Buffalo Chicken Dip

 A coworker recently brought this dip to work. I had never had it before and it was really good. If you are attending a "bring a dish" Super Bowl party, it would be a good thing to take.
 

INGREDIENTS:

8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup blue cheese or ranch salad dressing

1/2 cup FRANK'S® REDHOT® Original Cayenne Pepper Sauce or FRANK'S® REDHOT® Buffalo Wing Sauce

1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese or shredded mozzarella cheese

2 cans (12.5 oz. each) SWANSON® White Premium Chunk Chicken Breast in Water, drained

DIRECTIONS:

Combine ingredients and place mixture into small slow cooker. Cover pot. Heat on HIGH setting for 1 1/2 hours until hot and bubbly or on LOW setting for 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Stir.

Makes 4 cups

View original recipe with tips at Franks Redhot Recipes

Rattlesnake

While camping on the Alabama/Florida line for a night, a fellow camper captured this under his RV. Most of the campers said "kill it" but he had mixed emotions. My husband suggested that he eat it. He told him the meat was very good. He said he was thinking about doing something like that. We don't know how it turned out or how he even let go of thing without getting bitten, but it got me to thinking...hmmm..rattlesnake in the crockpot. So, not having any experience with this personally. . . I did a search.  I found RATTLESNAKE CROCK POT RECIPES!!! I cannot vouch for them because I've never done it myself but here are a couple that I got from "rattlesnakerecipe.com.us". Who would have thunk it?!


Before you decide to cook one, do you want to know how to clean one? Check out this crazy "how to" video!



Rattlesnake Stew

1 large onion, chopped
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 bag baby carrots
3 celery stalks, chopped
4 white potatoes, chopped
handful fresh parsley, finely chopped
1 15 oz. can whole tomatoes, punctured
2 bay leaves
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. sugar
3 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. thyme
1 can beef broth
2 tbsp. corn starch or flour
1 tsp. ketchup
1 tsp. steak sauce
2 lb. rattlesnake meat
juice from 1/2 lemon

Simmer rattlesnake in water and lemon juice for 1 hour, remove and separate meat from bones.

Combine de-boned meat with the rest of the ingredients in a crockpot and slow-cook for 6-8 hours, or bring to boil in large cooking pot and simmer for 2 hours.

Rattlesnake & Italian Lentils

1 large onion, chopped
3 large garlic cloves, minced
1 jalapeno pepper, minced
handful Italian parsley, finely chopped
1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes
2 bay leaves
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. thyme
2 tbsp. dried basil
4 1/2 cups water
1 package dry lentil beans
2 lb. rattlesnake meat
juice from 1/2 lemon

Simmer rattlesnake in water and lemon juice for 1 hour, remove and separate meat from bones.

Combine de-boned meat with the rest of the ingredients in a crockpot and slow-cook for 6-8 hours, or bring to boil in large cooking pot and simmer for 2 hours.

Coconut Rice Pudding

Ingredients

2 cups water
1 cup uncooked long-grain rice
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Pinch of salt
18 ounces evaporated milk
1 can cream of coconut (14 ounces)
1/2 cup golden raisins
3 egg yolks, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

Place water, rice, butter and salt in medium saucepan. Over high heat, bring to a full boil, stir frequently. Reduce heat to low setting and cover. Cook for about 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes. Spray Crockpot with cooking spray. Add evaporated milk, cream of coconut, raisins, egg yolks and vanilla to Crock-Pot and mix well. Add rice mixture and stir to combine. Cook for 4 hours on low setting or 2 hours on high setting. As it cools, the pudding will thicken. Sprinkle with toasted coconut, ground cinnamon, grated nutmeg or chocolate shavings, if desired.

Crockpot Blackberry Deserts

I woke up to blackberry winter this morning and I started thinking ahead. What will I do with blackberries this year. Cooking them in the microwave is easy but the crockpot is a little different. I did some searching and I found these recipes that I want to try.



Crock Pot Blackberry Lemon Bread


Ingredients


1 c whole wheat flour
1 c white flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 c honey
1/2 c olive oil
3/4 c lemon juice
1 egg
1 c frozen blackberries
1 c Cool Whip Lite




Directions


Stir together dry ingredients. Add in oil, honey, juice and beaten egg. Mix just to moisten. Stir in frozen berries. Pour into greased and floured Bread/Cake Crock Pot Bake pan. Place in crock pot. Cover and bake on High setting for 3 - 4 hours or when bread tests done with a wooden toothpick. 


