Crock Pot Breakfast Casserole

32 ounces frozen hash brown potatoes (1 bag)

1 lb bacon, sausage or ham cooked, crumbled or diced

2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

2 green onions sliced

1 small white onion finely diced, or 1/2 cup 

12 eggs

1 cup milk

1 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard powder

1 tsp salt

1 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp black pepper

1. If using bacon or sausage, cook and crumble. Drain fat leaving 1 tablespoon in the pan.

2. If desired, soften the onion in the fat. This is optional but will soften the flavor of the onion

3. Grease a 6 qt slow cooker. Place half of the hash browns, meat, onions, peppers, and cheese in the slow cooker. Repeat layers ending with cheese. Do not stir.

4. Whisk eggs, milk and seasonings in a medium bowl. Pour the egg mixture over the ingredients in the slow cooker.

5. Cook on low for 7-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours. Once cooked, uncover and rest for 15 minutes. 

 

Crock Pot Mac and Cheese

 This slow cooker macaroni and cheese takes less than 10 minutes to get into the Crock Pot and then it’s ready to go!

1. Boil pasta for about 2 minutes less than the package indicates.
2. While pasta is boiling, shred the sharp cheddar cheese.
3. Put all of the ingredients into the slow cooker and cook per the recipe below.

Tips for Perfection

• Pasta – Do not overcook the pasta, it should be very firm after boiling. Rinsing the pasta stops it from cooking.
• Cheese – Shred the cheese from a block, pre-shredded cheeses do not work as well.
• Cooking time – Check the pasta early, slow cookers can vary.
• Double the recipe – A single batch of this slow-cooker mac is cooked in a 4qt slow cooker. To double this recipe, cook in a 6QT crockpot.  Cook on high for 2 1/2 hours, stirring after 1 hour and 2 hours.  (When stirring, try to do it as quickly as possible to keep the heat inside).
• Make ahead –  To prepare this ahead of time, mix all of the ingredients except the pasta. The pasta can be cooked ahead, rinsed, and cooled. Combine the pasta and sauce ingredients in the crock pot just before cooking.
• Baking in the oven –  If you prefer or if you are short on time, you can bake this in the oven (and I have many many times!) Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake 30 minutes covered and 30 minutes uncovered.

Credit: https://www.spendwithpennies.com/ultra-cream-mac-n-cheese-in-the-slow-cooker/

Baked Apples

 

Recipe Ingredients

• Apples (about four Granny Smith apples fit comfortably into my slow cooker).
• Dried cranberries (or raisins, or leave these out entirely).
• Brown sugar 
• Butter (or margarine)
• Cinnamon and allspice (you can leave the allspice out if you like but I love how it enhances the cinnamon. Also, if you are a nutmeg lover you can add that as well. I’ve never been a nutmeg fan so I avoid it).
• You can also add pecans, walnuts, oats, or anything else you come up with! 

1. Place your brown sugar, dried cranberries or raisins, and cinnamon and allspice (or whatever spices you are using) in a small bowl and stir them up really well.
2. Now place the cored apples in the bottom of your slow cooker and use a spoon to fill each apple with your sugar mixture.
3. Top each one with a pat of butter. 

4. Add in 1/2 cup of water and cover with lid. Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or on high for 3 to 4 hours for large apples. I used five small to medium apples, so I cooked mine on high for 2.5 hours, or until tender.

5. I recommend checking them after 3 to 4 hours on low and after 1 hour on high.

Credit: https://www.southernplate.com/crock-pot-baked-apples/

Spinach and Ricotta Stuffed Shells

18 uncooked jumbo pasta shells (about half of a 12 ounce package)
1 package (15 ounces) ricotta cheese
7 ounces frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1/2cup granted Parmesan cheese
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 jar (24 to 26 ounces) marinara sauce
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded mozzarella
1 teaspoon olive oil

1. Cook pasta shells according to package directions until almost tender. Drain well. Combine ricotta cheese, spinach, Parmesan cheese, egg, garlic and salt in medium bowl.
2. Pour 1/4 cup marinara sauce in bottom of slow cooker. Spoon 2-3 tablespoons ricotta mixture into 1 pasta shell and place in bottom of crock pot. Repeat with enough additional shells to cover bottom of crock pot. Top with another 1/4 cup marinara sauce. Repeat with remaining pasta shells, ricotta mixture and marinara sauce. Top with mozzarella cheese. Drizzle with oil. Cover, cook on high 3-4 hours or until mozzarella cheese is melted and sauce is heated through.

Simple Beef Chili

3 pounds ground beef
1 can (14 ounce) unsalted diced tomatoes
2 cans black beans, rinsed
2 cups chopped onions
1 package (10 ounces) frozen corn
1 chopped green pepper
1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
1/2 tablespoon chili powder
4-6 garlic cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1. ook most of the meat and leave a small part for last.
2.With the last uncooked part add 3 tsp chili powder. Add 4-6 garlic cloves minced.
3. Add cumin, oregano, tomatoes, beans, onions, corn, bell pepper, and tomato sauce to slow cooker. Stir, cover, cook on low 4 hours.
4. Serve with shredded cheese and sour cream.

Slow-Cooker Parmesan-Herb Pork Loin with Chunky Tomato Sauce

2 1/2 cups chopped yellow onion

1 cup chopped carrots

1 3/4 cups chopped fresh fennel

6 garlic cloves, chopped

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup red wine

1 (28-oz.) can whole tomatoes

1 (14.5-oz.) can crushed tomatoes

1/4 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth

3 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided

1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper, divided

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary

1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano

1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 (2-lb.) boneless pork loin roast

Hot cooked pasta

1. Sauté onion and next 3 ingredients in hot oil in a large skillet over medium heat 5 minutes or until tender. Increase heat to high, and stir in wine. Bring to a boil, and boil, stirring occasionally, 2 to 3 minutes or until reduced by half.

