Slow Cooker Enchiladas

Tried these the other night with no meat, and they were tasty and filling.  I used whole wheat tortillas (4 - 12inch), and I added a dash of cayenne and a little cilantro.  I also switched the yellow onion to red onion.

Serves 4-6

1/2 yellow onion, diced small
1/2 bell pepper, diced small (any color)
1 16-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup frozen corn
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups cheese, shredded and divided - we like monterey jack
2 16-ounce jars of your favorite salsa
12 6"-8" tortillas, flour or cornOptional: 1 cup leftover meat - chicken, pork, hamburger, or shredded beef

In a medium bowl, mix together the onion, pepper, black beans, corn, spices, meat (if using), and just 1/2 cup of the cheese. Pour about a cup of salsa (half a jar) into the bottom of the slow cooker and spread it around evenly.

Scoop about 1/3 cup into one of the tortillas, roll it up, and nestle it into the bottom of the crock pot. Repeat with the half of the remaining filling, rolling tortillas until the entire bottom of of the crock pot is filled. Spread another cup of salsa over this layer and sprinkle it with another 1/2 cup of cheese.

Continue with the remaining filling and tortillas to create a second layer. Top with another cup of salsa, but reserve the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese for later. Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on HIGH for 2-4 hours. In the last 15 minutes of cooking, sprinkle the leftover cheese over the top and let it melt.

Serve the enchiladas with the remaining salsa. Leftovers will keep for up to a week in the refrigerator.

Additional Notes:

• You can cook the enchiladas for longer (6-8 hours on LOW), but we found that the tortillas in the middle start to get mushy while the ones touching the sides of the cooker get crispy. Still tasty, though!

• To cook these enchiladas in the oven, layer the rolled tortillas in a 9x13 baking pan and cover with aluminum foil. Bake at 400° for 20 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle with cheese, and bake uncovered for an additional 5-10 minutes.

• We haven't tried it, but we so reason why this recipe couldn't be doubled if your slow cooker is big enough. Just continue creating layers in the slow cooker and bake as usual.

 From The Kitchn

Sausage + Lentil Stew (Slow Cooker)

serves 4-6

1 cup lentils 

2 cups beef broth

1 (12-ounce) package smoked chicken or turkey sausage, sliced--your choice of flavor. 

1 cup chopped carrots

1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes

9 ounces (or so) fresh spinach (to add at the very end)

The Directions.

Use a 6-quart slow cooker. Rinse your lentils under cold water, and place them into an empty slow cooker. Add beef broth, and sliced sausage. Add the entire can of tomatoes and a cup of chopped carrots. The broth and the seasoning from the sausage is enough to flavor this dish-- there is no need for additional spices.

Cover and cook on low for 5 hours, then stir in fresh spinach. It'll look like a lot at first, but the spinach will wilt and I promise it will all fit. Cover again and let the spinach soften for about 15 minutes. Serve in a shallow bowl with cornbread.

From A year of Slow Cooking

White Chicken Chili {Crockpot}

1 lb. chicken (breasts or tenderloins)
2 cans cannelini beans, rinsed and drained
1 onion, chopped
2 apples, cut in chunks
1 small can green chiles
3 T butter
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp thyme
1 tsp cumin
salt and pepper
3 cups chicken broth

shredded cheese, sour cream. and fresh cilantro


1.) Cut chicken in small chunks, and brown in a little olive oil.  Drain oil.
2.) Place butter in crock pot first.
3.)  Then put in browned chicken, apple, onion, garlic, beans, and chiles.
4.) Add spices and broth.  Stir together.
5.) Cover and cook on low for eight hours or high for four to five.
6.) Serve with shredded cheese, sour cream, and fresh cilantro.

Super Easy Crockpot Salsa Chicken

The Ingredients
--6-9 chicken thighs, or equivalent body parts
--1 can rinsed black beans
--1 cup chunky salsa
--1 cup frozen white corn 
--1 small can green chilies
--salt, pepper, crushed red pepper, sazon, and any other spice you feel fits in
The Directions

Put your chicken in the crockpot; add spices. Top with the rinsed black beans, salsa, and corn.

Cover and cook on low for 6-9 hours, or on high for 4-5. Cooking time will vary depending on whether or not your chicken is frozen, and how big the pieces are.

If you decide to use breasts, increase your salsa by 1/2 cup. Breasts are drier than thighs.


Serve with rice, quinoa, or another grain.




Original recipe found here, with additions/changes made by me.

Harvest Stew

::Crockpot Recipe::

Ingredients:
--1 pound lean ground turkey or chicken (I used chicken)
--1 yellow onion, chopped
--3 chopped garlic cloves
--1 can kidney beans, rinsed
--1 sweet potato, peeled and chopped
--3 red potatoes, peeled and chopped
--1 acorn squash, peeled and chopped
--1 whole can tomatoes and chilies (rotel)
--4 cups chicken broth
--1/4 tsp cloves
--1/4 tsp all spice
--salt and pepper to taste


The Directions.

