Friday, August 21, 2015

Corned beef... oops?

So I found a BUNCH of recipes for pressure cooker corned beef, bone of them said I needed to corn the beef prior to cooking it LOL. So next time I will do a better job of that, BUT, it still tasted delicious. Just like a super tender sweet brisket.


Took a huge 10.8 pound brisket, cut it in haf, put half away for being an actual smoked brisket. 

Took this half, placed fatty side down in my pressure cooker canner, added enough water just to barely cover it, and then added an entire jar of ball pickling spices, and a half a cup of extra pepper corns. Then I let it heat up until it began to steam, allowed it tonsteam for 10 minutes, just like Inwas canning, then added the 10 pound weight, and once it got too pressure. And thebweight was rocking, I backed off the temp a bit, and set my timer for 75 minutes.  


Lee was expecting corned beef (me too babe), and that just didn't quite happen, but it was still quite delicious,  and we have several portions ready for meals that I threw into the freezer. Brisket hash would work just fine. Brisket tacos too. Whichever. :) 



Moral of the story, be sure to buy a precorned, cored beef brismet, OR follow a recipe to corn it yourself prior to this cooking step lol. 

Wednesday, August 19, 2015

Meal planning!

So here is my first  months of meal planning, I have spent COUNTLESS HOURS making meal plans, and trying to make my life easier, and I thought that I would share that work, and hopefully help everyone out in internet land out too!

Please excuse typos and grammatical errors, I am exhausted, and have spent literally days making this 2 month plan. half of them have shopping lists, the other half do not. I think yall can handle it based on what you have in your pantries and freezers :) *Hearts*


Shopping list based on the slow cooker meals I am including in this email, Weeks 1 and 2

I have attached them and put them in the body of the email, to make sure that they can be read by all.

CROCKPOT LINERS these things are freaking amazing, no more scrubbing the darn crock pot!!! They will be by the aluminum foil and stuff, 2.50 for 4 of them, worth the investment IMHO.
meats of your choice, 20 pounds (frozen chicken is easiest, and cheapest, so I suggest either costco, or HEB for bags of it)
Cambells Condensed Cheddar soup
Salsa of your choice ( Omit if you already have)
12oz bottle hot sauce of your choice
1 packet of hidden valley ranch mix
2 cans Rotel
1 can black beans
1 can mexicorn
tyson individually frozen preseasoned southwest chicken breasts ( walmart)
1 12 oz bottle of beer ( HEB will sell Singles for 1.50$ a bottle)
Bbq sauce of your favorite variety
Preminced Garlic
Honey dijon Mustard
Herbs de provence
Salt
Orange x3
Chicken broth ( Low sodium is healthier, but do what you like)
Taco seasoning single serve packet
rice ( brown or white, whichever)
lime
2 avacados
guac seasoning ( Can usually be found near the produce section, if not, look by the taco seasonings)
mango salsa
Sour cream
medium flour tortillas ( or corn!)
Mexican blend or colby jack cheese, shredded ( Get the big bag, a few recipes call for cheese)
lettuce
 onion
1 140z full fat can of coconut milk
Curry Powder
Lemon
Cream of chicken soup
Lemon pepper spices
bbq sauce
bacon
1 (25-ounce) jar Arrabbiata Sauce
1 pound curly shaped pasta
 Garnish: Grated Parmesan or Romano cheese




4 ingredients or less slow cooker recipes for 6 weeks ( 44 total meals, including weekends)
---------------------------------------------
Monday!
 Slow Cooker Fiesta Chicken Recipe

Ingredients

    Salsa Jar (16 oz)
    1 Can of Campbell's Condensed Cheddar Soup
    3 lbs Boneless Chicken

Instructions

    Add all three ingredients into your slow cooker. Stir periodically. Cook in your slow cooker for about 4 hours on high or 6-8 hours on low. Voila!
  
  
    ----------------------------------
    Tuesday!
    Buffalo shredded chicken ( For Sandwhiches, or wraps, or on Nachos)
    Ingredients

3 chicken breasts
1 package Hidden Valley Ranch mix (dry mix)
1 12oz bottle Franks Red Hot Buffalo Sauce – Hot Buffalo

You could easily use a milder form of Franks Red Hot if you do not want it super spicy.

