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!

Meatballs

The other day Zak asked if I'd make spaghetti & meatballs, which we haven't had in a long time.  I ended up using a Better Homes & Garden recipe for the meatballs, but changed it a little bit to what I thought would be good.  The meatballs turned out really yummy, I can't wait to have them again soon!

1 lb. ground beef
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. oregano
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. garlic
1 egg
1/4 c. diced onion
3/4 c. normal breadcrumbs
sprinkles of parmesan cheese

1.  Dice onion.  Add to bowl with meat and spices.
2.  Beat egg, add with breadcrumbs.  Mix and add in cheese.
3.  Form into 1/2" (?) balls.  I got about 22 good sized meatballs from this recipe.
4.  Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes.

so delicious!

Tater Tot Casserole

I didn't know tater tot casserole was a thing, but after this experiment, it might become a meal that we have every once in awhile, when we get that craving for a very yummy comfort food dish.  I used a bunch of different recipes and combined them to create this one.  I was only a little bit nervous about mostly winging it, but I took confidence in knowing what Zak and I both like and what would taste good and I'm proud to say that this was a big hit!  It was very easy to make and tasted great the next day, too!

1 lb. ground beef
1/4 c. onions, minced
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. seasoned salt
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 lb. tater tots (around 50)
2/3 c. frozen peas
2/3 c. frozen corn
1 1/2 c. cheese

1.  Brown meat with onions.  Add spices.
2.  Add in soups and veggies, cook until warmed through.
3.  Defrost tots in a shallow bowl in the microwave for 1 - 2 minutes.
4.  Layer a 9"x13" casserole dish with half of the soup mixture, half of the tater tots, 1/2 c. cheese; repeat.  Sprinkle remaining cheese on top.
5.  Cook for about 25 minutes at 350 degrees.

before cooking

after baking

sure it may not look super pretty, but it hit the spot!

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 Beef Gyros

This was a pretty good recipe.  And a bit different from our usual meals.  I was a bit nervous about this, because the meat hadn't thawed completely before I put it in the crock pot, and I didn't want to overcook it, but it turned out pretty darn perfect.  Zak was great and made the cucumber yogurt sauce and chopped the onions and tomatoes.  It was all ready when I came home for work and pretty tasty!  We have lots of leftovers!

Meat

2 lb. boneless chuck steak

1/4 c. olive oil

2 Tbl. lemon juice

1 Tbl. minced garlic

1 tsp. oregano

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

Dill Cucumber Yogurt Sauce

1 c. plain Greek yogurt

1 c. diced seedless cucumber

1 Tbl. dill

1/4 tsp. salt

Pita bread

toppings: lettuce, tomatoes, red onions

1.  Place beef in crock pot.

2.  Mix rest of 'meat' ingredients in a small bowl and pour over beef, turning to coat.

3.  Cover and cook on low for 6 - 8 hours (until meat is tender, it was practically falling apart!)

4.  Mix sauce ingredients together, spread on pita bread.

5.  Top pitas with meat and toppings.

meat about to be cut up

cucumber sauce

yum!

Slow-Cooker Old-World Corned Beef & Vegetables

I used to not be a big corned beef fan.  But then I grew up and now look forward to having it every St. Patrick's Day!  I've only made it once before, our first married St. Patrick's Day, and don't remember what I did.  So I went on a little hunt for some good instructions and a recipe, especially because I invited our friends over, I wanted it to work out well.  I found this recipe and was a bit hesitant--it had me discard the seasoning packet!  But I thought it'd work out well for us, and looked easy enough.  Zak helped me with the veggies and everything, and after 8 long hours in the crockpot, we finally got to eat.  It was very, very good--we have just enough leftovers for one of us to eat.  I used 'Idaho gold' potatoes instead of red potatoes, some pearl onions and baby carrots.  It was so simple, and we have a bonus brisket, so I plan on making this again in a little bit!

2 lbs. golden/new/red? potatoes (8-10), quartered
2 c. baby carrots, halved
1 c. frozen small whole onions, thawed--I used about half a bag of white pearl onions and cut them in half
1 corned beef brisket, 3 - 3 1/2 lbs.
pepper
1/2 c. water
1 Tbl. Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbl. cornstarch
2 Tbl. cold water

1.  Mix potatoes, carrot and onions in a 4 - 6 quart slow cooker.
2.  Thoroughly rinse corned beef; discard seasoning packet.  Place beef on vegetables, sprinkle with pepper.
3.  Mix 1/2 c. water with Worcestershire sauce and pour over beef.
4.  Cover and cook on low for 8 - 9 hours, or until beef and vegetables are tender.
5.  Remove beef and vegetables from slow cooker; cover to keep warm.
6.  Pour juices into saucepan and heat to boiling.  Mix cornstarch and cold water until smooth; stir in.
7.  Cook, stirring constantly, until sauce has thickened.

right before making the gravy and eating

the potatoes were so tender and delicious

wonderful carrots and onions

the meat was amazing!

Refrigerator Pickles

We got about a dozen + cucumbers from Zak's grandparents with the purpose of pickling them at home. I tried to find a few recipes that would be easy enough, and this one was the winner. I would definitely recommend at least doubling the spice mixture, because we found that it only filled about 2 and a half jars. But it might be because we were unsure of how much the cucumbers would shrink, and we did five jars when we could've stuffed four and been fine. Anyways, having the extra spice mixture was better in the long run, because we poured it over some freshly sliced cucumbers and ate them after a few minutes (when we were in Seattle, we went to a Thai place where they had fresh pickles and thought it'd be easy enough to do, ours tastes almost like the restaurants'!).

A few days later, we decided to try this recipe with spear-cut cucumbers and no onions, and they turned out really well. We also played around with adding garlic to one jar, minced garlic to the spice mixture, and everything turned out really great. We have about 9 jars of pickles in the fridge now, so come over and eat some with us!

6 c. cucumbers, thinly sliced

2 c. onions, thinly sliced

1/2 tsp. mustard seeds

1/2 tsp. turmeric

1/2 tsp. salt

1 1/2 c. sugar

1 1/2 c. white vinegar

*4 - 5 garlic cloves, minced - optional*

4 - 6 pint jars, washed, boiled, etc.

1. Layer the cucumbers and onions in a glass container.

2. Mix the spices, sugar and vinegar together in a saucepan, heat until sugar as melted.

3. Pour over the cucumbers and onions.

4. Cover tightly and let sit in the fridge for about 48 hours before serving.

Zak did a great job with the cucumbers!

Zak was so cute, he wanted to do 'experiments' with the layering, etc. The first one: 50/50 (cukes, onions), 2nd: more onions, 3rd: more cucumbers, 4: added in garlic, 5: stuffed it really full. You can tell we were unsure of how much to put in the jars.

yum yum yum!