Tag Archives: onion

Slow Cooker Whole Chicken

13 Aug

I got a lucky a few weeks back and was at Fry’s while they were putting out manager’s special whole chickens.  So, I got 2 whole chickens, each just a little over $3.  I put them in the freezer until I had time to get to them.  Since it’s still rather hot here, I decided to try making it in the slow cooker instead of the oven.  It was pure torture smelling this cook a ll day, and luckily, it tasted great.  I used green beans and carrots as the vegetables and ate them as a side to the chicken, but you could use any vegetables you prefer, or just do carrots and celery to add flavor while it cooks.  What’s nice about the slow cooker is that it keeps the chicken nice and moist.  You don’t even have to add any liquid at the beginning, the juices off the chicken will be enough to keep it moist while it cooks.  When it’s done, it just falls off the bone.  Yum!  After I got all the meat off the chicken, I put the bones back in the slow cooker and filled it with water to make chicken broth!

Chicken served with carrots and green beans, plus dinner roll

 

Slow Cooker Whole Chicken

What you need:

1 whole chicken, 3-5 pounds
Vegetables of your choice, I used frozen carrots and frozen green beans
1 onion, diced
1 lemon
2 cloves of garlic
Fresh rosemary
Salt and pepper

How to make it:

Put vegetables and diced onion in the bottom of the slow cooker.

Remove neck and giblets from inside of chicken, and rinse both inside and out.  Generously salt and pepper inside of chicken.

Cut open garlic cloves and rub over all the chicken.  Place inside the chicken.  Set chicken breast side up on top of vegetables.  Squeeze lemon over the chicken and place the rinds inside chicken.  Then, place a few sprigs of rosemary inside the chicken, and place some rosemary leaves on top of chicken, along with salt and pepper.

Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or until a thermometer inserted in the breast reads 180 F.  Chicken should be moist and falling off the bone.  Serve with some of the vegetables, or sides of your choice.

Slow Cooker Whole Chicken

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Grilled Beef, Potato, and Cabbage Packets

26 Jul

This week, I had picked a head of cabbage for my FarmBox.  I had thought about making Stuffed Cabbage Leaves or Bierocks, but decided that I wanted to try to make something different.  I was initially thinking of doing it all in a skillet, but then my uncle asked if I had tried grilled cabbage, and I started looking at recipes related to that.  I came across a recipe for Grilled Cabbage and Potato Packets, and decided to expand on it some, incorporating parts of the skillet recipe I had found.  Of course, as it came time closer to dinner, a storm rolled in, but it stopped soon enough to give me time to fire up the grill for this.  It was a bit of prep work, but I was glad for the food processor from my parents from Christmas.  I used it to shred the cabbage and carrots, and to slice the potato rounds.

Grilled Beef, Potato, and Cabbage PacketsGrilled Beef, Potato, and Cabbage Packets

What you need:

1 lb ground beef
1 cup beef broth
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
4 cups cabbage, shredded
1 cup carrots, shredded
1 cup onion, diced
5-6 small red potatoes, sliced into thin rounds
Olive oil
Salt and pepper

How to make it:

In a large skillet, brown ground beef.  Reduce heat to low, and add beef broth and garlic powder.  Simmer over low heat for 10-15 minutes to cook off the liquid.

Meanwhile, cut 8 pieces of aluminum about 16 inches long.  Each packet will use 2 pieces of foil to ensure the packet does not break while cooking, and you will have 4 packets total.

Start by layering 2 pieces of foil.  Put 1 cup of cabbage, 1/4 cup of onion, 1/4 cup of carrots, 1/4 of the potato rounds, and 1/4 of the browned ground beef on top of the foil.  Drizzle olive oil over all, about 1-2 tablespoons.  If desired, season with salt and pepper.

All food layered in packetGather up sides of aluminum foil, and close tightly.  I brought up the sides on the left and right of the picture above, then folded them together.  Next, I folded up the ends.  Repeat for the 3 remaining packets.  Place the packets on the grill over medium heat.

Packets on the grill

 

Cook for 15 minutes, then carefully flip the packets over and cook for another 15 minutes.  Carefully remove a packet from the grill and open (remember, it will be very hot and steamy when you open it), and check the softness of the potatoes and other vegetables.  If soft, remove all from the grill.  If not, continue to cook until potatoes and vegetables are soft.  Carefully open each packet and serve.

Grilled packet

 

If desired, serve each sprinkled with grated Parmesan cheese.  My daughter and I both had some with and without grated Parmesan, and it was good both ways, but with the cheese it had just an extra bit of flavor.

