Chicken Parmesan {crock-pot}

It's summer time and it's hot and some days there is NO WAY I want to turn on the oven. Here is a recipe that is so quick and easy and yet such a hearty meal. We enjoy Chicken Parmesan pretty much anyway it's cooked up, but this was a great way to cook it in a crock-pot.

Chicken Parmesan {crock-pot}
recipe found at Chef in Training, originally from A Year of Slow Cooking

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1/2 cup Italian Seasoned Bread Crumbs or Panko Breadcrumbs
1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese
1/4 tsp  black pepper
1/4 tsp  kosher salt
1 tbsp olive oil
1 egg, beaten
sliced fresh mozzarella cheese
favorite jar of spaghetti sauce (or use homemade)
1 box spaghetti pasta (make according to directions)

Spread the 1 tbsp of olive oil into the bottom of your crockpot stoneware insert. (don't forget the awesome crock-pot bags, live-savers for sure).

Beat the egg with a fork in a separate bowl. Mix the bread crumbs with the seasonings and the Parmesan cheese in a separate bowl or plate. Dip the chicken into the egg, then into the bread crumb mixture, coating both sides with crumbs, cheese and seasonings.

Place the chicken breast pieces in the bottom of the crockpot. Cover chicken with entire jar of marinara sauce. Close lid and cook on low for 6 to 7 hours (or high 3 to 4 hours), about 1 hour before the meal is done add slices of mozzarella cheese on top, depending on how much cheese you like, more or little is okay. Cover lid and cheese will melt.

Boil water and begin cooking your spaghetti noodles to your liking. Serve chicken on top of a bed of spaghetti noodles for a delicious summer time meal, without heating your house with the oven.

Ranch Chicken Enchiladas {TWC #85 Linky Party - MAN'ly Meals}

THIS WEEK'S CRAVINGS Linky Party #85

(MAN'ly Meals)

After a long weekend of graduation celebrations we are back in business (haha) for a day at least. Tomorrow I leave for Missouri for a two day trip and Friday I am headed for a QUIET weekend with my husband at Pebble Beach Golf Course (this is one of my husband's dreams).

Ranch Chicken Enchiladas

recipe found at Do You Smell That !!?

4 to 6 boneless chicken breast (fresh or frozen)
1 packet of dry ranch dressing
1 packet taco seasoning
1 can chicken broth
1 large packet of corn tortillas
1 to 2 cups of grated cheese
bottled ranch dressing

Put everything in the crock-pot and put on low for 3 to 4 hours. After it's all cooked, shred chicken and then you can serve in tacos or make these amazing enchiladas.

To make enchiladas you start layering the corn tortillas along the botton of a 9x13 pan, then add the chicken, the cheese and a few tbsp of Ranch Dressing in between each layer.

Cook at 350 for about 45 minutes and serve.

This week's theme is: MAN'ly Meals

Please only link recipes with our theme!

If you are a regular to THIS WEEK'S CRAVINGS Linky party, then link-up we're excited to see what you made this week. If you are new, please just follow our simple rules, so that everyone can enjoy the linky party! If you forget to follow the theme, your post will be deleted. Please don't feel hurt, just come back and link up a recipe that follows the theme. Thanks a million, we look forward to blogging with you!

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This Week's Cravings Upcoming Linky "THEMES"

Here is a complete list of the past and what's coming up next on THIS WEEK'S CRAVINGS!

June 18 - International Foods

June 25 - Summer Berry Recipes (anything with berries)

July 2 - July 4th Celebration (ONLY Red, White & Blue Food)

July 9 - Fried Foods 

Your hostess for this party are: Tina from MOMS CRAZY COOKING, Nicole from The Daily Dish and Kristi from Veggie Converter. We host this theme linky party every Monday (and the party stays open all week long)! We hope to inspire you to make something with our theme or get an old post notice by linking it up to the linky party below. 

The LINKY PARTY is opened ALL Week!

PLEASE do not link more then 3 recipes per week.

