Slow Cooker Chicken Cordon Bleu

Slow Cooker Chicken Cordon Bleu

We love cordon bleu, but I knew I had a lot to do today and ran across this recipe at All Recipes and thought it would be the perfect substitute!  It was SO easy and was very delicious!

6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 cup milk
4 ounces sliced ham
4 ounces sliced Swiss cheese
1 (8 ounce) package herbed dry bread stuffing mix
1/4 cup butter, melted

Mix together the cream of chicken soup and milk in a small bowl. Pour enough of the soup into a slow cooker to cover the bottom. Layer chicken breasts over the sauce. Cover with slices of ham and then Swiss cheese. Pour the remaining soup over the layers, stirring a little to distribute between layers. Sprinkle the stuffing on top, and drizzle butter over stuffing. Cover, and cook on Low for 4 to 6 hours, or 2 to 3 hours on High. 

Source:  http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/2011/06/slow-cooker-chicken-cordon-bleu.html

FREEZING NOTES:

Slow Cooker Philly Cheese Steak Sandwiches

Slow Cooker Philly Cheese Steak Sandwiches

 Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lbs beef round steak
• 1 medium green pepper, sliced thin
• 1 medium onion, sliced thin
• 14 oz vegetable or beef broth
•  envelope Italian dressing mix
• large loaf French bread, sliced into sandwich length
• 6 slices provolone cheese
• 2 c sliced mushrooms

How to make it

• Spray crock pot with cooking spray
• Cut meat into strips, place in slow cooker
• Add green pepper, onion, broth, and dressing mix
• Cover and cook on low 7-8 hours, or high 3-4 hours
• Add sliced mushrooms the last 30 minutes of cooking
• Spoon meat mixture onto bread, top with a slice of cheese

Another option is to toast bread in a 375 oven for 5-10 minutes, add meat, cover with cheese, then bake an additional 5 minutes to melt the cheese.

Suggestion: If you like spice, add a thin layer of horseradish cream to the bread.

Notes for freezing: 

I put each of the veggies and the cheese into separate sandwich bags. I put the meat in a different bag with the broth & seasoning mixture. 

Slow Cooker Honey Sesame Chicken

Slow Cooker Honey Sesame Chicken

Ingredients:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or thighs)
Salt and pepper
1 cup honey
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup diced onion
1/4 cup ketchup
1 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 tablespoon sesame oil

2 cloves garlic, minced
1/8-1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
4 teaspoons cornstarch dissolved in 6 Tablespoons water
Sesame seeds

Directions:
Season both sides of chicken with lightly with salt and pepper, put into crock pot.

In a small bowl, combine honey, soy sauce, onion, ketchup, oil, garlic and pepper flakes. Pour over chicken.

Cook on low for 3-4 hours or on high 1 1/2 – 2 1/2 hours, or just until chicken is cooked through.

Remove chicken from crock pot, leave sauce. Dissolve 4 teaspoons of cornstarch in 6 tablespoons of water and pour into crock pot. Stir to combine with sauce. Replace lid and cook sauce on high for ten more minutes or until slightly thickened.

Cut chicken into bite size pieces, then return to pot and toss with sauce before serving. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve over rice or noodles.

Notes:
*You can also sprinkle more red pepper flakes on top if you want more heat

* If the sauce is too thin, try cooking it in a sauce pan instead

* For a lower carb version, decrease honey to ¾ cup.  Double garlic and add ginger for more flavor during cooking

Source Notes:
http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/2012/01/slow-cooker-honey-sesame-chicken-recipe.html
http://www.skinnymommy.com/2012/01/skinny-honey-sesame-chicken.html
 

Mine [Amy's] was a modified version from two sources, but when you Google it, every site has the same recipe.

 

Cranberry Pork or Beef Roast

Super Simple Cranberry Roast (beef or pork) Slow Cooker Recipe

Freezer Beef Stew

Freezer Beef Stew

1 C. Diced Onion
3 C. Beef Broth
2 C. Diced Carrot
2T. Brown Sugar
1 C. Cubed Red Potato (Dee's note: I used Sweet Potatoes)
1 tsp. Salt
1 C. Green Beans
2 tsp. Worcestershire Sauce
1 ½ lbs. Beef Stew Meat (Dee's note: I used a bit more meat, probably closer to 2lbs)
½ tsp. Pepper (I’d do 1/4 tsp) (Dee's note, use your judgement :)
¼. tsp. Dried Thyme
3 T. Flour (Dee's note: I left this out since some in our group have food allergies, i.e. to gluten)
1 tsp. Chopped Garlic
2 tsp. Tomato Paste
2 Tbsp cornstarch (if desired {to thicken further])

Combine all ingredients into [this meal is NOT doubled] one gallon zip lock freezer bag removing all excess air and freeze. 

