Slow Cooker Wednesday: Split Pea Soup

Possibly the most unappetizing picture ever, but I promise it tastes better than it looks! We've had a ham bone in our freezer since Thanksgiving so I finally gave in to the hubby's request for split pea soup. I have no recollection of ever having this soup before, so it was kind of scary because I'm not really a fan of ham or peas. Surprisingly, this soup only has subtle flavors of each and was actually pretty good! Super easy to prepare and paired with some crusty bread, it made for a pretty comforting dinner!

Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup
Source: adapted from Whole Foods

Ingredients

1 (16-oz) package dried green split peas, rinsed

1 ham bone 

2 cups diced ham (less if your ham bone is pretty meaty)
3-4 carrots, sliced
1 onion, chopped

2 ribs celery, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley (I omitted)
Salt and pepper to taste
6 cups low sodium chicken broth

Directions
Layer ingredients in slow cooker in the order given, adding the broth last. Do not stir ingredients. Cover and cook on high 4—5 hours or on low 8—10 hours until peas are very soft and ham falls off the bone.

Enjoy!

Slow Cooker Wednesday: Chicken Taco Chili

 

(sans fixings on top, I was hungry!)

In my quest to utilize my slow cooker more often I have realized that I seem to be in a slow cooker rut. Meaning almost everything I make is some sort of soup/chili/stew. But I decided, screw the rut because I wanted to make this chili. Such a simple, healthy, comforting meal to come home to on a cold night. And even better, this hardly took any time or effort to prepare. I mixed everything up (except chicken) in a big Tupperware the night before, kept it in the refrigerator, and in the morning all I had to do was dump it in the slow cooker and add the chicken. And obviously because I can't get enough, this is healthy enough for me to add extra cheese on top:)

Slow Cooker Chicken Taco Chili
Source: Adapted from Skinny Taste

Ingredients:
1 onion, chopped
1 16-oz can black beans, drained
1 16-oz can kidney beans, drained
1 8-oz can tomato sauce
10 oz package frozen corn kernels
2 14.5-oz cans diced tomatoes w/chilies (Rotel)
chili peppers, chopped (optional)1 packet taco seasoning
1 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp chili powder
3-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

For garnish: chopped fresh cilantro, sour cream, shredded cheese

Directions:
Combine all ingredients through chili powder in slow cooker. Place chicken on top and cover. Cook on low for 10 hours or on high for 6 hours. Half hour before serving, remove chicken and shred. Return chicken to slow cooker and stir in, cook for remaining 30 minutes. Top with your desired garnishes.

 Enjoy!

Pork Carnitas

Growing up, tacos made a regular appearance on our dinner table. Tacos are also one of my dad's most requested dinners, if I'm not mistaken. I know you should never mess with a good thing, and nothing can really compare to a regular taco, but sometimes it's nice to try something new. That's where these carnitas come in (along with a 6lb pork shoulder hanging out in the freezer that I just had to buy because it was on sale.)

These were actually really good! I have a little food crush on cinnamon, and I love that you can taste a hint of it in this pork. This pork is really juicy and full of flavor, and it makes A LOT. We served ours on corn tortillas with pepperjack cheese, jalepenos and tomatoes. This would also make a great filling for enchiladas, so our leftovers are hanging out in the freezer until it's enchilada time.

Pork Carnitas

Source: Homemade by Holman, adapted from Allrecipes.com

1 pork shoulder roast, 6-8 pounds
2 T chili powder
2 T ground cumin
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 T coarsely ground salt
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups apple cider
1 cup chicken stock

Put pork roast into a large crock pot, cutting into smaller pieces if necessary to make it fit. Mix spices in a small bowl and pat on top and sides of meat. Pour cider and stock around the sides of the roast, making sure to not wash off spices.

Cook on low for approximately 10 hours. The fat will easily pull off the top of the meat with a fork or spoon. Use 2 forks to shred the meat and remove the bone. Skim off some of the excess liquid, leaving about 1/2 - 1 cup in the crock pot and turn to warm until ready to serve. If you prefer you can also remove the roast before shredding the meat and add back into the crock pot.

Serve on tortillas with whatever toppings you want.

Crockpot Salsa Chicken

Sometimes making dinner is the last thing I want to when I get home from work or my internship, and somedays I don't get home until close to 8. On those days it's usually a fend for yourself type of dinner, or the hubby makes macaroni and cheese and hotdogs:) However, I really think I need to utilize my slowcooker more, but I kind of have anxiety about leaving it on all day with no one home. But I think I can work through that anxiety knowing that dinner will be ready for us when we get home.

