Reruns!

My brother, Richard, has been visiting this week so instead of trying all new recipes, I have been cooking meals I know to be good.  Some of those have been from my Slow-Cooker Cookbook, all in this blog.



                                                                             

I made the Kelly's Meatloaf, but this time I used my meatloaf pan with the little holes and cooked it in the oven.  It was still delicious.  It also STILL fell apart.
I guess you can see from the picture that is is a "loose weave."  There must be a way to make it a bit denser and less likely to break up.

 Richard brought fresh Farmer's Market peaches and Corn on the Cob with him so I also made the Peaches 'n' Cream Tapioca which we loved the first time I made it.  It was great!  I decided that I like it best after it sits in the refrigerator overnight.  It thickens up a bit, the flavors meld, and it's nice and cold. Mmmmm.




Then, to celebrate Rachel's birthday, we had Carmen's Baked Spaghetti Casserole, Rich Hot Rolls, and Strawberry Rhubarb Pie (all from the McClure Favorites page of this blog) along with Corn on the Cob and a Greek salad.
  
This is the best pie EVER!  I use a little more rhubarb than strawberries to give it a bit more "zing."  I have a hard time finding rhubarb in the summer so I used frozen, from Harris Teeter.  Some stores don't carry frozen rhubarb, but HT does.  Frozen fruit is fine in this pie.

We also had the Chicken Burritos again.  They will be a hit whenever I make them.  If you want to make them at 5:00 and don't have time to put them in the crock-pot, that would be fine too.  The tortilla just wouldn't be steamed and soft.  You can see the Salsa Verde across the burrito in this picture.  Yumm!

Spaghetti Casserole

Cookbook page: 104
Prep time: 26 min
Cooking time: 4 hours

Prep time for this was more like 40 min. for me.  This casserole was good.  We all liked it but I probably won't make it again.  It is very similar to my Carmen's Baked Spaghetti Casserole in  the McClure Cookbook and we liked mine better.  If this was one of those recipes you could put in your crock-pot in the morning and come back to 9 hours later, ready to eat, I would keep it.  But as it is, I see no advantage to it.

This is a recipe in which I did use ready made spaghetti sauce.  I wanted to follow the recipe as closely as possible.  And, if you're going to use a crock-pot, you probably don't want to spend an hour making and simmering your own sauce.  I used Classico tomato and basil; it was good.  So maybe there is an advantage to this recipe.  If you use store bought sauce and don't even have to cook your noodles first, the prep time is quite a bit shorter than making my Carmen's spaghetti.

What you will need:
1 1/2 lbs ground round
1 med onion, chopped
1 (26 oz) jar tomato and basil pasta sauce
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
1 (12 oz) can evaporated milk
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/4 t pepper
8 oz uncooked spaghetti, broken into pieces
3 cups shredded sharp Cheddar
Grated Parmesan cheese

What to do:
Cook ground round and onion in a large skillet, stirring until beef crumbles and is no longer pink; drain meat, and return to skillet.  Stir pasta sauce into beef mixture.

Melt butter in saucepan over med-low heat; whisk in flour until smooth.  Cook one minute, whisking constantly.  Gradually whisk in milk; cook over med heat, whisking constantly, 8 minutes or until mixture is thickened and bubbly.  Remove from heat, and stir in 1/2 cup Parmesan and pepper.

Spoon 1/3 of meat mixture into a lightly greased 5-qt slow cooker.  Spread 1/2 of broken spaghetti over meat; pour 1/2 of white sauce over noodles and sprinkle with 1 cup Cheddar cheese.  Repeat layers once.  Spread remaining meat mixture over cheese.  Top with remaining 1 cup Cheddar.

Cover and cook on LOW 4 hours.  Let stand 10 minutes before serving.  Serve with Parmesan cheese.  Makes 6-8 servings.

