White Chili - Crockpot

This a is family favorite at our house. If you come around our place often...then you are sure run across this soup being served for a fellowship meal or visit. This recipe serves 8, but I always increase it to fill my biggest crockpot. One of the nice things about crock pot meals for company is that you can have the kitchen all cleaned up before they arrive. (Clean counters are one of most favorite things ever!) You don't have to bustling in the kitchen when they arrive...its ALL DONE!

3- 15 oz cans of White Beans, drained
8 oz of Chicken Breast*, (cooked or uncooked) cubed or shredded
1C chopped onions
1 1/2C red bell peppers (or orange and yellow)
1 small can of chopped green chilis
2 cloves of garlic minced
2 tsp gr. cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dr. oregano
4C chicken broth (or more)

Serve with sour cream, shredded cheddar and tortilla chips

Put all the ingredients in the crock and cook on LOW 8-10 hrs or High 4-5 hours

Ladle into bowls, with a dollop of sour cream, a small handful or cheese and crushed tortilla chips on top.

Parmesan Potato Soup

This is Ben's favorite potato soup. This soup is packed with flavor because it is LOADED with herbs and Parmesan cheese. You gotta use the real Parmesan - the good stuff - please don't use that stuff in the green can (The Californian in me is cringing at the thought!) I know parm isn't cheap, but this soup is in the lick the bowl category...so go ahead and splurge! I am showing you two ways to make this soup. The stove top method is fast, but it requires pre-baked potatoes, so you need to think ahead for that. I usually make baked taters earlier in the week and make extra for my soup a few days later. However, the crock pot version doesn't require them to be pre-baked. So you have that flexibility with this recipe.

This soup serve 10-12. I like to serve this soup with crusty sour dough bread or crust garlic bread.

4 medium Russet Potatoes, peeled and cubed (pre-baked for stove top version or raw for crock pot version)
3/4C chopped onions
1/2C butter
1/2C flour (i use wheat)
1/2 tsp basil
1/2 tsp seasoned salt
4 1/2C chicken broth
6C Parmesan cheese
milk
1/4 tsp of each of the following:
celery salt
garlic powder
onion salt
pepper
sage
thyme

Stove Top Version:
1. Measure all the seasonings and put into a cereal bowl, mix and set aside.
2. In dutch oven on the stove top saute onion, butter. Add flour and seasonings and stir. Gradually add the broth, while stirring, then bring to a boil.
3. Add (cooled) cooked potatoes and bring to a boil again. Reduce heat and simmer
4. Add milk and cheese and heat through.

Crock pot Version:
1. Do Steps 1& 2 above.
2. Put raw potatoes in the crock pot and cover with the above broth mixture.
3. Cook on High for 1 hour than turn on low for 4-5 hours.
4. Add milk and cheese, heat through and serve.

Home Shalom's Hot Dog Soup - Crock

This soup is made with organic all beef hot dogs, that skinless or lamb cased to keep Biblical Kosher. You can use any appropriate sausage in it's place. It is nice with crusty bread or cornbread, but is hearty enough that it doesn't "need bread" to make a meal. My kids LOOOOVE this soup. This soup serves about about 12 it is easy to reduce if its too much, by lessing the broth and beans and potatoes.

1. Soak 1-2 lb dry white beans* over night and drain. (or use 6 cans)

2. Put the following ingredients in the crock pot:

1 pound hot dogs, cut into chunks
3-4 medium potatoes, chopped small
1/2 tsp pepper
3-4 carrots, sliced 1/2 inch
Soaked or canned beans
2T dr parsley (or 1/2C fresh added at the end of the cooking time)

salt and pepper to taste

3. In a skillet, saute 1-2 chopped celery, chopped, 1 chopped onion, 3T butter until translucent. Than add 2T flour and mix well and slowly pour in about 1/2C chicken broth to create a gravy like consistency. (The French call this melted butter and flour base, a roux - pronounced "roo". It is a wonderful method to start scratch soups, gravies and sauces of all kinds!) Pour this sauce over the ingredients in the crock pot.

