Apricot Barbecue Wings Slow Cooker Recipe

 

I know I've  written about my love for all things wings before, but I'm going to again.

sorry. you're just going to have to deal.

I don't usually get cravings for chocolate, or salt, or ice cream, or anything else many people claim to crave. I instead get an itchy feeling on my tongue and my brain just begs for buffalo wings.

I began by making a sweet wing recipe, but it was just too sweet for my liking. In the ingredients picture, the bottle of Tabasco sauce is missing. I changed my mind at the last minute and added it----the result was a sweet wing with a bit of a kick at the very end.

The Ingredients.

serves 8

 

3 pounds chicken wings (I usually leave the wing joints on because I'm terribly lazy)

1 cup prepared barbecue sauce

1 (18-ounce) jar apricot preserve

1 teaspoon dry mustard powder

1 tablespoon Tabasco sauce (not pictured)

The Directions.

Use a 6-quart slow cooker. Spread the wings out on a large cookie sheet and bake in the oven for about 10 minutes at 400 degrees. This browns the skin and keeps it from getting terribly slimy in the crock. I do think this is an important step, even though I loathe cooking before I cook.

Put the hot wings into your cooker. In a mixing bowl, combine the barbecue sauce, apricot preserve, dry mustard, and Tabasco sauce. 

Cover and cook on low for 5 hours, or until the chicken is cooked throughout but still attached to the bone. 

The Verdict.

I made these wings while home alone with the baby. And I accidentally ate all except for the 3 I saved for the rest of the family to try.

I didn't set out to eat them all, it just sort of happened. It might have been because I was glued to a Keeping Up With the Kardashians marathon...

more wingy goodness:

buffalo wing soup

buffalo wing lasagna

buffalo chicken dip (LOVE this!)

teriyaki wings

sweet and spicy wings

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Spinach Bisque Slow Cooker Recipe

 

You know the cozy feeling you get at the end of a long day when you put on your worn flannel pajama pants and throw a holey afghan over your shoulders so you can cuddle on the couch with a really good book?

This soup creates the same feeling: pure bliss and comfort. 

In a bowl.

The Ingredients.

serves 8

1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained (it was buy1 get1 free day when I made the minestrone!)

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/4 cup butter, melted

1/4 cup all-purpose flour (I used a gluten free baking mix)

2 cups milk (I used low fat)

1 cup water

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 (16-ounce package) Velveeta, cubed

The Directions.

Use a 4-quart slow cooker. Put the spinach into the bottom of your slow cooker. Add the chopped onion. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the butter and flour to form a roux (you could do this on the stovetop, but I usually melt the butter in the microwave and then stir in the flour) Slowly add the milk and water to the bowl. Add salt and nutmeg. Stir well to combine, and then pour mixture into your slow cooker on top of the spinach.

Add velveeta. Cover and cook on low for 5 to 6 hours, or until the onions are translucent. Stir well before serving in soup bowls (or bread bowls if you're fancy!)

The Verdict.

This is a creamy and decadent soup that will definitely take the chill off a cold day. The kids lapped their servings up as an afternoon snack before heading out to the soccer field. This was plenty filling for me, but Adam had his with a salami sandwich for dinner.

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Sugared Cinnamon Almonds Slow Cooker Recipe

 

Last week I posted a Wasabi Roasted Almonds recipe, and I got a bunch of emails asking for Cinnamon Sugared almonds. So here you go!

(I actually made these a few months ago but forgot to post the recipe. I blame the baby.)

(is that bad?)

The Ingredients.

serves 10

cooking spray

1 1/2 cups sugar (try not to freak out on me)

3 tablespoons cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

1 egg white

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3 1/4 cups whole raw almonds (that's what was in the packages I bought; it's a weird measurement)

aluminum foil or parchment paper

The Directions.

Use a 4-quart slow cooker. Spray the stoneware well with cooking spray. In a mixing bowl, combine sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Set this bowl aside.

In a larger mixing bowl, whisk together the egg white and vanilla extract. Pour the almonds into this bowl and stir well to coat. Add your cinnamon mixture to the top of the nuts and toss with spoons to fully coat (too many nuts to do the plastic bag toss---you'd have to do batches). 

Put the almonds into the slow cooker and cover. Cook on high for 2 hours, stirring every 20-30 minutes or so to keep the almonds on the side of the crock from getting too crispy.

When the nuts are all hot and toasty, let them cool fully on a length of foil or parchment paper. When fully cool, store in an air-tight container.

The Verdict.

I never had the chance to store my almonds in an air-tight container. Adam and the kids kept taste-testing them, and my dad came over to borrow a drill (or some tool, I wasn't really paying attention, and this was a while ago) and I left the house to go to Trader Joe's. 

When I got back, there were about 6 nuts left and cinnamon and sugar was strewn all over the countertop.

more nutty goodness:

peanut clusters

spiced nuts

rocky road candy

cracker jacks

roasted garbanzo beans

wasabi almonds

chocolate frito candy

nuts and bolts trail mix

granola

peanut (not brittle) candy

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Traditional Minestrone Soup Slow Cooker Recipe

 

 I hope you're having a wonderful weekend. We're spending it on the soccer field, but plan on coming home to a wonderful lunch of leftover minestrone soup and mini cornbread muffins.

