Crock Pot Recipe Day 6

Today I actually made 2 new recipes.  Only 1 was in the crock pot.  But, they both turned out really good!

The first recipe I made wasWhite Chicken Chili (pictured above)
From 175 Essential Slow Cooker Classics
Page 160
Works best in a large (minimum 5 qt) slow cooker
1 TBSP olive oil I didn't use this
2 onions, finely chopped I used 1/2 of 1 white onion
4 cloves garlic, minced I did use 4, but 2 were super tiny.  I was worried there would be a heavy garlic taste, but I couldn't taste it at all.
1 TBSP cumin seeds, toasted and ground I just used ground cumin because I figured it was tons easier and faster!
2 tsp dried oregano leaves, crumbled I just used dried oregano that was already crushed
1 cinnamon stick piece (2 inches) So, 1 bottle of cinnamon sticks costs $5.36 at WalMart.  I was worried that there would be a really strong cinnamon flavor, but it was actually quite subtle.
1 tsp cracked black peppercorns I just used black pepper
2 cups chicken stock
2 lbs skinless, boneless chicken thighs, quartered (about 12 thighs) I used boneless, skinless chicken breast.  I had 3 small and 1 large chicken breast.  I read ahead in the directions thinking at some point I'd have to take the chicken out and cut it up.  It never says to do that.  My chicken was partially frozen still when I put it in the crock pot, otherwise I would have probably cut it into pieces beforehand.  I'd suggest cutting the fat off and into pieces before it goes in the crock pot if you can.
2 cups cooked dried or canned white kidney beans, drained and rinsed I used canned white kidney beans.  They were a little tricky to find because they weren't right next to the red kidney beans.  They were actually by the great white northern beans (they're white too).  1 15 oz can is about 1 1/4 cups.  I ended up using 2 15 oz cans so it was probably closer to 2 1/2 cups than 2.
2 tsp dried ancho or New Mexico chile powder, dissolved in 1 TBSP freshly squeezed lime juice So I couldn't find either of these ingredients.  I ended up using regular chile powder, which does not dissolve.  1 small lime was a little more than 1 TBSP so I just used the juice from 1 whole lime.
2 green bell peppers, finely chopped I used about 1/2 of one
1 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped I left this out because my kids don't like spicy
1 can (4 1/2 oz) diced mild green chiles, drained
1 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
Finely chopped cilantro
Lime wedges (optional)

1. In a skillet, heat oil over medium heat for 30 seconds.  Add onions and cook, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes.  Add garlic, toasted cumin, oregano, cinnamon stick and peppercorns and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.  Add stock and bring to a boil.  I put the garlic in right away with the onions.  I think that's why I couldn't taste the garlic  I pulled the pan off the heat to add all the spices because I didn't want the onions to burn.  After I had added all the spices, it wasn't very easy to stir because it kinda all just stuck to the onions and turned into a glob.  So, I just added the chicken stock rather than cook for 1 min. 
2. Transfer to slow cooker stonewar.  Add chicken and beans and stir well.  Cover and cook on low for 6 hours or on high for 3 hours, until juices run clear when chicken is pierced with a fork.  I put the chicken stock mix in and then the beans.  I ended up laying the chicken on top.  My crock pot is a super crock pot because I had it on low and it only took about 2 1/2 hours before I was able to cut up my cooked chicken.  The chicken stayed really moist and tender.  I think it might be because it was still slightly frozen when I put it in the crock pot so it added a little more juice to the mixture.  You can't tell from the picture, but there isn't a ton of juice to this chile.  I ended up taking out the cinnamon stick when I cut up the chicken.  I think it would have been fine to leave it in, but I didn't want to forget about it and have it end up in one of the kids' bowls.
3. Stir in chili powder solution.  Add bell peppers, jalapeno pepper and green chiles and stir well.  Cover and cook on high for 20 - 30 minutes, until peppers are tender.  Add cheese and cook, stirring, until melted, about 1 minute.  Ladle into bowls and garnish with cilantro.  Pass lime wedges at the table, if using.  I didn't mix the cheese in and melt it in the crock pot because Sam doesn't like cheese.  So, we cheesed our own.  I also didn't put the cilantro on as a garnish.

The juice does look a bit funky and it smells rather "interesting" when you transfer it to the crock pot.  I was worried the kids would be like "EWWW" because it looked funny.  I think part of it was that I used regular chile powder.  Even with leaving out the jalapeno and only using about 1/2 of 1 green pepper, it seemed like there were a ton of peppers in here.  If you aren't a big pepper fan, I'd suggest just using the diced green chiles.  Nash ate the chicken and really liked it.  I was worried it would be quite spicey, but it really wasn't.  He wasn't a big fan of the kidney beans though.  Samantha didn't like it at all, even the chicken.  Travis and I thought it turned out good though.  Caleb still hasn't even tried his.

