Slow Cooker

There is a recipe book called "Fix It and Forget It". It is a compilation of easy, quick recipes for slow cookers. The link to the Amazon website for the cookbook is below:

http://www.amazon.com/Fix-Forget-Cookbook-Feasting-Cooker...

One of my favorite dishes is Ribs & Kraut:

Layer boneless country style pork ribs, sauerkraut and brown sugar in the crock pot & cook about 8 hrs on med/low. I usually serve it with rolls and mashed potatoes.

I also make my veggie soup w/ either beef or venison and chili in my slow cooker.

Hi M.! I love the slow cooker recipes in the cookbook, Betty Crocker Easy Family Dinners. There is a chapter dedicated only to slow cookers. The recipes are easy and delicious. I don't remember any recipes that involved a lot of prep work. My personal favorite is the "Honey Barbecue Pork Roast with Carrots and Corn (pg121)."
Again, they are very easy recipes and delicious!
Hope this helps, S.

I also have the Fix it and Forget it Cookbook (the original one) and love it. I highly recommend it because it has so many types of recipes to choose from.

Some recipes call for cooked chicken - I precook several pounds of chicken at once by putting chicken breasts in a greased dish and bake at 350 for an hour or so until done. Then I freeze bags of the whole breasts (or chopped) to throw in the crockpot when I need it.

These are some of our favorites:

Melt in your Mouth Sausages - this one can be a sauce for pasta or a filling for a pizza (we like the Chef boyardee box kit) or put on french bread for sandwiches.

2 lbs Italian Sausage - links in 5" lengths
48 oz jar Spaghetti sauce
6 oz can tomato paste
1 green bell pepper - thinly sliced
1 onion - thinly sliced
1 tbsp parmesan cheese
1 cup water

You can simmer the sausage in water 10 minutes first to get rid of some of the grease, but it isn't necessary.

Combine all ingredients in crock pot and cook on low 6 hours.

Wanda's Chicken and Rice Casserole:
1 cup long grain rice (uncooked)
3 cups water
1 chicken boullion cube
1 can cream of chicken soup
16 oz bag frozed brocolli
2 cups cooked chicken
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion salt
1 cup grated cheddar cheese

Add all ingredients to crock pot and cook on high 3-4 hours (low 6).

This is another favorite, but not from the book:
Sauerkraut Pork Roast -
about 3 pounds boneless pork roast (any boneless pork works)
16 oz sauerkraut - rinsed and drained
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp caraway seed (optional)
3 tbsp mustard

Spray crockpot and add all ingredients - stir. Cook on low 8-10 hours. (I made this once and we weren't home to eat until 12 or so hours later after it had shut off for a while and it had carmelized and was so yummy! I try to over cook it a little now to get that same taste)

I like to make ribs in my crock pot.Just buy boneless country ribs.

Place the ribs in the crock pot and add some Adobo seasoning to taste, that is it no liquid. Cook on low all day or at least 6 hours. Drain the grease of the ribs and add any flavor BBQ sauce( i like honey), let cook for an additional 30 minutes or so and enjoy. My kids and husband love these they are very tender and extremely easy.

M. - go to www.fromourhometoyours.net
There is a book called: Fat Little Crockin Cookbook. My mom just purchased this book and it is full of quick and easy meal ideas all for the crock pot! Enjoy.

I have a recipe for making lasagna in a crock pot. its WONDERFUL! & really does taste like it's from the oven the best part... NO HOT PRECOOKING NOODLES lol

ingredients:
1 lb ground beef
1 onion, chopped (can be left out)
1 (28 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 Tbsp of garlic powder
12-14 ounces ricotta cheese
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese or asiago cheese
12 ounces lasagna noodles, uncooked
16 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions
1 Brown ground beef, onion and garlic powder in frypan.

2 Add tomato sauce, tomato paste, salt and oregano.

3 Cook long enough to get it warm.

4 Spoon a layer of meat sauce onto the bottom of the slow cooker.

5 Add a double layer of uncooked lasagna noodles (break to fit) and top with cheeses.

6 Repeat with sauce, noodles and cheeses until all are used up.

7 Cover and cook on low for 4 to 5 hours.

It's called Chicken in a pot. Put baby carrots, diced celery, and one big onion in the bottom of the crock pot. It doesn't really matter how much of each. I don't normally measure just kinda eye it as far as color or how much he likes veggies. LOL Then I put uncooked boneless/skinless breast chicken on top. Maybe like three medium size pieces. Pour 1 can of chicken broth and put some seasoning-salt, pepper, what ever he likes really. Then fill with some water to almost cover the chicken. Cook like 8 hrs on low. By the time I get home the chicken is cooked and its almost like soup. I like to break the chicken apart and then I make dumplings in it from the side of the Bisquik box. That part only takes 10 min. The dumplings make it thicker so its more like stew. He can use rice if he wants instead of the dumplings if it's easier, then it will be more like soup. I also cook ribbs in my crock pot but I do have to brown them in the broiler first but that takes like a couple min. then I pour BBQ sauce and cook them for 8 hrs on low. My crock pot has a pull out bowl that I can put stuff in there the night before and put in the fridge. When I get up in the morning I pull it out and put on the counter unitl I leave the house then plug it in before I go to work. I hope this helps. Good luck and Happy healthy eating to your dad.

I have a cookbook called Fix It and Forget It: Feasting with your Slow Cooker and I love it. Has LOTS of recipes and not all require work ahead of time. I have seen them at Barnes & Noble in spiral bound book, which makes it easier to use IMHO.