4. Pour 8C + chicken broth over the everything in the crock. Cook on low 8-10 hours or high 6 hours or until beans are tender.

* You can sub pinto beans or make a mix. I just prefer the white in this recipe.

Mixed Dry Bean Soup

This is an economical, easy, hearty, delicious comfort food right from the pantry! Most often you see ham bones or pork used as bases for hearty bean soups. However, I have been tickeled to discovered that beef soup bones make a WONDERFUL base for bean soups!

2C Mixed dry beans of choice
1Qrt of water
1 beef soup bone*
1 onion, diced
1 can diced tomatoes
1/2 tsp chili powder
1T lemon juice
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 C lentils (optional)

1. Soak your beans overnight in cold water with at least 2" water over the top of you beans. (6+ hours) OR Boil for 2 minutes, cover and remove from heat and let stand for 1 hour and proceed.

2. Put all the ingredients in the crock and cook on HIGH for 4-5 hours or LOW 8-10.

3. Remove the soup bone and scrap off any meat that might be left on it. Give the dog the bone. :-)

Serves 8-10

* If you don't have a "soup bone" take a bone out of a roast with about an inch or two of meat around it and cook the roast as a boneless roast (or cut in it into pieces for stew or other dish) in the next couple of days. We buy our beef from a farmer, so we always makes sure we keep the soup bones. You could ask a butcher for soup bones too...they are cheap and make wonderful soups and stews and beans.

Easy Meat Sauce

1 pound ground beef

1 large onion, chopped

1-2 clove garlic, minced

2 cans, chopped tomatoes

1 can of tomatoes

1 can tomato paste

1C beef broth

2T fresh parsley, minced (2tsp dried)

1T Rapedura (or brown sugar or maple sugar)

1tsp dr. oregano

1tsp dr. basil

1tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

• Take two forks and break up the raw beef in the bottom of the pot.
• Add all the remaining ingrediants.

Cook on low 6-10 hours. Give it a stir and serve over noodles of choice.

Plain Brown Rice - Crockpot

This has become my favorite way to cook rice! I get a big pot full of rice to use for dinner and later for leftovers, and I don't have to pay attention to my stove (which boils hot!). I mix in all kinds of seasoning and flavors, as the mood strikes...but I am going to share with you the staple way to make rice in your cooker.

5C Water or Broth

2C Brown Rice

2 tsp salt

1T butter or coconut oil

Grease the walls of the crock, out your rice and water in.

Cook on High for 2 and a quarter to 2 1/2 hours or Low for 5 hours

* Rice tip - No matter the amount of rice or the size of the pot or wether you are cooking it in a steamer, on the stove on in the crock remember this tip: pour your rice in the bottom and gently pour water/broth over top until it reaches 1" above the rice. You will never need to measure your rice or your water again. It comes out perfect every time!

Lemon Red Potatoes

These are scrumptious!

1 1/2 pounds of red potatoes, chunked

1/4C water

1/4C butter, melted

1T lemon (or lime) juice (or 1/2 of a fresh squeezed fruit)

3T snipped fresh parsley (or 1T dried)

1T snipped fresh chives (or 1 1/2 tsp dried)

Salt and Pepper to taste

1. Put water and potatoes in crock.
2. Cover and cook on High for 2 1/2-3 hours or until tender. (careful not to overcook) and drain.
3. Combine melted butter and herbs. Add to potatoes and toss. Salt and pepper to taste.

Crockpot Caramel Dip

This was a delicious recipe we found this week at Crockpot Recipe Exchange . It took one try and it made the family recipe book! This delicious and simple caramel dip is wonderful for dipping apple wedges, and would make a fabulous ice cream topping or even a sauce for an apple tart! We have also used it as a middle layer between shortbread and melted chcoalte chips for a decadent cookie bar! This is a soft carmel (unlike a hard store bought caramel cube) , but it will stiffen in the fridge some. Apparently this is an "old recipe" that used to be cooked right in the can, but here is a more healthful twist on this old classic!*

1 can of sweetened condensed milk**

1. Take the milk from the can and put it in a pint jar. Secure a lid (we use plastic).

2. Lay a washcloth in the bottom of the crock and put your jar in and cover with water. (I had to lay mine down and weight it with a heavy cereal bowl so that it could be totally submerged under the water.)

