Slow Cooker Hot Cocoa

I love hot cocoa, and when I saw this recipe from Mrs. Happy Homemaker, I couldn't pass it up! I've been searching for a hot cocoa to make from scratch, and this sounded super easy; and guess what? It was! I took the picture up at my mom and dad's house in Iowa on Christmas Eve. 

This makes a very creamy hot cocoa, and even tastes good the next day. 

Ingredients
1 pint heavy cream (2 cups)
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 package milk chocolate chips (2 cups)
6 cups milk (I used 2%, because that's what we drink right now)
1 tsp vanilla extract

Dump into slow cooker and cook on low for two hours, stirring occasionally.

The original recipe called for 1.5 cups of heavy cream, but I didn't want to throw away the other 1/2 cup of cream, so I just dumped it in.

This was on the heat for more than two hours, and I think it did very well. We also refrigerated it over night and I drank some the next morning. It was thick, but it still did taste good.

VERDICT: I really liked this. However, I'm about the only person in my family who likes hot cocoa--everyone else likes coffee. So, I am going to try another hot cocoa recipe, because it makes less, but I bet I still come back to this one!

Whole Chicken--Slow Cooker Style

I've seen many people make a whole chicken in the slow cooker, so I decided to try my hand at it. I have to admit, it's very easy--plus very little cleanup if you have a removable pot like I do! 

Ingredients
1 Whole chicken, take out giblets, etc (my chicken did not have this)
1 c water

Place chicken in the slow cooker, then add water to the pot. Cook on high for about 8 hours, or until done.


VERDICT:  Easy-peasy! I now have chicken for lunches, and for casseroles. And, it was fairly cheap! Please note that the water I added helped thin the chicken juices on the bottom of the pot, and I was able to strain the juice to use as future chicken broth. All I have to do is skim the fat off the top of the broth, and it's good to go.

Peanut Butter Chicken

1101091815.jpg
Originally uploaded by IowaSunshine

I know, I know, this is not a very good photo. First, I take all photos with my camera phone, and second, well, this is just not a very photogenic food. However, it's goooooood. This is based off of the Asian Peanut Butter Pork from "A Year of Slow Cooking." (See the link on the side.)

Ingredients
1 lb. chicken (I used tenders)
1/2 white onion, sliced into long strips
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup reduced sodium soy sauce
1/2 cup peanut butter, creamy
3 TBSP vinegar--I used white wine vinegar
3 TBSP hot water

Spray the inside of a slow cooker with cooking spray, then add the onions. Place chicken on top of onions. Meanwhile, mix the sugar, soy sauce, peanut butter and vinegar; then add hot water, making sure to mix well. The sauce will look a little clumpy, and that's fine. Pour the sauce over the chicken and cook on low for 4-6 hours, or until done. (I also stir occasionally. I know you're not supposed to, but I can't help it!!)

I served this with quinoa tonight--my first time ever making it. It's fairly simple, and fast! I spooned some of the peanut sauce over the grain, and it tasted great--a little party in your mouth.


VERDICT: My house smells like peanut butter, and I'm not complaining, because it reminds me of how good this was! The flavor is wonderfully peanut-y, but not overpowering. The onion tames the sweetness. And, the chicken was TENDER. SUPER TENDER!!

I was a little pissed this morning, because I opened up the chicken bag and found that my tenders were a bit freezer burned. I just bought that bag about a month-6 weeks ago, and it was properly sealed from the last time I used it. Yet, it was still burned. Now, this is the Tyson chicken brand, so I wanted to see how it would compare to my Target brand chicken breasts package, so I opened that one up. Guess what? That one has been in my freezer longer and has NO freezer burned fillets in it. I wonder if this is a one-time thing, or if somehow the Tyson bags are inferior. Thoughts?

Beef Soup/Stew

0905091943.jpg
Originally uploaded by IowaSunshine

I used to make this stew over the stove top, but decided to use my slow cooker over the weekend. While I need to cut back on the water to make this more stew-like the next time, I found using the slow cooker was much better!

Ingredients
1-2 lbs stew meat, browned with onion
1 large onion, chopped, browned with meat
Scant 1/4 cup red wine (optional--used to deglaze the pan)
1 lb. carrots, chopped
3 celery stalks, chopped
3 large potatoes, diced (I always leave the skins on)
1 c. frozen corn
1 lb. mushrooms, chopped
4 cups beef broth
2 cups water (optional--use if making over the stove top)
1-2 TBSP flour (optional--may need it to thicken the soup to a stew)
pepper to taste

Brown onions in 1-2 teaspoons EVOO. When translucent add beef and cook until browned, then shut off heat and add red wine to deglaze the pan. Set to the side to cool.

