Saffron-Spiced Chicken Makhani with Lemon Yogurt

 

Few dishes rival the elegance of a slow-simmered meal that envelops your home in fragrant, exotic notes. This Saffron-Spiced Chicken Makhani with Lemon Yogurt reimagines a timeless Indian-inspired classic with a refined twist—tender chicken steeped in garam masala, turmeric, and a whisper of saffron, enriched with creamy yogurt and brightened by a touch of lemon. The slow cooker melds these flavors with Rotel tomatoes and a late addition of peas, creating a dish that’s as effortless as it is opulent. Serve it over fragrant rice with a scattering of cilantro, and you’ve crafted a masterpiece fit for both intimate dinners and grand occasions. This isn’t just dinner—it’s an experience.Saffron-Spiced Chicken Makhani with Lemon Yogurt

 2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1" cubes

1 t. kosher salt

½ t. freshly ground black pepper

2½ t. garam masala

Pinch of saffron threads (about 10-15 threads), crushed

1-2½" piece of Melissa's organic ginger, minced

2 garlic cloves, minced

3 Melissa’s shallots, diced

2 T. unsalted butter

1 T. tomato paste

1½ t. turmeric

1 14-oz. can Rotel tomatoes

1 10-oz. pkg. frozen peas

1½ c. plain yogurt

1 T. fresh lemon juice

¼ c. chopped Melissa’s organic cilantro

 Lightly mist the inside of a 4-quart slow cooker with cooking spray (like PAM) for easy cleanup.

 In a medium bowl, toss the chicken cubes with kosher salt, black pepper, garam masala, and crushed saffron threads until evenly coated. Transfer to the crockpot.

 In a separate bowl, combine the minced ginger, garlic, diced onion, unsalted butter, tomato paste, turmeric, and Rotel tomatoes. Stir until blended, then pour this vibrant mixture over the chicken.

 Set the crockpot to low and cook for 6 hours, allowing the saffron and spices to infuse the chicken with rich, tender flavor.

 After 6 hours, stir in the frozen peas and cook for an additional 30 minutes.

Turn off the heat, then gently fold in the plain yogurt and fresh lemon juice, lending a creamy texture and a zesty lift.

Serve this luxurious dish over your favorite rice—basmati or jasmine enhances its sophistication—and garnish with fresh cilantro leaves for a final flourish.

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Copycat Slow Cooker Chipotle Black Beans

 

I have never been to Chipotle before, but I have recently become acquainted with their burrito bowls. As I understand it, they are customizable, filling, tasty, high in protein, with a relatively low calorie count. All of this sounded really good to me, so I started looking around for assembly instructions, as well as a recipe for their black beans. There are a number of recipes that claim to be copycats of Chipotle's black beans, but I opted for the one that I deemed to be the easiest because it is made in the slow cooker, customizing it in my own special way. The last thing I want to do in the heat is boil beans on the stove top. I was pleased with the results; they are very good, but I think made even better by the inclusion of minced jalapeño, but that’s just me.

Copycat Chipotle Black Beans

 1 lb. dried black beans, rinsed

1 yellow onion, diced

6 cloves garlic, minced

1 chipotle chili in adobo sauce, minced

4 c. vegetable broth

2 c. water

1 t. ground cumin

2 t. dried Mexican oregano

1 t. adobo

2 bay leaves

Juice of one lime juice

Salt, to taste

Freshly ground black pepper

Into a slow cooker, place black beans, onion, garlic, chipotle chili, broth, water, cumin, oregano, adobo, and bay leaves; stir to combine. Cook on high for 6-7 hours until the beans are tender. Discard the bay leaves and add lime juice and salt and pepper, to taste.

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Slow Cooker Apple Bourbon Baked Beans

 

My parents used to have a very large house at the Lake of the Ozarks. Every holiday, all five of those bedrooms were filled, many sections of the floor covered in sleeping bags, and it was always a whirlwind of activity. Some people would be out fishing, others boating, I would be in the water with my friends, the men would be stoking the outdoor barbecue, and the women in the kitchen working on desserts and sides, and happily chattering away. I don’t think I appreciated those times nearly as much as I probably should have.

 

My number two son, now in his 30s, caught his first fish at the lake. 

