Chili

Hope the rain didn't get anyone down today, it's almost Friday. Tonight I made chili, this is the chili my mom has been making me since I was little and have always loved. She kind of gave me the recipe, she told me everything that was in it and when I asked her how much she told me to eyeball it, this only works if you're not baking FYI. I paired my chili with my favorite...grilled cheese!

Chili

• 2lbs Ground beef 
• 2 Cans kidney beans
• 1 Can stewed tomatoes (homemade is the best)
• 1 Can tomato sauce 
• 1 Can tomato paste 
• 1 Tbs onion
• 1/2 Cup chili powder 
• 1 Tbs garlic powder 
• 2 Tbs sugar 
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Brown the ground beef before putting in the slow cooker. I did not freeze this meal because of all of the juice. I do not drain any of my beans for this recipe. Cook on low for 8 hours. 

This meal is a wonderful addition to a a dreary and even a cold day. The soup had a mild kick to it and full of flavor. My great-grandmother turns 90 on Thursday and we are going to celebrate tomorrow, Pressure cooker meals start Thursday. The first meal will be Beer Braised Chicken, see you Thursday!

Caramel Dutch Baby

I was going to start a Sweets Sunday but was feeling a bit under the weather yesterday. So no time like the present, tonight I made a caramel dutch baby. Most of these ingredients you should already have in your kitchen so it is a really tasty quick dessert.

Caramel Dutch Baby

• 2 Eggs 
• 1/2 Cup Flour
• 1/2 Cup milk
• 3 Tbs caramel
• 1 Tbs melted Butter 
• 1 Tsp vanilla 
• 1/2 Tsp salt

Heat up a 12 inch skillet (I used my cast iron skillet) in the oven at 400 degrees for 10 minutes. While heating the skillet put all the ingredients from above into the blender and blend until completely mixed. When removing the skillet ad 2 tablespoons butter to the skillet and let melt - this helps the dessert not stick to the skillet. Pour the ingredients into the skilled and bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven drizzle over some more caramel and serve. Or if your like us, add whipped cream and serve!

This dessert was light and fluffy. It reminded me of a hot donut! Just the right amount of sweetness. This would be great with all kinds of toppings. Fresh berries, chocolate, powered sugar, and honey would all be great for this dessert. Jake told me that he could eat this all night, but he is a sweets addict! See you next time!

Shredded BBQ Chicken

Happy Monday! I hope that everyone's Monday was fairly quick. Today I have made for you shredded BBQ chicken. I made this dish with whole chicken breasts and shredded it after it was cooked. I put the shredded chicken in a hamburger bun and made it a sandwich with some coleslaw and tater tots. I also made a sauce that I like to dip EVERYTHING in, it's only ketchup and mayonnaise - Jake calls it fancy sauce. Also I only used 1 pound of chicken because I only cook for 2, please feel free to make more than 1 pound.

Shredded BBQ Chicken

• 1lb Boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 Cup ketchup
• 2 Tbs worcestershire 
• 1 Tbs and 1 tsp brown sugar 
• 1 Tbs chili powder 
• 1.5 Tsp hot sauce 

Combine all ingredients above into a freezer bag. Take out the night before serving. Cook on low for 8 hours. 

This meal had a blast of flavor! I would make the BBQ sauce for this for other dishes too. The chicken was super juicy because it was slow cooked to perfection. Tomorrow we will be having our last slow cooker meal of the month Chili! Thursday starts pressure cooker month! See everyone tomorrow. 

Chicken and Dumpling Soup

Hello everyone! I hope everyone is having a nice lazy weekend like I am. Sorry about dinner last night, the cowboy casserole did not cook all the way through and the hash browns disintegrated in the slow cooker. We ended up a Chik-fil-a. So anyways tonight I made chicken and dumpling soup which was a good meal for a rainy day like today. This recipe was easy and care-free with little clean up.

Chicken and Dumpling Soup

• 1lb Boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 2 Cans cream of chicken 
• 1 Cup water 
• 1 Onion, diced 
• 1/2 Cup shredded carrots 
• 4 Tbs butter 
• 1/2 Tsp pepper 
• 1 Tbs rosemary 
• 1 Cup milk
• 16oz Biscuits 

To freeze this combine all but the biscuits and place in freezer bag. Remove from freezer the night before. Cook on high for 5 hours, at 5 hours shred the chicken breasts and place back into slow cooker. Cut each biscuit into 4 pieces and put back into slow cooker for another hour on high. Serve and enjoy!