There are several different Fix It and Forget It cookbooks now, mine is just the original one, but I really like it. We are a gluten free family now, but I have found that most of the recipes convert easily enough.

Another neat resource is a blogspot I found at http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/ It's a year of crock potting & she has all kinds of recipes on her site. So you Dad and brother could browse around her site & check it out.

hey M.-

my favorite thing to make in my crock pot is lemon pepper turkey breast. super easy, you just put a raw turkey breast into the pot, cover it with lemon pepper, put the lid on, and cook it about 8 hours on low... it ends up super tender and delicious, with lots of yummy broth you can pour over bread or potatoes...

I know this isn't all-in-one, but you can put meatloaf in the crock pot. We either pre-make one and freeze it, then cook it from frozen on low for about nine hours, or we put a fresh one in the crock pot and cook it for four or five hours on low. Then we just whip up some instant potatoes and a can of peas, and it's perfect!

This one is also a beef roast... Pepsi makes the gravy soooo yummy:

12 oz can Pepsi
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 or so packet of Lipton's Onion soup mix (I like more, some like less oniony flavor)
1 beef roast (3-4 lbs usually works)

Mix wet/dry ingredients in a bowl. Combine with roast in the crock pot and cook on low 6-8 hours. You can add potatoes, mushrooms or carrots to cook with it. I normally make it by itself and eat off it with different side dishes over a period of days.

Just to help w/easy cleanup, have him get some of the Reynolds slowcooker liners! My mom was doubtful, but loves them!

He can just throw in some chicken breasts/pork chops/beef roast/etc. with a jar of any kind of simmer sauce, pasta sauce, bbq sauce or whatever soup appeals to him, maybe some frozen broccoli, raw baby carrots or baby red potatoes as-is and ha has a meal. There really is not much science to crock pot cooking . I think anything goes. Put raw beans wit a jar of salsa and chicken for 8 hours, roll in a tortilla and you have a healthy meal.

L.

Barbecued Chicken

1 package boneless skinless chicken breasts (usually 3-4 pieces)
about 1/2 bottle of any barbecue sauce, enough to cover meat

Put meat in the crock pot, add enough sauce to cover, and let it cook for as long as you like on low.

I use Fix It and Forget It, and the recipes I've tryed have always turned out great. I've used recipes for roasts, chicken, soups, chili, spaghetti sauce, etc. I never do any prep work ahead of time.

Renée

Hey M.,

Try looking at www.allrecipes.com and put slow cooker recipes in the search engine....that should give you some ideas.

One meal that I used to make was:
2 lbs. stew meat
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 packet onion soup

put that in the cooker on low with some salt and pepper.

When you get home boil some egg noodles and mix together....can add sour cream at the end to for a stoganoff taste.

Jen

Try Allrecipes.com. I have found a few good and easy slow cooker recipes there.

Hey M., I have a cookbook just for crock pots, it's called Easy Home Cooking All New Slow Cooker. I've had it a while so if you decide to look for this one, they may not make it anymore, I may have gotten it through the mail, can't remember. I have a recipe for Chili. I eat it every year and it's great. It's called Cook Off Winner Crockery Style Chili.
1 1/2 lb. ground beef,
2 cans (15 oz.) red kidney beans, drained and rinsed,
1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes, 2 (6 oz.) tomato paste,
2 green bell pepers cut into 1" pieces,
3/4 cup water 1-2 tbs. McCormick Hot Mexican-style chili powder
2 McCormick Bay Leaves and 1 tsp. salt.

Prep time is 10 mins. Cook time is 6 hrs. and serves 9 (1 cup).

1.) In a med. saucepan over med. high heat, brown ground beef until well done. Drain. Place in a 3 1/2 or 4 qrt. crockery slow cooker.
2.) Add remaining ingredients. Heat on low for 5-6 hrs. Remove bay leaves and serve.

If there are things that he doesn't want or that may be too hot for his liking, he can always omit them. I don't put peppers in mine. It's really good, to me anyway. I hope he can use this. He also doesn't have to use McCormick things, any brand of powder and bay leaves will work and taste just as good. J. A.

Hi here are a few FABULOUS recipes!! My mother in law bought us a crock pot this year after the birth of our second child it saved me more than a few times!! If you want some more recipes let me know!

Mediterranean Style Pot Roast

This one has a little prep, but just one step!!

1 2-3 lb boneless beef chuck
1 Tbl cooing oil
1 med onion, sliced
1 14.5 oz can diced tom (basil,oregano,garlic blend)
1/4 cup sliced olives
1 Tbl worestershire sauce
2 tsp dried herbes de Provence
1 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 cup feta cheese

Frist brown meat on all side in a skillet heated with the oil.

Second place onion in the cooker. Add meat. In a medium bowl stir together tomatoes, olives, worcestershire sauce, pepper and herbes de Provence. Pour mixture into cooker.

Cover and cook low 8-10 hours or high 4-5 hours

Serve and sprinkle with feta!! You can also add the feta on top and cook you decide!

Italian Buffet Dinner

2 1/2 lbs boneless beef chuck
2 med onions, cut into pieces
1 red sweet pepper cut into pieces
1 14 oz jar spaghetti sauce
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp pepper
2 tsp minced garlic
2 med zucchinni cut into pieces
4 1/2 cups cooked spaghetti

First cut meat into pieces and put in cooker with onions and sweet pepper. In a bowl mix spaghetti sauce, salt, oregano, pepper, and garlic. Pour mixture into cooker

Cover and cook high 4 1/2 -5 hours.

