Crockpot Quinoa Enchiladas

I found this recipe on Pinterest and it was really good! It makes quite a lot, which is great because we love leftovers. That means less cooking for me and that's always a good thing. :)

INGREDIENTS:
1 pound ground turkey
1 and 1/2 cups uncooked quinoa
1 can (15 ounces) black beans
1 cup frozen corn
1 can (10 ounces) diced tomatoes and green chilies
1/2 cup salsa
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 cup onion
1/2 cup chopped sweet bell pepper
1 cup water
1 can (19 ounces) enchilada sauce
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
2 cups cheddar or Mexican cheese
1/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Optional: 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, sour cream, green onions, 1 small jalopeno

INSTRUCTIONS:

• Cook the ground turkey; drain any grease and place in the slow cooker.
• Add in the uncooked quinoa (make sure to rinse first), the black beans (drained and rinsed), the frozen corn, the diced tomatoes and green chilies (do not drain), the salsa, and minced garlic.
• Chop up the onion and bell pepper into small pieces and add to the slow cooker. If desired, chop up a jalapeno and add it too.
• Add in the water, enchilada sauce, chili powder, and cumin.
• Combine and cook on high for 3 to 3 and 1/2 hours or until the liquid is all absorbed into the mixture.
• Once it is done cooking, remove the lid and stir everything again. Stir in the cheese and fresh cilantro (stems removed and chopped).
• If desired add in the fresh lime juice.
• Top with sour cream and some chopped green onions if desired.
• Serve with tortilla chips, or use as filling for soft tortillas or inside taco shells.

Slow Cooker North Woods Wild Rice Soup

My friend Erin made this for dinner and I loved it! It's a great hearty soup for winter and easy crock pot recipe. Easy to double the recipe for more servings.
Erin put chicken in some broth in the crock pot in the morning and then shredded after cooked. Then proceeded to make the soup.

Makes 6 servings

2 teaspoons vegetable oil 1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
2 medium stalks celery, diced (1 cup)
2 medium carrots, diced (1 cup)
1 cup shredded smoked turkey or chicken (6 ounces)
1/2 cup uncooked wild rice
1 teaspoon dried tarragon leaves
1/4 teaspoon pepper
 3 1/2 cups chicken broth (from 32-ounce carton)
1 can (12 ounces) evaporated fat-free milk
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup frozen sweet peas, thawed

In 10-inch skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Cook onion in oil about 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender. Place onion, celery, carrots, protein, wild rice, tarragon and pepper in 3 1/2- to 4-quart slow cooker. Pour broth over top. Cover and cook on low heat setting 6 to 8 hours or until wild rice and vegetables are tender. Stir in peas last 15 minutes of cooking. Mix milk and flour; stir into soup. Cover and cook about 20 minutes or until thickened.

BBQ Pulled Pork

I used this BBQ sauce recipe from allrecipes.com to make a great pulled pork in the slow cooker. This freezes well, making it a great OAMC recipe. 

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup ketchup
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp chopped onion
2 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp allspice
1 pinch celery salt
1 pinch dry mustard
3 lbs pork shoulder or picnic roast
Liquid smoke to taste

DIRECTIONS:
Combine BBQ sauce ingredients. Place pork in slow cooker and pour on the BBQ sauce. Cook on low for 8 hours. Shred pork with fork.

Servings: 6

Crock Pot Yogurt

So I've been reading online about making yogurt in a crock pot and decided to give it a go. My girls and I all love yogurt. The kids are a little picky, though, and won't eat "chunky" yogurt. They like those kiddie yogurt flavors with bright colors. I found a site that suggested using Jello to flavor homemade yogurt. I prefer Greek yogurt, and also found multiple tips on how to make that. Both recipes were a huge success!

While it is not difficult, crock pot yogurt does require some "babysitting," so start this when you will be home for a while. To time it right, I suggest you start it in the afternoon and it should be ready for you the following morning. Make sure to reserve a cup of the plain yogurt to serve as starter for your next batch. You can put it in the freezer.