Added cut biscuits 

Done!

Ready to serve!

This soup had a ton of flavor and was the perfect beginning to a fall season. The carrots added color and the chicken was tender. See everyone on Monday only a few days left of the slow cooker recipes. Next month is pressure cooker meals!

Sausage with Onions and Peppers

So some nights you make things that don't really sound appealing to you but you make it because someone in the house enjoys it. Tonight was that night for me. I love sausage but onions, peppers, and tomatoes are a no go for me. I know I probably shouldn't say this but I'm only being honest. I'm a picky eater and always have been.This meal would be great served over rice or even carnival-style on a toasted sub roll with creamy, gooey cheese on top. I offered both of these ways to Jake tonight who turned them both down because he was so excited about the meal.

Sausage with Onions and Peppers 

• 16oz Kielbasa
• 1 Onion sliced 
• 3 Bell peppers sliced 
• 2 Cans of diced tomatoes - do not drain 
• 1 Chicken bouillon cube
• 2 Cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 Tsp Cajun seasoning

Add all to your freezer bag. Remove the night before and cook on low for 6 hours. 

I told Jake that he had to describe the meal tonight and this is what he tells me. There were sweet crunchy peppers and savory sausage that was cooked perfectly. We will see everyone again tomorrow night for Cowboy Casserole. 

Beef Tips and Gravy

Making this dish made me smile a little. My great granny always ordered beef tips when we went out to eat and to be quite honest this is not my favorite meal. I cook a lot of things that Jake likes because that's what I do, but I ended up really and truly enjoying this. I served this with some fluffy white rice and some squash as a side. I'm a big juice/gravy person and this was perfect with rice and maybe even some homemade mashed potatoes!

Beef Tips and Gravy 

• 1.5 Lb cubed beef
• 1 Packet of dry onion soup mix
• 1 Can cream of mushroom 
• 14 Oz. beef broth 
• Salt and pepper to taste 

Combine all into a freezer bag and remove from freezer the night before cooking. Cook on low for 8 hours. 

I' m all for tender meat and this beef literally fell to pieces. The gravy had a ton of flavor and was a bit creamy but also complemented the white rice perfectly. Jake has been all quoted out for the week. I will not be here tomorrow because he's taking me to dinner. I will see everyone on Thursday for sausage and peppers! See you then!

Chicken Tacos

I hope everyone had a great weekend, I know that I sure did!!! Today I made chicken tacos. Along with the tacos I added a can of drained corn to complement the chicken, I would have added black beans too but being as they're my favorite I never have any when I go for them. I also added mexican cheese, sour cream, tomatoes, and salsa. Lettuce would have been a great touch also however I can keep that too long either it always goes bad. I only go to the grocery store once a month so I did not have lettuce. I have also made this meal two ways for you tonight, in a soft taco shell and also on scoop tortilla chips.

Chicken Tacos

• 2 Lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 2 Bell peppers 
• 1 Onion sliced 
• 2 Cloves of garlic minced 
• 1 Tbs honey
• 1 Tbs apple cider vinegar 
• 1 Tbs chili powder 
• 2 Tsp cumin
• 1 Tsp paprika
• 1/4 Tsp red pepper flakes 

Combine all into a freezer bag. Take out of the freezer the night before and cook on low for 6 hours. Shred the chicken and serve. 

Chicken Tacos

Chicken Taco Chips

The chicken was very juicy and super flavorful. The corn was not in the recipe itself but it added a texture of crunch and the tomatoes added a fresh feel for the meal. In all a success. Jake's QOTD was a thumbs up - he doesn't like that I add a quote of the day. For tomorrow we will be having beef tips, see you then!

Cream Cheese Chicken Soup

Good Evening Everyone! Today I made cream cheese chicken chili, it may have been a little warm for soup but I suppose it's only hot if you eat it outside! Cooking meals in the slow cooker are especially nice when you are busy day after day. Not a lot of mess and not a lot of time. One of the ideas is that after cooking these meals there are usually left overs and on a busy weekend left overs are ideal when you're in a rush. I portion left overs into microwavable containers that are easy to grab a portion at a time. Today's meal would be great heated up with some crackers to go!