Stir in zuucchinin 15 minutes before meat is done and season with salt and pepper to taste

Serve meat mixture over cooked spaghetti

Italian Chicken and Veggies

4 small chicken legs skinned
1 26 oz jar roasted garlic pasta sauce
1 16 oz package frozen pepper stir fry veggies
3 cups hot cooked noodles
Parma cheese

Place chicken legs in cooker. Add pasta sauce and veggies

Cover and cook low 6-7 hours high 3-3 1/2 hours

Serve chicken mixture with hot cooked noodles. sprinkle with cheese

Heres a website that advertises over 1400 crock pot recipes....

http://southernfood.about.com/library/crock/blcpidx.htm

Hi M.! My name is D. and I have some of the BEST crock pot recipes!! Actually, I have some of them on my computer saved as Word files. If you would care to give me your email address, I would be glad to email them all to you. I have a great recipe for Beef Stroganoff (only 4 ingredients!) that he can make either with rice or with egg noodles, I have a couple pork recipes that he can make beans with or a salad, I have a couple roast recipes that make the BEST open face roast beef & mashed potatoes sandwich. My supply is almost endless because I am a stay at home mom for the past 7 years and I cook 95% of the time because my husband hates to eat out :( I will send you a personal message with my email address on it so you can shoot it to me. I hope your dad and brother love them as much as my family (I have 2 kids-7 & 10) does.

I belong to a WONDERFUL slowcooker recipe/helps/ideas list on Yahoo. He might like to join that if he has Internet access. Just go to Groups and type in "slowcooker" (not CrockPot since that's a trademarked name). Or you could join for him if he doesn't have access.

I LOVE my crockpot and have some great recipes. However, they are at home and I am at work! But, my very favorits is Meatball Stew and I have it memorized, so here ya go:

18 oz Frozen Italian Style Meatballs
16 oz Frozen Mixed Veggies (the corn,peas,green beans,carrots blend)
1 jar Beef Gravy
2 cans Diced Tomato With Garlic and Onion
1/3 cup water
1 tblsp basil

Place frozen meatballs & veggies in crockpot. In small bowl: mix together tomatos, gravy, water, and basil. Pour mixture over the meatballs and veggies. Cook on low 8hrs or on high for 4. Enjoy! (if you like lots of veggies...add more, or if you like more meatballs add more. It's a very versatile recipe and you can even change veggie combinations too or use mushroom gravy instead of beef!)

I'll try to remember and post more when I have access to my recipes.

I like to either use stew beef pieces, or cut up a roast into pieces, add a can of cream of mushroom soup and some water and let it cook. When I get home from work, I toss some rice right into the meat and let it continue to cook until I'm ready to eat or the rice gets done. It soaks up all of the extra water that's full of flavor and is wonderful. Heck, just the meat with the soup without the rice is wonderful.

I also have another one that is a weight watchers recipe that is wonderful. You can't tell it's "healthy" -

12 oz of diced boneless/ skinless chicken breast, 1 envelope chili seasoning, 1 qt canned tomatoes, 15 oz can of corn - undrained, 15 oz can of kidney bean - undrained, 1 chopped bell pepper, 1 onion chopped, and 1/2 cup Salsa. Sear the chicken. Add everything to the crock pot and cook on low for 6 - 8 hours. Makes 8 1.5 cup servings.
If you have room to add a bit of water, it makes it a soup.

Hi M.,

There is a web site called SlowandSimple.com and they have tons of recipes. I've tried quite a few and they are always right on. You could go through their recipes and print off some that sound like something he'd like. They even have a recipe for lasagna! May appeal to his Italian roots. LOL. Good luck to you and to him.

Hi M.!

Here are a few of our favorite recipes for the crock pot.

Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore

Prep Time: 25 mm
Start to Finish: 6 hr 45 mm
Makes: 6 servings

1 cut-up whole chicken (3 to 3 1/2 lb), skin removed (you can also use chicken thighs instead for less prep work; I leave the skin on and bone in for faster prep)
1/3 cup Gold Medal® all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 medium green bell pepper
2 medium onions
2 cups Progresso® diced tomatoes (from 28-oz can), undrained
1 jar (4.5 oz) Green Giant® sliced mushrooms, drained
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
1/4 teaspoon dried basil leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
Grated Parmesan cheese

1. Coat chicken with flour. In 12-inch skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Cook chicken in oil 15 to 20 minutes or until brown on all sides; drain. (***I skip this step and it turns out just fine and saves time.)
2. Cut bell pepper and onions crosswise in half; cut each half into fourths.
In 3 1/2- to 6-quart slow cooker, place half of the chicken pieces. Mix bell pepper, onions and remaining ingredients except cheese; spoon half of mixture over chicken. Add remaining chicken; top with remaining
vegetable mixture.
3. Cover and cook on Low heat setting 4 to 6 hours or until juice of chicken is clear when thickest piece is cut to bone (170°F for breasts; 180°F for thighs and legs). Serve with cheese.
4 Note: This recipe was tested in slow cookers with heating elements in the side and bottom of the cooker, not in cookers that stand only on a heated base. For slow cookers with just a heated base, follow the manufacturer’s directions for layering ingredients and choosing a temperature.
(Total time will vary with appliance and setting.)

****I add more seasonings to taste. I also use 2 whole chickens, the whole 28 oz can of tomatoes. At the end, about 5 min before serving, I add in some fresh chopped green onions and some cilantro for extra taste. I don't brown the chicken first and it turns out just fine. For the 2 of us, 2 whole chickens give us about 4 meals. We serve it over jasmine rice usually, but noodles work well also.

