Crockpot Ham and Potato Soup

Crockpot Ham and Potato Soup

3 cups water
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
3 chicken bouillon cubes
4 - 5 small red potatoes, peeled if desired and coarsely chopped
2 medium carrots, coarsely chopped
3 -4 large green onions, with some of the green part, chopped
1 can corn, drained
1 cup diced ham
1/4 tsp dried mince garlic
1/2 tsp dried thyme
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Combine all ingredients except pepper in a 3 or 4 quart crockpot.  Cook on high for 4 to 5 hours, or until vegetables are tender and flavors have melded.  Season with pepper before serving.

Garnish with shredded cheddar cheese, bacon bits and green onion if desired.

Makes 4 servings.

Using up fresh tomatoes....

I have a good recipe for pasta sauce, but it relies on canned ingredients.  This past Friday, we visited with DH's brother and sister in law, and they shared bags full of garden bounty with us.  Hubby will not eat fresh tomatoes and I knew that I wouldn't be able to eat all of them before they went bad, so I went on a hunt for ways to use them up in something that we would both enjoy.  I combined a bunch of ideas and this is what I came up with.  It smelled amazing while it was cooking. We ate it over spaghetti, and found it really tasty.

Crockpot Tomato Pasta Sauce, (using fresh tomatoes)

1 to 2 tsp of olive oil
Minced garlic to taste, fresh or dried, (I used 2 tsp dried minced garlic)
2 or 3 small white onions, finely diced (any sort of onion would work),
5 to 6 cups of chopped tomatoes, (I seeded mine, but it isn't necessary)
1 medium zucchini, diced into small pieces
1 large carrot, shredded
1/4 cup of red wine (I think you could probably leave this out)
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp each dried fennel seed, thyme, and rosemary
1 tsp salt (more if desired)
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes, more if you like spicy sauce
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh basil
1 can (6 oz) tomato paste


I used a 5 quart crockpot, which would have been able to handle double of this recipe.  Turn it on high, and add enough olive oil to just barely cover the bottom.  Toss in the chopped onions and garlic, give it a good stir to coat everything with oil, and put the lid on the pot.  Let this cook while you prepare the tomatoes.   After a while, this will start to sizzle and the onions will brown a bit.  (This step isn't necessary, but it brings out the taste of the onions and garlic.)

Meanwhile, wash and chop the tomatoes and zucchini.  I seeded the tomatoes, (hubby's request), but did not peel them.(I would add some chopped fresh green pepper, and maybe some mushrooms, if I were the only one eating this.). By this time the onions in the pot should be sizzling nicely.  Add all the rest of the ingredients to the pot, except for the fresh basil.  Stir well.  Cook on high for an hour or two.  Once it is boiling, turn the pot to low and let it simmer for 3 to 4 hours.  It will likely be somewhat thin, so at this point, I turn it back up to high, add the basil, and uncover it about halfway so that some of the liquid evaporates.  I have an oval shaped crockpot and I just turned the lid sideways.  When it has reached the desired consistency stir in the tomato paste.  It took a couple of hours for the sauce to get nice and thick. This would probably vary, depending on the type of tomato used, and the consistency desired.

I think that this would freeze well, although I haven't tried it.

It was my plan to let the sauce cool and then run it through the blender, (a food mill would work too), as hubby does not like lumps in his food.  Surprisingly, he told me not to bother.  He even had two helpings.

Easy Mexican Lasagna

The chicken filling for this recipe is made in a crockpot, but the dish is finished in the oven.

Ingredients for chicken filling:
1 to 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast, (frozen is okay)
1 cup salsa
I can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can corn, drained
1/4 cup water
I medium onion, chopped
1 chicken bouillon cube, crushed
1 tsp dried minced garlic
2-4 tsp chilli powder, or even more, depending on how much heat you like)
1-2 tsp cumin
1 tsp smoked paprika
Black pepper to taste

Other ingredients:
flour tortillas ( any size will work, you will just need more if you choose a small size)
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese (or substitute cheese if your choice)

Combine all filling ingredients in crockpot.  For frozen breasts, cook 5 to 6 hours on high, or until you can easily shred the chicken.  (It will require less time for thawed chicken.). If the mixture seems too wet, keep heating on high for another 30 minutes or so.  Reduce crockpot to low and keep filling warm until ready to assemble casserole.

To complete dish:
Spray 9x13 pan with cooking spray. Line with a layer of flower tortillas, ripping them as needed, to fit. It's not neccesary to have every single inch of the bottom covered.  Cover tortillas with half of the chicken mixture and sprinkle with one cup of cheese.  Repeat tortilla and chicken layers once more.    Cover with another layer of tortillas and sprinkle with remaining cheese.  Cover pan tightly with aluminum foil and bake at 350 for 20 minutes.

Let sit for a minute or two and cut into squares to serve.  Garnish with sour cream, lettuce and diced tomatoes.  Serves 6 to 8.

What we are eating this week.