3. Cover and turn on High and let cook for 4-6 hours. If you pull it out on earlier it will be lighter in color and flavor, if you let it go the longer length it gets richer and darker in color and flavor.

This is a rich dip and it makes what I would call 8 very "responsible" servings (small) of dip. (Pictured above.)

* This can also be done on the stove top, in a double boiler, covered, on moderate heat for about 60-90 minutes.

** FYI - Trader Joes has Organic Sweetened Condensed Milk!! (The only place I have ever seen that!) If anyone else knows of another source for organic - please tell me!

To double it, we put 2 cans in a quart jar and lay it on its side on my oval crock.

Tex Mex Chicken - Crock

This is one of my no- brainer go to, always satifying, even for company recipes. My meat is often pitched in frozed (and broken up when it is done. It doesn;t take any longer to cook).

1 bag of frozen corn

1 can of black beans, rinsed and drained(or pinto or both!)

1 jar salsa (16 oz)

6 boneless breasts

Throw it all in the cooker. Cook on low for 7-8 ours or High 5-6.

Suggested servings:

• Use as taco or burrito filling (using corn or flour tortillas)
• Serve over rice
• With corn crackers or chips
• Serve with cornbread
• Serve cold over a salad
• Serve cold as a wrap

Top with shredded cheddar and sour cream. This recipe is easy to stretch to serve lots of people. It is also easy to add extra of any one of the ingrediants and it still comes out great (but you don't have to officially double everything!). It seems that is just can't be messed up! :-)

Featured Crock Pot Blogs / 9 Reasons WHY

I absolutely LOVE my crock pots! I have three 5-6 Qrt crocks (two which are the travel kind) and 3 small 1.5 qrt crocks for sauces and dips. (I told you! I am serious about my slow cookers!) They are an amazing tool for hospitality, busy moms and Shabbat meals! I have often dreamt of starting a crock pot blog! (Then Yah reminds me, that I have to pace myself! I just can't "do it all", right??!) But here are three women who have done that for us! So we can enjoy the fruits of their labor!

crockpot365.blogspot.com

crockpotrecipeexchange.blogspot.com

thecrockpotblog.com

If you have not been using your crock pot AT LEAST 2 times a week, you are really missing out! I use mine several times week (depending) and often daily and often have more than one going Shabbat (that was all "loaded up" on Prep Day).

9 Top Reasons why the crock pot should be one of your favorite kitchen tools:

1. Easy Clean Up! Most newer models have a crock that pulls out of the cooking base, so one-pot clean up is a breeze. Prep dishes are washed ahead, so you only have serving/eating dishes to wash after your meal.

2. It is hard to burn stuff in the crock pot. (Although I have done it! But...) They are full of grace! Who doesn't love grace??

3. Slow food is nutritious food!!! It is documented that foods cooked at slow low temperatures retained the greatest amount of food value and nutrients in cooked foods!

4. You can prepare your meal when it is convenient for you and know that it is taken care of. (I just love a check things of a list don't you??) This means you can go about your day and at the end of the day...you have a hot delicious meal WAITING for YOU!

5. Crock pots are very fun for your kids to fill!(And and great way to train them to become more independent in the kitchen. Consider assigning a child a "Crock Pot Meal Night", and watch them blossom in the kitchen!)

6. Crock pots make whole foods easy to make! They are SO very simple to use! Whole foods are good for your body and good for your budget! (Avoid recipe that use lots of processed ingredients...there are so many out there that DON'T.)

7. Travel crock pots are great to take placed to bless others for fellowship meals!

8. Crock pots allow us to get out of the kitchen and do other things!!!

Slowdown and Enjoy Life...and use your crock!

