Mississippi Roast

by Sara Thompson

chuck roast

1 envelope Ranch dressing mix

1 envelope Au Jus Gravy mix (regular brown gravy works too)

1/2 cup butter (1 stick)

5-8 pepperoncini peppers

Put roast in crock pot. Sprinkle Ranch dressing mix on top. Sprinkle gravy mix on top. Put stick of butter on top. Spread 5-8 pepperoncini peppers around the stick of butter and on top of roast. Cook in crockpot on low for about 8 hours. (I serve mine on egg noodles.)

Sunday Chicken

by Sara Thompsom

Sunday Chicken:

4 to 6 chicken breasts

2 cans cream of chicken soup

1 envelope dry onion soup mix

1 cup sour cream (or 8 oz. cream cheese for even richer taste)

Place chicken in greased slow cooker. mix remaining ingredients except for sour cream and pour over chicken. Cover and cook on high heat 4 hours or low heat 6-8 hours. One hour before serving, stir in sour cream. Makes 4-6 servings.

Lava Cake (Crockpot)

by Brandi Lynn

1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup flour
3 T. unsweetened cocoa
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup milk
2 T. melted butter
1 tsp. vanilla
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 3/4 cup boiling water

Mix together 1 cup brown sugar, flour, 3 T. cocoa, baking powder and salt.
Stir in milk, butter, and vanilla.  Spread over the bottom of the crock pot.
Mix 3/4 cup brown sugar and 1/4 cup cocoa together and sprinkle of mixture in crock pot.
Pour boiling water over everything and DO NOT STIR.
Cover and cook on high 2-3 hours or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Serve with ice cream!
Makes 6-8 servings.

Praline Apple Crisp (crockpot)

Made by Dona Gaughan

Shared by Katie Majeske of Denver, Pennsylvania. She writes, "What’s more comforting than warm apple crisp? I often make this for work, church, potlucks or family."

6 Granny Smith or Braeburn apples, cored, peeled and sliced
1 t. cinnamon
1/2 c. quick-cooking oats, uncooked
1/3 c. brown sugar, packed
1/4 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 c. chilled butter, diced
1/2 c. chopped pecans
1/2 c. toffee baking bits
Optional: whipped topping

Toss together apples and cinnamon. Place in a slow cooker that has been sprayed with non-stick vegetable spray; set aside. Combine oats, brown sugar, flour and butter; mix with a pastry cutter or fork until crumbly. Stir in pecans and toffee bits; sprinkle over apples. Cover and cook on low setting for 4 to 6 hours. Top with whipped topping, if desired. Makes 10 servings.

Easy Slow Cooker Mac & Cheese (Crockpot)

by Amy Peterson (from Taste of Home)

2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
1 can (10 3/4 oz) condensed cheddar cheese soup, undiluted
1 cup 2% milk
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup butter, cubed
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp. white pepper
1/8 tsp. salt
1 cup (4 oz) shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup (4 oz) shredded fontina cheese
1 cup (4 oz) shredded provolone cheese

Cook macaroni according to package directions for al dente.  Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, combine soup, milk, sour cream, butter and seasonings; cook and stir over medium-low heat until blended.  Stir in cheeses until melted.
Drain pasta; transfer to a greased 3-qt crock pot.  Stir in cheese mixture.  Cook, covered on low 1-2 hours or until heated through.

Creamy Tomato Pesto Soup (Crockpot)

by Sara Register

2 (14 oz) cans diced tomatoes, with juice

1 cup finely diced celery

1 cup finely diced carrots

1 cup finely diced onions

1 tsp dried oregano or 1 T fresh oregano

1 T dried basil or 1/4 cup fresh basil

4 cups chicken broth

Put in crock pot and cook on low until veggies are soft.

1/4 cup flour

1/4 cup butter

1-2 cups milk,

In a sauce pan, melt butter then add flour. Whisk for a minute or two to get the flour taste out. Add milk and whisk until smooth. Add to the crockpot.

Add 2-3 cups Creamy Pesto Alfredo (recipe follows)

Add the remaining ingredients, cover and turn to high. Let cook for another hour or so until it gets thicker. You can leave the soup chunky, or use a blender to make it smooth.

Top with parmesan cheese. Also, the crock pot can change the taste of herbs, so taste and add more if you want.

Guiltless Alfredo Sauce

from Our Best Bites

Ingredients:
2 C low-fat milk
1/3 C (3 oz) low fat cream cheese
2-3 T flour
1 t salt
1 T butter
3 garlic cloves
1 C grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions:

Place milk, cream cheese, flour, and salt in a blender and blend until smooth.  In a non-stick sauce pan, melt butter on med-high heat and add garlic. Let the garlic saute for about 30 seconds, you don’t want to burn it.

Then add milk mixture to the pan. Stir constantly for about 3 or 4 minutes or until it just comes to a simmer. Keep stirring and let it cook for a few minutes more. It should be much thicker now.

When it’s nice and thickened remove the pan from the heat. Add the cheese, stir it up and then cover immediately. Let stand for at least 10 minutes before using. It will continue to thicken upon standing. Season with additional salt if needed.  Also, if you have leftovers in the fridge, the sauce will thicken almost into a solid. Just re-heat and add a little milk and it will be back to normal again.

To make it a creamy pesto alfredo, add your favorite homemade or prepared pesto to the finished alfredo.

***I like to double the recipe and then freeze in 2-3 cup portions in quart size freezer baggies. I keep some portions plain alfredo, some pesto alfredo, some sun-dried tomato alfredo...the sky's the limit!***

Ridiculously Easy Baked Potato Soup (Crockpot)

by Alida Bowles

1 30oz. bag of frozen, shredded hash browns 

3 14oz. cans of chicken broth 

1 can of cream of chicken soup

1/2 cup onion, chopped

1/4 tsp. ground pepper

1 pkg. cream cheese {don’t use fat free.  It WON’T melt!!!}

1 can of corn {if you feel like it...my kids like corn so I add it but it won't make or break this recipe if you don't}

In a crockpot, combine everything EXCEPT for the cream cheese.  Cook for 6-8 hours on low heat.  About 1 hour before serving, add cream cheese and keep heated until thoroughly melted.  {Sometimes the cream cheese doesn't want to melt thoroughly....just mix and mix and mix) 

Serve with cheese, sour cream, bacon bits, green onions, or whatever else you think would be good! Enjoy!! 

Chicken Stew (Crockpot)

by Brandi Lynn

3 medium potatoes

2 cups of baby carrots (or carrots cut into 1 1/2 chunks)

1 pkg (8 ounces) mushrooms

4-5 thawed chicken breast

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. onion powder

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1 T. tomato paste

1 jar (15 ounces) chicken gravy (I have used turkey gravy and the cans instead and it turns out the same)

1/2 cup dry white wine or water (If your chicken is partially frozen I omit this)

Toss potatoes, carrots, and mushrooms in 3 1/2 - 4 quart slow cooker.  Arrange chicken on top. Sprinkle salt, onion, and garlic powder over chicken.  Stir tomato paste into jar of gravy. Pour gravy mixture and wine or water over all.

Cover and cook on low heat setting 8 to 10 hours or until vegetables are tender.

*I double this recipe for my family.  I usually use 4 cans of the gravy and 7-8 chicken breast.  I also have a larger crock pot to accommodate!