Crockpot Frozen Chicken Legs

Straight from the freezer to the slow cooker to fall-off-the-bone tenderness!

3 (frozen solid) chicken legs

3 or 4 carrots (optional, but why not?)

1 cup of your fave BBQ sauce

1 cup chicken broth

Lay the carrots on the bottom of the crockpot if using, then put the chicken in on top. Or put the chicken right into the bottom of the pot. Pour the chicken broth in. You can see that the chicken legs were frozen together in one chunk! No problem!

Pour the BBQ sauce over the legs and spread evenly. Cover and slow cook on low for 6 hours. Cooking on low rather than high ensures tenderness.

These fall-off-the-bone fork-tender chicken legs will serve 3-4 people.

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Slow Cooker Maple Pulled Pork

Keep up with your busy day while the slow cooker works it's magic. Served with rice or piled on a bun, this pulled pork is your perfect, cozy, comfort food!

Ingredients:

2 lb pork shoulder roast

1/2 cup pure maple syrup

1 tbsp brown sugar

1 tbsp dijon mustard

1 or 2 green onions

Place roast in an oiled slow cooker. Spread dijon over it then sprinkle the brown sugar on and spread evenly. Pour the maple syrup on top.

Cover and slow cook on low for 6-7 hours. Then take the roast out of the crockpot and shred the meat with forks.

Return the meat to the pot and add sliced green onion. Keep warm. Remove 1/2 cup of the juices to a small saucepan, cooking 5-10 minutes to reduce and slightly thicken.

Serve over rice and spoon some of the the thickened juices over everything. Or you can tuck into a hamburger bun stuffed with maple pulled pork, coleslaw and a little BBQ sauce! 😋 Serves 4

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Pulled Pork Wrap or Taco

Typically served in a bun, I thought I'd give this pulled pork a light makeover using flour tortillas and taco shells. You could even go lettuce-only Asian style.

Ingredients:

1 medium onion, sliced

2 1/2 lb pork shoulder

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 cup ketchup

1 cup salsa

3/4 cup cola

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 tsp ground cumin

3 tsps minced garlic

1 tsp red pepper flakes

flour tortillas, taco shells, and/or lettuce leaves to wrap

rice (optional)

Start with putting the sliced onion on the bottom of the crockpot and sit the pork on top. Then mix the rest of the ingredients together for the sauce and pour it over the meat.

Cover and cook on low for 6 hours. Easy peasy right?!

If you want to use a conventional oven use a casserole deep enough so the sauce keeps the meat covered. Then cover and slow cook in a 300°F oven for 3 1/2 hours.

Once the meat is cooked transfer to a plate and shred with forks, discarding the layer of fat from the shoulder. Return the shredded pork to the sauce and keep warm until ready to serve.

Wrap it up in a tortilla with lettuce and rice or skip the tortilla and go gluten-free with just a large lettuce leaf.

Or tuck some into a taco shell! NomNomNom 😋

This recipe serves 6-8

Crockpot Apple Butter

This caramelized fruit spread tastes like Fall in a jar! I like mine on buttered white bread, but go ahead and have it on toast, a bowl of oatmeal or spooned over vanilla ice cream!

Ingredients:

4 lbs apples, peeled and chopped

1 cup sugar

2 tbsps cinnamon

1/2 tsp allspice

2 dashes of salt

Weigh your apples, then peel and core. Some peel left on the apples is ok. You can save the peels and check out the Scrap Apple Jelly recipe linked at the end of this post. Or dump in your composter.

Add all the ingredients to the crockpot, cover and cook on high for 1 hour. Then reduce the heat to low and cook for 4-5 hours.

After that time the apples will be nicely browned and mushed. (That's a culinary term, right?)

Spoon the browned and mushed apples in batches into a food processor and blend to purée. If you would like your butter thicker return the purée to the pot and cook, uncovered, on high for an additional 1 hour. 

Then spoon butter into sterilized jars and close tops just finger tip tight. Using tongs, place jars in boiling water, enough to go 1" over the top of the jars, and boil for 10 minutes. Remove the pot from heat and let the jars sit 5 minutes. Then carefully remove the jars from the water. Leave the jars on the counter for 12-24 hours. After that time the center of the lid should be dimpled in.. a sign that the seal has been made and the jars may be stored on the shelf until opened. If the seal is not good you can re-do the whole thing. Heat the butter, sterilize the jars/lids, fill and process in hot water bath. Or simply keep refrigerated.

 

Makes 3 1/2 - 4 cups

Great for gift-giving!

Scrap Apple Jelly:

https://hotandcoldrunningmom.blogspot.com/2016/11/scrap-apple-jelly.html

Cranberry Walnut Slow Cooker Yeast Bread

I'm loving this slow cooker method of bread baking!

This one is a little denser than last week's loaf (recipe link is at the end of this post). It's much like an artisan raisin bread but with cranberries, walnuts and seeds. Good for breakfast or imagine a sandwich with black forest ham and swiss cheese for lunch! Yum!