Needed:

• 1/2 gallon milk (I used whole milk)
• Crock pot
• 1/2 - 1 cup plain yogurt with active cultures
• 1/2 cup powdered milk
• 1 box of Jello - I like Better Bowls gelatin or Jel Dessert (for kid yogurt)
• Large coffee filter or cheese cloth & fine strainer (for Greek yogurt)

Procedure:

• Pour 1/2 gallon milk into crock pot. Set on high until milk reaches 180 degrees F. (I used my Hamilton Beach crockpot with probe - perfect for this!) Expect it to take a couple hours, at least.
• Turn crock pot off and let sit until temperature cools to 115 degrees F. I found that if I take the lid off, this goes faster, but you'll have to skim off a layer of film that forms on the top of the milk. With lid on, it takes about 2 1/2 - 3 hours.
• Scoop out 2 cups of the lukewarm milk into a bowl and add the plain yogurt & powdered milk to it. Mix well and return the milk/yogurt mixture to the crock pot. Stir to combine.
• Remove the "crock" from the pot and put the lid back on. Wrap the crock in a towel for added insulation and set in an unheated, closed oven.
• Let sit for 8 hours in the oven (this is when it's nice to time it so that it sits overnight). Make sure to put a note on the oven so that you don't accidentally turn it on! :)
• After 8 hours, the milk will be transformed into yogurt.

Kid Yogurt:

• Dissolve 3 oz box of Jello into 1 cup boiling water. Let sit to cool a bit. For a more natural/healthy option, try Jel Dessert (found at Whole Foods). It doesn't contain gelatin, so it won't have the same consistency as Jello. But, it is perfect for yogurt drinks! And it makes great frozen "go-gurts" when I freeze it in silcone pop molds. UPDATE: I have found Better Bowls gelatin on Amazon which does contain gelatin and has a great texture. My kids LOVE this!
• Scoop out 2 cups of plain yogurt into a bowl. Whisk the Jello into the yogurt well. It will turn to liquid - this is okay. Just pour it into lidded containers and put in the fridge to set up. A few hours later you will have "Jogurt," as we call it. Looks and tastes very much like the store-bought kiddie yogurt!

Greek Yogurt: 

• Place a fine strainer over a sturdy bowl. 
• Set a large coffee filter (or cheese cloth) into the strainer and fill with as much plain yogurt as it will hold.
• Sit in the refrigerator overnight. The whey will drip out into the bowl below and you will be left with amazing, rich, creamy Greek yogurt!
• Flavor with honey or fruit syrup/jam for a sweet and delicious treat.

Update: I have calculated the yield and cost of this recipe.


1/2 gallon milk yields 7 cups yogurt 

With some Manager's Special Organic Milk and a cup of vanilla starter yogurt, it cost me $0.24/cup yogurt

---

Jogurt = 2 cups yogurt ($0.48) + natural jello pkg ($1.49) = $1.97/16 oz  or $0.12/oz (my VERY best sale price on GoGurt is $0.16/oz)

---

Greek yogurt = 2 cups yogurt ($0.48) = $0.48/8 oz or $0.06/oz  ($0.17/oz for Chobani Greek yogurt) 

2 cups of  yogurt = 1 cup Greek yogurt & 1 cup whey

Moroccan Chicken

I don't remember how I came across this Taste of Home recipe, but I'm glad I did! I've included my variations below. This is a perfect fall meal, warm and tasty. Moroccan comfort food!


INGREDIENTS:
4 medium carrots, sliced
2 large onions, halved and sliced
3 to 4 pounds skinless chicken thighs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped dried apricots
1/2 cup raisins
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 can (14-1/2 ounces) reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup tomato paste
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 garlic cloves, minced
1-1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon pepper
Hot cooked couscous (* 3 cups uncooked couscous)


DIRECTIONS:
Place carrots and onions in a greased 5-qt. slow cooker. (*The onions and carrots were barely cooked through. I will saute them a bit first next time before adding to slow cooker).

