Crockpot Chili

This recipe gave me one of the most positive reactions from everyone.  I was so pleased and surprised with how much everyone really enjoyed it!  We didn't really have any Halloween plans, but I saw this recipe and thought it would be a simple enough meal and maybe we could watch a scary movie with friends, if they didn't have plans.  That ended up being our Halloween and it was really fun.  Everyone raved about this recipe, and I will definitely be making this often.  It's really flavorful & not spicy and simply delightful with cornbread.  A big hit!

1 lb. ground beef
1 onion, diced
2 (14 oz.) cans diced tomatoes
1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce
1 (15 oz.) can kidney beans
1/4 c. ketchup (or chili sauce)
1/4 c. water
1 packet chili seasoning mix
3 stalks celery, diced
2 Tbl. Worcestershire sauce (didn't have any, used soy sauce, didn't even noticed)
1 Tbl. sugar

1.  Brown ground beef with onion.  Season with salt and pepper.  I also added in minced garlic and minced, dried onion. 
2.  Add remaining ingredients to crockpot while beef is cooking.  Once beef is browned and the onion is tender, add to crockpot and mix ingredients together.
3.  Cook all day on low (or on high for 3-4 hours).  By the time we ate, it had cooked for about 11 hours on low and it was delicious.

Serve with cheese, sour cream, cornbread, whatever you love!


Sorry for no pictures--it went so quickly that I completely forgot!

Thousand Island Dressing

This recipe is a family favorite.  We use it for taco salad and it's sooo good.  It's quick to make and the ingredients are simple.  I use a quarter of the recipe for the two of us, which lasts for a few nights' worth of taco salads.

Here's the full recipe:

4 c. mayo
3/4 c. ketchup
2 Tbl. vinegar
1/2 c. milk
1/4 c. sugar
1/2 c. sweet relish

Blend all ingredients, makes 6 cups.

My quartered recipe:

1 c. mayo
~1/4 c. ketchup
1/2 Tbl. vinger
2 Tbl. milk
1 Tbl. sugar
2 Tbl. sweet relish

all mixed up

 

Zak wanted to write on it...funny guy (we used an old ketchup bottle for this,  the quartered recipe fits pretty perfectly in it!)

Crockpot Sweet and Sour Pork

I love sweet & sour pork and this recipe did not disappoint.  It was simple and tasty.  And pretty easy to throw together!

1 1/2 - 2 lb. pork loin or shoulder, trimmed & cut into 1-inch cube
1 Tbl. oil
2 (8 oz. each) cans crushed pineapple in juice
1 small green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
1/2 c. water
1/3 c. brown sugar
2 Tbl. ketchup
1 Tbl. quick-cooking tapioca
3 tsp. soy sauce
1/2 tsp. dry mustard

1.  In skillet, brown pork cubes on both sides in oil; drain off fat and place in crockpot.
2.  In a medium bowl, combine remaining ingredients and pour over pork.
3.  Cook on low for 8 - 10 hours, or on high from 4 -5 hours.

I'm sorry, this was the only picture I managed to get

Slow Cooker Cashew Chicken

I made this recipe last night and it was a pretty simple recipe, and it smelled so good while it was cooking!  In the future, I think I'll add a little bit of salt to the chicken, because it needed just a touch.  But overall, a great recipe and will be rotated into our food menu.

2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thigh or breast tenders (I used about 26 oz. and cut them up so there were 18 pieces)
1/4. flour
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 Tbl. canola oil
1/4 c. soy sauce
2 Tbl. rice vinegar
2 Tbl. ketchup
1 Tbl. brown sugar
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 tsp. fresh ginger, grated
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/2 c. cashews

1.  Combine flour and pepper in resealable ziplock bag.  Add chicken and shake to coat.
2.  Heat oil in skillet over medium-high heat.  Brown chicken pieces about 2 minutes on each side.  Place in slow cooker.
3.  Combine soy sauce, vinegar, ketchup, sugar, garlic, ginger & pepper flakes in a small bowl; pour oven chicken.
4.  Cook on low for 3 - 4 hours, turning chicken over once, after 2 hours.
5.  Add cashews and stir; serve over rice.

all ready to eat

side picture

Nutritional Facts
servings per recipe: 8
amount per serving

Calories: 195.3
Total Fat: 6.9 g
Saturated Fat: 1.2 g
Polyunsaturated Fat: 1.5 g
Monounsaturated Fat: 3.6 g
Cholesterol: 53.4 mg
Sodium: 612.2 mg
Potassium: 312.7 mg
Total Carbohydrate: 9.8 g
Dietary Fiber: 0.4 g
Sugar: 3.9 g
Protein: 23.5 g
Vitamin A: 0.4 %
Vitamin C: 2 %
Calcium: 1.9 %
Iron: 8.6 % 

100th post: Slow-Cooker Honey Sesame Chicken

Whoo hoo, 100 posts!