Directions
Place chicken in the Crock-Pot
pour Franks Red Hot Buffalo Sauce over the chicken, Sprinkle the Hidden Valley Ranch mix over the top.
Cook on medium for 6 hours
Shred the chicken and enjoy

-------------------------------
Wednesday!
CROCK POT SOUTHWEST CHICKEN

Ingredients
3 Tyson Individually frozen Southwest Pepper Trio Chicken
2 cans of Ro-Tel, Drained
1 can of black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can of mexi-corn

Directions
1. Rinse and drain black beans
2. Drain Rotel

3. Add Black Beans, Rotel and Mexi-Corn to the bottom of your crock pot
Stir ingredients together so they are well combined
4. Place Tyson Southwest Pepper Trio on top of the ingredients.
5. Cook for 6 hours on low
6. Serve and enjoy

--------------------------------------------
Thursday!!
Ingredients

    4 chicken thighs or breasts (about 2 pounds)
    12 oz beer (I used Bud Light)
    2 tablespoons honey dijon mustard
    2 teaspoon herbs de provence
    1 teaspoon salt
    1 whole orange, ends trimmed and sliced into 4 slices

Instructions

    Add chicken to slow cooker. Pour beer into slow cooker and whisk in honey dijon mustard. Sprinkle herbs de provence and salt over chicken thighs. Lay a orange slice over each chicken thigh.
    Cook on high for 4 hours or 6 to 8 hours on low.

------------------------------------
Friday!!
Slow Cooker Beer Chicken Recipe

Ingredients

3 chicken breasts
12 oz bottle regular or non-alcoholic beer
1/4 c. BBQ seasoning (*BKW Seasoning or any of your favorite)
6 tablespoons of garlic


Directions
4-Place chicken in slow cooker; pour beer and bbq sauce over chicken.
5-Cover and cook on low setting for 8 hours.
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Saturday!
Savory Citrus Chicken – Slow Cooker Recipe
 ooo this one has 6 ingredients... trixie!!

Ingredients

    4 chicken thighs or breasts (about 2 pounds)
    12 oz beer (I used Bud Light)
    2 tablespoons honey dijon mustard
    2 teaspoon herbs de provence
    1 teaspoon salt
    1 whole orange, ends trimmed and sliced into 4 slices

Instructions

    Add chicken to slow cooker. Pour beer into slow cooker and whisk in honey dijon mustard. Sprinkle herbs de provence and salt over chicken thighs. Lay a orange slice over each chicken thigh.
    Cook on high for 4 hours or 6 to 8 hours on low.
  
    --------------------------------------
   Sunday!! ( Has more possibly work needed, but is absolutely delicious, and will make an amazing lunch on Monday)
    Q-doba crock pot night!
  
    2-3 chicken breasts or a whole piece of flank steak, or 2 pounds of pork butt -
   1 packet Taco seasoning
    4 cups Chicken stock
  
    Instructions - cook low and slow for 8 hours if chicken is frozen, if thawed, cook on low for 4 hours
  
    BONUS INSTRUCTIONS FOR A FULL DELICIOUS MEAL!
Add Lime Cilantro rice
1 cup rice - 2 cups liquid - juice of one whole lime - handful of chopped cilantro -

How? - Juice the lime into a 2 cup capacity measureing cup, fill rest of way with water of chicken stock, cooking until done ( 15-23 mminutes depending on your rice cooking method)
Chop up cilantro, and mix it into the rice.... YUMMO

EXTRA BONUS!! Guac,... I love it so, fatty acids, delicious green flesh... mmm.
2 avacados and a packeet of guac seasoning - cut open the avacados, remove pits, remove skin, put into bowl, mix in seasoning - delicious

you can put all og this over lettuce, or chips, or in a tortilla, whichever you prefer.
--------------------------------------
Monday!
Mango Chicken Tacos
Mango Chicken Tacos

    2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
    1 1/2 c. mango salsa, plus extra for serving
    dollop of sour cream
    medium flour tortillas
    Mexican blend or colby jack cheese, shredded
    chopped lettuce
Place the chicken in the crock pot. Pour 1 1/2 c. mango salsa over the chicken. Cook on low for 4 1/2 hours, shred the chicken inside the crock pot, then add a dollop of sour cream. Allow the chicken to sit for about 15 minutes more before serving. Mix together and serve in the flour tortillas with additional toppings. I like to add a little more mango salsa on top of the lettuce for a little extra flavor!
--------------------------------------------------
Tuesday!
Paleo Chicken Curry
1 chicken breasts
1 diced onion
1 140z full fat can of coconut milk
2-4 tbsp curry powder ( depending on spice level wanted)
4 hours on high or 6 hours on low

-------------------------------------------------------
Wednesday!!
Lemon crock pot chicken
Ingredients
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 heaping tablespoon of lemon pepper seasoning
Juice of half a lemon

Directions
Place your chicken into the crock pot and turn to high.