Sprinkle chicken with salt; add to slow cooker. Top with apricots and raisins. In a small bowl, combine flour and broth until smooth; whisk in the tomato paste, lemon juice, garlic, ginger, cumin, cinnamon and pepper.

Pour over chicken.

Cover and cook on low for 6 to 7 hours or until chicken is tender. Serve with couscous.

Yield: 6 servings.

Carnita-Style Beef Tacos

I found this recipe on the Pioneer Woman, courtesy of Pam Anderson. It looked SO delicious, I knew I had to try it. I am so thankful that God "fixed" me and I miraculously now love peppers! I altered the recipe a bit to make it in my slow-cooker.  I was excited to use a lot of my garden produce in this recipe!


INGREDIENTS:

1 boneless chuck roast, 2 1/2 to 3 pounds (* I used two chuck steaks 1 1/5 lbs each)
3 tablespoons pure olive oil, divided
1 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon ground cumin
Salt and ground black pepper
1 can (4.5 ounces each) chopped green chiles (* I used 3 fresh jalapenos from my garden)
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
4 large garlic cloves, minced
2 cups chicken broth
2 medium-large onions, ends left in tact, peeled and each onion cut into 8 wedges
2  medium multi-colored peppers, each cut into 8 wedges
(* Next time I will double the onions and peppers because they were SO yummy!)
1 dozen medium flour tortillas
1 container (8 ounces) light or regular sour cream
1 bunch cilantro
1 lime, cut into wedges


DIRECTIONS:

Heat a 5 to 6-quart heavy oven-safe Dutch oven or large cast iron skillet over low heat.

Meanwhile, place roast in a large bowl; coat with 1 tablespoon of oil and season with 1 tablespoon of the cumin and a generous sprinkling of salt and pepper. Mix chiles, chili powder, remaining 1 teaspoon of cumin, and oregano in a small bowl.

A few minutes before searing, increase heat to a strong medium-high until wisps of smoke start to rise from the pan. Add roast; sear, turning only once, until both sides form an impressive brown crust, about 8 minutes total. Transfer roast to a plate; set aside. Add garlic to the now empty pot; sauté until fragrant and golden, about 30 seconds. Add chili mixture; sauté to intensify flavor, another 30 seconds. Add chicken broth, bring to a simmer.

Transfer roasts to crockpot and pour broth over it.  Cover and turn on high for 4 hours.

*** THIS IS THE OVEN METHOD: ***
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Return roasts to pot. Using 2 potholders to protect hands, place a sheet of heavy-duty foil over the pot, pressing on the foil so that it touches the stew. Seal foil around the edges; repeat with a second sheet of foil to completely seal. Turn burner on medium-high until you hear juices bubble. Set pot on middle oven rack; cook for a total of 1 1/2 hours.
***

Remove roast from oven/crockpot, cool to room temperature, and shred into bite size pieces. About 30 minutes before roast is done, toss onions and peppers with remaining 2 tablespoon of oil and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper on a baking sheet large enough for vegetables to fit in a single layer. Place pan on bottom oven rack; cook until tender-crisp, about 30 minutes. (* If you double the peppers and onions you will need two pans. I used my Silpat for this - worked like a charm.)

When ready to serve, gently warm meat and peppers and onions over low heat. Serve with warm tortillas*, bowls of sour cream, cilantro sprigs, and lime wedges.

*We have taken to heating our tortillas over the gas flames on our range and flipping with tongs. It really gives it more of a homemade taste.

