Slow Cooker Chicken Curry

 

When I get in the mood for curry, and I do, nothing is going to satisfy me until I have made a big pot. This is the easiest way to make curry that I can think of, because it is all done in the slow cooker. Other than dicing the chicken, it’s all just dump and stir. If you’d like, you can dice onion, and add it to this, and/or grate (or mince) some fresh ginger into the mixture. Add what you like to make it your own. It’s very good, and very satisfying. Serve it over rice and top with chopped scallions, minced cilantro, or a sprinkling of dry red pepper flakes. Do what you like; you honestly can’t go wrong.

 Slow Cooker Chicken Curry

 2 lbs. chicken thighs, diced

1 chicken bouillon cube

1 2.1-oz. pkg. dry chicken noodle soup mix

1 T. instant minced onions

3 T. curry powder

Pinch cayenne

1 10.5-oz.  can cream of chicken soup

6 oz. coconut milk

1 c. whole milk

1/2 c. heavy cream

2 t. cornstarch

1 pkg. frozen peas and carrot mixture

Spray the bottom of a slow cooker with PAM. Place diced chicken in the bottom of the slow cooker. Crumble the bouillon cube over the top, and sprinkle the dry package of chicken noodle soup overall.

 In a small mixing bowl whisk together minced onions, curry powder, cayenne, chicken soup, coconut milk, whole milk, heavy cream, and cornstarch. Pour over chicken, and give everything a good stir.

 Cover and cook on low for 5 to 6 hours until done. One hour before cook time is up, stir in frozen vegetables. Serve over rice.

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Slow Cooker Chicken Divan

 

There are days, particularly cold and rainy days like today, where I welcome a Crockpot meal. Recently I ran across this recipe to make chicken divan in the slow cooker, and I had to give it a try. This was the first time that I had ever seen a slow cooker recipe for chicken divan, so naturally, I was curious. It was also the first time I’d seen curry powder used in the making, and I must say I liked it a good deal. There is really nothing easier than this. Yes, it does contain a can of condensed soup, and I know that condensed soup is not all that good for you, but there are days when I’m willing to take the trade off in order to gain time to do something else. I served mine with wild rice, and it was a wonderful meal.

Slow Cooker Chicken Divan

Slightly adapted from cooktopcove.com

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Montreal Chicken Seasoning

4 cups fresh broccoli florets

1 10.5-oz. can cream of chicken soup 

1/3 c. Duke’s mayonnaise

1/3 c. sour cream

1 t. fresh lemon juice

1½ c. shredded cheddar cheese, divided

 ½ t. curry powder

Salt and pepper to taste

Buttered breadcrumbs for topping 

Spray the interior of your slow cooker with PAM.

Place the chicken breasts in the slow cooker and season them with copious amounts of Montreal Chicken Seasoning and freshly ground black pepper.

 

In a medium-sized bowl, mix together the soup, mayonnaise, sour cream, lemon juice, curry powder, and half of the shredded cheddar cheese. Spread this mixture evenly over the chicken.

 

Place broccoli florets on top of the chicken and sauce mixture, pressing down lightly.

 

Cover the slow cooker and set it to cook on low for 5 to 6 hours, or on high for 3 to 4 hours until the chicken is cooked through and the broccoli is tender.

 

Once cooked, sprinkle the remaining cheddar cheese over the top and cover for an additional 20 minutes or until the cheese melts.

 

For a crunchy topping, you can briefly broil buttered breadcrumbs and sprinkle over the dish just before serving.

  As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Overnight Slow Cooked Pinto Beans and Rice

This post contains affiliate links.

 My pantry is a disaster; it’s really starting to irritate me. The other day I thought I’d split my lip when a big Tupperware container fell down from the top shelf and hit me in the face. I figured it was time to get serious about organization, so I started pulling things out to take stock of what I had. For whatever reason, I uncovered an embarrassingly large supply of dried pinto beans. Time to put them to use, I told myself.

 

  This recipe is a combination of the slow cooked pinto beans I made last year as well as red beans and rice that I made earlier this year (sans meat). It’s easy to put together and cooks while you sleep, so upon arising, it’s ready for whatever meal you plan to use it. 

 

  Replace the chicken stock with vegetable stock or water, and you have a vegetarian meal. It’s a great dish to eat on its own, as a side dish, or when use as an ingredients in burritos. It is versatile, nutritious, and freezes beautifully.

 

 Overnight Slow Cooked Pinto Beans and Rice

1 1-lb. bag dried pinto beans*
1 green pepper, diced
1 3-oz. pkg. Melissa’s shallots, sliced
3 medium cloves garlic, minced
2 ½ t. Kosher salt
½ t. pepper
1 t. garlic powder

1 T. chili powder
½ t. cumin
½ t. oregano

7-8 c. chicken stock**

½ c. uncooked basmati rice

Rinse and drain the beans, discard any dirt clumps or rocks. Place into a 5-quart slow cooker. Add the green pepper, shallots, garlic, salt, pepper, garlic powder, chili powder, cumin, and oregano. Cover beans with chicken stock to 2 inches above them. Cover and cook on low overnight (10-12 hours). Do not open the lid while they cook or they will not get tender.

