Asian Pork Tenderloin with Ginger Glaze (crockpot)

This recipe is ranked up there with the Funky Fusion Fajitas - it is SOOO tasty. The meat is like candy and melts in your mouth. I love the flavors with the cloves, cinnamon and ginger. My most favorite part is that 99% of it is done in the crockpot!

• Ingredients: 

• For the rub:

• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon powdered ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon powdered cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 2 pounds pork tenderloin
For the glaze:
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• ¼ cup rice vinegar (or white)
• ½ cup cold water
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons fresh ginger, minced
• fresh cilantro, to garnish (optional)
• lime wedges, to garnish (optional)

Instructions

1. In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, salt, powdered ginger, cinnamon, garlic, cloves, black pepper, and crushed red pepper.
2. Place the tenderloins in the slow cooker. Rub the seasonings over the pork, including the bottom.
3. Pour ½ cup water in the slow cooker, on the edge or in the middle so that you don't wash off all the spices you just rubbed on.
4. Cook on low for 6-8 hours, then preheat your broiler.
5. While the pork is finishing up in the slow cooker and your broiler heats up, combine 1/2 cup brown sugar, cornstarch, rice vinegar, COLD water, and soy sauce in a small saucepan.
6. Set over medium heat and stir until mixture thickens, about 4 minutes.
7. Remove from heat and stir in minced ginger.
8. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with nonstick spray.
9. Remove the pork from the crock pot (discard the liquid) and place on the lined baking sheet. Brush a generous amount of the glaze on the pork.
10. Put your oven rack as high as it will go, and broil the pork for 1 or 2 minutes, until bubbly and caramelized. Don't walk away! Repeat 2 to 3 more times until it is as crusty as you want it. I wouldn't go many more times than this though, or your pork will dry out.
11. Serve with remaining glaze on the side, and garnish with lime and cilantro. 

recipe from thefoodcharlatan.com

Crock Pot Hawaiian Turkey Meatballs

This dinner blew our minds... best new recipe we have had in a very long time!   My kids even had second helpings.  We served it over rice to help absorb the amazing sauce.   This was easy to assemble, cheap to make and only took 4 hours in the crock. 

 

Ingredients:

Large package of precooked, frozen turkey meatballs (we only used about 12 meatballs - enough for dinner for 4 of us and some leftovers for lunch the next day.) 

large can of pineapple chunks (drained, put juice aside)
1 medium green pepper, diced
1 cup of brown sugar

3 Tbl. cornstarch
2/3 cup of white vinegar
3 1/2 TBS Soy sauce

Place meatballs in crock pot and top with green pepper and drained pineapple chunks.  In a separate bowl, mix reserved pineapple juice, brown sugar, cornstarch, vinegar and soy sauce.  Pour sauce over meatballs, pineapple and green peppers.  Cook on low for 3-4 hours or until heated through.  Serve over rice.   Enjoy!

Crockpot Beef Burritos

This beef is absolutely delish. It only requires a few ingredients and is full of flavor. We love using it in burritos (they rival Qdoba and Chipotle) but it would also be great in quesadilla's or tacos!

Ingredients:
1 London Broil or top round roast (about 2 lbs)
1 diced onion
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons whole peppercorns
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 (8 oz) cans tomato sauce
1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce – I use 1 or 2 peppers (It’s in a can.)
1 ½ teaspoon chili powder (optional - I omit to keep it kid friendly)

You will also need:
Whole wheat burrito sized tortillas
Anything else you like on burritos –  black beans, sour cream, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, guacamole etc.

We also like to add Cilantro Lime Rice to our burritos. All you need to do is make some white rice and add lime juice, cilantro, and salt.


Directions:
Dump all of the ingredients into the crock pot and cook on high for 4-5 hours or low for 6-7 hours. I usually throw my beef in while it is frozen and it takes about 8 hours on low.