SERVES: 6

Chipotle Chicken Tacos

We've taken to watching Cook's Country on PBS. I love Netflix, but it is not real big on the cooking shows! This recipe looked SO yummy that we had to try it. I will be hard-pressed to make tacos any other way now. They are THAT good.  Here is what we did:

INGREDIENTS:

3 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 garlic cloves , minced
2 teaspoons minced chipotle chilies in adobo sauce *
1/2 cup orange juice
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
3/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 pounds)
1 teaspoon yellow mustard
Salt and pepper
12 (6-inch) flour tortillas

DIRECTIONS:

1. Melt butter in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic and chipotle and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in orange juice, Worcestershire, and ½ cup cilantro and bring to boil. (At this point, the original recipe calls for poaching the chicken  for about 15 minutes, but I have NEVER had any luck with this method. ) Instead, I put the chicken into my crock pot, poured the skillet contents on top and cook on low for 6-8 hours.

2. Pour sauce from crock pot into skillet and heat to medium-high. Cook until liquid is reduced to ¼ cup, about 5 minutes. Off heat, whisk in mustard. Using 2 forks, shred chicken into bite-sized pieces and return to skillet. Add remaining cilantro to skillet and toss until well combined. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with tortillas.


Serves: 6

* Note: This recipe only calls for a small portion of the can of chipotle peppers. I portioned the rest onto wax paper covered cookie sheet, flash froze and then put them into a plastic bags for future use. This recipe is so good I know that they won't be in there too long!

Fauxtisserie Chicken

Our Best Bites has a neat approach to roasting a chicken in your crock pot. The chicken rests on rolled up balls of foil to promote air circulation and prevent the bottom of the chicken from getting dry and over-cooked.  I tried this out over the weekend with great results!  Check out their post for step-by-step photos and a more detailed recipe.


At $3.49 for the chicken, a $.99 garlic bulb and $1.99 for a box of fresh thyme, this came out to the same cost as a grocery store rotisserie chicken, price-wise. Taste-wise, it was way better. The meat fell off the bones and it was seasoned just the way I like it.  In the summertime, when we are growing our own herbs it would be more cost-effective.  (In all fairness, the leftover fresh herbs and garlic can be used for some yummy roasted potatoes to go along with this for a great side-dish...)

INGREDIENTS:

1 whole chicken
Seasoning salt
5-6 whole garlic cloves, peeled
Fresh herbs (rosemary, thyme, and/or sage)

DIRECTIONS:
Make 3 balls of aluminum foil and place them in the bottom of your slow cooker. These hold the chicken off the bottom so the hot air can circulate all around the chicken and so it’s not stewing in its own juices.

Rinse chicken, including the cavity, and pat dry with paper towels. Place the chicken on its back so the breast is facing up and the legs are on the plate. Pull the skin up all around the chicken.  Slice a few garlic cloves in half lengthwise and stick them under the skin. You can also arrange a couple sprigs of fresh herbs under the skin. This makes a very pretty chicken when it’s all cooked and adds a lot of flavor.

Rub salt-based seasoning VERY liberally onto the skin of the chicken. Place chicken breast-up on the foil in the slow cooker, cover, turn heat to low, and leave it alone for 7-8 hours.

Lemon Garlic Chicken

When I need to cook a bunch of chicken for my OAMC, I double or triple this recipe and make it up the day before. After it cools, refrigerate overnight and it will dice up nicely the next day.  Beware, however, as this makes a very moist and tender chicken and it smells so good it may not make it past dinner...

Ingredients:
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp seasoned salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 lbs. chicken breast halves, skinned and rinsed
2 tbsp butter
1/4 c. water
3 tbsp lemon juice
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp chicken bouillon granules (or 1 chicken bouillon cube)
1 tsp minced fresh parsley (optional)

1. Combine oregano, salt and pepper. Rub all of mixure into chicken. Melt butter in skillet. Brown chicken in skillet. Transfer to slow cooker.
2. Place water, lemon juice, garlic, and bouillon in skillet. Bring to boil, loosening browned bits of chicken from skillet. Pour over chicken.
3. Cover. Cook on low for 4-5 hours. 
4. For OAMC: Cool chicken and refrigerate. This recipe makes such a tender chicken that dicing it while hot would only result in shredded chicken. It's best to cut it after it's cold.
5. For Dinner: Add parsely and baste chicken. Cover. Cook on High 15-30 min, until chicken is tender.

