull out for a later meal.  This has been a big hit at birthday parties and our moving help a few months back loved it!

Crockpot Italian Beef

Sirloin tip roast
1 packet Italian dressing seasoning
1 box beef broth

Combine all of the ingredients in the crockpot, making sure to cover meat with liquid and cook on low for 10-12 hours.  Remove meat from crockpot and shred in a 9x13 pan, removing fat.  Once shredded, pour some of the liquid from crockpot into the pan making sure there is plenty of juice.  Serve on Italian Beef rolls (yes, they make these!) with sliced Provolone cheese and peppers if desired.

Crocking Monday

It's Crocking Monday!!  Today I'd like to share a recipe with you from a small cookbook we have called Slow Cooker Suppers For the Cookingly Challenged.  My mom actually gave this cookbook to my husband before we were married, though I don't think it was really put into use until we had sealed the deal!  Today's recipe is Chicken Breasts in Wine Sauce.  Warning:  this smells delicious while it's cooking and makes my stomach growl all day!

Chicken Breasts in Wine Sauce

6 chicken breasts, bone in (though I usually use boneless)
1 medium onion, sliced (I omit)
1 7 oz. can mushroom stems/pieces drained (fresh is better!)

Mix the following three ingredients:
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup sherry wine or white wine (I use white)
2 tsp. Italian herb seasoning

1 8 oz. carton sour cream (I have substituted plain Greek yogurt with great success)

Place ingredients in slow cooker in order listed above, stopping with the soup mixture.  Don't put sour cream (or yogurt) into pot at this time.  (If you use fresh mushrooms, you may want to add them in the last hour of cooking).

Cook six hours on low or three hours on high.  Remove chicken pieces to serving platter.  Add sour cream to slow cooker and mix well, but don't cook any longer.

Serve the wine sauce over chicken and serve over rice or mashed potatoes.  (We have also used egg noodles, as it is like a chicken stroganoff).

Crocking Monday

We survived our big family party weekend.  It was a lot of work and took a long time to prepare for, but it was a fun and memorable weekend.  I am completely wiped out and am looking forward to a long nap this afternoon (barring the kids cooperate!).  So today's post is going to be a short one, but contains a delicious crockpot recipe.  Don't be fooled.  Just because it's a soup, doesn't mean it's not a delicious summertime meal!

Crockpot Chicken Enchilada Soup

2 cups diced chicken, cooked
1 can enchilada sauce
1-2 cans chicken broth (depends on how thin you prefer your soup)
2 cans diced tomatoes and chiles (14.5 oz), if you want less spice then 1 plain and one with chiles
1 cup corn
2 bay leaves
1/4 t. chili powder
1/4 t. minced garlic (mine is from a jar)
1/4 t. oregano

Cook on high for 2 hours and low for an additional 3.  Serve with tortilla chips and cheese.  

Crocking Monday

We had a very awesome Sunday funday!  We entertained the congregation at the small church near our home with our little cuties.  We frequently find that at least one of our kiddos makes our section of church laugh out loud at least once a week.  Today the little princess took a back dive off of the kneeler and promptly yelled, "I'm okay, Mom!"  It echoed throughout the church and was followed by some laughter.  We took it in stride and moved on.  After church, the nice people behind us made sure to tell her that they were glad she was okay.  I guess we didn't upset them too much with our busy, not-so-quiet crew.

This afternoon we celebrated my mother's retirement.  It was a wonderful party attended by family, many friends she has had for more years than I have been alive and some colleagues that she has worked with for many years.  We pulled off the surprise event and she enjoyed the day.  My kids had a blast as well and were all so tired that they fell asleep the minute their heads hit the pillow.  The princess was up for entertaining at the party as well.  You could find her picking up chips off of the tray, licking all of the salt off, and politely returning them to where she found them.  Once we shut that activity down, she moved on to the cake and began dragging her finger through the frosting, licking it off, and returning for more.  She told me that she just needed to have more.  Thank goodness we had already served the cake!  

Tomorrow is already the start of a fresh week.  Monday can be hit or miss when it comes to the mood of the kiddos, so I hope to avoid any problems during the witching hour by making a low-maintenance dinner in the crockpot.  I used to reserve one day a week for a crockpot meal and I plan to get back to it.  It's too hot to run the oven every night, so this will be a perfect solution. 

We will be enjoying Italian Chicken with Mushrooms.  If you're looking for a delicious recipe that tastes like you slaved for hours, this is it!

Italian Chicken with Mushrooms

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 envelope Italian salad dressing mix
1/4 cup water
1 8 oz. package cream cheese, softened (I use the 1/3 less fat)
1 can cream of chicken soup (I use Healthy Request)
4 ounces of mushrooms (I will add more)

Place chicken in greased slow cooker.  Combine salad dressing mix and water; pour over chicken.  cover and cook on high heat 3 hours.  In a small mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and soup until blended.  Stir in mushrooms.  Pour over chicken.  Cook 2 hours longer on high heat, or until chicken juices run clear.

Serve over hot noodles.