Tastefully Tuesday - Slow Cooker Recipe Twists

A lot of people associate slow cooker recipes with wintertime because the dishes fall into the "comfort foods" category that are hot, piping, and a perfect way to combat the cold. However you can enjoy your slow cooker year-round regardless of the weather.

Here are a few of my favorite crock pot recipes. As you can see they are just as delicious on a hot, summer day as they are during the frigid, cold temperatures during the winter.

EASY PEASY CHICKEN & DUMPLINGS
These aren't your grandmother's chicken and dumplings, but they will offer the same level of comfort that you felt eating at her kitchen table.

Ingredients:

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
• 2 cans (10.75 ounce) of condensed cream of chicken soup
• 2 celery stalks, sliced thin
• 1 bag of fresh, shredded carrots
• 2 packages (10 ounce) of refrigerator biscuits, torn into pieces

Directions:

1. Place the chicken, soup, and veggies into the slow cooker and add enough water to cover.
2. Cook on high for about 5 or 6 hours.
3. About 30 minutes before serving, add the torn biscuit pieces and continue cooking until the bread is no longer raw and doughy in the center.

SLOW COOKED PULL-APART PORK BBQ
Serve this mouthwatering delicacy from the south on a potato roll, on your favorite multi-grain cracker, or pair with sour cream, cheese, and scallions for a great twist on traditional nacho toppings.

Ingredients:

• 1 boneless pork roast (about 3 pounds)
• 1 bottle (18 ounce) of your favorite BBQ sauce
• 1 dash each of garlic powder, onion powder, and pepper

Directions:

• Place all ingredients in slow cooker and cook on low for about 7 hours, give or take half an hour.
• Remove from slow cooker and shred.
• Return to slow cooker and continue cooking for 1 hour, adding extra BBQ sauce if necessary.
• Serve as desired.

SWEET & SOUR HAM SLICES
If you are in the mood for Chinese food, instead try this healthier option made in the convenience of your slow cooker. Eat as a stand-alone entrée or serve over white or brown rice with chunks of steamed carrots, green peppers, chunks of onion, and pineapple.

Ingredients:

• Slices from an entire cured, bone-in picnic ham
• 1 1/2 cups of brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons of hot chili sauce
• 1 teaspoon of soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon of butter
• 2 tablespoons of green onion tops
• 1 can of crushed pineapple with juice
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1/3 cup of white vinegar
• 1/3 cup of ketchup

Directions:

1. Spread 1 cup of brown sugar on the bottom of the slow cooker crock.
2. Place ham slices in crock.
3. Rub remaining ingredients minus pineapple onto ham.
4. Dump can of pineapple into crock over ham.
5. Cook for about 8 hours.
6. Serve over white or brown rice.

The Best Slow Cooker for Your Favorite Recipes



The Hamilton Beach Set 'n Forget 6-Quart Programmable Slow Cooker is the perfect choice for all your slow cooker recipes. The programmable LED screen makes it easy to let dinner cook in the background while you go about your daily activities - or even head off to work for the day. And the six-quart, dishwasher safe crock and lid not only mean that you will have enough dinner for your entire family but also that clean-up will be a breeze afterwards.

Click the image above to see how to get your own Hamilton Beach Set 'n Forget 6-Quart Programmable Slow Cooker from Amazon now! Prime members will also enjoy an 18% discount as well as free shipping.

Tastefully Tuesday - Slow Cooker Pot Roast

Put me in front of the stovetop and something's going to catch fire 7 out of 10 times. However, give me the oven, waffle iron, crock pot, or grill (especially the grill, where there is supposed to be fire) and I am a whiz. Some of our creations even resemble something healthy. But just some of them - most are laden with carbs, calories, etc.

It doesn't really matter what time of year it is; I love pot roast. I love it fresh. I love it in a sourdough bread bowl. I love its leftovers the next day on a thick slice of freshly baked beer bread. There is very little NOT to love about pot roast! It's chock full of protein from the beef, vitamin A from the carrots and celery, and potassium as well as vitamins B and C from the potatoes. Pot roast is good stuff.

This version shows onions. Personally, I avoid them because raw onions set off my oral allergy syndrome. Sadly, I'm not joking; it's a very real allergy. Fortunately onion powder is a nice alternative and doesn't pose any kind of risk. Yay, onion powder!

Personally, I like to cook pot roast in the crock pot - especially if the day will be cold and/or dreary. The smell permeates the house and hits you when you open the front door. If the mouth-watering aroma of pot roast could talk it would say, "Hey, we're cooking enough food for a small army and why don't you join us?" Here's my recipe for pot roast. It's not only easy, but it's also delicious.


Ingredients

• beef roast (although I've also used deer and pork roasts)
• potatoes (you can leave the skins on)
• carrots
• celery
• spices
• water
• 1 can of cola
• 1 brown gravy packet

You'll notice that there are no measurements. For every cup of diced beef, have 1/2 cup each of potatoes and carrots, and 1/8 cup of celery.

Our spice list includes whatever we use whatever we feel like using each time. Some staples include white pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. We've also used things like basil, chili powder, and cumin. Mm, cumin.




Directions

1. Cut all ingredients (that is, except the spices, liquids, and gravy packet) into bite-sized chunks.
2. Put beef, vegetables, and spices in crock pot.
3. First pour cola over ingredients, and then continue filling with water.
4. Cook on high for an hour or so.
5. Transfer 2 cups of broth to an appropriate sized bowl.
6. Mix brown gravy pack with broth until there are no clumps. Return mixture to crock pot.
7. Cut heat back to medium or low, and let stew until potatoes and carrots are tender and meat is has reached desired state. Sometimes we let ours cook until the meat is falling apart, and sometimes it's still a little medium rare. Either way is fine.

Handy Tips

• Use baby carrots and little potatoes to save time cutting everything.
• If you're out of celery, you can use celery seed or celery salt instead.
• You can use diet soda, if you're trying to watch calories. Or like, if you just don't like all the gunk that they put in soda period.

And that's it. It's pretty delicious. I'm going to enjoy a bowl of our leftovers from the weekend for lunch today. Enjoy!