365 Days of Slow Cooking

Skinny Version of the Slow Cooker Tomato Basil Parmesan Soup

2012-05-23T06:00:00.000-06:00

Makes 8 servings

1 cup finely diced celery

1 cup finely diced onion

1 cup grated zucchini or grated carrots (or both)

2 (14 oz) cans diced tomatoes

1 bay leaf

1 tsp dried oregano

1 Tbsp dried basil

4 cups water

2 tsp Shirley J chicken bouillon or 4 tsp regular chicken bouillon granules (If you're vegetarian you can substitute vegetable broth in place of the water and bouillon)

1/4 cup butter

1/2 cup flour

1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

1 cup warmed skim milk

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

1. Place celery, onion, zucchini, tomatoes, bay leaf, oregano, basil, water and bouillon in slow cooker.

2. Cover and cook on LOW for 5-7 hours, or until vegetables are tender.

3. About 30 minutes before serving prepare a roux. Melt butter over low heat in a skillet and add in about half the flour. Stir constantly with a whisk for 2-3 minutes. Slowly stir in 1 cup hot soup. Whisk and slowly add in the rest of the flour. Add another 3 cups and stir until smooth. Add all back into the slow cooker. (If you want, you can use an immersion blender to make everything smooth and creamy)

4. Stir and add the Parmesan cheese, warmed milk, salt and pepper. Add additional basil and oregano if needed (the slow cooker does a number on spices and they get bland over time, so don’t be afraid to always season to taste at the end).

4. Cover and cook on LOW for another 30 minutes or so until ready to serve.

Total calories per serving: 150

Review:

The full fat version of this soup is my most popular recipe of all time. By far. Pinterest got a hold of it and still hasn't let go. Many comments were made on "how can I make this healthier?" I tried my best for you. Still has butter and cheese...but less. It still tastes great. The subbed zucchini instead of carrots because that's what I had on had, but either or both work great. 4 stars.

Kitchen Tip Tuesday: Solving the watered-down, runny slow cooker mess

2012-05-22T06:00:00.000-06:00

Terri contacted me this week and had a great question. She writes:

This is a question about any recipe, especially chicken. I've had slow cooker aka crock pots for 30 years and one thing for me irritates the heck out of just about anything I make.
How do you avoid all the liquid that accumulates from the cooking of the chicken and vegetables? (Besides draining off the liquid during cooking, which is a pain because I have a four quart crock pot and it's so heavy and the inner crock so hot that it's hard to do.---the other reason is we are supposed to set it and leave and let it do it's thing anyway!) It's so obnoxious and to me it waters down the overall flavor. I made chicken breasts, green peppers, onions and potatoes with two cans of diced tomatoes that had garlic and bits of onion in it, Let it cook and in about 4 hours on high it was done but floating in liquid. I even drained the tomatoes first.
This is the only thing that discourages me from making more slow cooker recipes. Do you have a secret?

Yes Terri, I do have a few secrets concerning slow cooking. Here is what I would do to solve this issue:

1. First I would pat the chicken dry before placing in the slow cooker. (I wouldn't throw the chicken in frozen because that will add more liquid when the ice crystals melt.)

2. Dredge the chicken in a bit of flour before placing in the bottom of the slow cooker. (No need to brown. Just dredge in the flour and stick it in the crock-pot)

3. Add in 1-2 Tbsp quick cooking tapioca with the tomatoes and other ingredients. (This is my favorite trick. It thickens things up very nicely.)

5. If you do all this it shouldn't be so watery. Then always adjust seasonings to taste at the end because there is no reduction so the flavors will be muted if you don't.

That's what I do and it really really helps!

