Category: SLOW COOKER / CROCK POT / NINJA FOODI

Mongolian Beef & Broccoli in the Slow Cooker

We like to put meat and sauce on a pile of veggies rather than rice or noodles.  I figure, for the most part, rice is just there to catch the numminess of the sauce, right?  So I LOVE broccoli, and we steam a bunch of it and put our meat and sauces over broccoli. You could do this with any veggies.  Add more if you’d like. I’m not a carb hater, trust me, I love my carbs. I just choose them wisely and want to get the most out of them.  So in this awesome meal, we gladly skip the rice.
Don’t be scared off by the list of ingredients.  These all come together to make an incredible meal. Seriously. I’ve made this several times and we love it.  I totally end up eating way too much of it. 
Mongolian Beef and Broccoli Adapted from A Year of Slow Cooking1 1/2 pounds steak, something cheap3 cloves of garlic, minced
4 sliced green onions
1/2 onion, diced
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup white wine
1/4 cup cooking sherry
1/2 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 teaspoon molasses
1 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon red chili pepper flakes
1/2 tablespoon peanut butter
3 tablespoons splenda (or sugar)
1/4 cup cornstarch (to dredge meat)
1 pound broccoli

  • Slice your meat in thin strips and toss in a Ziploc bag with cornstarch. 
  • Add all of the liquid and dried spices to your crock pot, add the peanut butter, and mix well. 
  • Add the garlic, the sliced green onions and regular onion. 
  • Put your meat on top, and toss to coat.
  • Cover and cook on low for 3-5 hours. The steak is thin and has very little fat, and will cook quickly. The meat is done when it is no longer pink and has reached desired tenderness. Mine was done in about 4 hours. 
  • Steam broccoli on stove top for 6 – 8 minutes with 1/2 cup water until desired crispness. 
  • Serve mongolian beef over steamed broccoli.
Total calories = 1485 calories
4 servings = 371 calories

QUICK & EASY CHICKEN CHILI and CHEDDAR CHEESE BISCUITS

QUICK & EASY CHICKEN CHILI
3 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, frozen
2 cups homemade chicken broth, frozen
1 can cream of potato soup
1 jar dried beef, chopped
1 Williams chili mix package
1 can chopped green chilies
  • Place frozen chicken breasts on the bottom.
  • Pour green chilies over chicken pieces.
  • Top with cream of potato soup.
  • Top with frozen broth.
  • Sprinkle chili seasoning mix on top of chicken broth.
  • Top with beef pieces.
  • Slow cook on high for 2 hours. Reduce to low for 6 hours. Or cook on low 10 hours.
As the slow cooker heats up, the broth will melt absorbing the chili seasoning mix which will then be absorbed by the potato soup and by the end of the day you have a huge bowl of wonderful yummy goodness perfect for a crisp fall evening. Serve with cheddar cheese biscuits.

Hubby likes the biscuits a bit more done and the rest of us like them a little lighter! Either way they are really yummy.

CHEDDAR CHEESE BISCUITS
2 1/2 cups Bisquick
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 teaspoons celery seeds
1 egg, room temperature
1 cup milk 
  • Combine Bisquick and seeds and mix well.
  • Add cheese and mix again. 
  • Whisk egg and milk together. 
  • Gradually add egg mixture to Bisquick mixture and mix until well blended. 
  • Drop by spoonfuls onto a well greased cookie sheet or use a mini-muffin pan.
  • Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes.

BBQ Cola Meatballs

Welcome to Healthy Meals on Our Krazy Kitchen.  I like to focus on real, everyday, satisfying meals that you don’t have to feel guilty about enjoying!
I find meatballs adorable. They are like little mini meat loaves with a scrumptious sauce all around them. What’s not to love?  I’ve made meatballs different ways.  I’ve baked them, I’ve pan fried them. These, I did in the crockpot. (and the oven).  They were baked first, then I threw them in the crock pot.  
Then I made a delicious BBQ sauce with a unique sweetener. COKE! I thought that was awesome when I first saw it!!  I got this recipe from Kel from Between the Lines.  I’m always looking for new ways to prepare everyday food so when I saw this, I knew I had to try it!
Doesn’t that look awesome!!! They held together great so gently stirring wasn’t a problem. We ended up eating every last bit of the sauce!! They were made with ground turkey so they weren’t greasy at all.  I ate 7 of them and was quite full!! 
We ate this with a delicious Spaghetti Squash Mac and Cheese.  This was a fantastic meal!  Healthy and filling!

Barbecue Cola Meatballs

Adapted from Between the Lines

Meatballs:
1 1/2 lbs. ground turkey
1 1/4 cups bread crumbs (I used panko)
1 egg
1/4 cup onion, finely chopped
1 (1 oz) package dry ranch style dressing mix

Sauce:
3/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup barbeque sauce
2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
3/4 cup cola
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1/2 cup green or red pepper, chopped
1 tsp. seasoning salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

In a large bowl, mix together the meatball ingredients until well blended. Shape into meatball and place on a baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes at 375 turning them over half way.

Mix up the sauce ingredients in slow cooker. Remove meatballs from baking sheet and place in sauce in crock pot. Cover and cook on low for 3 hours, then remove lid and cook for an additional 15 – 30 minutes before serving. Mine made 40 meatballs.

Total calories = 1922 calories
40 meatballs = 48 calories per meatball with sauce

7 BBQ Cola Meatballs + Spaghetti Squash Mac and Cheese = 582 calorie dinner
Check out the spaghetti squash mac and cheese and more healthy recipes at Debbi Does Dinner Healthy! 

