#1,223: Crockpot Pulled Chicken

I was so excited to make this pulled chicken recipe even though it called for chicken thighs and generally I avoid anything except boneless, skinless chicken breasts.  But I figured I should give it a try and see how it turns out.  Although my family really enjoyed these sandwiches (even the girls) it does not have nearly enough sauce!  We had to add quite a bit of BBQ sauce to make this more flavorful.  If I make this again I am going to double the amount of sauce it cooks in.  It needed it for sure!  We have a ton of leftovers so I will be using it tomorrow in a different recipe....stay tuned. ;)

2 onions, thinly sliced (I omitted)                              

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts

3/4 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs                

1 cup ketchup

2 tablespoons cider vinegar                

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard                

2 tablespoons molasses

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon Tabasco

1/2 teaspoon salt                

Whole-wheat hamburger buns, optional                

              
Scatter onions on bottom of slow cooker. Arrange chicken on top of onions.  In a bowl, combine ketchup, vinegar, mustard, molasses, onion powder, cumin, garlic powder, Tabasco and salt. Pour over chicken. Cover and cook on low until chicken is fork-tender and sauce has thickened, about 5 hours. Remove chicken from slow cooker and shred meat. Stir back into sauce. Serve hot, on whole-wheat buns, if desired.

#1,222: Unstuffed Peppers (Casserole)

I really, really enjoy the filling of stuffed peppers, but I dislike the texture of the peppers after they cook because they are so mushy.  So I came up with this recipe which is more of a casserole-ish meal than actual stuffed peppers.  It was so good, and it makes 4 HUGE servings, or 6 more reasonable servings if you are going to eat this with other things/side dishes.  I ate this as my meal with a piece of an apple so I ate 1/4 of the pan.  It was delicious and filling. 

3 bell peppers, diced (I used red, yellow and green)
1 cup cooked brown rice
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can corn, drained
1 1/2 cups leftover taco meat
1 can of diced tomatoes with green chilies, drained (this makes it spicy so if you don't like heat at all just use diced tomatoes)
16 oz can of tomato sauce
1/2 c shredded cheddar cheese

In a large bowl combine all of the ingredients until fully combined.  Set aside.  Spray a 9x13 pan lightly with cooking spray.  Pour the pepper mixture into the 9x13 pan.  Bake in the oven uncovered at 375 degrees for 45 minutes.

I stirred the casserole once during the cooking time and let mine cook a little closer to 50-60 minutes because I felt it was a little watery and I wanted it to soak up a little more into the casserole.   

#1,221: Paleo Peach Mocktail

I was so excited when I found this paleo mocktail recipe one day on a blog.  BUT, I couldn't find Hint Fizz anywhere...until one day I found it in the refrigerated section of our local Fresh Market.  I was so excited when I finally found it I ran home and made it right away.  This is so good, but you have to like Kombucha, otherwise you probably won't be a fan of the flavor.  And although I really, really liked this, I don't know why you couldn't just mix Kombucha with Seltzer Water?!  I'm going to try that next time.

In a glass combine Hint Fizz (any flavor, I used peach) and Kombucha. 

#1,220: Raw Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bites

I've been dying to make these cookie dough bites for weeks now.  I'm so glad I finally made them, they are so good, BUT they only make about 9 balls of cookies.  That's an expensive cookie considering it has raw cashews in it.  Would I make these again, probably not.  Am I going to thoroughly enjoy the ones I made, definitely!! 

2/3 c raw cashews
1/3 c oats (I used flax meal)
2 Tbsp Agave
1 Tbsp Maple Syrup
1 Tsp Vanilla Extract
1/4 c Chocolate Chips
 

Blend the cashews and oats in a food processor or high speed blender until they're a fine powder. Don't over-blend or you'll wind up with cashew butter very quickly.

Add the agave, maple, vanilla and blend until incorporated. Be careful to just blend in short bursts and only until combined; don't over-process. Stir in the chocolate chips by hand.

Form into balls and serve. If dough is sticky, chilling it in the refrigerator or flash-chilling it in the freezer helps make it easier to work with.

#1,219: Slow Cooker Chocolate Chip-Brownie Cake

I made this super easy brownie/cake recipe for a family gathering with my in-laws.  It took a LONG time to cook and it cooked so long, I think I really over cooked this.  It was still very good though.  It is definitely best served with ice cream.  I cooked this so long it was very much cake-like texture.  If I would have cooked this for the desired time it would have been very undercooked.  I think this is supposed to be a very soft texture and not so much like a cake.  It would be good that way but not cake-like. 