When the meat is cooked, you will need to strain the juices and add the juice back to the slow cooker. (You want to remove the peppercorns and onions.) Shred the meat and add back to the juice in the slow cooker for about 30 minutes.

recipe courtesy of www.savingyoudenero.com

Crockpot Bacon Ranch Chicken

Carmen mentioned the other day that cooking in a crockpot is a form of torture for stay-at-home moms. I couldn't have said it better after smelling this chicken cooking all day long. The chicken was super tasty and perfect comfort food on a chilly day. Also, who doesn't love bacon?!?

Ingredients:
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2.5 oz real bacon bits
1 tsp minced garlic
1 pkg ranch dressing mix
1 can fat free cream of chicken soup (low sodium)
1.5 cups fat free sour cream

1 package of whole wheat egg noodles


Directions:
Place chicken breasts in the bottom of the crockpot. Combine bacon, garlic, ranch dressing mix, soup, and sour cream; mix well. Pour over chicken in the crock pot. Cook on LOW for 8 hours or HIGH for 4 hours.

Shred the chicken and put back in the pot and add the cooked egg noodles; mix together. Serve with your favorite veggie.

recipe courtesy of Crock Pot Girls

Crockpot Chicken Cacciatore

Chicken Cacciatore always reminds me of my dad. He used to make my grandmother's recipe pretty often and it was always so delicious. I have tried a few versions of the recipe but it never quite compared to what he made. I gave this Skinny Taste recipe a try and it was AMAZING. I can't say it is better than my grandmother's recipe but it came very close to it and that's good enough for me! It helps that it's a crockpot recipe, too!

Ingredients:
5-8 chicken thighs, with the bone, skin removed
28 oz can crushed tomatoes (Tuttorosso my favorite!)
1/2 red bell pepper, sliced into strips
1/2 green bell pepper, sliced into strips
1/2 large onion, sliced
1 tsp dried oregano
1 bay leaf
salt and fresh pepper to taste
1/4 cup fresh herbs such as basil or parsley for topping


Directions:
Season chicken with salt and black pepper and place in the slow cooker. Pour tomatoes over the chicken, top with onions and peppers, add oregano, bay leaf, salt and pepper, give it a quick stir and cover. Set crock pot to LOW 8 hours or HIGH 4 hours. An hour before serving remove the lid from the crockpot, remove the bones from the meat (it will fall apart) and shred the chicken. This will thicken the sauce as well.

Serve over a bed of brown rice or your favorite noodle.

recipe courtesy of Skinny Taste

Hawaiian BBQ Chicken - Crockpot

Another delicious shredded chicken recipe from the crockpot. You can use any flavored barbecue sauce that you like but I went with a fruit infused sauce. It was full of flavor and super easy! 

Ingredients:
4-6 Boneless Chicken Breasts (mine were still frozen!)
1/2 a bottle of Sweet Baby Rays Raspberry Chipotle Barbecue Sauce
1 20 oz. can Pineapple Chunks, drained

Directions:
Spray the inside of your crock pot with cooking spray for an easy cleanup! Place frozen chicken breasts in the crock pot and cover with sauce. Empty can of drained pineapple chunks on top. Cook on High for 2-3 hours or Low for 4-6 hours. Shred chicken with two forks while still in the crock pot so the chicken will be well coated with sauce. Serve over brown rice.

recipe adapted from Six Sisters' 

White Chicken Chili - Crockpot

I was a little skeptical about how this chili would taste since I've only ever made traditional chili's. However, this was SO good. It was creamy, but not heavy and packed a nice bit of heat without being too spicy. It was perfect football food on a cold winter day.

Ingredients:
3 cans (15-1/2 ounces each) great northern beans, rinsed and drained
3- 4 cups cooked chicken (I used shredded chicken from one of my crockpot rotisserie chickens)
1 jar (15 ounces) LITE Alfredo sauce
2 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 can (4 ounces each) chopped green chilies
1-1/2 cups frozen gold and white corn
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded pepper Jack cheese
1 cup fat free sour cream
1 small sweet yellow pepper, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1-1/2 teaspoons white pepper
1-1/2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
Salsa verde, optional

Directions:
In a large slow cooker, combine the first 15 ingredients. Cover and cook on low for 3-4 hours or until heated though, stirring once. Serve with salsa verde if desired.