Pour the soup in a medium sized bowl and add the lemon juice and lemon pepper. Add half a soup can of water to the mix. Stir it up.

Pour it over the chicken in the crock pot.

Let it cook for 3 hours on high or 6 hours on low.
---------------------------------------------------
Thursday!
Easy Cheesy BBQ Chicken ( Or pork, or beef, whatever your heart desires)

Ingredients

    1pound boneless chicken breasts ( 3 pieces)
    bbq sauce
    bacon (1 piece per piece of chicken)
    Cheese of your choice

Instructions

    Place chicken in crock pot.
    Cover with BBQ sauce.
    Cover and cook on low for 4 hours or on high for about 2 hours.
    Cook 1 piece of bacon per chicken piece.
    Place cooked bacon on each piece of chicken and top with a piece of cheese.
    Cook on high till cheese melts, about 15 minutes.

--------------------------------------------------
Friday!!
Crock pot Chicken Salsa
Frozen chiicken works best for this
4 frozen chicken breasts ( Adjust for size of family)
1 large jar of your favorite salsa

instructions :
Pour some salsa into the bottom of the crock pot, add chicken, cover with remaining salsa
cook on low for 6-8 hours

-----------------------------------------------------
Satuday! (Takes more to get ready, but Tacos are delicious and worth the trouble!
Ingredients
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts (just over a pound)
1-2 Tablespoons homemade taco seasoning or 1 packet of taco seasoning
10-16 oz of salsa (or you can use jarred, I like Herdez)
1/2 cup frozen corn, optional

Optional
Burrito size or taco size tortillas
Tortilla chips
Shredded cheese (I use a Mexican blend or pepper jack)
Salsa
Sour cream
Lettuce
Rice (I used Uncle Ben’s Whole Grain Santa Fe Ready Rice)

Directions
Cut chicken into large pieces and put into the crock pot.

Sprinkle with taco seasoning, top with salsa & frozen corn.

Cover & let cook for 4-5 hours on high.

Stir it up then shred with a fork. Mine fell apart really easily.

Assemble any way you want. My favorite was putting some chicken, rice, sour cream, cheese & salsa into the middle of the burrito, mix it up, then wrap it and grill for a couple minutes (seconds?) on each side.

------------------------------------------------
Sunday!!
A hearty Pasta meal!
Recipe: 3-Ingredient Chicken Cacciatore in the Slow Cooker

Summary: Simple, comforting chicken and spicy red sauce over pasta — this easy slow cooker recipe takes weeknight dinner to a new level.
Ingredients

    2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
    1 (25-ounce) jar Arrabbiata Sauce
    1 pound curly shaped pasta
    Garnish: Grated Parmesan or Romano cheese

Instructions

    Spray the inside of the slow cooker crock with nonstick spray.( Or use a liner, soooo much easier) Add the chicken pieces and pour the pasta sauce over. Stir to coat all pieces.
    Close the lid and cook on low 4-5 hours, until chicken pieces are cooked through. No need to open it to stir or check, until the end. (If you open it to fuss with it or stir, you will let out a considerable amount of heat and it will take additional time to regain optimum temperature and you will delay your cooking.)
    About 25 minutes before you are ready to eat, heat a large pot of salted water to boiling. Boil pasta according to package directions, stopping when it is just al dente (firm to the bite). Drain and return pasta to pot, drizzling with a bit of olive oil so it won’t stick. Put the lid back on until you’re ready to serve.
    To serve, place a portion of pasta in a wide bowl, top with a piece of chicken and some sauce to cover it all. Pass the grated cheese at the table for those who like it.
    Serves 5-6.
   