Cream Cheese Chicken Chili

• 2 Chicken breasts
• 1 Can diced tomatoes
• 1 Can corn
• 1 Can black beans drained and rinsed
• 1 Package of ranch dressing mix
• 1 Tbs Cumin
• 1 Tsp Chili powder
• 1 Tsp onion powder
• 8 Oz cream cheese

To freeze this meal put all except for the cream cheese in the freezer bag. Take out the night before and put into the crock pot along with the cream cheese for 8 hours on low. Shred the chicken breasts after cooking and enjoy with crackers or a nice gooey grilled cheese sandwich. 

The soup was creamy, chicken was savory, and the corn and black beans had just the right amount of crispness (is that even a word?) Would probably benefit from a little hot sauce. Jake's QOTD "it was a mans chili". Tomorrow we will be going out to eat for an early birthday meal but I will see you again on Monday. Hope everyone has a wonderful and safe weekend!!

Beef Stroganoff

Today was more of a success than yesterday, the meal actually got cooked! I added egg noodles to this recipe that I cooked according to the package when I got home this evening.

Beef Stroganoff

• 2 lbs Stew meat
• 2 Onions chunked 
• 2 Tbs garlic powder
• 1 Tbs onion powder 
• 1/4 tsp Salt 
• 1/2 tsp Pepper 
• 8 oz Mushrooms (I used canned and trained the liquid off before putting in)
• 2 Tbs Worcestershire 
• 1 Can beef broth
• 1 Can cream of mushroom soup
• 1 Cup sour cream

To freeze add all of the above to a freezer bag. Take meal out the night before and cook low for 8 hours. 

I'm a liquid, juice, gravy, sauce person so this was just right for me. Jake's QOTD, "it was stroganoffy". Tomorrow we will be having cream cheese chicken chili! 

Disaster...

Good evening! Well I have no recipe for you tonight. The Hawaiian pork chops will be done over next month. The slow cooker got turned off last night on accident and it never turned on today. I could have cooked them in a frying pan however I didn't want to take any chances on raw meat. Sorry for the disappointment. Tomorrow is Beef Stroganoff, see you tomorrow!

Meatball Veggie Stew

I hope everyone had a wonderful Tuesday! The weather has been wonderful this week. I originally called this a soup but after cooking this today in my slow cooker it was more of a stew than a soup. The one thing that I would have definitely changed was the way I cut the carrots. I cut them in larger chunks and they were still a bit hard for my liking. (Jake still ate them). I made grilled cheese sandwiches along side the soup.

Meatball Veggie Stew 

• 1 Lb meatballs (I just bought a bag out of the freezer section in the grocery store)
• 24 oz Pasta sauce 
• 4 Cups chicken broth 
• 3 Cans of green beans
• 2 Zucchini chopped
• 1 Lb carrots peeled and chopped
• 1 onion diced

To freeze combine all into a freezer bag. Take meal out the night before you cook it and cook it on low for 8 hours in the slow cooker. 

Meal in slow cooker 

Meatball Veggie Soup with Grilled Cheese

The meatballs soaked up a lot of the broth and made the meatballs super juice. The veggies had just the right amount of crunch to add texture to the stew. It was a delicious filler that would be perfect for a cold day. (Jake's QOTD). Tomorrow night will be Hawaiian Pork Chops!

Chicken Philly Cheesesteak

Hey everyone! I hope everyone's weekend was wonderful! I was supposed to post Saturday about the roast with carrots. The power went out at the house for a while and the meat stopped cooking for a couple of hours and then at 7:30pm the meat still was not cooked and we ended up getting food out. I felt like the meat was tough and did not eat it so i'm not going to post that one until I know for sure it works.

Today I made Chicken Philly Cheesesteak,

• 2 Lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into strips
• 1 Onion sliced
• 3 Bell peppers cut into strips
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1 Clove of garlic minced
• 1 Cup chicken broth
• 3 Tbsp corn starch
• Cheese of choice (I used white american, you can use provolone or whatever kind you prefer)
• Sub rolls 

To freeze this meal, mix the cornstarch into the broth and combine all except cheese and bread.

Cook this meal on low for 6-8 hours.