Yield: 12 servings (1 cup each).


recipe adapted from taste of home

Orange Apricot Pork Chops in the Crock

So delicious and kid friendly. Incredibly simple too, you have to try it. The recipe says to cook on low for 8 hours in the crock but our chops were falling apart after only 7 hours. We served it over brown rice with lima beans. You HAVE to pour the extra juice from the crock over the rice & pork - it will rock your world! Can't wait to have this again & again.

Ingredients:

5-6 pork chops
1 cup apricot preserves (or apricot jam)
3 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp poultry seasoning
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 can (11 oz) mandarin oranges (and juice!)

Put your chops in the bottom of the crockpot. Sprinkle the poultry seasoning over the top of them. In a small bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients EXCEPT the mandarin oranges and stir well. Spoon evenly on top of the pork chops. Pour the entire can (and juice) of the mandarin oranges over all of it. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 4-5 hours. Serve over rice to soak up that yummy juice! Enjoy.

Crockpot Pomegranate Pot Roast

I have to admit that until recently, thanks to Carmen's Pork & Peaches, I have not been a big fan of meat and fruit together. This recipe was really good. It didn't knock my socks off, but it had great flavor and made me drool all day long while it was cooking. Rich absolutely LOVED it and it did pair well with my mashed potatoes. Overall, I would make it again, if for nothing else than to make the house smell delicious!

Pot Roast doesn't photograph well

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 yellow onion, sliced
dash of ground cinnamon (optional)
1/4 tsp rosemary
1/8 tsp fennel seeds
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3 pounds beef roast (I used a lean chuck roast)
4 garlic cloves (whole is fine, or you can chop them)
1 (14-ounce) can fire-roasted crushed tomatoes
1 cup unsweetened pomegranate juice
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1/2 cup golden raisins (you could also use cranberries)


The Directions:

Use at least a 6-quart slow cooker. Swirl the olive oil into the bottom of the stoneware. Add the onion. Rub the spices on all sides of meat and add to the stoneware with the garlic, the whole can of tomatoes, pomegranate juice, vinegar, and syrup. Sprinkle the raisins on top.

Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, or on high for about 5. The meat is done when it has reached desired tenderness. Serve with mashed potatoes, and drizzle with the sauce.

Tip: Freeze any remaining sauce in a freezer bag to dump over another hunk of meat at a later date.

recipe adapted from crockpot365

Ranch House Chops - Crockpot

It doesn't get easier than this. Only 3 ingredients make this savory dish and you just have to dump them all into a crockpot. The pork chops were very tender and the sauce was full of flavor. We served ours over a bed of brown rice, but it would be good with mashed potatoes as well.

Ingredients:

6 pork chops, 1/2 inch thick
1 packet dry Ranch Dressing Seasoning
10 oz can Cream of Chicken Soup (I used Fat Free)


Place pork chops, Ranch seasoning and soup into a medium sized crock pot over high heat for 4 hours or low heat for 6 hours.

recipe courtesy of Picky Palate 

"Rotisserie" Chicken - Crockpot

I love getting whole chickens and cooking them in the crockpot. The amount of meat you get off of 1 chicken can be stretched for a few meals, too! I can get 2 chicken pot pies and a large pot of chicken and dumplings out of one $5 chicken.. Also, the flavor of the slow cooked chicken really makes the other meals that much more delicious!

Ingredients:
Aluminum Foil - not for consumption
1 whole chicken

(You can use ANY seasoning combination that you like.)

2 TBSP garlic seasoning
1 tsp Mrs. Dash Table Blend
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 cup water

Directions:
In the bottom of your crockpot, place 4 balled up pieces of aluminum foil. Place whole chicken on top of aluminum foil balls 1/2 cup of water in the bottom. Sprinkle seasoning on the chicken. Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours. The meat will fall off of the bone.

Lemon Garlic Chicken Breasts - Slow Cooker

This was a light and easy meal for a weeknight. It went great over brown rice with broccoli. The flavor wasn't too bold, it could use a bit more lemon.