Hopefully, these tips will help you too. :)

Recipe for Slow Cooker Turkey Burgers with a Faux Hollandaise Sauce

2012-05-21T06:00:00.000-06:00

Makes 7 patties

1 lb ground turkey

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1 tsp garlic

1 Tbsp ketchup

1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp dried oregano leaves

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

2 Tbsp bread crumbs

1 egg white

1. In a bowl, combine all the ingredients. Mix with hands and incorporate well. Form into about 6-7 patties and place in the bottom of a large slow cooker, so that they don't overlap.

2. Cover and cook on LOW for about 3-4 hours or on HIGH for 1 1/2-2 hours (depending on how fast your slow cooker cooks).

3. Drain off grease and carefully scoop out the patties. Serve on hamburger buns (or if you want you can make your own creation like I did.)

My creation:

1 toasted English muffin

1 turkey patty

1 fried egg

Smother with faux Hollandaise sauce or you can make the real thing

Review:

Bet you didn't think you could make turkey burgers in the slow cooker. Well, I did. And it worked fairly well. They were just a bit crumbly. I've been obsessed with Eggs Benedict since I got home from the cruise I went on. So I bought some English muffins and made this little creation. I liked it a lot. Not as much as when someone else makes it for me and brings it to me in my stateroom. But hey, you can't win 'em all. :) 3 1/2 stars

Recipe for (One Dish) Slow Cooker Velveeta Rotel Dip

2012-05-18T06:00:00.000-06:00

Makes 10-12 servings

1 (32 oz) box of Velveeta cheese, cut into cubes
1 (14 oz) can Rotel tomatoes or diced tomatoes with green chiles
1 lb ground sausage (mild or hot, however you like it)

1. Place raw sausage in the bottom of a 3-5 quart slow cooker. Use a spoon to break it up.
2. Cover and cook on LOW for 2-4 hours or on HIGH for 1 1/2-2 hours (depending on how hot your slow cooker cooks), or until the sausage is cooked through. Drain off any grease.
2. Add in the Velveeta and the tomatoes. Stir and then cover and cook on LOW or HIGH until cheese melts. (Because the slow cooker is already hot it shouldn't take very long to melt...probably 30 minutes or less)
3. Stir until creamy and then turn slow cooker to WARM setting. Serve with tortilla chips.

Review:
Again I used the crockpot to brown my ground meat. It worked perfectly and I loved the super simple clean up! A spoon and the slow cooker. That's all. I guess I can handle that. Of course this recipe is totally unhealthy but it tastes oh so good. Perfect for a party or to bring to a potluck. 5 stars.

Don't forget...

2012-05-17T21:58:00.001-06:00

Don't forget to enter the giveaway for the $100 worth of Shelf Reliance Thrive products!!! The giveaway is ending soon.

Also, there is a great sale going on right now...on the product pictured above. Check it out, it has never been marked down this much.

Recipe for Ground Turkey Taco Salad in the Slow Cooker

2012-05-16T10:24:00.002-06:00

Makes 4 servings

1 lb ground turkey
Taco seasoning packet or make your own (recipe below)
Salad greens and toppings of your choice (tomatoes, avocado, cheese, sour cream, salsa, black beans, corn...whatever)

Make your own taco seasoning:

1 1/2 tsp chili powder
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 tsp onion powder
1/8 tsp ground red pepper
1/8 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp paprika
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

1. Place ground turkey in the bottom of your slow cooker. (I put mine in totally frozen)

2. Cover and cook on LOW for 2-5 hours (depending on if it's frozen, how big your slow cooker is, how fast your slow cooker cooks etc.)

3. Stir to break up meat and cook any extra time that is needed. Drain off any grease.

4. Stir in the taco seasoning ingredients or about half a packet (or more if you like it spicy).

5. Let the seasonings cook with the meat for a a bit until it tastes incorporated and yummy.

6. Serve meat over salad greens and add desired toppings. (You could also serve this in regular tacos as well)

Review:

Well this may not seem like a "recipe" to many of you but I thought I would post it anyhow. I have never really cooked ground meats raw in my slow cooker before. A lady told me that when she didn't want to get a pan out she threw her ground beef in her slow cooker for a couple of hours, drained off the grease and used it with her spaghetti. I thought I would try the ground turkey and see how it worked. I liked not having to thaw the meat. I threw it in frozen solid. I also liked using my small slow cooker for this because it is easier to clean. After the grease was drained off it tasted just as good as if it were browned on the stove. I will definitely use this method again. It's a great way to keep taco meat warm when you're serving in shifts (think cub scout day, soccer, ballet, working late, etc.)