The day I made this salsa chicken, I came home that evening to find the hubby standing at the counter eating. His first words to me were, "I can't stop eating these, I've had three already!" Those that know Andy well will understand that if he makes a comment without being asked, the food must be really good. And then I tried it, and I almost said the same thing he did. But with only 3 weight watchers points per serving, I felt okay about devouring my dinner.

We served this taco-style in tortillas, but it would also be delicious as nachos, enchiladas or over rice. This was a bit spicy, but I used hot salsa and a jalepeno, so you can adapt it to your own tastes.

Crockpot Salsa Chicken
Source: Chews Wisely

Ingredients:
4 frozen boneless skinless chicken breast (1.5-2 lbs)
1 cup salsa (hot or medium)
1 package taco seasoning (I used the lower sodium packet)
1 can 98% fat free cream of chicken soup
1 small onion, chopped
1 small can green chilies, undrained ( I subbed one jalepeno)
1/2 cup reduced fat sour cream

Directions:
Use medium to large sized crock pot. Spray inside of crock pot with cooking spray. Add frozen chicken. In a separate bowl, mix together salsa (I often use one 15 oz. jar which is more than 1 cup), taco seasoning and cream of chicken soup. Add to crock pot, mix in with chicken and cook on low for 8-9 hours or on high about 4 hours.

When chicken is done, turn off crock pot, remove cover and let it cool a bit. Meanwhile, chop the onion. After allowing it to cool for a bit, take two forks and shred the chicken. Mix in the onion, green chilies, sour cream and heat on low about 30 minutes.

Serve on tortillas, as a taco salad, or over tortilla chips or rice.

Makes at least 12 servings.

Nutritional Information:

129 calories
2.7 grams of fat (1.2 saturated)
.9 grams dietary fiber
3 weight watchers points

Slow Cooker Pulled Chicken

(sorry, no picture of the finished product this time, just the ingredients)

Where should I begin with this dish? How simple it is to throw together? How it has a sweet taste with a fiery kick? How there are multiple uses for leftovers? Or how delicious it is?

This pulled chicken really has it all. I've never been a fan of pulled pork or anything with barbeque sauce, but this chicken is a winner. The chipotle chilies give it a smokey flavor, while everything else meshes together wonderfully without tasting too much like barbeque.

This makes a lot of food, and you can get creative with the leftovers. Mix up some chicken with black beans and cheese and you have an awesome quesadilla; heat up and serve over rice; whip up a small batch of enchiladas; and obviously, serve on a bun.

Slow Cooker Pulled Chicken
Source: Apple a Day, adapted from http://www.eatingwell.com/

Ingredients:
1 (14 oz.) can tomato sauce
2-3 chipotle chiles in adobo, finely minced
1/4 c. cider vinegar
3 TBSP honey
1 TBSP plus 2 tsp. sweet or smoked paprika
2 TBSP tomato paste
2 TBSP Worcestershire sauce
3 tsp. dry mustard
1 TBSP chili powder
1 tsp. salt
3 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs and breasts, trimmed of fat (I used 1 1/2 lbs. of each)
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced

Directions:

1. Stir tomato sauce, chiles, vinegar, honey, paprika, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, chili powder and salt in a 6-quart slow cooker until smooth. Add chicken, onion and garlic; stir to combine.

2. Put the lid on and cook on low until the chicken can be pulled apart, about 5-6 hours.

3. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and shred with a fork. Return the chicken to the sauce, stir well and serve. Serves 8-10.

Cheesy Potatoes

Cheesy potatoes seem to be one of those things where everyone has a different recipe, but they all taste the same. Some use hashbrowns, some cubes; some cheddar cheese, some american etc. To me, this is one of my ultimate comfort foods that I usually only eat at holiday celebrations, but wish I had more often!

This Christmas was the first time that I was asked to make the infamous cheesy potatoes (well, actually just potatoes, but there was really only one option in my mind). I got out the trusty "church cookbook" to peruse the multiple cheesy potato recipes at hand. I could not find anything that truly tickled my fancy, so I mixed and matched a few and came up with my own version.

One thing that I would change next time is adding 2 cans of cream of chicken soup (noted below) because I was being critical of myself and thought they were dry, but all the Nelson's loved them! (not naming any names, but one of them even ate a plate before they were cooked and said they were good!)

Cheesy Potatoes
Source: Kitchen Escapes

Ingredients:
2 lbs frozen hash browns (used 2 bags of simply potatoes hash browns)
8-12 oz. sour cream
1/4-1/2 cup melted butter
2 cans cream of chicken soup (healthy request or low-sodium)
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 3oz. can french fried onions
salt and pepper

Grease crockpot with cooking spray or butter. Combine all ingredients, saving half of the onions, in crockpot and stir to combine. Cover and cook on low 7 hours (give or take a few). Sprinkle remaining onions on top before serving.

