Crock Pot Pizza Casserole

Crock Pot Pizza Casserole

This was submitted last night and sounds too good not to try!  I know this will be a hit with the 12 and under crowd in this house! :)

Ingredients

- 1 package (16 oz) wide egg noddles
- 1 1/2 lbs ground beef or turkey
- 1/4 cup chopped onion
- 1 jar (26 oz) spaghetti sauce
- 1 can ( 4 1/2 oz) sliced mushrooms, drained
- 1 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 package (3 1/2 oz) sliced pepperoni
- 3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- non-stick cooking spray

Directions

- cook noodles on stove top according to package directions
- meanwhile, in large skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink
- drain fat from beef
- stir in spaghetti sauce, mushrooms and Italian seasoning
- drain noodles
- coat Crock Pot with non-stick cooking spray
- spread 1/3 of meat sauce on bottom of Crock Pot
- cover with 1/3 of noodles and pepperoni
- sprinkle with 1/3 of cheese
- repeat layers twice more
- cover and cook on LOW for 3 to 4 hours or until heated through and cheese is melted

*Makes 6 to 8 large servings

Enjoy!

~ The Lazy Gourmet

Crock Pot Apple Crisp

Crock Pot Apple Crisp

Dessert in the Crock Pot?!?  Really?!?  Cool!  This sounds amazing!

Ingredients

- 8 medium tart apples, peeled and sliced
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1 1/2 tsp grated lemon peel
- 2 1/2 cups granola with fruit and nuts
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup butter, melted

Directions

- in large bowl, toss apples, lemon juice and lemon peel
- transfer to a GREASED Crock Pot
- in separate bowl, combine granola, sugar & cinnamon
- sprinkle mixture over apples
- drizzle entire mixture with melted butter
- cover and cook on LOW for 5 to 6 hours or until apples are tender
- serve warm

*Makes 6 to 8 servings

Enjoy!

~ The Lazy Gourmet

Crock Pot Salsa Chicken

Crock Pot Salsa Chicken

Saw this posted on my friend Kathy's Facebook page this week and it looked too good not to share!  Going to give it a try later this week.  Yum!

Ingredients

- 2 lbs (32 oz) chicken breasts, boneless & skinless
- 1 cup salsa
- 1 cup diced canned tomatoes
- 2 tbsp taco seasoning
- 1 cup onion, finely diced
- 1/2 cup celery, finely diced
- 1/2 cup carrots, shredded
- 3 tbsp sour cream

Directions

- place chicken in Crock Pot & sprinkle taco seasoning over meat
- layer vegetables and salsa on top
- pour 1/2 cup water over entire mixture
- cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours
*Meat is cooked when it shreds easily or reaches internal temp of 165F
- when ready to serve break up chicken with fork and stir in sour cream

*Serves 8

Enjoy!

~ The Lazy Gourmet

Hot Mulled Cider

Hot Mulled Cider

I have this going in my Crock Pot every year on Christmas morning so everyone can stay warm and toasty while we open gifts.  The alcohol is optional, of course, if you are serving children.  Although if you need it to handle the in-laws then you can always add it to your own mug later! <wink>

Ingredients

- 2 litres apple cider
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp balsamic or cider vinegar
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 3 cinnamon sticks (or more if you really like cinnamon)
- 6 whole cloves (personally I skip these)
- 1/2 cup bourbon *Alcohol is optional

Instructions

- combine all ingredients in Crock Pot
- cover and cook on LOW 5 to 6 hours *Quick Tip - I put this mixture on LOW at about 6AM on Christmas morning and by the time guests are arriving around 8AM it is heated thru and ready to serve. I leave the Crock Pot on LOW all morning to keep it warm
- discard cloves before serving

*Serving tip - I put a container of cinnamon sticks on my counter next to the Crock Pot so guests can put one in their cider as a stir stick for added festive flavour.

*Makes 16 servings

Enjoy!

` The Lazy Gourmet

Turkey Vegetable Chili Mac

Crock Pot Turkey Vegetable Chili Mac

Have to admit that I am not generally a fan of chili, but this sounds sooooooo good I will have to give it a try!