This week's theme is: Man'ly Meals
Please only link recipes with our them!

Whole Chicken in Crock Pot

Here is another great chicken recipe. One can never have too many fresh whole chicken recipes for the crock-pot. This is my second one to post. We also love Jamie Oliver's Perfect Roast Chicken and I've pinned, oh, only about 5 more whole chicken recipes I'd love to make. And the shredded chicken in the freezer is so convenient, I LOVE that too. Tomorrow I will be sharing a quick easy BBQ Chicken Pizza recipe using a Flour Tortilla.

This shredded chicken is amazing! Who doesn't love fresh shredded chicken?

Here is the simple easy way to stick all of this in the crock-pot before work and arrive home to a nice ready-made meal with lots of left-overs and a great way to make Homemade Chicken Broth. My Target sells these whole chickens for around $4 bucks each, that's a steel.

Whole Chicken in Crock-Pot
recipe created by Tina Hudgens (that's me!)

1 small whole chicken salt and fresh ground pepper (use less than 2 tsp of salt)
3 small handfuls of fresh herbs (basil, parsley, oregano) finely chopped, or use dry herbs
1 to 2 apples (any kind.. I love to use them when they are almost too soft to eat... no waste)
1 to 2 carrot sticks
1 onion, diced
4 tbsp Herb de Provence (rub on outside of chicken with a little bit of olive oil)

Wash chicken inside and out and pat dry. Rub the cavity with salt. Carefully separate the skin from the breast meat and sprinkle with salt. Drizzle the outside with a bit of olive oil and the fresh or dry herbs. I used mostly dried herbs for this and then used the fresh herbs to make the chicken stock. 

Put a layer of onions on the bottom of the crock-pot and then put the chicken on top. Stuff the bird with cut up apples, carrots and the rest of the onion. Pull the skin forward making sure the flesh isn't exposed. Place the lid on the crock-pot and cook on low for about 8 hours (some crock pots may take less or more time).

Here is the simple recipe I use for making Homemade Chicken Stock

Potatoes Au Gratin (Crock-Pot)

Okay here is my blogger confession. "I am not good at getting an entire meal on the table". This is something I want to work on this year. I figure after my twins leave for college and it's just my little guy and I (oh and my husband too on the rare occational day he is not working), my plan is too work on a "WHOLE" meal. Or at least get better at it. I can cook like no other, I can bake like no other. There isn't a week or month that goes by that my family doesn't enjoy homemade muffins, fresh hot chocolate chip cookies, a full Turkey or Ham cooked to perfection or an awesome salad and side dish (like this scrumptious meal below). But, try and get me to cook them ALL together! HUH! That rarely happens, maybe on Thanksgiving but not on a regular week night. So, I am sad to confess ya know what we had for dinner the night I made this OH-SO-DELICIOUS Potatoes Au Gratin in the crock-pot? Potatoes! Yep, that's all we had, a bowl full of Potatoes Au Gratin. :-) Okay, so I am working on this skill for SURE!!!

Potatoes Au Gratin (in Crock-Pot)
adapted by me, recipe found at Farm Bell Recipes

6 medium potatoes
8 oz cheese, shredded
3 tbsp butter
1/4 cup flour
2 cups milk
chopped garlic or minced garlic
Kosher Salt, Garlic Salt and Lawry's Salt

Wash, peel, and slice your potatoes. You want them about a medium thickness. Grease your slow cooker. I used 2 tbsp of extra butter, but pan spray would work just fine.

Add one layer of potatoes and salt them. I alternate with Kosher Salt, Garlic Salt and Layry's Salt, but do not skimp on the salt or your potatoes will be bland.

Continue layering and salting until you have used all the potato slices.

Next melt 3 tbsp of butter in a small sauce pan, add the flour and whisk. Cook over medium heat until mixture starts to bubble up, then cook for 2 minutes whisking constantly. Slowly pour in the milk and the 2 tbsp of chopped garlic and whisk until thickened.  Add the cheese and stir until melted.

