Slow Cooker Reuben Brats

 From Taste of Home Sept/Oct 2013

• 10 uncooked bratwurst links
• 3 cans - 12 oz beer
• 1 large sliced sweet onion
• 1 can - 14 oz - sauerkraut, rinsed and drained
• ¾ c mayo
• ¼ c chili sauce
• 2 Tb ketchup
• 1 Tb finely chopped onion
• 2 tsp sweet pickle relish
• 1 minced garlic clove
• ⅛ tsp pepper
• 10 hoagie buns, split
• 10 slices Swiss cheese

Brown brats and drain. In cooker, combine beer, onions, and sauerkraut and top with brats. Cook covered on low 7-9 hours or until sausages are cooked through.

Preheat oven to 350. In a small bowl, mix mayo, chili sauce, ketchup, chopped onion, relish, garlic and pepper until blended. Spread over cut sides of buns; top with cheese, bratwurst and sauerkraut mixture. Place on an undressed baking sheet. Bake 8-10 min or until cheese is melted.

Slow cooker Wings

 From Taste of Home Sept/oct 2013

20 servings - 3 hours

• 20 whole chicken wings (about 4 lbs)
• 1 cup soy sauce
• ¼ c white wine or chicken broth
• ¼ c oil
• 1 Tb sugar
• 2 minced garlic cloves
• 1 tsp ground ginger

Cut chicken wings into three sections and discard tips. Place in large plastic bag. In small bowl, whisk the remaining ingredients until blended. Add to chicken and seal bag and turn to coat. Refrigerate overnight.

Transfer chicken and marinade to 5 qt slow cooker. Cook, covered on low 3-4 hours until chicken is tender.

Mix some mayo with a few quarts of sriracha for dunking.

Convert Slow Cook to IP

1. Make sure there is at least 1 C liquid in the pot.
2. Scale back the recipe - you can't fill the pot all the way full. (Beans or grains, fill no more than 1/2)
3. Ingredients that don't IP well and should be added later - mushroom soup, dairy items, flours, starches, alcohol like wine or beer.
4. Consider adding items in stages; meat first, then open and add veggies, etc.

Crockpot Cakes

From Slow-Cooker Dump Desserts by Jennifer Palmer (To Try)

German Chocolate Cake
15.25 oz box German choc cake mix
8 Tb butter melted
1 c water
3 lg eggs
1 T vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
1 c shredded coconut
1 c choc chips
1/2 c chopped pecans
Spray crockpot or use liner for all these recipes.
Mix cake mix, butter, water, eggs, vanilla, salt in a bowl. Add to slow cooker and sprinkle with coconut, choc chips and pecans. Cook on high for 3 hours.
Black Forest Cake
8 Tb butter, cut up
15.25 oz box choc fudge cake mix
12 oz can Cherry Coke
1/2 c oil
3 lg eggs
21 oz can cherry pie filling
Mix cake mix, Coke, oil, eggs and put in crock. Add pie filling over the batter. Cook on LOW for 2.5 to 3.5 hrs. Allow to cook and serve with whipped cream, cherries, and chocolate.
Choc Fondue
12 oz page milk choc chips
10 oz pkg marshmallows
1/2 c heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla
fruit or marshmallows for dipping
Add choc, marshmallows, cream and vanilla to crock and stir til mixed. Cook LOW for 1 hr and stir, and cook one more hour.
Peach Cobbler
2 cans (15.5 oz) peaches, drained
1/4 c brown sugar
1 cup Bisquick
1/2 c sugar
3/4 c milk
cinnamon (opt)
Add peaches to crock. In a bowl mix br sugar, biscuit mix, sugar, and milk. Pour over peaches. Cover and cook LOW for 3 hours.
Lemon Coconut Cake
15.25 oz box lemon cake mix
1 stick melted butter
1 cup shredded coconut
12 oz jar lemon preserves or lemon marmalade
3 T sugar
Mix cake mix and butter until crumbly and put in crock. Dump coconut and lemon preserves on top and sprinkle sugar over. Cook LOW 3.5 hours.
Lemon Poppy Seed Lava Cake
15.25 oz box yellow cake mix
1.25 c water
1/2 c oil
3 lg eggs
3.4 oz box lemon instant pudding
1 tsp vanilla
2 T poppy seeds
Mix cake mix, water, oil, eggs, pudding mix, and vanilla. Stir in poppy seeds. Put in crock, cook LOW 3.5 hours.
Apple Crisp
6 medium apples (wedged)
1/4 c sugar
3/4 c rolled oats
3/4 c flour
3/4 c dk brown sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg or allspice
1 stick butter, cut up
Toss apples and white sugar in a bowl and add to slow cooker. In a bowl, mix oats, flour, br sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and butter until butter is in small pieces. Sprinkle over apples. Cook HIGH 2.5 hours. Remove the lid after 1.5 hours and cook uncovered for a crisper crust.
Rice Pudding
4 c cooked white rice
3/4 c sugar
3 T melted butter
1 tsp vanilla
Two 12oz cans evaporated milk
Slivered almonds and cinnamon for garnish (opt)
Add to cooker and stir. Cook LOW 2.5 hours.
Pina Colada Scoop Pie
Two 16oz cans crushed pineapple (drain and reserve juice)
1 tsp vanilla
1 c flour
1.5 tsp bp
21 oz coconut milk
1 c shredded coconut
2 T oil
Add pineapple to crock. Mix vanilla, flour, bp, 7 oz of coconut milk, 2/3 c of pineapple juice, 1/2 c coconut, and oil in a bowl, then pour over pineapple in crock. Bring remaining 14 oz of coconut milk to a boil and slowly pour over the batter. Cover and cook LOW for 3 to 4 hours. Garnish with rest of coconut.
Bread Pudding
8 c cubed stale bread
1/2 c raisins (opt)
2 c milk
4 lg eggs
1 c sugar
4 T melted butter
1.5 tsp allspice
1/8 tsp salt
Add bread and raisins to crock. Beat milk, eggs, sugar, butter, spices and pour over bread. Stir to evenly coat. Cook LOW 2.5 hours.