Meal in slow cooker 

Chicken Philly Cheesesteak

Every night I ask Jake to tell me what he thought about the food and every night is the same response, "it was good." The peppers and onions were soft and the chicken was juicy. I like using white american cheese because I feel like it's creamy, I think this sandwich would have been ever better with maybe even a pepper-jack cheese. I also add a little mayonnaise to the bread before I put the chicken on because who doesn't love mayonnaise? I used a slotted spoon to put the chicken on the bread because there was broth in the slow cooker. I place a slice of cheese on top and I cut my oven on 350 degrees. After the oven preheated I place the subs on a pan and put them in the oven for about 5 minutes just to melt the cheese and crisp the bread a little. All in all another meal with no hassle and easy clean up! I hope to see you all tomorrow for meatball soup!

Cilantro Lime Chicken

So after my horrible morning and rainy dreary day, I came home to a wonderful aroma. I told y'all that last night was my favorite dinner so far but that was until I had this cilantro lime chicken. I love Mexican inspired dishes and tonight was not a let down! I did make white rice when I got home to go with the chicken and veggies in the slow cooker. I also topped this dish with some Mexican cheese and sour cream.

Cilantro Lime Chicken 

• 1.5 lbs Boneless, skinless chicken
• 1/2 Onion diced
• 1 Bell pepper diced
• 1 Can black beans drained and rinsed
• 1 Can corn drained
• 1 Can Rotel (I used mild, but use what you prefer)
• 1 Jalapeno sliced
• Juice of 2 limes
• 3 Cloves of garlic minced
• 1 Cup cilantro
• 2 Tsp Cumin

When freezing this meal put all of the above in a freezer bag. Take out the night before cooking and cook on low for 8 hours.

Meal in slow cooker 

Cilantro Lime Chicken with rice, cheese, and sour cream

Chicken fell apart on its own, it was very tender, the veggies were tender and very flavorful along with the lime juice and cilantro it all made for perfect pairings. See everyone on Saturday for Roast and carrots!

Cheesy Sausage and Potatoes

Hey everyone! Sorry it's so late! Today I made cheesy sausage and potatoes and boy was it good! I would just like to thank everyone that's been supporting and viewing my blog, it really means a lot to have so much love!

Cheesy Sausage and Potatoes

• 1 Bag of frozen mixed veggies
• 3 Potatoes diced
• 2 Packages polish sausage
• 1 Can cheddar cheese soup
• 1 Can cream of celery
• 1 Cup shredded cheddar
• 1 Cup water 
• Salt and pepper to taste 

Freeze all in a freezer bag and take out the night before cooking. Cook on low for 8 hours. 

Meal in the slow cooker 

Cheesy Sausage and Potatoes 

Tonight's dinner may have been my favorite so far! The sausage popped, the sauce was cheesy and who doesn't love cheese, and the veggies were cooked to perfection. I will definitely be eating this for lunch tomorrow!!! See you all tomorrow for Cilantro Lime Chicken!

BBQ Chicken Cornbread Casserole

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday weekend! I know I did. Today I made a freezer slow cooker meal that required a little more prep work than my others did. I was home today cleaning carpets so I was able to tend to this meal.

BBQ Chicken Cornbread 

• 1 lb Boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 Bell pepper diced
• 1 Onion diced
• 1 Cup BBQ sauce (any kind that you like, I used the BBQ sauce I make)
• 1/4 lb Sharp cheddar cheese shredded
• 1 Box Jiffy corn mix (plus ingredients to make corn mix 1/3 cup milk and 1 egg)

To make this a freezer meal add all ingredients except for the jiffy mix (and the ingredients needed to make jiffy mix). Cook on low for 4 hours, After 4 hours remove the chicken and shred with fork. Put the sauce plus the chicken into a casserole dish. In a separate bowl mix together the jiffy mix with the 1/3 cup milk and 1 egg. Add the jiffy mix to the top of the casserole, it does not have to be pretty because the jiffy mix will rise. Bake this on 350 degrees for 40 minutes. 

Slow cooker meal

Shredded chicken and sauce from slow cooker

Jiffy mix added to the top

After the jiffy mix was baked 

BBQ Chicken Cornbread Casserole

The peppers in this were zesty, chicken was juicy, BBQ sauce was tangy, and the cornbread was sweet. Yet another successful meal...even had to fight Jake off to save some for lunch this week! We will be eating left overs tomorrow so I will see you all on Wednesday for Cheesy Sausage and Potatoes!