This recipe is a simple and tasty recipe I tried Friday night.  I changed the amount of honey to about 3/4 of a cup but added some brown sugar instead.  Overall, it was a pretty good meal, the sauce was good.  Our only major note was that the chicken ended up a little dry inside and that it was more shredded than we'd like.  So maybe next time I'll cut up the chicken breasts a bit before adding them into the crock pot.  But, it's a keeper and was so easy and went well with rice and broccoli!

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
salt & pepper
1 c. honey (I used 3/4 c. + about 4 Tbl. brown sugar instead)
1/2 c. soy sauce
1/2 c. diced onion (I used 2 Tbl. minced, dried onion instead)
1/4 c. ketchup
2 Tbl. vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, minced (I used 1 tsp. dried, minced onion)
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
4 tsp. cornstarch dissolved in 6 Tbl. water
sesame seeds

1.  Season both sides of chicken lightly with salt & pepper (I just did one side), put into crock pot.
2.  In small bowl, combine honey (& brown sugar), soy sauce, onion, ketchup, oil, garlic & pepper flakes.  Pour over chicken.
3.  Cook on low for 3 - 4 hours or on high 1 1/2 - 2 1/2 hours, or just until chicken is cooked through.  I had Zak turned the chicken over about halfway through.
4.  Remove chicken from crock pot, leave sauce.  Dissolve cornstarch in water and pour in; stir to combine with sauce.
5.  Replace lid and cook sauce on high for ten more minutes, or until slightly thickened.  Meanwhile, cut chicken into bite sized pieces.
6.  Return chicken to pot once sauce has thickened, and toss before serving.  Sprinkle with sesame seeds.

delicious!

Nutritional Facts
servings per recipe: 6
amount per serving

Calories: 375.3
Total Fat: 6.3 g
Saturated Fat: 0.8 g
Polyunsaturated Fat: 1.8 g
Monounsaturated Fat: 3.1 g
Cholesterol: 76.7 mg
Sodium: 1,443.9 mg
Potassium: 407.1 mg
Total Carbohydrate: 48.8 g
Dietary Fiber: 0.4 g
Sugar: 45.5 g
Protein: 33.6 g
Vitamin A: 0.6 %
Vitamin C: 5.2 %
Calcium: 2.9 %
Iron: 7.2 %

Katsu Chicken

This recipe was wonderful! I got it from food.com, who in turn, I guess got it from the L&L Hawaiian Barbeque Grill chain. Ever since we've been to our local Hawaiian place, I've been curious about making some of the dishes. We know that my macaroni salad recipe beats theirs, and my mom's teriyaki marinade / sauce is awesome, but I was curious about making chicken katsu (sort of life a fried chicken cutlet with a sweet barbeque sauce).

So I searched and searched for a recipe that looked like what I knew chicken katsu to be. The only problem was the recipe was for 5 - 7 servings, using 4 lbs. of chicken. So I had to be creative with my measuring. What I'm listing below isn't 100% what I used to make it, but what will probably be a pretty accurate measurement for 1 lb. of chicken. Now, for the sauce, I only halved the recipe I had, and it made 4 cups' worth. And we maybe used...half a cup, total. What I'm posting below will be half of what I used, so hopefully it will make about 2 cups.

All in all, this was a wonderful, delicious meal; and much easier than I thought! Since we have so much leftover sauce, I will be making again really soon (darn!). Enjoy this with mac salad, rice and corn for a traditional Hawaiian plate lunch!

Chicken:

1 lb. chicken (the recipe called for thighs, but we only had breasts, and they worked fine)

1 1/2 - 2 c. Japanese panko bread crumbs

1 egg

1/3 c. water

1/4 c. cornstarch

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

1/4 tsp. white pepper

1. Pound chicken with a rolling pin.

2. Combine egg, water, cornstarch and spices to make a batter.

3. Coat chicken in egg mixture, then roll in panko crumbs, being sure to cover entire piece.

4. Fry in oil until golden brown and crispy (I used our biggest pan, with several tablespoons of oil, it worked just fine).

Katsu Sauce:

1/4 c. Worcestershire sauce

1/4 c. ketchup

1/4 c. sugar

1 c. water

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. chicken bouillon

1/4 tsp. white pepper

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

1 dash Tabasco sauce (didn't use this, since we didn't have it, but it was fine without it)

cornstarch mixed with water (thickener)

1. Combine all ingredients (except cornstarch mixed with water) and bring to a boil.

2. Add the cornstarch that has been mixed in with the water and stir until thick.

3. Serve on top of chicken and rice!

all breaded and ready for frying

delicious, delicious sauce

fry them for about 2 -3 minutes on one side

until they are perfectly golden brown

and enjoy with all the essentials: rice, corn, mac salad!