 

1 box fudge brownie mix

1/2 cup butter, melted

4 eggs

1 pouch chocolate chip cookie mix

vanilla ice cream, as desired
Spray a 4 1/2-quart slow cooker with baking spray with flour.  In large bowl, mix brownie mix with 1/4 cup of the melted butter and 2 of the eggs.

In another large bowl, mix chocolate chip cookie mix, remaining 1/4 cup melted butter and remaining 2 eggs.  Drop alternate spoonfuls of the brownie and chocolate chip cookie batters into slow cooker. Cover; cook on High heat setting 2 to 3 hours or until cake is set in center. To serve, spoon cake from slow cooker, and top with scoops of ice cream.

#1,218: Crock Pot (No Boil) Stuffed Shells

This recipe was originally for manicotti but I had medium sized shells instead so I just substituted them out.  I've served my family cottage cheese before (unknowing to them) and I almost used ricotta this time, but at the last minute decided to take my chance with cottage cheese.  Then I served it to them and I could easily tell by the texture it was cottage cheese and assumed my husband would definitely not eat this. 

My family loved this, especially my husband.  I think he ate about 10 stuffed shells (they weren't that big).  I was extremely surprised when he went back for seconds.  Now, with that said, I did not love these.  The taste was ok but the texture from the crockpot made these pretty gummy.  I don't think I will be making these again, at least not in the crockpot. 

Filling Ingredients

2 cups cottage cheese

1 ½ cups mozzarella cheese

1 ½ teaspoons Italian Seasoning

¼ teaspoons salt

¼ teaspoon pepper
I also added some minced garlic

 

Remaining Ingredients:

1-8oz. package manicotti (I used a box of medium shells--it made about 22 shells)

½ cup mozzarella cheese
¼ cup Parmesan cheese

Jar of favorite marinara sauce

 

Combine filling ingredients and place in a gallon size freezer bag. Clip a small corner, about 1/2", of the bag so you can easily fill the manicotti shells. Spray crock pot with non-stick spray or line with a crockpot liner for easier clean up!

 

Spread about 1/2 cup sauce in crock pot.  Pipe the filling into the uncooked shells and place in crock pot.  Add about 1/2 cup of water to the remaining spaghetti sauce to thin out the sauce just a little bit.  Pour over the shells so it covers them completely.  (I had to add a little more water to make sure there was enough liquid to cook these in).   Top with the remaining shredded cheese.

 

Cover and cook on high for about 2-3 hours until shells are fork tender. 

#1,217: Corn Dip

I made this corn dip recipe to take to my in-laws house tomorrow.  I wanted to bring something that travels well/easily and that was easy to throw together.  I am a big fan of this dip!  It is super, super easy and the combination of the corn, onion and cheese make this a winner for me. Besides, if it comes in a dip form, I probably love it!  I think this dip would be amazing hot too, but I don't want to have to keep it warm (even though I could bring a mini crockpot), so I may have to make this again next month for book club and eat it hot there.  :)

1 can yellow and white corn, drained

2 11oz cans mexicorn, drained

2 cups shredded cheese- your preference     1 cup mayonaisse

1 cup sour cream

1 bunch of green onions, chopped
Tortilla chips (for dipping)

Mix first six ingredients in a big bowl and serve with tortilla chips.

#1,216: Crockpot Pork Chops

Sorry for the bad photo.  I couldn't find my camera chip so I had to take the picture with my phone.  I just pinned this recipe a few days ago because I had pork chops needing to be used, and since I had all of the ingredients on hand, this was the perfect meal to make at the last minute.  My family loved this!  There wasn't one bit left after our dinner.  Definitely will be making this again!

6 boneless pork chops

1/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup ketchup
2 cloves garlic, crushed
salt and pepper, to taste

 

Place pork chops in crockpot. Season pork chops with salt and pepper.  Combine remaining ingredients in a small bowl and pour over pork chops. Cook on low setting for 6 hours.

#1,215: Slow-Cooker Chocolate Lava Cake

Okay, this is not as much of a "lava cake," but more like a thick, cake-ish/pudding.  It is hard to call this a cake.  It definitely does not take any form of a traditional cake, but it is much thicker and doughier (is that a word?!) than a pudding though.  This recipe is very rich, so serve it with ice cream.  Definitely with vanilla ice cream!  I really enjoyed this recipe but mine had to cook for about 4 1/2 hours to really thicken up and it probably wouldn't have hurt if it went a little longer.  The amount of time it needs to cook is really going to depend on how thick/set you want your lava cake to be. 