Crockpot Roast Chicken

Perfect Slow Cooker Roast Chicken

byRebecca Maclary

Prep Time:5 minutes

Cook Time:4 hours

Ingredients:

• 1 4-to-6 pound whole chicken
• 1 yellow onion
• 1 head of garlic (optional)
• 1 lemon (an orange will also work)
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 2 teaspoon sea salt
• 2 teaspoon pepper
• 1teaspoon dried thyme
• 8 inches kitchen twine
• 2 tired old carrots, parsnips, or celery

Directions:

1. Quarter your onion and your lemon and halve the head of garlic by cutting in around the middle. Notice how pretty that garlic looks.
2. Combine your salt, pepper and thyme into a cute little bowl. This will keep your gross chicken fingers from contaminating your regular salt dish and allow you to pinch and sprinkle like a pro.
3. If you’ve decided to make use of some tired old carrots, parsnips, or celery, place them on the bottom of the slow cooker like a roasting rack. (Keep these with the carcass for broth.)
4. Unwrap your chicken. Untie the legs and place your chicken in the slow cooker. (You might as well contaminate as few kitchen surfaces as possible.) Remove any giblets that might be inside the cavity.
5. Sprinkle the the inside of the cavity with the salt, pepper and thyme. Use about half.
6. Stuff the cavity with half the head of garlic, a piece or two of onion, and some lemon. Repeat. Try to alternate items and stuff as much in there as you can. Don’t worry if all of it doesn’t fit, just be sure to use some of each. Finish stuffing with a piece of lemon, leaving it rind side out so it acts as a kind of plug to the cavity.
7. Tie the legs together so that the veg in the cavity stays in place.
8. Sprinkle the rest of the salt, pepper and thyme onto the top of the chicken.
9. Wash your hands, you are now done with chicken ick!
10. Lastly, liberally sprinkle paprika on top of the chicken. The paprika doesn’t really do much for flavor, but it really helps the chicken to look “roasted.” If you miss this step your chicken will still be delish but it will look sad and anemic.
11. Place the lid on your slow cooker and cook on high for four hours. This makes it easy peasy and

Lime Chicken

Lime Chicken: (tried this in a crock pot) Notes: It was pretty good, flavor was strong. Might make it again. Had it over brown rice.

1/3 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (2 limes)
1/4 cup (scant) freshly squeezed orange juice (-1 oranges)
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp minced fresh jalapeno pepper (seeded)
1 tsp minced fresh garlic (1 clove)
3/4 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 boneless chicken breasts

Combine the lime juice, orange juice, chili powder, jalapeno pepper, garlic, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Add the chicken breasts. Refrigerate overnight.

Lentils with Caramelized Onions

This is from the full-plate diet and was pretty good. I added some chicken to it, so it was more like stew.

For 6, 1 cup servings use the recipe. For 2 servings use the amount in parentheses.