But before I bring all of you down with sweet nostalgia, I’ll tell you that one of the ways I deal with holidays, now lacking all of the senior family members with whom I used to enjoy them, is to make myself a good, holiday meal. For me this past Memorial Day that meant pork steaks, my grandma‘s mustard potato salad, deviled eggs, and baked beans. I have a lot of good recipes for baked beans, but wanted to vary from what I normally do by looking up recipes online, and adding my own special spin. These turned out to be phenomenal! I ate more of them than I probably should, but I could not stop. They were that good.Slow Cooker Apple Bourbon Baked Beans

2 22-oz. cans baked beans

2 21-oz. cans apple pie filling

1 small onion, diced

½ c. BBQ sauce

1 12-oz. pkg. bacon, cooked and rough chopped

¼ c. bourbon

1 t. Brown Sugar Bourbon seasoning

Place all ingredients into a 6-quart slow cooker in the order listed. Give it a good stir, and cook on low for 4-5 hours; high for 2-3 hours. Serve hot.

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Smothered Burritos

 

When you’re craving something special, is there a particular cuisine that appeals? For me it’s Mexican, or at least the American version of Mexican food that I have grown to love over the years. These smothered burritos never fail to satisfy that culinary lust. They are stupidly simple to put together, but the entire process takes a bit of time because the beef is best when slow cooked and refrigerated overnight, maximizing the flavor. After that is accomplished, assembly is simple, and these have been known to please a crowd.Smothered Burritos

 For the beef:

1 2-2.5 lb. chuck roast

1 1-oz. pkg. taco seasoning mix

1 10-oz. can Rotel tomatoes*, undrained

 Place chuck roast into the bottom of a 4-5 quart slow cooker. Sprinkle taco seasoning over the top, and pour over tomatoes to cover. Cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours until meat is tender. Remove meat, shred with two forks, removing pieces of fat. Return meat to the slow cooker for 15 minutes.

Place meat into a lidded container, and refrigerate overnight.

 To Assemble:

8 large (burrito-size) flour tortillas

1 16-oz can refried beans

2 10-oz cans enchilada sauce

1 lb. white American cheese, shredded, divided

Fresh cilantro for garnish (optional)

Preheat oven to 375° degrees. Spray a 9” x 13” baking dish with PAM. Pour 1 can of enchilada sauce into the bottom of the baking dish and spread evenly. If any juices or sauce remains from the cooked beef, add it as well.

 Slightly warm refrigerated beef in a microwave or pan on the stove.

 Arrange tortillas on a clean work surface. Divide refried beans among the tortillas, spreading them in a line across the center of the tortilla. Top beans with a generous amount of beef, and then shredded cheese to cover. Wrap each “burrito style,” i.e. fold the sides over the filling, fold the bottom up to cover the filling, and roll.

 Place each filled burrito seam side down into the baking dish.

Slowly drizzle remaining can of enchilada sauce over burritos, being sure to cover every bit of the tortillas.

Top each burrito with remaining cheese.

 Cover loosely with foil, tenting if necessary to avoid sticking to the cheese. Bake for 35-45 minutes or until cheese is completely melted and sauce is bubbly.

 Garnish with fresh chopped cilantro. Serve with burrito toppings of your choice, e.g. pico de gallo, salsa, sour cream, black olives, diced red onion, guacamole, shredded lettuce, etc.

 *Diced tomatoes and green chilies

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Beef Tips with Onion & Mushroom Gravy

 

If your definition of stew consists of cubes of beef, carrots, and potatoes, then I am not a fan. I am, however, a fan of stew beef, a.k.a. chuck roast. It’s so flavorful, and cooks down to be wonderfully tender. I think the very best way to enjoy it is on its own, slow cooked to perfection in a wonderful onion and mushroom gravy, served atop a heaping mound of mashed potatoes (or ladled onto a bed of egg noodles). This will make you forget your troubles.Beef Tips with Onion & Mushroom Gravy

3 T. butter

1 yellow onion, sliced

1 2-3 lb. pound chuck, roast, trimmed and cubed

2 T. flour

1½ t. sugar

1 t. onion powder

1½ t. garlic powder

1 t. dried thyme

1 t. Montreal Steak Seasoning

8 oz. Crimini mushrooms, sliced

1 bay leaf

1 T. Worcestershire sauce

2 c. beef stock

2 T. cornstarch

2 T. water

Fresh parsley, to garnish 

Place butter in the bottom of a slow cooker and allow to melt. Once butter has melted, spread onion across the bottom. Place chuck roast cubes into a large bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, onion powder, garlic powder, thyme, and Montreal steak seasoning. Sprinkle it over the top of the beef cubes and toss to coat. Place seasoned beef cubes on top of the onions. Top with sliced mushrooms, bay leaf, and Worcestershire sauce. Pour beef broth over all, and stir to combine. Cover and cook on high for 3 to 4 hours, or low for 6 to 7 hours. 