   
    ****PLEASE NOTE - I ADVISE BUYING IN BULK WHENEVER POSSIBLE< IT WILL SAVE YOU MONEY IN THE LONG RUN, AND THAT IS A VERY GOOD THING, THAT SAID.... this is a very meat heavy meal plan, because my husband is a HUGGEEE meat eater, and he needs a lot of variety to feel good about what he is ingesting. Any of this meat ( Except perhaps the mini Ham) Can be traded in for Chicken, which is Inexpensive, and easily accessible. I do hope that these meal plans help, they are delicious, and so simple) Also, I am human, please read over all of the recipes before going for a shp, I may have forgotten something, or as is the case in this one, the options for what to serve one recipe over is so diverse, you should check it out on your own!********

SHOPPING LIST

2 pounds of pork tenderloin
McCormicks Grill mates seasoning- Montreal Steak
BBQ sauce of your choice x2
rolls or bread of some sort ( Kaiser rolls, or sour dough would be good!)
 ham ( Mini hams are PERFECT for this, obviously adjust the size of the ham to fit the portions for your family.)
2 cans pineapple juice ( a cup is 8oz, you need 16 oz for this recipe)
 brown sugar
 maple syrup
 Chicken Breasts ( You should have some left over from ast shopping trip, if not, you will only need about 10 pounds this time)
 Packet of Zesty Italian Dressing Seasoning (either with the dressing, or over by taco seasoning)
 8 oz. Package of Philadelphia® Cream Cheese
  2 Cans of Cream of Chicken Soup
  1 Box of Rotini Pasta Noodles
  2 lb ground meat of your choice, turkey or beef or chicken, it all works
  Taco seasoning ( two packets, or double your homemade recpe)
  cheese ( If you are out from last shopping trip, make sure it's not gone bad as well shredded cheese molds quickly, getting the big blocks and shredding yourself takes time, but sasves a bit o cash)
  sour cream ( same as above, only if you are out from last trip)
  Lettuce
  tomato
  hot sauce of your choiice ( If you like hot sauce on your tacos)
  Tortillas, crispy, flour or corn, whatever you like best

 2 lbs. pre-prepared frozen meatballs (Homestyle variety, not Italian)
    1 16 oz. jar of your favorite sweet and spicey Salsa ( Texas Brew Cinnamon Apple salsa is delicious)
    2 cups dried berries (I used a mixture of cranberries and cherries)
   apple juice
   Rice ( If you are out, you probably still have some though because you are awesome)
   2 1/2 pounds baby back pork ribs (These go on sale ooften, so if you get the chance to look at your grocery flyers online, you can sometimes see a sneak peak for next week or what have you, I suggest buying on sale as much as humanly possible. :))
   smoked paprika ( you can find it in the bulk section of your store and get a small bag for 80 cents, or in the spice aisle for 2 something)
   Hoison sauce ( Aisan food aisle of your local grocery store, it is a plum sauce, adds that extra degree of sweetness to the ribs)
    4-6 pork chops - I used 3 super thick ones
    2 cans Cream of Mushroom soup
1 packet ranch seasoning
Kielbasa sausage ( 1-2 pounds depending on your appetites)
Red pepper flakes or cayenne ( You should have these in your sice area already, so if you do do not buy more)
4lb chuck roast
salsa ( if you don't  have any left)
Burrito fixins of your choce if you already have everything, then you are good to go.

Recipe List:
Monday through Tuesday!!
Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Pork
Ingredients
4 pounds of pork tenderloin ( feel free to sub Chicken instead for a leaner mean, or a beef roast if you want something a little more like cow...)
Grill mates Montreal Steak Seasoning
BBQ sauce 1 bottle will be enough.
Rolls or bread of some sort

Instructions:
Take your 2 pounds of roast(or chicken) and liberally season all sides with the steak seasoning, then sear it on a sides in a hot pan about 1 minute on each side, it really traps in a lot of the flavor, but also the moisture.
place the meat into the crock pot, and add in the bbq sauce, add a bit of water back to the bottle, and shake it up and pour that into the pot as well.

cook on low for 8 hours, shred in the pot, then cook on ow for another hour, serve.
--------------------------------------------------
Wedensday!!

Ingredients

    4 Chicken Breasts
    1 Packet of Zesty Italian Dressing Seasoning
    1 8 oz. Package of Philadelphia® Cream Cheese
    2 Cans of Cream of Chicken Soup
    1 Box of Rotini Pasta Noodles

Instructions

    Combine chicken breasts, seasoning, cream cheese and cream of chicken soup in crockpot.
    Cook on high for 4 hours.
    About 20 minutes before you are ready to serve your dinner, prepare your Rotini Noodles by boiling them.
    After draining, pour noodles in crockpot and mix together.
    Serve and Enjoy!
    Note: At the 3 hour mark, I did open up the crockpot to shred the chicken up a bit and stir.
    ------------------------------------
    Thursday!!
    2 lbs ground meat of choice
2 pkg taco seasoning or use homemade taco seasoning
1 1/2 cups water

add all ingredients to slow cooker (my meat is usually frozen when I add it).  Cook on high for several hours, give the meat a stir and break it up occasionally.  Turn to low after the meat looks like it is mostly cooked (you probably don’t have to, but I worry about it burning).