Pour the cheese mixture over top the potatoes. Don’t stir the potatoes, but give them a jiggle to get some of the sauce down into the bottom of the pot. Place 2 paper towels across the top of the slow cooker and put on the top. Turn the pot on high and cook for about 2 to 3 hours. Or if you'd like cook on high for 1 hour and then low for about 3 to 4 hours. Each crock-pot cooks differently.

Slow Cooker Orange Chicken

Here is a recipe, I MUST master! My son's favorite take-out food, Orange-Chicken! Here is my first try and it was delicious. But if you know me, I won't stop at just one recipe. I will try several, so get ready for a few more Orange-Chicken recipes in the near future.

Slow Cooker Orange Chicken
found at Six Sisters Stuff

4 to 6 boneless chicken breasts, chopped into small chunks
1/3 cup flour
olive oil
1/2 tbsp salt
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
3 tbsp ketchup
6 oz frozen orange juice concentrate (thaw or throw it in the microwave for 45 seconds)
4 tbsp brown sugar
1/4 tsp ginger
1 tsp red pepper flakes


In a bowl, mix the salt, balsamic vinegar, ketchup, orange juice, brown sugar, ginger and red pepper flakes. Pour the flour in a small bowl. Cover the chicken breast chunks in flour and shake off the excess.

Pour a small amount of olive oil in a skillet and brown the flour-covered chicken. The chicken doesn't need to be fully cooked since it's going in the crock pot. After the chicken is done cooking, pour the pieces into the crock pot. Then cover the chicken with your sauce mixture and give the pot a stir.

Cook on low for 5-6 hours or on high for 2-3. (mine took a little less time then this, my crock-pot is hot) Serve over rice and even add veggies if you want a healthier meal.

Tacos with Spanish Round Steak (Crock-Pot)

I am still lovin' my crock-pot, but I do wish I used it more. I love it when I come home from work and dinner is complete. (I am usually too lazy to make anything else to go with it, so my favorite recipes are the ones that everything is all in one). This was a recipe I had ear-marked from one of my cookbooks. (Yes, I have lots of those which I am sure many of you food lovers do). It came out surprisingly well, I have not had alot of experience with round steak and I LOVED this recipe.

Yes, we love our cheese!! :-) Trust me there is some steak in there too!!

Spanish Round Steak (Crock-Pot)
recipe from Fix-It and Forget-It Cookbook

1 small onion, sliced
1 rib celery, chopped
1 green bell pepper, sliced in rings
2 lbs round steak
1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp dry mustard
1 tbsp chili powder
2 cups canned tomatoes
2 tsp dry minced garlic
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Lay in the bottom of the slow cooker half of the onion, green pepper and celery. Cut steak into serving-size pieces. Place steak pieces into slow cooker. Put in remaining onion, green pepper and celery over top steak. Combine remaining ingredients and pour over meat. Cover and Cook on low for 8 hours. Serve over rice, noodles or for some great tacos.

Easy Crock-Pot Potato Soup

My kids are still not fans of soup. I wish they were, because I love all the crock-pot recipes for soup. Throw it all in and when you get home it's DONE! Now that is the kind of cooking I love (sometimes). I made this easy crock-pot potato soup and they actually ate it. Happy Mama!

Easy Crock-Pot Potato Soup
adapted by me, original recipe found at Pearls, Handcuffs & Happy Hour

1 (30oz) bag of frozen hash browns (diced or shredded)

4-1/2 to 5 cups of fresh chicken broth or 3 (14oz) cans of chicken broth

1 can of cream of chicken soup

1/4 cup onion, chopped

1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper

1 pkg (8oz) cream cheese

(extra for toppings.. grated cheese, sour cream, bacon bits or green onions)

Combine everything EXCEPT for the cream cheese. Cook for 6-8 hours on low heat. About 1 hour before serving, add cream cheese and keep heated until thoroughly melted. Serve with cheese, sour cream, bacon bits, green onions, or whatever else you think would be good!