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Slow Cooker Lasagna

1 pound bulk Italian sausage
1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
3 cans (15 ounces each) Italian-style tomato sauce
2 teaspoons dried basil leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (8 ounces)
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
15 uncooked lasagna noodles

1. Cook sausage and onion in 10-inch skillet over medium heat 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until sausage is no longer pink; drain. Stir in tomato sauce, basil and salt.

2. Mix 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese (you can add in ricotta cheese as well if you like). (Refrigerate remaining mozzarella cheese while lasagna cooks.)

3. Spoon one-fourth of the sausage mixture into 6-quart slow cooker; top with 5 noodles, broken into pieces to fit. Spread with half of the cheese mixture and one-fourth of the sausage mixture. Top with 5 noodles, remaining cheese mixture and one-fourth of the sausage mixture. Top with remaining 5 noodles and remaining sausage mixture.

4. Cover and cook on Low heat setting 4 to 6 hours or until noodles are tender.

5. Sprinkle top of lasagna with remaining 1 cup mozzarella cheese. Cover and let stand about 10 minutes or until cheese is melted. Cut into pieces.

***I add extra sauce as this seemed a bit dry for me.

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Crock pot Beef And Broccoli (haven't tried this yet, but it looks easy and sounds good)

Serving Size : 6

1 1/2 lbs. round steak -- boneless, cubed
6 ounces sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup fat-free beef broth
3 Tbsp. teriyaki sauce
2 cups frozen broccoli florets, defrosted
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
2 Tbsp. water

Combine beef, mushrooms, onion, broth and teriyaki sauce in
crock pot. Cover; cook on LOW for 8-10 hours. Dissolve
cornstarch in 2 Tbsp. of water 35-40 minutes before serving.
Stir into beef mixture. Add broccoli; stir. Cover and cook
35-40 minutes more until broccoli is tender. Serve over rice.

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My own crock pot chili:

1/2 bag of pinto beans
1/2 bag of kidney beans
4-6 cans of chili ready tomatoes
chili powder to taste
1 pound Italian sausage
1 pound ground turkey
green onions

I usually start this the night before. Cook the beans all night in the crock pot. The next morning, brown sausage and turkey, drain the beans, return beans to crock pot. Add in the chili ready tomatoes and meat and additional seasonings as needed. Stir well. Cook on low all day. Just before serving (like 5 min or so) add in the chopped green onions. We eat this with corn chips, cheese and sour cream. This will just about fill a 6 quart crock pot and we get several meals out of it. It freezes pretty well for quick meals later in the week.

Other suggestions would be beef stew, chicken soup, potato soup with ham, just about any kind of soup. Beans and ham.

Hope this helps. If I can think of some more recipes, I'll post them for you.

Hey M.,
Have you visited the cooks.com website? Search 'crock pot' and a lot of things come up. I think you can find something there for your dad and brother. My husband and son loved the Crock Pot Pizza. It sounded weird to me but it was a hit! Hope this helps!
D-

M., My family has loved my CROCK POT CHICKEN for years. You take one whole chicken. My slow cooker can hold up to a four pound bird (that will easily feed two healthy appitites) Rinse and remove innereds. Peel and quarter small to medium onion. Put inside chicken. Season inside with salt, pepper, poultry seasoning, garlic, rosemary--or any combination of seasoning that peaks your taste buds. In bottom of cooker I put 2-3 stalks of whole celery.(it works like an eatable rack) Place the chicken on the celery and season top to taste. You can rub butter or garlic under the skin. Pour in 1/2 cup of chicken broth or water. Cover, set on low and when they come home they will find a fall of the bone moist and tasty dinner. You can use potatoes and/or carrots in place of or in additional to the celery. Like any recipe you can change it up to make it super easy, or with some extra flair. Hope they enjoy.

I love my crock pot, in fact, I have two. One 4qt and one 6.5 qt! here is another easy one-pot meal to try-
1 packet beef stew seasoning
1 whole chicken, or just the parts you like
1 large bag frozen mixed veggies

First spray the inside of the crock pot with olive oil to help with sticking and clean up later. Put in the bag of veggies, and mix with half of the seasoning packet. Set the entire chicken on top, or just the pieces. Sprinkle the remaining seasoning on top. Add about a 1/2 cup of water, pour in around the edges.
Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or high for about 4.
The juices from the chicken mix with the veggies and seasoning, and it is perfectly flavored. I usually make biscuits to go with it.
I hope this helps, there are plenty of recipes out there!

This is one of my favorites so far below...

I use my slow cooker at least once a week. I usually go to allrecipes.com and type in slow cooker and whatever type of meat I'm hoping to make. I've compiled a list in my computer that I print out as I need it.

This is one that I've made and strongly recommend. Even my kids eat it and the leftovers too!

Campbell’s slow cooker Tuscan beef stew
Prep Time: 5 min. Cook Time: 8 to 9 hr.

1 can Campbell’s tomato soup
1 can beef broth
½ cup red wine or water (I've used white wine too, the wine does add a lot of flavor)
2 lb. beef for stew, cut into 1’’ pieces (or any cut of beef chopped into small pieces)
1 can diced Italian-style tomatoes
3 large carrots, cut into 1’’pieces
1 tsp. Italian seasoning, crushed
½ tsp. garlic powder
2 cans white kidney beans drained

Mix soup, broth, wine, beef, tomatoes, carrots, Italian seasoning and garlic in 3 ½ -qt. slow cooker.

Cover and cook on LOW 8 to 9 hr.

Stir in beans. Turn heat to HIGH and cook 10 min.

Or you can cook it all on high 4 to 5 hours.

Leftovers are great served over rice or noodles.