It sure was good though!
For the Cake
1 box SuperMoist triple chocolate fudge cake mix
1 1/4 c milk
1/2 c vegetable oil
3 eggs

For the topping
1 box (4 serving size) instant chocolate pudding and pie filling mix
2 c milk
12 oz milk chocolate chips
 
Line your crockpot with parchment paper.  Spray the parchment paper with non-stick cooking spray. 

In large bowl, beat Cake ingredients with electric mixer until fully combined. Pour into slow cooker. 

In medium bowl, beat pudding mix and 2 cups milk with whisk or electric mixer for two minutes.  Pour into slow cooker over cake batter. Do not mix. Sprinkle chocolate chips over top. (Again, don't mix this)
Cover; cook on Low heat setting 2 hours 30 minutes to 3 hours or until cake is set and pudding is beginning to bubble out of cake. (Mine was no where near ready in 3 hours.   Mine took about 4-5 hours to finish cooking).

#1,213: Cashew-Coffee Smoothie

Instead of using ice cubes in this recipe I just threw in some frozen banana chunks instead.  We regularly have frozen bananas in our freezer because it is such a great addition to smoothies and I don't need to add ice cubes to them.  This is very, very good!  You do have to blend the milk with the nuts first so that the nuts get as blended as possible, otherwise you are going to have quite a chunky smoothie. 

4 ice cubes
1 cup low-fat milk (1%) or nondairy beverage
1/4 cup hazelnuts, almonds or cashews
1 medium ripe banana, sliced
2 teaspoons instant coffee granules
1 1/2 teaspoons packed brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Pinch ground cinnamon

Crush ice cubes in blender; transfer to small bowl. Blend milk and hazelnuts until very smooth. Add banana, instant coffee, brown sugar, vanilla and crushed ice. Blend until smooth and creamy. Serve sprinkled with cinnamon.

2 (1-cup) servings

PER SERVING: 235 calories, 11.5 g total fat (1.5 g saturated fat), 7.5 g protein, 27 g carbohydrate, 5 mg cholesterol, 55 mg sodium, 3.5 g fiber

  

#1,212: Smoky Pulled Pork Tacos with Cherry-Peach Salsa

I'll admit, the cherry-peach salsa was what called my attention to this recipe. :)  Although it isn't peach or cherry season, so I used frozen cherries (which I already had on hand since I love them in smoothies) and the softest peach I could find. I also could only find a 6 lb roast, so I cut it in half and will be eating it next week for dinner one night in a different recipe (stay tuned!).  Anyway, back to THIS recipe. 

As you can see from the photo above I ate mine as a taco SALAD, but the rest of my family did eat this in a taco shell (but without the salsa).  I really enjoyed this "salad" and loved the salsa on it.  It gave it a great flavor and was juicy enough to be sort of a "dressing" too.  Allison decided she liked hers better as a "bowl" with rice, the pork and some cheese. My kids LOVED this dinner.  LOVED it.  They were fighting over the potential leftovers for lunch tomorrow.  Brian thought it was just ok which sort of surprised me.  But kids overrule dad in the yum-factor so I will be making these again some day. 

For the pork:
4-5lb pork butt (may be called pork shoulder)
salt and pepper
1 large sweet onion
4 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce + 2 Tablespoons sauce
1/2 cup BBQ sauce
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
20oz Dr. Pepper
Fajita-sized flour quesadillas

For the Cherry-Peach Salsa:
1 cup chopped sweet cherries
1 cup chopped peaches (about 1 large peach)
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 jalapeno, minced
salt
juice of 1 lime

Cut onion into quarters then separate layers into the bottom of a 5 quart (minimum size) crock pot. Trim pork butt of excess fat then cut into 4-6 large pieces and season well with salt and pepper. Lay seasoned pork on top of onions then add chipotle peppers, adobo sauce, BBQ sauce, brown sugar, and Dr. Pepper. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or until pork is tender enough to easily shred with a fork.

Remove pork pieces from the crock pot and shred, then place into a bowl and set aside. (I didn't do this next step.  I just added about 3/4 cup of the juice/sauce to the pork to keep it moist but not too watery).  Strain juices through a double layer of cheesecloth and add back to shredded pork. Serve with Cherry-Peach Salsa in flour tortillas.

For the Cherry-Peach Salsa: Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Make up to two days in advance.

