What is on your menu this week?

Have you ever had Korean Fire Meat, or bulgogi?  It's a grilled marinated beef that is sliced very thin and eaten wrapped in a lettuce leaf.  It's really yummy. However my kids aren't really into eating mat wrapped in lettuce, so I adapted the recipe to fit into their food comfort zone.  Meat and rice.   I've combined the same flavors into a slow cooker version of Korean Fire Meat.  The meat marinates while it slow cooks in a mixture of soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil and garlic. I've been making this for a long time.  It's a fun way to slow cook a beef roast.  We eat it on rice topped with a little of the marinade broth, toasted sesame seeds and sliced green onions.  Or you can wrap the meat in a lettuce leaf, like traditional Korean Fire Meat.  And the best part is it takes only a few minutes to prep and you have a yummy dinner waiting for you later that day.  A great Sunday dinner idea! Slow Cooker Korean Fire Meat prin...

I don't know about you, but I am LOVING when I find a recipe that is simple, made in the crockpot, and is still yummy.  This kalua pork is all of those things.  And my family likes it.  Score! It has three ingredients:  pork, liquid smoke, and salt.  That's it!  Drop the pork into the slow cooker, sprinkle some liquid smoke over and it and sprinkle some salt onto it.  Put the lid on and turn on the slow cooker and you have dinner 7 hours later. It's not the "official" way to make kalua pork, but it still tastes really good.  I don't even use Hawaiian sea salt, so I guess it's not really Hawaiian pork.  But I'll call it Kalua pork anyway... This is a favorite recipe to make on Sundays, so it can slow cook while we're at church all morning. I like to serve it with Simple Coconut Rice .  So simple!  Just sub a can of coconut rice in for some of the water when you cook your rice.  I throw it in my rice cooker and set the...

My sister-in-law shared this recipe with me a few years ago.  It's become a family favorite, so I thought I'd share it again.  We have it after trick-or-treating, for football game parties with friends, and after sledding in the snow.  It's very easy to mix up, then it warms in the crockpot until you're ready to enjoy it.  It will disappear fast if you have a crowd to share it with. Crockpot Hot Chocolate Ingredients 1/3 c. cocoa 5 1/2 c. fat-free milk 1 Tbsp. vanilla 1 (14 oz.) can fat-free sweetened condensed milk 1 (3") cinnamon stick (optional)  Directions Place cocoa in a 3 quart electric slow cooker. Gradually add 1 c. fat free milk, stirring with a whisk until well blended. Add remaining fat-free milk, vanilla, and sweetened condensed milk, stirring with a whisk until well blended. Add cinnamon stick, if desired.  Cover with lid; cook on low-heat setting 4 - 8 hours. Discard cinnamon stick.  Stir well w...

I think I make sloppy joes almost every time we have family come come visit.  It's perfect because it's easy to make a lot and you can prep it ahead and have it warm in the crockpot until it's time to eat.   I've tried a lot of sloppy joe recipes and even used cans of Manwich.      This is by far my favorite recipe.  It's sweet and tangy, and super yummy!  And of course it's easy to make.  I found it on Becky Bakes a while ago.  I usually don't follow the recipe amounts exactly.  I just eyeball it.  It always turns out to be delicious.  This is my version.    Sloppy Joes 1 lb. ground beef (or ground turkey) 1/4 c. or as much as you like onion, diced green or red bell peppers, diced (as much as you like) 3/4 c. chili sauce (or ketchup or combo of both) 2 T. apple cider vinegar 2 T. brown sugar 1 tsp. dry ground mustard ...

I couldn't wait until Friday to post this, so it's not a "Friday Favorite" post.  It's a "Thursday Favorite." Recently, I made one of my favorite crockpot dishes, chicken stew . This is a recipe that I've been making for years, since I was a teenager. I used to make it for my family in my dad's dutch oven. It would bake while we were away at church for three hours. When we got home it would be done and was delicious! Now I make it in my crockpot (or in my oven if I'm going to be home -- I'm a little nervous about having my gas oven on while I'm not at home).  It's easy, just a few minutes of prep work and then dinner is done a few hours later. I made this using our new red potatoes from our garden.  They were delicious!  My kids actually liked them, maybe since they had to water them all summer. Here is the recipe from a post a few years ago .  Spend a few minutes mixing up some one hour rolls and your family will be ha...