Serves: 4

Taken from: 

Slow Cooker Chicken Stroganoff

Another great allrecipes find.  This one is perfect for OAMC.  Cook stroganoff first, cool then freeze in gallon ziplock bags.  After it's thawed, cook the noodles as you heat the stroganoff in the microwave. 

Ingredients

• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cubed
• 1/8 cup butter
• 1 (.7 ounce) package dry Italian-style salad dressing mix
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese (room temperature)
• 1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
• 1 pkg egg noodles

Directions

1. Put chicken, butter and dressing mix in slow cooker; mix together and cook on low for 5 hours.
2. Add cream cheese and soup, mix together and cook on high for another 1/2 hour or until heated through and warm.
3. Cook egg noodles according to package.
4. Serve stroganoff over noodles.

Serves: 4

Tostada Goop

I found this recipe on Once A Month Mom's September menu and decided to give it a go. It was good. Not spicy enough to be great, for our family, but good nonetheless.  I received a request to share it, so here it is!


*Update: my friend Dana made this with the addition of one pkg taco seasoning and said it was an improvement. :)


Ingredients:
- 1 can cream of chicken soup

- 1 can chili peppers
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 1 can chopped tomatoes (or 1 cup chopped fresh)
- corn (either from a corn, frozen or fresh from the cob)
- 6 boneless skinless chicken breast halves

- 1 can black beans (rinsed and drained)

- cheddar cheese (shredded)

Directions:

Combine all ingredients, except beans. Cook in a crock pot on low for 6-8 hours. Add beans about 30 minutes prior to completion.   Shred chicken with a fork when done, and top with cheddar cheese.

Serves: 6

Shredded Chicken Sandwiches

Great to feed a crowd!

INGREDIENTS:
6-8 chicken breasts
3 cans cream of mushroom soup
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp thyme
1 1/2 tsp dried leaf sage
1 pkg Ritz crackers, crushed
Hamburger buns

DIRECTIONS:
* Cover chicken breasts well with soup in crock pot
* Cook on high 5 hours
* Shred cooked chicken on cutting board and return to crock pot
* Add herbs, crackers and mix well
* Cook on low for 1 hour

Servings: 10

Burgandy Beef Tips

Another Homemade Gourmet recipe, substituting dry onion soup mix for the seasoning mix.

Ingredients:
5 tablespoons Homemade Gourmet® Grandmothers Sunday Roast Seasoning Mix or dry onion soup mix
2 pounds stew meat, cubed
1 10.75-ounce can cream of mushroom soup
1 4-ounce can of sliced mushrooms, undrained
1/2 cup red cooking wine or water
1 12-ounce package egg noodles

Directions:
1. In slow cooker, combine all ingredients except for egg noodles and cook on low for 8 hours.

2. Prepare egg noodles according to package directions.

3. Serve beef tips over hot noodles.

For a Freezer recipe, combine everything except egg noodles in gallon sized freezer bag and SMOOSH all ingredients until blended. Label Burgundy Beef Tips and freeze until needed.

Servings: 6

Slow Cooker Chicken and Dumplings

I have seen a lot of websites where folks use Homemade Gourmet mixes to make freezer meals (especially the 4 Meals in 4 Minutes recipes). They sound delicious, but I can't bring myself to pay the gourmet price for the mixes. So I've found some substitutes for the mixes and have been experimenting with them. This recipe was a hit. Especially on a cold winter's night.

Ingredients
1 10.75-ounce can cream of chicken soup
2 soup cans of water
3 tablespoons Homemade Gourmet Grandmother's Sunday Roast Seasoning
OR 1 packet of dry onion soup mix OR 3 tablespoons of homemade dry onion soup mix
1-1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips (may also use chicken tenderloins)
1-1/2 cups biscuit mix
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2/3 cup milk

Directions
1. In a slow cooker, combine soup, water and seasoning. Stir and then add chicken. Cook on low for 4 hours.