Jamie Oliver Chicken & Homemade Chicken Stock/Broth

I love Jamie Oliver and his recipes. And his cookbook is full of Healthy Recipes. I will be sure to be pulling out his cookbook this month and begin cooking lots of his healthy meals. I know I will be making this at least once a week this whole month while we are on this "meat, vegetable and fruit only diet". I love this chicken it's simple to throw together and we cook it in the crock-pot. The BEST kind of cooking. Plus after cooking this delicious chicken, I make homemade chicken broth for the freeze and that my friends, I just LOVE having on hand, and I just ran out!

Jamie Oliver's Perfect Roast Chicken (crock-pot)
adapted but found on Fabulously Fun Food

Jamie Oliver's Perfect Roast Chicken

1 small whole chicken 

salt and fresh ground pepper (use less than 2 tsp of salt)
3 small handfuls of fresh herbs (basil, parsley, oregano) finely chopped, or use dry herbs
1/4 cup olive oil
2 lemons, quartered
4 bay leaves, torn
2 sprigs fresh rosemary, or dry works great too
1 onions, diced

Wash chicken inside and out and pat dry. Rub the cavity with salt. Carefully separate the skin from the breast meat and sprinkle with salt. Drizzle the outside with a bit of olive oil and the fresh or dry herbs (and a little salt if you wish).

Put a layer of onions on the bottom of the crock-pot and then put the chicken on top. Stuff the bird with one of the lemons, bay leaves, and rosemary. Pull the skin forward making sure the flesh isn't exposed. The second lemon can be squeezed all over the chicken and then placed on top of the chicken for cooking. Place the lid on the crock-pot and cook on low for about 8 hours (some crock pots may take less or more time).

The added bonus is making homemade chicken stock and it's easier than pie!  It’s also extremely frugal!  I just figured out how to make this... and wondering why oh why didn't someone show me this sooner ?

Homemade Chicken Stock (crock-pot)
following instructions found at Real Food, Allergy Free
and adapted slightly by me!

I cook the Jamie Oliver Chicken in my crock-pot and then after dinner take all that's left in the crock-pot add a few things and make homemade chicken stock/chicken broth. 

1. First pick the rest of the meat off the bones and refrigerate or freeze for soups, stir fry's or chicken salad sandwiches.
2. Then I toss the bones back in the crockpot.  I now save the “gizzards,”  and toss them in the crockpot too.  Organ meat actually contain more nutrients than the muscle meat.  Most Americans are uncomfortable eating the organs.  By cooking them in the broth, you can transfer many of the nutrients into the stock. (I tried this for the first time and the chicken broth looks and tastes the same, so if it adds more nutritional value, I am all for it).
3. Next, I add vegetables (whatever I have on hand), and only if you wish. The chicken sometimes already has vegetables in them, so there was no need to add more. But, if you'd like add in a couple onions, carrots and celery. Use frozen vegeatbles too, or whatever you have left over in the refrigerator. You can even use the tough part of asparagus. I add in parsley too, for additional minerals.
4. Cover the bones and veggies with cold water, I fill my crock-pot up almost to the top, then add in 2 - 4 tablespoons of vinegar.
5. Turn the crockpot on low.  Cook 12+ hours, I leave in the crock-pot overnight. So from about 8pm to about 8 or 9am. I heard the longer you cook, the richer the broth.
6. After the chicken and stock cool, remove the bones and veggies and strain the stock (I use an extemley small strainer so that all I get is the liquid). 
7. Take all of the liquid and mix it in a food processor or blender.
8. Pour the stock into freezer containers, freezer bags or ice cube trays if you want small amounts.

Homemade stock will keep in the fridge 5-7 days or can be frozen indefinitely. 

Pink Pearl Applesauce (crock-pot): SECRET RECIPE CLUB

SECRET RECIPE CLUB

Pink Pearl Applesauce

Today is Group B: Secret Recipe Club reveal. And I am the fearless-host of Group B and YES I LOVE IT!!! Thanksgiving is just around the corner and I hope that we see lots of ideas that we can use for this upcoming feast, I made this scrumptious applesauce that is PERFECT for Thanksgiving. If you haven't heard of the Secret Recipe Club or you'd like more information click on over and read all about it, there may be a little waiting list, but feel free to sign up anyway.

