Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili!

When that first chill gets in the air here in southern Kentucky, I start to think about things like this "White Chicken Chili"!   I usually make this on the stove top, but this is a great recipe to just throw in the slow cooker and forget it until time to eat also.  The great thing is that you probably already have the ingredients on hand.

Here is what you will need for this:

4 cups cooked chicken breast, shredded or diced
1 medium sweet onion, diced (about 1/2 cup)

2 cans white beans (navy or great northern)

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. black pepper

1 tsp. garlic powder

 2 tsp. cumin 

 1 tsp. oregano

pinch of cayenne pepper

3 Knorr chicken bouillon cubes (if you use another brand of the small square ones use about 6)***

5-6 cups water (depending how thick you like it)

1/4 cup chopped jalapenos (can substitute a small can of mild green chilies if you don't like too much heat)

dash of hot sauce to taste (I use Tabasco, but this is optional)

8 oz. cream cheese

2 cups shredded Monterrey jack or pepper jack cheese

Garnishes

green onions, chopped

Monterrey Jack and Cheddar cheeses

jalapeno pepper rings

***you can substitute 6 cups of chicken broth for the water and bullion cubes if desired

Combine all of the ingredients in the slow cooker, except the cream cheese and Monterrey Jack or pepper jack cheeses.   Set the slow cooker on low and cook for 5 to 6 hours. 

The last hour add the cream cheese, cubed and the 2 cups Monterrey Jack or pepper jack cheese.  Stir about halfway through just to blend as it melts.  

Serve with the garnishes of your choice!  This is great with tortilla chips or Frito Scoops!

Mississippi Roast!



My sister found this roast on Pinterest originally and they really liked it, so I thought I would try it for the blog.  The recipe is a whole like what I do to make my Spicy Italian Beef, except that you use Ranch Dressing mix instead of Italian and less of the spicy seasonings. This recipe makes a really good beef gravy that is perfect with mashed potatoes or you could serve it with egg noodles or even rice.    The results were wonderful and you do it in the slow cooker.  You throw it all in the night before or in the morning before you go to work and it's ready when you get home.  As far as I can determine this recipe originated on a blog called Laurie's Life http://lseo.blogspot.com/.    I certainly want to give credit where credit is due and Laurie has a hit here.  

You will be surprised to see how few ingredients you need for this:

Roast (I used about a 4 lb chuck roast,.  I do think the chuck roast works best. )

1 envelope of ranch dressing mix

1 envelope of au jus mix

1 stick of butter

pepperoncini peppers  (the original recipe used about 4 or 5 whole peppers, I used the pepper rings and mixed some pepperoncini and jalapeno rings)

I added a sprinkling of black pepper and a sprinkling of seasoned salt, but that is very optional.

Spray your slow cooker with nonstick spray.  It makes clean up so much easier.  Place your roast in the slow cooker and sprinkle with a little black pepper and a little seasoned salt.  Sprinkle the top with the ranch dressing mix and the au jus mix. 

Place peppers on top of mixes.  I used a mixture of jalapeno and pepperoncini peppers.  I like the pepper rings because they disintegrate in the cooking process and just become part of the gravy.  My family is not big on peppers and they never see them this way.  Don't leave these out though, because they really add flavor to this. If you don't use too many, they don't even add noticeable heat.



Add the stick of butter on top!  The butter is what makes the gravy in this soooo good!  Set your slow cooker to 8 hours on low and forget it. You do not add any additional water to this!  Your roast will be tender and delicious and will have made it's own gravy!   I served with mashed potatoes, but you could serve with egg noodles or for our deep south folks, rice.

Add the stick of butter on top!  The butter is what makes the gravy in this soooo good!  Set your slow cooker to 8 hours on low and forget it. You do not add any additional water to this!  Your roast will be tender and delicious and will have made it's own gravy!  

This is great served with mashed potatoes, egg noodles, or for our deep South friends, rice! 













Roasted Pork Loin with Mushroom Gravy!

