Sour Cream Pork Chops (Crock Pot)

6 pork chops
salt and pepper to taste
garlic powder to taste
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 large onion, sliced 1/4 inch thick
2 cans condensed cream of mushroom soup
4 to 8 ounces sour cream (you decide)
3/4 cup beef broth
2 cups milk
mushrooms (optional)
red potatoes (optional)

1. Season pork chops with salt, pepper, and garlic powder, and dredge in 1/2 cup flour. In a skillet over medium heat, lightly brown chops in a small amount of oil.
2. Place chops in slow cooker, and top with onion slices. Combine soup, sour cream, beef broth, and milk. At this point add the mushrooms and/or red potatoes if desired. Pour soup mixture over the meat and onions.
3. Cook on high 4 hours or Low 7 to 8 hours. Serve over rice.

Notes: It’s also good to use one can each of cream of mushroom and cream of chicken soup. You can also use either beef or chicken broth.

Crock Pot Beef Fajitas

2 pounds beef round steak
2 packets fajita seasoning mix
1 onion, thickly sliced
2 green bell peppers, sliced into 1/2-inch strips
1 red bell pepper, sliced into 1/2-inch strips
1/2 cup water

1. Rinse steaks with cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Season both sides of steaks with 1 packet of fajita seasoning. Slice into strips; set aside.
2. Add vegetables to a slow cooker. Toss with remaining packet of fajita seasoning. Add steak strips on top of vegetables. Pour in water. Cover and cook on low setting for 8 to 10 hours.

Serve hot with peppers, warm tortillas, refried beans, and shredded cheese, if desired.

Chicken Licken

6-8 chicken legs, thighs or breasts
3 T butter
3 tomatoes, skinned and coarsely chopped OR one 16 oz can tomatoes
1 large onion, chopped
1/2 c sliced fresh mushrooms OR one 4 oz can sliced mushrooms, drained
1 clove garlic, minced
2 t paprika
1 t salt
1/2 t chili powder
1/2 t ground ginger

1/2 c heavy cream, warmed (we subbed evaporated milk)
1 lb cooked spaghetti

Rinse chicken pieces and pat dry. In hot skillet melt butter and brown chicken quickly on both sides. Place chicken in slow cooker. Stir together remaining ingredients except cream and spaghetti; pour over chicken. Cover and cook on High 4-5 hours, or on Low for twice as long. Just before serving, stir in cream. Serve over hot spaghetti.

Notes: If you use the fresh tomatoes rather than the canned, you might add more salt. Canned mushrooms make me retch, so I'm all in favor of fresh. Some people dislike mushrooms, and they could be omitted. Garlic is one of those things for which a lot is good and more is better. I added 4 cloves and it wasn't at all overpowering. The garnish is marjoram.

Crockpot Lasagna

I got this recipe from a friend way long ago and never tried it out until a few weeks ago. My family really liked it and so I made it again for the missionaries. I've tweaked it a liitle and so here is my version:

9 lasagna noodles
1 lb. ground turkey
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
28 oz. can of diced tomatoes
24 oz. can tomato sauce
1/2 t. basil
1/4 t. oregano
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper
1 c. cottage cheese (I used low-fat)
1/2 c. ricotta cheese (I used part-skim)
mozarella cheese

Cook the ground turkey and the garlic until done. Add this to the cans of tomatoes (the ounces are slightly off - they might be a few ounces off or something. I can't remember what they are and my trash is already out. Sorry. It really doesn't matter though, of course). Stir in the basil, oregano, salt and pepper.

In another bowl mix together your cottage cheese and ricotta.

In the crockpot put 2 cups of the tomato/meat mixture. Next break up 3 lasagna noodles (1-2 inch sized pieces) and layer them on top. Next place 1/3 of the cottage/ricotta cheese mix in dollops over the noodles. Layer 2 more times with the tomato/noodles/cheese. Top the last layer with the last remaining 2 cups of tomato mixture.

Cook on high for 3 1/2-4 hours or on low for 6. (I have only done it on low since I make this up before church and start it cooking at 10:30. I don't want it done until 4:30ish and so I do it on low. I'm sure high would work well, too.)

You can top it with mozarella cheese. The original recipe calls for 2 cups. I probably shredded about 3/4 - 1 c. and let people top their own servings.