#1,211: Kale and Purple Cauliflower Salad

This recipe has been sitting on my Pinterest board for about 6 months now.  I never could convince myself it was worth the money to get purple cauliflower (even though I do love anything purple!).  So today I finally decided it was time to try this recipe and get it off my Pinterest Board (once I try a recipe it gets deleted). 

I wasn't a super huge fan of the recipe made exactly as described.  In my opinion the cauliflower was way too tough, but if you like raw cauliflower you might like it that way.  I had to add a little bit of water to steam my veggies and get them a tad softer.  Then it was much more to my liking!  And I may have added a tiny bit of chopped bacon....maybe.

This was very good and a certain 2 year old kept sneaking it off my plate!  I pretend that it bothers me but actually I'm so excited he's eating his veggies I don't care!  I will definitely make this recipe again.


About 4 cups roughly chopped kale, rinsed and lightly shaken dry
2 cups of purple cauliflower, broken into florets and sliced in half as desired
2 cups of white cauliflower, thinly sliced into bite size pieces
4 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
kosher salt, to taste
freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

In a very large cold skillet, place the oil and the garlic. Set heat to medium high and saute until fragrant, add the cauliflower and toss to coat well. Cook for 3-4 minutes, just until barely tender. Add the kale and toss quickly to coat with oil and garlic. The kale should cook and start to wilt within just a few minutes, due to being slightly damp. Season generously with salt and pepper as it cooks.

Remove from the heat while still a bit crisp. Serve warm or let cool to room temperature before eating. Enjoy!

#1,210; Ruby Red Grapefruit-Pineapple Punch

I accidentally bought some grapefruit juice for a different recipe (which we don't drink) so I needed a recipe I could use it in.  Two days later, this recipe shows up in my Cooking Club magazine, so I knew it was meant to be!  The kids and I really, really liked this juice.  And personally, I think it's awesome with some rum added to it.  :)

I also think this would be very good served frozen, then crushed to be a "slushie" and added some seltzer water or Sprite on top of it.  This is a very versatile recipe and I am loving it...and loving that the kids are drinking something other than apple, grape or orange juice. 

1 cup frozen strawberries, thawed
1/2 cup water
4 cups pineapple juice
3 cups ruby-red grapefruit juice
2 cups orange juice
1/4 cup lime juice

Puree strawberries and water in blender until smooth; place in large bowl. Stir in all
remaining ingredients. Transfer to a large pitcher or serving container; add ice and
garnish with fresh fruit if desired (sliced limes and oranges, fresh pineapple chunks, fresh strawberries, etc.).

#1,209: Beef and Sausage Foldovers

 

Oh my goodness, doesn't that look delicious?  Guess what?  It is!  And my family LOVED these.  Like we loved them so much we might make them again next week.  Since I had to make "dough" I thought these were going to be a lot of work, but they really weren't.  It was so easy to throw these together and we got 6 decent size foldovers with this (one per adult, but could split one between two of the kids). 

1/2 lb lean ground beef
1/2 lb bulk spicy Italian pork sausage (I used 1/4 lb organic pork sausage) 
1 package (1 oz) Old El Paso® taco seasoning mix
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes with green chiles, undrained (I used pureed salsa instead)
4 1/2 cups Original Bisquick® mix
1 cup boiling water (I needed about ¼- ½ cup extra)
1 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend (4 oz) (I needed about 1 ½ cups)

Toppings:
3/4 cup sour cream
3/4 cup Old El Paso® Thick ‘n Chunky salsa
Fresh cilantro sprigs, if desired

 Heat oven to 400°F. Grease large cookie sheet with shortening or cooking spray.   In 10-inch skillet, cook beef and sausage over medium-high heat 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thoroughly cooked; drain. Stir in taco seasoning mix and tomatoes. Reduce heat to medium; cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, in large bowl, stir Bisquick mix and boiling water with fork until dough forms. (I did not need the extra Bisquick to roll out as suggested in the next step). On surface sprinkled with Bisquick mix, roll dough in Bisquick mix to coat; knead 20 times. Divide dough into 6 balls, about 1/2 cup each. Roll or pat each ball into 7-inch round.  (I found rolling the dough made for much prettier foldovers)

Spoon about 1/2 cup beef mixture onto half of each round.  Sprinkle with shredded cheese.  Moisten edge of round with water. Fold round over beef mixture; press edge with fork to seal. Cut 3 small slits in top of each crust to allow steam to escape (I poked with a fork about 4 times). Carefully move to cookie sheet.

Bake 20 to 22 minutes or until light golden brown. Serve each foldover with 2 tablespoons each sour cream and salsa. Garnish with cilantro.