2 tbsps honey

1  1/2 cups lukewarm water (105° - 110°F)

2  1/4 tsps instant yeast

3  1/2 cups all purpose flour

1/4 cup vanilla or honey flavoured Greek yogurt

1 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1 cup dried cranberries

1/4 cup chopped walnuts (or 1/2 cups if not using seeds)

1/4 cup mixed seeds

more honey for brushing while warm if desired

In a large mixer bowl add 2 tbsps honey to lukewarm water. Sprinkle the yeast in and gently stir. Add the flour, yogurt, salt and cinnamon and with the dough hook atttached mix together 1 minute. Finally, add the cranberries, walnuts and seeds and knead with mixer (or by hand if you are so inclined) for 5 minutes. 

Once the dough is smooth form it into a ball and place in the center of a floured piece of parchment paper.

Bring the corners of the parchment up and lift into a 6 quart slow cooker set on high. Place the lid on making sure the paper is tucked in so no heat escapes. 

Cook on high for 2 hours or until the internal temperature reads 200°F (oops, a little over!)

Using the parchment paper "handles" lift the bread out of the crockpot. Brush with honey if using, then place in the oven and broil 3-5 minutes or until golden.

Cool on rack completely before slicing.

Now where is that black forest ham?!?

Here's a little update: I made a mortadella, ham and strong cheddar cheese sandwich with dijon mustard and it was delicious 😋

And here's the link to that loaf I made last week🡻

https://hotandcoldrunningmom.blogspot.com/2021/03/slow-cooker-practically-no-knead-bread.html

Slow Cooker (Practically) No Knead Bread

Two hours, no rising, no manual kneading... no way!!! Check it out.

Ingredients:

2  1/4 tsps instant yeast

1 tbsp sugar

1  1/2 cups lukewarm water (105-110°F)

3  3/4 cups flour

1 tbsp olive oil

1/4 cup basil pesto (optional)

1 tsp salt

Topping- dry parsley and bagel everything seasoning (optional)

Add sugar to lukewarm water in a large mixer bowl then sprinkle yeast on top and stir.

Add the flour, olive oil and salt (and pesto if using or just go for white bread). Using the dough hook attachment let the mixer knead for 5 minutes.

When the dough is smooth and elastic form into a ball. Place in a parchment lined 6-quart slow cooker. Sprinkle with toppings, or salt or leave plain.

Put the cover on the crock making sure the parchment is tucked inside so the lid fully closes. 

Set on high for 2 hours, no peeking except through the glass lid.

After 2 hours it should be fully baked with an internal temperature of 200°F. 

Using the parchment, lift the bread out of the crock. It looks a bit anemic at this point.

But place it on the parchment under the broiler for 3-5 minutes and voilà! A beautiful golden loaf of bread!

Just wait 20 minutes before slicing.

Original recipe from: diethood.com

Simple Beef Stew

Just a simple beef and veg stew, no spuds added, but you could definitely serve this over some nice and buttery mashed potatoes.

 Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs stewing beef, cut in cubes

2 tbsps vegetable oil

28 oz can diced tomatoes

1 cup beef broth or onion soup mix and water

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 tbsp smoked paprika

2 tsps worcestershire sauce

1 tsp dry thyme

salt and pepper to taste

2 cups diced carrots

1 1/2 cups diced parsnip

1 tbsp corn starch

2 tbsps cold water

Brown beef in hot oil in batches, 1-2 minutes per side, then add garlic. Stir together before adding the diced tomatoes and broth to deglaze the pan.

Add paprika, thyme, worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper, carrots and parsnip and pour everything into a slow cooker.

Cover and cook on low  7-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours.

I left the juices as is, but if you want to thicken it mix the cornstarch and cold water together then stir into the stew. Cook on high for 30 minutes to an hour until thickened.

Great with these 20 minute baking powder biscuits!

https://hotandcoldrunningmom.blogspot.com/2021/02/20-minute-baking-powder-biscuits.html

 

Serves 6

Easy Slow Cooker Meatloaf Dinner

Amazingly tender meatloaf that's anything but boring! And with the potatoes and carrots cooking along side it you've got a delicious hassle-free one pot meal. Actual hands on work is only about 20 minutes!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs ground beef

2 eggs

3/4 cup milk

2/3 cup bread crumbs

1/3 cup cooked brown rice

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp savory

1/2 tsp dry mustard

1/2 tsp celery seed

pinch of baking soda (to keep the meatloaf moist and tender)

1 1/2 lbs potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 - 1 1/2" chunks

1 lb carrots, thickly sliced

Glaze:

2 tbsps ketchup

2 tbsps brown sugar

1 tsp worcestershire sauce

Mix everything from the ground beef to and including the pinch of baking soda, even getting your hands into it to make sure everything is well combined.

Form the meat into a loaf and place in the crock pot of the slow cooker. I used a 7 qt pot here.

Place the potatoes and carrots on either side of the loaf and season with salt and pepper if desired. Cover and cook on high for the first 30 minutes.

Then reduce heat to low and cook for 5 hours without lifting the lid. After 5 hours mix the glaze ingredients together and spread on top of the meatloaf. 

Cover and cook on high again for another 30 minutes.

Potatoes and carrots are now tender and the meatloaf perfectly glazed!

Let rest 5-10 minutes before slicing.

Serves 6