Ingredients
1 tsp italian seasoning
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup water
3 tbsp lemon juice
lemon zest - about 1 TBSP
1 TBSP minced garlic
1 Cup low-sodium chicken broth


Directions:

Place chicken breasts in crockpot. Sprinkle with italian seasoning. Zest lemon over top of chicken. Mix remaining ingredients and pour over chicken. Cover, and cook on low for 6 hours (3 hours on high).
Chicken is very tasty served on a bed of brown rice with steamed broccoli!

Stuffed Green Peppers - the healthy way

My mother in law makes the best stuffed green peppers ever but lets just say that they aren't exactly figure friendly. So I've been trying to find a recipe that has the same great flavor without all the fat & grease. After last night's dinner, we have a winner!

Ingredients:
4 med -large green peppers
1 lb lean ground turkey
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
2 TBS kosher salt
2 TBS black pepper
2 TBS Italian seasoning
1 TSP Mrs. Dash Table Seasoning
2 cups brown rice (cooked acc to directions)
1/2 cup cheddar cheese
1/2 cup of your favorite spaghetti sauce (more if you like the mixture creamier)
2 TBS low fat sour cream
2 TBS water

How to Make:
Once your rice is done cooking according to the package directions, let it cool for a few minutes. Combine all remaining ingredients (EXCEPT THE WATER) in a large bowl. Mix in the 2 cups of cooked brown rice.

Wash & cut off the tops of the peppers. Clean out the inside. Fill each pepper with the turkey rice mixture until full. I usually sprinkle a tiny bit more of cheese on the top of the peppers but no necessary, just looks prettier.

Put the 2 TBS of water in the crockpot. Place the peppers standing up in crockpot on low for 7-8 hours. If there is any turkey/rice mixture left over, don't throw it away. You can cook it on the stove top the next day and put it inside a whole wheat tortilla for lunch.... yum! Enjoy!

Beef Stew

I got this recipe from a friend last winter during one of the Maryland blizzards. I was looking for a simple crockpot food that would warm us all up after all that shoveling. It's easy & a perfect winter dinner. Plus its a crockpot meal, which I am a huge fan of! This makes a huge crockpot full so be prepared to freeze leftovers!

Ingredients:
2 lbs beef cubes
2 TABLESPOON olive oil
1/2 sm yelllow onion chopped
1 can low sodium tomato soup
2 cans diced tomatoes with seasonings added (Don't drain! I usually get the Contadina diced tomatoes with Italian seasoning)
1 1/2 cup beef stock
1 TBS garlic powder
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
2 TBS Italian seasoning
1 1/2 teaspoon Low Sodium Salt
1 teaspoon minced onion
4-5 Yukon Gold Potatoes, peeled & cut into bite size chunks
1/4 cup Red Wine (optional - adds sweetness and helps keep the meat tender but I usually only add it if I already have a bottle on hand open)


How to make:
Sprinkle raw beef cubes with a pinch of s&p on each side. Place the beef cubes in a pan with 2 tbs olive oil over medium heat. Cook for about 2 minutes on each side (just until slightly browned on the outside). Drain.

Put the slightly browned beef in crockpot, add the remaining ingredients. Cook on low for about 8 hours. If you are crunched on time, you can cook it on high for about 5 hours but the slow cooking makes the beef much more tender. I usually do a "taste test" after about 6 hours. You may need a pinch more of something or another and by then you should be able to tell.

Serve with warm french bread or biscuits.

Apple Pork Chops with Sauerkraut - Crockpot

This is a great recipe to make in the fall and winter. Makes your house smell wonderful and it's a one hit wonder (no need to make sides or veggies). The whole family loves it. The pork chops fall apart with a fork and everything else goes together and tastes incredible! The apples & sweet pots will lose their shape so it may not be the prettiest dish to serve but the flavor makes up for it.