2 cups dry brown lentils (2/3 cup)
4 cups water (1 and 1/3 cups, part of which was leftover beef roast broth and green chilis)
1 cup chopped onion (1/3 cup)
1/2 tsp liquid smoke (I left this out)
1 tsp salt (scant 1/2 tsp)
2 cups thinly sliced onion rings (2/3 cups)
1.5 tsp olive oil (1/2 tsp)

In medium saucepan, cook lentils, chopped onion, and seasonings in water until tender, about 30 minutes. While lentils are cooking, prepare caramelized onion by sauteing sliced onion in oil about 8 min. Top lentils with onions and serve.

Chili Con Carne

Mix and Cook:

2 quarts tomato juice

3 cans kidney beans.

Brown 2 lb hamburger and drain off grease.

Add and cook 15 minutes:

1 medium chopped onion

1 medium chopped pepper

1 can green chilis

Altogether add:

3 Tb flour

½ tsp black pepper

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp oregano

1 Tb garlic powder

1 Tb paprika

¼ tsp cayenne

3 Tb chili powder

1 bay leaf

Add beans and juice and cook 25 minutes.

 Recipe from my brother Phil. I have found that fresh garlic is a nice addition, and I have used smoked paprika. Also used chipotle pepper (ground) instead of black and cayenne.

**********************************************************************************

The experienced gardener knows anything that grows like a weed – is.

**********************************************************************************

Explorer Stew

1 ½ lbs hot dogs

1 (11 ¼ oz) cans green pea soup

2 (10 ¾ oz) cans vegetable bean soup

Shortening

Cut hot dogs into ½ inch pieces. Heat shortening in a soup pot, add franks and brown slightly. Pour in soups, stirring in 3 soup cans of water. Simmer a few minutes and serve with bread and butter. 

We had this once on a camping trip when I was a pre-teen. Recipe came from my brother Phil’s magazine, Boy’s Life. It sounds awful, but tastes yummy. 

*********************************************************

To Adam, Paradise was home. To his descendants, home is paradise.

*********************************************************

Peppery pinto beans with sausage

Ingredients:
1 pound dried pinto beans
1 tablespoon vegetable oil or bacon grease
1 pound smoked kielbasa, cut into ½ inch dice
1 medium yellow onion, diced
2 to 4 jalapeños, seeded, stemmed, and diced (depending on how hot you want it)
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups water
¼ cup chopped cilantro
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon kosher salt
Sliced jalapeños, for serving

Rinse and sort the beans. Place in a large pot or Dutch oven, cover with two inches of water, bring the pot to a boil then turn off the heat, cover the pot, and allow the beans to soak for an hour. After an hour when the beans have almost doubled in size, drain and rinse the beans and rinse the pot.

Place the pot back on the stove and add the oil. Heat up the oil on medium-low heat. Add the sausage, and while occasionally stirring, cook until it just begins to crisp and some of the fat is rendered, about 3-5 minutes. Add to the pot the onion and jalapeños and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 more seconds. Pour in the water and deglaze the pot, scraping the bottom of the pan to incorporate any stuck bits.

Return the beans to the pot and add enough water to cover the beans by 1 inch, about 6 more cups. Stir in the cilantro, chili powder, cumin, oregano, smoked paprika, black pepper, and salt, turn the heat up to high and bring the pot to a boil. Once it’s boiling, turn the heat down to low and then cook partially covered until tender, which can take anywhere from 2 hours to 3 ½ hours, depending on the age of the beans.

Keep an eye on the beans as they cook, making sure the liquid doesn’t get too low (if it does, add about ¼ cup more water to the pot) and gently stir every half hour or so. I also like to taste the broth after 1½ hours and see if the seasonings need any adjusting. You’ll know they’re done when the broth is rich and brown with most of the vegetables dissolved, and the beans, of course, are tender.

When the beans are done to your satisfaction, taste again and adjust the seasonings—at this point I usually add a few more dashes of salt, black pepper, and smoked paprika. Serve the beans warm topped with sliced jalapeños, though if you have the time, let the beans rest overnight in the refrigerator and then reheat, as they only get better the next day

Yield: 8 servings

Melissa Note: I did test the recipe in a slow cooker, cooking the sausage, jalapeños, onions, and garlic in a skillet before adding them along with the soaked pinto beans and the rest of the ingredients. I left out the jalapeños also. Brother Phil shared this from http://www.homesicktexan.com/2014/02/peppery-pinto-beans-and-sausage_8825.html

Terry Schapper’s Baked Beans

This is from my niece, Kathy - Terry is her buddy. We had these for my sister Sandy's 50th anniversary dinner - Wowza!

