Archive | Recipes-Crockpot RSS feed for this section

Pork, Sauerkraut and Dumplings

8 Nov

This recipe was handed down from my mother-in-law. It is a comfort food for my husband, who remembers it fondly from his childhood.  I have to admit, I had never heard of sauerkraut and dumplings, and I wasn’t sure about it.  After trying it at my in law’s house, I had a change of heart.  This stuff is pretty good, and, it’s way outside my comfort zone, which, for me, makes it even better.,

 

Ingredients:

– 4 boneless pork chops, 4 oz each

– 1 cup original bisquick mix

– 1/3 cup 1% milk

– Chicken broth, 1 1/2 cups

– 4 cups, or 1 bag of sauerkraut, with juice

– Salt and pepper to taste

 

Directions:

1. Mix Sauerkraut and chicken broth in a crock pot.

2. Salt and pepper pork chops, and add to crock pot, on top of sauerkraut mixture.

3. Cook on low 5-7 hours.

4. Remove pork from crockpot. Pour sauerkraut mixture into a large pan (with lid) and place on the stove, on medium heat until nearly boiling.

5. Mix bisquick and milk in a bowl.  Divide mixture evenly into 4 segments, and use a spoon to drop each one into the pot.

6. Allow dumplings to cook for 10 minutes uncovered.   Cover with lid and continue cooking and additional 10 minutes.

7. Serve Pork with 1 dumpling, and 1/4 remaining sauerkraut.

 

*Note: this is delicious with mashed potatoes

 

Makes 4 Servings: 408 Calories per serving

Approximately 11 Weight watchers points plus

IMG_7959.JPG

 

Tags: , , , ,

Beef Stew Shepherds Pie

25 Sep

This is not a pretty dish, but it tastes SO good! I’ve always been intrigued and a bit weirded out by the concept of shepherds pie. I mean, why would you mix all those foods together when you could eat them nice and separately, in their own little OCD compartments??? It just seems so strange to mush everything together like that!! So, i thought to myself “self. i don’t think you’ll ever be a true shepherds pie kind of girl..but you know what’s delicious together? beef stew and mashed potatoes!” and so beef stew shepherds pie was born! It’s so rich, and flavorful, and hearty. This will really be great this fall and winter, and I’m so glad I made it. I hope you enjoy! PS you could make your own mashed potatoes and probably lower the calories further, but since i found these little gems, potato mashing has become a time consuming effort reserved only for Christmas, and days off. We do what we do to get the kids fed, homework done, piano, softball, girl scouts meetings, and school plays in, right? right.

 

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb of stew meat
  • 1 onion, quartered, then cut in half (so, eighthed, that’s a word right?)
  • 15 baby carrots
  • 2 Cups hot water
  • 1 packet mcCormick beef stew seasoning mix
  • 1 cup mushrooms, sliced
  • 2/3 cup frozen peas
  • 2 TBSP cornstarch
  • 1 container of prepared bob evans original mashed potatoes

 

Directions:

1. place beef, onions, and carrots in a medium crockpot.

2. Mix 1 1/2 cups of water with beef stew seasoning mix, and pour over top of beef mixture.

3. cook on low for 5-7 hours, stirring occassionaly if you’re available to do so.

4. Once 5-7 hour time is up, transfer mixture to a large oven safe skillet (cast iron if you have one). Add frozen peas and mushrooms to mixture.

5. Remove about 1/4 cup of liquid from stew mix, and mix with corn starch in a separate container, until mixture creates a smooth slurry.

6. Add the corn starch slurry into the stew and stir well with mixture. Continue to cook on low for about 10 min, or until mixture begins to thicken.

7. Microwave the bob evans mashed potates according to package directions. Spoon carefully and evenly over top of stew inside the skillet.

10. Place the oven-safe skillet into the Oven, and Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes.

 

Makes 4 servings= 530 Calories per serving

Approximately 14 weight watchers points plus

20140925-173914.jpg

20140925-173931.jpg

20140925-173944.jpg

Tags: , , , , ,

Crockpot Bean Soup

16 Jul

I am a southern girl (which you probably know by now if you follow this blog) and I love bean soup. So does my 15 yr old, and he requested it this week, so, who am I to say no!! I’ve tried many times to make it in the crock pot, because it seems like a great fit… but for whatever reason, it never really worked… until last night! Below is a pretty delicious, filling, and low calorie classic southern white bean soup. It takes a little more prep time than I normally put into a crockpot meal, but honestly, I did everything the night before, except add the beans. I stored the rest of the soup mixture in the fridge overnight, and cleaned and sorted the beans, and set them aside on the counter. Then in the morning, I mixed the dried beans in and started the crockpot. It was yummy! For an extra 170 calories, I served it with one prepared jiffy corn bread muffin. mmm…… that deserves another one…. say it with me…. “mmmmmmm……” Enjoy!

