Crockpot 16 Bean Soup - My ultimate combo of two good recipes

 Crock Pot 16 Bean Soup

1 package of 16 bean soup mix

1 package of salt pork

8 cups chicken stock

1 large onion

4 celery stalks

2 large carrots

Garlic (3 tsp. minced or 3 cloves smashed)

1 red bell pepper

2 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard

2 Bay leaves

1 teaspoon of each: smoked paprika, cumin, oregano, cayenne pepper, black pepper

 

Add after beans are cooked:

1 can diced tomatoes, drained 

2 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar or juice of 1/2 lemon

1 teaspoon of Salt (taste to see if you need more)

 

Rinse beans in colander and then add to crock pot. Chop veggies and put in crock pot. Render salt pork in frying pan on stove top for 10 minutes on medium and add pork and grease to crock pot. Add in 8 cups of chicken stock and seasonings. 

Cook all ingredients in crockpot on high for 5 hours or low 7-8 hours. 

Just before serving, add in acidic ingredients. 

Serve with shaved parmesan cheese and a drizzle of olive oil on top and crusty bread. 

'Sketti in the Crock Pot

3 cans of Cento whole tomatoes
1 pound ground beef
1 package of Johnsonville Italian sausage, casings removed (I used hot)
1 large onion, diced
4 cloves of garlic, diced finely, or two tablespoons of jarred diced garlic in oil
1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning or oregano
Optional: 2 large can of sliced mushrooms

Empty tomatoes into crock pot and break up with hands or wooden spoon. Brown sausage with casings removed in skillet, breaking up into pieces. Add cooked sausage to crock pot with slotted spoon to keep as much of the grease out as possible. Cook the diced onion in the sausage grease, removing some grease before you add onion if there is a lot. Add garlic and cook 1 minute. Do not let it burn. Add onion and garlic to crock pot when tender. Brown the ground beef in skillet, adding salt and pepper to taste. Add cooked beef to crock pot and stir well. Add mushrooms if using. Add more salt if it needs it and a teaspoon of Italian seasoning or oregano. Stir well.

Cook on low for 6-8 hours. When ready to eat, cook pasta and either add to crock pot or top pasta with sauce, your preference. If the sauce is too watery, take the lid off and cook for one hour before serving.

Serves: A small army.

Pumpkin Crunch Bars

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

16 oz. can of pure pumpkin (not the pie filling stuff, just pumpkin)

1 can of evaporated milk

1 c. sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons of cinnamon

3 eggs

dash of salt

1 box of yellow cake mix

1 stick of butter or margarine

1/2 c. pecans, chopped

1/4 c. brown sugar

Beat eggs well in medium mixing bowl. Add evaporated milk, sugar, cinnamon and pumpkin to the bowl and mix thoroughly. Pour into a 9x13 pan. If it's glass or non-stick coated, do not grease. Pour dry cake mix into bowl and add melted butter. Mix until just combined.  Crumble cake mix over pumpkin mixture. Sprinkle pecans and brown sugar over cake mix.

Bake for 40-45 minutes or until set. Cut into bars and serve. I think they taste better cooled or even cold from the fridge the next day.

Rosemary's Chicken & Dumplings

Being the Pinterest freak that I am, I've come across quite a few recipes for Chicken & Dumplings but none of them come close to what I grew up on. There are no veggies in this pot. In fact, my grandma never even served this with a side of veggies...unless you count cranberry sauce as a vegetable, but more on that later. This recipe isn't healthy but not much true Southern cooking is in my opinion. However, it is fast. The secret is using canned biscuits instead of making your own dumplings.

Before you tell me that's gross, think about it. A dumpling is basically biscuit dough anyways. This is just a short cut. Plus, you can find reduced fat biscuits out there and that helps with the whole healthy thing, right? Just make sure you're using regular biscuits.The flaky, buttery ones don't work.

Now, on to the cranberry sauce. My grandma always served this with a big ol scoop of jellied cranberry sauce from the can. Now, I'm a huge fan of the stuff at Thanksgiving but this is the only other thing I eat it with and it works. Trust me.

Serves 4-6

2 lbs. of bone-in chicken breast. If you can find skin-off that is preferred.
2 Knorr chicken caldo cubes. They're in the Hispanic food section. Or 4 regular chicken bouillon cubes.
2 cans of buttermilk biscuits (not buttery or flaky, but plain jane)
1/4 c. flour
1/2 c. half and half or milk
1 tablespoon of butter
salt and pepper, garlic powder
1 can of jellied cranberry sauce

Skin the chicken breast and remove as much of the excess fat as you can. Place them in a deep stock pot and cover with water, about 1 inch over the chicken. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Add the caldo cubes. Simmer the chicken about 30-40 minutes or until cooked through, depending on the size of the chicken.