The taco meat will look really soupy.  That’s okay, just strain it before serving.  Part of it is the fat, part of it is a little extra moisture from the water.  To strain, put a colander over a bowl or in the sink and dump in the meat.

Add your normal Taco Accessories to the mix, and enjoy!!
----------------------------------------
Friday!!

    2 lbs. pre-prepared frozen meatballs (Homestyle variety, not Italian)
    1 16 oz. jar of Texas Brew Honey Roasted Apple Cinnamon Salsa
    2 cups dried berries (I used a mixture of cranberries and cherries)
    1 1/2 cups apple juice
    Instructions

Pour all ingredients into a slow cooker.

Turn the slow cooker to low heat and cook for approximately 6 hours, or until meatballs are warmed through and sauce has thickened.
( To ake fast, turn to high heat, and coook for 2 hours)
Serve meatballs over rice.

---------------------------------------------------
Saturday!!
mmmhmmm.. who doesn't want some delicious Smokey baby back ribs? But who wants to stand outside in the cold in the middle of winter to get them that way? not me!
Ingredients

    2 1/2 pounds baby back pork ribs
    1/4-1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
    Glaze: mixture of barbecue and Hoisin sauces (about 1 1/2 tablespoons each)

Instructions

    Spray inside of crock with nonstick spray. Cut ribs with scissors or very sharp paring knife, into 3- or 4-rib chunks and place in crock. Sprinkle with smoked paprika.
    Cook on HIGH for 5 hours (or LOW for 8-10 hours). Test with a fork to make sure they are tender.
    When ready to serve, remove ribs from crock, place them on a foil- or parchment paper-lined baking sheet, brush ribs with mixture of barbecue sauce and Hoisin sauce (mix at ratio of 1:1, or whatever ratio you prefer), and broil or grill ribs to finish them off. Watch carefully so they don’t burn (the sugar in the sauce will burn easily.)
    Serves 4.
---------------------------------------------
Sunday!!

Easy pork chops in the slow cooker!!

Ingredients

    4-6 pork chops - I used 3 super thick ones
    1 package Ranch dressing dry mix
    2 cans Cream of Mushroom soup & ½ can of water

Instructions

    Add all ingredients to your slow cooker and stir.
    Cook on low for 5-7 hours. I cooked mine for about 5 and pork chops were still intact. My friend cooked hers for over 7 hours and was able to cut them with a fork.

-----------------------------------------------------
Monday through Tuesday!!
 3 pound ham
2 cups pineapple juice
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup maple syrup

Directions
1. Unwrap ham and place in the Crock-Pot
2. Rub ham with brown sugar on all sides.
3. Pour pineapple juice and maple syrup over the ham
4. Cover and cook for 4-5 hours on low.
5. About an hour before serving pour juice over the top of the ham
6. Remove and let it rest for 10 minutes before carving
7. Enjoy

--------------------------------
Wednesday!!
Seriously Monday.... *sigh* Beats you down doesn't it? But.... coming home to a steak dinner mmight make it a-ok!!
Steak Pizzaiola
Ingredients

1-2 lb. London Broil Feel free to sub Chicken for this, as steak can be pricey :)

About half a jar of pasta sauce

1/4 c water

1 medium or 1/2 of a large onion, sliced

1 bell pepper, sliced (I used a yellow one)

Directions

1.  Dump all of the ingredients into your slow cooker (using the water to rinse out the tomato sauce jar, because, yes, I am that cheap).

2.  Cook on low for 6-8 hours.  If you can, flip it around once or twice, so that the juices can soak in on all sides.

3. Serve over polenta, pasta, potatoes, bread, or veggies of your choice.

Enjoy!

-------------------------------------------------
Thursday!!!

Crockpot Apple Kielbasa Bites

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 6-8 hours on low

Ingredients
• 2 pounds fully cooked polska kielbasa sausage, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup chunky unsweetened applesauce
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• red pepper flakes or cayenne, to taste

Directions
Combine all ingredients in a crock pot. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours until thoroughly heated through and pieces are tender.