Remove from pan and let stand for 5 minutes, Unmold on cake rack. To serve cut in 1/4 thick slices and serve with about 1 tbsp of light cool whip. 


Please note that pretty much any fruit can be substituted for the blackberries. Just make sure the larger ones are in berry size chunks. 


To store, wrap in foil or plastic and place in refrigerator for up to 1 week.


Number of Servings: 24

I found this recipe on SparkPeople



Crockpot Blackberry Cobbler


1 package (14 oz.) frozen or fresh blackberries (3 cups), thawed and drained 


1/2 C. sugar 


1/3 C. water 


1 t. lemon juice 


1 C. Bisquick Original baking mix 


2 T. sugar 


1/3 C. milk 


Ground cinnamon


Whipping cream or vanilla ice cream, if desired 


Mix blackberries, 1/2 cup sugar, the water, and lemon juice in crockpot. Cover and cook on low 3 to 4 hours, or until mixture is boiling.


Mix Bisquick and 2 Tbsp sugar in small bowl. Stir in milk just until dry ingredients are moistened. Drop dough by 6 spoonfuls onto hot berry mixture. Sprinkle with cinnamon.


Cover and cook on high 20 to 25 minutes.


To serve, spoon dumpling into dessert dish. Spoon berry mixture over dumpling. Top with whipping cream or ice cream. 

I've used this recipe before. You can find it most anywhere. I got this one from That's My Home.

Hash Brown Casserole

Ingredients:

• 2 cups sour cream
• 1 can (10 3/4 oz) cream of mushroom soup
• dash pepper
• 2 cups Velveeta cheese, shredded or cubed
• 1/2 cup chopped onions
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 2 pounds frozen hash brown potatoes

Preparation:

In a large bowl, combine sour cream, soup, pepper, cheese, onions, salt and pepper; stir in potatoes. Pour mixture into sprayed or buttered crock pot. Cover and cook on high for 1 1/2 hours; turn to low and cook 2 1/2 hours more.

Georgia BBQ Pork and Beef Ribs

Put all ingredients in the crock pot and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.


These ribs are also great cooked on the grill.

Ginger Sesame Chicken

o A dozen (2 lbs) boneless, skinless chicken thighs (or about 6 boneless breasts)
o A bag (16 oz) ready to eat, cut baby carrots, cut in half lengthwise
o 2 tablespoons grated ginger root
o 1/2 cup chicken broth
o 1/4 cup honey
o 1 teaspoon minced garlic
o 1/4 cup soy sauce
o 3 tablespoons cold water
o 3 tablespoons cornstarch
o 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seed
o 2 sliced green onions with tops

Spray a 4-quart crock pot with cooking spray. Place chicken in the pot. Add carrots and sprinkle in ginger root. In small bowl, stir honey, oil, broth and minced garlic. Pour over chicken and carrots.

Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.

With a slotted spoon, remove chicken and carrots to serving platter; cover to keep warm. Strain cooking liquid; pour into a 1-quart saucepan. In a small bowl, mix soy sauce, water and cornstarch until smooth; add to liquid in saucepan. Cook and stir over high heat until thickened and sauce begins to bubble.

To serve, pour sauce over chicken and carrots. Garnish with sesame seed and onions.

Asian Chicken Soup

Ingredients
8 cups chicken broth
2 tablespoon light soy sauce
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
1 (8-ounce) can sliced water chestnuts, drained
1 carrot, peeled and shredded
1/2 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
1/4 pound uncooked spaghetti, broken in half
1 cup fresh snow peas, trimmed
2 scallions (green onions), sliced
Instructions
In a crock pot, combine chicken broth, soy sauce, mushrooms, snow peas, water chestnuts, carrot, and chicken. 

Cook on low for about 4 hours or until chicken is done.


Cook spaghetti noodles according to package directions. Add to crock pot. Cook on high for 10 more minutes.


Top each serving with a sliced scallion

Irish Stew

Let your crockpot do the work on this hearty Irish stew made with lamb and vegetables. This recipe may easily be converted to oven or stove-top methods.