2. To make the dumplings, combine biscuit mix, cheese and milk. You can make this at the time you use them or you can make them right after filling the slow cooker. Then put the dough into the fridge so they are ready to spoon into the slow cooker when the time comes.
To 'form' the dumplings, scoop out 1/2 teaspoon portions directly into the slow cooker during the last 1/2 hour of cooking time.

3. Cook for 30 minutes without stirring. Serve immediately.

FREEZER DIRECTIONS:
Place soup, water, seasoning and chicken into a gallon freezer bag. Smoosh to combine, label with name, date and cooking instructions and freeze flat in your freezer. To add the dumplings to your frozen kit, drop your 1/2 teaspoon portions onto a baking sheet. Cover and freeze for about 3 hours. Remove the frozen dumplings from the baking sheet and put them into a small freezer bag. Attach this bag to the outside of the bag with the chicken and add the instruction to put these frozen dumplings directly on top of the chicken during the last hour of cooking time. (Notice...last hour instead of last 1/2 hour since they are frozen and need more time to cook.)

Serves: 6

Amazing Pot Roast

Serving Size : 6

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
2 lb Roast (I usually get what is on sale)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 envelope Lipton Onion Soup Mix
1/2 can water

For OAMC (I freeze roast until ready to use and then thaw, plop into slow cooker)
1. Place roast in slower cooker. Combine soup, soup mix and ½ can water.
Pour over roast. Lift roast to get some underneath. Cook on Low 8-10 hours.
Remove roast, slice it up. We make mashed potatoes to go with the leftover gravy.

Mexican Style Shredded Pork

I found an AMAZING deal on pork, and bought a 10 lb roast that had to be dealt with. This recipe was a good one. The chipotle flavor was excellent. I've had success with freezing rice before, but this rice came out mushy. Next time I'll just freeze the pork and cook the rice up the day of.


NOTE: I don't care for the lime juice in the rice. Also, if you have a hard time finding the chipotle sauce - look in the BBQ sauce section. :)

INGREDIENTS:
1 (3 pound) boneless pork loin roast, cut into 2 inch pieces
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 (4 ounce) cans diced green chile peppers
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1/4 cup chipotle sauce
3 1/4 cups water, divided
1 1/2 cups uncooked long grain white rice
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup chopped cilantro

DIRECTIONS:
Place the roast in a slow cooker, and season with salt. Place chile peppers and garlic on top of roast. Pour in the chipotle sauce and 1/2 cup water.
Cover, and cook 7 hours on Low.

In a pot, bring remaining 2 3/4 cups water and rice to a boil. Mix in the lime juice and cilantro. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 20 minutes.

Remove roast from the slow cooker, and use two forks to shred. Return pork to the slow cooker, and allow to sit 15 minutes to absorb some of the liquid. Serve over the cooked rice.

Serves: 6

Old-Fashioned Chicken and Noodles

I found this recipe in Country Home and decided to make it for some friends who are under the weather. I used chicken thighs and the slow cooker method, and it couldn't have been easier! After 8 hours, I simply grabbed the thigh bones with tongs and the meat literally fell off when I gently shook it.

3 medium onions, chopped (1 1/2 cups)
3 stalks celery, sliced (1 1/2 cups)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. olive oil or butter
3 lb. meaty chicken pieces (drumsticks, thighs, and breast halves), skinned
4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 cup water
4 carrots, sliced (2 cups)
1 Tbsp. snipped fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp. poultry seasoning
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 16-oz. pkg. frozen egg noodles
4 tsp. cornstarch
1 1/2 cups frozen peas
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
Fresh Thyme sprigs (optional)

1. In a Dutch oven cook onions, celery, and garlic in olive oil just until tender. Add chicken pieces, broth, water, carrots, 1 tablespoon thyme, bay leaf, poultry seasoning, salt, and pepper. Bring to boiling. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, for 25 to 30 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. Remove from heat. Remove chicken; set aside to cool slightly. Return pan to heat; bring broth mixture to boiling. Add frozen noodles and bring to boiling again. Reduce heat and cook, covered, for 20 to 25 minutes or until noodles are desired doneness. Meanwhile, remove meat from bones; discard bones. Chop the chicken. Remove bay leaf from noodle mixture and discard. Add cooked chicken to noodle mixture.