Make ahead:
THis dish can be partially prepared before it is cooked.  Complete step 1.  Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days.  When you're ready to cook, continue with the recipe.  I think you could also cut up your chicken ahead of time.

To go with the chili, I made Simply Corn Muffins
From The Cornbread Gospels
Page 119

Vegetable oil cooking spray
1 cup unbleached white flour
1 cup stone ground yellow cornmeal
1/2 tsp salt
1 TBSP baking powder
1 1/4 cup buttermilk
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 eggs
1/4 to 1/3 cup sugar, preferably unrefined I used 1/4 because I was worried that it would be too sweet if I used more.  Nope, 1/3 would have been just fine.
1/3 cup melted butter or mild vegetable oil I used butter

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Spray a 12 cup muffin tin with oil or line with muffin papers.  I ended up getting 19 muffins out of this recipe.
2. Combine the flour, cornmeal, salt, and baking powder in a large bowl, stirring well.  Set aside.
3. Whisk together the buttermilk and baking soda in a medium bowl until the baking soda is dissolved.  Whisk in the eggs, sugar, and melted butter or oil.  The batter was quite "poofy".  I think it was from the baking soda.  It reminded me of when I've made the Jiffy boxed cornbread muffins and I let the batter sit for awhile and it has risen.
4. Stir the combined wet ingredients into the dry until the mixture is just barely combined.  Spoon into prepared muffin tin.
5. Bake until golden brown, 15-20 minutes.  Serve warm.  Mine only took 12 minutes.

My kids love cornbread and this was no exception.  I didn't have regular honey and none of them wanted the creamed honey so they were a little bland with just butter on them.  But, they were still really good.

Crock Pot Recipe Day 5

Honey Barbecue Pork Ribs
From: Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Recipes for Two
Page 155

Cooker: 3 qt
Setting and cook time: Low for 7-9 hours

2 lbs pork loin back ribs, baby back ribs, or country style pork spareribs, cut into serving pieces of 3-4 ribs
I used spare ribs
1 small yellow onion, sliced I used dried onion flakes because it's what I had
1 c. store bought or homemade barbecue sauce of your choice I used Kraft Original because I had one already open
1/3 c. mild flavored honey I didn't have quite 1/3 cup so I ended up using whipped honey to make up the difference.  Might have been easier to mix it up if I had melted the whipped honey first.
A few splashes Sriracha hot sauce, or other favorite hot sauce I used a green tabasco sauce - maybe a tsp.   I couldn't really taste the hot sauce.  If you like it spicy I'd add at least 1 TBSP.


1. Arrange the rib portions in the slow cooker, layering them with the onion slices.  Because my slow cooker is bigger than 3 quarts, I didn't have layers.  I laid the ribs in the bottom of the cooker and sprinkled dried onion on top of them.
2. Combine the barbecue sauce, honey, and hot sauce in a small bowl until smooth; spoon over the ribs.  If you have a round cooker, stack the ribs with sauce in between.  Cover and cook on LOW for 7-9 hours, until the meat is tender and starts to separate from the bone.
3.  Serve immediately.  If there is extra sauce on the bottom of the cooker, transfer to a bowl and serve on the side.

These were really tasty.  There wasn't a strong honey flavor.  If you like them with a strong honey flavor, I'd suggest using a honey flavored barbecue sauce.  

New Year's Eve & WOW! My baby is HUGE

 Only in UT, on New Year's Eve can a person find her children playing in a giant pile of leaves while her husband mows the lawn.  Yep.  This is what I saw as I looked out my back window on New Year's Eve:

 To celebrate New Year's Eve we went out to Trav's parents' house.  It was just us, Trav's parents & his sister's family.  The kids had a ton of fun playing together.  We had lots of yummy food and the big boys played their guitars.  Later, we watched The Rise of the Planet of the Apes.  The movie was ok, but I'm glad I didn't pay $6 to see it!

Yesterday I went out to Paradise to visit my cousin (Ashlee).  She's visiting from Oregon with her new baby.  Her kids are super cute.  Her older one is only a month younger than Caleb and her new one was just born the day before Thanksgiving.  Ash's sister, Natalee, was there with her little boy too.  He is about 3 or 4 weeks younger than Brooke (and 6 lbs lighter).  Look at the difference!:  

Little sister looks like a small buffalo for sure now!  My mom told me to check my baby book to see how old I was when I hit 20 lbs.  I was 8 months.  Brooke was about 7 months when she hit that mile marker.  I'm curious to see how old my other kids were when they hit that pound mark.  I think Sam was about 9 months because that's when we turned her car seat around.  It's crazy to think she's only gained 10 lbs in 7 months (she eats like a starving horse).  She looks so HUGE next to the boys though!  I'm pretty sure she out weighs my niece who's 2 months older than her too!  How sad.  I can't believe how fast they grow up!