The Ingredients.

serves 6

8 cups beef broth

1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes (whole can, flavored is fine)

1 cup dry beans: I used a combo of pinto, black, lima,--- rinsed in hot water

1 cup chopped carrots

1 cup sliced celery

1 tablespoon dried minced onion (or 1 small onion, finely diced)

1 tablespoon Italian seasoning

1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained

1/2 cup uncooked pasta (to add later, I used brown rice fusilli)

parmesan cheese, optional garnish

The Directions.

Use a 6-quart slow cooker. Pour broth into your cooker, and add tomatoes and the beans. 

I rinsed my beans in hot water, but didn't soak because of the high volume of liquid in this dish. If you live in a high altitude area, you might want to soak overnight, or do a quick soak by bringing the beans to a boil for 10 minutes, then letting them sit in the hot water for 1 hour.

If you are using any variety of red beans, YOU MUST do this rapid-boil to kill a possible toxin that occurs naturally in red beans.

Add vegetables, seasoning, and thawed spinach. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours, or until the beans are soft. Add dry pasta, and cook on high for about 30 minutes, or until pasta is bite tender. Serve in bowls with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.

The Verdict.

My kids love this soup. It's simple, it cleans out the cabinets and the fridge, and it really loads an awful lot of fiber and vegetable-goodness into each bowl. I use beef broth for flavor and color. If you're a vegetarian, use veggie broth, but maybe add a bit of balsamic vinegar or A-1 sauce to amp up the flavor just a tad.

Freezes well---but the pasta will swell. You'll need to thin it a bit with more broth or water when reheating.

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Slow Cooker Little Smokies Appetizer Recipe(s)

It's a 2 for 1 day! I made two different types of Little Smokies a little bit ago to see which ones the kids liked better. I made one batch the super easy way that our family has made for parties numerous times, and I made a slightly-more-difficult (and sophisticated? can Little Smokies ever be considered sophisticated?) version to do a blind taste test.

The results? It was a tie. It was me and Adam and the two girls and it was a complete split down the middle. One kid and one adult on each side.

Oh! and since I made them both a few weeks ago and am evidently getting really really old, I have no idea which finish picture goes with which stack of ingredients. 

grr.

So! I think we should let the internet decide...

1) which photo do you think goes with which smokies? and 2) if you do make these, which do you and your family prefer?

:-)

Grape Jelly and Chili Sauce Little Smokies

The Ingredients

serves 8

 

1 pound Little Smokies sausage

1 (12-ounce) bottle chili sauce (housed by the ketchup)

1 (18-ounce) jar grape jelly

The Directions.

Use a 4-quart slow cooker. Put the smokies into the slow cooker, and pour in the sauces. Stir to combine. Cover and cook on low for 4 hours, or high for 2 or until the smokies are heated through. Serve out of the crock with toothpicks.

Big Barbecue Little Smokies

The Ingredients

serves 8

1 pound Little Smokies sausage

1/2 cup ketchup

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon gluten free Worcestershire sauce

1/2 cup barbecue sauce (check for gluten!)

The Directions.

Use a 4-quart slow cooker. Dump it all in! Stir well and cook on low for 4 hours, or high for about 2. Make sure the smokies are hot throughout and serve out of the crock with toothpicks.

alrighty then! My verdict is mixed, so let me know yours when you have the opportunity.

Also, thank you so very much for taking the time the other day to pop over to the Smithfield.com site and leave such sweet comments. You are all WONDERFUL! Thank you!

Happy Crocktober 15th!

xoox

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Old Fashioned Pot Roast Slow Cooker Recipe

When I first started crockpotting, my potroasts were pretty one-note. I made them the same way each and every time, and my two "secret" ingredients were a packet of Lipton Onion Soup mix and a can of cream of something soup.

I'm not against these ingredients---there is MOST DEFINITELY a place in the world for these products, but now that I label-read for both health and entertainment (yes. you read that right. I read food labels for fun. please don't judge ;-0.), I choose not to use them except for on a very occasional basis (if you are gluten free, there are now products on the market that are safe to use, and a simple google search should uncover the manufacturers).

Man, that was a mouthful. And it was with words, not food. On to the food!

The Ingredients.

serves 6 to 8

thank you to Grandpa John for this beautiful roast!

4 pounds beef roast (chuck or rump)

2 tablespoons flour (I used a GF baking mix)

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

2 teaspoons garlic powder

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium onion, sliced in rings

2 large Russet potatoes, cut in 2-inch chunks

1 cup baby carrots (or peeled and cut regular carrots!)

1 cup sliced celery

3 tablespoons gluten free Worcestershire sauce (Lea & Perrins made in the USA ONLY is GF. If you're Canadian or live elsewhere, have an American ship you some!)