When I found out who my assigned blog was, I clicked right on over. (I don't assign the blogs, so my new blog each month is still a secret to me). I was assigned Fifteen Spatulas and I just have to say her blog is A-MAZ-ING and everything, I mean everything looks so SCRUMPTIOUS! You should see all the recipes I've pinned on Pinterest, I hope to make ALL OF THEM, sooner rather then later. But first, it will be the Caprese Pasta Salad, followed by Ooey Gooey Rocky Road Cookies. (maybe even both the same night)

The recipe that made the post today is Pink Lady Applesauce (I had a handful of Pink Pearl apples from apple picking and I knew they would make great applesauce)! This recipe was perfect. I changed the recipe from Pink Lady to Pink Pearl and from stove-top to crock-pot plus took out the cardamon (only because I didn't have any on hand). This is the second applesauce crock-pot recipe I've made (click here to see the first) and I like BOTH! Yes, both of them are equally delicious and both of them are very different too. One sweet, one more tart. One cinnamon'y and one not so much! So, you can bet in the near future I will be making BOTH of my applesauce crock-pot recipes I've discovered.

Yes, Pink Pearl Apples REALLY are pink inside (see photo)! This apple cutter makes cutting all these apples so easy!
And yes you are seeing a BAG in my crock-pot, they sell them at Target or local grocery store and I LOVE THEM!

Pink Pearl Applesauce (crock-pot)
adapted from Fifteen Spatulas

We also freeze individual servings for later.
They go great in the kids lunches frozen and then by lunch
time they are ready to eat cold Homemade Applesauce

6 or more Pink Pearl Apples
1/2 cup water
3 tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
dash of nutmeg
dash of ginger
dash of cloves

Peel your apples, core them, and cut them in into small chunks. I love using my slicer and then just peeling them. Place the apple chunks into crock-pot with the water, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and cloves. Cook on low for 4 to 6 hours. When the apples are soft enough to mash, mash to your liking. Chunky or Silky Smooth. That's it! Transfer to individual servings or to a big bowl and cool in the refrigerator.

Here are a list of my past Secret Recipe Club recipes:

• Raspberry & Nutella Pizza
• Cucumber Salad
• Bean Roll-Up
• Blueberry Muffins (Gluten-Free)
• Pioneer Woman's Chicken Pot Pie 
• Frozen Breakfast Burritos

This post is linked up one, two or all of these FABULOUS Linky Parties!

Orange-Glazed Meatballs (crock-pot)

Here we are, another school week has gone by and we are still on a crock-pot roll. It's the 11th week of the school year and each and every week that goes by I know that my twins are that much closer to going off to college. It's bitter sweet!

I am enjoying my crock-pot recipes. This time we made a meatball recipe. I cheated and used our favorite frozen meatball, Ikea Frozen Meatballs. We LOVE those things. I used this crock-pot recipe and spruced them up a bit. I was surprised that these meatballs really had an orange kick too them that we all liked, even my picky little guy.

Orange-Glazed Meatballs
from More Make it Fast, Cook it Slow

20 frozen meatballs
1 (12 oz) jar orange marmalade
1/4 cup orange juice
3 green onions, sliced
1 jalapeno pepper, finely diced

In your crock-pot layer all of the frozen meatballs into the bottom. Add in the marmalade, orange juice, green onions and jalapeno pepper. Cover and cook on low for 5 hours, or until the meatballs are heated through. Serve over white rice.

Root Beer Pot Roast (crock-pot)

Hot Caramel Apples (crock-pot)

Caramel and Apples the two ingredients for IMPROV COOKING CHALLENGE. Yes, I joined another challenge, why not! I love cooking and I love a challenge and this gives me an assignment and a deadline, two additional things I love.