Sausage and Chicken Jambalaya

I did not get a chance to get a picture of this before it was devoured by our Monday night football guests a few weeks ago. I did not even eat anything other than the random bits left in the crock-pot! That was alright though because my mom has made this before so I knew what I was missing out on.

This recipe was passed on to me by my mom, and I have no idea where her photocopy came from. So just to be clear, this is not my original recipe! But this is really good. I have never had jambalaya before this dish, and I am fairly certain this is not "authentic" jambalaya, but it still tastes great and feeds a hungry crowd, which is all good in my book.

My mom has adapted this to be made in the slow-cooker, and it still tastes just as great! The original recipe says it serves 6, so I doubled it for our party, but the original is below.

Sausage and Chicken Jambalaya
Source: unknown
Serves 6

Ingredients:
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, diced
Mrs. Dash or other seasoning for the chicken
2 Tbls. oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. Thyme
2 Tbls. parsley, chopped
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
3/4 lb. smoked sausage, sliced
3/4 cup Acini di Pepe noodles
2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

Stovetop:
Heat the oil in a large skillet and brown the chicken. Once cooked, remove the chicken and set aside. Add the onion, bell pepper and garlic to the oil and cook until just soft. Add the sausage and herbs; stir for 1 minute. Return the cooked chicken and add chicken broth. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, cover, and simmer 30-40 minutes. Add Acini di Pepe and continue to simmer until pasta is tender. Serve warm.

Crockpot:
Heat the oil in a large skillet and brown chicken. Once cooked, remove the chicken and set aside. Add the onion, bell pepper and garlic to oil and cook until just soft. Transfer chicken, onion, pepper and garlic to airtight container and keep in refridgerator until ready (can be done the day before). Combine chicken, onion, pepper and garlic in crockpot. Add thyme, parsley, cayenne, sausage and chicken broth. Cook on low for 4 hours. Add Acini di Pepe during last 10-15 minutes. Serve warm.

Slow Cooker Baked Potato Soup

Baked potato soup is one of my favorite soups this time of year, so I was very intrigued to find a recipe to make it in the slow cooker. When I saw that Cub has 5lb bags of potatoes for 68 cents (!) this week I figured it was a great time to try this.

Wow, is this soup good. It is so creamy, perfectly seasoned, and tastes better than some restaurant soup I've had. The only difficult thing about this recipe is that I do not have an immersion blender or a potato masher, so I ended up just using my blender and doing about 3 batches of soup. I did leave some big chunks of potato as well. Also, this makes A LOT of soup, so make sure your slow cooker is at least 6 quarts. We probably have enough left over to eat for lunch and dinner for the whole week! Maybe next time I'll try to halve the recipe.
Slow Cooker Baked Potato Soup
Source: A Year of Slow Cooking, adapted from RecipeZaar

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 (8 cups)
-2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, to add at the end
-crumbled bacon and green onion or chives as garnish (optional)

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. I suppose you can also leave the potatoes in chunks, if you really wanted, but I wanted a smooth soup.

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 during the 30 minutes. (I let it cook for about 1 hour more after adding the cheese)

Garnish with crumbled bacon, green onion or chives, and I'd assume cheddar cheese would be just delightful.

Crockpot Burrito Soup

This was one of those recipes that I knew immediately when I saw it, I would need to make it, and make it soon! This soup is delicious and so comforting. It also seems to be much tastier the next day, but don't most soups and chili's?

I've actually made this twice already, and it is definitely better if it cooks for a long period of time. The first time we had this, it only cooked for a couple hours and it was very bland, but by the next day everything had married together and it was great. The second time, I let it cook for about 6 hours, and it was perfect. We also upped the rice to about 1 cup, so it is very thick and more like a chili than a soup. I also used a whole cup of corn just to get more veggies in:) We also don't used ground beef, so I used ground turkey. My changes are reflected in the recipe below (refer to originals to see the difference).


Crockpot Burrito Soup
Source: adapted from Loves to Eat, originally from elly says opa!

Ingredients:
2 tsp. oil

1 large onion, diced
1 lb. ground turkey
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (8 oz.) tomato sauce
5 cups beef broth
2 Tbsp. aleppo (or any) chili powder)
1 Tbsp. cumin
2 tsp. oregano
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 cup corn
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup uncooked rice (or, cook rice separately)

Directions:

Heat a large heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat and add oil. Cook the onions for a couple minutes before adding the turkey. Brown the turkey with the onion and drain if necessary. Put back on the heat and stir in the garlic, just until fragrant.

Pour the turkey mixture into the crockpot and then add the tomato sauce, beef broth, spices, corn and black beans. Cook on low for…however long you’re gone.

Increase temp to high and add the rice, just until cooked. Alternatively you can put the cooked rice in bowls and ladle the soup over it. Garnish with your favorite toppings.