Whole Wheat Soda Bread - Crockpot

This is a delightfully rustic bread that develops a hard crust as it cools. It is wonderfully easy and so satisfying with soup, salad or pasta!

2C Wheat or Spelt flour

3/4 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp salt

1 1/4C buttermilk

• In a large bowl mix all the the dry ingrediants together.
• Make a well in the center and add buttermilk in the well. Mix until just blended.
• Grease a 2 qrt mixing bowl and transfer dough into it. (I use stainless, but if you have glass that will work, just put a cloth in the bottom of the crock to set it on.)
• Cover bowl tightly with foil (secure with string or rubber band to keep the moisture out)
• Place covered bowl in crock
• Pour boiling water around the bowl 1" deep.
• Put the lid on and cook on High for 2 1/2-3 hours

Makes a small round loaf (8 slices). The inside is a moist soft texture while the outside crust gets rim and hardens as it cools.

Cream Corn and Onion Soup

This is a very tasty and hearty cream corn soup! It makes 6-8 big bowls.

6 onions, minced

6 C corn

2T butter

2T flour

4C chicken broth, divided

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1C cream

1. Put corn, onions, salt, pepper and 3C broth in the crock

2. In a saucepan, melt butter, add flour saute on medium until it turns slightly brown. Then add 1C broth, mix than add to crock.

Cook on low for 3-4 hours. 1/2 hour before serving add cream and mix.

We love it chunky, but if you want a little creamier soup, you can dip your immersion blender in the pot for a couple seconds. If you would like a puree...you can blend the whole pot!

Crockpot Fried Rice or Quinoa

This recipe can be increased 4x to fill a large (5-6qrt) crockpot. It is a quick and easy way to use up leftover rice.

2C leftover, cooker rice or quinoa

3T butter

2T soy sauce (or Braggs Liquid Aminos)

2tsp Worchestershire Sauce

1/2 tsp pepper

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 onion, diced

1C frozen or left over veggies

leftover cooker meat (optional)

1 egg, beaten

seasame seeds for garnish when serving

Put all ingrediants in the crock, stir well to combine.

Cook on High 2-3 hours

Low 3-4 hours

I am pretty sure I got this recipe from http://www.crockpot365blogspot.com/ a while back. Its a winner.

Maple Baked Beans

This recipe came from a cookbook called Fresh Vegetarian Slow Cooker , which I highly recommend. So nice to have tasty baked beans without pork! ( I think I doubled this recipe from the original..not sure....I do that. :-) )This is a very slow recipe...but worth the wait!

2-3 lbs of dry white or pinto beans
2-3 large onions, chopped small
4-6 garlic cloves
4 bay leaves

• Presoak your beans over night in water - 6 hours + (I usually double my water over my beans.)**
• Drain soaked beans and put them back in the crock. Add the above ingredients ans enough water to cover (about 1" over). Cook on High 8-12 hours
• Drain this water, remove bay leaf and put back in the crock. Add the following ingredients:

1C (real!) Maple Syrup
2tsp dr. mustard powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2C tomato paste mixed with 2 1/2C water

Cook on low an additional 6-8 hours.

** If you forget to soak your beans (or don't want to take that extra time) you can put beans on the stove in water and boil them for 2 minutes, than cover and remove from the heat and let sit for an hour. Then proceed with the recipe.

I like to serve beans with cornbread, sourdough or (organic) beef hotdogs.

Creamy Herbed Chicken

This meal is comfort food to the max!

6 boneless, breast halves

6 slices of Swiss, Provolone or Havarti cheese

1 can of Amy's Cream of Mushroom Soup ** or Cream of Anything Soup Mix **

3C dry herbed stuffing mix*

Grease crock with butter or oil of choice. Put meat in the bottom, top with cheese (layer chicken and cheese if needed), pour soup over top. Next layer stuffing. Drizzle broth over dry stuffing.

