Monday, January 30, 2012

Crock Pot Enchiladas


Makes 4-6 servings



1-1/2 lb. ground beef

 1 medium onion, chopped

 1-2 cloves of garlic, minced

1/2 tsp. salt

 1/2 tsp. pepper

 6 corn tortillas

 2 C. fresh or frozen corn (or 15-oz can)

 1 19-oz can enchilada sauce

 2 C. (8 oz) shredded cheddar cheese

 1 2-1/2 oz. can sliced ripe olives, drained

 1 C. sour cream



Brown ground beef and drain. Add onion and garlic; cook over medium heat until tender and transparent. Add salt and pepper. Place 2 tortillas in bottom of crockpot. Place a third of the following in layers over the tortillas: meat, corn, sauce, cheese and olives. Repeat tortillas and other layers two times. Cover and cook on low 6-8 hours Serve with sour cream.

Mexicalli Enchiladas


Ingredients

  • 1 package corn tortillas (14 tortillas)
  • 2 cooked chicken breasts, chopped
  • 3 (8-ounce) bags shredded Mexican cheese blend
  • 1 large yellow onion, diced
  • 2 tablespoons cleaned and roughly chopped cilantro leaves
  • 3 cans enchilada sauce (hot or mild), divided

Sour cream sauce:

  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1/4 cup chicken broth
  • Pinch ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  • 1 1/2 cups sour cream
  • Pinch salt

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Wrap corn tortillas in wet paper towels and microwave for 45 seconds. In a large bowl, combine chicken, 1 1/2 bags of cheese, onion, cilantro, and 2 cans of enchilada sauce. Mix well Add the cilantro and stir to combine.

Cover the bottom of a large baking dish with half of the remaining enchilada sauce.

Carefully spoon mixture into tortillas, roll up and place seam side down in the baking dish. Cover the top with the other half can of the enchilada sauce and the rest of the cheese (1 1/2 bags). Bake for 35 to 40 minutes. Serve with sour cream sauce.

Make sour cream sauce by adding butter to a saucepan over medium heat. While the butter is melting add the chicken broth, cumin, garlic and sour cream. Whisk to combine; season with salt, bring to a boil and remove from the heat.
Serve enchiladas topped with sour cream sauce

Lentil Soup Crock Pot

Lentil Soup

Ingredients:

3 carrots, chopped
3 ribs of celery, chopped
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, pressed
8 cups water or vegetable broth
2 cups lentils, rinsed
1 tsp. dried thyme
1-14 oz can diced tomatoes (opt)
(Note: If you want some more "bulk" to your soup you can also throw in some cubed potatoes now too.)

Directions Put all of these ingredients in the slow cooker. Set it on low if you are leaving it all day, high if you are starting it around lunchtime.

About 10 minutes before you are ready to serve the soup, add:
1 ½ tsp. balsamic vinegar
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground pepper
1 bunch of kale, washed and chopped

We also like to top ours with crumbled feta cheese. Yummy. :) We serve this meal with pita bread and a Mediterranean salad.


Maple Chicken and Sweet Potatoes Crock Pot


4 Servings with a 5-7qt pot. ~ 3-4 hours on high or 7-8 hours on low

  • 8 boneless skinless chicken thighs
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 teaspoon of dried sage
  • 1 Tablespoon of minced garlic
  • 1 Tablespoon of brown sugar
  • 4 Tablespoons maple syrup
  • 3 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
  • 1 can of chicken broth
  • 1 cup baby carrots
  • 1 small yellow onion, sliced

Maple Chicken and Sweet Potatoes

  1. Season the chicken on all sides with salt and pepper.
  2. Place the chicken the base of the crock pot.
  3. Evenly sprinkle the Sage and Garlic.
  4. Evenly drizzle the maple syrup over all of the chicken.
  5. Place the cubed sweet potatoes, baby carrots in the pot.
  6. Evenly sprinkle the brown sugar over the carrots.
  7. Place the chopped yellow onion over the top.
  8. Sprinkle a little more salt and pepper over it all.
  9. Pour the Chicken broth into the pot.
  10. Cover and Cook for 7-8 hours on low.

You can substitute 4 chicken breasts for thighs if wanted/needed. This is done when the veggies are tender.

Louisiana Style Chicken Crock Pot


Louisiana Style Chicken



Put a little spice in your life! This Louisiana style chicken dish is a great tasting meal that includes chicken, ham and Polish sausage.

What You Need:

6 chicken thighs
1/4 lb deli style ham, chopped
1 (16 oz) can tomatoes, diced
1 green pepper, diced
6 green onions, diced
1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
1 tsp salt
1 tsp hot pepper sauce
1 cup long grain and wild rice
1/2 lb Polish sausage, chunked

How to Make It:

Place the chicken in the bottom of the crock pot.
Add the ham, tomatoes, pepper and onions.
In a mixing bowl stir together the tomato paste, salt and hot pepper sauce.
Add the mixture to the chicken.
Cover and cook on low 4 hours.
Place the rice in a large saucepan.
Add just enough water to cover the rice.
Over high heat bring water and rice to a boil.
Cover the pan; reduce heat to low and cook 20 minutes or until rice is tender.
Add the cooked rice to the crock pot.
Stir in the Polish sausage.
Cover and turn heat to high.
Continue cooking another 30 minutes.
Tip: If you enjoy a spicy meal add a little more hot pepper sauce. I find that Louisiana Hot Sauce or Frank’s Hot Sauce are both very good tasting hot sauces. If spicy is not for you only add one or two dashes for the taste

Little Italy Chicken and Spinach Crock Pot


Little Italy Chicken and Spinach



What You Need:

9 lasagna noodles, uncooked
2 (11 oz) cans cream of chicken soup
1 (10 oz) pkg. frozen spinach, thawed, drained
1 (9 oz) pkg. cooked chicken, diced
1 (8 oz) carton sour cream
1 C milk
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded

How to Make It:

Place the soup, spinach, chicken and sour cream in large mixing bowl.
Stir to combine.
Pour in the milk and continue stirring until mixed in well.
Add the onion and stir.
Sprinkle in the Parmesan cheese, salt, pepper and nutmeg.
Stir until well combined.
Place 3 lasagna noodles in the bottom of the crock pot.
Pour 1/3 of the spinach mixture over the top of the noodles.
Add 1/3 of the mozzarella cheese.
Continue with 2 more identical layers topping off with the mozzarella cheese.
Cover and cook on high 1 hour.
Reduce heat to low and continue cooking 5 hours.

Tips:
If the noodles don’t quite fit in the crock pot, you can break them down. Serve with a side salad and toasted Italian bread