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 10 hours

Total Time: 10 hours, 15 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds boneless lamb cubed, browned, and drained
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 2 cups water
• 1 small bay leaf
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and cut in 1/2-inch slices
• 2 small onions, thinly sliced
• 4 medium potatoes, peeled and quartered
• 1/4 cup quick-cooking tapioca (optional - see Note)
• 10 ounces frozen peas

Preparation:
Sprinkle browned lamb cubes with salt and pepper. Place lamb in the crockpot along with water, bay leaf, carrots, onions, potatoes, and tapioca. Cover and cook on low for 10 to 12 hours, adding peas to the stew during the last hour.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Note: If you do not wish a thickened gravy, omit the tapioca. 

recipe from about.com

Spanish Olive Chicken

1 broiler-fryer chicken, cut up
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3 large tomatoes, each cut in 6 wedges
3 medium sweet green peppers, each cut in 6 wedges
1/2 cup sliced black olives
1/2 cup white wine
3 tablespoons tomato paste

Put olive oil in a large heavy fry pan or Dutch oven on medium-high temperature. Add chicken and cook, turning, about 10 minutes or until brown on all sides. Drain off and discard oil. Mix together salt, cinnamon and pepper and sprinkle on all sides of chicken. Place chicken in crock pot. Add tomatoes, peppers and olives; pour wine over all. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours. Remove chicken to a warm serving bowl. Add tomato paste to juice in crock pot (at least 1/2 cup). Set temperature to high and let simmer for about 5 minutes. Pour sauce over chicken, garnish with parsley, and serve with saffron rice. Makes about 4-6 servings.

Alternative: If you prefer, you can do the whole process in the Dutch oven. Cook chicken for about 45 minutes.

Crock Pot Baked Onion Dip

This is a great dip!

Cook onions in your crockpot until they caramelize; then mix in several kinds of cheeses until they melt.

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 3 onions, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, cut into cubes
• 2 cups grated Swiss cheese
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves

Preparation:

Using at least a  2-quart crockpot, add olive oil and butter on high setting. Let the butter melt and then add the onions and stir well. Turn to low heat and cook for 5-6 hours, stirring occasionally, until onions are caramelized and brownish in color. Add remaining ingredients, stirring as you put them in. Cover and cook on low for 2-3 hours until cheeses melt. Stir a time or two during the cook time.

Serve with crackers, breadsticks,, baguettes or french bread strip. Keep warm in crockpot on low or Warm setting for up to 2 hours.

Makes about 3 cups of dip.

*shortcut: caramelize onions on stove top and then combine all ingredients into crock pot for about 1 and half to 2 hours.

Tip: If you don't want to serve from the crock pot, you can transfer dip mixture to oven proof container and place in oven on 400 to lightly brown the top. Then you can just heat it up in the microwave or on low on stove top occasionally.

Hot Dogs!

When I first decided to try this, I was sure nobody had ever done it before. So, I went on my search (Yahoo and Google search, of course) and found that I was wrong. I don't think there are any original recipe ideas left! So even though this is NOT uncharted territory, the crock pot is a really great way to cook hot dogs. I started with about 8 and it worked great! I've read where other people have cooked a lot more. But the thing is . . . it has great potential! When you cook them, they turn brown and get kind of "toasty" where they touch the crockery, giving a roasted effect. They turn out very plump and juicy like they do in those machines they use at ball games and carnivals.


It would be great to pile them in a crock pot, as many as you can get, and have them "self serve" at a birthday party or football party. I'd like to have an additional crock pot full of chili and a bowl of cole slaw and hot dog buns and shredded cheese, pickles and jalapenos and chips or oven baked fries.


Don't add water. Just pile them in and cook them on high for about an hour or so, or on low for a couple of hours. Then put them on warm. It's way too easy!

Parmesan Chicken With Penne Pasta

1 egg
1/3 cup plain bread crumbs
1/3 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (1 1/4 lbs)
1 26 oz jar tomato pasta sauce
1/2 cup shredded Italian Cheese (2 oz)
2 2/3 cup uncooked Penne pasta (8 oz)

Step 1 - Spray a 2 to 3 quart crock pot with cooking spray. Beat egg in a small bowl until foamy. In a separate bowl, mix bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper.

Step 2 - Dip chicken in egg, then coat evenly with bread crumb mixture; place in slow cooker. Spread pasta sauce evenly over chicken.

Step 3 - Cover and cook on low heat for 5 to 6 hours.

Step 4 - Sprinkle Italian cheese over top. Cover and cook on low for 10 more minutes. Now, cook and drain pasta according to package directions and serve chicken with pasta.

Basic Bouillabaisse - From The Freezer To The Microwave

Enjoy some now and freeze the rest for later. As, usual, click and click again to enlarge.