Stew
2 Pork Loins coated with Peppercorn and Garlic
(You can use other flavors, but this is the one we like.)
Bag of small Red Potatoes
Bag of Carrots (Little carrots already peeled and washed)
Large onion
Mushrooms
29 ounce can of Hunt's Tomato Sauce

Wash the red potatoes and cut in half or fourths depending on how big the potatoes are. Cut the onion into big chunks. Wash the mushrooms and cut each one in half-or leave them whole if they are small mushrooms.

Put the pork loin in the bottom of the crock pot. Add the potatoes, onion, carrots, mushrooms. Pour the tomato sauce on top. Set your crock pot to cook. You can set it to cook any length of time from 4-10 hours.

When it is finished make a gravy. Drain the liguid out of the food with a collander. Put the food back in the crock pot. Put the liquid in a flat pan. Take 4 tablespoons of flour and mix it with COLD water in a small tupperware container. Shake it up really well. Turn the pan with the liquid on medium heat. Slowly pour the flour and water mixture into the pan stirring constantly. Stir the gravy until it gets thick. Do not over cook and do not cook on too high of heat. Remove from the heat and pour over the food. Stir it up and serve.

I usually serve with french bread or Sister Shubert rolls and a salad.

I have some more if you need them! We live by crockpot!

Crock Pot Recipes

Chicken and Dumplins

I use about 1-2 lbs of chicken (usually thighs, but any is fine)
1 envelope of dry vegetable soup mix
1 can cream of chicken soup
2 regular or 4 small cans of biscuits
optional: celery & carrots chopped

Boil the chicken for 20-30 mins in a pot of water with the dry veggie soup
mix (and celery/carrots if desired) until done. Take the chicken out of the
broth piece by piece, stripping the meat & returning it to the broth...toss
the bones & skin of course. Add the cream of chicken soup and let the
broth/chicken simmer while you get the dumplings ready. What I do now is
just take each biscuit and pull it apart into about 4 pieces, rolling into
balls as you go and dropping them into the pot. I sometimes make lots more
of the dumplings, it's just up to you. After putting in all the dumplings,
cover and simmer stirring frequently for 15 mins or so until done. There
you have it!

**You can use a Crock Pot for this…that way you do not have to watch it constantly.
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Crockpot Sour Cream Salsa Chicken
Serves 4 1 serving=4 Points

4 skinless boneless chicken breast halves
1 pkg reduced sodium taco seasoning mix
1 cup salsa
2 TBL cornstarch
1/4 cup light sour cream

Spray crockpot with cooking spray. Add chicken breasts. Sprinkle with seasoning. Top with salsa. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. When ready remove chicken. Mix cornstarch with a small amount of water. Stir into salsa sauce. Stir in sour cream.

In case you are out of taco seasoning, here's a recipe:

Taco Bell Taco Seasoning
2 TBL flour
2 tsp chili powder
1 1/2 tsp dried minced onion
1 1/4 tsp salt (I only used 3/4 tsp as the above recipe calls for 'low sodium')
1 tsp paprika
3/4 tsp beef bullion
1/4 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp cayenne
1 dash onion powder

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Crockpot Sloppy Joes Recipe
Ingredients
3 pounds ground beef
2 tablespoons shortening
1 cup onion, chopped
1 cup celery, diced
1 green pepper, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 cup catsup
3 beef bouillon cubes, crushed
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste
1-1/4 cups water
3 tablespoons vinegar
3 teaspoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon dry mustard

Instructions
Heat shortening in skillet and brown meat, discard fat. Combine all ingredients in removable crock pot liner, stirring well. Place liner in base. Cover and cook on low 6 to 8 hours; or high 3 to 4 hours; or auto 5 hours. Serve over warmed burger buns or noodles.

Yield: 10 servings
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Chicken Fettucine

2 Chicken breasts; halved
2 tbsp Olive oil
1/4 c Green onions; chopped
1 tsp Garlic; minced
14 1/2 oz Canned tomatoes; chopped
1 tbsp Basil
1 c Heavy cream
2 Egg yolks
3/4 c Parmesan cheese
8 oz Fettuccine
1 c Peas (frozen); thawed
1 1/2 c Mushrooms (fresh); sliced

In skillet, brown chicken breasts in olive oil. Place chicken in crock pot. Add green onions, garlic, tomatoes, and basil. Cover and cook on Low 7 to 9 hours. Remove chicken and cut into pieces. Return chicken pieces to pot. Stir in cream, egg yolks, and Parmesan cheese.
Cover and cook on high 30 minutes to thicken. While sauce is thickening, cook fettucine according to package directions; drain.
Add fettucine, peas and mushrooms. Cover and cook on high 30 to 60 min.

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BBQ Chicken
1 jar of BBQ sauce
some frozen chicken breasts (I use 2-3)

Put the ingredients in the cooker and cook all day on low or half the day on high. Then mash up the chicken in the sauce and serve on toasted kaiser rolls

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Chicken fajitas
1 jar of salsa
some frozen chicken breasts or some flank steak if you want

Put the ingredients in the cooker and cook all day on low or half the day on high. You can throw in some diced onions and green/ red peppers towards the end if you so desire. Serve in tortillas.