 

 

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Broccoli Parmesan Ranch Twice-Baked Potatoes

17 Jul

I really like twice-baked potatoes, but they can be just a bit time-consuming to make.  I think next time, I might put the potatoes in the slow cooker to cook all day, then stuff and oven bake them at night.  For these, I used ranch dressing and broccoli, but there are other variations that could be done as well.  For example, sour cream or cream cheese instead of ranch, spinach in place of broccoli, cheddar cheese in place of Parmesan.  Or, add in some meat like bacon, cooked chicken or cooked ham.  You could make this just as your one-course for dinner having a meat and a vegetable mixed in.

 

Broccoli Ranch Twice-Baked Potatoes

 

Broccoli Parmesan Ranch Twice-Baked Potatoes

What you need:

4 large or 6 medium russet potatoes
2 tablespoons butter
1 small onion, diced
2 cups chopped broccoli
1/2 cup ranch dressing
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
Olive oil

How to make it:

Preheat oven to 425 F.

Thoroughly wash potatoes and pierce all over with a fork.  Place on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil and bake for 45-60 minutes until soft.  Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes.  Once potatoes have cooled, cut tops from potatoes, and scoop out the insides carefully to keep the skins like little bowls.  Mash the insides in a medium size mixing bowl.  Brush the skins with olive oil and return to the baking sheet.

Meanwhile, melt butter in a large skillet.  Add onion and broccoli; cook until soft.  Remove from heat and stir in with the mashed potatoes.  Mix in ranch dressing and grated Parmesan cheese.

Spoon the potato mixture into each of the potato skins.  It is fine  for it to come out of the top of the skin.  If desired, sprinkle with more grated Parmesan on top of each potato.  Bake in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes, or until heated through.

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Breakfast Biscuit Bowls

9 Jun

As promised, here is the update on my next round of biscuit bowls!

Once again, I used 1 can of Grands biscuits.  This time, I sprayed the small Pyrex bowls on the outside, rolled together 2 Grands biscuits, and spread it over the outside of the bowl.  I lined a baking sheet with aluminum foil, placed the upside down bowls on the sheet, and baked in the oven at 350 F.  After 12 minutes, I started checking them, and mine were finished in 20 minutes.  Time may vary by oven and by what you bake them on.

Biscuit bowls after bakingThen, I worked on the filling.  You can see a peek of the skillet in the picture above.  I started by removing the casings from breakfast sausage and crumbling and cooking in a  large skillet over medium heat.  Once browned, I left the fat in and mixed in small cubes of red potatoes.  I let this cook for a while to let the potatoes soften.  Next, I added in some diced red onion, and cooked until the onions were translucent.  Then, I added in diced mushrooms and chopped fresh spinach.  Once the spinach wilted, I pushed it all up to one side, and on the empty side, added in 6 eggs that I had whisked with a couple of tablespoons of milk.  Once this cooked up and I stirred to scramble, I mixed the eggs in with the rest, giving me this delicious-ness:

Sausage, red potato, red onion, mushroom, spinach, and scrambled egg filling for biscuit bowls

 

Then, assembly time!  My older daughter added grated Parmesan to hers, I added crumbled feta to mine, and my younger daughter and my husband added shredded cheddar to theirs.  I had some filling leftover, so I made a few burritos using large flour tortillas that I had on hand.

Breakfast Biscuit Bowl with Parmesan cheese Breakfast Biscuit Bowl with crumbled feta

 

I was very pleased with how it all turned out, and we will be having this again, and soon!

 

 

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Slow Cooker Spicy 9 Bean and Pork Soup

4 Jun

Last fall, on my trip to Willcox, one of the stops was the Bonita Bean Company.  I have been using the pinto beans I purchased to make Refried Beans, but I also had gotten a 9 bean mix I still needed to use.

9 Bean mix from Bonita BeanIt is a 20 ounce bag containing pinto, cranberry, light red kidney, yellow, black, small red, pink, navy, and Great Northern.  I had a pork tenderloin in the freezer to use, along with some green chile and onion, and decided that all would make a good soup.  And, with beans taking so long to cook, I decided the slow cooker was the way to go to make this.  My older daughter and I thought it turned out really well, in fact, we both had a second helping!  Even though I have it labeled as spicy, it’s a  low level of heat, but still a little on the spicy side.  If you don’t have a bean mix, you can make a mix of your own, a great way to use up small amounts of different kinds of beans!

