All Hail the Mighty Crock~Pot

Oh the wonders of the most impressive kitchen appliance! If you don't have one, you have to get one. If you have one, and don't use it, you have to start! If you only ever use it occassionally, you have to use it more often! The Crock-Pot is a gift to all home-makers - full of wonderful incentives: a great-smelling house, a perfectly cooked meal (yes, meal!), an easy clean-up, dinner waiting for you when you get home from work or a day of shopping and errand-running, and countless ways to make countless dishes! So this post will be dedicated to this most amazing kitchen must-have for the skilled or unskilled, lazy or overachieving cook.

From appetizers and snacks to drinks and desserts, the Crock-Pot meets all needs. Sam and I have made dips, desserts, chicken dinners, soups, and more in this little bucket of miracles! :) As long as I have all the ingredients, it's my go-to friend for an easy meal that will be waiting for us after a long day at work. We now own 4, yes four, Crock-Pots - various sizes and for various uses; but my favorite one is the one I just got in a White Elephant game over the holidays: a digitally programmable one - so it will turn off when the food is done cooking! Now I won't have to worry about my house burning down if I have to stay late at work or run a few errands more - a fear I've had being new to the Crock-Potting world! Below are a few of our favorite Crock-Pot recipes. Feel free to comment with your own favorite recipes! :) We also just got a new recipe book entitled Fix-It and Forget-It Lightly: Healthy, Low-Fat Recipes for Your Slow Cooker by Phyllis Pellman Good. I've bookmarked several of these recipes and plan to try them out soon!

Mexican Chicken, a variation of a recipe found in Crock-Pot: 5 Ingredients or Less

• 2-4 chicken breasts
• 1 medium onion, sliced (although, I can't eat onions, so I eliminate this!)
• 1 can cream of chicken soup
• 1 can Rotel
• 1 package (8 oz) Velveeta spread, cubed

*Place chicken, onion, soup, and Rotel in Crock-Pot. Cover and cook on Low for 6-8 hours on on High for 4 hours. Then, break up the chicken into pieces. Add cheese spread and cook until melted. Yummy over pasta or in a tortilla!
Rustic Garlic Mashed Potatoes

• 2 pounds baking potatoes, unpeeled, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 Tablespoons butter, cut into 1/8-inch pieces
• 1 1/4 teaspoons of salt
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 cup milk

*Place all ingredients (except milk) into Crock-Pot; toss to combine. Cover, and cook on Low for 7 hours or High for 4 hours. Add milk and mash with potato masher or electric mixer until smooth.
Easy Chocolate Pudding Cake, another variation of a recipe found in the above mentioned book

• 1 package (6-serving size) instant chocolate pudding/pie filling mix
• 3 cups milk
• 1 package (18 1/4 oz) chocolate fudge cake mix (plus ingredients to prepare mix)

*Spray Crock-Pot with nonstick cooking spray. Place pudding mix in Crock-Pot. Whisk in milk. Prepare cake mix according to package directions. Carefully pour cake mix into Crock-Pot. Do not stir! Cover, and cook on High for 1.5 - 3 hours (depending on cake mix) until cake is set. SO delicious, but makes a LOT, so serve at a party or for special guests!
Baked Potato Soup

• 2 potatoes
• 3 Tablespoons margarine
• 2 cups chopped white onion (or minced onion will work, but use less)
• 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 2 cups water
• 1 1/2 cups instant mashed potato flakes
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon basil
• 1/8 teaspoon thyme
• 1 cup half-n-half
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar
• 1/2 cup bacon bits

*Peel and dice potatoes; boil until done (10 minutes boiling). Drain. Melt margarine in skillet and saute onion until tender. Take one cup of water and add 2 T. flour in a jar/container and SHAKE. Add this mixture to the butter/onions to make a roux. Keep it moving over low heat.
Put drained potatoes, chicken broth, 1 cup of water, and roux in Crock-Pot. Stir! Put in bacon bits and add half-n-half, pepper, basil, thyme, salt, and potato flakes. Stir more. Cook on low for 6 hours or low for 3 hours. Serve with cheddar cheese on top. Serves 6-8.
We're Crock-Potting tonight, actually. I'm making chicken and rice. I'll add a quick side-salad and some rolls, and we have an easy meal made by the time Sam gets home from work. I still feel sick, so I didn't feel like standing over a stove or taking a chance in breathing over a dish all evening. . . so this will be perfect! :) HAPPY CROCKING! :) (And, no, the Crock-Pot company is not paying me to say this, although they should, right?!)