NOTE: my crock is 6 quart in size. I did stir it a few times to prevent burning, but I don’t know if that was even necessary – the apple sauce mixture provides quite a bit of liquid as it cooks.
---------------------------------------------
Friday through Sunday!! ( REALLY!!)
Salsa Roast Burritos

Print

Shredded beef, full of flavor – perfect for burritos or tacos!
Serves: Serves 3-4 for two meals

Ingredients
Roast

    2-3lb Chuck Roast
    3-4 cups Pace Chunky Salsa (Medium)

Burritos

    Tortillas
    Various toppings:
    -Mexican cheese
    -shredded lettuce
    -diced or sliced tomato
    -sliced jalapenos
    -refried beans
    -guacamole
    -salsa
    -sour cream

Instructions

    Turn your crock pot to high.
    Place chuck roast in the crock pot and cover with 3-4 cups of the salsa. Make sure the top of the roast is completely covered in salsa.
    Put the cover on the crockpot and cook for 2 hours on high.
    Reduce to low and cook 4-5 more hours (or until you’re ready to eat).
    Remove roast and place on a cutting board. Using a fork, shred meat and place into a large bowl.
    Ladle some of the juice from the crock pot onto the roast to keep it moist. How much you use is up to how juicy you want your meat.

Burritos

    Warm your tortillas in the microwave until soft.
    Place about a ¼ cup of meat across the tortilla.
    Add cheese, lettuce and any other desired topping.
    Roll tortilla over toppings and eat!

Nutrition Information
Serving size: 2 burritos




MONTH TWO
1) Steak, broccoli, mac n cheese
This one is pretty self explanitory, I like to use Gordon ramsey's method for making my steak, you can youtube it, but any way you like it works. mac n cheese can be from a box, or you can make it from scratch, but if we are talking about quick meals, box it up velveeta shells and cheese, witht he steak and broccoli, one box really will feed 4 people with some for a lunch the next day.


2)Tacos, Spanish rice, and creamy siraccha sauce
I like to get the uncooked tortillas, because they last longer that way, and it takes almost no time to heat them up on the stove.
spanish rice my way is just regular rice made with chicken stock, taco seasoning, bell peppper flakes, and onions, and the creamy sirracha sauce is just a cup of sour cream mixed with a 4th of a cup of siraccha, you can adjust that to your own liking though, I make it like this because my kiddo isn't big on spicy.


3) Chili cheese dogs and fried onion rings and french fries
this is just hot dogs, and the chili is ground beef browned, tomato sauce, chili spices ( Smoked paprika, cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, corn meal) 1 finely diced jalpeno, and minced roasted garlic.

4)cheesey beef tomato sauce pasta bake
this is NOT LOW CARB lol, put 2 jars of pasta sauce in your crock pot, add a pound of ground beef ( of you can subsitute linked kiolbasa) that was really tasty too, 1 box of pasta, the rigatoni or gemili is fun, and easy to portion out 1 quart of chicken stock, extra italion spices, and as much cheese as you want. this is not really healthy, but it's pretty inexpensive, packed with protein and dairy, and tomato is good as well. anyway, set it all in there in the morning on low, and come back in the evening for dinner, and TADA it's done.


5)red beans and dirty rice
I like having meat in this, but it can be eaten with no meat in it at all, totally acceptable. cook up your red beans, I prefer to get bags of beans and make them in bulk and can them up, but you have to do what you have time for with your family, you can get precanned red beans at the store. add your cajun seasoning ( Honestly, I just use a packet of spices, because I have a ridiculous spice cabinet already, and adding more is pointless), and I cook up my rice with chicken stock, just gives more flavor to it. add whatever spices you feel like adding to your rice to make it sicy or not.

6)Grilled chicken over a nice big salad
I love a nice big veggie laden salad every now and then, so I grill up chicken for Lee, because he loves meat, and then I use a premixed spring mix then chop bell beppers, tomatoes, olives, squash, zuchinni, cucumbers, and put it in a separate bowl, and I add the veggie mix to the salsad once it gets into my own bowl, and dress it in my bowl as well, so I don't have soggy lettuce the next day. it's easy, quick, and you can even make the chicken in the crock pot all day, with lemon and pepper seasonings to make it even easier on you.