 

Ingredients:

  • 1 tbsp Olive Oil
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 4 stalks of celery, chopped
  • 3 medium carrots, chopped
  • 4 tbsp minced garlic
  • 1 country ham hock (8 oz)
  • 26 oz of chicken stock
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 tsp salt (or to taste)
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp thyme
  • 3 Cups water
  • 1 lb dry great northern beans

 

Directions:

1. On the stove top, heat oil in a medium sized skillet. Add some non-stick spray if you need more than just the 1/2 tbsp of oil.

2. Add the onions, celery, and carrots to the pan. Heat them in the oil, stirring regularly, until the veggies begin to soften a big. Onions may turn semi-translucent.

3. Transfer veggie mixture to the empty crock pot. Add everything else on the list to the crock pot, except the beans. Don’t add the beans yet.

4. Use a strainer to rinse your beans thoroughly. Sort through the beans while cleaning them, and discard any beans that are discolored, shriveled, or broken. Be sure to rinse them well. Occassionaly you might find a pebble in there. Remove that too 🙂 they’re hard to digest.

5. See all those steps up there ^^ I did all those the night before, and then stored my beans on the counter, and the remaining soup mixture in the fridge, over night. Don’t soak your beans…. just rinse them, drain the water, and set them aside. If you’re doing this all in the same day, then you can go ahead and add your beans at this point. If you prep the night before like me, then just stir the beans in when you’re ready to start cooking!

6. Stir the beans into the mixture, and heat on low for about 8 hours, upto 10.

7. 30 min before serving, remove the ham hock, and the bay leaves. Mix the soup around, and if you like (i do) you can take a rigid spoon and smoosh some of the beans against the edge of the crock pot. This creates a thicker soup, which I like. You don’t have to do the smooshy part…it’s up to you. BUT… do leave the lid off and let it cook for another 20-30 min or so. \

Editors Note: I also remove about 1/4 cup of the country ham from the hamhock, chop it up, and add it back into the soup. Again, up to you. Southern girls don’t pass up country ham when they have the chance to eat it.

 

Makes 9 Cups.

1 Cup of soup= 172 Calories per cup

Approximately 4 weight watchers points plus per cup

20140716-205220.jpg

20140716-205239.jpg

Tags: , , , , , ,

Pulled Pork and Black Bean Burrito Bowls

4 Jun

This recipe is cumbersome, and I apologize in advance for the overwhelming list of ingredients. But, this is a marriage of 2 of my other recipes, and one that I really enjoyed. I thought the best way to present this is to give seperate directions/ingredients for each element (pork, beans, other) individually. I’d start with the pork in the crockpot in morning, and then come home to make the beans and rice. Enjoy.

 

Black Beans Ingredients (makes 8 servings):

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 chopped onion
  • 1 green bell pepper, finely chopped
  • 1 cup Rotel
  • 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • ½ teaspoon Oregano
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 cup fat-free, low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
  • 2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
  • Ground black pepper to taste
  • 1 teaspoon red chile flakes (optional)

 

Pork Ingredients (makes 8 servings):

Ingredients:

  • 2 lbs pork roast
  • 1 diced onion
  • 1 red pepper, chopped
  • 1 can of verde enchilada sauce (or 1 1/2 cups salsa verde)
  • 2 tbsp. lime juice
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp white pepper
  • 2 tablespoons minced garlic
  • 1/4 tsp dried basil
  • splash of hot sauce (optional)

Other Ingredients:

  • 2 cups uncooked white Rice
  • 1 chicken bullion cube
  • 1 cup reduced fat Sour Cream
  • 1 cup 2% shredded cheddar Cheese
  • 1 cup Mild, Medium, or Hot Salsa
  • 1 Tomato, fresh diced

 

Crockpot Pork Instructions:

1. Place the onion, pepper, salsa verde and lime juice into crockpot.

2. Add pork sirloin.

3. Top with all listed spices.

4. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours (until meat shreds easily with a fork)
5. Shred pork with 2 forks.

6. Either use tongs to remove pork for tacos, or, I prefer to place the mixture in a skillet and cook on stovetop until extra juice evaporates. I think it gives better flavor.