While the chicken is cooking, prepare the dumplings. Place the flour on a plate and dip each biscuit into the flour to coat lightly. Roll the biscuits out until they are about 1/4 inch thick and cut into 4-5 strips. You will have a sizable pile of biscuit strips when you're done.

Remove the chicken from the pot and let cool. Reserve about two cups of the chicken broth. Once the chicken is cool enough to handle (or sooner if you're me and can't wait), remove it from the bone and shred into bite sized pieces.

Bring the broth back up to a rolling boil and add the butter and half and half or milk. Alternate between adding handfuls of dumplings and chicken, stirring after each addition, until it's all in the pot. If you need more liquid, add in the reserved broth a little at a time.

Taste it and see if you need more salt. Add in 1 teaspoon of pepper and a few shakes of garlic powder. Stir and taste to see if you need more. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer 30 minutes, stirring frequently.

Serve in a bowl with a scoop of cranberry sauce. This stuff gets better with age so leftovers are a must. Enjoy!

Whatever you call it, that stuff is awesome.

"That Stuff"


I've seen several variations of this recipe on Pinterest lately and decided to try it myself. Apparently this stuff has no consistent name and is frequently just called Pink Stuff, Pink Fluff, or just plain 'ol Fluff. When I initially made it, I figured my dear hubby wouldn't be interested in it because it wasn't chocolate or a brownie or a cookie. Boy was I wrong. I think I only got a few spoonfuls out of that original batch. He said "What is this stuff? It's awesome." followed by "Can you make some more of that stuff?" Hence the name.

Here are a few variations on the "original" that I've concocted. Just use the basic ingredients to get the Basic Stuff, then experiment with whatever additions you like. I've used either sugar free, fat free, or light ingredients each time and have been happy with the results and I am anti-diet when it comes to desserts.The recipes below are for a large batch, you can half them for a smaller batch with the smaller container of Cool Whip, 1 yogurt, and the smallest box of pudding. I store this in the fridge so it's fluffy but I'm sure you could store it in the freezer for a more ice cream like consistency.

Basic Stuff

1 Large container of Cool Whip, thawed.
2 6-8oz containers of vanilla yogurt (not Greek!!)
1 Large box of instant pudding in the flavor of your choice

Mix these ingredients together thoroughly in a large bowl. I use one bowl to mix and store the stuff for easy clean up. It will take a few minutes to get the pudding powder mixed into the Cool Whip.

Cherry, Pineapple and Coconut Stuff
Basic Stuff made with Cheesecake, Vanilla, or White Chocolate pudding mix.
1 bag frozen cherries, thawed
1 small can of crushed pineapple in juice, drained
1/2-1C of shredded coconut, to taste

Mix fruit and coconut into Basic Stuff. Enjoy!

German Black Forest Stuff
Basic Stuff made with chocolate pudding mix.
1 bag of frozen cherries, thawed
1/2 C coconut
1/2 C chopped pecans

Mix fruit into Basic Stuff. Enjoy! Although I didn't think of it at the store, you could use chocolate yogurt here too.

Chocolate-covered Strawberry Stuff
Basic Stuff made with chocolate pudding mix
1 bag of frozen strawberries, thawed; or 2 C. fresh, sliced strawberries
1/2 C. mini chocolate chips

Mix fruit and chocolate chips into Basic Stuff. Enjoy!

Sunrise Stuff
Basic Stuff made with vanilla pudding mix.
1 small can of crushed pineapple in juice, drained
1 can of mandarin oranges in juice, drained
1/2- 1C of shredded coconut
1/2 C chopped pecans or macadamia nuts

Mix fruit, coconut, and nuts into Basic Stuff. Enjoy!

Is that the Red or the White?

Red Sauce Enchiladas

So these are a close second in my house when enchiladas are on the menu; the first choice being the Green Chili Chicken Enchiladas. They are a ton easier to prepare and require far fewer ingredients. The flavor is amazing and you can control the spice easier than with the green chilies. The white corn tortillas are a must, yellow is just too tough and heavy. I use monterrey jack in the middle but have used cheddar in a pinch. A certain big box store around here only carries cheddar and mozzarella. Now, I am from Texas and, according to a few of my co-workers, cook more Mexican than they do, but I have no patience for rolled enchiladas. These are done in what you might call a layered casserole style but are in no way less Mexican for it. Plus, I think it makes it easier to cut and serve a crowd.