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CROCK POT GROUND BEEF STROGANOFF

2 lbs. ground beef
2 med. onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (4 oz.) sliced mushrooms, drained
2½ tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 cup beef bouillon
3 Tbsp. tomato paste
1½ cup sour cream, mixed with 4 Tbsp. flour
poppy seeds, optional

Brown ground beef in large skillet; add onions, garlic and mushrooms. Sauté until onion is golden brown.
Put in crock pot and stir in all remaining ingredients. Cover and cook on LOW 6 to 8 hours. Serve over hot buttered noodles or rice and garnish with poppy seeds.
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TERRIFIC TIJUANA PIE

1 1/2 lb. ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
3-4 cups grated cheese
1 (10 oz.) can enchilada sauce
1 (8 oz.) tomato sauce
2 (16 oz.) cans chili beans
1 (16 oz.) can corn, drained
1 (6 oz.) can pitted olives, drained
6 corn or flour tortillas (depends on crockpot size)

Brown beef, onion, garlic, and seasonings. Wipe inside crockpot with oil. Place 1 tortilla in bottom. Spoon on meat mix a little sauce and cheese. Top with another tortilla and layer on a bean, cheese and corn section. Drop in a few olives. Continue alternating layers, ending
with cheese and olive top. Cover and cook low 5-7 hours. Serve with additional hot tortillas.

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Beef Tips over Noodles

1 pound stew meat
1 can Beefy Mushroom soup
2 cups water, divided
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 cup flour
Salt and pepper to taste
Worcestershire sauce to taste

Place stew meat in crockpot. Add soup, 1 cup of water and garlic powder. Cook on
high for 3-5 hours. Add flour to 1 cup of cold water and blend with a whisk. Add to
crockpot and stir. Let simmer at least 15 minutes. Add salt, pepper and Worcestershire
sauce to taste. Serve over cooked egg noodles.

Sweet and Sour Meatballs

Meatballs:
1 pound hamburger
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/2 c. chopped onion
1 egg
1 c. oatmeal
Mix and make into balls. DO NOT BROWN!

Sauce:
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. lemon juice
1 can tomato soup

Mix and pour over meatballs.

Cook in crockpot 2-3 hours on high.

Hot Cheese Dip

1 lb. sausage, cooked
4 cans Cheddar cheese soup
1 can Rotel chopped
1 (16 oz.) jar Hot Chunky salsa

Place in crockpot and heat. Use mixer to blend. Serve
with chips.
Carmel Apples

2 pk Caramels, 14oz each
1/4 c Water
8 md Apples

In crockpot, combine caramels and water. Cover and cook on high for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, stirring frequently. Wash and dry apples. Insert stick into stem end of each apple. Turn control on low. Dip apple into hot caramel and turn to coat entire surface. Holding apple above pot, scrape off excess accumulation of caramel from bottom apple. Place on greased
wax paper to cool.

Slow Cooker Cider
2 cinnamon sticks
1 teaspoon whole cloves
1 teaspoon whole allspice
8 cups apple cider
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 orange, sliced

Place cinnamon, cloves and allspice in double thickness of cheesecloth. Bring up corners of
cloth; tie it with a string to form a bag. Place cider and brown sugar in slow cooker;
stir until the sugar dissolves. Add the spice bag; place the orange slices on top. Cover;
cook on low setting about 2 hours. Remove spice bag before serving.
Mocha

8 cups brewed cold coffee, chocolate flavored if desired
3/4 cup sweet ground chocolate and cocoa mix (such as Ghirardelli)
1/2 cup Grand Marnier or other orange liqueur
1/2 cup Kahlua or other coffee liqueur
1 cup heavy cream, whipped

1. In a 3 1/2-quart electric slow cooker, combine the coffee and ground
chocolate mix. Stir to blend well.

2. Cover and cook on the high heat setting 2 to 2 1/2 hours, or until very hot.

3. Stir in the Grand Marnier and Kahlua. Ladle into mugs or heatproof stemmed
glasses. Top with a spoonful or two of whipped cream and serve.
The coffee can be kept warm on the low heat setting for 1 hour.
CP Sloppy Joes that everyone seems to like:

2 lbs. cooked and crumbled ground beef (or can use all or part ground turkey)
1 can of Manwich
A few good squeezes of KC Masterpiece
A squirt of mustard

Mix and cook on low 5-10 hours
CP Turkey Breast -

Thaw turkey breast. Place in CP with cavity up. Can fill cavity with prepared stuffing. Whether stuffing or not, spoon 1 can cream of mushroom soup over it. Sprinkle with envelope of dry onion soup. Cover. If CP cover doesn't fit, cover with aluminum foil and then several clean dish towels. Turn to HI 1 hour, then to LOW for 8-10. Can make gravy with juices if you want.

Kielbasa and Taters -

frozen Kielbasa
whole taters

Spray inside of CP with Veg. Spray. Wash taters and put in CP. Put frozen Kielbasa on top. Use as many taters and as much Kielbasa as you want, but keep taters on bottom and/or against sides of CP. Cook on Low for for 8 hours.
CP Meatloaf -

Prepare your favorite meatloaf. Place a big wad of aluminum foil in CP - like a flat ball to keep meatloaf out of its own grease as it cooks. Cook on LOW for 8-10 hours. Can cook meatloaf on top of taters if prefer.
CROCKPOT CHICKEN AND GRAVY

Boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Potatoes, quartered, with jackets
About 6 stalks celery
1/2 pkg baby carrots
1 can cream of chicken soup*
1 pkg dry onion soup mix

1. Place vegetables on bottom of crock pot.
2. Brown chicken breasts in PAM or vegetable spray.
3. Place over vegetables.
4. Cover with the cream of chicken soup, undiluted.
5. Sprinkle with dry onion soup mix. Do not add water.
6. Cover and cook all day on low, or 6 hours on high.

