Tag Archives: slow cooker

Crock Pot Goulash

What a great goulash ! The caraway flavor is mild, yet it really steals the show and makes this a great tasting goulash.

Crock Pot Goulash
Crock Pot Goulash

8 servings
181 calories per serving

2 lb. beef stew meat, trimmed and cubed
2 t caraway seeds
2 T paprika
1/4 t salt
Pepper, to taste
1 large onion, chopped
1 small red bell pepper, chopped
14 oz. can diced tomatoes (undrained)
14 oz. can beef broth
1 t Worcestershire sauce
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 bay leaves
2 T cornstarch mixed with 3 T water
2 T chopped parsley
Pam

Place beef in the crock pot. Crush caraway seeds in an herb grinder or with the back of a heavy pot. Mix crushed seeds with paprika, salt and pepper and sprinkle on the meat pressing the spices into the meat so they stick. Add onion and pepper to a skillet sprayed with Pam and cook 5 minutes. Mix tomatoes, broth, Worcestershire and garlic and add to pan and bring to a simmer. Pour into the crock and then place the bay leaves on top of the meat. Cover and cook 4-5 hours on high or 7-8 hours on low. Discard the bay leaves and then add the cornstarch mix and cook on high 15 minutes to thicken the sauce. Garnish with parsley and serve with optional whole wheat egg noodles.

Roasted Chicken Noodle Soup (Crock Pot)

I just found a new favorite chicken soup ! For years I have made ‘my chicken soup’ more often than any other recipe. But this one just takes the cake and this is my new ‘go to’ recipe. It combines home cooked goodness with just a little something extra…the evaporated milk makes the broth become such a mellow base and the roasted chicken has such a great texture – very different from your traditional soup where you cook the chicken in the broth. Give it a try !!

Roasted Chicken Noodle Soup (Crock Pot)
Roasted Chicken Noodle Soup (Crock Pot)

6 servings
373 calories per serving

1 c onions, chopped
1 c carrots, chopped
1 c celery, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 t oil
¼ t flour
½ t oregano flakes
¼ t onion powder
¼ t garlic powder
6 c fat free chicken broth
2 c water
4 c diced potatoes (I used canned)
1 t salt
2 c skinless roasted chicken, diced (Perdue Shortcuts work great here!)
2 c wide egg noodles
1 c fat free evaporated milk

Heat a skillet and add oil and brown onions, carrots, celery and garlic. Stir in flour, oregano, garlic powder and onion powder and then pour into crock and mix in broth, water, potatoes and salt. Cover and cook on low 5-6 hours. Add chicken, noodles and milk and cook until noodles are tender, about ½ hour. If you don’t have a crock pot, you can easily do this stove top. Just let it simmer for an hour or 2 at very low temperature for the first step, then add the chicken, noodles and milk and let cook another 15 minutes or so.

Crock Pot Beef Stew

Nothing is better in winter than a pot of beef stew. And when you make it in the crock pot, the meat is so super tender. This one is a little more work than your typical crock pot recipe since different things have to happen at different times. But it is well worth it – the meat is super tender and the flavor is just great.

Crock Pot Beef Stew
Crock Pot Beef Stew


8 servings
240 calories per serving

1 ½ lb. boneless chuck roast (trim off any fat)
1 envelope dry onion soup mix
½ t pepper
6 c water
2 c red potatoes, cubed
8 carrots, cut into chunks
1 c frozen peas, thawed
1 c frozen corn, thawed
5 T cornstarch
6 T water

Put beef in crock and sprinkle with soup mix and pepper. Pour water around meat and cover. Cook on high 5 hours. Remove meat and cut into cubes. Return to crock with veggies and cook on low 2 hours or until veggies are soft. Combine cornstarch and cold water and then stir into crock. Cover and cook on low one more hour. If the gravy does not thicken up enough, you can take a bunch of the liquid and add another cornstarch mix, bring to a boil and then simmer 2 minutes. That will get it nice and thick. Then just add back to the stew pot and serve immediately.

Beef Stroganoff Topped Potatoes (Crock Pot)

This serves up a super scrumptious stroganoff and serving it atop potatoes is a nice change from the typical noodles.

Beef Stroganoff Topped Potatoes (Crock Pot)
Beef Stroganoff Topped Potatoes (Crock Pot)

6 servings
320 calories per serving

1 medium onion, chopped
1 ½ lb. boneless beef round steak cut into strips
2 4.5 oz. jars of Green Giant Sliced Mushroom and Garlic, drained
2 t beef boullion crystals
2 T water
1 t garlic powder
1 t onion powder
Salt and pepper to taste
6 medium baking potatoes
8 oz. low fat sour cream
1 T flour
1 T ketchup
Chopped parsley for garnish

Layer onion, beef and mushrooms in the crock pot. Combine beef boullion, salt, pepper, spices and water and pour over beef mix. Cover and cook on low 8-10 hours. An hour before serving, cook baked potatoes (LINK TO RECIPE). Mix sour cream, flour and ketchup and stir into beef mix. Place heat on high and recover and cook another 10 minutes. Cut potatoes in half lengthwise and loosen the pulp with a fork. Spoon beef mix over potatoes and sprinkle with parsley.

