Roast Beef Debris

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 pounds beef chuck roast, cut into large chunks
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon Creole seasoning
3 cups beef broth
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 yellow bell pepper, sliced
1 yellow onion, sliced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon hot sauce
4 sprigs fresh thyme
1 tablespoon instant roux

Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 350°.

2. In a medium Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat oil over medium-high heat.

3. Sprinkle one side of beef with half of salt and half of black pepper; place beef, seasoned side down, in skillet, and cook until browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Sprinkle unseasoned side with remaining salt and remaining black pepper. Turn, and cook until browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from pot.

4. Add broth, bell peppers, onion, tomato paste, hot sauce, and thyme to pot, stirring until combined. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until beef is fork-tender and falling apart, about 3 hours. Discard thyme. Reserve cooking liquid. Remove beef, and shred using 2 forks.

5. In a small bowl, stir together instant roux and ½ cup cooking liquid until smooth. Add to pot. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, 5 to 10 minutes. Stir in shredded beef.

Crockpot Ramen with Crispy Chicken

Ingredients:
2 yellow onions, very thinly sliced 
3-4 large chicken breasts (can also use thighs or pork)
10 cups chicken broth
1/3 cup tamari (can use soy sauce) 
3 Tblsp. white miso paste 
2 Tblsp. Gochujang chili paste
1 Tblsp. Chinese 5 spice (or less, if you don’t want the cinnamon flavor) 
1 1/2 Tblsp. ginger 
Honey and/or brown sugar 
1 can coconut milk
2 Tblsp. toasted sesame oil 
5 squares ramen noodles 
For garnish: soft or hard boiled eggs, candied jalapeños, green onions, chili oil, lime, etc.

Preparation:
1. Place the onions in the bottom of the crockpot.

2. Mix together the chicken broth, tamari, miso, chili paste, 5 spice and ginger, then pour over chicken.

3. Cook in crock pot on medium-low for 6-8 hours.

4. Remove chicken from crockpot and place on 2/3 of foil-lined cookie sheet. Pull apart into pieces and/or shred.

5. Preheat oven to broil. 

6. Strain the onions, and place them on the other 1/3 of the cookie sheet.

7. Drizzle chicken and onions with honey, then sprinkle evenly with brown sugar. The goal is to lightly dust the food so that it will caramelize, but don’t use so much sugar that it makes the chicken sweet.

8. Transfer the broth to a large stockpot, and add the sesame oil and coconut milk. 

9. Bring broth to a boil, then add the noodles. Turn heat down to medium-high.

10. Cook noodles for 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently.

11. While noodles are cooking, put cookie sheet in the oven, and let chicken and onions caramelize (about 5 minutes). If chicken is layered, toss it, so that most of it caramelizes and becomes crispy.

12. Once noodles are cooked, ladle into bowls. Top with chicken and other toppings, as desired.

Source: Half-Baked Harvest (adapted)

Lemon Garlic Chicken

Ingredients

• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, lightly pounded (3 to 4 ounces meat per person)
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 8 cloves garlic, smashed
• 1 cup wild rice blend
• 1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
• 2 1/4 cups water
• 10 fresh parsley sprigs

Directions

Season the chicken breasts generously with salt and pepper. Place the chicken breasts in the bottom of a slow cooker. Add the garlic and rice. Add the lemon juice to the water and stir. Pour this mixture over the rice and chicken. Stir once to coat. Place the lid on the slow cooker and set on low for 8 hours. To plate, place a serving of the rice on each plate and top with 1 chicken breast.Garnish with fresh parsley sprigs

Tangy Slow Cooker Pork Roast

Ingredients

• 1 large onion, sliced
• 2 1/2 pounds boneless pork loin roast
• 1 cup hot water
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon ketchup
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 dash hot pepper sauce, or to taste

Directions

1. Arrange onion slices evenly over the bottom of the slow cooker, and then place the roast on top of the onion. In a bowl, mix together water, sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, ketchup, black pepper, salt, garlic powder, and hot sauce; pour over roast.
2. Cover, and cook on Low for 6 to 8 hours, or on High for 3 to 4 hours.

Crockpot Chicken and Dumplings

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut in small chunks
2 cans condensed cream of chicken soup
1/4 cup onion, finely diced
2 cups water
2 10 oz packages refrigerated biscuits
1 chicken bouillon cube

Combine all ingredients, except biscuits, in slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 5 to 6 hours. 30 minutes before serving, tear biscuit dough into 1-inch pieces. Add to your slow cooker; stirring gently. Cover and cook on HIGH for an additional 30 minutes or until biscuits are fluffed up and cooked through.