Tuesday night is officially "crockpot night" at my house.  It's the only night that the kids' don't have soccer practice, but it is piano teaching day for me.  It's been so nice to have dinner prepped before I start teaching at 2:00 and ready to eat when I have a break.    This recipe is all over pinterest, but is posted here .  I used less sauce than it called for and it worked great.  My kids like it and we've made it several times.  I just throw some rice in my rice cooker and set the timer.  Then all I have to do is cook some veggies and slice some fruit and dinner is ready.       Crockpot Teriyaki Chicken recipe adapted by me from here Ingredients 3 chicken breasts or a package of chicken thighs 1/2 c. soy sauce 1/2 c. granulated sugar 1/4 c. apple cider vinegar 1/2 tsp. freshly grated ginger 1/2 tsp. minced garlic a li...

I saw this recipe for Tomato Basil Parmesan Soup on pinterest from 365 Days of Slow Cooking , and also on Sisters' Cafe .  So, I decided that I should make it along with some Macaroni Grill style Rosemary Bread .   As I was finishing up making this soup, I realized that it might have been a mistake to make it for dinner.  It looked delicious, but I remembered that my husband does not like tomato soup of any kind.  And my kids don't really like tomato soup either.  I decided to cook up some pasta that my kids could toss in their soup. When I served dinner this is what happened from my family: 7 year old:  ate her bowl with a little complaining and said, "Mom, this is a TINY bit good." 5 year old:  ate a lot of his bowl until he got distracted by something and left the table.   2 year old:  wouldn't touch it  hubby:  (who worked late and ate later) tried a bite and said that he was sorry, but he never has l...

Happy Monday!  I've added a new category onto my " Ultimate List of Dinner Ideas " tab up at the top of my blog header.  It's a list of crockpot recipes. I have a few days a week where I don't have time before dinner to make dinner, so it needs to be either a crockpot recipe or a make ahead meal.  Now I have a list of some of the things I make in the crockpot.  Sometimes I make meatballs or taco meat and then just use the crockpot to keep the food warm on low until it's dinnertime. All right, menu time... Monday:  baked potato soup, buttermilk biscuits Tuesday:   crockpot chicken stroganoff w/whole wheat egg noodles Wednesday: fish tacos Thursday: breakfast for dinner Friday:   7up marinated chicken , rice or pasta salad, veggies Saturday: easy night Sunday:  we'll see... All righty, that's what we're having this week?  How about you?  What's on your menu this week?

This is one of my family's favorite meatballs recipes.  I blogged about it back in 2008, but decided that it deserved a new, updated post. This is a great recipe to make with items that you might already have on hand. It's a great way to use some of that tomato soup that you might have in your pantry.   My kids love these meatballs! On busy nights I brown the meatballs and then put the meatballs and the sauce in the crockpot on high to finish cooking for a few hours (or if the meatballs are almost cooked through, just turn it on low).  Then if you have a timer on your rice cooker set it to be done at dinner time.  And, voila, dinner will be done when you're ready for it. Porcupine Meatballs recipe from my friend, Wendi 1 lb. ground beef or turkey (I prefer turkey) 1/4 c. uncooked rice 1 slightly beaten egg 1 T. parsley 2 T. finely chopped onion 1/2 tsp. salt dash of pepper 1 can of tomato soup 1/2 c. water 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce Combine meat, rice, e...

This is my new favorite soup for four reasons:  It's made in the crockpot! I usually have all the ingredients on hand. My kids will usually eat anything that you crumble tortilla chips into. It's yummy! I got this recipe from my friend Angela.  It was in the Woman's Day magazine  and on their website .  Oh, and don't forget about the giveaway ending this Sunday (Sept 25, 2011).  Your odds are pretty good for winning. :) (If using canned beans instead of dry beans your soup won't be this thick. See the *'s in the recipe for my notes.   I actually made this another time with dry beans and I actually liked it better with canned beans, or maybe with 1/2 lb. of beans instead of 1 lb. ) Photo from Woman's Day Slow Cooker Pork and Black Bean Soup recipe from Woman's Day 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth 1 Tbsp chopped canned chipotle peppers in adobo, plus 2 Tbsp adobo sauce * 2 tsp ground cumin 1 lb dried black beans, rinsed** ( I like it bet...