This transforms a pork loin into something worthy of serving to company or special enough for your holiday menu, but it's so easy you won't believe it!  This is also a relatively low fat recipe, believe it or not with not very many ingredients!   Usually, anything with gravy, that is not the case!  I like this cooked in the oven, but you can use your slow cooker also with some adaptation, I will give those instructions at the end.  

 Here is what you will need: 

3-5 lb. pork loin

1/2 tsp. seasoned salt

1/2 tsp. black pepper

2 tsp. minced garlic

1  (10 3/4) oz. can  cream of chicken with herbs soup (I used Campbell's)

1 medium sweet onion, diced

2 cups fresh mushrooms, sliced (I use a white button mushroom)

2 Tbs. soy sauce

3 cups water

2 Tbs. cornstarch

1/2 cup cold water

Place the pork loin in a roasting pan or heavy baking dish!   If you spray it with some nonstick spray it cleans up easier.  Sprinkle with the seasoned salt, black pepper and garlic.   Spoon the soup over the top of the pork loin.  You can substitute cream of mushroom soup or plain cream of chicken soup, but the cream of chicken with herbs gives the gravy a nice flavor!  

 Place the diced onion and sliced mushrooms over the soup.  Sort of press them into the soup so they stay on top for now.  Sprinkle the 2 Tbs. of soy sauce over the mushrooms.  I don't add a lot of salt to this recipe, because the salt in the soup and the soy sauce is sufficient with just the 1/2 tsp. seasoned salt.   Pour three cups water around the pork loin in the bottom of the baking pan. 

 Cover tightly with foil or if you are using a roasting pan, place the lid on and place in a 350 degree oven for 2 hours.

Mix the 2 Tablespoons cornstarch into 1/2 cup cold water in a bowl or cup until there are no lumps and it's smooth.  Carefully remove the pan from the oven and take foil or lid off.  Whisk the cornstarch mixture into the pan juice around the pork loin.  Turn the oven up to 450 degrees and place the pan back in the oven, uncovered for about 20 minutes.   This will thicken the juice and make your gravy.  It also sort of browns the top of the pork loin so it looks nice.

Plate the pork loin on a platter and allow it to rest for about 10 minutes before slicing in thin slices!  Spoon some of the mushroom gravy over the pork loin and place the rest in a gravy boat or bowl!  This makes plenty of gravy for serving on the side! 

We like this served with mashed potatoes, but you could serve with rice or egg noodles also.  If you have picky eaters, you can leave the mushrooms out completely and it's still delicious! 

***Slow Cooker Instructions:   Follow all of the same steps above, except decrease the water in the crock around the pork loin to 2 cups.  Slow cookers do not allow for much condensation during cooking so you never need as much liquid. Cook on low for 8 hours.  

An hour before serving turn the slow cooker up to high.  Make your cornstarch slurry and whisk into the juices, cover and let it go for an hour on high.  Whisk at the end to be sure it's smooth.   This method doesn't produce as pretty a pork loin...can pork be pretty???  I think it can...lol!!!  However, it tastes just as good! 

 If you are serving this for company or a holiday meal and want a pretty presentation, you can place it in the oven at 450 degrees to thicken the juices and brown the top like I did in the oven method.  Some slow cooker liners are oven proof, but some are not, so be sure of what yours is before you put it in the oven at a high temp.  You might need to transfer the pork loin to a baking dish if go to this trouble.  

See, this is pretty pork!!! 





Slow Cooker Chocolate Pudding Cake!

This is one of the easiest, no fail desserts you will ever make.  If you have a slow cooker, a cake mix, and a few other ingredients, you have got this one.  

 It's a great dessert to make when you are cooking for a big crowd or have a lot of dishes to do, because it doesn't require a lot of fussing over and it stays nice and warm in the slow cooker until you are ready to serve. 