Use a big crockpot for this stew. (I used a 6.5 quart)

I didn't brown the meat. If you are using extra lean ground turkey or chicken, there really isn't a need--the only worry about using beef or pork is the fat content. If you prefer those types of meat, or already have it on hand, brown on the stove top and drain before adding to the stew.

Peel and chop all of the vegetables, and add it to the crockpot. Break up the ground meat with your fingers and add it in. Dump in the kidney beans and the can of tomatoes and chilies. Add the broth and the seasonings. Stir well. It will look like there isn't enough liquid, but more will be made from the vegetables and meat.

Cover and cook on low for 7-9 hours. I cooked ours on low for exactly 8. It was perfect.

Baked Potato Soup (Crock Pot)

The Ingredients.

--5 lbs potatoes, peeled and diced in 1 to 2-inch chunks
--1 teeny onion, diced
--4 cloves garlic, minced
--1 teaspoon seasoned salt
--1/2 teaspoon black pepper
--1/2 teaspoon red pepper
--2 quarts chicken broth
--2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, to add at the end
--crumbled bacon and green onion or chives as garnish; also shredded cheddar cheese or steamed broccoli (optional)

The Directions.

Use a 6 quart or larger slow cooker. Peel and dice the potatoes, and put them into the stoneware. Add onion and garlic. Sprinkle in the seasonings, and pour in the broth. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, or on high for 4. The potatoes should be fork-tender. You can use a potato masher to mash the potatoes in the soup, or a hand-held immersible blender. You can also leave the potatoes in chunks, if you want.

After smashing the potatoes, crumble in both packages of cream cheese, and put the lid back on. Cook on high for about 30 minutes, or until the cream cheese is completely dissolved. Stir a few times with a whisk during the 30 minutes.

Garnish with crumbled bacon, green onion or chives, cheddar cheese, or steamed broccoli.




Recipe Originally from 'A Year of Slow Cooking' blog

converting stove top to crock pot

Since it's winter and thus major crock pot time, I wanted to know how to convert recipes {such as soups and such} that call for cooking on the stove top into a crock pot recipe. There's a few things to be considered when converting a recipe from stove top to crock pot, and here's what I found {original article}:

Overview
Slow cookers (also commonly known by the brand name Crock-Pot) can be a convenient way to cook complete meals with little effort. However, while cooking in a slow cooker has many advantages, cooks should note some of the major factors requiring adjustment when they convert conventional stove-top recipes for the slow cooker.

Time and Temperature in Slow Cooker Recipes
Since food takes much longer to cook in a slow cooker, the first thing to do when converting a recipe is to calculate the proper cooking time and setting. As a general rule, if a recipe calls for a cooking time of 15–30 minutes, it should be in a slow cooker for about four to six hours on the low setting, or one-and-a-half to two hours on high.

Similarly, 45 minutes of conventional cooking time translates to six to ten hours on low, three to four on high. Over 45 minutes becomes eight to eighteen or four to six hours, respectively. Dishes can be done on either a high or low setting, though some foods, like tough cuts of meat, become more tender over longer cooking periods.

Liquid in the Slow Cooker
Slow cookers cook with ambient heat and steam more than direct heat, which is why the lid should not be removed during cooking. But that means that evaporating water doesn't escape, a fact which needs to factored in when trying a conventional recipe in a slow cooker.

When making dishes with liquid in the slow cooker, it's best to use about half the amount one would use when making the same dish in a pot on a stove. At the same time, though, there should be enough liquid in the cooker to cover the other ingredients.

It's also very important to trim fat off meats before putting them in the slow cooker, since the fat doesn't drain. But less water or liquid ingredients are required for cooking if there is fat in the cooker. If fatty meats (such as bacon) are used as ingredients in slow cooker recipes, they may need to be browned before going in the pot.

The Order of Adding Ingredients in a Slow Cooker
There are two slow cooker options when making a soup or stew which calls for adding rice or pasta. The first is to cook these ingredients in advance, then simply add them when the rest of the soup is done. This option is good if the slow cooker is being left on during the day, and a family wants to eat right after coming home.

For those with more time, there is a second option. Uncooked pasta or rice can be added to the slow cooker, and then, with the temperature on the high setting, allowed to cook similarly to a conventional stove-top recipe but allowing a little more time. {This would usually apply to adding canned beans as well.}

Dairy products (cheese, cream, etc.) should also be added later, during the last fifteen minutes of cooking, while seafood can be added up to an hour before. Dried herbs should also go in later, as their flavors dissipate, although fresh herbs hold up over extended cooking times.