Yesterday I tried this recipe for a pork loin roast.
Tangy Slow Cooker Pork Roast
It had quite a number of very positive reviews, so I was hopeful for a nice tender roast. My pork roasts are usually dry, whether I put them in the oven or the crockpot.  Even an instant read meat thermometer hasn't improved this.  This meat was okay, but not great, and still pretty dry, even though I left the fat on top.  Also, I really felt that the rather bland, not especially tangy sauce needed some help. I ended up whisking in 3 or 4 tablespoons of brown gravy mix, not enough to make it very thick, but enough to add a bit of a salty taste to the rather lack-luster sweet and sour taste that was going on.  This also added a bit of visual appeal, as the sauce was a really unappealing watery looking liquid. My crockpot was set on warm at this point.  I turned the crockpot up to high and let it cook for close to another hour.  Meanwhile I sliced the roast and put the slices into the gravy to stay hot, and maybe get a bit moister.  The end result was passable.  We will eat it, but I won't make this particular recipe again.  Guess I will keep looking for a good recipe,
Anyhow, now I have all this roast pork to use up.

Today, however, it will be burgers on the grill, along with baked onion rings and carrot sticks and cucumber slices. (It's sunny and relatively warm for a change!)
Thursday: pulled pork on buns, corn chips, salad, maybe baked beans
Friday:  leftover pork with gravy, mashed potatoes, green beans
Saturday:  we are going to finish demolishing the kitchen in preparation for installation of new cabinets next week, so we are going out for dinner
Sunday: ham, hash brown potato casserole, (both in crockpots, since stove will be out of commission), rolls, corn and applesauce

The beginning of next week will be microwave, or toaster oven stuff, as I'm not sure how long the kitchen will be out of commission.  Our youngest daughter came over for a day a few weeks ago, and we made a bunch of freezer meals, most of which can be microwaved or baked.

Zero Point Vegetable Soup

I'm always on the lookout for low point weight watchers recipes.  I found a zero point vegetable soup recipe and it inspired me to create my own, using what I had on hand. This is easy, filling and zero points plus. Crockpot Vegetable soup I used a crockpot but this would be easy to adapt to stovetop. Amounts are approximate, I just chopped veggies and tossed them in. 1 package dry onion soup mix 8 cups water 1 1/2 cups canned crushed or diced tomatoes (I used leftovers, but I think a 14 oz can would work.) 3 or 4 beef or vegetable bouillon cubes 1 cup salsa (mostly because I was trying to clean stuff out of refrigerator, I used medium but both dh and I found the soup a bit too zippy, I'd use mild next time) 1 each: medium onion, large carrot, large celery rib, chopped 1 each: medium zucchini, and summer squash, quartered and sliced 2 to 3 cups chopped green cabbage (half a small head) 1 small fresh tomato, diced Combine all ingredients in crockpot. Season with your choice of herbs and spices. (I used basil, garlic, parsley, and lovage because that's what's growing outside my back door.). Cook on high for 4 or 5 hours or until veggies are cooked to your desired texture. It should at least come to a slight boil to really develop the flavor. I had planned to throw in some cooked spaghetti squash from the freezer for the last little while, but I forgot.

Creamy Potato Soup

As I was rummaging in the refrigerator for dinner ideas yesterday, I came upon the whipping cream that I had used in a recipe earlier in the week.  I decided that it would need to be used up, and that decision resulted in this soup.  I made this in a 2 quart crockpot, but it could easily be done on the stovetop, or increased for a larger crockpot.

Creamy Crockpot Potato Soup

3 cups water
4 chicken bouillon cube
2 large russet potatoes, peeled and cut into half inch cubes
1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
1 medium onion, peeled and diced
1 clove crushed garlic (this would be about 1/3 teaspoon if using dried minced garlic)
1/2 cup whipping cream (milk can be substituted)
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup (approximately) dry instant mashed potato flakes ( adjust amount used to get soup to desired thickness)
Fresh parsley, chopped ( dry will work as well)
5 to 6 ounces Diced leftover ham, or chopped smoked sausage (optional)
Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Combine water, bouillon cubes, potatoes, carrots, onions and garlic in the crock of a 2 quart slow cooker.  Cook on high for 3 to 4 hours, or until vegetables are tender.  Stir in cream, milk, potato flakes, parsley and meat if using.  Cook on low for another hour or so, until soup is warmed thoroughly and somewhat thick.  Makes 4 servings.

I think that some finely chopped green pepper would be good in this soup, but I cook for a picky eater, so I did not try it.  I contemplated adding cheese to this too, but I decided that using whipping cream in the soup had probably added enough fat to the pot already.  If I had used all milk, I might have added some cheese.

Crockpot Pork Tenderloin

Last week, I was lucky enough to get pork tenderloin for $1.99 a pound.  I've always thought that slow-cooking is not really the best way to make pork tenderloin, but I've changed my mind after trying this recipe.  This turned out moist and delicious and not anywhere near as sweet as I was afraid it might be.  I started with this recipe from  All recipes.  I did not have all the ingredients, so I had to make a few minor changes.  Also spicy food does not agree with me, so even if I had the fresh red chile peppers, I would have left them out!