2. In a small bowl dissolve cornstarch in 2 tablespoons water. Add cornstarch mixture to pan along with peas and lemon juice. Cook and stir until slightly thickened and bubbly; cook and stir 2 minutes more. Garnish with thyme sprigs.

Makes 8 servings.

SLOW-COOKER DIRECTIONS: In 5- to 6-quart slow cooker place onion, celery, garlic, carrots, thyme, bay leaf, poultry seasoning, salt, and black pepper (omit olive oil and cooking of vegetables in oil). Place chicken pieces on top of vegetables. Pour chicken broth over chicken, omitting the 1 cup water. Cover; cook on low-heat setting 8 to 9 hours or on high-heat setting 4 to 4 1/2 hours. Remove chicken from cooker; cool slightly. Remove bay leaf; discard. Meanwhile, in a separate pan cook noodles according to package directions; drain. Remove chicken from bones; discard bones. Chop chicken; return to cooker with cooked noodles, peas, and lemon juice. (Omit cornstarch and water thickening step.) Stir to combine. Garnish as directed, if desired.

Crockpot Jambalaya

It's been a while since I've added a new OAMC recipe, but this is a keeper. It's adapted from the Dream Dinners cookbook. We ate it over steamed white rice, and Doug LOVED it! It has lot of flavor and is super easy to make.

Ingredients:
6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut into thirds
1/2 lb. kielbasa, sliced on the diagonal into 2-inch pieces (we will double this next time)
1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes, with juice
1 c. green or red bell pepper, diced into 1-inch pieces
1 c. yellow onion, diced into 1-inch pieces
1/2 c. chicken broth
1 tbsp. cayenne pepper
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. Cajun seasoning
1 tsp. minced garlic

Directions:
Combine ingredients in a gallon-sized freezer bag. Close and squish bag to get seasonings moistened and evenly covering the meat. Freeze.

To cook:
Thaw completely and dump contents into the crock pot. Cook on low for 6-8 hours and serve over rice.

Crock Pot Apple Butter

I have been wanting to try this recipe for awhile, and finally got the chance. It took about 13 hours, but was easy and made the whole kitchen smell great! It tastes just like the Amish stuff I remember.


INGREDIENTS:
5 1/2 lbs apples, peeled and finely chopped (I use 3-4 different types of apples)
4 cups sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon (2 to 3)
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt

DIRECTIONS:
1. Place apples in a large bowl.

2. Combine sugar, cinnamon, cloves and salt.

3. Pour over apples and mix well.

4. Place in crock pot, cover and cook on high for 1 hour.

5. Decrease heat to low; cover and cook on low for 9-11 hours or until thickened and dark brown.

6. Stir occasionally.

7. Uncover and cook on low for 1 hour longer.

8. If desired, whisk until smooth.

9. Spoon into freezer containers, leaving 1/2-inch head space.

10. Cover and freeze.

Makes 4 pints

Taco Chili

Here's a recipe I made up by combining some Taco Soup recipes I found.

Ingredients:
2 lbs. ground beef
1 onion, diced
2 (15 oz) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
2 (14.5 oz) cans diced tomatoes, undrained
2 (15.25 oz) cans whole kernel corn, undrained
2 (14.5 oz) cans diced tomatoes with chilies, undrained
2 pkgs taco seasoning
1 can water
1 pkg Mexican shredded cheese
1 bag Fritos

Directions:
* Brown ground beef and onion
* Combine all ingredients except cheese and chips in large slow cooker
* Cook on low for 4-6 hours
* Serve with cheese and fritos

Servings: 12