Slow Cooker Corn Chowder

Craving a hearty bowl of soup in the blistering heat of summer? Well this soup allows you to do just that without standing over a hot pot and heating up your entire kitchen. This hearty soup is great for dinner but also light enough for lunch. Sweet corn, salty bacon, and creamy potatoes make this soup dance on your taste buds!

Place all the ingredients in the slow cooker and cook on low for 6-7 hours.

Creamy Slow-cooker Mac & Cheese

If your family loves Macaroni & Cheese from the little blue box, then you will love, love, love this recipe! This is the creamiest Mac & Cheese I have ever been able to make at home and all in the slow-cooker, so it is supper easy! I recently made this recipe for a family function; I tripled the recipe, and there was only one small scoop left...that in itself is a statement for how delicious this Mac & Cheese recipe is! Try it out and I guarantee you will love it.

Can anyone say delicious?!?!

Slow Cooker Cashew, Almond Chicken

My husband and I absolutely love Chinese food, we pretty much eat it every chance we get. However, ordering Chinese take-out and eating at Chinese restaurants can get pricey, so I am always looking for new recipe to try at home. This cashew, almond, chicken is so easy and delicious. I will definitely be making this a regular in my recipe repertoire.

2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken tenders
3 heaping tbs. all-purpose flour
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 tbs. vegetable or canola oil
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tbs. rice wine vinegar
2 tbs. Ketchup
1 tbs. brown sugar
1 tsp. toasted sesame oil
2 large cloves garlic, grated
1 tsp. fresh ginger, grated
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 cup cashews, salted or non-salted
1/2 cup slivered almonds
2 cup snap peas
1 cup sliced carrots

In a large skillet, over medium-high heat, heat the vegetable or canola oil. In a large zip-top bag, place the chicken tenders, flour, salt and pepper. Shake the bag until all the chicken is coated in the flour. Remove the chicken from the bag, shaking off the excess flour, and place in the skillet. Brown the chicken on each side, about 3-4 minutes.

While the chicken is browning, in a medium sized bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, ketchup, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes until combined. When the chicken is done browning, place in the bottom of a slow cooker and pour the sauce over the top of the chicken. Cook on low 3-4 hours. During the last 30-45 minutes of cooking add the snap peas, carrots, almonds, and cashews.

Serve of rice and enjoy!

Note: If you like a lot of sauce you will probably want to double the sauce mixture.

Easy Slow Cooker Pot Roast with Thyme Glazed Carrots

Monday was my dad's birthday, so I made pot roast with rice and carrots for his birthday dinner. I stuck the pot roast in the slow cooker and let it cook all day until it became juicy and tender. The carrots are also an one pot dish, so the entire meal is pretty easy and there is little clean-up involved, those are my favorite kind of meals! It was super delicious and will definitely feed a crowd. 

Slow Cooker Pot Roast

1 (4-5 lb) boneless round bottom roast; you could also use a chuck roast or top round roast

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to season the meat

Garlic powder, to season the meat

Onion powder, to season the meat

1 1/2 cups good red wine, whatever you prefer to drink  

1 large onion, grated or finely chopped

4 large garlic cloves, smashed

1 packet Au Jus mix or Brown Gravy mix

2 tbs. Worcestershire sauce

3 tbs. Dijon mustard

1/4 cup Ketchup

2 or 3 sprigs of thyme

1 tbs. Kosher salt

1 tbs. freshly ground black pepper

2 cups water

Season all sides of the meat liberally with salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder. Place the roast in the slow cooker with the grated/chopped onion, garlic cloves and thyme sprigs. In a medium bowl mix together the red wine, Au Jus mix, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, ketchup, water, salt and pepper. Whisk until combined and then pour over meat. Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook for 8 to 10 hours, depending on how much time you have. 

Once the roast is cooked, slice into 1/2 in. pieces and serve over white rice or mashed potatoes. Ladle the juices from the slow-cooker over the pot roast and enjoy!

Thyme Glazed Carrots

2 lbs baby carrots

2 tbs thyme leaves

4 tbs extra-virgin olive oil

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

Kosher salt and pepper to taste

In a large skillet heat the olive oil over medium to medium-high heat. While the olive oil is heating, strip the leaves from the thyme stems (no chopping involved) and wash the carrots. Make sure to thoroughly dry the carrots, as you do not want to get any water in the cooking oil. 

Once the olive oil has heated up place the carrots, thyme leaves, brown sugar, salt and pepper in the skillet. Stir together so all the carrots are coated in the brown sugar. Place a lid on the skillet and cook for 25-30 minutes depending on how tender you like your carrots. Stirring occasionally to ensure the carrots and brown sugar do not burn.

Serve with the pot roast and rice or mashed potatoes. Enjoy!

Note: This meal will serve a lot of people! There were 5 of us on Monday night and there were enough leftovers for four lunches.