Loaded Potato Soup

Ingredients:

• 5 lbs potatoes cut into 1 inch cubes 
• 1 large onion chopped
• 5 garlic cloves minced
• 32 oz chicken broth
• 1 bay leaf
• Salt 
• Pepper
• 1 cup cream
• 16 oz cream cheese 

Toppings:

• Shredded cheddar cheese
• Sour cream 
• Bacon
• Chives

Directions: 

1. Put first 7 ingredients into crock pot and cook on low for 10 hours, high for 6.
2. Stir in cream and cream cheese until it is well mixed. 
3. Slowly and carefully ladle your soup into a food processor, blender, or better yet use a submersible blender and blend your soup to the consistency of your liking. I like to blend half.
4. Serve with toppings of your choice.
5. Enjoy!! 

Tomato Basil Meatloaf

Ingredients:

• 3 pounds ground beef chuck
• 1 can diced tomatoes, drained and rinsed
• 1 small onion chopped
• 1/2 cup fresh basil chopped
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 cup panko bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup ketchup

Directions:

1. Mix all ingredients in a large mixing bowl 
2. Spray the bottom of your slow cooker with nonstick spray and transfer you meatloaf mixture into your slow cooker.  Shape into a rectangular shape. 
3. Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours.  Internal temp should reach 180 degrees. 
4. Enjoy!

Slow Cooker Cream of Broccoli Cheddar Soup

We just harvested our first broccoli crop of the year.  My kids LOVE Panera's broccoli soup, so I thought I'd give it a whirl in the slow cooker.  Success! 


Ingredients:

• 2 pounds fresh broccoli 
• 1 tbs broccoli 
• 1 large onion chopped 
• 1 carrot chopped 
• 2 cloves of garlic minced 
• 5 cups chicken stock
• salt and pepper
• 1/2 cup heavy cream 
• • 4 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

1. In a small sauce pan, melt butter. Saute chopped onions and carrots for about 10 minutes. 
2. Put broccoli, sauteed onions and carrots, garlic cloves and chicken stock in crock pot. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours.  
4. Add heavy cream and cheese AFTER the soup is finished. 
5. Remove from crock pot, blend in a food processor or blender and serve.
6. Enjoy!!! 

Slow Cooker Pulled BBQ Chicken Sandwiches

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• 
  
• Ingredients:

• 2 lbs chicken breast
• 1 onion finely chopped 
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped 
• 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar 
• 1 cup ketchup 
• ½ cup water 
• 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 
• salt
• pepper
• 6 whole wheat hamburger buns

Directions:

1. 1. Put chicken, onion and garlic in the slow cooker
2. 2. Whisk apple cider vinegar, ketchup, water, brown sugar, and Worchestershire sauce in a medium bowl and pour over chicken.
3. 3. Cover and cook 3-4 hrs on high or 6-8hrs on low.
   
   
   4. When chicken is done, using two forks, shred!
   
   
   5. Enjoy! 
   
   
   
   
   Adapted from Paula Deans http://www.pauladeen.com/recipes/recipe_view/pulled_bbq_chicken_sandwich/
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

Falafel

I love, love, LOVE falafel but despise that it is deep fried.  Since I've been trying to lose my extra baby weight that I gained while pregnant with my "baby" (who is now 2 and a half) I've been looking for some healthier recipes and thought I would give this one a go.  This turned out better than I expected!

Ingredients:

• 15oz can of garbanzo beans/chickpeas drained
• 1/2 onion roughly chopped 
• 1 Tablespoon fresh parsley 
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 egg
• 1 Tablespoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 1 teaspoon coriander 
• 1 lemon juiced 
• 1 cup bread crumbs
• olive oil spray for the bottom of the crock pot
• plain greek yogurt
• dill

Directions:

1. Mash beans in a small bowl (I used a pastry blender because the fork wasn't cutting it)
2. Add onion, parsley, garlic, egg, salt, pepper, cumin, coriander, and lemon into a blender or food processor and blend until mixed. 
3. Pour mixture in with the beans, add bread crumbs and combine.  
4. Spray the bottom of your crock pot liberally with the olive oil spray (or just pour about 2 tablespoons in)
5. Make golfball sized falafel balls (like you would make a meatball) and flatten between the palms of your hands.  Place in the bottom of your pot. 
6. Mix the plain greek yogurt with the dill, salt and pepper and refrigerate.
7. Cook on high for about 4 hours or low for about 6.  These you will have to watch.
8. To prepare, spoon yogurt into a pita, add lettuce, red onion and finally the falafel.
9. Enjoy! 

Recipe adapted from: http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2008/05/crockpot-falafel-recipe.html

Corned Beef and Cabbage

Nothing says St. Patrick's Day quite like a big ole' plate of corned beef and cabbage.  But did you know that this well loved culinary tradition is strictly an Irish-American ritual?  As it turns out, back in Ireland the sky high prices and scarcity of beef and cabbage prevented most people from enjoying this St. Patrick's Day staple.  It wasn't until they arrived in America, where corned beef and cabbage were both inexpensive and readily available, did this actually become a St. Patricks Day tradition amongst the Irish people.  Irish, American or a little bit of both we say bring on the corned beef and cabbage!!  

Ingredients:

• 3-4 pound corned beef brisket
• 1 onion chopped 
• 10-12 small red potatoes
• 1 bag of baby carrots
• 1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
• 2 cloves of garlic minced
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 2 Tbs yellow mustard
• 2 Tbs cider vinegar
• 1 cup water
• Spice pack provided with brisket
• 12oz stout ale (such as Guinness)
• 1 head of cabbage cut into wedges 
• 1 bay leaf

Directions:

1. Place chopped onion, red potatoes and baby carrots in the bottom of your slow cooker.
2. Combine pepper, garlic, brown sugar, yellow mustard, cider vinegar, water and spice pack provided with your brisket in a small bowl. 
3. Rinse brisket and place on top of your veggies. 
4. Pour the mixture and the beer over your brisket.   
5. Add bay leaf and place your cabbage wedges on top of the brisket.  
6. Cook on low for 10-12 hours or high 6-8 hours. 
7. Slice the brisket in 1/4 inch pieces (against the grain) and serve with potatoes, carrots and of course cabbage!
8. Enjoy!!!!!

Hoisin Glazed Turkey Meatloaf

I found this recipe at healthyseasonalrecipes.com.  It was originally a recipe for oven baked meatballs, but I thought it would make an awesome crockpot meatloaf.  Did it ever!! Picture coming soon!

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 tablespoons Soy Sauce
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
• 2 teaspoon minced freshginger root
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 3 scallions chopped
• 1/2 cup drained chopped water chestnuts
• 1 pound lean ground turkey
• 1/4 cup purchased Hoisin Sauce 
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves (coriander)
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
• Black and/or white sesame seeds, for garnish

DIRECTIONS:

1. Whisk soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger, and sugar in a large bowl. Whisk in cornstarch until smooth. Stir in 3 minced scallions and water chestnuts. Mix in the turkey until all ingredients are combined.
2. Spray the bottom of your Crock Pot with nonstick spray and transfer your turkey meatloaf mixture to  your crock pot and mold into a rectangular shape. 
3. In a separate bowl whisk together the hoisin sauce, cilantro, and lime juice.  Spread the sauce over the top of the meatloaf.  
4. Cover and cook for 7-8 hours on low.  Internal temp should reach 160 degrees.
5. Sprinkle with black or white sesame seeds for garnish.
6. ENJOY! 

Here is the link for the original recipe!  

http://www.healthyseasonalrecipes.com/blog-table-of-contents/623-hoisin-glazed-turkey-meatballs.html