2. Add whole tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, and chicken broth, and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally and breaking up tomatoes with spoon. Stir in 1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt and 1/2 tsp. pepper, and transfer to a 6-qt. slow cooker.

3. Stir together Parmesan cheese, next 3 ingredients, and remaining salt and pepper. Rub mixture over all sides of pork roast, pressing to adhere.

4. Place pork roast in slow cooker, and cook on LOW 8 hours. Carefully remove pork from slow cooker, and let stand 5 minutes. Slice pork, and serve with sauce over hot cooked pasta.

Slow Cooker Pork Chops

What You Need

Ingredients
3 to 6 bone-in pork chops (3/4- to 1-inch thick, around 1/2 pound each) — preferably blade, shoulder, or sirloin chops; rib chops are second best

For the brine, optional:1/2 cup kosher salt
8 cups water
Aromatics like bay leaf, whole peppercorns, and other spices

For the slow-cooker dish:Chopped vegetables and fruits, enough to form a layer on the bottom of the slow cooker — like apples, Asian pears, onions, carrots, celery, fennel, potatoes, sauerkraut 
1/4 cup cooking liquid, like broth, cider, hard cider, white wine, or water

Equipment
Shallow dish, if brining
Paper towels
Skillet, if searing your chops
Cooking utensils
6-quart or larger slow cooker

Instructions

1. Brine your pork chops, optional: Brining seasons the meat throughout and provides some insurance against overcooking. Stir together the salt and the water until the salt dissolves. (You can also warm the water in the microwave to make this easier, but wait for the water to cool before continuing.) Place the chops in a shallow dish and pour the brine over them. The chops should be submerged; if not, make additional brine solution. Cover the dish and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes or up to 4 hours.
2. Season with salt and pepper: If you brined your pork chops, rinse them under running water, then pat them dry with paper towels. If you didn't, just remove from their package and pat dry. Either way, season both sides with salt and pepper.
3. Sear your chops, optional: Searing adds good flavor to the overall dish, but if you're in a rush, you can skip this step. If you do sear the meat, you can also quickly sauté the onions or other vegetables going into the dish and then deglaze the pan with the cooking liquid. Add an extra splash of the cooking liquid to the pot to compensate for the liquid that evaporated during deglazing.
4. Add a layer of vegetables to the slow cooker: Scatter the vegetables or fruits you've chosen over the bottom of the slow cooker. They should form a single layer.
5. Layer the chops on top: It's OK to overlap the chops slightly, but don't stack them on top of each other.
6. Pour the cooking liquid over top: Pour the cooking liquid, or the liquid left from deglazing your pan, over the chops. If you sautéed any vegetables, tuck some of them below the chops and scatter the rest on top.
7. Cook for 2 to 6 hours on LOW: At around 2 hours, your pork chops will be cooked through (145°F) and have a texture similar to chicken breast — tender, but firm. Between 3 to 6 hours, the chops will have a texture closer to pulled pork; it will be easy to cut with a fork and will pull easily from the bone. (The first time you make slow cooker pork chops, check the chops every so often to see how they're cooking; after this first batch, you'll know exactly how much cooking time to plan for going forward to make your ideal pork chops.)
8. Serve with the vegetables and cooking liquid: Serve straight from the slow cooker or transfer everything to a serving dish. Spoon the cooking liquid over top of everything.

Recipe Notes

• Leftovers: These are not my favorite chops to reheat and serve the next day; I find that they're just a bit too dry and tough at that point. If you do end up with leftovers, I recommend pulling them into shreds and using them in burritos, tacos, soups, and the like.

Credit to: http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-cook-pork-chops-in-the-slow-cooker-225359

Green beans and Potatoes

1/2 pound applewood-smoked bacon
1/2 large white onion, sliced lengthwise
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups chicken broth
2 pounds fresh green beans, trimmed
2 pounds red potatoes, cut into chunks
salt and pepper to taste

Place bacon in a large Dutch oven and cook over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until evenly browned, about 10 minutes. Remove the bacon slices to a plate lined with paper towels, reserving some of the drippings in the Dutch oven.

Stir onion in reserved drippings; cook and stir until browned, about 10 minutes. Stir garlic into the onion; cook until softened, 1 to 2 minutes. Pour broth into the Dutch oven; add green beans. Chop bacon and add to the Dutch oven.

Bring the broth to a boil, reduce heat to low, and place a cover on the Dutch oven. Simmer the green bean mixture until the beans are tender, about 1 hour. Add potatoes; season with salt and pepper. Continue cooking until the potatoes are tender, about 30 minutes more.

Cider Stew

2 lb Beef Stew Meat,Cubed
2 T Oil
3 T Flour
1/4 t Thyme
1/4 t Black Pepper
4 Carrot,Sliced
3 Potatoes,Chopped
2 Onions,Sliced
1/4 c Celery,Sliced
1 Apple,Chopped
1 T Vinegar
2 c Apple Cider
1/2 c Cold Water
1/4 c Flour

In a skillet brown half the meat at a time in tablespoon of oil. Combine flour, thyme and pepper. Toss with browned meat to coat. Place vegetables in crockpot. Place meat on top. Mix together cider and vinegar. Pour over meat and vegetables. Cook on low 8- 10 hours or on high 5-6 hours. Turn heat to high. Stir cornstarch into water. Add to crockpot. Cook until sauce is thickened, about 15-20 minutes.