Slow Cooker Spicy 9 Bean and Pork Soup

Slow Cooker 9 Bean and Pork Soup

What you need:

3 cups of a dry bean mix
1 1/2 pounds pork roast or tenderloin, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 cup diced onion
1/2 cup diced green chiles
2 cups diced tomatoes
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups chicken broth
4 cups water
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 cup fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt

How to make it:

Put beans in a 5 or 6 quart slow cooker.  Add pork next, then the remaining ingredients.  Cook on high for 5-7 hours, or until beans are tender.

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Zucchini & Yellow Squash Quiche with Mashed Potato Crust

14 May

What do you do when you don’t want to make a regular pie crust for a quiche?  Make one with mashed potatoes!  I had made a similar quiche a while back, but used broccoli as the vegetable.  Since I have a few bags of zucchini and yellow squash in the freezer, I decided to use that.  I also used up the last of my shredded mozzarella cheese from Basicfarm7.  It’s a great way to use up leftover mashed potatoes and then add in your favorite veggie, meat, and cheese combination.  Think broccoli, spinach, ham, bacon, cheddar cheese, etc.  Not all together of course, but ideas for ingredients to use in different combinations!  Or, when you have leftovers at Thanksgiving, use leftover mashed potatoes for the crust, and have chopped turkey and cheese for the filling!

Zucchini & Yellow Squash Quiche with Mashed Potato Crust

 

Zucchini &Yellow Squash Quiche with Mashed Potato Crust

What you need:

For the crust:
2 cups mashed potatoes OR about 2 pounds of potatoes, peeled, boiled, mashed and mixed with 1/4 milk
Olive oil

For the filling:

1/4 olive oil
2 cups zucchini and yellow squash
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley or 1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
3 eggs, beaten
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Salt and pepper

How to make it:

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Lightly oil a 9″ deep dish pie plate.  Press mashed potatoes into the bottom and sides of the pie plate.  Brush with more olive oil.  Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes until golden brown.

Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add zucchini, yellow squash, and onion to the skillet, and cook until soft.  Stir in parsley, basil, oregano, salt and pepper.  Remove from heat.

In a bowl, mix together the beaten eggs and shredded cheese.  Stir in the zucchini and yellow squash mixture.  Pour into the mashed potato crust.  Return to oven and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

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Slow Cooker Chicken and Dumplings

2 May

Slow Cooker Chicken and Dumplings

 

This is something I have made for a long time.  But, my challenge tonight was to make it gluten-free for my friend’s kids that I was watching tonight.  Normally, I make the Bisquick biscuit recipe on the box and drop it in, but tonight I used a biscuit recipe using flour so I could substitute in the gluten-free all-purpose flour that I have.  With the Bisquick, the dumplings end up pretty fluffy and it’s almost more like a chicken pot pie.  This time, it turned out more like dumplings, and was pretty good!  So, now this can be made with regular flour or gluten-free flour with good results.

 

Slow Cooker Chicken and Dumplings

What you need:

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 bag (12 oz) mixed vegetables (I used a mix of carrots, corn, green beans, and peas)
1 cup diced onion
8 cups water
6 chicken bouillon cubes (make sure to use gluten-free, if needed)
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
2 cups all-purpose gluten-free flour with xanthan gum or 2 cups all-purpose wheat flour, depending on your need
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup milk

How to make it:

Spray slow cooker with non-stick spray. Add chicken, vegetables, onion, water, chicken bouillon, and poultry seasoning. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours. Remove chicken, shred, and return to crock pot. If cooked on low, turn to high for 15 minutes.

Mix together flour, baking powder, oil, and milk.  Drop dough by spoonfuls into the slow cooker.  Cook on high 30 minutes more or until dumplings have cooked.

Note: For the dumplings, you can also use regular or gluten-free Bisquick to make biscuit dough according to the box, then drop by spoonfuls into the slow cooler. If you don’t need gluten-free, you can use a can of refrigerated biscuit dough. Cut each biscuit into fourths and roll into balls, then drop then into the slow cooler.

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Slow Cooker Roast with Potatoes and Carrots

28 Apr

Slow Cooker Roast with Potatoes and Carrots

 

I know this picture doesn’t make it look very appetizing, but it really turned out very good!  The roast was a chuck roast that I had purchased from Starbar Farm & Ranch.  When I used to make this, I would use a packet of onion soup, but since I didn’t have any on hand, I found a blend of spices online that was similar and without all the extra stuff too.  After the meat was cooked, I shredded it and mixed it in with the potatoes and carrots, making it like a beef stew.