When you get up in the morning, add the rice and cook for another hour.

Serve topped with garnishes of your choice such as sour cream, chopped jalapeños, chopped scallions, chopped tomatoes, or grated cheese.

Serve with Honey Cornbread.

* There is no need to soak these, but I soaked mine.

 ** To make vegetarian replace chicken stock with vegetable stock or just use water.

 

 

Slow Cooked Chicken Noodle Comfort

This post contains affiliate links.

I was reading an article the other day about how comfort food has overtaken steaks in popularity. People want to feel warm arms around them in a comforting hug, but because that isn’t always readily available, they will take their hugs in food form.

 This recipe is the result of my longing for delicious comfort food, and rummaging through the cabinets. It was more work than I had intended it to be, but it was so warm and soothing and wonderful, that I didn’t mind cutting up those carrots or slicing those mushrooms in the end. If you want to make it easier on yourself, buy your vegetables pre-sliced. Yes, I know it uses canned soup, in fact three of them, but honestly, when you think of comfort food, do you ever think of kale? I didn’t think so. If you want to feel virtuous, eat a kale salad on the side.

Slow Cooked Chicken Noodle Comfort

 

1 10.75-oz. can cream of chicken soup

1 10.75-oz. can cream of mushroom soup

1 10.75-oz. can cream of celery soup

3 14.5-oz. cans chicken broth

2 t. onion powder

1 t. seasoned salt

½ t. garlic powder

¼ t. seasoned pepper

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts

½ c. julienne carrots

1 c. sliced fresh mushrooms

½ c. chopped fresh parsley

1 8-oz. bag frozen peas

1 8-oz. pkg. wide egg noodles

 

In the bottom of a 6-quart crockpot, whisk together soups, broth, and seasonings. Nestle chicken breasts in soup mixture. Sprinkle with carrots and fresh mushrooms. Cook on high for four hours. Remove chicken breast(s), shred, and return to crockpot. Add egg noodles, parsley, and peas, and cook 30 minutes longer.

 

 

Slow Cooker Corn and Chicken Chowder

This post contains affiliate links.

In this household, October is soup month. I have so many recipes that I want to try, experiments that I want to involve myself in, as well as an overabundance of pantry goods that could stand a bit weeding. I’ve gone crazy over corn these past couple of days, having made a variety of recipes containing it as an ingredient, and I am absolutely in love. This is an easy one to put together, hearty and filling, and so is appropriate for an evening meal along with a side salad and crusty roll of bread. There’s nothing in here that the kids won’t like, so it’s family friendly as well. What a lovely pot of comforting warmth.

Slow Cooker Corn and Chicken Chowder

1 lg. (.75-1 lb.) boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 medium yellow onion, diced
3 medium carrots, sliced
3 ribs celery, sliced
1 10.5-oz. can Cream of Chicken Soup
16 oz. homemade chicken broth
2 14.75-oz. cans Creamed Corn
¼ c. chopped fresh parsley
¼ c. chopped fresh chives
¼ t. smoked paprika
1/2 t. dried basil
½ t. dried minced onion
¼ t. Montreal Steak Seasoning (yes, that stuff makes everything better)
1/8 t. seasoned pepper

In the bottom of a 6-quart slow cooker, combine chicken and vegetables. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together soup, broth, corn, fresh herbs, and seasonings. Pour mixture over vegetables. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours until chicken is tender enough to shred. 

Shred chicken, and serve topped with additional chopped chives and/or parsley.

 

Slow Cooker Spicy Pinto Beans

This post contains affiliate links.

Today I am going to extol the virtues and unparalleled deliciousness of pinto beans. Trust me when I tell you that no one is more surprised that I’m doing this than me. I was looking for a side dish to serve along with a couple of tamales that I had in the freezer, and for whatever reason beans came to mind. Initially, I was thinking of making refried beans in the crockpot, because I love those, but in googling, came up with a recipe for pinto beans, adapted it according to my tastes, and loved it! I am a newly converted pinto bean enthusiast. I soaked mine, because I feel better about that, but you don’t have to. Whether you decide to soak them or not depends upon your level of paranoia, mine is always high. These are so good that I ended up eating them as a main dish, and completely forgot about the tamales.

Slow Cooker Spicy Pinto Beans

Adapted from themagicalslowcooker.com

 16 oz. dried pinto beans*

1 c. diced yellow onion

1 Melissa’s pickled jalapeño, sliced

2 t. chili powder

½ t. onion powder

½ t. garlic powder

¼ t. cumin

¼ t. adobo seasoning

¼ t. pepper

32 oz. container chicken broth

1½ c. water

 Add at the end:

¼ t. salt or more to taste

Rinse and drain the beans, discard any dirt clumps or rocks. Place into a 6-qt. slow cooker.