 You can serve just the cake topped with some vanilla ice cream or whipped cream or you can kick it up a bit by making the simple hot fudge sauce and pouring that over the ice cream and cake.  That really elevates this dessert to something very special.     Here are the ingredients:

Chocolate Pudding Cake:

1 box chocolate cake mix, any kind you prefer

1 pkg. instant chocolate pudding mix

4 eggs, beaten

2 cups sour cream

3/4 cups oil

1  1/2 cups water ( I used Sprite, we always substitute the water with Sprite or ginger ale)

1 (6 oz.) pkg chocolate chips

Chocolate Sauce:

2 cups sugar

3/4 cup cocoa powder

4 Tbs. flour

2 cups milk

4 Tbs. butter

1 tsp vanilla

dash of salt

Mix all of the cake ingredients together in a bowl.  Spray the slow cooker really well with nonstick cooking spray.  Pour cake mixture in the slow cooker and set on low.  Cook for 5-6 hours depending on how fast your slow cooker cooks.  

The newer ones cook at a littler higher temperatures and mine was done in 5 hours.   Try not to lift the lid of the slow cooker while cooking as this lets the heat escape and slows down the cooking process. 

To make the chocolate sauce, mix the dry ingredients together in a bowl.  In a pan, mix the milk, butter and vanilla until butter is melted.  Add in the dry ingredients and bring to a boil, whisking constantly until the sauce thickens.  Turn to low to keep warm.  

If the sauce is a little too thick before serving, drop about a tablespoon of butter into it and whisk.  Don't heat it back to boiling but just warm it.  This is what some folks in the south call chocolate gravy and serve it for breakfast over biscuits.   If you are a chocolate lover, there is nothing better.

To assemble, place a piece of the warm cake in a bowl, top with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, top that with the chocolate sauce, whipped cream and a cherry!   Chocolate Pudding Cake!





Slow Cooker Apricot Glazed Pork Loin!

Pork loin is such an economical cut of meat, because it's mostly all lean with very little waste and really serves a lot of people.   However, it's a cut of meat that so many folks seem to not know what to do with or they don't understand that it can be very dry if not cooked properly.  It's a lean cut of meat and it works best with low and slow cooking, unless you cut it in nice boneless loin chops.  Because it works well with low and slow cooking, the slow cooker is perfect for pork loin.

  Now, how do you get the flavor in it and how do you get a variety of flavor other than just barbeque sauce?   This recipe is a really good change of pace from the usual barbequed pork loin.  It's also great for a week night meal as well as elegant enough for company.    I have discovered in using the slow cooker more for recipes now than I ever have, that if you finish some meats in the oven after the slow cooking period, they not only taste better, but the presentation is much better also.  This is one of those recipes.  


This is really a very simple recipe and you family is going to love it.  Here is what you will need:

1  4-6 lb. boneless pork loin
1 (20 oz.) jar of apricot preserves
1 envelope dry onion soup mix
1/4 cup prepared Italian dressing (whatever you prefer or have on hand)
1/4 cup Teriyaki or soy sauce (I used the Teriyaki)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 Tbs. minced garlic
salt
black pepper
seasoned salt

Mix the apricot preserves with the dry onion soup, Italian dressing, soy or Teriyaki sauce, brown sugar and minced garlic until well blended.  Place the pork loin in a 5 to 6 quart slow cooker that has been sprayed well with nonstick spray or use a slow cooker liner.    Sprinkle liberally with salt, black pepper, and seasoned salt.   Pour half of the apricot glaze over the pork loin.  Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.  You can cook this on high for 4-5 hours, but the low setting for longer produces a more tender roast.   Cover the other half of the glaze and refrigerate.   It will become thick when it gets cold and that is ok.  When you use the other half it will stay on better a little thicker.


***You can cook this in the oven if you do not have a slow cooker or just prefer the oven.  Cook at 350 degrees, covered for two hours and then uncover and add the reserved half of glaze.  If there are a lot of cooking juices in the pan, pour some of those off before you add the other half of glaze.  Cook at 375 degrees for 20 - 30 minutes or until the glaze caramelizes.  Be sure to let your meat rest for at least 15 minutes out of the oven, before slicing.  If you don't, it will lose all of it's juices.  I also spoon some of the pan juices back over the slices after placing them on the platter.