Thyme-Scented Pork Chops with Plum Salsa

Cookbook page: 203
Prep time:12 mins
Cooking time: 3 hours

My husband and I LOVED this.  My kids thought it was "pretty good."  I love thyme and pork chops and the plum salsa was great with the pork.  I admit, I had my doubts about the plum salsa.  Who would pair plums with onions and tomatoes?  But it was wonderful.  The chops are cooked slowly in the chicken broth and were moist throughout.  I made one alteration: I used dried thyme, not fresh.

What you will need:

4 (4-ounce) boneless center-cut pork loin chops (1/2-inch-thick)

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

1 cup low-sodium fat-free chicken broth

¾ cup pitted, chopped plums (2 large)

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

2 tablespoons chopped tomato

2 tablespoon chopped green onion (1 onion)

2 tablespoons light brown sugar

4 drops of hot sauce

What to do:

• Sprinkle both sides of pork chops with garlic powder and next 3 ingredients.  Place chops in a 3 ½-quart slow cooker; add broth.
• Cover and cook on HIGH 1 hour. Reduce heat to LOW, and cook 2 hours or until chops are tender.
• Meanwhile, toss together plums and remaining 5 ingredients in a bowl.  Cover and chill.
• Remove chops from slow cooker.  Spoon about ¼ cup salsa over each chop.  Serve immediately.  Makes 4 servings.

I served the chops with green beans from my neighbor's garden, bulgar, and the most amazing homemade herb bread you will ever eat.  It was so good I had to share.  The recipe is below.  It makes a 2 pound loaf.  I use my bread machine and just add the ingredients in the order listed and press start.


Herb Bread
1 1/2 cups water
3 t balsamic vinegar
2 T olive oil
1/4 t cayenne pepper
1/4 t dried oregano
1 t dried basil
1 t minced garlic
2 T chopped parsley
2 T chopped onion
2 t salt
2 T sugar
2 T wheat bran
4 1/4 cups bread flour
2 t yeast

Place in bread machine in the order given and press start.  Makes a 2 lb. loaf.

Peaches and Cream Tapioca

Cookbook page: 179

Prep time: 15 min (see comment)

Cooking time: 4 hours

My prep time was actually about 30 min. since I didn't have my peaches pre-sliced.

This dish is so perfect for these hot summer days when peaches are in season and you want a light dessert.  Sweet, creamy, fruity, yummy! And easy!

You are to top it with granola.  This makes it extra good.  I didn't use near 2 cups...closer to 1.  You can use store bought or make your own.  I make my own and usually have some on hand (recipe at bottom of page).

 

What you will need:

4 cups fresh or frozen peach slices (about 2 pounds)

3 tablespoons uncooked quick-cooking tapioca

¾ cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 cup heavy whipping cream

½ cup peach nectar

2 cups granola

What to do:

·        Stir together first 7 ingredients in a 3 ½-quart slow cooker.

·        Cover and cook on LOW 4 hours.  Stir well; spoon into dessert dishes, and top evenly with granola.  Makes 8 servings.

Granola
This recipe makes a lot!  Reduce as needed.  I mix and match grains, seeds, and nuts. I just make sure I have approximately the same proportions of each. I don't like walnuts so I use extra pecans and almonds.  Sometimes I use wheat bran instead of wheat germ.  I often use some of that mixed grain cereal from Red Mill....You get the idea.

You will need:
8 cups rolled oats                                                1/4 cup maple syrup
1 1/2 cups wheat germ                                         3/4 cup honey
1 1/2 cups oat bran                                              1 cup veg.oil
1 cup sunflower seeds                                          1 T ground cinnamon
1 cup chopped almonds                                       1 T vanilla
1 cup chopped pecans                                         1 cup raisins
1 cup chopped walnuts                                        1 cup dries cranberries
1 1/2 t salt                                                           1/2 cup shredded coconut

What you do:
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
2. Combine oats, wheat germ, oat bran, sunflower seeds, almonds, pecans, and walnuts in a large bowl.
3. Stir together salt, maple syrup, honey, oil, cinnamon, and vanilla in a saucepan.  Bring to a boil over med. heat then pour over dry ingredients and stir to coat.  Spread the mixture evenly on baking sheets.
4. Bake in oven until crispy and toasted, about 20 minutes, stirring once half way through.  Cool, then stir in the raisins and cranberries.  Store in an airtight container.