Place all veggies in the slow cooker, then add beef broth (and water if you choose) and the cooled beef. Cook on high for 6 or so hours, and low for another 2-3.

If you need to thicken the soup you have two options. You can smash a potato and add it back to the pot, or you can add flour like you would a gravy.

Personally, I like my stews more like soup, but it's all up to you!

VERDICT: This tastes great--like always--but was so much less labor intensive than cooking it over the stove top, because I didn't worry about the burners being on.

Teriyaki Chix

0824091904.jpg
Originally uploaded by IowaSunshine

Well, I had 2 buttons placed on bottom teeth, and one on top. Let me tell you this: IT'S PAINFUL! However, I would not give up my Invisalign for anything. My teeth and my bite will be much improved (but not perfect, because I didn't want to shell out $2,500 more than the $2,500 I'm paying now for just ONE tooth).

Anyway, I knew I needed something tender for supper tonight, and it had to be tasty, because we had a friend over for supper. Luckily, Heidi from Tried-and-True Cooking with Heidi had a great teriyaki chicken post the other day, and she's never steered me wrong before. Although, I made a few changes. Most notably I added some chicken broth to the slow cooker, because I knew this would be in the cooker for 10-12 hours and we wouldn't be home to watch it.

Ingredients
1-1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3/4 c. Splenda
3/4 c. less sodium soy sauce
approximately 1-2 cups chicken broth
1/2 c. cider vinegar
1/4-1/2 tsp. garlic

Place chicken in slow cooker, then add other ingredients and cook on low until done--8 hours or so.

What I did: The night before I made this I defrosted chicken that I froze in chicken broth. I then mixed the soy sauce, Splenda. vinegar and garlic in a bowl. In the morning (at mother heifer 6:30 a.m.--I HATE MORNINGS) I placed the chicken and broth in the slow cooker, then added the liquid, making sure to stir well.

VERDICT: Love <3. This makes a very very very tender chicken, and the sauce tastes fantastic as well. I paired this chicken up with a homemade potato salad and strawberry Jello salad. YUM!

Bison Roast

0628091836.jpg
Originally uploaded by IowaSunshine

We picked up some ground bison for the 4th of July, but while we were there we spotted some a bison roast and decided to try it. I used my usual method to make the roast, and it tasted great.

1 2.5 lb bison roast
1 bottle beer (I used Corona Light)
1 bottle of water

Place in slow cooker and cook on high 3-4 hours or low 6-8.


Verdict: We liked it, but didn't love it. To us, it tasted just liked a beef roast, and was not worth the extra $3 per pound that we paid for it. Usually bison has a little different taste from beef, but it is very hard to differentiate with a roast.

Father's Day Chicken & Stuffing

0621091332.jpg
Originally uploaded by IowaSunshine

My mom, dad and brother (Aron) came down to help us fix our garage door. Yesterday, one of the cables on the door snapped, and well, we couldn't get it fixed with just the two of us. So, we enlisted their help. In turn, they got a meal. --Although, my mom said that if I wanted to cook for them, I shouldn't break the garage door. :)

1-1 1/2 lbs. chicken (I used some frozen breast/tenders)
1 can cream of mushroom soup (the healthy kind)
1/2 c. water (I might have used more--I didn't measure)
3-4 slices of 2% cheddar cheese
1 box chicken stuffing mix (I used Stove Top)
1/4 c. melted butter
Scant 1/4 cup water

Place chicken in the bottom of a slow cooker. Place a 1/2 slice of cheese on each piece of chicken. Mix the soup and water, then pour over the chicken gently, so you don't push the cheese off. Pour the stuffing mix over the chicken mixture evenly, then pour the melted butter over the stuffing and hen pour the water over the stuffing. Cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-8. I ended up cooking it on high for 3 hours and turning it to low for 30 minutes or so until we were ready to eat. The chicken came out perfect and tender.

I'm not going to lie--it's effing hot in the Midwest right now, so I didn't want to heat up the house with an oven. Using the slow cooker was a trick I got from my mom when I was a kid. I grew up in a 100+-year-old house and all we had were little window air-conditioners to cool the house. To keep the house cool, she would make different slow cooker recipes or grill outside.

Anyway, we all liked this dish. Even those who don't usually like stuffing liked this dish (oops--like my dad and Jeff), so I would say it was a hit.