Also, I was happy to find this recipe for making your own taco seasoning. Saves money and I usually have all the ingredients on hand. Perfect. Make in a large batch and store in an air tight container...saves time when you're in a hurry.

Recipe Highlight from Archives Past: Thai Peanut Noodles with Zucchini

2012-05-15T11:41:00.002-06:00

I've had a bunch of zucchini laying around my house lately, as evidenced by the chocolate zucchini bread and the zucchini linguine. I again put the zucchini to work with this Thai Peanut Noodle recipe. It turned out delicious. Serve over rice noodles, spaghetti or rice for a great summer meal.

Win my cookbook...

2012-05-14T15:56:00.000-06:00

Hi!

I just got back last night from an Alaskan cruise.

Whale watching in Juneau...an Orca Whale!

I feel great! Well-rested, well-fed and ready to go back to my life. Now that's what a vacation should do for you! Of course, we didn't take our kids and that helped with the well-rested part.

There are a couple of ways to win my cookbook right now.

#1: Inspired by Charm (one of my favorite blogs) is hosting a giveaway! Details HERE.

#2: Covenant (the publisher) is also hosting a giveaway. Go HERE to find more info (scroll to the bottom).

So get yourself entered. Or just buy it. Either way.

Slow Cooker Sweet Potatoes for One

2012-05-10T06:00:00.000-06:00

Makes 2 servings

1 large sweet potato, peeled and sliced into 1/2 inch disks
1 Tbsp canola oil
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1 Tbsp brown sugar

1. Place all ingredients in small slow cooker. Stir to coat sweet potatoes.
2. Cover and cook on LOW for 3-4 hours, or until sweet potatoes are the desired consistency. (I don't like mine too soft so I only put them in for 3 hours)
3. Salt and pepper to taste and serve.

Review:
I'm a big fan of sweet potatoes. No one else in my family is. So I'll just cook one at a time like I did here. I like to keep it simple with just a bit of sugar and salt and pepper. Not fancy, but still delicious. 4 stars.

Simple Sides: Broccoli

2012-05-08T06:00:00.000-06:00

Broccoli florets

Kosher salt

Pepper

Fresh lemon juice

Canola oil or olive oil

Parmesan cheese

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Cut up a bunch of broccoli florets. I keep mine pretty small and I fill a whole cookie sheet.

2. Sprinkle with about 1-2 Tbsp of oil. Stir to coat.

3. Sprinkle with kosher salt and black pepper.

4. Squeeze plenty of fresh lemon juice over the broccoli.

5. Place cookie sheet in the preheated oven. Cook for about 4 minutes. Stir the broccoli and then cook for 4 minutes more. Remove pan from oven.

6. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan and serve.

Review:

From time to time I'm going to share simple side dishes that are quick and easy and go terrific with your slow cooker meal. I serve this broccoli with Asian dishes a lot and everyone absolutely loves it. I don't know what it is about the lemon juice and Parmesan but it really just makes the broccoli taste awesome! Every time the entire cookie sheet of broccoli gets eaten in one sitting. 5 stars.