#1,208: Crockpot Spaghetti Squash & Meatballs

I am not a huge lover of spaghetti squash.  I try to be, but it just doesn't cut it for me.  A few weeks ago my friend Sarah persuaded me to make it again and keep trying it.  Then I came across this recipe, and knew it was the perfect recipe for me to make because it used the crockpot and it included one of my favorite ingredients....sausage.  But I don't love sausage meatballs so I used breakfast sausage instead!!! 

This recipe was so easy to put together before I walked out the door this morning.  I wasn't sure I was going to love it cooking just in tomato sauce so I added about half a jar of left over spaghetti sauce I had from last night.  I think that was a good call (although that makes it non-paleo then). 

This was DELICIOUS!  How do I know I loved this recipe?  Because I kept looking forward to the leftovers and I normally don't do that with spaghetti squash.  And I enjoyed it so much in the crockpot, I ran out and got another one to make a different crockpot spaghetti squash recipe!  Thanks for pushing me to try it again Sarah...YUM!

One medium spaghetti squash
One pound of ground Italian sausage (I used organic pork breakfast sausage)
One can of tomato sauce, I used a 14 ounce can
2 tbsp of hot pepper relish (optional) (I did not use this)
4 to 6 cloves of garlic, whole
2 tbsp of olive oil
Italian seasoning (Oregano, Basil, Thyme) to taste, about 2 tsp

Make sure you use a large 6 quart slow cooker for this recipe. Dump your tomato sauce, olive oil, garlic, hot pepper relish and Italian seasoning into your slow cooker and stir well.

Cut your squash in half and scoop out the seeds.  Place your 2 squash halves face down into your slow cooker. Roll your ground sausage into meatballs, then fit as many as you can in the sauce around the squash. I was able to work in about a half pound worth. Cook on High for 3 hours or cook on low for 5 hours. Use a large fork to pull the “spaghetti” out of your squash, then top with your meatballs and sauce.

TBT: #169: Mexican Stuffed Shells

I originally posted this recipe in January of 2011.  This was so good and I was shocked that everyone in my family loved it.  It is weird to think though that when I originally posted this recipe our family only had 2 of our 3 kids.  :(  It seems like such a long time ago....that may have been the last time we ate this meal too (one downfall for always trying to make new recipes.  This may need to get on our menu next month!)

Hopefully you enjoy this recipe as much as we do/did. 

 

My two favorite ethnic food groups are Italian and Mexican...this was a perfect combination of both!  Brian and I BOTH enjoyed this one.  He took the remaining ones for lunch tomorrow, and had my lunch not already been packed, I might have fought him for them.  : )  I topped mine with some sour cream...yummy!

12 -18 large pasta shells, cooked (I got 15 in our pan)
1 lb ground beef  (I used 3/4 lb ground turkey)
3 tablespoons taco seasoning
3 tbsp fat free refried beans
1/2 cup water
1 onion, chopped
1 1/2 cups salsa, divided (I used picante sauce)
1 cup grated Mexican Blend cheese, divided
24 oz tomato sauce (I used 16 oz)
chili powder, to taste
green onion, for garnish  (I omitted)

Brown ground beef and drain.  Add seasoning, water, onion, refried beans, 1/2 cup of salsa and 1/4 cup cheese.  Mix together remaining salsa, tomato sauce, and chili powder. Spread a thin layer of sauce on the bottom of a 9 x 12 baking pan. (I used a 9 in pie pan)  Fill each shell with the ground beef mixture and place in pan. Pour remaining sauce on top. (I did not pour any on top).  Sprinkle on the rest of the cheese (I used 1/4 c) on top and garnish with green onion. Cover and freeze at this point.

Defrost overnight and bake at 350°F for 30 minutes. (OR Cook from frozen for 2 hours at 300°F).

My version turned out to be 2 ww+ pts each.

#1,207: Tuna Salad with Artichoke Hearts and White Beans

I love when I rip a recipe out of a magazine to make later, and then realize I have all of the ingredients on hand to make it right away.  Those are the best recipes!  With tomorrow being a Friday in Lent, I was looking for a tuna recipe when I stumbled upon this recipe in my recent issue of Cooking Club.  If you do not subscribe to this magazine you really should consider doing so.  I pull out SO many recipes to save/bookmark each time.  This time, I pulled out a ton of recipes that will be on my Easter menu (if my family will let me host!). 