Chili Cheese Dogs

0608091806.jpg
Originally uploaded by IowaSunshine

This was super easy! And, while I could have used the slow cooker for this, I was lazy and used a frying pan. I didn't use much cheese, but don't be fooled because if you fry your hot dogs in butter, you're adding extra fat and calories.

1 package light beef hot dogs
1 tsp butter (optional)
1-2 cans chili beans--drain about 1/3 of the liquid
1 8 oz can tomato sauce
1/4 c. ketchup
1 TBSP yellow mustard
2 oz 2% Velveeta, diced
1 package hot dog buns--the heart healthy wheat kind

Brown hot dogs in butter if you wish. Otherwise, dump all ingredients in a pan and warm until the cheese melts. You will need to stir this as it may crust or boil and make your kitchen a mess.

We topped ours with chopped onions, and it tasted fantastic! I only used 1/2 package of hot dogs, so I used 1 can of beans, but if I were to make an entire package of hot dogs, I would use 2 cans of beans. Then again, we really like beans!

I will definitely make this again--but next time I might use the slow cooker just so I don't have to stand at the stove the entire time.

Sweet and Sour Chix

0605092002.jpg
Originally uploaded by IowaSunshine

This is an easy way to make sweet and sour chicken--without all of that standing over a stove. This actually started out as Hawaiian BBQ chicken, but oops...it tasted more like sweet and sour!

1 lb. chicken tenders
1 14 oz can pineapple chunks in natural juice
1 c. BBQ sauce
1/2 of an onion, sliced
1/2 of a green pepper, diced

Dump pineapple AND juice into a slow cooker, then add BBQ sauce and mix well. Add tenders, onion and green pepper. Cook on low for 4-6 hours or high 3-4.

To thicken the sauce, add 2-3 TBSP flour to the sauce.

We both really liked this! I did use some honey BBQ sauce mixed with some regular sauce, so it added some sweetness. I served this with brown rice, which I made with chicken broth.

Beef Roast with Carrots and Potatoes

0601091845.jpg
Originally uploaded by IowaSunshine

My mom makes a mean beef roast. Needless to say, it's one of my favorites and I'm happy to say that Jeff loves it too, so we eat it a lot. I made this last night, but it still tastes great today!

2-4 pound beef roast
1 lb carrots (I used baby carrots)
4-5 medium sized potatoes
4 cups beef broth (or enough to cover the roast)
black pepper

Place roast in slow cooker (it does not need to be seared) and season with black pepper. Arrange carrots and potatoes on top of roast and pour beef broth over the ingredients. Cook on high for 4-5 hours...or longer. The longer this cooks the more tender it is.

Once it is finished, raise the carrots, potatoes and roast out of the liquid and let sit for 10-15 minutes. Meanwhile, you may add flour to the beef broth to make a gravy.

Eat the roast with ketchup!


Of course we both love this recipe! My mom still makes this roast for holidays, or whenever she has a houseful of guests. The best part, though, is that you can make a ton of different recipes with the leftovers. Not only have I made shredded bbq beef, but I'll make shredded tacos, too. Look forward to those recipes in future posts!

Slow Cooker Lasagna

0528091813.jpg
Originally uploaded by IowaSunshine

My mom often makes lasagna during lent on Fridays when we are abstaining from meat. Instead of the hamburger in this recipe she substitutes another can of olives and fresh mushrooms. I had heard about making lasagna in the slow cooker and decided to give it a try, so I used my mom's recipe (using hamburger instead of mushrooms since Jeff loves meat) to create tonight's dish. NOTE: You do not pre-cook the lasagna noodles.

1 lb. ground hamburger, browned with ground pepper
1 can black olives, drained and chopped (I just break them apart with my fingers)
1 can spaghetti sauce (I use Hunt's Four Cheese)
About 1/4 cup water, used to "swish" out the spaghetti sauce jar
1 24 oz. container fat free cottage cheese
2 cups 2% cheese, shredded--I used a blend of white mild cheddar, Parmesan and Swiss
1/2 c. Parmesan, shredded--combine with the 2% cheeses.
9 dry lasagna noodles

Spray the bottom and sides of your slow cooker. Mix browned ground beef, black olives and spaghetti sauce together, ladeling about 1-1 1/2 cups of the mix into the bottom of the slow cooker. On top of that layer place 3 dry lasagna noodles, breaking them if you need to in order to make them fit. Over the noodle layer spoon about 1/3 of the cottage cheese over and smooth. Combine the shredded cheeses and sprinkle about 1/3 of the mixture over the cottage cheese. Next, begin again with the meat mixture and continue for 2 more layers (for a total of 3) and end with the meat mixture. Try to keep about 1/2 c. of the shredded cheeses on the side to put on top of the meat mixture.