Crockpot Pork Tenderloin
Approximately 8 servings

2 (about 1 pound each) pork tenderloins, Doubt that it really matters how much meat you use.
splash of olive oil (for browning if you choose to do that)
1/2 cup teriyaki sauce (I used Sweet Baby Rays)
1 cup water
1 chicken bouillon cube, crushed
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1 tsp dried minced garlic
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 large onion, sliced in thick slices (so that Miss Picky could easily fish the onion pieces out)
freshly ground black pepper (optional)

Brown pork tenderloins in oil, in a heavy skillet over medium heat.  (I suspect that you could leave out this step if you wanted.)  I browned mine and then spent 5 minuted cleaning oil spatters up!
Combine teriyaki sauce, water, chicken bouillon cube, brown sugar, garlic and red pepper flakes in crockpot and whisk to combine.  Toss in sliced onion.  Add tenderloins to crockpot and turn to cover with sauce.  Grind a bit of fresh black pepper over top of the meat if you want.  (I did and did not find the meat too peppery.)
Cook on high for 4 hours, spooning sauce over tenderloins a few times during the cooking period. 

Be aware that this meat was so tender that it did not slice cleanly so the presentation was not as nice as you would expect from pork tenderloin.   I spooned the sauce over the meat to serve.

I think this would probably make good pulled pork sandwiches as well.

Recipe: Black bean and Corn Chili

Black bean and Corn Chili

Ingredients:
1 pound lean ground beef, browned, and drained
I medium onion, chopped and browned with the beef  ( optional, I omit this, since  I have an onion hater here, but I definitely think that an onion would improve the dish)
I can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
I can (15 oz) corn, drained
1 1/2 cups salsa
2 cups water
2 chicken boullion cubes
(or substitute 2 cups of chicken broth for the water and boullion)
1 package chili seasoning mix
1 Tsp.  brown sugar
1/4 tsp dried minced garlic

Method:
Combine all ingredients in a crockpot.  ( I use a small 2 quart pot for this so I don't know how it would work in a larger pot)  Cook on low for 4 to 6 hours.  It won't hurt it to cook longer.
If your crockpot is a newer one,I'd cook it for less time, since the newer ones seem to cook at higher temperatures than my old one.

This makes 5 or 6 servings and could easily be doubled.

The heat of the dish can be adjusted by the type of salsa used, (hot medium, or mild), and can also be kicked up by adding some chili powder.  This is more of a soup-like chili, rather than a thicker chili like a tomato based one would be. 

This dish reheats well, but I've never tried freezing it.

This recipe was improvised from one my sister in law, Laurie, shared with me. The original recipe called for  beef stew cubes, and instead of the chili mix, a variety of spices were used.

Crockpot Spaghetti Sauce

I've decided to share one of my lazy day recipes today. I don't like to cook much, but I do like to eat well, so over the years I've collected a number of easy but tasty recipes. This is one I made up myself, and its been very well received. This makes quite a lot of sauce and freezes well. It can easily be doubled if your crockpot is big enough. I serve it over whole grain pasta, with a big salad.

Here's what you need:

1 pound Italian sausage
1 medium to large onion, chopped
small amount of olive oil
2 29 oz cans of crushed or diced tomatoes (I prefer crushed or a can of each)
1 29 oz can of tomato sauce
1 6 oz can of tomato paste
2 bay leaves
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 and 1/2 tsp dried minced garlic (or 2 to 3 times that much fresh garlic)
1 and 1/2 tsp each of dried basil, oregano and salt
3/4 tsp dried thyme

Brown sausage and onion in hot olive oil until sausage is browned and onion is soft. Drain well and add to crockpot. Stir in all other ingredients. Cover and cook on low setting for 6 to 7 hours. Discard bay leaves before serving.

Variations and Notes:

I add a 1/2 tsp of dried fennel seeds if I have them, but not everyone likes the pronounced licorice taste of it, so I only add it if it's just my family.

If you want a blander sauce you could use ground beef or turkey instead of Italian sausage, and maybe cut back a bit ont he herbs and other seasonings. If you like your food quite spicy, add some dried crushed red pepper flakes, (up to one tsp). It's been my experience that a little crushed red pepper goes a long ways!

If you want to use fresh herbs, you will need two to three times the amount of dried herbs. You can use two 15 oz cans of tomato product in place of each 29 oz can.
I've never tried this next one, but I would think that 2 or three tsp of commercial Italian seasoning could substitute for the oregano, basil and thyme.

I sometimes add a shredded carrot or some shredded zucchini to the sauce to give my family a few more veggies in their diets. Mushrooms and green peppers, (I'd cook the green pepper with the onions and sausage), would also be good, but the picky eaters around here won't eat them.