Chicken Burritos

Cookbook page 144

Prep time: 20 min (see comment below)

Cooking time: 2 hours

OK.  So I need a few different colored plates.  My picture is all one color but at least you get to see the WONDERFUL burrito we had for supper tonight.

Prep time is 20 min IF you have your chicken already cooked and chopped, your cheese shredded, and your tomatoes and onion chopped.  I didn't.  Prep time for me was closer to an hour.  We love burritos and these were a great success.  I liked having refried beans and chicken in the same burrito.  And the taco seasoning mix gave it a nice (not too hot) bite. 

I wondered why I should heat them in the crock-pot for two hours rather than just eat them.  Well, they came out steamed, just like in a restaurant.  All the ingredients were hot and held tight inside the soft warm tortilla.  So delicious!

The 8 burritos filled my
6 quart crock pot.  If you are using a smaller pot, you may need to do fewer.







What you will need:

2  cups chopped cooked chicken

1  (1.25 oz) package taco seasoning mix

1  (16 oz) can refried beans

8  (8 in.) flour tortillas

8 oz. shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

3  plum tomatoes, chopped

1/2  cup minced onion

Salsa verde

What you do:

Place chicken and seasoning mix in large zip-top plastic bag and shake to coat chicken.

Spread beans evenly over tortillas.  Top each with chicken, cheese, tomato, and onion; roll up.

Wrap each burrito in aluminum foil; place in 5 or 6 quart slow cooker.

Cover and cook on HIGH 2 hours.  Serve with salsa verde.

Makes 8 burritos.

Toasted Herb Rice

Cookbook page 169
Prep time, 15 min
Cooking time, 2 hours


I was cooking chicken on the grill last Sunday for lunch and needed a couple of sides.  I found this rice recipe that could cook while I was at church and be ready shortly after I got home.  Perfect timing!  It was so easy and delicious!  It calls for pine nuts but I didn't have any on hand so I chopped some almonds.  Wonderful!

What you will need:

3 T butter

1 3/4 cups white rice

2 (14 oz) cans chicken broth

1/4 t salt

6 green onions, chopped

1 t dried basil

1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted

Garnish: fresh basil sprig

What to do:

Melt butter in a large skillet over med-high heat; add rice, and saute 4 minutes or until golden brown.  Combine sauteed rice, broth, and next 3 ingredients in a 4-quart slow cooker.

Cover and cook on HIGH 2 hours or until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender.  Stir in pine nuts.  Garnish, if desired.  Makes 6 servings.

                                                                                                                                          

Chicken Lasagna Florentine

Cookbook page: 145
Prep time: 20 min
cooking time: 4 hours

 I really liked this recipe but I don't think I would call it Lasagna.  Maybe Chicken Florentine Casserole instead.  Lasagna should have TOMATOES.  And HAMBURG.  And RICOTTA (or Cottage Cheese).  Like the one from my McClure Favorites Cookbook.  We love Lasagna and I have perfected my recipe over the years.

BUT...this Chicken Florentine Casserole is very good.  I have already made it more than once.  The first time I made it, I followed the recipe exactly, even using a rotisserie chicken.  It was super easy and super good (how can you go wrong with rotisserie chicken?).  The second time, I used the extra chicken I had leftover from a cookout.  I also mixed up the cheeses a bit, colby-jack and cheddar.  It was just as good the second time and we will have this again.  I love that you can play around with the ingredients according to what you have on hand!