I had just bought some fresh apples from Oak Glen on an Apple picking weekend and decided to pull out all my apple recipes. I found this crock-pot recipe and I knew I had to try it. Before we even returned from camping for the weekend. I made up this recipe, loaded it in my crock-pot for our long-drive home and by the time we returned home I had Hot Caramel Apples prepared. Gotta' Love Motorhomes and the ease of crock-pot cooking.

I am excited about this new challenge as it will teach me to cook with two items that I may have over looked at one time or another. I searched through lots of recipes believe it or not to find one that had both Apples and Caramel. Alot of my recipes had one or the other, but not both.

Hot Caramel Apples (crock-pot)

from Taste of Home

4 large tart apples, cored

1/2 cup apple juice

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

12 red-hot candies

1/4 cup butter

8 caramels

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Whipped cream, optional

Peel about 3/4 in. off the top of each apple; place in a slow cooker. Fill the center of each apple with 2 tablespoons of sugar, three red-hots, 1 tablespoon butter and two caramels. Pour juice over apples.  Sprinkle with cinnamon.

Cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours or until the apples are tender. Serve immediately with whipped cream if desired.

Honey Garlic Chicken (crock-pot)

I've been using my crock-pot and lovin' every minute of it. Every Monday and Wednesday night at our home is crock-pot night. It's so easy to pour all the ingredients into the crock-pot before I leave for work and it's ready when everyone arrives home. The girls have dance and my son plays golf on Monday's & Wednesday's and this method has made my life so wonderful.

I have been using a cookbook called More Make it Fast, Cook it Slow. I have about 25 recipes bookmarked, so I don't think I'll be running out of ideas anytime soon. Today's recipe is a chicken recipe and I made this with chicken tenderloins and they worked great. It changed it up a little bit from the normal chicken breasts and everyone loved it.

Honey Garlic Chicken (crock-pot)
adapted from More Make it Fast, Cook it Slow Cookbook

6 to 10 chicken tenderloins, frozen
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tsp dried basil
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup ketchup
1/3 cup honey

In your slow-cooker put the chicken into your cooker. In a small bowl combine the rest of the ingredients, then pour evenly on top of the chicken. (Tenderloins cook faster then breasts, so watch it at about 4 hours, and mine crock-pot is HOT, so sometimes it's done at about 3 to 4 hours.) Cover and cook on low for 4 to 6 hours.

Caramelized Onion Pot Roast

I am spending my twin daughters birthday in NEW YORK CITY!

No, they are not this little anymore! We are celebrating their 18th birthday & my 40th birthday in New York City this week. I am so excited, I LOVE THIS CITY and this is my girls first time here!

We are going to see three Broadway plays, visit all the sights and have so much fun SHOPPING!!!

Don't you worry about recipes being posted here though, I've got a full line up all scheduled and ready to go! Today I am sharing a new pot roast, great for the crock pot. Sticking with my every Monday & Wednesday crock pot nights at my house and I am still LOVING it.  Then, on Monday don't forget to come check out THIS WEEK'S CRAVINGS - Apple Recipes.

Another Pot Roast recipe, I know, I know! I just can not decide on just one. I have my favorites Grandma's Fay Pot Roast, my mother has been making for years. This was the ONLY roast I ever knew until I moved out and started cooking on my own. And yes, it's still one of my all time favorites. Then I found this wonderful gluten-free recipe Beef Pot Roast and we LOVE IT TOO!!! And then lastly their is my Salsa Roast with Chicken or Beef, which is currently sitting at my most popular recipe to date on MOMS CRAZY COOKING! And now we have another new favorite....

Caramelized-Onion Pot Roast

from Betty Crocker Recipe Magazine, January 2001

2-1/2 lb beef boneless chuck roast

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1 tbsp olive oil

4 medium onions, sliced thin

1 cup beef broth

1/2 cup beer or apple juice (we use apple juice)

1 tbsp packed brown sugar

1 tbsp cider vinegar

2 tbsp Dijon mustard

Spray 12" skillet with cooking spray; heat over medium-high heat. Cook beef in skillet for 5 minutes, turning once, until brown. Sprinkle with salt and pepper; remove from skillet.