The recipe below was supposed to be eaten as a salad, but I really love tuna on bread, so I ate mine on gluten free bread instead.  AND since I love tuna with pickle relish and peas, I added that to the recipe.  The picture at right is the original recipe except with butter beans used instead of cannellini. And I used a lot more tuna to bean/artichoke ratio.  The tuna salad was very good and I definitely enjoyed it as is, but then you can see from the photo below that I added pickle relish and peas.  Now it was even better!!  I seriously had to stop myself from eating more than one sandwich because I was enjoying it so much. 
 

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 (15- to 19-oz.) can cannellini beans, drained, rinsed (I used 3/4 of a can)
1 (14-oz.) can quartered artichoke hearts, drained (I used about 3 artichoke hearts)
1 (5-oz.) can solid white tuna in water, drained (I used a 12 oz can)
1 cup chopped unpeeled seedless cucumber (I omitted but will add in next time)
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh oregano
4 large leaves Boston lettuce  (I omitted)
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved (I omitted)

 Whisk vinegar and oil in large bowl; toss with beans, artichokes, tuna, cucumber, onion and oregano.

 I skipped this step and ate on bread instead: Arrange lettuce on platter. Top with bean mixture; garnish with tomatoes.

#1,206: Crockpot Meatballs Recipe #2

After last week's crockpot meatballs which we ate as meatball subs, the family enjoyed it so much I decided to make them again.  Of course that gave me another opportunity to try it with a different meatball recipe this time.  (I'm sure my mom and aunt want to kill me for making anything other than our family meatballs!)  These were really good too.  This time we ate them for two meals: once w/spaghetti and meatballs and then leftovers with meatball subs.

I found this recipe somewhere on pinterest and it doesn't link back to an actual website, so I'm not sure who to give credit to.  Here's the recipe though:

1 lb ground beef (I used ground turkey)
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 c grated parmesan
1 c panko or breadcrumbs
1/2 onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp oregano
1/4 c fresh basil (I used about 1 tbsp. dried)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

I mixed everything together and formed it into golfball size meatballs.  I placed it on wax paper lined cookie sheet and froze them.  Then, when ready to cook, I put the frozen meatballs into some homemade spaghetti sauce and cooked them in the crockpot for about 5 hours on low. 

#1,205: Paleo Sweet and Sour Meatballs

If you look at my bookmarks at the right you will notice there aren't a ton of recipe that show up in my "never again" feed.  Unfortunately this is one of those recipe.  :(  I was not a fan of these at all.  Granted, I made these in the crockpot instead of pan frying them, but that should not have make that much of a difference.  I didn't like the first meatball and didn't finish it.  Then I tried again later thinking I didn't give it enough of a chance.  One bite later and they all went into the trash.  So many ingredients gone to waste. 
 
Meatballs:
1 lb. ground beef
1/2 small onion, chopped small
1/4 cup almond flour
1 egg
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 Tbsp. bacon fat or coconut oil (for browning the meatballs)

Sauce:
1 cup grape jelly
1 cup tomato sauce
1/8 cup raw honey, warmed (if you don't want your sauce overly sweet you can omit this)
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar (or more to taste)
1/4 tsp. allspice
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1/8 tsp. garlic powder
1/8 tsp. onion powder

FOR THE MEATBALLS:
Combine meatball ingredients (other than the bacon fat/coconut oil)  into a large mixing bowl and combine by hand. Shape the meat into 1-inch balls. Place a large saucepan over medium-high heat and add the coconut oil or bacon fat. Gently brown the meatballs on all sides and set aside. Drain the fat from the pan.

FOR THE SAUCE:
Combine all of the sauce ingredients in the large saucepan over medium heat and stir to combine. Bring just to a boil, stirring frequently, and then reduce heat to low.  Taste the sauce and adjust the flavorings and seasonings to your taste. Add more raw honey to increase sweetness, and more vinegar to increase the sour flavor.

TO COOK THE MEATBALLS:
Add the browned meatballs to the large saucepan and allow to simmer for 30 minutes. Stir the meatballs gently every so often. Serve the meatballs with the sauce and some toothpicks. Enjoy!

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#1,204: Knock-off Irish Nachos

Our local restaurant/pub posted that they were serving Irish Nachos this weekend in honor of St. Patrick's Day.  Of course I had to get them as they sounded delicious!  And they were...except for the insane amount of processed cheese covering the entire thing.  (The picture of the restaurant nachos are below). Then my friend Denise challenged me to make my own version of them...and paleo at that!  So I did (almost).  I couldn't let a challenge go by, especially one that I thought I could pull off.  LOL

Here is the restaurant version:
"Fresh made pub chips, cheese sauce, corned beef, sauerkraut and a side of 1000 island dressing." See all that cheese on it.  Delicious and gross at the same time.  There was SO much cheese. 