Slow Cooker Green Pepper and Garlic Sauce

2012-05-07T06:00:00.000-06:00

Makes 4-6 servings

1 large onion, coarsely chopped
1 jalapeno, minced (seeds removed)
4 green bell peppers, coarsely chopped
1 Tbsp minced garlic
6 roma tomatoes, diced
1 Tbsp dried oregano
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp kosher salt
1 Tbsp quick cooking tapioca
1/2 tsp black pepper

1. Combine all ingredients in a 4-6 quart slow cooker.
2. Cover and cook on LOW for 5-7 hours, or until veggies are soft
3. Pour contents into a blender or food processor and pulse about 5 or 6 times until a chunky consistency. Salt and pepper to taste. Adjust seasonings.
4. Serve sauce over spaghetti squash, noodles or rice.

Review:
I had a bunch of green peppers at my house from my bountiful basket that I needed to use up so I decided to make a pepper sauce similar to this one. The addition of the jalapeno gave it quite a kick. I cooled it down a bit by stirring in some sour cream. I ate it and liked it but I did feel that there was just too much green pepper. I really prefer red bell peppers much more. I served it over spaghetti and I masked the veggies from my kids by stirring in plenty of cheese and sour cream and they ate it happily. Hey, you gotta do what you gotta do. Serve over spaghetti squash for a totally healthy, low cal meal. You could even add in ground turkey to add in some protein if you'd like. 3 stars.

My Birthday Post: Slow Cooker Fudgy Banana Cake

2012-05-04T06:00:00.000-06:00

As you can see it's really dense, fudgy and moist!

Make into muffins instead, if you prefer

Makes 8-10 servings

1 devils food cake mix, dry (or some other chocolate based cake mix would probably be fine)
2 eggs
4 ripe bananas, mashed
1 package chocolate chips (I used semi-sweet)

1. In a mixing bowl combine all the ingredients. Stir until mixed well.
2. Pour batter into a greased 3-4 quart slow cooker.
3. Cover and cook on LOW for about 3-4 hours or on HIGH for about 2-3.
4. Spoon the cake into bowls and serve with vanilla ice cream.

You can also make these into muffins/cupcakes. Just fill cupcake liners about 2/3 full. Cook in a 350 degree preheated oven for about 10-15 minutes. For my muffins I left out the chocolate chips.

Review:
Happy Birthday to me! Yay! Last year I made this cake in the slow cooker and in 2009 I made this brownie fudge cake...but I liked this easy banana one probably the best.

This birthday cake is just how I like it...moist, dense, fudgy and very very chocolaty. Also it has 4 ingredients. It takes about 5 minutes to get into the slow cooker. I made it a second time without the chocolate chips and made it into muffins. They are deliciously easy and a great way to use up ripe bananas. 4 stars.

Cinco de Mayo

2012-05-03T12:45:00.001-06:00

Source: Christy from The Girl Who Ate Everything

Cinco de Mayo is right around the corner, so break out a piÑata and invite your friends over for a night of fun and food. Why not try out some new and scrumptious recipes from food blogs with Mexican flare? There are plenty of ideas to choose from, including homemade refried beans, strawberry quesadillas, toasted coconut ice cream or mango salsa.

Get the recipes and read the rest of the article HERE

Slow Cooker BBQ Ranch Chicken

2012-05-03T06:00:00.000-06:00

Makes 3 servings

1 lb boneless, skinless thighs, trimmed and cut each thigh into 4 pieces

2 Tbsp flour

2 Tbsp Ranch dressing seasoning

1/3 cup BBQ sauce

1. Place flour and ranch dressing seasoning in a tupperware container. Put the chicken in the container. Cover with lid and shake and shake until all the pieces of chicken are well-coated.

2. Pour chicken into 2-4 quart slow cooker.

3. Stir the BBQ sauce into the chicken until it's well coated.

4. Cover and cook on LOW for 3-5 hours. Stir and serve.

Review:

This is a super simple recipe with literally four ingredients. It turned out nicely with a thick sauce (thanks to the flour). I enjoyed it and so did my family. 3 stars.