Ingredients:

2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced into thin wedges (enough to cover the bottom of your crock)
1/2 small-medium yellow onion, finely chopped (you can use more if you like but my family isn't big on onions)
2 Granny Smith apples, cored and sliced
2 Tbsp. light brown sugar (more or less depending how sweet you like things)
2 Tbsp ground cinnamon (more or less depending how sweet you like things)
1 TBS poultry seasoning
1 TBS salt
1 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp cinnamon sugar
6 boneless 1" thick pork chops
15-oz. can sauerkraut, rinsed and drained

Preparation:
Place the sweet potatoes and finely chopped onion in bottom of your slow cooker. Sprinkle some brown sugar, ground cinnamon and a pinch of salt over them. Cover with apple slices. In small bowl, combine brown sugar, ground cinnamon, cinnamon sugar, & the salt and pepper and sprinkle generously over the apples.

Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Sprinkle poultry seasoning over both sides of the pork chops. Cook them for 3-4 minutes on each side or until browned slightly.

Place the chops over the apples. Top with the drained sauerkraut. Cover crockpot and cook on LOW for 6-7 hours or until pork chops are tender. Enjoy!


This is adapted from About.com - find it here.

Carolina Style Pulled Pork - Crockpot

This pulled pork is absolutely delicious. It's a little sweet and has a little bite from the vinegar. Great for sandwiches and entertaining! 

Ingredients:

3lb pork tenderloin

1 med onion, diced

2 tsp butter

2 tsp brown sugar

2 tsp mustard

1/2 cup green pepper, diced

1/2 cup white vinegar

3 tsp worchestershire sauce

4 tsp lemon juice

1 tsp salt & pepper

1 1/2 C ketchup

Directions:

Place pork into crockpot. Combine all ingredients and pour over top of pork. Cook on low 8 hours. Meat should easily pull apart with 2 forks after 6 hours.

Crockpot Cranberry Pork Chops

I'm not a huge fan of pork chops but these were GREAT! They are delicious served with a side of mashed potatoes.

Ingredients:

6 chops
1 can jellied cranberry sauce
½ can cranberry juice
¼ cup sugar
2 T. brown mustard

Directions:

Combine ingredients and pour over chops.
Cook on low, 5-7 hours in a crockpot

Remove the chops.
Put in saucepan 2 T cornstarch and ½ cup cold water until smooth. Gradually add cooking juices. Cook and stir for 2 minutes, until thickened.

Cream Cheese Crockpot Chicken

This is a super easy recipe.  It has great flavor and tastes amazing served over rice.

Ingredients:

3 - 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 packet of dry  Italian Seasoning

1 (8oz) package of cream cheese, cubed

8oz sour cream

1 can cream of chicken soup

Directions:

Place chicken breasts in crockpot and sprinkle with italian seasoning. Cook on low for 4 - 6 hours. If chicken is frozen cook for 6 to 8 hours on low.

Add cream cheese, sour cream and chicken soup and cook for the final hour.

Serve over rice!

Chicken 'n Dumplings

This is a very basic recipe that can be altered to your liking. It's great to make a big crockpot of it and freeze half into individual portions. This will make your house smells so delicious all day as it's cooking too!

Ingredients:
1 lb chicken thighs (you can use breasts if you don't want to deal with the bones but thighs make a much more flavorful broth and the meat falls right off of the bones for easy removal)
1 large yellow onion diced
4 stalks of celery diced
1 lg bag of baby carrots
water
salt & pepper to taste
1 box of HeartSmart Bisquick
Throw all of the ingredients into a large crockpot. Cover with water, set on high and cook for 8 hours. (remove bones and skin if you use thighs) Transfer everything to a large pot and bring to a boil on the stove. Prepare dumplings as directed on the side of Bisquick box and enjoy!
*Adding frozen peas at the end before the dumplings is also an excellent addition.

Bourbon "Crack" Chicken - Crockpot Style

The original recipe comes from Busy Mom's Cookbook but we turned it into a crockpot version.

Ingredients-

2 lbs boneless chicken breasts cut into bite-size pieces
2 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (evoo)
1 garlic clove crushed
1/4 teaspoon ginger
3/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 cup light apple juice
1/3 cup light brown sugar
2 tablespoons organic ketchup or chili sauce (depending on how hot you like stuff)
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup reduced sodium soy sauce

Whisk all ingredients into crockpot and add chicken. Cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4.

Serve over rice with a side of ginger glazed carrots.