What you will need:

1  (10-ounce) package frozen shopped spinach, thawed

2  cups chopped roasted chicken

1  (10 ¾-ounce) can cream of chicken and mushroom soup, undiluted

1  (10 ¾-ounce) can cream of onion soup, undiluted

1  (8-ounce) package sliced fresh mushrooms, chopped

½  teaspoon pepper

¼  teaspoon salt

3  ½ cups (14 ounces) shredded Colby-Jack cheese blend, divided

9  uncooked lasagna noodles

1  cup freshly shredded Parmesan cheese

½  cup chopped pecans

What to do:

• Drain spinach well, pressing between paper towels to romve excess moisture.
• Sir together spinach, chicken, and next 7 ingredients in a large bowl; stir in  2 cups Colby-Jack cheese.
• Arrange 3 uncooked noodles in a lightly greased 5-quart slow cooker, breaking noodles as necessary to fit in slow cooker. Spread one-third of chicken mixture over noodles; sprinkle with ½ cup Colby-jack cheese. Repeat layers twice. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and pecans.
• Cover and cook on LOW 3 ½ to 4 hours or until noodles are done.  Let stand 10 minutes before serving.  Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Shredded Barbecue Chicken

Cookbook page, 134
25 min prep time, 7 hours cook time


This recipe calls for a 4 quart slow cooker AND this may be one of the times it matters.  I only have a 6 quart crock pot and use it for all the recipes regardless of what the recipe recommends.  Usually it doesn't matter but this time the meat was overdone, especially the edges.  The center was just right so that's what we ate.  It was a bit bite-y for my taste but the rest of my family loved it.  For the ground red pepper, I wasn't sure if they meant cayenne or red pepper flakes or something else.  I used red pepper flakes and tried to grind them but they really don't grind well.  I served it on a bun with dill pickle as suggested.

What you will need:

1 ½ pounds skinned and boned chicken thighs

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 cup ketchup

¼ cup dark brown sugar

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon cider vinegar

1 tablespoon yellow mustard

1 teaspoon ground red pepper

½ teaspoon garlic salt

6 hamburger buns

Dill pickle slices

What to do:

• Brown chicken 4 minutes on each side in 1 tablespoon hot oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Remove from heat, and place in a 4-quart slow cooker.
• Combine ketchup and next 6 ingredients.  Pour over chicken.

Cover and cook on HIGH 1 hour.  Reduce heat to LOW, and cook 5 to 6 hours.  Remove chicken from sauce; shred chicken.  Stir shredded chicken into sauce.  Spoon mixture evenly onto buns, and top with pickle slices.  Makes 6 servings.

Kelley’s Famous Meat Loaf

Cookbook page 107

Prep time: 15 min.,  cooking time: 5 hours

I like the IDEA of doing a meatloaf in the crock-pot but it wasn't as easy as I'd hoped.  After 4 hours you are supposed to "remove ceramic insert...and carefully pour grease off meat loaf."  Uh-huh...I ended up removing the meatloaf with 2 spatulas and setting it (in pieces) on paper towels and pouring the grease from the pot.  Then you are to return it to the crock-pot to cook for the final hour.

The flavor and consistency of the meatloaf was wonderful.  I WILL use this recipe again but I will cook it in my 2 piece meatloaf pan with the little drain holes.

 What you will need:

1 ½ pounds ground round

1 (1-ounce) envelope dry onion soup mix

1 cup ketchup, divided

¼ cup water

¾ cup fine, dry breadcrumbs

1 large egg

1 cup (4 ounce) shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

¼ teaspoon pepper

1 tablespoon light brown sugar

1 teaspoon prepared mustard

What to do:

• Combine ground round, soup mix, ½ cup ketchup, and next 6 ingredients; shape mixture into an 8-x 4-inch loaf.  Place loaf in a lightly greased 3-quart oval slow cooker.
• Cover and cook on HIGH 1 hour.  Reduce heat to LOW, and cook 3 hours.  Remove ceramic insert from cooker, and carefully pour  grease off meat loaf, return insert to cooker.
• Stir together remaining 1/12 cup ketchup, brown sugar, and mustard in a small bowl; spread over meat loaf.
• Cover and cook on LOW  1 more hour or until meat loaf registers 160 degrees.  Remove meat loaf from ceramic insert, and let stand 10 minutes before serving.  Makes 6 to 8 servings.