Thirty minutes before the end of the cooking time, whisk together cornstarch, water, and 1/2 cup of the slow cooker liquid. Add the cornstarch mixture back to the slow cooker, stir in, and cook for 30 more minutes. Salt and pepper to taste.

 Serve with egg noodles, or on top of a mound of mashed potatoes.

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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.

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Slow Cooker Cheesy Broccoli Potato Soup

Do you like soup in the summer? I do. It probably seems like a strange choice for a hot day, but I always find it to be very satisfying, particularly when it comes to replacing a heavier entrée. What I don’t like to do, in the dog days of summer, is to heat up the kitchen in the making of it. Here is a crockpot version of that ubiquitous favorite, broccoli cheese soup, that is (after a bit of chopping) super simple, and very delicious.

Artisanal Ceramic Soup Bowl

Slow Cooker Cheesy Broccoli Potato Soup

 1 head broccoli, broken into florets  

2 medium russet potatoes, diced

½ c. diced Melissa’s shallot

1 t. Melissa’s minced garlic

Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

¼ t. dry mustard

Few gratings fresh nutmeg  

1 32.-oz. container chicken stock

¼ c. cornstarch  

2 c. shredded cheddar cheese  

1 c. heavy whipping cream

 In a slow cooker combine broccoli, potatoes, broccoli, shallots, garlic, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. In a bowl, whisk together the chicken broth and cornstarch, and pour over the vegetables.

 Cover and cook on “high” for 3-4 hours until the potatoes are tender.

 Stir in shredded cheese and heavy cream. Cover and continue cooking for an additional 20 minutes, until the cheese has melted.

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Beef & Noodle Bake

 About 20 years ago, when the late Mr. O-P and I were working together (as we did for 20+ years), we employed the use of a programmer who would come to our home once a week for dinner to transfer data for us and update the program if need be. It was always a nice evening because he was good company. Naturally, because he was a bachelor, I wanted to make dinners for him that he would enjoy. One evening, I asked him what his favorite food was, and his answer surprised me. “Casseroles,” he told me. I don’t think I’ve ever gotten that as an answer to that question. It did make cooking for him very easy from there on out because I don’t find anything easier to put together than a casserole. Truth be told, it’s also a favorite of mine. There is something down home and comforting about a casserole, particularly when noodles are involved. Here’s the recipe I served to Joe a number of times, sending him home with more to heat and enjoy the following day. I don’t know anyone who doesn’t like it. It is hearty and filling, tasty, and freezes well. What more could you possibly want?

 Beef & Noodle Bake

  Adapted from the cookingthecookingjar.com

 12 oz. uncooked egg noodles

1 lb. ground chuck

1 yellow onion, finely chopped

1 T. Melissa’s minced garlic

1 15-oz. can tomato sauce

1 14.5-oz. can fire roasted diced tomatoes, drained

½ c. chopped fresh parsley, more for garnish

1 T. Worcestershire sauce

2 t. smoked paprika

Red pepper flakes to taste

Salt and pepper to taste

8 oz. sour cream

8 oz. small curd cottage cheese

½ c. Parmesan cheese, shredded

2 c. cheddar cheese, shredded

Fresh parsley to garnish, if desired

 Preheat oven to 350° F. Spray a 9” x 13” casserole dish with PAM; set aside.

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the egg noodles according to package directions until al dente. Rinse in cold water to stop the cooking process. Add a splash of olive oil to prevent the noodles from sticking.

 Meanwhile, brown the ground chuck in a skillet, breaking up any clumps; drain. Add chopped onion and garlic to the skillet and sauté until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Pour in tomato sauce and diced tomatoes.  Season with Worcestershire sauce, smoked paprika, red pepper flakes and salt and pepper to taste and simmer until sauce has thickened, about 5 minutes.

 In a large mixing bowl, combine sour cream, cottage cheese, Parmesan cheese and cooked egg noodles. Mix well.

Spoon half the creamy pasta mixture into casserole dish. Top with half the beef mixture and half the cheddar cheese. Repeat with one more pasta – beef – cheddar layer each. Finish with a cheddar cheese layer on top.  Bake uncovered for 25-30 minutes or until cheese has melted.

 Top with optional parsley and serve hot.

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