When the pork loin has finished cooking in the slow cooker, CAREFULLY remove it to a baking pan that has been sprayed with nonstick spray.    It will be hot and depending on how hot your slow cooker cooks it might be very tender and try to fall apart (but probably not).   I use a very wide spatula and meat fork to remove mine.   Pour the other half of the apricot glaze over the pork loin.  Place in the oven at 375 degrees for 20-30 minutes.  Don't let it burn but the sugars in the glaze will caramelize and turn darker.  This also gets very sticky so be sure to spray that baking dish with nonstick spray. 

Remove from oven and let stand to rest for 15 to 20 minutes before slicing.   If you slice meat as soon as you remove from the oven, without allowing to rest, you lose all of the juices and the meat will be dry.

Slow Cooker Spicy Italian Beef

This is not exactly a southern recipe, but it is one my family favorites.  I have tried around a half dozen different recipes for Italian beef that call for different cooking methods,  but this recipe gets the best results and is a mixture of several of the best recipes with a few additions of my own.  It's so simple to throw in the slow cooker the night before.

Here is what you will need for this:

4-6 lb chuck roast

1 envelope au jus mix

1 envelope Italian dressing mix

1 envelope onion soup mix

1/2 jar peperoncini pepper rings with juices

1 cup water

1 Tsp. Tony Chachere's Cajun Seasoning
Swiss or provolone cheese slices
Hoagie rolls

Sprinkle roast with pepper, salt and garlic salt on each side then sear and brown on both sides in about 1 Tbs of oil and 1Tbs of butter.  Do this in a nonstick skillet.  Once browned place in slow cooker sprayed with nonstick cooking spray for easy cleanup.  Deglaze the skillet with a cup of water over high high and pour this over the roast.  You can skip this step and just put the roast right in the slow cooker without browning it, but I think it does enhance the flavor.

Sprinkle the Tony Chachere's seasonings over the roast, all three of the envelopes of seasoning mixes, and some additional pepper.

Add a 1/2 jar of the peperoncini peppers and about 1/2 of the pepper juice over top.  Pour 1 cup water around the edges of the roast.

After 8 - 10 hours on low or overnight, remove the meat and shred.  return to slow cooker in the spicy au jus. 

Now it's time to make the sandwiches.  Split your hoagie buns and I like to toast them slightly in the oven.  They will hold up to the juices of the sandwich better.

Now pile on the meat and cheese.  Run back in the oven until the cheese melts or in the microwave for about 30 seconds.

If you like extra spice add more peperoncini rings.  You can also serve some of the au jus on the side for dipping!!!

Spicy Italian Beef right here in southern Kentucky!

Slow Cooker Ranch Pork Chops!

This is absolutely the easiest and best slow cooker recipe I have ever made.  I originally saw this on a slow cooker site, but I did change it just a little by adding a cup of sour cream to the sauce at the end.  

Here is what you will need:

2 cans cream of chicken soup, 1 pkg ranch dressing mix, 1 cup sour cream and 5 or 6 boneless pork loin chops about 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch thick.  I usually just buy a whole pork loin and slice my own to save money and to be sure I get the thickness I want.   You can substitute boneless chicken breasts in this for the pork and it would be great also!

Spray your slow cooker liberally with cooking spray.  This really makes clean up so easy. Lay your pork chops in the bottom.  Sprinkle with pepper.  The soup and the ranch dressing mix have enough sodium in them that you won't need extra salt.  Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or on high 4-5 hours depending on your slow cooker.  At the end of the cooking time, add a cup of sour cream to the sauce.  You will need to temper your sour cream gradually with some of the hot sauce before adding it or it will curdle (not a good look).  If you are not serving immediately, turn the crock pot to warm to hold it. 