PORK CHOPS AND SCALLOPED POTATOES

Don’t forget to enter our CSN STORES sponsored BIRTHDAY BASH GIVEAWAY here.

This is a tried and true recipe good for winter or summer because of the crock pot.  Recently we were asked out for my aunt’s birthday party.  At the last minute I was asked to prepare it at home instead.  What could I say but yes?  It is June in Texas though and I am miserable as my uncle believes he is freezing if you lower the thermostat below 80 degrees so I reallllllllllllllllllly didn’t want to turn on the oven, but needed a “Sunday” dinner meal for company.  That is what is so nice about this recipe – it looks like you slaved in the kitchen all day, but really I plugged it in and went to an air conditioned museum for a few hours.  But, shhhhhhhh don’t tell on me.  These are so yummy and they turn out super tender – you’ll be able to cut them with a fork.

4 extra thick pork chops
2 tablespoons butter
salt and pepper
3 large russet potatoes
1 can cream of asparagus soup
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup milk
4 ounces Land of Lakes block cheese*, cut into chunks

  • Melt butter in a large skillet.
  • Sprinkle salt and pepper generously on both sides of chops.
  • Brown chops on both sides.
  • While chops are browning, wash the potatoes and slice into 1/4 inch.
  • Whisk together the soup, sour cream and milk.
  • Spray crock pot with PURE.
  • Layer potatoes slices, soup sauce and cheese chunks 2 or 3 times.
  • Lay pork chops on top.
  • Cook on low 4 hours.

*Velveeta works, but not nearly as well.

Try this Italian Green Bean & Tomato salad with this!

PORK CHOPS AND SCALLOPED POTATOES

This is a tried and true recipe good for winter or summer because of the crock pot.  Recently we were asked out for my aunt’s birthday party.  At the last minute I was asked to prepare it at home instead.  What could I say but yes?  It is June in Texas though and I am miserable as my uncle believes he is freezing if you lower the thermostat below 80 degrees so I reallllllllllllllllllly didn’t want to turn on the oven, but needed a “Sunday” dinner meal for company.  That is what is so nice about this recipe – it looks like you slaved in the kitchen all day, but really I plugged it in and went to an air conditioned museum for a few hours.  But, shhhhhhhh don’t tell on me.  These are so yummy and they turn out super tender – you’ll be able to cut them with a fork.
Insert finished picture here!  
I prepped them tonight to make tomorrow 
for a birthday dinner so we’ll have to take a picture then.

4 extra thick pork chops
2 tablespoons butter
salt and pepper
3 large russet potatoes
1 can cream of asparagus soup
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup milk
4 ounces Velveeta, cut into chunks

  • Melt butter in a large skillet.
  • Sprinkle salt and pepper generously on both sides of chops.
  • Brown chops on both sides.
  • While chops are browning, wash the potatoes and slice into 1/4 inch.
  • Whisk together the soup, sour cream and milk.
  • Spray crock pot with PURE.
  • Layer potatoes slices, soup sauce and cheese chunks 2 or 3 times.
  • Lay pork chops on top.
  • Cook on low 4 hours.

aprons 3

SLOW COOKED MEAT BALLS

On the weekends when we are going to be home all day, I LOVE the smell of something scrumptious cooking and this recipe is one of my favorites. The great thing about this recipe though is that it’s great for working moms during the week too.

SLOW COOKED MEAT BALLS
1 1/2 pounds ground beef*
4 slices stale sourdough bread made into crumbs
1 JUMBO egg, beaten
1 medium Vidalia onion, finely chopped
1 can cream of golden mushroom soup
1 1/2 cups beef broth
1 can diced tomatoes with garlic and herbs
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon basil

  • With your hands mix together the ground beef, bread crumbs, egg, onion and half the seasonings.
  • Spray the bottom of the slow cooker lightly with PURE.
  • Gently lay the meatballs in the bottom of the slow cooker.
  • Mix together the soup, broth and tomatoes.
  • Pour over meatballs.
  • Cover and cook 7-9 hours on low.
*I like to make my own when brisket is on sale. It makes for a richer tasting beef flavor!
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Slow Coooking Thursday ~ Mexican Baja Casserole

Slow Cooking Thursday is hosted by Diary of a Stay at Home Mom.
MEXICAN BAJA CASSEROLE

1 pound ground beef
1 large yellow onion, chopped
4 teaspoons minced garlic
1/3 cup salsa
4 oz. can chopped green chiles
1 large can white corn
1 large tomato, chopped (seeds too)
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon white pepper
1 teaspoon sea salt
6 corn tortillas, cut into strips
2 cups Sargento Mexican blend shredded cheese

  • Brown the beef, onions and garlic in a frying pan.
  • Drain the fat off. Add the salsa, chiles, corn, tomatoes and seasonings. Mix well.
  • Spray slow cooker with a coating of PURE.
  • Transfer mixture to slow cooker.
  • Layer the tortilla strips, meat mixture, and cheese.
  • Repeat until all ingredients are used (2-3 layers)
  • Cover and cook on low 4 hours.
  • Let rest 10-15 minutes before serving.
  • Garnish with sour cream.
I do the memes: Menu Plan Monday hosted by aura at I’m an Organizing Junkie, Favorite Ingredient Friday hosted by Kathryn at Overwhelmed with Joy, Freezer Food Friday hosted by MJ at mjpuzzlemom, Scrumptious Sunday hosted by Meredith at Mercedes Rocks and Slow Cooking Thursday hosted by Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom. Doing them all make great additions to help keeping me on track and finding so new recipes!