7)Tikka masala with paneer and chicken, rice, garlic naan and gobi manchurian
this one might take more work, the tikka masala is easy, tomato sauce, coconut milk, and garam masala spice in the crock pot on low all day
paneer can be found at a lot of grocery stores, it's just like a solid block of cottage cheese, so you can sub it for chicken if you want to, or even tofu.
the na'an is also eay, I get it premade in packs of 18 at costco. but the gobi manchurian requuires a bit more work.
if you have a fryer, fire it up, if not, pour canola oil into the bottom of your heavy bottomed pot about 2.5 inches of it, and turn the heat to medium heat.
batter is 1 egg, 1 cup flour, 3tbsp cornmeal, 1.5 tsp baking soda, 1tsp salt, 1 cup water, mix it up, take cauliflour dip the florets into the batter, once the oil is heated to 350 or over, add in a few cauliflower florets at a time, depends on your pot, with a nice big pot, you can add maybe 10 at a time, fry for 45 seconds and flip over, and another 25 secondsm uf they are pleasingly brown for you, pull them out onto a papertowel lined plate, feel free to skip that, and just serve califlower if you want to.

then cook your rice with chicken stock. serve.


8)low carb chicken breast wrap with an avocado and side salad
you can either have presliced deli meat style chicken, or you can grill a chicken breast and slice it up, slice up your avocado, put it, some cheese, and condiments into your wrap, roll it, and slice it, then throw some salad on the plate if you want to. great for quick llunches too.


9)burrito bowls chipotle style at home
I like to give my family choices on this one, so the night before I take out one chicken breast, one flank steak, and set them to thaw in the fridge, I slicethe meat up raw, and season it before I cook it, cooks quickly that way, and then I make rice with chicken stock and lime juice, throw a little cialntro into the rice cooker with it, and let it go. add whatever else I feel like adding, like cheese, hot sauce, sour cream salt and pepper, salsa black beans etc. it's easy, quuick, and DELICIOUS. I dont personlly like lettuce with my tacos, if you do, go for it.


10)Chicken salsa with rice and beans
throw 1 chicken breast per person eating intoo your crock pot, then cover with salsa, and set on low in the morning, frozen is fine, that's how I do it, never had a problem. when you get home, make rice, and heat up a can of beans. serve with sour cream, and cheese. if you want to get fancy, shred your chicken and make it into southwestern style chicken wraps for lunch the next day.

11)beef roast with steamed veggies on the side
for this, I honestly just throw my roast into the crock pot with a little water and half a stick of butter, set it on low, and let it go all day.
that roast can then be eaten plain, leftovers can be spices up with taco seasoning, add an assian flair by adding chinese five spice, and serve with rice, and edamame, I meant, even make it indian or thai inspired, your leftovers can be made into SO MANY things, and last you many days if you grabbed a large roast because it was on sale.



12)crock pot roasted chicken
take a whole chicken, remove the ick from inside, cut up celery, carrots, and onions, place in the bottom of the crock pot, and tossthe chicken on top in the crock pot on low or medium for 8-10 hours, and serve with vegetables. I have like 3 crock pots, so I serve this with crock pot mashed potatoes, and crock pot mac n cheese haha.


13) pressure cooked corned beef
this one you may not be able to do, I happen to have a pressure cooker, and time, so I am making my own corned beef, it will save me money, and I can control exactly what goes into it, and it's done in one day instead of 10 like Alton browns reciipe, it is literally just as easy as taking a beef brisket, putting it fatty side down on the rack of your pressure cooker, covering it with water, and adding pickling spices, bringing it up to pressure, and cooking it for 75-90 minutes depending on your level of worry. rememer folks, pressure cooking depends on altitude. use manufacturers directions



14)cheesey chicken and riced cauliflower casserole with a side of broccoli
I take a whole head of cauliflower, remove the leaves, and make it into florets, and then I stick it into my food processor and pulse it until it all looks like rice. then I add it, chicken, chicken stock, and cheese to my crock pot, and set it to low and slow for 6-8 hours.



15)Pad thai with chicken and vegetables
I cheat, and use a bottle of pad thai sauce, por it over some cooked pad thai nnoodles, and add steamed carrots, broccoli, snap peas, onions, and garlic. easy peasy.



16) southwest cobb salad
I take deli meat, and choop it up, 3 boiled eggs also chopped up, slivered carrots, corn, black beans that have been drained and rinsed, and cheese and toss it with the lettuuce I decided on that week.



17) Spiraled ham, sweet potatoes, mac n cheese and broccoli
I like to grab a ham from HEB, line the bottom of the crock pot with chopped small potatoes, then toss it in the crock put, pour some honey over it, and let it go for 8-10 hours, make the mc n cheese, and steam the broccoli, and voila, delicious dinner with minimal effort.