Slow Cooker Sour Cream Chocolate Zucchini Bread

2012-05-02T06:00:00.000-06:00

Makes 1 loaf

1 eggs
1/3 cup oil
1 cups sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups flour (I used whole wheat flour ground from soft white wheat)

3/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup zucchini, shredded
1/4 cup cocoa powder

1. Grease one 8×4 loaf pan.

2. In a mixing bowl, beat eggs, oil, vanilla and sugar until light and fluffy. Add sour cream. Mix well. Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cocoa powder.

3. Add zucchini. Stir by hand just until mixed. Pour into the loaf pan.

4. Place a small rack in the bottom of the slow cooker or if you don’t have a rack, ball up a few pieces of foil. Place the loaf pan on top of the rack.

5. Place a kitchen towel or 2 paper towels on top of slow cooker. Secure the towel with the lid. Cook on HIGH for about 2-3 hours (depending on how hot your slow cooker cooks).

6. Test with a toothpick. Cool in the loaf pan on a baking rack before removing from pan.

Review:

I doubled this and made half into muffins and half into bread. They both tasted great but lacked a little in the looks department. The bread fell in the middle as did the muffins. The sour cream made the bread so moist. This is a great way to use your zucchini this summer and you don't have to heat up your kitchen either! 4 stars.

Summer Faves: Pesto Spinach Mushroom "Pizza"

2012-05-01T06:00:00.000-06:00

Makes 1 serving

1 whole wheat tortilla
2 Tbsp pesto sauce
1/4 cup low-fat cottage cheese
1 small tomato, diced
2 mushrooms, diced
Handful of spinach

1. Place tortilla in the oven and broil for a minute until it gets nice and crispy.
2. Remove tortilla from oven and spread pesto and cottage cheese on top.
3. Sprinkle the tomatoes, mushrooms and spinach over the top.
4. Return to the oven and cook at 400 degrees on the middle rack for 5 minutes or so. Cut and enjoy!

Total calories: 261

Review:
This is not a slow cooker recipe but it's a simple lunch idea that I really enjoy. It's under 300 calories and will leave you satisfied. Add whatever veggies you like. 4 stars.

Slow Cooker Hot Bean Dip

2012-04-30T06:00:00.000-06:00

Makes 10 servings

1/2 lb ground beef, browned and drained

1 cup salsa or picante sauce

1 cup refried beans

1 (4 oz) can green chiles

1 Tbsp taco seasoning

1 Tbsp tomato paste

1/2 cup sour cream

Medium or sharp cheddar cheese, grated

1. Add beef, salsa, refried beans, chiles, taco seasoning and tomato paste to the slow cooker.

2. Cover and cook on LOW for 3-4 hours or on HIGH for 1-2 hours.

3. Stir in sour cream and as much cheddar as you desire (I probably added in 3/4 cup). Let the cheese melt. Turn the slow cooker to warm and serve with tortilla chips.

Review:

A delicious and easy dip to bring to a party. It has a bit of a kick to it but it's not too overpowering. There were plenty of leftovers after I finished eating but once my husband got a hold of the dip I never saw it again. He loved it which shocked me, since he's not a fan of beans. 4 stars.

Slow Cooker Lemon Chicken

2012-04-27T06:00:00.000-06:00

Makes 3-4 servings

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed and cut into chunks
1/4 cup flour
1 tsp garlic salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp paprika
1 Tbsp canola oil
1/4 cup freshly squeeze lemon juice
2 Tbsp honey
1/4 tsp Shirley J chicken bouillon or 1/2 tsp regular chicken bouillon granules
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp quick-cooking tapioca

1. Place flour, garlic salt, pepper and paprika in a tupperware container. Place chicken on top of flour. Cover with a lid and shake and shake until the chicken is well coated with the flour.

2. Heat oil in a pan and when it starts smoking add the chicken in and quickly brown for about 2 minutes on each side. Add the chicken to the slow cooker.