Black Beans Instructions:

1. Add the olive oil to a 3-quart saucepan over medium heat.

2. Add the onion and bell pepper and cook for about 5 minutes, or until the vegetables are soft.

3. Add the tomatoes, garlic, bay leaf, chili powder, cumin, oregano, and 1 teaspoon salt, and simmer for about 3 minutes. Carefully add the broth and beans.

4. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring regularly, until the mixture is thickened and most of the broth has evaporated.

5. Remove from the heat and discard the bay leaf.

6. Stir in the vinegar and cilantro. Season to taste with salt, black pepper, and chili flakes, if desired. Keep the bean mixture warm.

Other Instructions:

1.Cook Rice according to package directions. Place bullion cube in the water used for rice. Portion out cooked rice into 8 bowls or containers once cooked.

2. Top each Bowl of rice with one portion black bean mixture, and one portion of pork (4 oz).

3. Top each bowl with 2 TBsp sour cream, 2 tbsp cheese, 2 tbsp Salsa, and diced tomatoes and cilantro to taste.

 

Makes 8 servings= 575 Calories Per Serving

Approximately 15 weight watchers points plus per serving

20140604-070533.jpg

Tomato Basil Tortellini Soup

22 Mar

You could easily do this in the crockpot too. 5 hrs on low.

Ingredients:

– 2 cans of chicken broth
– 2 cans italian style diced tomatoes
– 3 cups fresh spinach
– 1/4 tsp or 1-2 packets of Splenda
– salt and pepper to taste
– 1 tsp dried basil
– 1 bag of frozen cheese tortellini
– 1 block of fat free cream cheese

Directions:

1. Cut cream cheese into blocks.

2. In a large pot, Mix broth, tomatoes, cream cheese, basil, salt and pepper, and Splenda and heat, stirring until cream cheese melts.

4. Add spinach and tortellini and heat on warm, stirring regularly.

5. Heat for 10-15 min.

Makes 6 (1 1/2 cup) servings= 280 calories per serving

Apps 7 weight watchers points plus

20140322-203735.jpg

Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Classic crock pot pork loin

7 Mar

This is as simple as it comes, but it’s so yummy. Make the gravy to go with it for an extra rich flavor.

Ingredients

– 2 lb pork loin
– 2/3 cup water
– 1 envelope Lipton onion soup mix

Directions

1. Place frozen or thawed pork loin in crockpot.

2. Add water, and sprinkle onion soup evenly over top of pork and also around the pork, into the water.

3. Cook on low 6-8 hours.

To make gravy:

After cooking pork, remove liquid to a small saucepan.

In a separate cup mix 3 tbsp water with 1 tbsp corn starch and stir until smooth.

Stir this mixture into liquid in saucepan, and heat over medium heat, stirring until gravy thickens.

5 servings without gravy= 220 calories

5 servings with gravy= 234 calories

With gravy, appx 6 weight watchers points plus

20140307-204937.jpg

Tags: , ,

Homemade Marinara Sauce

3 Mar

So, I love Italian Food, as you probably have noticed if you follow this blog. I also love to make my own sauce. Jarred sauce has so much sugar in it, it’s hard to find a good one that’s low calorie, plus I think the homemade stuff is so much better. Plus, it’s easy to make. Although, to get it right, you should let it simmer at least an hour or so. You can double, or triple, the batch and make it on low all day in a crock pot. The leftovers freeze well in a regular ziplock freezer bag.

Fun fact: this was originally going to be a post about turkey meatballs and marinara, but while I was multi-tasking, my dog ate my meatballs!

On a side note, if you’re going to opt for a jarred sauce, Prego “Smart Light” has almost half the calories of any other jar sauce I’ve seen, and it’s pretty good. That’s the only one I buy these days.

Ingredients:

– 29 oz can of crushed tomatoes
– 1/2 an onion, chopped
– 2 tbsp minced garlic
– 1 tbsp dried oregano
– 1 tsp dried basil
– 1 packet splenda no calorie sweetener
– 1/2 tsp salt
– 2 cups fresh sliced mushrooms (optional)

Directions:

1. Saute onion in a medium size pot, with non stick spray, until they begin to soften. Add garlic and stir over heat until well incorporated, but be careful not to burn garlic.