1/2 cup beef broth (if you've got red wine open, you could use that. and save me some. I'm typing this Wed night 8pm, and I've been up since 2am... my shoulders are above my ears)

The Directions.

Use a 6-quart slow cooker. Okay, I browned this meat. I hate cooking before I cook, but my father-in-law brought over this GORGEOUS piece of meat and I felt the right thing to do was to pretend I knew what to do with a big gorgeous piece of meat so I browned it.

The browning provides a bit of texture and if you have a more sophisticated palate than I do, perhaps you notice a difference.

but it's up to you. 

This is what I did:

In a plastic zippered bag, shake a thawed beef roast with flour, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Remove roast from the bag and brown all sides in a large skillet with olive oil. While your meat is browning, place the sliced onion in the bottom of the cooker. Add meat, and toss in the potatoes, celery, and carrots. Pour worcestershire and beef broth (or wine) on top. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours. If your meat isn't as moist as you'd like nearing serving time, take it out and cut it into a few pieces and return it to the pot to soak up more juice.

A dry roast isn't from over slowcooking, it's from under slowcooking!

The Verdict.

This is what pot roast should taste like!! We served this at a Sunday family dinner, and it went over really well. I appreciated that I could play in the yard and fold laundry while dinner cooked itself. The girls set the table, and the boys cleaned up---meaning the "work" part of my dinner was over by 8 am!

score!

other hunk of meat recipes:

java roast

jalapeno roast

barbecue beef and bean sandwiches

sundried tomato and feta tri-tip

3 packet pot roast

super simple cranberry roast

sweet mustard roast

beef bourguignon

Day 14 of Crocktober!

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Slow Cooker Vegetarian Stuffed Bell Peppers Recipe

Look! It's another vegetarian (could easily be vegan) main course! Woo hoo!

and just to be inclusive the carnivores could easily throw in some meat when no one's looking... 

The Ingredients.

serves 6

6 bell peppers (your choice of colors)

1/2 cup prepared or premade pasta sauce

1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 (8-ounce ) can corn (there's a picture of a 16-ounce can; I only used half)

1 small onion, diced

2 cups cooked long grain rice

1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese 

1/3 cup water

The Directions.

Use a 6-quart slow cooker. Cut the tops off of the peppers and remove the seeds and membranes from the inside of each. In a mixing bowl, combine the pasta sauce, beans, corn, onion, rice, spices, and cheese. Mix well to combine----it will be quite gloppy. Shove as much of this concoction as you can into each of your cored peppers. Carefully nestle the peppers into the pot. Pour 1/3 cup water around the pepper bases.

Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or on high for 3 to 4. The pepper will wilt a bit, but still be intact. Carefully remove them with serving spoons.

The Verdict.

They're delicious! My kids were cranky from soccer practice (it's been super hot lately) and each ate a few bites just to be polite, but mostly filled up on quesadillas while we watched last week's Project Runway. Adam ate leftover sausage. My mom, grandma, and I all loved them though!

I have an announcement! (does anyone else get the "Announcement" song they sing at girl scouts stuck in their heads any time the word Announcement is announced?

one of the lines is: a horrible death to be talked to death, a horrible way to die. 

a bit intense, huh?)

anyway. Will you do me a favor and click on over to the Smithfield.com site and say "hi?" I have accepted a freelance writing gig for the Smithfield pork company, and the introduction post just went live. I KNOW! I used to be allergic to pork, and am now getting paid to write about it. The irony is not lost, I promise.

life is something else, I tell you.

Happy Crocktober the 13th!!

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Slow Cooker Brandy Spiced Peaches Recipe

You've been good. Really good. I can tell.

Rummage through your pantry cabinets and dig out a few cans of neglected peach slices and bottle of brandy. This is a good one!

The Ingredients.

serves 8

slightly blurry photo. I blame the brandy.

2 (15-ounce) cans peach slices

2 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

2 (3-inch) cinnamon sticks

1/2 teaspoon whole cloves

1/4 cup brandy

whipped cream (optional garnish--I like the stuff in a can, but you can of course make your own)

The Directions.

Use a 2-quart slow cooker. Combine all the ingredients except for the brandy and whipped cream. Don't drain the peaches---pour the entire cans in. Cook on low for 4 hours. Remove from heat, and stir in the brandy. Pour all of this into a sealed plastic container and refrigerate for 48 hours (it's worth the wait, I promise!), then remove the cinnamon sticks and cloves.

Dish into serving bowls and dollop with whipped cream.

The Verdict.

This is my mom's friend, Carol's dessert recipe. Carol shared that she used to make it with peach halves but there was too much "slipping and sliding" with the halves, so she switched to slices. I LOVED the flavor---rich, and sophisticated. The brandy is in there, and you can taste it. This is definitely not a dessert for children---eat it all yourself!

The Cuisinart slow cooker giveaway is over, and the winners have been notified. If you haven't heard from me, you didn't win. I'm sorry. I do have more fun things I'm working on, though!

Happy 12th day of Crocktober!

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