Meatball and Mushroom Soup (Crock Pot)

This did not photograph particularly well – but let me tell you, the meal was DELICIOUS ! You can’t eat this fast enough – you just want more of that awesome broth and the meatballs in your mouth ! You can also use predone turkey meatballs and take a whole lot of the work out of this recipe. Just make sure to do the broth like it says – you won’t be disappointed !

Meatball and Mushroom Soup (Crock Pot)
Meatball and Mushroom Soup (Crock Pot)

4 servings
200 calories per serving

½ lb. ground turkey
½ t garlic powder
½ t onion powder
¼ t pepper
¼ c Egg Beaters
1 T oil
1 c carrots, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 c sliced mushrooms
1 can fat free beef broth
1 can fat free cream of mushroom soup
2 T tomato paste
Parmesan cheese for garnish

Mix together turkey and seasonings and then add egg and still until well mixed. Make small meatballs and heat in a skillet coated with the oil. Put meatballs in crock and all the rest except the cheese. Cover and cook on low 6-8 hours or on high 3-4 hours. Garnish with Parmesan cheese once in individual bowls.

Cheryl’s Crock Pot Sweet Potatoes

Wherever the recipe came from, this is now “Cheryl’s Sweet Potatoes” to me since my friend Cheryl gave me this recipe 🙂 These are a bit on the high side for calories, so serve them with a nice light serving of fish or chicken. They are so satisfyingly good – just sweet enough without being too sweet ! You could skinny these up using less butter, Splenda brown sugar blend – – but why mess with perfection !?!?!

Cheryl's Crock Pot Sweet Potatoes
Cheryl's Crock Pot Sweet Potatoes

4 servings
289 calories per serving

2 lb sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into small cubes
1/4 c packed dark brown sugar
1 t cinnamon
1/2 t nutmeg
1/8 t salt
2 T butter, cut into pieces
1 t vanilla

Combine potatoes, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt and place in the crock pot. Cook on low for 7 hours or high for 4 hours. Add butter and vanilla at the end, stir gently to blend.

Barbecue Pork Chops (Crock Pot)

How nice to place some ingredients in a slow cooker/crock pot and come back 4 hours later to a perfectly cooked meal ! Serve with a small side of mashed potatoes for a great meal.

Barbecue Pork Chops (Crock Pot)
Barbecue Pork Chops (Crock Pot)

4 servings
237 calories

8 5-ounce boneless pork chops
Salt and pepper to taste
Pam
1/2 c BBQ sauce
14.5 oz. can of diced tomatoes
10 oz. frozen vegetables

Sprinkle chops with salt and pepper. Spray a warm skillet with Pam and return to heat. Add chops and cook until brown on both sides. Pam a crock pot and place the chops in the crock. Mix the sauce, tomatoes and vegetables. Stir well and pour over the chops. Cook on high 4 hours.

The BBQ sauce is what really makes the dish – make sure to choose one of your favorites and to embellish it with extra garlic, lemon, vinegar….whatever makes it good to you !

Chicken and Dumplings (Crock Pot)

This recipe confirmed all my earlier suspicions – – I REALLY REALLY don’t like dumplings ! heheheh But I know there are lotsa people out there who do and my husband (who is a bona fide dumpling lover) said these were quite tasty !

Chicken and Dumplings
Chicken and Dumplings

8 servings
400 calories per serving

Soup:
4 c cubed cooked chicken (Perdue Shortcuts work great here!)
6 c fat free chicken broth
1 T parsley, chopped
1 c onion, chopped
1 c celery, chopped
6 c diced potatoes
1 c green beans
1 c carrots, sliced

Dumplings:
1 c white flour
1 c whole wheat flour
1 t salt
4 t baking powder
1 egg, beaten
2 T oil
2/3 c skim milk

Combine all soup ingredients in crock. Cover and cook 4-6 hours. Transfer to a large soup pot with a lid and bring to a boil. Then reduce to a simmer. To make the dumplings, mix flour, salt and baking powder in a bowl. In another bowl mix egg, oil and milk and then add to flour mixture. Drop by large tablespoonfuls on top of the simmering broth until the surface is covered. Cover and simmer 18 minutes.

Crock Pot Baked Apples with Maple Foam

Baked apples slow cooked not only taste great, but they make the whole house smell wonderful while they cook 🙂 This recipe is simple to do, yet has an elegant presentation. Though the recipe does not call for it, try adding some cinnamon or nutmeg for a different flavor combo.

Crock Pot Baked Apples with Maple Foam
Crock Pot Baked Apples with Maple Foam

4 servings
145 calories per serving

2 large sized apples, cut in half and cored
4 t margarine cut in small pieces
1/2 c orange juice
1 T cider vinegar
1/4 c evaporated milk or half and half
2 T maple syrup

Please apples skin side down in a slow cooker. Place a dot of margarine on each. Pour juice and vinegar mix over the top and cook on high 2-3 hours or until soft. Remove apples to a plate and pour the juice in a pan. Bring juice to a boil and cook on high 5 minutes to reduce to a syrup.

Whip milk and maple syrup in an ice cold bowl for 3 minutes. Top each apple piece with 1/4 of the cream and drizzle with the fruit syrup.

Alternately, skip the milk and just add some maple syrup over the top of the apples for another version of a great dessert for a cold night.

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