Crock Pot Recipe Day 4

Travis really liked yesterday's recipe.  The kids, however, were not such big fans.  I noticed that since it tells you to put the peppers in at the end, they stay crisp and maintain a stronger pepper smell.  I don't think that's why the kids didn't like it.  I think it was just a smidge of the fear of the new and untried.

Here is today's recipe:

Slow Cooked Pulled Barbecue Chicken
From Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Recipes for Two
page 108

Cooker size: 1 1/2-3 qt
Setting and Cooking time: Low for 7-8 hours

1 small white or yellow onion, chopped I used dried onion flakes because it's what I had
1 small clove garlic, minced I used 2 because I put them in my garlic press & increased the recipe
4 boneless, skinless chicken THIGHS I used 4 boneless, skinless breasts 
1/2 cup ketchup
2 TBSP cider vinegar I used regular white vinegar because it's what I had
2 TBSP light brown sugar
1 TBSP olive oil I used vegetable oil because it's what I had
1 1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp chipotle chile powder I used a Mexican seasoning because it's what I had
1/4 tsp salt
Hamburger buns

1. Sprinkle the onion and garlic over the bottom of the crock and arrange the chicken thighs on top.  I threw in some chopped green bell peppers too.
2. In a small bowl, stir together the ketchup, cider vinegar, brown sugar, oil, Worcestershire sauce, chili powder, chipotle chile powder and salt; pour over the thighs.  Cover and cook on LOW for 7-8 hours, until the chicken is fork tender and pulls apart easily.
3. Remove the chicken from the slow cooker.  With two forks, pull apart the meat into shredded chunks; return to the slow cooker and stir to combine.  Cover and leave on the KEEP WARM setting until ready to serve.  Serve spooned onto warmed hamburger buns.

Because I used chicken breasts instead of chicken thighs, I increased the garlic.  I'm thinking I should have doubled the sauce as well.  There was enough sauce to cover the chicken breasts (I spooned it on top of them).  There was also a little bit of sauce that went down under the chicken.  I'm thinking I would have liked to have put sauce on the chicken breasts, flipped them over and sauced the other side as well.
When I've done pulled pork, I've melted cheese on the hamburger buns in the oven.  That's probably how I'll toast the hamburger buns this time too.

Crock Pot Recipe Day 3

The slow cooker enchiladas I made turned out awesome.  My husband said they were good warmed up as left overs too.

This recipe comes from 175 Essential Slow Cooker Classics p. 107

My notes are in bold again.

Beef & Rigatoni Bake

2 tbsp vegetable oil, divided didn't use this

2 lbs lean ground beef

2 onions I only used about 1/4 of one because it's all I had

4 stalks celery left this out

4 cloves garlic, minced I used 2 & I put them through my garlic press

1/2 tsp dried thyme leaves I didn't have thyme so I used oregano

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cracked black peppercorns I just used regular black pepper

1 can (10 3/4 oz) condensed tomato soup

1 cup tomato juice, beef stock or water I used tomato juice because I had some open from a recipe I made the other day

2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

4 cups rigatoni, cooked until barely tender (about 7 minutes) and drained I used Penne Rotini because it's what I had

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1 green bell pepper, finely chopped, optional I only used about 1/2 of one

1 fresh hot chile pepper, minced, optional I'm leaving this out

1. In a skillet, heat 1 tbsp of the oil over medium high heat for 30 seconds.  Add beef and cook, breaking up with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink, about 10 minutes.  Using a slotted spoon, transfer to slow cooker stoneware.  Drain liquid from pan.  I cooked 3 lbs ground beef so I have some cooked on hand for next time.  I ended up putting all my meat in a bowl to let it cool while I got other stuff going.  So, technically, if you use a large enough pan, you'll only dirty the one pan for the meat & sauce & 1 pan for the noodles.

2. Reduce heat to medium.  Add remaining oil to pan.  Add onions and celery and cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes.  Add garlic, thyme, salt and peppercorns and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.  Stir in tomato soup, juice and Worcestershire sauce.  Transfer to slow cooker stoneware.  It's kind of a "duh" thing to say, but be careful, it splatters A LOT.

3. Add cooked rigatoni and stir well.  Cover and cook on low for 6 hours or on high for 3 hours, until hot and bubbly.  Stir in cheese, green pepper and chile pepper, if using.  Coer and cook on high for 20 minutes, until cheese is melted and pepper is heated through.

Once I got going on this recipe, I started to think it would be similar to the beef and noodle casserole one I did the other day.  We'll see how it turns out though.

The book also said you can make this ahead:

This dish can be partially prepared before it is cooked.  Complete steps 1 and 2.  Cover and refrigerate meat and vegetable mixtures separately for up to 2 days.  When you're ready to cook, combine in slow cooker stoneware and continue with the recipe.