Cook on high for 4 hours, or low for 4-6. Let it sit on warm or shut off the cooker for at least 1/2 an hour before serving.

I was happy with this, because not only does it taste great, but I didn't have to heat up my kitchen in this warm weather! Summers are always an obstacle for cooking, because I HATE hot weather. I'm one of those people who would be happy living in 50 degree temperatures most days. Anyway, when I was growing up we didn't have air conditioning (ok, we did, but my parents own a 130-year-old house and only have window air, which is a major suck-o) so my mom would use the slow cooker a lot when it got hot. I don't know about you, but even standing in front of a grill during 90 degree summer evenings is not fun. Thus, I've been trying to find recipes I can make using the slow cooker year round.

Jeff really likes this recipe and he felt that it turned out well--in other words, I'm allowed to make this again. I did have to turn this to warm for over an hour, though, because he got home from work late.

Stay classy food readers! (Yes, we're watching "Anchorman" right now.)

Buffalo Chix Wraps

0525091803.jpg
Originally uploaded by IowaSunshine

I saw a version of this recipe in the comments section of A Year of Crockpotting. However, I changed it so that it used less hot sauce and added some celery seed.

1 lb chicken (I bought the stir-fry tenders)
1/2 c. wing sauce (I used Ott's)
1/4 c. light ranch dressing (Light Hidden Valley)
1/4 tsp. celery seed
black pepper
1/2 c. water

Mix sauce, dressing, spices and water together. Place chicken in slow cooker and pour sauces over. Cook on low 4-6 hours, or until chicken is done.

For the wrap:
Buffalo chicken and sauce (from above)
4 flour tortillas
lettuce
extra ranch dressing

One one third of the tortilla place desired amount of chicken and sauce, then add lettuce and if desired, extra ranch dressing. Roll up.


Jeff really liked this, although it was still a little too warm for my tastes. I wish I could find a buffalo sauce that was more mild. He will be taking the leftovers to work for the next two days, while I munch on something else--mainly because he loved it so much. I thought the flavors melded together well, so I will be eating this again in the future! (Even though it's a little hot!)

Spicy Beef Sammie

0523091809.jpg
Originally uploaded by IowaSunshine

This was perfect for supper tonight! It is spicy, tangy and everything in between. This slow cooked meal will definitely become a staple. I forgot where I found this at...so if it's yours let me know and I'll credit you!

2-3 lb (or larger) beef roast
1 bottle of beer (I used Bud Light)
1/3 c. sliced mild peppercini
6-7 whole mild peppercini
1/2 c. peppercini juice
1/3 c. roasted red pepper
1 Italian Dressing seasoning pack

Place all in a slow cooker on high for 4-5 hours, or until the beef is done and tender. Remove the meat and shred--I use two forks to shred the meat. When the meat is shredded, place back in juices and let simmer until ready to eat.

This was great! I forgot to put 1 cup of beef broth in this, and I think I like the recipe the way it is, so I won't be adding it in the future. I put this on wheat hot dog buns and added cheddar cheese. (I forgot provolone!! How could I forget provolone?!)

I put this away and debated about leaving it in juice or not. I left the juice in it, and will just use a slotted spoon to get the meat out so it doesn't dry out. However, I'm hoping the flavor doesn't increase, because it's spicy enough for me now! (NOTE: It did not get spicier, but the flavors did become more savory! I also used my 2% Natural Kraft Cheese--the one with a white sharp cheddar, Swiss, and Parmesean cheese blend. IT WAS FANTASTIC!)

Catalina Chix

0516091924.jpg
Originally uploaded by IowaSunshine

This dish is SO easy, in fact it's almost too easy. The dressing has a tangy flavor and makes the chicken moist.

1 pound boneless, frozen skinless chicken breasts
1 cup of fat free Catalina salad dressing

Spray a Pyrex pan with butter spray and add chicken. Pour dressing over the chicken and bake for at least 30 minutes at 400 degrees, or until done.

I really did like this dish. It was so easy, and could be made in the slow cooker. There was enough sauce to use on a sandwich or I suppose over rice. I ate it with a little sauce on top, because I wasn't very hungry. Also, I used only 1 pound of chicken, but I think I could have made this with 2 pounds and added 1 cup of chicken broth. That's my plan for next time--just trying to get a bigger bang for my buck!

Pot Roast in Mushroom Sauce

0419091900.jpg
Originally uploaded by IowaSunshine

I had extra mushrooms and needed to use them up, so I threw all of this in the slow cooker this morning.

