I need help...Another Contest

[QueenInNC]

School is starting back for us tomorrow. For those of you that do not know, I have two daughters, 17 and 9 years old. I am working full time for the first time (out of my house) since my kids have been in school and I am totally stressed out about it! lol I know that SO many of you do it and do it well. It's just new to me. My biggest issue is quick healthy meals. I won't be getting home until about 6:15pm. I need to have dinner done and have the little one in bed by 8:30. I will also have lunches to pack, homework to assist with, laundry to do, straightening of the house, cleaning the kitchen after dinner....

I am VERY open to crockpot meals!! The person that posts the recipe I am most interested in, will win a $20 gift certificate to ELP next Sunday.


Oh, no mushrooms please!

 

[QueenInNC]

No one? Am I gonna have to order pizza every night? lol

 

[State O' Flux]

Stolen from my wife, who undoubtedly stole it from someone else... and so on and so on.

1. Salsa Chicken

1 can of black beans (drained)
1 can of corn (un-drained)
1 jar of salsa
4-6 skinless boneless chicken breasts

Throw all the ingredients in the crock pot and cook on low for 6 hours. Once cooked shred chicken and serve over rice or on tortillas shells or tortilla chips for burritos or nachos. Sides of shredded cheddar cheese, lettuce and tomato.

2. Crock Pot Meatloaf

2 lbs. ground beef
3/4 c milk
3/4 breadcrumbs
2 eggs
1 Package Lipton Beefy Onion Soup Mix (not prepared)

Combine all ingredients, shape into a loaf and cook in crock pot on low for 4-6 hours. Use aluminum foil and place the loaf on top for easy cleanup.


Keep your $20 and buy the kids a pizza on Friday. ;-)

 

[Richie G]

Hello Queenie... been awhile. =)

Disclaimer... I know nothing about cooking. I know even less about healthy eating. That said, I may not be the best person to take advice from. LOL

I *did* find something that may fit the bill, however...

http://www.parenting.com/gallery/7-minute-dinners-16608

 

[QueenInNC]

State...both sound delish!! I will be trying both of them! Thank you to you, your wife and so on!

Richie! It HAS been a while! How are ya? Thanks so much for the link. I'm going to check it out now!

 

[spartanstew]

Our boys are also starting school tomorrow. We use the crockpot 3-4 times per week.

Here's a real easy one to put over rice or noodles, or shred the chicken and put in tortillas:

Rotel Chicken

2 cans Rotel Tomatoes with chilis
1 package taco seasoning
boneless chicken breasts (I used about 1.5 lbs)

I did them for 7 hrs in the crockpot on high, shred with forks when done.


Honey Glazed Chicken

ngredients:
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/8 cup low sodium soy sauce
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup bbq sauce
3 chicken breasts
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Pepper & salt

Directions:

Place the chicken in the crockpot. Stir the remaining ingredients together in a bowl, then pour over the chicken. Cook on low 6-8 hours or on high 4-6 hours.

Crockpot Lemon Garlic Chicken


Ingredients:

1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup water
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon chicken bouillon granules
1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley
Directions:

In a bowl, mix the oregano, salt, and pepper. Rub the mixture into chicken. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Brown chicken in butter for 3 to 5 minutes on each side. Place chicken in a slow cooker.

In the same skillet, mix the water, lemon juice, garlic, and bouillon. Bring the mixture to boil. Pour over the chicken in the slow cooker.

Cover, and cook on High for 3 hours, or Low for 6 hours. Add the parsley to the slow cooker 15 to 30 minutes before the end of the cook time.

 

[spartanstew]

Here's another we make all the time:

Crockpot Chicken and Stuffing

4 thawed chicken breasts
• 6oz. package of Stove Top stuffing mix
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 can of cream of chicken soup (or cream of mushroom)

Put chicken in crock pot
Add Stuffing over the toop
Mix sour cream, soup, and 1/4 water in small bowl.
Pour mixture over the top of the stuffing.

Cook on low for 4 hours.

 

[QueenInNC]

OMG! They all sound so good! Great for me but it's gonna be very difficult to choose for the contest. I can see that already!

