SAVORY CORN CHOWDER

6 slices bacon, cooked crisp

1 medium onion, chopped

1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

4 or 5 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed

2 cups water

1 (12 ounce) can evaporated milk

1 (14.75 ounce) can cream style corn

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup 2% or regular milk

3/4 to 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (Optional)

 

Cook bacon in skillet on top of the stove until crisp.  Remove and drain on paper towel.  Fry onion and garlic in about 2 tablespoons of the bacon grease left in skillet.  Drain. In a pot on top of the stove cover potatoes with the 2 cups of water, bring to a boil and cook about 10 minutes until soft.  Add onion, garlic, milk, corn, salt and pepper and continue cooking on simmer about 20 minutes longer stirring several times. Crumble bacon into soup. Stir to mix. Add cheese.  Makes 8 to 10 servings. Enjoy!

 

Yummy Pinto Beans

3 1/2 cups dried pinto beans
1/2 cup  brown sugar
salt to taste
1/2 tsp. black pepper
3/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 Tbsp. molasses
12 oz. lean bacon (I have made this dish without this)
3 cups tomato juice ( I have used my own home canned tomatoes, 1qt. or equivalent amounts of canned stewed tomatoes or whatever I had on hand.)
1 tsp. dried mustard
1/2 large onion, finely chopped

Put beans in large pot and cover with water and salt well ( I have read that you should not salt beans before you cook them because they will not cook completely, they will still be hard. I have never found that to be true and always salt my beans. It gives them so much flavor.). Cook beans until soft. Check often as you may need to add more water. When beans are completely cooked drain them, setting aside a few cups of the bean broth, and add tomatoes, spices, brown sugar, molasses. Slowly cook onion and bacon in frying pan. Drain. Add to beans. Add enough of the reserved bean broth to cover beans by one inch. Let this simmer slowly and watch carefully as beans seem to scorch easily, for about one to two hours to allow flavors to blend. This dish is excellent with cornbread or home made bread and a salad.

Santa Fe Chicken

1 tbsp butter in fry pan.
Add one chopped large onion.
Saute till tender.
Add 1-1/4 c. chicken broth to pan with one cup of salsa.
Bring it to a boil.
Add 1 c. long grain rice.
Add 4 boneless chicken breasts and 1/8 tsp. garlic powder.
Cover and simmer for 10 minutes. (I used the already cooked chopped chicken breasts and added it later since it is already cooked).
Simmer for 10 minutes then turn over the chicken breasts, and cook another 10-15 min.
(At this point, add in cooked breast meat if you are taking that route)
Add a cup of pinto and black beans (1/2 c. of each).
Stir it up, turn off the heat. Add green onions, cilantro and 3/4 c. of cheddar cheese. Let rest for 5 minutes. ENJOY!
  You can do this in the crockpot

• 24 oz. (1 1/2 lbs) chicken breast
• 14.4 oz can diced tomatoes with green chilies *Or a jar of salsa 
• 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 8 oz frozen corn (*We use canned.)
• 14.4 oz can fat free chicken broth
• 3 onions
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper (to taste)
• salt to taste
  
  

Directions:

1. Combine chicken broth, beans, corn, tomatoes, onions, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, cayenne pepper, and salt in the crock pot.
   1. Season chicken breast with salt and lay on top.
   2. Cook on low for 10 hours or on high for 6 hours.
   3. A half hour before serving, remove chicken and shred.
   4. Return chicken to slow cooker and stir in.
   5. Adjust salt and seasoning. 
   6. Serve over rice with cilantro, sour cream, and shredded cheddar cheese.

Mexican Hamburger Rice Bake

 This recipe is a family favorite..It belongs to my friend Crystal she has a ton of recipes on her blog.. check it out and enjoy ..

5 to 6 cups of cooked brown rice (a great use of leftover rice)
1 lb hamburger
½ small onion
1 10oz can Rotel tomatoes
8 oz. tomato sauce
½ cup water
salt or seasoning salt to taste
1 cup or more cheddar cheese

Cook hamburger and onion in fry pan till hamburger is no longer pink and onion is soft.  Add rice, rotels, tomato sauce, water,  and seasonings and mix and simmer everything for about 5 to 10 minutes.  Put this in a 9x13 inch pan (I sprayed mine with Pam) and top with cheese.  Bake at 375 for 20 to 25 minutes until everything is hot and bubbly.

Italian Beef

1 3lb beef roast
1 cup water
1 t chopped garlic, or more if you love garlic like we do
½ medium onion, sliced thin
2 t Italian seasonings
1 t salt
½ t pepper
½ t sugar
1 jar (12 to 16 oz) greek pepperoncini’s

The night before you want to serve this meal place roast and water in crockpot and set on low.  In the morning there should be lots of juices.  Using 2 forks shred beef.  Add garlic, onion, seasonings and stir well.  Now add the pepperoncini’s and as much of the juice from the jar as you would like (according to your tastes).

Let this continue to cook on low for the remainder of the day.  Serve on toasted whole wheat hamburger buns or brown rice.

Fabulous Baked Beans

4 cups cooked navy beans (aka small white beans), save liquid from cooking the beans
½ c ketchup,
½ cup  or brown sugar
2 T white vinegar
1 T dried minced onion
½ t dry mustard
1 t minced garlic
Salt, to taste..  if you cook your beans with salt then you may not need to salt them any more
Pepper to taste

Combine all of the above ingredients and add reserved bean liquid to make it soupy.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until the beans are of a desired thickness and the flavors have blended well

BBQ Crockpot Meatballs

2lbs hamburger
2 slices homemade wheat bread, cubed
2 eggs
½ small onion, chopped or amount to taste
½ to 1 teaspoon Spike or seasoning salt
salt and pepper, as desired

Sauce:
1 cup barbeque sauce, homemade preferred
1 cup peach jam, or apricot will also work

To make meatballs combine hamburger, bread cubes, eggs, onion, salt, pepper and seasoning salt. Form into small balls and put in an 11x15 pan. Bake for 20 minutes or until a meatball cut in half is completely cooked through.

Prepare sauce by mixing together bbq sauce and jam.

After meatballs have cooked lift them out of the pan and place in crockpot. Pour sauce over them. Cover and cook on low for 4 hours.

Corned Beef and Cabbage for the Crockpot

2 onions, sliced
2 t minced garlic
3 potatoes, chopped into bite size pieces
1 corned beef, 3 to 4lbs
Small head of cabbage or half of a bigger one, cut into slices
1 cup water

In the bottom of a large size crockpot layer onions, garlic and potatoes.  Set corned beef on top and lay cabbage slices on to of the meat.  Pour in 1 cup water. Cover and cook on low for 10 to 11 hours.

Slow Cooked Potatoes and Mushrooms

3 medium-sized red potatoes, cut into eights

4 large brown mushrooms, quartered

1 small white onion, cut into lengthwise chunks

4 cloves garlic, minced

½ t. Seasoned salt

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 t. lemon juice

1 t. olive oil

Place potatoes in bottom of crock pot; sprinkle with seasoned salt and kosher salt and black pepper to taste. Layer vegetables on top. Sprinkle lemon juice and olive oil over the top. Turn slow cooker to low and cook for 4 to 6 hours, until potatoes are soft.