Crock Pot Pulled Pork

Pulled Pork 4-5lb pork roast 1/2 C ketchup 1/2C brown sugar 1/3 C apple cider vinegar 2 onions thinly sliced 2 T. paprika 1/2 t. dry mustard 1/2 t. garlic powder 1/2 t. black pepper 1/2 t. celery salt Place roast in crock pot, fatty side up. Cover with onions. Mix rest of ingredients in medium bowl and pour over top of roast. Cook on low 8-10hrs or high 4-6 hrs. Meat will fall apart when done. I served with rolls, barbeque sauce, pickles - yum!

Classic French Chicken

Makes 2 servings.

2 medium boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Salt and white pepper

2 tablespoons canola oil or very mild olive oil

1/2 cup chicken stock or chicken stock and dry white wine

4 or 5 sprigs of fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1 bay leaf

1/3 cup heavy cream

Sprinkle chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Place each breast between two pieces of plastic wrap or waxed paper and lightly pound the thick end to make breast more equal in thickness.

Over medium-high heat, heat a 10-inch skillet until the upper edge of the pan feels hot to a quick touch. Remove from the heat; pour in the oil and tilt to run oil over the pan. Return to the heat and immediately place the breasts into the pan with the rib side up. The breasts will sizzle and they will be stuck.

This is a Zen moment. Think happy thoughts. Be at peace with the world. Twiddle your thumbs. Do anything but don't touch the chicken. After about 90 seconds which will seem like an eternity, the breasts will lightly brown and release all by themselves. Turn each over. Again, they will be stuck. Wait again until they brown and release, and then remove them to a platter.

Pour the stock into the hot pan. Scrape the pan to loosen any stuck-on particles. Add the thyme, and bay leaf. Boil on high heat and reduce until a only few tablespoons remain. Stir in the heavy cream and continue to reduce until the sauce thickens. Remove the bay leaf. Slice each fillet at an angle into 3 pieces. Spoon the sauce over the fillets and serve immediately.

Daddy's (probably not YOUR Daddy) Favorite Meatloaf

(Came from a oatmeal box.  Really good. Makes 10 Servings)

Meat Loaf

1 Cup 3 Minute Brand Quick Oats
2 Eggs
1/3 Cup Ketchup
1 Package (1.1 oz.) Beefy Onion Dry Soup Mix
1/2 Cup Water
2 Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
1/2 Teaspoon Coarse Ground Pepper
1 Cup Southern-Style Frozen Hash Brown Potatoes
2 Pounds Lean Ground Beef

Topping Glaze

1/2 Cup Ketchup
1/4 Cup Brown Sugar
2 Tablespoons Prepared Mustard

In medium bowl, beat eggs lightly; stir in remaining ingredients except meat. Add meat and mix well. Pat mixture into 9x5x3 inch loaf pan. Bake at 350° for approximately 1 hour.

During last 15 minutes of cooking, mix 3 topping ingredients and pour over meat loaf.

Caty's note:  I hardly ever put meatloaf in a pan.  I put foil on a baking sheet and form the meat into a loaf.  I'm copying Alton Brown.  

Lemon-Oregano Chicken

1 ½ lemons 1 clove garlic 1 Tbsp olive oil 1 tsp dried oregano

¼ tsp salt 1/8 tsp pepper 8 chicken tenderloins 8 wooden skewers

Soak skewers in water 30 minutes.  Squeeze juice from half lemon into gallon Ziploc bag.  Add garlic, oil, oregano, salt and pepper.  Add chicken, seal and turn to mix and coat.  Marinate 15 minutes.  Cut lemon into 8 wedges.  Skewer one chicken and one lemon wedge.  Grill four minutes, turning once, until chicken is lightly charred.  Serve with Cucumber-yogurt sauce.

Cucumber-Yogurt Sauce

3 inch piece seedless cucumber, 1 clove garlic, 1 cup plain yogurt, ¼ tsp salt.  Grate cucumber, add garlic, yogurt and salt.  Stir.    

Brisket

Medium sized corn beef brisket 1 can beer 1 cup chili sauce

2 Tbsp brown sugar 1 head garlic Salt and pepper to taste

Discard spice packet from brisket package.  Put all ingredients in pan with meat.  Cook fat side up, covered with foil at 350° for 3 hours (4-5 hourse at 225°).  Take foil off for last 30 minutes.  Also works in Crock pot, 10 hours on low.  

Chicken Soup

• 1 small whole chicken (i purchase it already cut up)


• 5-6 large carrots sliced


• 3 stalks of celery diced


• 1 onion diced


• chicken bouillon


• veg bouillon


• one cup of rice, uncooked


• salt, pepper

Bake chicken in oven for one hour - skin side up at 425. Let chicken cool, remove skin and add chicken w/bones into large pot of water. Bring to boil, then let simmer for an hour or two. Strain water and return water to large pot. Add carrots, onion, celery. Add chicken bouillon and veg bouillon according to your taste. Allow pot to simmer. Cook rice in seperate pan. Pick chicken apart removing bones, gristle and any remaining skin and fat. Add chicken and rice to soup. Add salt and pepper as needed.

Creamy Beef Noodles (from http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/)

2 pounds stew meat 2 Tbsp butter ¼ cup milk 1 Tbsp worcestershire 1 Tbsp black pepper

2 Tbsp dried minced onion ¼ cup beef broth ½ tsp salt 1 tsp herbs de provence ½ block cream cheese

Place all ingredients, except cream cheese, in Crockpot.  Cook on low 6-8 hours.  Before serving, stir in cream cheese.  Serve over warm egg noodles.  

preservative-free Lipton Onion Soup Mix

¾ cup dried minced onion 1/3 cup beef bouillon 4 tsp onion powder

¼ tsp celery salt ¼ tsp sugar

Combine all ingredients.  Equivalent to one envelope of Lipton Onion Soup Mix.  Store in airtight container or ziploc bag.  Will keep for quite a while

Condensed Cream Soup

1 cup cold milk 2 Tbsp cornstarch 1 ½ Tbsp butter

1 tsp chicken bouillon ½ tsp salt dash of pepper

In a small saucepan, whisk milk and cornstarch till well blended.  Stir in butter, bouillon, salt and pepper.  Heat to a boil, stirring frequently.  Simmer on low for one minute more to thicken.

*Use in recipes to replace one can of cream of anything soup*

Cream of mushroom, add 4 ounce can of mushroom pieces

Cream of chicken, add ½ cup cooked chicken

Cream of celery, add ½ cup sautéed

Crock Pot Chicken

Small Hen (3-4 lbs;)
Seasoningsuggestions: lemon pepper, Rosemary, Italian seasoning, Lawry's, anything on your spice rack

Spray Crock Pot with Pam (or if you use a Slow Cooker bag, there's literally no clean up). Place hen in Crock Pot breast side down. Season liberally. Cook on low 4-6 hours; on high ~3. .

Poppy Seed Chicken

4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded or chopped
16 oz sour cream
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 stack Ritz crackers, crushed
1 stick of butter, melted
Poppy Seeds to taste

Preheat oven to 350. Spray 9x13 baking dish with Pam. Combine chicken, sour cream and condensed soup and pour into baking dish. Place crushed Ritz on top of chicken mixture and pour butter over Ritz. Top with poppy seeds. Bake for ~30 minutes or until bubbly and crackers are golden. 

Serve with rice, green beans, and rolls