Ingredients

- 3/4 pound ground turkey breast
- 1 can (15 oz) black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 can (15 oz) Mexican-style stewed tomatoes, undrained
- 1 can (15 oz) no-salt-added diced tomatoes, undrained
- 1 cup frozen corn
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 2 cloves garlic, minced (or garlic powder equivalent)
- 1 tsp Mexican seasoning
- 1/2 cup uncooked elbow macaroni
- 1/3 cup sour cream

Directions

- brown turkey in skillet on stovetop *Have to admit I never pre-cook CrockPot meat, but that's just lazy me!
- combine turkey, beans, tomatoes, corn, onion, garlic and seasoning in Crock Pot
- cover and cook on LOW 4 to 5 hours
- stir in macaroni
- cover and cook on LOW 10 minutes & then stir mixture thoroughly
- cover and cook 20 to 30 minutes or until pasta is tender
- serve with a dollop of sour cream on top

*Makes 6 hearty servings.

Enjoy!

~ The Lazy Gourmet

Pork Roast in Red Pepper Jelly Sauce

Pork Roast in Red Pepper Jelly Sauce

Just received this submission today from my friend Shannon in Waterloo who is trying it tonight.  We look forward to her family's review! :)

Ingredients

- 5 potatoes, cubed *Quick Tip - sweet potatoes can be used instead if you prefer
- 3-pound pork loin roast, boneless
- 1/2 cup red pepper jelly
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1 onion, cut into rings
- 1 red pepper, slivered

Directions

- place potatoes in Crock Pot and set pork roast on top
- in a bowl, combine red pepper jelly, soy sauce, ginger, Dijon mustard, salt and pepper
- pour mixture over pork roast
- sprinkle onion rings and red pepper slivers on top of pork roast
- cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours, or on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours

*Serves 6.

Enjoy!

~ The Lazy Gourmet

Creamy Crock Pot Corn

Creamy Crock Pot Corn

I have to admit that I have not yet tried this recipe but it sounds super yummy and super EASY so it is on my list of things to try this week.  It appears to serve 6 so if you are making this for a large crowd I would recommend doubling the entire recipe. Enjoy!

**UPDATE - I tried this last night and it was really good! My son is not a fan of the texture of frozen corn so I may try the canned niblets next time, but overall it was very good and could not have been easier! :)

Ingredients

- 4 cups (approx 1 large bag) frozen corn
- 1 cup of brick cream cheese, cubed (I'm going to use regular creamy cream cheese when I try it)
- 1/3 cup butter or margarine
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper

Directions

- combine all ingredients in Crock Pot
- cover and cook on LOW for 4 hours or until heated through and cream cheese is melted
- stir well before serving

*Makes 6 servings.

Enjoy!

~ The Lazy Gourmet

Crock Pot Spaghetti Sauce! Mmmmm.......

Crock Pot Spaghetti Sauce

With the exception of my Grandmother's "old school" recipe, this is the BEST spaghetti sauce recipe I have come across.  The brown sugar may be the secret ingredient!

Ingredients

- 1 lb ground beef or bulk Italian sausage (I've only ever used ground beef)
- 1 medium onion, chopped (I skip this)
- 1 large can of stewed tomatoes, undrained
- 1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce *Quick Tip - just buy the cheap 99 cent sauce since you can add your own spices to this recipe
- 1 small can of tomato paste
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tbsp dried basil
- 2 tbsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp salt

Directions

- add all ingredients (with meat at the bottom) to the Crock Pot
- cover and cook on LOW for 7 to 8 hours
*Quick Tip - I use a wooden spoon to break up the beef after it's been cooking a few hours, just to distribute the flavour of the meat through the sauce
- discard bay leaf
- serve over hot, cooked spaghetti

*Makes 6-8 hearty servings.

Enjoy!

