Finally, the cooler weather has arrived, and suddenly, it seems more than justified to eat warm, hearty comfort food that sticks to your ribs. I love to pull my slow cooker out this time of year and use it any chance I get. The days are getting shorter, meaning I have less time to get dinner on the table. If I remember to start the slow cooker in the morning, it solves my problems! I do use my slow cooker in the summer for easy shredded meat, but it just doesn't compare to the delicious stews and hearty meat dishes I concoct in the cooler months.
Sunday
Crock Pot Ham Recipe
Ingredients
- cooking spray
- 6 1/2 pounds ham, semi-boneless and smoked
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- pinch of ground cloves
- 8 ounces pure maple syrup
Directions
- Spray the slow cooker with cooking spray. Place the semi-boneless smoked half ham bottom side down in a 6-quart slow cooker.
- In a separate bowl, mix together the brown sugar, cinnamon, and ground clove. Pat the mixture on top of the ham until you've used it all. Then pour 8 ounces of maple syrup on top. Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours.
- Carefully remove the ham from the slow cooker, slice, and serve. Pour sauce from slow cooker in a bowl to be ladled on top of ham if desired.
Notes
- Have leftovers? Freeze in freezer bags for up to 3 months. When you're ready to have the ham, just thaw it and enjoy!
Recommended Equipment
First, on Sunday, make yourself a nice Sunday ham. If this tradition is foreign to you, you're probably not from the South. Go ahead and practice saying 'y'all' while you make it. When it's ready say 'y'all come ahead an' eat, the ham's done!' The leftovers are great in sandwiches all week. Or, dice and freeze it for adding to soups and omelets later on.
Monday
Crock Pot Chicken Taco Bites Recipe
Ingredients
For the Chicken:- 1 15 ounce can salsa style fire roasted tomatoes
- 1/3 cup chunky salsa
- 2 tablespoons taco sauce
- 8 thighs boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- black pepper, to taste
- 15 frozen mini phyllo dough shells
- 1 ear of corn, kernels removed
- 3/4 cup romaine lettuce, finely shredded
- 1/2 cup grape tomatoes, quartered
- 1/4 cup mexican style shredded cheese
- 1/4 cup light sour cream
Directions
For the Chicken:
- Pour tomatoes, salsa and taco sauce into a slow cooker.
- Lay chicken thighs in a single layer onto of the tomato mixture.
- Sprinkle chicken with chili powder, garlic, cumin, salt and pepper.
- Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours.
- Using two forks, shred chicken and stir into sauce.
For the Taco Bites:
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Place phyllo shells on a rimmed baking sheet.
- Fill each shell with about 1 tablespoon of chicken mixture.
- Bake for 10 minutes or until shells are warm.
- Divide the remaining ingredients between the baked taco bites and serve.
Notes
- This recipe makes a large batch of chicken. Use extra chicken to fill burritos, top salads or make entree style tacos throughout the week.
- When assembling the taco bites, chicken can be cold and pulled straight from the fridge. It will reheat in the oven while the shells are baking. Top as directed.
Recommended Equipment
Monday night calls for something to put a pep in your step. These spicy crockpot chicken taco bites are just the thing!
Tuesday
Wendy's Chili Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef, cooked and drained
- 16 ounces tomato sauce, 2 8 ounce cans
- 15 ounces red kidney beans, 1 can
- 15 ounces pinto beans, 1 can
- 1/2 onion, diced
- 1 stalk celery, diced
- 1 can mild ro-tel
- 2 cups beef broth
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon red chili powder, or to taste
- salt and pepper, to taste
- cheese
- sour cream
- chives
Directions
- Combine all ingredients into a 5-quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours.
Recommended Equipment
If Tuesday night hits you hard, it's nothing a comforting bowl of Wendy's copycat chili can't solve. This recipe uses pre-cooked ground beef from your freezer. If you have that on hand, you're almost done making this dish. Everything else is dump and set!
Wednesday
Crock Pot Pulled Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
For the Pulled Chicken:- 2 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1 small onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 28 ounces diced tomatoes with green chilies, 2 cans - like rotel
- 2 tablespoons red chili powder
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 2 cubes chicken bouillon
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 2 ounces cream cheese
- 4 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded
- jalapeño pepper, pickled or fresh, sliced
Directions
For the Chicken:
- Place diced onion and minced garlic in crock pot. Place chicken on top. Open cans of tomato and pour that over the chicken.
- Sprinkle chili powder, cumin salt and pepper over top. Put bouillon cubes in.
- Cover and cook on high for 4 hours, or low for 8 hours.
- Drain almost all of the juices and season more to taste, if necessary.
​For the Panko Topping:
- In a skillet melt butter. Add panko crumbs, stirring until lightly toasted. Set aside.
For the Cheese Sauce:
- In small saucepan heat heavy cream until almost a boil, stirring constantly. Whisk in cream cheese, until melted. Then add the cheddar, stirring until smooth and combined.
To Assemble the Sandwich:
- Place chicken on a bun. Top with cheese sauce, crispy panko and sliced jalapeno.
Recommended Equipment
This recipe for Jalapeño Popper Shredded Chicken sandwiches is something I would pull out my slow cooker in the summer for. I can't get enough of this recipe. It's spicy, creamy, and comforting. If you haven't made this yet, you really should on Wednesday.
Thursday
Italian Pot Roast Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 pounds beef bottom round roast
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 28 ounces crushed tomatoes, (1 can)
- 1 tablespoon garlic, crushed
- 2 tablespoons italian seasoning
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- salt and pepper, to taste
- pasta
- rice
- bread
Directions
- Sprinkle the roast with salt and pepper. Place in a slow cooker with the heat on low.
- Mix together the tomatoes, garlic, Italian seasoning and onion powder. Pour over the beef roast.
- Cook on low for 8 to 10 hours or until beef is very tender.
- Season with more salt and pepper to taste.
- Slice the meat and serve the meat and gravy over pasta, rice or bread.
Recommended Equipment
We've almost made it through the week. On Thursday night, we can practically put ourselves in Friday mode and relax a bit. Let's enjoy an Italian Pot Roast and pretend it's Sunday family supper!
Friday
Slow Cooker Cobbler Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, divided
- 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar, divided
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 4 tablespoons canola oil
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 4 cups frozen mixed berries, or fresh (strawberries, raspberries & blueberries)
Directions
- In a large bowl, combine 2 cups flour, 1/4 cup sugar, baking powder and cinnamon. Then add the eggs, milk and oil and stir until moistened (batter will be very thick). Coat the slow cooker with cooking spray then spread the batter evenly into slow cooker (I used a 6 quart).
- In a separate large bowl, combine the salt, remaining flour and sugar. Add the berries in the bowl and toss to coat. Pour on top of the batter in the slow cooker.
- Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on high for 2 hours (or until a toothpick inserted into cobbler comes out clean). Serve immediately with French vanilla ice cream if desired.
Recommended Equipment
I'm guessing you'll have a bit of leftovers on Friday to eat, so I leave you with dessert in the crockpot. This slow cooker mixed berry cobbler can be made with frozen berries, so you have no excuse not to make it. Warm and bubbly, it just may be your dinner with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. I won't tell a soul.
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