18 count package white corn tortillas.
8-10 cups of shredded monterrey jack cheese (or whatever cheese blend you like)
2 tablespoons of butter
2 tablespoons of flour
1 10oz. can of tomato paste
6 tablespoons of chili powder (any kind will do, no need to buy the expensive brands)
1 1/2 teaspoons of ground cumin
2 teaspoons of garlic powder
1 teaspoon of ground black pepper
1 teaspoon of salt
2-3 cups of water, depending on the desired thickness
*optional 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper or 2 chopped chipotle peppers packed in adobo sauce (if you like it spicy)

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.

Melt the butter over medium heat in a large pot. This will get messy so have plenty of room to stir. When the butter is melted, add the flour to make a roux and stir until the flour is incorporated.  Let it get a golden brown but not all the way to a dark roux stage.  Add in the tomato paste and stir to incorporate. Add the chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, black pepper, and salt and stir. Add in the cayenne or chopped chipotles, if using. Stirring is difficult at this point but it's important the tomato paste and spices do not burn.

Add the water, starting with 2 cups, a little at a time. I find a whisk makes this part easier (and messier). Once the paste, water, and spices are fully mixed, turn the heat to medium high and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste and adjust the spices as necessary. If it's still a little thick, add in the 3rd cup of water and whisk again. You want it to be like a thick spaghetti sauce not tomato soup.

Meanwhile, cut the tortillas into 1/4th and get your cheese ready.  Reserve at least 1 cup of cheese for the top of the enchiladas. I usually pile at least 2 cups on top, but we really like our melted cheese around here. 

When the sauce has simmered, turn off the heat and move the pot to where you plan to assemble the enchiladas. I don't recommend assembling near the stove because you will have burnt cheese stuck to your burners for weeks afterwards.

Ladle 1/2 cup of sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 casserole/lasagna pan.Top with a layer of tortillas 1/4ths, slightly overlapping them to cover the sauce. Next, a layer of shredded cheese. Continue layering sauce, tortillas, and cheese until you run out of one of them or hit the top of the pan. Top with the reserved cheese. Bake for 30-40 minutes until cheese is bubbly and golden around the edges. Let it cool on the counter for about 5 minutes before cutting so the cheese can solidify a little. Serve with Mexican rice and Enjoy!

Smothered Steak and Oven Rice

This is another one of my Southern Grandma's classics.  It's like Chicken Fried Steak with the gravy attached.  The oven rice is the perfect complement to this dish and it takes care of itself in the oven like the steak cooks.  My grandma always cooked rice in the oven in an enamelware pan she received as a wedding gift in the late 1940s.  I inherited the pan about 10 years ago and have used it to make this rice ever since. Choose whatever veggie you like to accompany this and you're set for a real southern feast.



Smothered Steak   (serves 3-4)

6-8 pieces of round or cube steak, tenderized, about 1 1/2 pounds.
2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
1/2 cup, plus 2 tables spoons of all purpose flour, divided
2 cups of warm water
Salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste

Season the steak on both sides with salt and pepper.  Place the 1/2 cup of flour into a shallow bowl, large enough to dunk the steak pieces in. Season the flour with salt, pepper and garlic powder (about a 1/2 teaspoon each).  Dredge each piece of steak into the seasoned flour and shake off the excess.  Allow the steak to sit for 5 minutes while you heat the vegetable oil on high in a heavy skillet with a lid.

Fry the steak until just browned , about 3-4 minutes per side. Don't worry about cooking it all the way through.  Remove the steak to a clean plate.  Pour off some of the drippings, if necessary, so that about 2 tablespoons remain.  Reduce the heat to medium and add the 2 tablespoons of flour to the drippings.  Stir until the flour is cooked down to a light roux, about 1 minute.  Slowly add in the 2 cups of hot water and stir to prevent lumps.  Add a little more salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste.  Place the steak pieces back in the pan in a single layer. 

Cover and simmer on medium to medium low for 30 minutes (this is where you want to put the rice in the oven), flipping the steak over half way through and stirring occasionally to keep it from separating.  Watch the heat, you want the sauce to bubble and get thick but you don't want it to burn.  Add more water and stir if it gets too thick. Serve with Oven Rice and a little move gravy on top.

Oven Rice  (Serves 4)

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees

1 cup of long grain white rice (not instant)
1 can of Campbell's Beef Consume' soup
1 can of Campbell's French Onion soup (you can drain out some/all of the onions if you don't like them)
1/2 stick of butter, plus a little extra to butter your pan
1 teaspoon of black pepper

Butter the bottoms and sides of an oven safe dish with a tight fitting lid. Add the rice, soups, and butter and stir to combine.  Place the lid on the pan and bake for 30 minutes.  Check to make sure the rice is fluffy and the liquid has been absorbed.  If not, put it back in the over for another 10 minutes.  If the rice is still hard but the liquid is gone, add 1/2 cup of water before you put it back in. 

Remove from the oven and stir to combine the bits of onion.  Enjoy!