I usually serve this over hot buttered egg noodles, but it is also excellent over rice or mashed potatoes.  Add a salad and rolls and you have a great meal! 

Slow Cooker Party Meatballs!

These "Slow Cooker Party Meatballs" are great to serve for parties, on game day, or just any time you have a bunch of people over!  We hosted a bridal shower for my nephew and his bride to be a few weekends ago and served these!  They are delicious and so easy!  I like to serve things like this for parties, because they pretty much just take care of themselves and they are easy for your guests to eat!

 Here is what you will need:

1 cup grape juice

1 cup apple jelly

1 cup ketchup

1 (8 oz.) can of tomato sauce

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper (optional)

1 (64 oz.) bag of fully cooked frozen Italian meatballs

***You can make your own homemade meatballs.  Just brown them really well before you put them in the slow cooker and cut the time to 4-5 hours!

Combine all of the ingredients except the meatballs in a saucepan, cook on medium low just until the jelly and the brown sugar have dissolved.  The cayenne is optional, because I know some don't care for any heat at all.  I like just a touch in these.  

Place the frozen meatballs in a slow cooker.  Meatballs usually come in two sizes, 1 ounce and 1/2 ounce.  For this, I prefer the 1/2 ounce size, because it's  just the right size bite and it stays on a pick or fork easier!   Pour the sauce over all and set the slow cooker for 5-6 hours on low!  All slow cookers tend to vary, so use your judgment, but they really don't overcook if you go to the six hours!  

For casual get-togethers, serve right from the slow cooker to keep them warm.  For more formal affairs, you might want to place them in a chafing dish!  These will disappear fast!  

Sweet & Sticky Asian Style Ribs!

These "Sweet & Sticky Asian Ribs" are cooked in the slow cooker and then finished off in the oven to get a good glaze on them. I used boneless country style ribs, because of their meatiness and it's what I had, but you could also use a spare rib or a baby back rib.  

The country style ribs really are good though because they have so much meat on them and get so tender with this method.   This recipe calls for some ingredients you might not keep on hand, but once you make these you will want them again and again, so the spices will not go to waste.


Here is what you will need:

1 large sweet onion, sliced and separated into rings
2  1/2 to 3 lbs. of boneless country style pork ribs
Seasoned salt
black pepper
1/2 cup of hoisin sauce
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup sriracha sauce or chili sauce
1 Tbs. rice wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup honey
1 Tbs. minced garlic
1 tsp. Chinese five spice
1 Tbs. sesame seeds (optional)


Place a bed of the onion slices on the bottom of a large slow cooker.  Place the ribs on top of the onions.  Sprinkle the ribs with seasoned salt and black pepper to your taste.

I a bowl mix the hoisin sauce, soy sauce, sriracha or chili sauce, vinegar, brown sugar, honey, minced garlic, and Chinese five spice until smooth.   If you are not familiar with hoisin sauce, it's a delicious Asian sauce you will find on the aisle with the soy sauce and other Asian food items.

The Chinese five spice is usually just on the spice aisle with all of the other spices.   You can use this in so many recipes to give them a unique flavor.

Pour half of the sauce over the ribs.  Refrigerate the other half for later use.  Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4 hours.  If you have the time for the low cooking, I think it's better.

When they have cooked the amount of time.  Carefully remove the ribs to an oven safe dish or if your slow cooker has an oven proof insert, you can just remove it.  Pour the rest of the sauce over the ribs and place in a 425 degree oven for about 20 minutes or until the glaze is just starting to bubble and brown.  

Remove and sprinkle with the sesame seeds if you are using them.  One tip on sesame seeds, since you don't use them every day, they will last much longer if you keep them in the fridge.  The same for celery seeds and poppy seeds.  If you don't refrigerate, they can go rancid after a while.

These tender succulent ribs are good with anything.  You could serve them with fried rice and veggies for a more traditional touch or I served them with beans and stewed potatoes and cornbread.  They were so good!  

