Saturday, October 16, 2010

Hot Fudge Cake

1 c. packed brown sugar
1 c. flour
3 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
½ c. milk
2 Tbsp. melted butter
½ tsp. vanilla
¾ c. packed brown sugar
¼ c. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 ¾ c. boiling water
Vanilla ice cream

Directions:
1) Mix together 1 c. brown sugar, flour, 3 tbsp cocoa, baking powder and salt. Stir in milk, butter and vanilla. Spread over the bottom of slow cooker.
2) Mix together ¾ c. brown sugar and ¼ c. cocoa powder. Sprinkle over mixture in slow cooker. Pour in boiling water. Do not stir.
3) Cover and cook on high 2-3 hours until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream. Serves 8.

Nina Leake

Chocolate Pudding Cake

1 package (18-1/4 oz) chocolate cake mix
1 package (3.9 oz) instant chocolate pudding mix
2 C (16 oz) sour cream
4 eggs
1 C water
¾ c vegetable oil
1 C (6 oz) semisweet chocolate chips
Whipped cream or ice cream, optional

In a mixing bowl, combine the first 6 ingredients. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Set in chocolate chips. Pour into a 5-qt. slow cooker that has been coated with nonstick cooking spray. Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out with moist crumbs. Yield: 10-12 servings

California Tamale Pie

1 lb. lean ground beef
¾ cup yellow corn meal
1 ½ cups milk
1 egg beaten
1 pkg. chili seasoning mix
1 tsp. seasoning salt
1 (1lb) can tomatoes, cut up
1 (1lb) can whole kernel corn, drained
1 can (2 ¼ oz.) sliced ripe olives
1 cup grated cheddar cheese

In skillet or slow-cooking pot with browning unit, cook meat until crumbly; drain. In large bowl, mix corn meal, milk, and egg. Add drained meat, dry chili seasoning mix, seasoned salt, tomatoes, corn and olives. Pour into slow-cooking pot. Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours. Sprinkle cheese over top. Cook another 5 minutes. Makes 6-8 servings.

Desiree Harris

Hamburger Lentil Stew

1 lb ground meat (turkey or beef)
1/2 C chopped onions
3 stalks celery chopped
1 clove garlic, minced or 1 tsp garlic powder
2 14 oz cans of stewed tomatoes
1 T salt
1/2 t dried basil
2 C dry lentils or 1 C dry kidney or black beans (add more water if you do this)
4 C water
3/4 t brown sugar
Dash of pepper

After you brown and drain the meat, put everything together in the crockpot and cook on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 4-6 hours. This turns out really thick so you may need to add water at the end to get it the consistency that you like. Yummy with cheese on top.

Heather Crawford

Minestrone Soup

4 c. leeks, chopped
¼ c. olive oil
1 1/3 c. carrot, sliced
1 1/3 c. celery, sliced
1 ½ c. cooked kidney beans
1 ½ c. potato, diced
1 qt. tomatoes, or 16 oz can
½ c. fresh parsley, chopped
4 sprigs thyme
2 tsp. dried oregano
2 tsp. salt
½ Tbsp. pepper
2 c. button mushrooms, sliced
2 c. spicy tomato juice (V8)
6 c. vegetable or chicken broth
2/3 c. small shell pasta
½ lb. fresh spinach cleaned and torn
Grated parmesan cheese

In a large soup pot, sauté the leeks in the olive oil until they soften. Add the carrots, celery, kidney beans, potatoes, tomatoes, parsley, thyme, oregano, salt, pepper, mushrooms, tomato juice and broth. Simmer for 1 hour.

Add the pasta and spinach and cook 30 minutes to 1 hour more, or until the soup is very thick. Remove the thyme sprigs. Sprinkle with grated cheese and serve hot. Serves: 6.

In working with leeks, be sure to cut in half lengthwise and wash out all the sand between the layers at the top before chopping.

Sandra Talbot

Southwest Chicken

2 cans (15-1/4 oz. each) whole kernel corn, drained
1 can (15 oz) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 jar (16 oz) chunky salsa divided
6 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
1 C (4 oz) shredded cheddar cheese

Combine the corn, black beans and ½ cup of the salsa in a slow cooker. Top with chicken; pour the remaining salsa over the chicken. Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 7-8 hours or until meat juices run clear. Sprinkle with cheese; cover until cheese is melted, about 5 minutes. Yield: 6 servings.


Julie Nebeker

French Dip Sandwiches

4-5 lbs. boneless rump roast
1 pkg. Shilling Au Jus Mix
1 pkg. Good Seasons Italian Dressing Mix
3 beef bouillon cubes (low sodium, if preferred)
4 cups water

Trim fat from roast. Put roast in crockpot with other ingredients. Fill with water approximately one inch from top of crock pot. Cook on low heat 9-11 hours. Remove meat, slice, put on Frentch rolls and dip in juice (any fat may be skimmed off the top).


Christine Williamson

Pork Chop Goodness

4 to 6 Pork chops, any cut and any size
1 can of chicken and rice soup.

1) Flour the pork chops and brown them in a frying pan.
2) Place all the pork chops in the crock pot and pour the soup undiluted over the chops.
3) Cover and cook on low for 6 hours.

**For this recepie, when I am in a hurry or just not in the mood to fry the chops, I have taken them out of the freezer, placed them in the crockpot and poured the soup over top and cooked them on low. They turn out just as great. It is hard to convince the little ones that they are not eating chicken.

Nancy O’Dell

Stroganoff Round Steak Strips

1 1/2 pounds of boneless beef round steak
(trimmed of fat, cut into bite-size strips or just pieces)
2 tablespoons onion soup mix (from a 1oz. envelope)
1 jar (4.5oz) sliced mushrooms, drained
1 can (10 3/4 oz.) condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 1/2 cups uncooked regular long-grain white rice
3 cups of water
1/2 cup sour cream

1) In a 2 to 3 quart slow cooker, mix beef and soup mix until evenly coated. Top with mushrooms and soup.
2) Cover, cook on Low setting 7 to 8 hours.
3) About 30 minutes before serving, cook rice in water as directed on package.
4) Just before serving, stir sour cream into beef mixture.
5) Serve over rice (or noodles).
Making a double batch is great because this freezes well for a future meal. One batch serves 6, 1 3/4 cups each.


Nancy O’Dell

Crock Pot Chicken

5-6 frozen boneless/skinless chicken breasts
1 package Good Seasonings salad dressing
1 stick butter
8 oz. cream cheese
1 can cream of chicken soup

1) Cook 4 hours on low
2) Add 1 package cream cheese
3) 1 can cream of chicken soup
4) Cook 1 hour on high
Serve over rice.


Anne Milani