3. In a bowl, whisk the lemon juice, honey, bouillon, soy sauce, mustard and tapioca together until smooth. Pour over the top of the chicken.

4. Cover slow cooker and cook on LOW for 3-5 hours. Serve chicken over rice or pasta or however you prefer.

Review:

I made this because I thought it would work well with the zucchini linguine. I didn't really like it with the pasta...the flavors seemed to clash. But I did like it plain. Next time I would serve it on rice. My husband tried it and said that it tasted "restaurant quality." I'm not sure I liked it as much as the cashew chicken but it was pretty good. 3 1/2 stars.

Slow Cooker Hummus

2012-04-26T09:50:00.001-06:00

Makes about 4 cups of hummus

1/2 lb dried chickpeas

3 Tbsp minced garlic

4 Tbsp lemon juice

1 Tbsp salt

2 Tbsp olive oil

3 Tbsp tahini

1. Rinse the chickpeas and place in the slow cooker. Fill the slow cooker with water that goes 2 or so inches above the chickpeas.

2. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, or until chickpeas are very soft.

3. Drain the liquid, and reserve it.

4. Place drained chickpeas in blender or food processor. Add in garlic, lemon juice, salt, olive oil and tahini. Blend until smooth, adding in some of the reserved liquid until it is the consistency you prefer. Adjust seasonings as needed.

5. Serve as a dip or on pita bread.

Review:

I have been on a hummus kick lately. I noticed that for 10 oz of hummus I was paying way too much. So I decided to make my own. The most expensive thing to buy initially was the tahini but now that I have it, it will last forever (I found mine at Smith's marketplace). This was yummy and next time I want to add in some sundried tomatoes or roasted red peppers or something fun like that. 3 1/2 stars.

A few things...

2012-04-25T10:47:00.001-06:00

If you'd like some recipe cards from my cookbook click here

If you want to be one of five winners to win my cookbook go here

There is a Kindle edition of my book here

And lastly, my book signing schedule for the rest of April and May is as follows:

Thursday April 26: BYU Bookstore in Provo from 1:30-3:30

Friday May 4 (my birthday!): West Bountiful Costco from 12:00-2:00

Saturday May 19: Murray Costco from 11:00-1:00

Saturday May 26: West Bountiful Costco from 11:00-1:00

Make sure to get a few copies for Mother's Day!! It's right around the corner.

Summer Faves: Quick and Easy Zucchini Linguine

2012-04-25T06:00:00.000-06:00

Makes 8 servings

12 oz linguine

2 Tbsp olive oil

2 garlic clove, minced

1 1/2 lbs zucchini, shredded (This is several zucchinis. I probably used 6. I also used some green and some yellow.)

3/4 cup plain yogurt

3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Salt and pepper

Diced roma tomatoes and diced avocados (however much you'd like)

1 Lemon, juiced

1. Cook linguine until firm but tender.

2. Heat oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium high heat. When the oil starts smoking add in the garlic and cook until lightly browned, for about 30 seconds.

3. Add in 1/4 of the zucchini to the garlic and cook on high until well coated with oil.

4. Add in the remaining zucchini and cook until tender, about 3-5 minutes. Salt and pepper the zucchini liberally.
5. Turn heat to low and add in the yogurt, cheese and pasta. Toss to mix. Transfer to a large serving bowl.
6. Squeeze in lemon juice to taste and top with tomatoes and avocados. Plenty of salt and pepper to taste. Serve and enjoy! (I served mine with chicken on top, but that is totally optional)

Review:
Don't hate me because this is not a slow cooker recipe. From time to time, I'm going to start sharing some of my favorite recipes that aren't slow cooker recipes.

I love this recipe so much and have been making it since I was in college. I received several zucchinis in my bountiful basket and used most of them to make this delicious dinner. I loved making it with the yellow and green zucchinis for some added color. If you're in a pinch, use sour cream instead of yogurt. And if you're like me and had neither, I actually used cottage cheese and it worked out okay. This is a super fast and easy dinner. Make it vegetarian if you want. We served ours with chicken. 5 stars.