Slow Cooker Smothered Chicken and Gravy!

This "Slow Cooker Smothered Chicken & Gravy" is one of my easy peasy recipes and when I say easy peasy, I am not kidding!  This is so easy anyone can make it and it will turn out fork tender and so full of flavor every time!  This recipe does for chicken what the Mississippi Roast recipe does for a beef roast!  This makes a wonderful gravy that is so good served over mashed potatoes or rice! 

 Here is what you will need:

6 boneless skinless chicken breasts

black pepper

1 (10 1/2 oz.) can of cream of chicken soup

1 (10 1/2 oz.) can of cream of mushroom soup

1 envelope of dry onion soup mix

16 oz. sour cream (do not use light)

7-8 strips of bacon fried crisp and crumbled

4-5 green onions sliced thin including some of the green blades (optional for garnish)

Spray a large slow cooker with nonstick spray.  Lay the chicken breasts in the bottom.  Sprinkle them with black pepper to taste.  You really don't need to salt them, because of the sodium in the soups.  If you are using frozen chicken breasts, you don't even need to thaw them.  They will cook just fine. 

In a separate bowl, mix the two cans of soup and the dry onion soup mix until blended.  If your family doesn't care for mushrooms, you can use two cans of cream of chicken soup instead.   Spread the soup mixture over the chicken breasts.  Cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4 hours. 

During the last hour of cooking, add the sour cream.  I like to temper the sour cream before I add it by adding some of the hot liquid to it gradually until the sour cream is no longer cold.  When it's warm, it won't break when you add it and will incorporate smoothly with gravy! 

When it's time to serve, sprinkle the crumbled bacon over the top and the green onion if you are using it.  I think it gives the dish some nice color.

This is wonderful served with mashed potatoes or rice and there is plenty of gravy to spoon over them.







Slow Cooker Dr Pepper Pork Chops!

This recipe for "Dr Pepper Pork Chops" is so easy you will not believe it and the results are amazing.  These chops are fork tender and so flavorful.   If you don't have Dr Pepper you could substitute Coke, but I like the little bite the Dr. Pepper gives.  I also added  a little Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce Ketchup for added tang and spice!  This is a new product made by the good folks at Red Gold Tomatoes and they send me their goodies sometimes to try.  I love when that happens.  This is one of my favorite new condiments and I will find plenty of uses for it.  It's optional in this recipe, so if you don't have it or don't like spicy, leave it out.

This is one of those go to recipes when you are busy and don't have time to cook for hours.  Put it on the night before or in the morning before you leave and it's done when you come home!   

Here is what you will need:

5-6 boneless pork loin chops

salt

black pepper

garlic powder

1 cup ketchup

1 cup Dr Pepper soda

1/4 cup Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce Ketchup (could substitute regular chili sauce)

1 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce

Place the pork chops in a slow cooker.  Sprinkle with salt, black pepper and a little garlic powder.  In a bowl, stir together the ketchup, Dr Pepper, Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce Ketchup and the Worcestershire sauce.   Pour evenly over the pork chops and cook on low for 8 hours.  

This is what the yummy spicy ketchup looks like if you decide to buy some!

After 8 hours of slow cooking the sauce will have thickened nicely and these are ready to serve.  They are so tender!   So easy and no fuss!





Slow Cooker Rotisserie Chicken!

I first saw this recipe on a country music website, of all places,  and I had my doubts that it would actually turn out like a rotisserie chicken should so I didn't try it for a while. However, one week they had whole chickens on sale at Kroger and I decided to go ahead and chance it.  Boy, was I wrong.  It turned out amazingly good. As good as any chicken cooked on an actual rotisserie!

First, spray your slow cooker liberally with cooking spray.  This really makes clean up easy.  Next take foil and make balls a little smaller than base balls and line the bottom of the crock.