Cook on low 8-10 hours or high 4-6 hours.

* Does anyone make their own homemade herbed dry stuffing mix??? Is so please share it in the comments below!! It is something I hope to figure out this winter and would LOVE it if someone else already has! :-) (The store bought has junk in the ingrediants and the organic is too expensive for my new budget/family size!)

**Please do not use the conventional cream soups in the cans...they are filled with yucky - not good ingredients. However, I do know how handy they are to make quick creamy meals! So I have listed the two things that I use for alternatives when I am in the mood for that creamy quick fix. They are often in my pantry as staples. The Hillbilly Housewife's Cream of Anything Soup Mix is taking the place of the the Amy's because of the cost factor and availability to get the Amy's where we live now.

Home Shalom's Sweet Potato Soup

You can use yams, winter squash for this recipe too (acorn, delicata, pumpkin, etc.). It is delicious! An immersion blender is a WONDERFUL tool for making cream soups and pureed soups right in the pot which they cook. It is also a wonderful too for thickening soups, by blending part of the soup So much easier (and safer and less dishes) than doing in it the blender. If you puree hot foods in a blender, either let it cool first (and reheat to serve) or do it in very small batches leaving a vent in the top...otherwise it might explode (It may pop the blender top off and sprays hot soup all over you and the kitchen. Speaking from experience.) Needless to say...I love my immersion blender now. :-) You can also mash this with a potatoe masher. The consistancy isn't as smooth, rather more "rustic" but it is still quite tasty. You can make this one the stove in a flash too in the time it takes to for the potatoes to boil to soft, then blend and season and soups on!

Notice I do not tell you how many potatoes (sorry!), if you fill a large crock (5-6qrt) half full of chunks, use the first measurement of seasonings. If you fill it to the brim double that. Let your finger dip guide you after that. :-)

Sweet Potatoes
1-3C or water (or veggie or chicken stock)
1/8-1/4 tsp gr cloves (to taste)
1/8- 1/4 tsp dr. nutmeg (to taste)
salt to taste

Milk or cream to taste (or more water or stock)

Put potatoes and water and salt in the crock and cook on high for 3 hours. Mash or puree potatoes, season and add milk to desired consistancy.

(We actually use yams and sqaush in this more often than sweet potatoes because they seem to be cheaper.)

Taco Chili - Crock

1 pound of ground beef, browned*
2 cans of diced tomatoes or salsa
2 cans of beans (or 3C cooked)
1 bag of frozen corn
1 envelope of taco seasoning (1.25 oz ot 2 T of homemade)
1/2 can of diced green chilies (the small can) (This is not needed if you use salsa)(May like to add dr. cumin too)

Put all the ingrediants in the crockpot stir and cook on low for 4-6 hours.

* This is also quit good with leftover cooked chicken instead of ground beef.

Serves 6

Serve with nacho chips, cornbread or rice. Also very tasty if topped with sour cream, shredded cheddar, sliced black olives and shredded lettuce. (But not necessary - just use what you have on hand.)

This recipe will double in a large crock pot to serve 12 or so. (The things you serve it with or top it with, the further it goes.)

You can do this without browning the meat first too. Just break the meat up small in the bottom of the crock and mix it up well with the other ingrediants (to prevent meat blobs). You can use the seasoning directly in the meat to help dry it up to crumble it easier. Cook it on High for this amount of time or extend the cooking time longer (8-10 hrs)