Things I've pinned: the grilled cheese edition

2012-04-24T06:00:00.000-06:00

Follow me on Pinterest to see all of the deliciousness that I've come across!

Brie and green bean casserole grilled cheese from E is for Eat

Fruit-filled grilled cheese from the Burnt Apple

Grown-up Margherita Grilled Cheese Sandwich by Favorite Family Recipes

Tuscan Multi-Grain Grilled Cheese with Sprouts from Healthy Mom's Kitchen

Pulled Pork Grilled Cheese from Oh Sweet Basil

Jersey Style Tuna Melts from Bakeaholic

Easy Beefy Mexican Soup with Avocado

2012-04-23T14:38:00.000-06:00

Makes 6 servings

1 1/2 lbs beef chuck roast, trimmed of excess fat and quartered

1 (14 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes, undrained

1/2 tsp Shirley J beef bouillon or 3 tsp regular beef bouillon granules

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp garlic powder

3 cups water

1 Tbsp tomato paste

1 (4 oz) green chile peppers

1 cup freeze-dried corn or 1 can corn (rinsed and drained) or 1 cup frozen corn

Salt and pepper

Topppings: avocado, cilantro, cheese, sour cream, lime, tortilla chips

1. In a 4-6 quart slow cooker add the roast, beans, tomatoes, bouillon, cumin, chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, water, tomato paste and peppers. Stir a bit and cover.

2. Cook on LOW for 6-8 hours, or until roast is very tender.

3. Remove the roast and shred. Stir back into the soup. Add in the corn. Salt and pepper to taste and add in additional seasonings, if needed.

4. Serve with avocado and additional toppings, if desired.

Review:

When I placed the roast in the soup I didn't think it looks like that much meat. As I went to shred it after it cooked, it turned out to be a really meaty soup. My husband loved it because he thinks anything with lots of shredded meat is awesome. I loved it because I like to add all the delicious toppings at the end. My kids loved it because they got to eat chips with dinner. 4 stars.

Slow Cooker Breakfast Casserole with Spinach, Mushrooms and Peppers

2012-04-21T06:00:00.000-06:00

Make sure to enter the THRIVE $100 giveaway!

Makes 6-8 servings

4 cups cooked cubed potatoes (I had leftover baked potatoes that I just cubed, skin and all)
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1-2 cups fresh spinach leaves (they shrink down so much so use more than you think you need)
1 lb breakfast sausage, cooked and drained (or you can use cubed ham or bacon or whatever you want)
6 eggs
1/4 cup milk
1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp ground mustard
1-2 Tbsp Thrive freeze-dried onions
Handful of Thrive freeze-dried red bell pepper or green pepper
Salt and pepper
Salsa

1. Spray the inside of a 4-6 quart slow cooker. Use a foil collar on the hot spot of your slow cooker.
2. Place potatoes on bottom of cooker. Salt and pepper.
3. Sprinkle mushrooms and spinach on top of potatoes.
4. Top with sausage, peppers and onions. (you don't have to re-hydrate the veggies)
5. In a small bowl, whisk the egg, milk, garlic powder and ground mustard together. Salt and pepper the eggs. Pour over the top of the sausage.
6. Sprinkle the cheese evenly over the eggs.
7. Cover and cook on HIGH for about 2 hours or on LOW for about 4. Scoop out and serve with salsa.

Review:
I served this hearty breakfast casserole for dinner. It hit the spot...there were so many layers and delicious ingredients. This would be great for a brunch or Christmas morning or as I served it--for dinner. Feel free to add in whatever veggies you want. 3 1/2 stars

YouTube video about my new cookbook

2012-04-20T10:44:00.001-06:00

Here is an interview I did about my cookbook.

Do I talk out of the side of my mouth? No one ever told me.