 

[nomoe]

Easy Parmesan Crusted Chicken Recipe - Allrecipes.com
add some rosemary,italn seasoning its really good

Cola Pot Roast I Recipe - Allrecipes.com

when your done save the stock, add chicken stock to it and some cubed meat. makes a great stew base

Mom's Apple Pie I Recipe - Allrecipes.com
for desert, double the cinnomin. make it on the day off

i love good quick food

 

[SmilingSlasher]

This is MY personal recipe for Mushroom and Swiss Meatloaf.......(it was also my dinner tonight)

1lb Lean Hamburger
2 slices of whole wheat bread (cut into cubes)
2 eggs
1/2 cup yellow onion (diced)
1/2 cup mushrooms (the kind from the jar) (diced)
6-10 slices of fresh Swiss Cheese
1 jar of Mushroom gravy

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees

Combine the hamburger, onions, mushrooms, bread cubes and eggs in a large bowl. Mix by hand until thoroughly mixed (but don't over work it or the meatloaf will fall apart)

Once mixed......add 2 tablespoons of the mushroom gravy and mix that in.

Put HALF the mix into a loaf pan and create a small well in the center so you can put the cheese in. Cut the cheese into length-wise strips and place them in the center well of the mixture. Now use the other half of the mix over the top to complete the loaf and "seal" the cheese in the center of the loaf.

Cover with tin foil and place in the over for 40-45 minutes.

At the 40 minutes mark.........Take the pan out of the oven and pull the foil off. Pour (and spread evenly) some of the leftover Mushroom Gravy over the top of the meatloaf and place it back into the oven for 5 mintes or until the gravy is nice and hot.


BAM!!! Mushroom and Swiss Meatloaf. Good for dinner........GREAT for sandwiches the next day!!!

 

[Nailz]

A easy tasty meal my wife does that our kids enjoy is tater tot casserole

Brown ground beef (2.5lbs), layer in a baking dish, pour over the top soup of your choice, normally my wife does 2 cans, celery and chicken, but can do any flavors, then she spreads the flat tater tots over the top and bakes for around 30 minutes, can also add veg to the ground beef, like peas or carrots, our kids love it anyway

 

[OptimusPrimerib]

Crock Pot Santa Fe Chicken
Skinnytaste.com
Servings: 8 servings • Size: 1 cup • Old Points: 3 pts • Points+: 4 pts
Calories: 190 • Fat: 1.5 g • Fiber: 5.6 g • Carbs: 23.1 g • Protein: 21 g

Ingredients:

24 oz (1 1/2) lbs chicken breast
14.4 oz can diced tomatoes with mild green chilies
15 oz can black beans
8 oz frozen corn
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
14.4 oz can fat free chicken broth
3 scallions, chopped
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp cayenne pepper (to taste)
salt to taste


Directions:

Combine chicken broth, beans, corn, tomatoes, cilantro, scallions, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, cayenne pepper and salt in the crock pot. Season chicken breast with salt and lay on top.

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. Adjust salt and seasoning to taste. Serve over rice or tortillas and your favorite toppings.


If you go to Skinnytaste.com theyre a whole website dedicated to exactly what you want. Theyre my goto website.

 

[grad2003amd]

I love making Lentil Soup!

2 Cups Lentils
salt & pepper
garlic powder (optional)
veggies (I use carrots, potatoes and onion)
water

Rinse Lentils
Cut veggies in 1 inch cubes
saute onions in a big pot
add about 8 cups of water, lentils and veggies
sprinkle with salt and pepper
and a dash or two of garlic powder
cook covered on med/high heat for 20-30 minutes or until veggies are cooked through(stir occasionally)
once veggies are cooked through, uncover and turn to low for a minute or two for the broth to thicken

I always make Jiffy cornbread with this. I know there is no meat, my hubby is a vegetarian, so any recipe I give you won't have meat. I am sure you can add meat if you wanted! Hope you like it.

 

[QueenInNC]

I love Lentil soup but have never made it fresh. I always eat it from a can

 

[grad2003amd]

I actually made this a few months ago and it was my first time ever having lentil soup. I was pleasantly surprised with how good it was!

 

[Debra_oh]

My kids always loved taco nights. Make the recipe below (you can do the same with chicken), put out bowls of any fixins' they like and let them throw together their own tacos. This is a generic recipe, adapt as you like.