Reduce heat to medium. Add oil to skillet. Cook onions in oil 12 to 14 minutes, stirring frequently, until brown. Stir in broth, apple juice, brown sugar, vinegar and mustard. Spoon half of the onion mixture into your crock pot; place beef onto of onions; spoon remaining onion mixture over beef.

Cover and Cook on low for 8 to 9 hours (my crock-pot only takes about 6 hours).

One Year Ago Today: Our FAVORITE Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

Homemade Applesauce in the Crock Pot

Okay can this be "diet food"? It's FRESH apples and it was so good! When it first came out of the crock-pot steaming hot, I could not think of anything better to put it on then a nice bowl of vanilla ice cream. It was like Apple Pie Ala'mode, but without the crust! It was so darn good!!!

School has started and my crock pot is out. I am going to try and do, Monday & Wednesday nights as crock pot days. My girls go from school, to homework, to dance with very little time in between and my son has football or sports practices everyday. So by the time I get home with my little guy, my girls (since they drive themselves) are already out the door again to their dance practice and well no one gets a good dinner. I figure if I put it in the crock pot before I leave, the girls can eat when they need to and the rest of us can eat when we get home. And well, for my husband he works so many hours and so many different days I never know when he will be home. It's just nice that dinner will be ready, any time ANYONE is ready to eat on Monday's & Wednesday's. As for the others days, we'll just have to see if anyone gets feed on those days?

To kick off this Crock Pot adventure I asked for fans of my facebook page to share crock pot recipes and I would pick one to feature here on my blog. If you aren't a facebook fan yet, then I invite you to come on over and join today! Well, I know, I know this isn't exactly a "meal", but this was the VERY FIRST recipe that was shared and I waited and waited for another recipe to catch my eye and many did but I couldn't resist this delicious sounding Homemade Applesauce, so last Saturday I made it! And I was NOT disappointed.

Yep, Apple Pie A' la Mode without the PIE!

The person that shared this recipe was Erin at EKat's Kitchen. I am so glad she shared it. I don't think I will ever buy jar Applesauce again. I have been a follwer of EKat's Kitchen for quite some time (I can't believe I missed this recipe), I love her Friday Potluck's, so much fun! And I have shared many a' emails with her and I am so excited that her recipe was the one I choose. So, please pay her some blog-love and hop on over and check out all she offers.

I LOVE LOVE the apple cutter I have. It really came in handy for this recipe. Even though I still had to peel the apples (thanks to my two girl friends who were over and did this for me....), it really did not take that long. We had the whole recipe in the crock-pot and ready to go with in 10 to 15 minutes. Then 4 hours later, DELICIOUSNESS!!!

Homemade Applesauce in the Crock Pot
from Ekat's Kitchen

9 large apples, skinned, cored, and cut into pieces
2-1/2 lemons, juiced
1-1/2 tsp vanilla
4-1/2 tbsp brown sugar
1-1/3 cup water

Mix all the ingredients together in your crock-pot and cook on low for 4 to 6 hours! Mash all together and add in another tbsp of brown sugar and a dash of cinnamon. Cook for another 20 minutes.

One Year Ago Today: Grilled Chicken Cesar Salad Sandwich

Saucy Hawaiian Franks

When I was preparing the Six-Layer Dip for THIS WEEK'S CRAVINGS (Memorial Day BBQ); I knew I had another great recipe for a BBQ, it's my Saucy Hawaiian Franks. I can not believe that I haven't made these in so long... when I thought of a Memorial Day BBQ I knew these had to be included. (and it gave me a great excuse to make them for dinner, so I could photograph them for my blog) Since we had this for a dinner tonight, instead of just an appetizer for a BBQ, I made some white rice and added a handful of pre-cooked frozen meatballs into the recipe. WOW! It was just as delicious and my entire family LOVED it (even my little guy who likes NOTHING)!