Ribs and Sauerkraut

2 lbs boneless pork ribs
1 14 oz can sauerkraut
1 medium apple
1 small sliced onion
3 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon caraway seed
1/4 cup of dry white wine or apple juice
Spray a 4 qt crock pot with cooking spray. Add the ribs, onion and apple, the sauerkraut, brown sugar and caraway seed. Mix it up a little and pour the wine (or apple juice) over the top of everything.
Cover the crock pot and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours.

Cranberry-Barbeque Meatballs

    * 2 16-ounce packages frozen cooked plain meatballs, thawed (32 meatballs each) or 32 homemade meatballs.
    * 1 16-ounce can jellied cranberry sauce
    * 1 cup barbecue sauce

directions

   1. In a 3-1/2- or 4-quart slow cooker place meatballs. In a medium bowl combine cranberry sauce and barbecue sauce. Pour over meatballs in cooker; stir to coat.

   2. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 4 to 5 hours or on high-heat setting for 2 to 2-1/2 hours. Serve meatballs with toothpicks. If desired, keep warm on low-heat setting for up to 2 hours.

   3. Makes 64 meatballs (obviously)

 Saucepan variation: In a large saucepan combine thawed meatballs and desired sauce. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 10 to 15 minutes minutes or until heated through, stirring occasionally.

Dieting Between Holidays? Me Too!

Well, it's not exactly dieting...just trying to maintain. You know, when I was younger, I never needed to do this!

Low Cal Cabbage Pot

1/2 lb ground beef or sausage
2 cans beef broth
3 fresh cut tomatoes or 1 jar home canned tomatoes
1 head of cabbage
1/2 of an onion
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon of chili powder
1/2 teaspoon marjoram
1/4 teaspoon curry powder


Brown the ground beef and put into the crock pot. Add all other ingredients and cook on low for 8 hours. If  you are not dieting or maintaining (or for the rest of family), serve with corn muffins.

Bread Pudding

What you need:

8 eggs, beaten
4 cups milk
2/3 cup light brown sugar sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 cups dry French bread cubes
2/3 cup raisins (optional)

What you do:

   1. In a mixing bowl, beat together the eggs, milk, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla.
   2. Place the dry bread cubes in the Crock Pot.
   3. Pour the egg mixture over the bread and stir in the raisins.
   4. Cover; cook on High for 2 1/2 - 3 hours.


*This recipe is also good with 1 cup unsweetened coconut milk and 1/2 cup firmly packed sweetened coconut flakes.

**Mix 1 cup confectioners sugar, 1/4 teaspoon vanilla and enough milk or water just to moisten. From a knife or teaspoon drizzle over each individual serving.

OR

Sauce:

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 large can evaporated milk * **
1/2 stick butter
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring until thickened.

*   1 pint half-and-half can be used.
** for a richer sauce use condensed milk.

Best served warm.

Cranberry Orange Cider

What you need:

1 cut fresh cranberries

6 cups apple cider or unfiltered apple juice

2 cups cranberry juice

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

4 whole cloves

4 whole allspice

2 cinnamon sticks

4 orange slices, cut 1/4 inch thick

3 lemon slices, cut 1/4 inch thick

3 lime slices, cut 1/4 inch thick

What you do:

Place cranberries in a food processor and pulse just until coarsely chopped.

Place chopped cranberries, cider, cranberry juice, brown sugar, cloves, allspice, cinnamon sticks, orange slices, lemon slices and lime slices in a preheated crock pot. Cook over high heat 10 to 20 minutes. Reduce heat to low and simmer another 10 minutes. Remove from crock pot; let stand 15 minutes.

Strain cider through a fine wire mesh strainer; discard solids. Keep cider warm by returning to crock pot and setting to the keep warm setting. Serve with additional orange, lemon and lime slices and a cinnamon stick.

Lemon Garlic Turkey Breast

1-3 lbs turkey breast

1/2 cup lemon juice

6 minced garlic cloves

1/4 tsp dried parley

1/4 tsp dried tarragon

1/4 tsp dried rosemary

1/4 tsp dried sage

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp fresh, ground black pepper

1/2 cup white wine

Place the turkey breast in the crock pot. In a small bowl, combine the lemon juice, garlic, parsley, tarragon, rosemary, sage, salt, pepper and wine. Pour this sauce over the turkey breast. Cover: cook on low for 8 to 10 hours, or on High for 4 to 5 hours.  yields approximately 6 servings