Brown Sugar Chicken

2 lbs. boneless chicken pieces
1 cup packed brown sugar
2/3 cup vinegar
1/4 up lemon lime soda
2-3 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon black pepper

Place chicken pieces in your slow cooker. Combine remaining ingredients and pour over the top of chicken. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours. Serve with rice.

Spinach Artichoke Dip

2 (8oz) packages cream cheese (softened)

2/3 cup heave cream (or half and half)

1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1 (16oz) bag chopped spinach (thawed and well drained)

1 (13 3/4oz) can artichoke hearts (rinsed and well drained)

2/3 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

1 cup salsa

In a food processor, process the cream cheese, cream, parmesan cheese, and garlic powder until a smooth and creamy mixture is created. Add the spinach and process until thoroughly mixed. Add artichokes and process until they are coarsely chopped. Add the mixture to the crockpot and smooth top. Cover and cook 1 1/4 - 1 1/2 hours, until the center is hot. Sprinkle the top evenly with Monterey Jack cheese and spoon the salsa around the inside edges of the crockpot. Cover and continue heating on high 15 minutes longer or until the cheese is melted. Serve warm with crackers or tortilla chips for dipping. (I prefer pita chips)

Brisket

5 lbs beef brisket
1/4c merlot
1/4c balsamic vinegar
salt & pepper

2 cans condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 pkg onion soup mix
garlic cloves

1. Season beef with salt & pepper and marinate in wine and vinegar overnight.

2. Combine mushroom soup and onion soup mix and a handful of garlic cloves.

3. Put beef in crockpot and pour marinade and soup mixture over it.

4. Cook on low for 10 hours.

Pot Roast

Ingredients

• 2 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed cream of mushroom soup
• 1 (1 ounce) package dry onion soup mix
• 1 1/4 cups water
• 5 1/2 pounds pot roast

Directions

1. In a slow cooker, mix cream of mushroom soup, dry onion soup mix and water. Place pot roast in slow cooker and coat with soup mixture.
2. Cook on High setting for 3 to 4 hours, or on Low setting for 8 to 9 hours.

Chicken Parmesan

4 chicken breasts

1/2 c bread crumbs

1/2 c parmesan cheese

1 tsp Italian seasoning

1 egg

26 oz jar pasta sauce

1 c mozarella cheese

1 lb Pasta

1. Cut breasts in half so they are thin. Place (1 at a time) in a ziploc bag and pound with a rolling pin until thin.

2. Spray crockpot.

3. Mix egg in one bowl and bread crumbs, parmesan, italian seasoning in another.

4. Dip chicken in egg and then dry mixture. Place on the bottom of crockpot.

5. Cover chicken with sauce. Cook on High for 4 hours.

6. Cook pasta al dente.

7. Turn off and sprinkle mozarella over chicken. Cover and let cheese melt.

8. Serve over pasta.

Caribbean Black Bean Soup (like Bahama Breeze)

INGREDIENTS
2 1/2 cups dry black beans
6 cups water
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 onions, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
6 stalks celery, chopped, with leaves
2 cups water
8 cups chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
3/4 cup balsamic vinegar (or to taste)
1/4 cup sherry
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup chopped green onions

DIRECTIONS
In a medium-size stock pot, add dried black beans and 6 cups of water, cover and let soak overnight.
In another large stock pot, heat olive oil and add onion, minced garlic and chopped celery. Saute until vegetables are softened.
Drain and rinse soaked black beans. Add pre-soaked beans or drained and rinsed canned beans to vegetable mixture along with 2 cups water and broth. Bring to boil; reduce heat and simmer.
Add cayenne pepper and ground cumin. Partially cover the pot and simmer over low heat for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, or until beans are soft.
Puree soup in batches in food processor or blender. Return pureed soup to stock pot and simmer.
Add vinegar, sherry, soy sauce and pepper. Serve hot with a dollop of sour cream or yogurt and white rice and chopped green onions.

Taco Soup

Ingredients
2 pounds ground beef
1 large onion, chopped
1+ can pinto beans
1 can whole kernel corn
1 can stewed tomatoes - mexican style
1 can Rotel tomatoes
1 pkg. taco seasoning mix
1 pkg. original hidden valley ranch dressing (dry)
2 1/2 cups water or more, to make soup broth

Preparation
Brown ground beef and onions in a large pan, drain off fat. Add remaining ingredients and simmer for an hour or so. When ready, serve in big soup bowls, and have a skillet of hot cornbread to eat, too. Can also be served with shredded cheddar cheese and sour cream.