CHOPS IN A CROCK

6 pork chops, browned (you can skip the browning)
1 onion, chopped
3 T. catsup
10.5 oz can cream of mushroom soup
2 t Worcestershire sauce

Place into crockpot and simmer about 4-5 hours. Serve with rice, noodles or potatoes.

CUBAN BLACK BEANS AND RICE

Yummy, inexpensive and makes tons.

1 lb dried black bean, sorted and rinsed
1 large onion, chopped
1 large bell pepper, chopped
5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 bay leaves
1 14.5-oz can diced tomatoes, undrained
5 cups water
2 Tbs olive oil
4 Tbs ground cumin (optional)
1 finely chopped jalapeno
1 tsp salt
3 cups hot cooked rice, for serving

Soak beans overnight and discard soak water. Combine all ingredients except rice in crockpot and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or until beans are tender and most of the liquid is absorbed. Remove bay leaves. Serve beans over rice.
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TUNA AND PASTA DELIGHT

This is as tasty as it is easy - make with just about any canned or leftover meat, fish or poultry.

1 jar favorite Alfredo sauce
1 can Healthy Request Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 (7 oz) can white tuna, drained
1/4 tsp curry powder
1 to 1 1/2 cups frozen mixed vegetables
1 1/2 cups shredded Swiss cheese
4 cups cooked pasta (macaroni, bow ties, shells)

Combine first 5 ingredients; cover and cook for 4 to 5 hours on LOW. Add Swiss cheese to the mixture during the last hour. Cook pasta according to package directions; drain and add to your crockpot. This would be just as good with cooked or canned chicken, leftover ham or just add extra veggies. Serves 4.

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EASY TUNA NOODLE CASSEROLE

1 can of tuna fish, packed in water, drained
1 can cream of mushroom soup
16 oz pasta of your choice
2 cups water, more or less as needed
Salt and pepper to taste

Place ingredients in your crockpot and cook on low until noodles are soft, about four hours. You can also add chopped onions and substitute the soup for a healthier version.

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Crockpot BBQ Chicken:

6 Chicken Breasts
1 Bottle BBQ Sauce (I used Bullseye Original)
1/2 Cup White Vinegar
1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
1 Teaspoon Mesquite Seasoning
1/2 Teaspoon Garlic Powder

Mix BBQ sauce with all ingredients listed under it. Place chicken in crockpot. Pour sauce over all.

Cook on low for 4 1/2 hours.

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Hi M., I'm not sure if this will help but I have run ascross the freezer asile at the market and they are now sellin complete meals for the crock pot . There are several choices and maybe he might take a look when he gets a chance...Just a thought...
Elena

Here is a website that has a lot of crockpot recipes. http://southernfood.about.com/library/crock/blcpidx.htm. Also has he checked out the meals for the crockpot you can buy in the freezer section at the grocery store. I am guessing they are healthier than fast food but I have not actually checked them.

ok - i don't have THAT many ideas, but we lived for 2 yrs with no stove/oven to pre-brown any meat, so I had to get creative and used a microwave, a toaster oven, and a crock pot for all our meals! i did the pot roast too, but also made beef stew - just stew meat, your preference of tomato sauces or stew sauces (dry mix packets), can or fresh veggies, throw in the cut up raw potatoes and carrots, and then boil the rice if you want it over rice or perhaps pasta.

what my kids loved was when i made spaghetti sauce - i couldn't use ground beef b/c of the grease - that is really more of a brown-it-on-the-stove type of meat - so i used either chicken breast strips or chunks, or stew meat or stir-fry beef tips. the beef still made the sauce a bit greasier than i like it, so i tried to stick with chicken. if my oldest didn't eat with us, i also threw in broccoli/cauliflower and let the sauce cook for at least 4 hours, then boiled the noodles when ready to eat. then there is always chili - again, using ground beef puts too much grease into the sauce, but you can use the beef tips, chicken, or even ground turkey or deer meat - they have MUCH less fat in them so can be used in the crock pot.

if you don't get many more responses, i can check with my mom-in-law for her recipes. she is the queen of the one pot/pan meal! she made great chicken-and-dumplings and i recall her making something with pork chops, sauerkraut, and apples once, that turned out to be pretty good, but you'd have to like sauerkraut! email me at ____@____.com if you need those. i also have a crock pot cookbook that is in storage somewhere that i will hopefully turn up soon as i have obviously needed that!

best wishes
A.

I don't have any specific recipes but I have a cook book that has a section just for crockery cooking. It has recipes for beans, beef, chicken, lamb, pork, sauces, soups, and stews. Also some of the recipes in some of the other sections tell you how you could do them in a slow cooker. The cook book is the Better Homes and Gardens cook book. It is like a binder and the cover kind of looks like a picnic table cover. Here is the ISBN of mine: 069622732-0. Hope this helps.

I don't have any recipes, but there is a cookbook called Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade Slow Cooker Recipes. She is one of the food network tv chefs and I know that her dishes are made with store bought ingredients, so I imagine that this cookbook would have lots of tasty choices.

Prolly better for cooler weather, but I have an easy beef stew recipe.

Cut a steak into cubes or just buy stew meat. Add veggies that you like, i.e. carrots, potatoes, onion, english peas. Then pour a can of V8 over meat and veggies. Cook on low all day. Great taste. Usually V8 has enough salt but you can add to taste.

First McCormick makes a really good slow cooker beef stew-it is really good, I also like their chicken slow cooker meals too. I also like the pulled pork mix also very yummy!!