1 16 oz can lima beans

2 16 oz cans butter beans

1 16 oz can B&M baked beans

1 16 oz can kidney beans

4 white onions

2 lb bacon, fried and chopped

2 c brown sugar

½ c apple cider vinegar

2 T yellow mustard

1 T garlic salt

pepper to taste

Put beans (except baked beans) in strainer to reduce liquid

Fry bacon, pour off half grease (we poured more off) and sauté quartered onions (I eighthed them) until tender. Add sugar, beans, vinegar, mustard and seasonings with bacon. Crock pot low for 4 hours or oven 250 for 4 hours. Even better the next day.

Notes: I only used 1 cup of brown sugar and I think I forgot to put the mustard in. I didn’t use that much bacon, either – maybe ½ to ¾ of a pound.

For IP I tried half the recipe using one can each of kidney and great northern, with ½ c sugar and some peppers for 40 min.

Ultimate Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes

This is a pretty good recipe; I'm making it today. Of course, for us, I don't use as much stuff! I read in Mother Earth News that potatoes are actually better for you boiled than any other way - how about that!

These amounts are supposed to make 20 servings.
5 lb baking potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch chunks
1.5 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup butter cut into chunks
1 cup sour cream or plain yogurt
1 tsp garlic powder (I use  real, minced garlic)
1 tsp onion power (again, real onions)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 to 1 cup warm milk

1. In 4 to 5 quart slow cooker, place potatoes, broth, and butter.
2. Cook on high 4 hours to 4 hrs 30 min until potatoes are tender. (Or cook on low 8 hours)
3. Add remaining ingredients except milk.
4. Mash potatoes, do not overmix.
5. Stir in enough milk for the consistency you like.
6. Cover and keep on low or warm until serving (up to 2 hours). Stir before serving.

Classy Casserole

I don't make this so much anymore since I've stopped using so much processed food, but man, this recipe got worn out when I had a bigger family!

1 lb. hamburger
1 C uncooked rice
1 can mushroom soup
1 package onion soup
1 C water

• Crumble hamburger in a buttered casserole or crock pot.
• Sprinkle rice and soup mix over. Blend mushroom soup with water and pour on top of rice.
• Cover and bake at 350º for one hour.

Easiest Beef Roast

I was completely overwhelmed with the kindness and love from the folks at Mitchell Wesleyan Church in Mitchell, SD, when I was going through surgery and radiation for cancer. They brought me and Gary so much food we couldn't eat it all. This was my favorite and one I've made using the crock pot countless times since.

1. Use a beef roast with as little fat connective tissue as possible. (A rolled roast is the very best, but I usually settle for less). 
2. Put in a crock pot—no preparation other than to unwrap the roast.
   Spread roast with contents of 1 can of chopped green chiles ( 1 can for a smaller roast, 2 cans for a larger roast). 
3. Remove meat from cooker to a large cake pan, etc. 
4. With 2 forks shred the meat, as you go, remove any fat, and salt to taste. That’s it!
   I put the juice in the fridge and later remove the congealed fat and make gravy.

My church-organ-playing friend, Lolly Thomas, Forrestburg, SD

Baked Beans

Terry Schapper’s Baked Beans (my niece Kathy’s buddy)

1  (16) oz can each of lima beans, B&M baked beans, kidney beans
2  (16) oz cans butter beans
4 white onions
2 lb bacon, fried and chopped
2 c brown sugar
½ c apple cider vinegar
2 Tb yellow mustard
1 Tb garlic salt
pepper to taste
Put beans (except baked beans) in strainer to reduce liquid

Fry bacon, pour off half grease (we poured more off) and sauté quartered onions (I eighthed them) until tender. Add sugar, beans, vinegar, mustard and seasonings with bacon. Crock pot low for 4 hours or oven 250 for 4 hours. Even better the next day.

I only used 1 cup of brown sugar and I think I forgot to put the mustard in. I didn’t use that much bacon, either – maybe ½ to ¾ of a pound. These were still wonderful and I ate the leftovers every day for lunch until they were gone. (You couldn't light a match at our house for days.)

Chicken Salsa

Ingredients
1 chicken breast
1/2 cup salsa
1 jalapeno pepper, sliced (optional)
6 small black olives (optional)
(I often dump a can of black beans in as well, and some cut-up onions.)

Directions

1. Cut a piece of foil large enough to close around the chicken breast.
2. Place the chicken breast onto the foil and pour salsa over top of the breast.
3. Place peppers and olives on top.
4. Wrap the foil around the chicken and fold the ends together tightly and place in an oven dish.
5. Bake at 400 degrees for 45 minutes.

 Generally, I just toss all this in the crockpot and let it cook all day. High to begin and then turn down to low. Thanks to my daughter-in-law Tina's sister, Katie for this idea.