18)chef salad with cubed ham
now you will have leftover ham for DAYYYYYSSSSSS which is AWESOME. Cube it, slice it, make it for breakfasts, lunches, dinner. Cube it for a Chef Salad. so tasty! This stuff is SO GOOD.

19) pork and beans withhomemade Hawaiian sweet rolls
toss some cubed ham into the crock pot with some baked beans, and if you are a homemade sort of girl, make the rolls with a recpe on youtube by Noreen's kitchen ( FABULOUS) if you ainn't got time for dat ( And really, who does, it's like a 4 hour process), grab a pack of kings hawaiian sweet rolls and warm them up, put some sliced ham on them, and serve with your pork and beans.

20) spaghettinsquash and mest sauce
my husband loves spaghetti squash, he's a weirdo, I cook my personal spaghetti on these nights, and just give him the squash, put some water into the bottom of your crock pot, like 2 inches, slice your spaghetti squash in half length wise, attempt to fit both into the crock pot, realize this is futile, and et out second crock pot to cook both sides. cook low and slow while you are at work, open your favorite jar of pasta sauce, brown up some meat, add it to the sauce, serve with crusty bread if desired.


21)potatonsoup with ham and crusty bread
potato soup is peeled potatoes, water, sour cream, and cubed ham chunks, salt and pepper to taste, serve with break, but I don't recommend this for the crock pot, it turns oddly brown, tastes fine I guess, but I don't like to eat it when it turns funny colors. top with extra sour cream and cheese.

22)Pizza night
at this point I get tired of doing dishes every night, ad resort to making some homemade pizzas, with premade crusts, or just straight up digiornos. your choice.


23) Mustard and pesto marinated pork ribs
take your pork ribs, and pop them into the crock pot with a half inch of water, take a jar of pesto, and a bottle of mustard, use an entire jar of pesto and about a half of a cup of mustard, along with some mustard seed,a nd fresh basil, and coook low and slow for 8-10 hours, they will actually fall apart and melt in your mouth.


24) cheese ravioli with meat sauce
you can make your own ravioli, or, be like me, and buy it premade for you, in the frozen section of the grocery store. add a pound of browned ground meat, and your favorite type of pasta sauce, chop up zuchinni and yellow squash, and pop them in to the sauce, simmer all together for 20 minutes, and serve with parm on top and bread if you desire.

25)loaded baked potatoes
thouroughly wash as many potatoes as you have people eating, stab multiple times with a fork, put an inch of water into the crock pot, and add your potatoes as well. low and slow for 6-8 hours, and then load them up with all the fixins when you get home.


26)chicken curry with gobi manchurian rice and gsrlic naan
deforst some chicken and slice it, add it to your crock pot with a can of tomato sauce ( 2 cans if you have a big family) add curry paste, 1 jar of paste for each can of tomato sauce, and then add a little curry spice, some freshly ground anice, and clove, and let it go all day long. then do your cauliflower as you did with the tikka masala, and go from there.

27) philly cheese steak
1.5 pounds top round steak, slice thinly, put into the crock pot with 1/2 tsp garlic, and 1/2 tsp pepper, 1 onion, 1 bell pepper, 32 oz beef broth, stir - simme ron low for 7-8 hours
butter and toast your hoaies, add provolone, and put back into the oven, add the meat, then spray cheeze whiz on it if you want the authenticity. ( makes 6 generous philly cheese steaks)


28)chili and corn bread
Crock pot time again, can you tell I love my crock pots?
add in 2 tbsp roasted minced garlic ( I buy mine by the jar yall, not joking, we use garlic ALL THE TIME), 2 28oz cans tomato sauce 2 pounds ground beef, previously browned off, chhili ppowder, cumin, corn meal, smoked paprika, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and any veggies you want to toss in, I like to add black beans and corn to mine, but I'm told I'm a heathen, so do it to your preference.
then corn bread, jiffy box and follow the instructions.


29)breakfast for dinner
anything I would normally make for breakfast, bacon, sausage, eggs, and cheesem with peppers/onions /chorizo etc in the crock potfor 2-4 hours, and then serve as an egg jumble with pancakes, or in a tortilla. whichever way you like.


30)Fried chicken te ders with mashed potatoes and corn.
thaw out chicken breasts, 3-4, mix up your batter ( batter is 1 egg, 1 cup flour, 3tbsp cornmeal, 1.5 tsp baking soda, 1tsp salt, 1 cup water), drag your strips through the batter and fry them in about 3 inches of oil that has been raised to 350 degrees or hotter. then make your mashed potatoes, and corn. ^_^