When it's freezing outside and you need something to warm your tummy.....make this!!

This is one of my FaVoRiTe soups, especially on a cold, snowy day. It is very filling, and pretty spicy. Pair it with some cornbread and you will be in comfort food heaven! :)

Santa Fe Soup

1.5-2 lbs ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can kidney beans
2 cans pinto beans
2 cans white shoepeg corn
1 can Ro*tel tomatoes
1 pkg. taco seasoning mix
1 pkg. ranch dressing mix
1 cup water

Brown ground beef, drain. Add onions. Cook for a few minutes or until onions become translucent. Pour into crockpot along with other ingredients. Stir well. Cook on High for 2 hours, then on Low for at least an hour or longer. Enjoy!!

*This is great paired with cornbread or corn chips or tortilla chips.

The Perfect Snack for a Shower

If you are looking for a recipe to take to a shower, whether it be a bridal shower, baby shower, or even just a party, this is the easiest snack to make...in your slow cooker!

Sweet and Saucy Meatballs

1 bag frozen meatballs

1 small jar grape jelly

1 bottle of your favorite barbeque sauce

Empty meatballs in to slow cooker. Pour jelly and barbeque sauce over meatballs. Cook on Low for 3 or 4 hours.

Now that is the easy way to do it. What would make it even easier is to melt the grape jelly and barbeque sauce together in a saucepan (or in the microwave) and then pour it over the meatballs. This would make the sauce very smooth.

If you wanted to put a little more effort into this snack, you could make your own meatballs. Actually, I prefer homemade over the store-bought meatballs for the simple fact that you can make them with lean ground beef and put your own ingredients in them. Here is a recipe I use:

Meatballs

1 lb. lean ground beef

1 small onion, minced (or 1 T. dehydrated onion flakes)

1 egg

1/2 cup oats

1/2 cup bread crumbs

1 T. mustard

1 tsp. worcestershire sauce

Mix all ingredients together (using your hands to mix works really well). Roll into bite-sized balls. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes to an hour, or until meatballs are cooked through and brown. Or, you can brown/cook them in a skillet on the stove (faster method).

*This is also the recipe I use for making meatloaf. Just form the mixture into a "loaf" instead of rolling it into balls.

It's Fiesta Time!

Here is a Crockpot recipe I posted a while back from my friend Benita. Check it out here!!
Hope you all have a great week!! :)

Pot Roast with/without Potatoes and Carrots

I know I am not "branching out" much with these first two slow cooker recipes, but some new and exotic recipes are coming, I promise! We are just starting with the basics for now.

Pot Roast with/without Potatoes and Carrots

1 chuck roast (about 3 or 4 lbs. is good)
4 or 5 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into quarters
4 medium sized carrots (sliced) or 1 small bag baby carrots
1 small onion, sliced or chopped or 1 tsp. dehydrated onion flakes
1 teaspoon minced garlic (or 1 tsp. garlic powder)
Worcestershire sauce
Seasoned salt
Enough water to cover the roast

Turn slow cooker on Low. Brown chuck roast in a skillet until there is a good brown color on all sides. Place in slow cooker. Top with a few shakes of worcestershire sauce, garlic, seasoned salt, and onions (or onion flakes). Cover with water and cook on Low for about 8-10 hours or until tender (falling apart).

Now, if you want to add the potatoes and carrots (I usually just make the roast by itself), you can add them at the beginning when you add the roast, or about halfway through. I don't usually put the veggies in just because they either turn out too mushy or not done enough.

I like to pair the roast with mashed potatoes, green beans, and "Almost Spoon Bread". Here is the recipe for the bread:

"Almost Spoon Bread"

1 box Jiffy cornmeal mix
1/2 stick butter, melted
1/2 cup sour cream
1 can whole kernel corn, drained
1 egg

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a 9x9 baking dish or spray with cooking spray. Mix all ingredients together. Pour into baking dish and bake for 30 minutes or until bread is lightly golden on top (and cooked through in the center).

Hope you have enjoyed these recipes! A few more posts of "the basics" and then we will get into some amazing, and a little shocking, slow cooker recipes!

The Crockpot (aka Slow Cooker)

I LOVE my Crockpot! If you do not own a Crockpot, you do not know what you are missing! There is absolutely nothing easier than fixing a meal in the slow cooker and having it ready by the time you get home from work...except running through the drive-thru at McDonald's or KFC or some other fast food joint, that is. But why would you want to take home a greasy bag of fries and a smashed burger when you can have: Pot Roast with potatoes and carrots, Santa Fe Soup (sort of like taco soup), Barbecued Ribs, and even dessert (such as hot fudge cake)?

Over the next few weeks, I am going to be posting some slow cooker recipes for you to enjoy...and I am dedicating them to my sweet friend Ann Claire who is about to become a new bride! Ann Claire is going to be cooking a lot for her new husband and wants something that is easy and that she can put in the slow cooker (since she and hubs will both be students and will be very busy!). Soooo..let's get "slow cooking"!!

One of my favorite things to make in the crockpot is barbecued ribs (and one of the easiest!). Here is what you need:

Barbecued Ribs
1 package boneless ribs (pork or beef)
1 bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce
1 cup Coke or Pepsi

Place ribs in slow cooker. Pour entire bottle of BBQ sauce over top of ribs, followed by cola (or, you can mix the BBQ sauce and cola together and pour the mixture over). Cook on Low for 5-6 hours, or until they are tender and cooked through.

These ribs are so yummy! You can pair them with mashed potatoes and mac-n-cheese for a very satisfying meal. :)

More slow-cooker dishes to come! Stay tuned!