Here's my version:
Baked sweet potato chips, little bit of shredded swiss cheese, cooked and chopped up corned beef, canned sauerkraut (drained), and a tiny bit of thousand island dressing.

The worst part of this recipe was the baked sweet potato chips.  They took FOREVER to bake in the oven (about 2 hours).  Oh my goodness this was SO good though.  I ate it for lunch AND dinner.  I'll probably eat it again tomorrow but I'm out of baked sweet potato chips.  Now I have to decide if I want to make more, eat it in a baked sweet potato (instead of in chip form) or if I should just go buy some sweet potato chips from the grocery store. Decisions, decisions!!)

   

#1,203: Crockpot Corned Beef

Take me to any place that sells sandwiches and I will almost always choose a reuben sandwich!  I love corned beef but have never made it for myself.  1.  I figured I'd make it and not enjoy it.  2.  No one else in my family eats it so it would be a lot of meat leftover.  3. It's expensive for 1 person to eat. 

Then I went to Kroger and found a 3+ lb flat cut corned beef for $5!  That was worth trying/making.  So I searched for a highly rated crockpot recipe on Google and came across this recipe.  It was easy and I liked that it used more ingredients than just the seasoning packet that comes with the corned beef.  I let this cook ALL day in my crockpot because I wanted to make sure it was nice and tender.  And it was.  It was so tender that when I cut it with my electric knife it totally shredded it.  (Photo above was used with a sharp knife).  Don't get me wrong, I personally prefer it shredded, but it sure doesn't take a very pretty picture that way.

This is very good.  I'm going to LOVE eating it for lunch AND dinner tomorrow (Happy St. Patrick's Day!!).  I was even more surprised when my pickiest eater Chloe came over and asked to try it....and then walked away with the container proclaiming "I love this beef."  What?!  Her big sister wouldn't try it but that's okay, more for Chloe and I. 

I did make one alteration to the recipe below: I only used about 2 cups of water.  That was PLENTY for it to be sitting in.  I don't think the reduction in liquid made a negative difference. 

4 cups hot water

2 tablespoons cider vinegar

2 tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

1 large onion, cut into quarters

3 lbs corned beef brisket (with spices)

 

Combine the water, vinegar, sugar, pepper and onions, in a 6 qt crock pot and mix well.  Place corned beef and contents of spice packet in the mixture. Cover and cook on high heat setting 8 hours. (Mine cooked for about 10 hours).  To serve, carve the beef into slices against the grain and serve with some of the cooking liquid spooned on top of the beef to keep it moist

#1,202: Braised Cabbage

This recipe is actually called "World's Best Braised Green Cabbage."  Before today I didn't know what braised cabbage was so I can't actually attest to the fact that this truly is the world's best or not.  But I can tell you this...I wasn't a big fan.  :(  It was good but I didn't think it was great and I keep thinking about the huge bowl I have in my fridge that I have to eat up.  :/  It might take me a while.  If you LOVE cooked cabbage you might love this one too.  But this cooked for 2 hours and if I'm going to spend that much time cooking cabbage, I'm going to choose Garlic Rubbed Cabbage Steaks instead. 

Here's the recipe for you braised cabbage lovers though...

PS: As soon as you see the word "bone broth" in the ingredient list you will know that this is a paleo recipe.  LOL

2 tablespoons melted lard, ghee, or bacon grease for coating the baking dish
1 medium head green cabbage (about 2 pounds)
1 large red or yellow onion, peeled and thickly sliced
2 large carrots, peeled and cut in 1/4-inch coins (I omitted)
1/4 cup bone broth or water
1/4 cup melted lard, ghee, or bacon grease
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
Aleppo pepper (optional)
Aged balsamic vinegar

 

Preheat oven to 325°F with the rack in the middle. Coat a 13-by-9-inch baking dish with the melted fat.  Lop off the tough stem end of the cabbage and divide it into 6-8 wedges. Keep the core attached so the wedges stay intact after the long cooking time. Don’t worry: The tough core will get super tender, too.

Place the cabbage pieces in a single layer in the greased dish — a little overlap is okay. Toss on the onions and carrots and drizzle with broth and the melted fat. Season well with salt, pepper and Aleppo pepper (if using). Cover tightly with foil and place in the oven.  Cook the cabbage undisturbed for 1 hour. Crack open the foil cover and carefully flip the wedges over. Reseal the dish tightly and braise for another hour or until fork-tender. 