Vegetarian Minestrone Soup

6 c. vegetable broth (we used chicken broth b/c that's all I have)
2 carrots, chopped
2 large onions, chopped
3 ribs celery, chopped (whatever does "ribs" mean?)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 small zucchini, cubed
1/2 c. dry barley
1 can chickpeas, drained
1 T. parsley
1/2 t. dried thyme
1 t. dried oregano
28 oz. can crushed Italian tomatoes
1 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
grated cheese

1. Combine all ingredients except cheese in slow cooker.
2. Cover. Cook on low 6-8 hours, or until vegetables are tender.
3. Sprinkle with cheese.

e-notes: We have done this twice and really enjoy it. I think I do 2 zucchinis just because. I also add dry noodles because my kids are much more apt to eat anything if there is a hint of noodles in it. About an hour before eating (at like 5 hours), I add a 1/2 cup of dry macaroni noodles. Yum.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

4 chicken breast halves
2 15 oz. cans black beans, undrained
2 15 oz. can Mexican stewed tomatoes
1 c. salsa
4 oz. can chopped green chilies
14 1/2 oz. can tomato sauce
tortilla chips
2 c. grated cheese (we didn't do this much)

1. Combine all ingredients except chips and cheese in large slow cooker/crock pot.
2. Cover. Cook on low 8 hours.
3. Just before serving, remove chicken breasts and slice into bite-sized pieces. Stir back into soup.
4. To serve, put a handful of chips in each soup bowl. Ladle soup over chips. Top with cheese.

e-notes: We made this today and really liked it. I did not put the chips in bottom, but, rather, let us all "crush" in our own chips. The kids loved this part of it. It's tasty stuff.

Five Bean Crockpot Dish

1 lb. ground beef
1 t. mustard (wet, not powdered)
2 t. vinegar
1/2 lb. bacon, finely diced
3/4 c. brown sugar
1 t. salt
1 c. ketchup
15-ounce can lima beans, drained
15-ounce can butter beans, drained
16-ounce can kidney beans, drained
32-ounce can pork and beans, undrained
15-ounce can red beans, drained

Brown ground beef in skillet. Drain. Stir in mustard, vinegar, and bacon.

Dump the rest (brown sugar through all beans) into crockpot. Add the stuff from the skillet. Mix well.

Cover and cook on low for 3-5 hours. These beans freeze well.

Italian Crockpot Chicken

4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (can be frozen)
1 can of cream of chicken soup
1 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 packet of Good Seasons Zesty Italian dressing mix (found in salad dressing aisle)

Combine soup, cream cheese, and powdered dressing mix until smooth.
Pour over chicken.
Cook in crock pot on HIGH for 2-3 hours, or LOW for 5-6 hours.
Serve over rice


When combining the ingredients the mixture may seem thick... Don't worry this will change as the chicken cooks down.

This is a staple in our home! It is so easy and soooooo tasty! My kids love it too. ENJOY!

Crock Pot Chicken Burritos

2-4 Boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 chopped onion
1 can sliced olives
1 can green chilies
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
2 Tbsp. Tapioca

Place chicken in crock pot. Combine remaining ingredients and pour over top. Cook on low 6-8 hours. Remove chicken and shred with fork. Return to crock pot and combine. Spoon cooked mixture into tortillas and serve with sour cream, lettuce, and tomatoes.

Crock Pot Apricot Chicken

Chicken Pieces, bone-in or boneless skinless (desired amount)
½ bottle of BBQ Sauce
¼ cup Soy Sauce
1 cup Apricot Preserves
Rice (desired amount)

Mix the BBQ sauce, soy sauce, and apricot preserves in the crock pot. Add the chicken and coat it well. Cook on low for 4 hours or until done. If using bone-in chicken remove the skin and bones from the chicken. Shred the meat with two forks, one in each hand. Return the chicken to the crock pot and heat it through. Serve over rice.

Note: The ingredients look strange but give it a chance. You won't be diappointed.

Pulled Pork Tacos

1 Pork Shoulder Roast - (3 lbs boneless)
8 Cloves Garlic – minced
2 tsp Ground Coriander
2 tsp Dried Oregano
1 tsp Onion Powder
½ tsp Salt
½ tsp Ground Black Pepper
½ tsp Ground Red Pepper
½-1 cup Beef Broth
Corn Tortillas

Rub the spices into the meat. Place the meat in the crockpot. Add beef broth and cook on high for 6-8 hrs. Remove the meat from the crock pot and shred with two forks. Remove excess fat from the broth with a spoon. Pour the broth into a container. And the meat back to the crock pot and add the broth back to the meat until it is moist and heated through but not soupy.

Next fry the corn tortillas in vegetable oil.

To serve place pork, salsa, shredded lettuce, jack or pepper jack cheese, sliced olives, avocado, and sour cream (if desired) in a corn tortilla.