4 Season Tomato Soup - Crock

I like to call this 4 Season Soup because it is has attributes which make it nice for all seasons. In the Summer or Spring when it is warm (or hot) it is a delightfully light soup which is delicious served at room temp or even fridge-cold! It is tasty with tea sandwiches or cold veggies or crackers. It doesn't create much heat in the kitchen to make (while you are out side!) and when the tomato harvest is plentiful, you can use your 'maters right from the garden! (YUM!) But in the winter time, fall and winter (or early spring) when it is chilly and your body tell you it needs something heartier to sustain it. You can easily convert this soup into a warm hearty one: Turn the crock on High than gather your ingredients and cut up an onion. Now toss your onion, oil and garlic in the crock with 1/4 flour and saute for a few minutes. Than add remaining ingredients. This will thicken the soup. OR You can add a 1/2C raw rice. When you puree it at the end, this will also thicken the soup. OR you can add left over cooked rice (or other grain) at the end after you have pureed the soup. My family's favorite accompaniments to this soup in the winter are grilled cheese sandwiches, Garlic Toast or Cheese Quesadillas. Another variation for winter is to add 2C of milk before serving or top with shredded cheese in the bowls. No need to buy that commercial stuff anymore! You can make this nutrient dense and delicious food (easily) from scratch without the yucky ingredients of the commercial stuff! In the winter, you also have the pantry convenience of canned tomatoes!

This recipe make a big crock of soup. You could cut it in half. (But it does freeze well!) Don't fuss with chopping things too fine, because you will puree this soup in the end.

2T oil

1 large onion, chopped

3 cloves or garlic, crushed

upto 1C of chopped carrots

2 pounds + of fresh tomatoes, chopped (or 2-3 cans)

2 cans tomato paste

juice of 1/2 lemon

2 tsp Italian herbs (I like to sub dill sometimes too!)

veggie, garlic or chicken broth to fill the remainder of the crock (or clean water)

2T honey (optional)

Put all ingredients in the pot. Cook in High 4-5 hours or Low 8-10 hours

Puree with a hand blender in the crock or let cool and puree in small batches in a blender and reheat of serving hot.

salt and pepper to taste (Add further goodies if you desire.)

Mongolian Beef - Crock

This is a family favorite. We love Chinese food, so I am always looking for recipes to make at home. If I achieve this in the crock pot, that is a BONUS! This is one of the recipes. Because we use lean grass fed beef, the slow cooking it real benefit because like venison it is a leaner meat that really works best when marinated or slow cooked for many of the cuts. We double this recipe.

1/4C cornstarch

1.5 lb beef, sliced into thin strips

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1 tsp dr. onion

1/2C Tamari Sauce (I use Braggs Liquid Aminos)

1/4C white wine (I have used both dry and sweet, both are good, sweet is better)

1/4C sherry (or red Chinese wine if you are lucky enough to have a source!)

1.5 tsp white wine vinegar

1tsp sesame oil

1tsp molasses

1tsp dr. ginger + (If you have grated fresh, use 1-2 T instead. This is my preference.)

1/4 tsp pepper

1 tsp dr. red pepper flakes

1.5 tsp peanut butter

3T maple sugar (rapedura, sucanat or brown sugar)

8 green onions, chopped to garnish at the end (Or 1 large onion, cut into large pieces thrown in the pot to cook with th rest of the stuff.)

1. Put meat strips in a ziplock bag with cornstarch and toss to coat well and set aside.
2. Mix the remaining ingredients in the crockpot.
3. Put the coated meat in the crock and toss gingerly to coat with the sauce.

Cook on Low for 4-6 hours

Served over rice, or noodles. I like to serve a green veggie with it like brocc, peas, greens or green beans.

Crockpot Lentils

We love lentils! (I buy them in organic bulk.) I am always on the look out for good lentil recipes! This recipe serves 8 to 10. I like to serve it with rice or cornbread, sourdough bread, crusty bread, or homemade sourdough english muffins. It also makes a tasty sandwich on a bun.

1 pound of lentils
1 large onion, chopped


2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 can of diced tomatoes
2 1/2C chicken or veggie broth
2-3 carrots, sliced
2-3 ribs of celery, chopped
1 reb bell pepper, chopped
2 tsp dr. parsley
1 dried dr. bay leaf
1/8 tsp dr. marjoram
1/8 tsp dr. sage
1/8 tsp dr. thyme
salt to taste

Put all the ingrediants in the crock.
Cook on low 4-6 hours or high 2 1/2-3 hours.

May top with shredded cheddar (but not necessary!)