2. Add all other ingredients, and simmer on low for 1 hour or so, stirring occasionally.

3. Serve with meatballs, over spaghetti or other noodles, or with spaghetti squash. Delicious!

Makes 5 Servings, 1/2 cup each= 65 Calories per serving
1/2 cup= 1 weight watchers point plus

When served with 3 oz of Ronzoni Smart Taste Pasta, and 1/2 cup of sauce= 350 Calories (appx 9 weight watchers points plus)

IMG_5319[1]
IMG_5320[1]

Tags: , ,

Red Wine Chicken

19 Feb

So, I adapted this recipe to be a take on the French classic, “coq au vin”… but, I didn’t call it that, because, I want to post a more traditional coq au vin at a later date… so for now, here is “Red Wine Chicken”. I served it with mashed potatoes, and collard greens. Note that I cooked this in the oven. You could replace the oven part with 6 hrs on low in a crockpot. If you choose to cook it this way, you may need to cook the sauce off in a pan afterward to thicken.

Ingredients:

– 1.25 lbs chicken, boneless, skinless breast
– 1 onion chopped
– 1 tbsp. oil
– 1 cup chicken broth
– 1 cup red wine
– 1 small can tomato paste (the long skinny one)
– 2 bay leaves
– 1 tbsp. thyme
– salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a large skillet. Add onions and chicken breasts. cook until onions are translucent, and chicken is brown on all sides, about 5 min.

2. Season chicken in skillet with salt and pepper.

3. Add all other ingredients to skillet. Mix and bring to a boil.

4. Transfer all contents of pan to a baking dish, and cover with foil.

5. Bake for 1 1/2 hours at 300 degrees.

6. Remove from oven. Remove bay leaves, and allow to rest for about 5 minutes. Sauce will thicken.

7. Serve over potatoes, rice, or noodles.

4 Servings= 365 Calories per serving
Appx. 9 weight watchers points plus per serving

IMG_5201[1]IMG_5202[1]

Chicken Noodle Soup

10 Feb

So, chicken noodle soup isn’t new to anyone, and it’s really pretty healthy no matter how you make it, assuming you don’t use a ton of butter or overload the noodles… so, here’s a recipe that I go to for comfort food on a winter day. It’s predictably delicious, as most homemade chicken noodle soup is. Enjoy.

Ingredients:

– 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
– 64 oz (2 boxes) of chicken broth or stock
– 3 carrots, diced
– 1 onion, diced
– 3 stalks of celery, diced
– 2 tablespoons of parsley
– 4 oz “no yolks” medium noodles

Directions:

1. Place all ingredients, except for noodles into a crockpot. Set on low or 6-8 hours.

2. Remove chicken breasts and shred them with 2 forks. Return them to crockpot.

3. 30 min before serving, add noodles and stir. Cover and cook for 30 min.

Enjoy. Easy breezy.

Editors note: I like to make mine in the crockpot, because I prefer shredded chicken, and this is the easiest way to get it. You could easily make this on the stove by just boiling all ingredients together and dicing the chicken up as well.

10 1 cup Servings= 115 Calories per cup

IMG_5115[1]

Jambalaya

8 Jan

So, I originally forgot to take a picture of this one, but i have great friends who take my word and try my recipes without photo evidence that theyre good. this picture is courtesy of my friend Robin, who, incidentally, loved the recipe!

My daughter is already asking when I’m going to make this again. Was great leftovers too.

Ingredients:

– 1/2 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast. Cubed into about 1/2 in x 1/2 in.
– 12 oz of turkey smoked sausage, cut into 1 inch slices.
– 1 can of beef broth (14 oz appx)
– 1 onion, diced
– 2 ribs of celery, sliced into 1/2 inch slices
– 1 can of diced tomatoes, undrained (14 oz appx)
– 1/3 cup tomato paste
– 3 tablespoons of minced garlic
– 1 tbsp. dried parsley
– 1 1/2 tsp dried basil
– 1 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
– 1 tsp salt
– 1 tsp pepper
– 1 tsp dried oregano
– 12 oz cookied shrimp, peeled and deveined
– 2 1/2 cups of cooked rice

Directions:

1. Place everything above, starting with chicken, and ending with oregano, into your crockpot. If you have a textural issue with somewhat crunchy onions… throw those into the microwave for 25 seconds in a bowl before adding them.

2. Cook on low 6-8 hours, stirring periodically.

3. Cook rice according to package.

4. 15 min prior to serving, stir in cooked rice and shrimp. When it’s all stirred up, cover, and allow to cook remaining 15 minutes before serving.

Makes 6 healthy sized portions= 345 Calories per serving

20140314-203533.jpg

← Older Entries
Newer Entries →