Wash your chicken inside and out and remove that weird bag of stuff they stick inside it (yuck) and discard it.  If you are leery of handling a raw chicken, invest in a some latex gloves.  Sprinkle the chicken inside and out with Lawry's poultry and chicken rub, pepper and garlic powder.  Dot with about a 1/3 stick of butter and put some sprigs of fresh rosemary on top.  The rosemary is optional but it makes it smell so good cooking.  Put the top on and cook 8 hours on low or 4-5 on high depending on how your slow cooker cooks. They all seem to vary.  I usually do mine about 4.5 hours on high.  Carefully remove from slow cooker and place on cutting board.  Let it rest 10 minutes before you carve it or you will lose a lot of the juices and your chicken will be dry.

This is one of the best ways to cook a whole chicken I have ever found!  

15 Bean and Ham Soup!

 

 

 This "15 Bean and Ham Soup" is just full of good flavor!  This is a soup that is not only very tasty, but it's also very filling and good for you.  Beans are full of fiber, antioxidants and protein!   Some of you might have seen the bag of '15 Bean Soup mix' in your grocery store along with the other beans, but never really knew what to do with them.   It is an odd assortment of beans, some of which you might never have even heard of.  However, when you cook them long and slow in a soup along with other seasonings, they all sort of take on the those flavors and taste wonderful.  

 

Here is what you will need for this delicious soup:

 

1 pkg. 15 bean soup mix, with ham flavoring packet

1 (15 oz. ) can diced tomatoes

1 medium sweet onion, diced

3 stalks celery, diced

8 cups water

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1 tsp. salt

2 Knorr Chicken bullion cubes

1 Tbs. bacon drippings

dash of Tabasco sauce to taste (optional)

2 cups diced country ham or regular cooked ham

 

 



For those not familiar, this is what a 15 Bean Soup Mix looks like, make sure it has the seasoning packet!  This is an odd brand, because I bought it at a farmers market sort of place, but you can buy any brand at your grocery. 

 

 



Place the beans in a colander and rinse them well.  Pick through for any rocks, occasionally dried beans have a rock or two in them.  Buy the best grade of beans and they are less likely to have rocks and dirt in them.    Place them in a large soup pot and cover with water about an inch over the beans.  Place on the stove on medium high heat and cover.   Bring to a boil and boil for about 1 minute or two.  Turn off, and carefully pour back in your colander to drain.   This serves two purposes.  It's a good way to make sure the beans are very clean and it takes some of the undesirable side effects of beans out of the mix...so to speak...lol!   When you mix 15 kinds of beans up in one soup, it's a good idea!!! 

 

Place the beans back in the pot with all of the ingredients except the diced ham.   Bring to a boil, then decrease heat to medium low and cook covered for about 2 hours.   Check them periodically to be sure they have enough water.  

 

After 2 hours, stir and add the chopped ham.  I used country ham, because it makes all things better.  It's a Kentucky thing!  I know country ham is not available for many of you and any good cooked ham will work also.  The country ham is very salty so I didn't need any additional salt, if you use regular ham, taste for seasoning before serving and you might want to add some salt.

 

 Return to a medium low heat and cook for an additional 2 hours or until the beans are all tender and the broth is thickened slightly.  The longer you cook, the thicker the broth will be. This is really good served with Cornbread Hoe Cakes,  Aunt Vel's Sour Cream Cornbread,  or  Cheesy Jalapeno Cornbread!

 

***Slow Cooker Directions:   Layer the beans, onion, celery, seasonings, tomatoes, and 7 cups of water in a slow cooker.  Layer the ham on top.  Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.  Stir and turn the heat to high and cook for an additional hour or two to thicken.  This method does not produce a soup that thickens as much as the stove top method, but it still tastes wonderful and it's nice to come home to after a long day! 

 





Slow Cooker Butter Toffee Bites!