2 16-oz. jars mild or medium tomato-based salsa
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
5 teaspoons chili powder
1 1/2 pounds beef chuck pot roast, fat trimmed
12 6-inch corn tortillas
3/4 cup sour cream
3 cups shredded lettuce
1 avocado

Spoon 1 cup salsa into a small bowl; reserve. In a slow cooker, combine remaining salsa with vinegar and chili powder. Add beef, cover and turn heat to low. Cook until beef shreds easily with a fork, 10 to 12 hours. Shred meat, using two forks, and spoon into a serving bowl.
Preheat oven to 300°F. Stack tortillas, wrap in foil and bake until warm, about 10 minutes. Place sour cream and lettuce in bowls. Just before serving, pit, peel and dice avocado and place in a small bowl (or buy pre-made guacamole) . Put out bowls (including salsa) and assemble tacos at table.

 

[chigal]

I really liked this recipe because it only uses kitchen staples I always have on hand anyway. You can use this recipe as a base, but I used a LOT more honey and added red pepper flakes. I don't remember having had to reduce the sauce either.

INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
3 garlic cloves, chopped or grated
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 cup honey
fresh basil, shredded, for garnish

INSTRUCTIONS
Place the chicken in the bottom of a 4-quart slow cooker. In a small bowl, whisk together the garlic, soy sauce, ketchup and honey. Pour over the chicken and cover.
Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or high for 3 to 4 hours. Remove chicken, place on a plate and tent with foil to keep warm. Transfer the remaining sauce to a saucepan and reduce down over medium heat until desired consistency is reached. Serve over the chicken and garnish with fresh basil.
Serve over rice.
**Note - different slow cookers cook differently. If cooking on low, start checking the chicken at 4 hours and cook according to your desired doneness. If cooking on high, start checking at 2 hours.**

 

[Susan W.]

The only recipe I have and made:
Olive Garden Pasta e Fagioli

1 pound ground beef
Italian Sausage (optional) I use about 3 links squeezed out of casing
1 small onion, diced (1 cup)
1 large carrot, julienned (1 cup)
3 stalks celery, chopped (1 cup)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 14.5-ounce cans diced tomatoes
1 15-ounce can red kidney beans (with liquid)
1 15-ounce can great northern beans (with liquid)
1 15-ounce can tomato sauce
1 12-ounce can V-8 juice
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon basil
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/2 pound (1/2 pkg.) ditali pasta (can be regular elbow or macaroni)

1. Brown the ground beef in a large saucepan or pot over medium heat.
Drain off most of the fat.
2. Add onion, carrot, celery and garlic and sauté for 10 minutes.
3. Add remaining ingredients, except pasta, and simmer for 1 hour.
4. About 50 minutes into simmer time, cook the pasta in 1 1/2 to 2 quarts
of boiling water over high heat. Cook for 10 minutes or just until
pasta is al dente, or slightly tough. Drain.
5. Add the pasta to the large pot of soup.
Simmer for 5-10 minutes and serve.

Serves 8.

I know it's not what you're looking for but it makes a lot and I freeze some of it so I can take it out in the morning and leave in the refrigerator to thaw, then toss it in the microwave when I get home. If I'm feeling ambitious I'll make some garlic bread to eat with it.

 

[NancyR]

This is one of my personal recipes

Enchilada Casserole

1 jar spaghetti sauce (yeah I cheat)
2 lbs ground beef
grated cheese
olives
flour tortillas
1 packet taco seasoning

Cook your ground meat in a skillet with the taco seasoning.

Pour about half of the sauce in the bottom of a large (9x13 works well) pan, then layer tortillas in it spread half the meat on them, cover it with cheese then more tortillas. Repeat so you have 2 layers then then another layer of tortillas spread the rest of the sauce on the top cover with cheese and olives.

Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees

 

[NancyR]

and this is another one I have started using recently that everyone here loves

Pork Chops and Rice

Ingredients
4 tablespoons butter
1 cup long grain white rice
4 pork chops, bone in
Salt
One 10-ounce can beef broth, plus more if needed
4 onion slices, separated into rings
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a medium skillet, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add the rice and saute until it is light brown, about 5 minutes.

Spread the rice in a 9- by 13- by 2-inch casserole. Sprinkle the pork chops with salt and arrange them on top of the rice. Pour the broth and 2/3 cup water over the chops. Spread the onion rings over the chops and sprinkle them with the pepper. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake until the pork chops are tender, about 45 minutes.

Change the oven to broil, add a bit more broth if the rice is dry and return the dish to the oven for a couple of minutes until the pork is browned.

Pork Chops and Rice Recipe : Trisha Yearwood : Recipes : Food Network

Because we eat a lot of rice I normally double the rice in this, so there is left over rice. Also as I never have beef broth on hand I use chicken bullion made from cubes and it works well.