Here are a few recipes from Campbells:

http://www.campbellkitchen.com/RecipeSearch.aspx?searchTe...

http://www.kraftfoods.com/kf/dinner/planning/dinnerplanni...

my fav is

2-3 potatos, cubed
1 package smoked sausage (or whatever kind)
i jar of saurkraut

put everything together...easy

Hi M.,
I received this recipe from a friend. Haven't actually tried it yet, but it sounded easy and yummy. Maybe serve with tortillas, too.

Slow-Cooker Salsa Chicken
Poultry Dinner
Submitted by CHELLESHOCKED

Recipe Added to SparkPeople.com (what's this)

Ingredients

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup salsa
1 package reduced sodium taco seasoning
1 can reduced fat cream of mushroom soup (condensed)
1/2 cup reduced fat sour cream

Directions
Add chicken to slow cooker.
Sprinkle taco seasoning over chicken.
Pour salsa and soup over chicken.
Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.
Remove from heat and stir in sour cream.
Serve with rice.
NOTES:
You may use half the packet of taco seasoning (I have started doing this to reduce sodium content myself)
Some slow cookers cook faster than others. Mine is a true slow cooker (have had it over 10 years.) The newer ones cook a bit faster and you may have to adjust your cooking time based on that!

Number of Servings: 6

Hi M.! I don't know how much this will help but I Know they have the Birds Eye meals where you can buy the meat you want to put in it yourself or already have the meats in it and then then there's the hamburger helpers and diffrent varitites. They also Have full course meals already done if that will help. Hope this will help. Agapelovegrace.

The "Fix It and Forget It" slow cooker/crock pot cookbooks are great!

Hi M.,

Salsa Chicken. I use boneless thighs. Put them in the crockpot raw. Pour a jar of salsa on top, stir and set on low for 8 hours. Serve with rice. Very easy and very tasty.

I make chili in mine or stuffed peppers... Just throw some uncooked rice and italian season in meat then stuff it into a cleaned out pepper and throw spag sause over it can cook on low all day.. Sausage with peppers and onions and just add water to it.. Pork chops with sourkrout ..

I found a great little booklet in the grocery store line that was put out by prevention magazine expressly for slow cookers. There are lots of books & magazines just for this. Look there for more ideas.

Cant seem to find mine at the moment to share anything. You can also google Slow looker recipes & print off a bunch of things that would appeal to him!

P

Semi Homade by Sandra Lee has some crock pot cook books. She is a food network tv star. So just go to FoodTV and click merchandise. Also Fix It and Forget IT are great cookbooks as well.

I sell for a company called Taste of Gourmet (just like those make-up or home interior parties - we just sample the food, though!). You can find it here on this site in the Business reviews of Mom-Owned Businesses. We have several crock pot dishes that just require some broth or water and maybe some canned tomato. He adds the meat he wants. Contact me directly or visit www.tasteofgourmet.com for more info!
Also, I like to go to a site called allrecipes.com!

Hi M.! I have been using my crock pot more here lately and I have gotten recipes online. Try http://southernfood.about.com/library/crock/blcpidx.htm. I have found quite a few simple to prepare meals here and there is a great variety. And I'm sure there are other sites out there but this is one I am fimilar with.

Add to the slow cooker boneless/skinless chicken breast, cream of mushroom soup. First hour on high and then turn it down to low. Cook all night or all day. the soup turns to gravy. If you don't like cream of mushroom, use another kind of soup. Can also use pork chops instead of chicken just don't cook quite as long.

Add to the slow cooker, roast (with the fat trimmed off) and a can of Beef broth. Let cook on slow all night or all day. Use the left over meat and broth for soup. Add frozen mixed veggies, all kinds of spices according to taste. Optional: Tomato Paste or sauce. Cook all night or day. Better to let it sit for about an hour before eating.

Hey there!!Well I love my crock pot!!I have put all sorts of meat in mine and let it cook all day.Just put some meat, seasoning and water or soup broth in and let it cook. You can also go to the offical crock pot web site and they have all sorts of ideas. I have me a crock pot cook book as well. At the store they have meals in a box for crock pots all you gotta do is add meat. They also have meals in the freezer section that you put in and cook all day.Hope that helps you some.

There is a book, my mom has it, called one pot meals which is just for slow cookers. I'm sure if you went to any book store you could find it but it's really great and the recipes are very easy and very good.

Try your local book store. I bought a book called "Everything one-pot cookbook" By Lisa Rogak. It has a ton of recipes in it and they are pretty good! Good luck. K.

I have one of the Fix It and Forget It books too. I try to make notes as I go because some are really good and some not really. There is one for a "Mexican Lasagna" kinda of thing that is really good. I'll try to post later when I have more time.

For now, I just wanted to say that I noticed that searing doesn't really matter --in the ones I've tried anyway. It just gives more browning. When I do my roast, I put it in FROZEN with the veggies, some beef broth, salt and pepper. Let it cook all day and it come out really tender without the burnt smell from cooking to the inside of the crockpout. DD was eating it like this when she was around a year old.

I love the Mccormick stew packet you can get in the spice isle of the grocery store. It also tells you to brown the meat, but I DONT do it. It tastes great!

I would try googling slow cooker or crock pot meals or recipes and then I would also try foodnetwork.com or recipes.com One meal that is good is BBQ. I don't have the actual recipe but I do know it is easy. I think it pork, bbq sauce, some ketchup, a bit of hot sauce, seasoned to taste. or soups are good too. You can do a potato soup and he can have grilled cheese with it. hope those websites help. Also, when you visit, you can make them things in bulk and they can freeze them. If they do not eat at the same time, some things that I did when I was single was lasagna and you can make individual portions and put them in a large muffin tin and freeze them. Then as they want it, they can thaw one at a time. YOu can also do this with meatloaf. Good luck!