This is my favorite recipe for taco soup.  I have been making it for over five years now and haven't found a recipe that I like better.  I posted this recipe along with my menu #8 back in 2008, but I thought this recipe was so good that it deserved another post. My Favorite Taco Soup Recipe from Cindy Burian printable recipe Ingredients 2 lbs ground beef (we like ground turkey best and use 1 lb) 2 - 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 onion, chopped 1 green pepper, seeded and chopped 1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed 1 can pinto beans, drained and rinsed 1 can corn or hominy (I like white corn) 1 small can green chilies 1 can Mexican style diced tomatoes 1 can Rotel 1 pkg taco seasoning or use 1 T. homemade taco seasoning 1 pkg ranch dressing mix 1 - 2 c. water (make it as thin or thick as you like) ...

I just updated my chicken stroganoff recipe post with a better picture.  This is a yummy, super easy, crockpot meal that uses everyday pantry ingredients.  Check out the recipe and give it a try.

I made these Busy Day Beef Tips today since I needed dinner to be ready in the crockpot when we got home from gymnastics.  It was super easy (except that I cut up a roast instead of buying stew meat or beef tips).  I got my rice ready to cook in my rice cooker while we were gone.  Dinner was ready when we got home with very little preperation.  Gotta love that! I used the leftover beef and sauce to make beef pot pie the next day.  Just added some steamed potatoes and carrots and covered it with a pie crust and baked it.  Yum! Busy Day Beef Tips recipe from The Recipe Room 2 lbs. beef tips (stew meat, or cut up roast) 1 can cream of chicken soup 1 can cream of celery soup ½ c water 1 pkg. dry onion soup mix Mix all ingredients in casserole dish. Cover and bake for 3 hours at 300 degrees. Serve over rice. (May also be cooked in the crock pot on low for 8-12 hours).

This is not a spicy dish even though it's called "fire meat".  I'm going to post the original recipe and then my go-to-crockpot version of it. Korean Fire Meat I got this recipe from my friend, Anne Marie, who got it off of Good Things Utah This is the original recipe 2 - 3 lb beef roast, well trimmed (have butcher slice very thin) 1 c. sugar Marinade 3/4 c. soy sauce 2 T. sesame seeds 3 garlic cloves, minced 3 T. sesame oil 1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced Combine beef and sugar and let stand for 10 minutes. (Pat sugar onto outside of roast) Combine marinade in mixing bowl. Pour marinade over meat. Stir to mix and let sit overnight. Cook in heavy pan or Dutch Oven in small batches over medium-high -- high heat. Serve over rice as main dish. Or for an appetizer, serve it on Boston lettuce leaves with matchstick carrots and cucumbers. My crockpot version : Sprinkle roast with sugar (I use about 1/2 c. instead of 1 c.) and set in crock...

I tried a new crockpot recipe today.  My hubby told me that he liked it better than how I usually made it.  I was confused, since I've never made this recipe before.  He meant that he liked it better than how I usually cook a roast and make my own gravy. Easy Crockpot Beef recipe from DeAnn DeMill 1 lb stew meat (or I cut up 1/2 of a roast) 1 pkg onion soup mix (I used 1/2 pkg) 1/2 c. water 1 can cream of chicken soup Mix soup mix, water and cream of chicken soup together.  Pour over meat in crockpot. I cooked it on high for 4 hours while we were at church.  It came out really tender and yummy.  Or you can cook it on high for one hour and low all day. Serve w/ mashed potatoes.  (I peeled potatoes and steamed them in my rice cooker while I was at church.  When we got home they were ready to mash.  It was so quick and easy!) ____________ Now on to my menu this week.  There are a few repeats from last week, which makes me...