Beef and Broccoli

Today in the slow cooker I made beef and broccoli. I also made some rice just to complement as a starch and also because it's Jake's favorite. This meal turned out to be very filling and the broth just a tad bit sweet.

Beef and Broccoli

• 2 lbs Beef cubed
• 1 Can beef consomme
• 1/2 Cup brown sugar
• 3 Cloves minced garlic
• 1/4 Cup soy sauce
• 1 Bag of frozen broccoli
• Salt and Pepper  

Put all of the above in a freezer bag and take out the night before. Cook on low for 8 hours.

Meal in the slow cooker

Beef and Broccoli

The beef melts in your mouth, the broccoli absorbed all the flavor of the broth. You could have even thickened the broth and made a quick gravy. All in all another successful and easy freezer meal with minimal cleanup. I will be back with another freezer meal next week! Have a fun and safe Labor Day weekend!

Chicken Spaghetti

Walking into the house this evening was wonderful, the smell that is. I made the spaghetti sauce in the slow cooker and when I came home I made the actual spaghetti noodles.

Spaghetti sauce in the freezer bag

Chicken Spaghetti 

• 1.5 lbs Boneless skinless chicken breast
• 1 Bell pepper chopped
• 1 Onion chopped
• 2 lb Brick of velveeta cheese cubed
• 1.5 Cups sour cream
• 1 Can cream of chicken soup
• 1 Can cream of celery
• 1 Can Rotel (I used mild, feel free to use what you prefer)
• 1/2 Cup milk
• 2 Cloves of minced garlic
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• 1 lb angel hair (or whatever you prefer)

Combine all but pasta in the freezer bag and take out of freezer the night before you want to cook it. Cook spaghetti sauce on low for 8 hours. Cook pasta to the instructions on the box and mix in after cooked into the sauce and serve!

Spaghetti Sauce

Chicken Spaghetti

Finished Product

This recipe was super creamy and rich. Chicken was tender and I was able pull it apart with my fork (I put the chicken breasts in whole but you can cut them into chunks if you prefer.) I will be having this for left overs and for lunch tomorrow! It is a must repeat!!

Creamy Ranch Pork Chop and Potatoes

Today went more as planned. I finally figured out how to use the timer for the slow cooker. I did forget to take a picture of the freezer bag today. One tip for this meal is after you put it all in the bag ensure the potatoes are all covered with the liquid or they will turn brown.

Creamy Ranch Pork Chops and Potatoes

• 1.5lbs Boneless pork chops
• 8 Potatoes chopped
• 2 Cans of cream of chicken soup
• 1 Cup of milk
• 2 Packages of ranch mix
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients into a freezer bag and take out the night before cooking. Cook on low for 8 hours. 

Freezer meal in the slow cooker

Pork chops and potatoes

The pork chops were very tender and the sauce was creamy. This meal was all that I thought it would be!

Tomorrow is Chicken Spaghetti!

Lemon Pepper Chicken

My first frozen slow cooker meal was a success but it did have its downfall. I woke up to an empty slow cooker on and hot (I apparently couldn't use the timer correctly). It was fixed this morning before I left for work in hopes that it would work properly, thank goodness it did or I'd have a hungry boyfriend!

Meal in freezer bag

Lemon Pepper Chicken

• 1.5 lbs. Boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 2 Cans of green beans (undrained)
• 5 Carrots peeled and chunked
• 4 Tablespoons of butter 
• 2 Cups of water 
• 2 Lemons sliced
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 Tablespoon pepper (or to taste)
• 1 Teaspoon salt (or to taste)
• 1.5 Cups rice (I cooked this after I got home from work)

Combine all ingredients except for the rice in your freezer bag and freeze. The night before you're ready to cook this meal take it out and put it in the refrigerator. Dump the ingredients from the bag into the slow cooker and cook on low for 8 hours. 

Slow Cooker 

Finished Meal

The chicken was pull apart tender and juicy and a knife was not even needed. The vegetables were tender and cooked thoroughly. I did however use 3 sliced lemons in this recipe and the lemon flavor was a tad bit overpowering so I cut the lemons back to 2 for the recipe for you to follow. If you like the lemon flavor go for it, never be scared of flavor! Trial and error is what makes food great and no one will ever be perfect.

Stay tuned for tomorrow - Ranch Pork Chops and Potatoes