Saucy Hawaiian Franks
from Tina Hudgens

1 jar (12 oz) Peach/Pineapple/Apricot Preserves (any which one or a combo of one or the other)
1 jar favorite BBQ Sauce
2 lbs favorite sausage links
1 to 2 cans pineapple chunks (or crushed pineapple) in juice; drain but reserve juice
1 tbsp corn starch

Heat BBQ sauce and preserves in sauce pan. Cut sausages into bite size pieces and add to pan; bring to a boil and add in pineapple. In a small bowl mix 3 tbsp of pineapple juice and 1 tbsp corn starch, then add to pan and continue to heat for 2-3 minutes. Transfer to a slow cooker (on low or warm) and/or serve immediately.

Grandma's Pot Roast

My Grandma Fay's Pot Roast; One of our Favorite Crock-Pot Recipes
Friday's on MOMS CRAZY COOKING is recipe only!

Crock-Pot Beef Pot Roast (GLUTEN-FREE & DAIRY-FREE)

I have been making pot-roast forever, I think since I first moved out of my house at 18 years old, when I received my first crock-pot and I know I've never been without once since. I have made my grandma's recipe over a zillion times. Well, my grandma's tried and true recipe is still delicious, but my GLUTEN-FREE daughter can no longer have this delicious recipe. So, where else did I choose to look, of course my trusty bloggers. I came across this new-to-me blog a few weeks ago A Year of Slow Cooking and I am really excited about trying a few more GLUTEN-FREE recipes from there. But, back to the Pot-Roast, this receipe is OUT-OF-THIS world. I just LOVE-LOVE the recipe and I will be making this again and again and again. And YAHOOOO my daughter can have it too! It's GLUTEN-FREE and DAIRY-FREE.

Beef Pot Roast in Crock-Pot
adapted original recipe idea from A Year of Slow Cooking

4 lbs Beef Shoulder Roast or Chuck Roast
2 onions, sliced in rings
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1 cup ketchup
2 cups beef broth
2 cups baby carrots
4 small potatoes, cut in large cubes
1 can peas

In your crock-pot lay the meat in first and then add the onion rings on top. In a separate bowl mix together the brown sugar, apple cider and ketchup, pour on top of meat. Toss in carrots and potatoes. Pour beef broth evenly over roast mixtures. Cover and cook for 6 to 8 hours on low, or until meat will shredded with ease with a fork.  (tough meat means you didn't cook long enough) Add the peas in just before serving (about 15 minutes just to get them hot, you don't want them to turn to mush)

It's the WEEKEND, a great time for any kind of PARTY including Linky Parties! Today, we will link this recipe to: Check Me Out Saturday, It's Party Time, Recipe Swap Sundays, Saturday Swap, Sister Sister Sunday, One Food Club and Potluck Sunday

Catalina Cranberry Chicken

This has become the families new favorite chicken recipe. (this is no small task for my 11 year old, who HATES chicken). My husband's exact quote after the first time he tasted this chicken "You can make this every single night, this is the BEST chicken you have ever made"! Happy Husband, Happy Wife!

This chicken is so great, you can make it in the oven, crock-pot and even BBQ. It all tastes so good!

 

Catalina Cranberry Chicken

from Kraft Food & Family Magazine

6 to 8 Chicken Thigh Pieces

1 can (16 oz) whole cranberry sauce

1 bottle Catalina Dressing

1 envelope onion soup mix

OVEN: Heat oven to 350, place chicken in 9x13 baking dish. Mix & Pour remaining ingredients over chicken. Bake for 50 minutes or until done.

BBQ: Mix all ingredients together and marinate the chicken in sauce (overnight); BBQ on the grill until chicken is done.

CROCK-POT: Mix all ingredients together and place the chicken thighs along with sauce in the crock-pot. Cook on low for 4 hours or less. Do NOT overcook.

I LOVE Linky Parties, what a great way to mix and mingle with lots of bloggers! This recipe is linked to: What's on Your Plate, Real Food Wednesday, What's Cooking Wednesday, Frugal Food Fridays and Crockpot Wednesdays