Slow cooker turkey breast

Do you get freaked out when you see a recipe for a turkey or whole chicken? I was nervous about these for awhile too. But now, I've realized, they're usually the easiest recipes there are! This was awesome to not have to buy an entire turkey, especially because it fit in the slow cooker. The gravy package that comes with the turkey was delicious as always!

Slow cooker turkey breast-adapted from New Slow Cooker Meals by Betty Crocker
Total time: 8 hours
Serves 10

• 6 1/2 pound turkey breast, thawed if frozen
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 stalk celery, chopped
• 1 dried bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon granules
• 1/2 cup water

Remove gravy packet from the turkey. Place onion, celery and bay leaf in the cavity of the turkey. Place the turkey in a 5 quart greased slow cooker.

Sprinkle turkey with salt, pepper and bouillon granules. Cover with water. Cook on low 8 to 9 hours or until turkey is tender. 

Shred turkey from the bones. Meanwhile, follow directions on the gravy packet for gravy. Use the liquid in the slow cooker as the drippings. Serve with turkey.

Swiss Steak

So I must confess-this might not be the best review of this recipe. I accidentally screwed up the timer on the slow cooker, so when I came home dinner wasn't really cooked. I kept cooking it on low and had egg sandwiches for dinner instead. I then warmed this up for dinner the next night. The flavors and taste were fine, but it wasn't something I really need to make again. If someone makes it right the first time, please let me know!

Swiss Steak-adapted from New Slow Cooker Meals by Betty Crocker
Total Time: 9 hours
Serves 6

• 1 1/2 pounds boneless beef round steak
• 1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
• 6 baby red potatoes, cut into fourths
• 1 1/2 cups baby carrots
• 1 medium onion, sliced
• 1 can (14 1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes with basil, garlic and oregano, undrained
• 12 ounces beef gravy

Cut beef into 6 serving pieces. Spray a large skillet with cooking spreay and heat over medium-high heat. Sprinkle beef with seasoned salt and cook for about 8 minutes, turning once, until brown. 

Layer potatoes, carrots, beef and onion in a 4-quart slow cooker. Pour tomatoes and gravy over top.

Cover and cook on low heat 7-9 hours or until beef and vegetables are tender.

Fruit Stuffed Pork Roast

When I first started cooking, I got this cook book from my mother. I went through the cookbook and put an 'x' next to all the recipes I was too afraid to try. I didn't want to try them because of multiple reasons: they had ingredients I wasn't familiar with, ingredients that I thought I didn't like, or just seemed too hard in general. Well, I've gotten over most of those fears and tried a recipe!

I didn't have any kitchen twine, so the picture doesn't look all that great, but the flavors were there and I'd make it again!

Fruit Stuff Pork Roast-adapted from New Slow Cooker Meals by Betty Crocker
Total Time: 6 hours
Serves 8

• 2 pound boneless pork loin roast
• 2 tablespoons dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon butter, melted
• 1 cup prepared stuffing
• 1 cup diced dried fruit and rasin mixture
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1/2 cup apple juice
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper

Cut horizontally down center length of pork to within 3/4 inch of opposite side. Open flat. From center, cut horizontally to within 3/4 inch from left side edge. Turn pork; repeat cutting to other side; open flat.

Mix mustard and butter in a small bowl. Spread half the mixture on inside surface of pork. Mix stuffing and fruit in another small bowl; spread over mustard coated surface. Roll roast; tie with kitchen twine. Spread remaining mustard mixture over outside of roast and rub with brown sugar.

Heat oil in a 12 inch nonstick pan over medium high heat. Cook pork in oil until brown on all sides. Place pork in a greased 5 quart slow cooker. Pour apple juice into skillet and cook 2-3 minutes to dissolve any remnants. Stir in salt and pepper and pour over pork.

Cook on low heat 6 to 8 hours or until pork is tender.

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Steak & Potato Soup

I absolutely love slow-cooker recipes.  They are awesome when you know you have a busy day, but you want a home-cooked meal, you can usually put everything in the slow-cooker the night before, refrigerate it, and put it on the heat right away in the morning.  Most of the clean-up can be done the night before and you still get a great meal for a day or two!

For this recipe I would definitely make sure to heat the soup on low for the full 9 hours, and then another half hour on high.  The veggies weren't quite tender after only heating on low for 8 hours.  This is great for when you want meat and potatoes & a warm soup!

Also MAKE SURE you have a 5-quart slow-cooker.  The broth fills it COMPLETELY, so a 3-quart slow-cooker will not work.

Steak & Potato Soup
1 pound beef boneless round steak
1 pound small red potatoes, cut into 1/4 inch slices
2 medium stalks celery, chopped
2 medium carrots, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon beef bouillon granules
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
4 cans (14 1/2 ounces each) beef broth
1 jar (6 ounces) sliced mushrooms, undrained
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup all-purpose flour.

Remove excess fat from beef.  Cut beef into 1x1/2-inch pieces.  Mix beef and remaining ingredients except water and flour in 5-quart slow-cooker.

Cover and cook on low heat setting 8-9 hours or until beef and vegetables are tender.

Mix water and flour; gradually stir into soup until blended. Cover and cook on high heat setting about 30 minutes or until slightly thickened.

9 Servings

Chili

Classic chili recipe

Chili-adapted from New Slow Cooker Recipes by Betty Crocker
Total Time: 8 hours
Serves 8
2 pounds ground beef (already cooked)
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can (15 ounces) tomato sauce
1 tablespoons chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 can (15 or 16 ounces) chili beans, kidney, or pinto beans, rinsed and drained
Shredded cheddar cheese, if desired
Sour cream, if desired

Mix beef and remaining ingredients except beans in 3 1/2-6 quart slow cooker.

Cover and cook on low heat 6-8 hours (or high heat 3-4) or until onion is tender.

Stir in beans.  Cover and cook on high heat 15-20 minutes or until slightly thickened.
8 Servings


Extra Tip:
Substitute ground pork for the ground beef for richer flavor--I have not tried this but it was suggested along with the recipe!

Southwestern Pork Stew

Great fill-you-up, warm-you-up  in the fall recipe!  The cornmeal used in this recipe adds a unique flavor as well as acting as a thickener! The recipe says to serve with tortillas. We did this, but it is honestly good without! Or you could serve dinner rolls with it.

Southwestern Pork Stew-adapted from New Slow Cooker Meals Betty Crocker
Total Time: 8 Hours
Serves 8
1 medium onion, chopped
3 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 pound pork boneless top loin, cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces
1/4 cup cornmeal
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 can (15 ounces) chili beans in sauce, undrained
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes with mild chiles, undrained
1 cup chicken broth
2 cups frozen whole kernel corn, thawed
Sour cream and cheddar cheese for topping

Place onion and garlic in 3 1/2-6 quart slow cooker.  Top with pork.  Mix cornmeal, cumin oregano, and salt; sprinkle over pork and mix well.  Add beans, tomatoes, and broth; mix well.

Cover and cook on low heat setting 8-10 hours or until pork is tender.

Stir in corn.  Cover and cook on low heat setting about 30 minutes or until corn is tender. Add sour cream and cheese as desired.