~ The Lazy Gourmet

Jambalaya

Jambalaya

Just found this one again in my recipe box. I used to make this all the time and we loved it! This is a great recipe for leftover ham.  Guess I better get some ham and bust this one out again this week. :)

Ingredients

- 2 cups diced, cooked ham
- 2 medium onions, coarsely chopped
- 2 stalks celery, chopped
- 1/2 green bell pepper, diced
- 1 large can of whole stewed tomatoes
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 3 cloves garlic, minced (optional)
- 1 tbsp parsley
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 cup uncooked long-grain converted rice
- 1 lb fresh or frozen shrimp, shelled and deveined (*Shrimp is optional and I do it without*)

Directions

- thoroughly combine all ingredients (except shrimp) in Crock Pot
- cover and cook on LOW for 8 to 10 hours
- 1 hour before serving, turn Crock Pot to HIGH & stir in uncooked shrimp*
- cover and continue to cook on HIGH until shrimp are pink & tender*

*Skip last 2 steps if you are omitting shrimp.

Makes 6 hearty servings and is fabulous for school lunches the following day.

Enjoy!

~ The Lazy Gourmet

Crock Pot Veggie & Beef Pasta

Crock Pot Veggie & Beef Pasta

Just tried this for the first time last night and it was fabulous!!  And super easy!!

Ingredients

- 2 cups frozen veggies (I used California Mix of broccoli, cauliflower & carrots)
- 1 medium onion, thinly sliced (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 can stewed tomatoes, undrained
- 3/4 cup beef broth
- 1 lb lean ground beef
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 small can tomato paste
- 2 cups cooked rotini pasta (approx. 1/2 a bag)
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (in my opinion, MORE is BETTER when it comes to cheese so I used 1 1/2 cups)

Directions

- combine veggies, onion, basil, oregano, thyme tomatoes & beef broth in slow cooker
- cover and cook on LOW for 2 1/2 hours
- add ground beef and garlic to slow cooker
- cook an additional 2 hours (or more) on LOW
- cook rotini on stovetop
- add pasta, tomato paste & cheese to slow cooker and cook 30 min or until heated through

*Recipe says makes 4 servings but we had it for dinner last night & lunch today and I probably still have 4 servings left over!

Enjoy!

~ The Lazy Gourmet

Crock Pot Thai Chicken

Crock Pot Thai Chicken


This recipe was submitted by my friend (and former student) Erin. Thanks Erin!

Ingredients

- 2 ½ pounds of chicken pieces
- 1 cup hot salsa
- ½ cup peanut butter
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp fresh ginger
- White rice, for serving
- ½ cup chopped peanuts

Directions

-  Place chicken in a crock pot.
-  In a bowl, mix together salsa, peanut butter, lime juice, soy sauce, and ginger.
- Pour over chicken.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 8 hours or HIGH for 3-4 hours.
- To serve, place chicken over rice, pour sauce over chicken, sprinkle with peanuts.

Sounds yummy! Enjoy!

~ The Lazy Gourmet

Crock Pot Chicken Stew

Crock Pot Chicken Stew

*This is sooooo yummy I cannot even tell you.........

Ingredients

- 2 cups sliced carrots (OR 1 small bag of baby carrots - no chopping! Yay!)
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 1 large green pepper, sliced
- 1/2 cup sliced celery (I sometimes subsititute green beans)
- 2 cans chicken broth
- 2/3 cup all purpose flour
- 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts - *Quick Tip - My recipe says to cut them into pieces, but I find that if you put them in the crock pot whole, as they soften & cook you can break them apart with a spoon*
- 2 large potatoes - unpeeled & cut into 1-inch pieces (small redskins are good here too)
- 1 cup sliced mushrooms
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 3/4 tsp dried rosemary
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 cup heavy cream

Directions

- combine carrots, onion, green pepper & celery/beans in slow cooker
- stir in chicken broth, leaving 1 cup aside for later
- cover and cook on LOW for 2 hours
*Quick Tip - prep all of this (less the broth) the night before and then add the broth first thing in the AM. Let the veggies cook while you get ready for work & then move onto the next step right before you leave. By the time you get home - dinner! Voila!*

AFTER 2 HRS:

- in large bowl combine flour & remaining 1 cup of broth. Stir until smooth & stir into slow cooker
- add chicken, potato, mushrooms & spices
- cover and cook 4 hours or until veggies are tender and chicken is no longer pink
- just prior to serving, stir in heavy cream to thicken

*This makes 4 to 6 servings and is very hearty.

ENJOY!

~ The Lazy Gourmet