Crock-Pot Fajitas

Another recipe from my friend, Deena. 

Crock Pot Fajitas

 1 1/2 lbs flank steak, cut into 6 pieces

1 chopped onion

1 sliced bell pepper

1 seeded and chopped jalapeno

2 minced garlic cloves

1 T fresh chopped cilantro

1 t chili powder

1 t cumin

1 t coriander

1 t salt

1 10 oz can Rotel

 

Place steak in bottom of the crock pot.  Top with other ingredients. 

Cook on LOW for 8-10 hours or on HIGH for 4-5 hours. 

Remove meat and shred with a fork. 

Serve with tortillas, cheese, sour cream and desired toppings. 

Beef Short Ribs

Slow-Cooker Beef Short Ribs

3 lbs. beef short ribs
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
3 cloves fresh garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves, crushed
¼ cup flour
1 can (10 ½ ounces) condensed French onion soup
1 bottle (12 oz.) dark ale or beer

Throw it all in and cook for 8-10 hours on low or 4-5 hours on high. Remove beef from sauce and spoon off fat from sauce.

Served over mashed potatoes or buttered noodles.

Beef Stew

Love this recipe for stew!!!  John clipped it out of his Western Horseman magazine and tacked it on the fridge about a month ago. I made it yesterday and it was delicious!

Beef Stew

2-3 lbs stew meat

28 oz can stewed tomatoes, undrained

1 cup chopped celery

1 cup mushrooms, sliced

4 carrots, sliced

2-3 potatoes, peeled and cubed

1 onion, chopped

3 1/2 Tbsp flour

12 oz jar brown gravy

1/4 tsp thyme

1/4 tsp rosemary

1 bay leaf

frozen peas (about 1/2 of 10 oz package)

frozen corn (about 1/2 of 10 oz package)

frozen green beans (10 oz package)

water or beef broth

salt and pepper to taste

Brown meat (sear) in pan.  Add all ingredients except gravy to Dutch oven or crockpot. Mix thoroughly.  Cover and cook on low heat for about 4 hours (6-8 in crockpot), stirring occasionally and adding water if necessary to desired consistency.  Remove bay leaf, add gravy and simmer for another hour.  Serve with hot cornbread.  Mmmmmmm...

Allison's Chili

Finally, my search for a good chili recipe is over. My friend, Allison, made this for our last camping trip, and it was perfect! It's just your basic chili recipe...very easy and very delicious!

Allison's Chili

2 lbs lean ground beef, cooked and drained
28 oz can tomato sauce
2-16 oz cans diced tomatoes
1 can kidney beans, drained
1 can pinto beans, drained
1 can black beans, drained
1-2 Tbsp chili powder
1/2 to 1 Tbsp cumin
1.5 tsp garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste

Brown beef in skillet. Drain fat. In large stockpot, combine meat, tomato sauce, tomatoes and beans. Add seasoning. Start with smaller amount and adjust as needed. Simmer for an hour or so to let flavors combine. Serve with fritos and grated cheddar cheese.

Crock-Pot Applesauce

This recipe is from Holly and is delicious. It makes your house smell yummy too!

Crock Pot Applesauce

5 granny smith apples
5 gala (or another) red apples
1 cup of water
1 cup of sugar
1 teaspoon of cinnamon

Peel, core and slice apples into about 8 pieces. Add all to the crock pot. Cook on low for 8-10 hours. Use a hand blender (or potato masher) to mash them. Leave a few chunks in it, if you'd like. Enjoy!

**I use whatever kind of apples I have on hand, and it still tastes great.

Crockpot Lasagna

My friend, Allison, made this for us last night...it was delicious!!

Crockpot Lasagna

1 pound ground beef, browned
4-5 cups spaghetti sauce
24 oz. cottage cheese
1 egg
12-13 lasagna noodles, uncooked overlapping
3+ cups mozzarella cheese

1. Combine ground beef and spaghetti sauce. I add a some Italian seasonings to the sauce.

2. Combine egg and cottage cheese.

3. Layer half of the ground beef mixture, the dry noodles, the cottage cheese mixture and the mozzarella cheese in the slow cooker. Repeat layers.

4. Cover. Cook on high 4-5 hours or on low 6 hours.

Chicken Chow Mein

Chicken Chow Mein

3/4 to 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
5-6 ribs celery, sliced
1 med onion, diced
6-8 cups water
1/3 cup soy sauce
2 cans LaChoy bean sprouts
1 bag (or can) LaChoy chow mein noodles
hot, cooked rice

Add water, celery, onion, soy sauce and chicken breasts (whole) to crock pot. Cook on low for 8 hours. Remove chicken and shred. Return chicken to crock pot. Drain bean sprouts and add to crock pot. Cook on low for 30-60 more minutes (or while you cook your rice). Toast chow mein noodles for a few minutes to get warm and crispy. Serve chow mein over rice and top with noodles. Add soy sauce to taste.

I sometimes like to add another can of bean sprouts to our leftovers to "stretch" it futher.

I like to do this in the crock pot, but if I'm pressed for time, I just let the chicken and veggies simmer on the stove for an hour or two.

Shredded-Beef Sandwiches

Shredded Beef Sandwiches

3lb chuck roast
1 large onion, cut in chunks
3 bay leaves
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
8 french rolls, split and toasted (if desired)
lettuce and cheese (optional)

Place meat and onion in slow cooker. Add bay leaves, salt, garlic powder, and cloves. Pour vinegar over meat. Cover and cook on low 11-12 hours or high for 5-6 hours. Remove meat. Discard bay leaves. Using two forks, shred meat, discarding any bones and fat. Strain juices, skim off fat, and reserve. Put shredded meat on rolls with cheese and lettuce. Pour juice over meat if desired. Use remaining juice for dipping.

Pulled-Pork Sandwiches

We're out working in the yard today so we're having pulled-pork sandwiches for dinner. This is a very easy and very delicious meal. I love to make it in the summer because it's a crock-pot recipe, so it doesn't require turning on the oven and heating up the house. I also love to make it for company because it's so simple and feeds a crowd.

Pulled-Pork Sandwiches

1 cup ketchup
1/4 cup brown sugar
4-5 cloves garlic, chopped
3/4 tsp dried sage
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp pepper
3-5 lb boneless pork shoulder
hamburger buns or hoagie rolls
barbeque sauce (Sweet Baby Ray's is our favorite!!!)
coleslaw (optional)

In the crock-pot, mix ketchup, brown sugar, garlic, sage, oregano, salt and pepper. Trim fat from pork and cut in half. Add meat to crock-pot and turn to coat all sides with ketchup mixture. Cover and cook on low until very, very tender. About 8 hours on low; 6 hours on high. Transfer pork to a large bowl. Using two forks, pull meat apart until shredded. Pour juices from crock-pot over pork to moisten. Spoon onto buns or rolls. Add barbeque sauce and/or coleslaw if you're from the South. So delicious.

I love the side dishes that go well with this. Sometimes I make baked beans, or potato salad, or asian coleslaw, or corn-on-the-cob, and sometimes we just have chips and a green salad. Tonight it's baked beans (left over from our bar-b-que last night) and corn-on-the-cob.