For the Slow Cooker: To serve thaw completely in refrigerator and cook in crock pot on low for 6-8 hours  (Dee's Note: I have just put it in first thing in the morning from frozen and let it cook all day till dinner time at 6/6:30  - breaking it apart once it is warmed up - and it has cooked up just fine). If you want your stew thicker, use the 2 Tbsp cornstarch and mix it with 2 Tbsp cold water and add it to the cooked stew. Turn it on high and cook for 30 more minutes.

For the Stove Top: Thaw over night. On the stove bring to boil and then reduce heat to simmer for 30-45 minutes until vegetables are cooked through. Now if you want you stew thicker, use the 2 Tbsp cornstarch and mix it with 2 Tbsp cold water and add it to the cooked stew. On the stove top, just cook until thick.  

Side:  Serve in large bowls with bread for dipping.

Dee's Note: I just dumped the the whole thing in the slow cooker and let it cook all day from frozen. TIP: If it is too big for the slow cooker, you can put the lid on and wrap tin foil over it till the frozen food cooks down.  Remove tin foil once the meal has settled and the lid fits once again.

Source: http://realmomkitchen.com/86/freezer-beef-stew/

Cost Analysis: TBD

Coconut Beef

Coconut Beef

The Ingrediants:
2 lbs stew meat
juice of 1 lime
1 (14 oz) can coconut milk
2 garlic colves,chopped
2 tsp brown sugar
1 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
1.5 tbsp chili paste
1 (1 inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated

The directions:

Use a 4-5 quart slow cooker. Put the meat, lime juice and coconut milk into the stoneware. Follow with onion and garlic. Add the brown sugar, spices and grated ginger. Toss the meat a bit in the liquid and spices to coat. Cover and cook on low for 8 hrs or on high for 4 hours. The coconut milk will be yellow from the curry and will separate a bit, but a quick stir will turn it all creamy again. Serve over white or brown rice.

Source: http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2008/08/cocount-beef-crockpot-recipe.html

FREEZER TIPS: I put everything in  zip lock bag, mix and froze. -Leanne

Swedish Yellow Split Pea Soup with Ham

Swedish Yellow Split Pea Soup with Ham

From EatingWell:  January/February 2012 This yellow split pea soup has fresh ginger to give it a bright flavor. Use the best ham you can find to get the most flavor.
8 servings, about 1 1/2 cups each | Active Time: 25 minutes | Total Time: Slow-cooker time: 5-8 hours

Ingredients

• 3 cups yellow split peas (about 1 1/2 pounds)
• 4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 4 cups water
• 2 cups diced yellow onion
• 1 cup diced carrot
• 1 cup finely diced celery
• 8 ounces ham, trimmed and diced
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
• 1 teaspoon dried marjoram
• Freshly ground pepper to taste

Preparation

1. Place split peas in a medium bowl. Wash with cold water until the water runs clear; drain and spread in a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker.
2. Add broth, water, onion, carrot, celery, ham, ginger and marjoram to the slow cooker. Stir to combine.
3. Cover and cook for 5 hours on High or 7 to 8 hours on Low. Season with pepper.

Nutrition

Per serving : 329 Calories; 3 g Fat; 1 g Sat; 1 g Mono; 16 mg Cholesterol; 51 g Carbohydrates; 28 g Protein; 20 g Fiber; 691 mg Sodium; 1065 mg Potassium
Cover and cook for 5 hours on High or 7 to 8 hours on Low. Season with pepper. Carbohydrate Serving
Exchanges: 3 starch, 1 vegetable, 3 lean meat

Tips & Notes

• Make Ahead Tip: Prep carrots, celery, ginger and dice ham; refrigerate in separate containers. Equipment: 5- to 6-quart slow cooker

Source: http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/yellow_pea_soup.html

FREEZING TIPS: