crock pot

Easy Crock Pot Roast

I know, I know… I’m too busy to blog recipes. I’m too busy for sleep. But the family still has to eat. So, when your sister says “Hey, I’ve got your dinner covered tonight,” it makes you appreciate the holiday season even more. I’ve got to pass it along! Maybe you’re busy too, but if you can get the ingredients in the crock pot… you can have a healthy dinner ready when you are. Better yet, maybe you know someone that could use a break? Maybe you can spread a little holiday cheer! No matter the occasion, if it’s cold outside this dinner is for you.

As organic as possible:

1 pound bag of organic baby carrots

1 1/2 pounds organic golden potatoes halved

1 large onion quartered (in large pieces)

3 pound beef roast

1/4 tsp Seasoned salt

1 tbsp Kosher salt

1 tsp cracked pepper

1/2 tsp Onion powder

3 dashes Worcestershire sauce

1/4 cup low sodium Soy sauce

1 sprig Thyme

1 sprig Rosemary

2 cups Beef broth

 

Sprinkle roast only with seasoned salt lightly. Set aside. Put carrots, onions, potatoes, salt, pepper, onion powder, Worcestershire sauce, and soy sauce in the crockpot. Give a little stir. Place roast on top. Pour in broth and lay thyme and rosemary on the roast.

Set crock pot on low for eight hours. If able, after two hours of cooking time rotate vegetables to top of roast to prevent too much softening.

Please enjoy the smell of your home; comfort food at it’s finest.

Rhonda’s Crock Pot Chicken Cacciatore

I don’t know a cook who doesn’t appreciate the awesomeness of a home cooked meal ready for you when you’re ready for it. Crock pot meals are the bees knees. I love that with a little bit of assembly, you can get a whole lot of pay off at the end of the day- a great return on your investment. Chicken Cacciatore is hearty and healthy, and really great served on a warm bed of rice. This variation has a rich tomato base with a hint of white wine and fire roasted red peppers. Yum!

Also, please note that if you feel the need to add more liquid, water will do. Of course, chicken stock seems like the most flavorful option- but trust me the flavor is there. So save your stock!

As organic as possible:

2 lbs Boneless skinless Chicken, cut into bite size pieces

1 large yellow Onion, rustically diced

3-4 cloves Garlic, minced

1 – 12 oz. jar Fire Roasted Red Peppers, drained and chopped into bite size pieces

12 oz. Tomato paste

2 tsp Sugar

1/2 cup White Wine

2 tsp Oregano

1 tsp dried Basil

1 tsp Salt

3 Tbsp Olive oil (Plus 1 Tbsp optional)

1 tsp Crushed Red Pepper flakes

If you have one of those cool crock pots that can go from stove top to crock pot warmer, it is optional to heat a tablespoon of olive oil and sauté the onions until they have a little color (to develop flavor). It is also a possibility to sauté them in a pan and transfer them to the crock pot. And lastly it is also an option to omit this step all together and save time.

Place the onions on the bottom of the crock pot. Top with the chicken pieces.

In a bowl add the garlic, red peppers, tomato paste, sugar, wine, oregano, basil, salt, oil and red pepper flakes. Stir until incorporated and pour on top of chicken.

Cook on low for about 8 hours or on high for about 4. If sauce seems to thick add a 1/4 cup of water. Serve with rice or pasta. Enjoy!

Dad’s Sausages

Ok, many of you may know these as cocktail sausages. I think often people use Vienna style sausages. But when I have these little round beauties I can’t think of anyone else but my dad. The smell of these cooking for almost every special gathering is like synonymous with holiday cheer. They are extremely easy to make. I mean at it’s technical height its about not cutting the meat too thin (because it shrinks as it cooks), while not making it too hunky to eat in one bite. You could make your own chili sauce (and I have) but that’s not dad’s recipe. And who can’t use a simple and tasty appetizer when hosting a gathering?

1 pound cooked sausage such as Dearborn Holiday Sausage (Kielbasa), sliced in rounds about 1/2″ thick

1 – 12 oz bottle chili sauce (such as Heinz)

*Can be easily double, tripled, quadrupled…

Place all ingredients in a crockpot on high for about 3 hours or on the stove top at a simmer for about 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally. When the sauce has reduced (thick and sticky) and sausages are loaded with flavor, serve retro cocktail party style with toothpicks. Stay Classic.