You will never believe that these yummy little bites of heaven start with a Ritz cracker, but they do!!!  These are called 'Crack Cookies' by some, as in they are addictive, and they are, but I decided to give them a little nicer name...lol!    You won't believe how easy these are!  Here is what you will need:

2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips

1 lb. vanilla or chocolate candy bark (depending on how much chocolate you like)

1 (8 oz.) pkg. Heath toffee bits, divided

2 sleeves Ritz Crackers

1 cup finely chopped pecans

1 cup white chocolate chips, melted with 1 tsp. shortening

Place the semi sweet chocolate chips and the candy bark broken in pieces in a slow cooker set on low.  You can use either chocolate or vanilla candy bark.  I used vanilla and I thought it was plenty chocolate, but if you love a real deep chocolate flavor, use the chocolate bark.  Cook, covered on low for about 1 hour, stirring about halfway though or until the chocolate and bark have melted.  Add in the toffee bits and stir well. 

With a fork, dip each cracker individually, covering the whole cracker all over with the chocolate.  Shake the excess off and lay on a waxed paper.  When you get about 1/2 of a sleeve of crackers dipped, go back and sprinkle each one with a little more of the toffee bits you have left and some of the chopped nuts.  It's best to do this while they are wet and not set, so the nuts and toffee stick! Continue with the rest of the crackers until they are all dipped and sprinkled.  Allow to dry for about an hour or two.  You will know when they are dry because you can lift from the paper without any stickiness or mess.

Melt the white chocolate chips with the shortening and stir well to blend.  You can do this by placing in the microwave to 30 second intervals.  Don't over heat! When dealing with melting chocolate of any kind, be sure to use a glass bowl and make sure it's completely dry.  Any water will make the chocolate 'seize' or become grainy and it will not be smooth and satiny!  Just a helpful hint for those not used to working with melted chocolate.  Using a small spoon, drizzle each cookie with a  drizzle of white chocolate! 

When the white chocolate is completely dry and set, store in an airtight container.  If you layer, place wax paper or parchment paper between the layers! You do not need to refrigerate!





Slow Cooker Nacho Cheese Chicken!

This recipe is so easy that I almost didn't even post it.  Then I got to thinking that everybody needs some easy recipes for those days when you don't have time to stand in the kitchen for several hours.  I have had a couple of days like that this week.  This time of year, there is too much to do outside also, rather than being in the kitchen, so I like to do some easy meals. 

I use my slow cooker for this and I hear people say they use their slow cooker more in the winter,  but I actually think I use mine more in the summer, just because it keeps me from having to turn on the oven during the hottest part of the day. 
 Here is all you will need for this:

6-8 boneless chicken breasts ( I used a 3 lb. bag of frozen breasts, you can use less chicken and it will just have a lot of extra sauce)
1 can condensed nacho cheese soup
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 pkg. taco mix
1 8 oz. block of cream cheese, cubed
1 cup sour cream
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
dash of Tabasco sauce

I just put the chicken breast in the slow cooker frozen.  You can use thawed chicken also, makes no difference.  Spray your slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray first for easier cleanup. Sprinkle them with the pepper and the garlic powder.  I don't add any salt to this because the soup and the taco mix  have enough salt to season.  Frozen chicken does not photograph well, sorry about the visual, but it is good when it's cooked...lol.

Pour the canned soups over the chicken.  There is no need to mix them before you put them in. It all mixes up as it cooks. Sprinkle the soups with the taco mix and cube the cream cheese and place it on top. If you like really spicy, puts some dashes of Tabasco on top to your taste.  Cook on low for 8 - 10 hours or overnight.  At the end of the cooking time stir in 1 cup of sour cream and break the chicken up into pieces.  I just like to break mine up in big chunks, not really a lot.  If you started with chicken that was already defrosted, you won't have to break it up much.

I served this over some yellow rice, but my husband doesn't care for rice so I served his over egg noodles and it worked great also.  I think even mashed potatoes would work.  I garnished each serving with green onions and cilantro, but you could also garnish with salsa, sliced ripe olives, or a little shredded cheddar cheese.  It's very versatile in what you add to it.  This makes quite a bit and with a salad and bread you can serve 5 - 6 people easily.