I'm not going to plan a menu for this next week. We have lots of leftovers from Christmas and I didn't use up all my menus from last week. I hope everyone had a great Christmas! Mine was great, nice and relaxing. Did you make a turkey for Christmas dinner? I didn't, I made a ham. But if you did make a turkey here's a really simple, pantry-ingredient dinner to use up some of that turkey.. Green Chili Turkey (or Chicken) Pot Pie I got the recipe from some ladies at church I usually half this for my family 2 green onions, chopped 3 Tbl. oil 2 (4.5 oz) cans chopped green chiles, undrained 1 (2.25 oz) can sliced ripe olives, drained ¼ cup flour 1 ½ tsp ground cumin 2 (16 oz) cans pinto beans, rinsed and drained 1 (14 oz) can chicken broth ( I used 2 cans, to thin it out a bit) 2 cups chopped cooked turkey breast (or chicken) 2 cups shredded Mexican four-cheese blend biscuit dough ( I've used crescent roll dough and made these biscuits from the Sisters...

Since it snowed at my house this week, I thought I'd post a yummy hot chocolate recipe. It's fun to make and a nice change from my big can of Swiss Miss that I keep in my pantry. Crockpot Hot Chocolate Ingredients 1/3 c. cocoa 5 1/2 c. fat-free milk 1 Tbsp. vanilla 1 (14 oz) can fat-free sweetened condensed milk 1 (3") cinnamon stick (optional)  Directions Place cocoa in a 3 quart electric slow cooker. Gradually add 1 c. fat free milk, stirring with a whisk until well blended. Add remaining fat-free milk, vanilla, and sweetened condensed milk, stirring with a whisk until well blended. Add cinnamon stick, if desired.  Cover with lid; cook on low-heat setting 4 - 8 hours. Discard cinnamon stick.  Stir well with a whisk before serving. Ladle hot chocolate into mugs; top with marshmallows. Makes 10 servings (3/4 cups each). \ I haven't ever added the cinnamon stick, but I...

I love crockpot recipes! This one is super easy and uses ingredients that I always have on hand. Chicken Stroganoff I got this recipe from my friend, JoDee 1 or more chicken breasts (I usually just use 1 that's enough for my family. I buy the chicken breasts w/bones & skin -- it's tender and cheaper than boneless skinless) 2 Tbsp flour 1/2 tsp garlic powder 1/4 tsp paprika 1/2 tsp pepper 1 T. onion soup mix  ( here's the link to make your own ) 1/2 cup water 10 oz can cream of mushroom soup 9 oz jar sliced mushrooms, drained (optional) 1 Tbsp minced fresh parsley (optional) 1/2 cup sour cream (I usually throw in 1/4 c. butternut squash puree from my freezer --completely optional) Remove skin from chicken. Combine flour, garlic powder, pepper, and paprika in slow cooker. Place chicken in flour mixture and toss until meat is well coated. Add mushroom soup, water, butternut squash puree and soup mix. Stir until well blended. Cover. Cook on high for 3-3 ...

Hi everyone! I just wanted to share a link to a recipe for some yummy crockpot pork chops. I saw on Maggie's menu this week that she was making this recipe from Picky Palate . I made it tonight for dinner and my kids loved it! I loved it because it was so easy -- three ingredients in the crockpot! Check it out here . Crockpot Ranch Pork Chops This is my version of Picky Palate's recipe: as many pork chops as you like, I usually do 3 1/2 package (or about 1 1/2 T.) dry ranch dressing mix 1 can. cream of chicken soup 3/4 c. water (or add more or less depending on how thin you'd like the gravy) Mix ranch dressing mix, cream of chicken soup and water together and pour over pork chops in the crockpot. Cook on high for 3 hours or on low for 5 - 6 hours. Serve with mashed potatoes.

I'm reposting Suzi's fabulous recipe, so it will be easier to find instead of in the comment section. It was super yummy and easy! We loved it. We ate the leftovers the next day wrapped in tortillas. All Day Salsa Chicken recipe from Suzi 3 - 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (frozen is ok) 1 can cream of chicken soup (the healthy cooking kind) 16 oz. salsa (peach salsa was delish!) Cook slowly for 6-8 hours and VOILA! You can sprinkle some jack cheese on it and serve with spanish rice, or just some salad and fresh fruit.