1 2-3 lb. beef roast
4-5 (or more) carrots, sliced then cut at 1-3 inches
2-3 stalks of celery cut at 1-3 inches
1/2-3/4 package mushrooms, sliced
3-4 large red potatoes, cut into large cubes
1 can cream of celery soup
2 cans water
1 tsp. chicken soup base

Throw the carrots and celery into the bottom of the slow cooker, then add the roast. Place the potatoes and mushrooms around the roast, then add the water, base and soup. Set on high for 4-8 hours, turning the roast at least once during cooking and stir.

About 30 minutes before take out the roast, potatoes, carrots and celery. Let rest in a warm place. Meanwhile, make a gravy by adding 1-2 TBSP of flour to the mushroom and sauce in the pot. Leave on high until thickened.

I really liked this. I like cooked carrots, so I used a lot. I like the sauce that it made, but then again, I like mushrooms. Jeff at leftovers from yesterday, so I'll see how he likes it tomorrow.

Drunken Chicken

0413091846.jpg
Originally uploaded by IowaSunshine

I wanted to make a tender chicken breast so that I could have 3 nights of chicken meals this week. I decided to use the same technique I use to boil brats: a beer bath. The beer provides just a smidgen of flavor, yet leaves the chicken tender.

1 1/2 pounds (or more) of boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 12-oz bottle of beer--I used Bud Light
The equivalent of 2 cups chicken broth (I used chicken base and water)

Place the chicken in the bottom of the slow cooker then add the liquid. Cook on high for 3-4 hours or low 6-8.


Jeff and I really liked this chicken. It was tender and juicy, which was perfect for the barbecue sauce we put with it tonight. There is a little bit of beer flavor to the chicken, but the beer flavor does not overwhelm the chicken taste. Better yet, we have cooked chicken ready to go for the next two nights!

Cream Cheese Chix

Another recipes from Stephanie at 365 Days of Crockpotting...and another one that I can't believe I haven't tried before!! This is another MUST HAVE recipe, and this one was made in the slow cooker.

1 lb chicken
1 can cream of celery soup--the healthy one
1/2-1 C. fat free chicken broth
1 packet Italian dressing mix (I used Good Seasons)
1 8 0z block of fat free cream cheese, cut in cubes

Place everything except the cream cheese in the slow cooker and cook until chicken is done (my chicken over cooked a little, but it didn't hurt anything!), about 3-4 hours on high and 5-8 on low. Once chicken is done take out and shred with two forks, then place back in slow cooker. Add cream cheese and set cooker to high for about 30 minutes, or until cream cheese is melted and incorporated.

WOWZER. This is another great recipe! We ate this over buttered pasta, and the sauce was rich, but not overwhelming. The flavors mesh well, and it's even better the 2nd day. I can't wait to make this again--and I'm wondering what it would taste like with ranch powder instead of Italian?! NOTE: Stephanie's original recipe calls for garlic, however, I don't care for garlic, so I omitted it. It still is a winner recipe, though!

Note: This makes six 1/2 cup servings.

Ranched Chix

OMG. You. HAVE. to. try. this. dish! I found this at 365 Days of Crockpotting, and I will be forever in debt to Stephanie. I did edit it a little, to reduce calories and fat, but it was fantastic. I also used the oven method, because I was crunched for time.

Go. Go now and get the ingredients.

1 lb. chicken breasts (cut into 4 servings)
1/2 C. Light Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing
1/4 C. Less sodium teriyaki sauce (I used Kikkoman)
4-6 slices center cut bacon, diced and cooked crisply
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Grease an 8x8 pan and place chicken breasts into it (note: you could use 1 1/2 lbs and not have to change any liquids ). Mix the ranch and teriyaki sauce together and poor over the chicken, coating well. Sprinkle bacon over the sauce, the sprinkle the cheese over dish. Cover with foil and bake for at least 30 minutes at 425 degrees, or until chicken is done. During the last 10 minutes of cooking remove foil so the cheese may brown.

NOTE: THIS COULD EASILY BE MADE IN A SLOW COOKER. But, I would add some olive oil to the bottom of the cooker so it doesn't burn.

WOW. Jeff and I LOVED LOVED LOVED this dish! It's so easy, and tastes great. I was a little skeptical, but this is now one of my favorite dishes. The sauce is fantastic and cold be used as a gravy over potatoes. AND, IT DID NOT MAKE ME SICK! We had to run Morgan to the animal hospital (don't ask), and I had just eaten, so I was worried, but I did fine. YAY ME!

Oh, and both Morgan and Sasha are fine. Morgana has to be on antibiotics for a UTI.