At this point, you can remove the cabbage to cool and store in the fridge until you’re ready to eat it (up to 4 days). When you’re ready to serve, crank the oven up to 425 F and bake until browned (about 15 minutes). Drizzle with aged balsamic vinegar and serve immediately.

#1,201: Lawnmower Taco

I have no idea how or why this recipe is called Lawnmower Tacos.  I think Taco Casserole would be more appropriate, but I will admit, I did look at the recipe solely based on the name.  :)  I was looking for an easy, ground beef recipe that my kids might enjoy when I stumbled upon this recipe.  It was definitely easy to make. Easy and delicious.  This got big thumbs up from everyone in my crew.  Nothing super special, but still quite yummy!!  Tomorrow is leftover night for dinner....I think we will all be fighting for this one!  (Except for me who will be eating corn beef and cabbage!)

1 pound ground beef or turkey
1-2 Tablespoons Taco Seasoning Mix
1/4 cup flour
2 cups chicken or beef broth
9 ounces tortilla chips, crushed
2 cup grated cheese
For day of serving: shredded lettuce, salsa, sour cream, black olives

In large skillet, brown ground beef. Stir in taco seasoning. Sprinkle flour over top. Stir to combine. Stir in broth and bring to a simmer. Simmer until sauce thickens. Grease 9×13 inch baking pan. Place 1/2 of crushed chips across bottom of dish. Layer with half the meat sauce and then half the cheese. Repeat layers: chips, meat, cheese. If cooking right away, place in 325° oven and bake for about 20 minutes or until bubbly.

If making as a freezer meal, do not bake. Instead, cover with foil, label, cool, and freeze. On serving day, thaw casserole and follow baking directions, adding up to 10 to 15 minutes baking time, depending on how cold or frozen the casserole is at the start.

Serve with desired toppings.

1,200 Recipes! Let's keep cookin'

1,200 recipes from my cookbooks, files, magazines and Pinterest Boards have now been tried, rated/reviewed and passed along to you.  If that wasn't fun enough, I am quickly approaching 50,000 page views to my blog!!  (Thank you!!)  Who knew 3 years ago when I started this blog to get my family to try new recipes and to get out of our dinner rut it would turn into so many new recipes we've tried, eaten and loved?!

Hopefully I post some recipes that you are inspired to try or cook for yourself or your family and friends.  And here's hoping I can reach 1300 before summer!!  ;)

#1,200: Crockpot Meatballs (for Subs)

I totally bypassed the pre-cooking method of this recipe and threw my meatballs into the crockpot uncooked and frozen.  No need to dirty extra dishes and pans if it can cook all day in the crockpot.  Big shout out to my hubby who helped make these and to get me out of the kitchen quicker on a Sunday night.  Honestly, I don't know if I will ever make meatballs in the oven again.  Okay, I probably will because I like the semi-crunchy texture baking meatballs gives them.  But this was THE EASIEST recipe and I have 1 less pan I have to clean (because I use crockpot liners!). And Allison requested this meal again on our dinner menu for next week. 

1 lb lean ground beef
1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons finely chopped onions or 1/4-1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 egg
1 tablespoon parmesan cheese, grated
1 (32 ounce) jars spaghetti sauce
6 -8 hot dog buns
mozzarella cheese (sliced or shredded)

Place first seven ingredients in large bowl. Mix thoroughly with your hands just until combined. Shape into approximately 30 1-inch balls.

Here's what I did next: Place on a wax paper lined cookie sheet and freeze.  When ready to cook place FROZEN meatballs into the crockpot along with the spaghetti sauce.  Cook on low for 6-8 hours (mine cooked for 9+ hours).  Place meatballs and sauce in sub rolls, top with mozzarella and bake for about 5-10 minutes or until cheese is melted and bread is toasted.

If you are looking to make these right away, or want the original recipe directions they are as follows: 

Bake in an ungreased oblong pan (13x9x2) in a 400°F oven until light brown, 20-25 minutes. OR: microwave meatballs in an ungreased baking dish, 6 minutes on High, turning once. OR: cook over medium heat in frying pan, turning occasionally, until brown, about 20 minutes.
Place cooked meatballs and spaghetti sauce in crock pot. Cook on low for about 2 hours. If you cook longer, stir every hour or so.  Place meatballs and sauce in hot dog buns or sub rolls and top with mozzarella cheese.