 

Slow Cooker Roast with Potatoes and Carrots

What you need:

4-5 lb beef roast
2.5 lb potatoes, cut into 1 inch pieces (I left the skins on)
8 oz peeled baby carrots
1 onion, cut into wedges
4 teaspoons beef bouillon granules
3 tablespoons dried minced onion
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt and pepper
1 1/2 cups water

How to make it:

Place roast in slow cooker.  Place potatoes, carrots, and onions around the roast.

In a small bowl, combine beef bouillon, minced onion, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper.  Sprinkle over roast and vegetables.

Pour the water over the vegetables that are around the roast.

Cook on low for 8-10 hours, or until meat can be pulled apart easily with a fork.

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Spanish Rice

5 Apr

This has been on the to-do list for WAY too long.   I used to just buy a packet, add water, cook, and be done.  But, since I have been cutting back on as packaged foods as possible, I wanted to give this a try tonight since I had all the ingredients on hand.  It actually wasn’t too bad time-wise, just a little extra prep work.  And, it turned out really good, my husband was really impressed and he’s been hard to please lately!

Spanish RiceSpanish Rice

What you need:

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup long grain rice*
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups chicken broth*
1 pound tomatoes, diced in food processor
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
*Note: Check the liquid to rice ratio recommended on the package of rice you are using and adjust rice and chicken broth quantity as needed

How to make it:

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Pour rice into skillet to brown.  Stir in the onion and garlic, stirring continuously, until onions become translucent.

Meanwhile, add chicken broth, tomatoes, and all seasonings  to a medium saucepan.  Bring to a simmer.

Stir rice mixture into the liquid.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and cover.

Simmer while covered for 20-25 minutes, or until rice is fully cooked.

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Chicken and Gnocchi Soup

31 Mar

This has been on my list of things to try making for a while.  Our main Olive Garden favorite is Zuppa Toscana, which I still make regularly, but I still wanted to give this one a try.  It is actually really easy to make and doesn’t take too long to make.  For the gnocchi, you have the option of buying at the store (usually in the pasta, refrigerated, or frozen section) or making your own.  I had a leftover baked potato in the fridge, so I decided I would try making my own.  It’s not too hard either, just a little time-consuming.  I’ll give the recipes for both.

Potato GnocchiPotato Gnocchi

What you need:

1 large russet potato, weighing about 1 pound
1 egg yolk
3/4 cup flour, plus more for work area
Pinch of salt

How to make it:

First, bake potatoes. I used a potato that I had baked in the slow cooker earlier in the week.  If you don’t have an already baked potato, preheat oven to 350 F.  Pierce potato with a fork all around potato.  Bake for about 1 hour, or until potato is very soft.  Remove potato to a rack and cut open to allow to cool.

Scoop out the insides of the potato and discard skins (or save skins for some other use).  Pass the potato through a potato ricer or run along a small grater.  Add the egg yolk, flour, and salt, and mix by hand until you get a ball of dough.

Flour your work area.  Take a small ball of the dough and gently roll on your work surface until you have a long roll about 3/4″ in diameter.  Cut off 1″ sections.  Roll each along the back of a fork to get small indentations in each piece.  Place on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper.

Potato Gnocchi waiting to be cookedAt this point, if you will not be using right away, place the cookie sheet in the freezer.  Once frozen, place gnocchi in a freezer safe bag or container until you will use.

To cook, bring a pot of salted water to a boil.  Gently add gnocchi, a few at a time, to the boiling water.  When they rise to the surface, use a slotted spoon to remove gnocchi.  Repeat for remaining gnocchi.  Serve with sauce or pesto, or set aside to add to soup below.

 

Chicken and Gnocchi SoupChicken & Gnocchi Soup

What you need:

1 lb chicken, cut into 1″ cubes (or 2 cups cooked chicken)
3 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, diced
1/2 cup chopped carrots
1/2 cup chopped celery
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil
4 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 cups half and half (I just use 1% milk in all my soups, and it comes out fine)
1 pound potato gnocchi, made as above or cooked according to the package directions
3 cups coarsely chopped spinach leaves
Salt and black pepper to taste

How to make it:

Heat a little olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat.  Add chicken, and cook until no longer pink inside and slightly browned outside.  Remove from pot and set aside.

Heat the 3 tablespoons butter and 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat.  Add the onions, carrots, celery, and garlic.  Cook until vegetables become tender, about 10 minutes.  Mix in the flour, basil, salt and pepper.  Stir continuously for about 5 minutes.

Slowly whisk in the chicken broth and half and half to prevent any lumps from forming.  Bring to a light boil, then reduce heat to low to simmer for 20 minutes, until soup thickens.

Add the cooked gnocchi and spinach to the soup.  Gently stir and cook until spinach wilts.  Serve immediately.

 

 

 

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