Add the onion, jalapeno, chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, cumin, adobo seasoning, pepper, chicken broth and water to the slow cooker with the beans. Wait to add the salt.

 Cover and cook on HIGH 7-8 hours. Do not open the lid while they cook, or they will not get tender.

 When the cooking time is done mash about ¼ of the beans with a potato masher right in the slow cooker. This will make the beans creamy, which the slow cooker can't do since the simmer is so low. Add salt to taste. (Because I used my homemade, well-seasoned chicken broth, I did not need any additional salt, so be sure to taste before you salt.)

 Serve as a side dish or as a main with tortillas or cornbread.

 Enjoy!

* There is no need to pre-soak, but I did anyway.

 

Slow Cooked Pork Chops Chanterelle

This post contains affiliate links.

I have an old freezer, and I am talking ancient. My guess is that it’s older than some of you are. The plus in having an old freezer is that it’s a good one; the downside is that it is not frost-free. It’s beyond time for me to defrost this monster, but I need to empty it out beforehand. So, I was rummaging around in what I like to refer to as the “Arctic north,” and found a package of pork chops. I didn’t want to trouble myself to do much with them, so adapted an old recipe I had from the 70s to include chanterelle mushrooms. The mushrooms imparted a wonderful, woodsy taste as well as a certain elegance. Tender and flavorful, this easy dish, paired with wild rice and a roasted vegetable, is company worthy.

Slow Cooked Pork Chops Chanterelle

4 bone-in pork chops

1 (1 oz.) pkg. Melissa’s dried chanterelles

1 (1 oz.) pkg. onion soup mix

1 (14 oz.) can low sodium chicken broth

1 (10.5 oz.) can low sodium cream of chicken soup

1 (1 oz.) pkg. dry pork gravy mix

½ t. garlic powder

Sprinkle garlic powder on both sides of pork chops and set aside.

Hydrate mushrooms according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together onion soup mix, chicken broth, cream of chicken soup, and pork gravy mix until well combined.

Spray slow cooker with PAM. Place pork chops in the bottom of slow cooker, and pour soup mixture over top.

Scatter hydrated mushrooms on top, cover, and cook on low for 4 to 6 hours.

Slow Cooker Brown Sugar Sesame Pork

​ This post contains affiliate links.

The other day a number of us were talking about slow cookers. Yes, that is but one example of some of the exciting conversations that I have had with people during the lock-down. I was surprised by how many of them had admitted to only using their slow cookers in the winter. Why? I asked them. It’s the summer when you don’t want to heat up the house. Sure, slow cooker fare tends to be a bit heartier and more filling, so perhaps more appropriate for winter consumption, but when we have hot days,  the slow cooker is my salvation.

This is a recipe that is super easy to put together, and very delicious. It is intensely flavorful with the sesame oil, seasonings, and soy sauce. It’s excellent when cut into slices and served on a bed of white rice alongside some roasted vegetables. If you prefer it for lighter fare, shred it and use it to fill tacos, or mound it on a sandwich bun. If the latter, I can attest that it is really delicious when topped with a pile of fresh bean sprouts and extra scallions.

Slow Cooker Brown Sugar Sesame Pork

Adapted from themagicalslowcooker.com

1 4-lb. pork tenderloin

½ c. reduced sodium soy sauce

½ c. brown sugar

2 T. sesame oil

2 T. white vinegar

¾ t. ground ginger

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 T. toasted sesame seeds

2 lg. Melissa’s shallots, diced

2 scallions, chopped, for garnish

Extra sesame seeds, for garnish

Stir together, in a medium bowl, soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, vinegar, ginger, garlic, sesame seed and

shallots.

Place pork tenderloin into the slow cooker. Cover with sauce, and cook for 5-6 hours on low.

Missouri Pot Roast

I’m sure that most, if not all of you, have heard of the slow cooker recipe for Mississippi Pot Roast. Here is my version, named for my state that we all found to be absolutely delicious. I went for low sodium -- not that you would notice -- lighter on the butter, as well as fewer peppers, to give it flavor, without heat, because not everyone (perhaps your grandmother) likes their Sunday roast spicy. Hearty, warming, and intensely flavorful, this is a keeper.

Missouri Pot Roast

1 3-4 lb. chuck roast, trimmed
1 packet (3 T.) Ranch Dressing Mix
1 T. Better Than Bouillon Reduced Sodium Beef Base

2 whole Melissa’s Pickled Jalapeños
6 T. unsalted butter

Place all ingredients, in the order given, into a crockpot. Cook on high for 5-6 hours, or low for 8 hours. Serve on a mound of whipped potatoes.

 

This post may contain affiliate links.