Crockpot Buffalo Chicken Pasta

If I had been served this meal at someone else’s house, I never would have guessed it came out of a crockpot. This meal is so impressive. You get the magical aroma and melding flavors you would expect from slow cooking, yet the chicken cooks to perfection, without shredding and falling apart. Chunks of chicken are simmered in a combination of cream of chicken soup, buffalo wing sauce and red onion for 7 hours. The last half hour of cooking, you add sour cream and ranch dressing, which cools down the spicy flavors and adds incredible creaminess. Then, last, but not least, you add shredded mozzarella. In the meantime, you prepare pasta then mix well with the chicken mixture. The final result is a Buffalo Chicken Pasta you would be proud to serve to family and guests. This is an amazing dish; a perfect blend of spiciness and creaminess. Minimal effort; maximum taste!

Dice red onion.
 

In a 5-quart (or larger) crockpot, combine cream of chicken soup, buffalo wing sauce and red onion.

Trim chicken of excess fat and cut into bite-sized chunks. Season with salt, pepper and garlic powder.

Add the chicken pieces to the sauce and stir well to combine.

Cover and cook on low for 7 to 8 hours (or 3 to 4 hours on high). I used the minimum time of 7 hours (on low) and the chicken was cooked perfectly.

About a half hour before chicken is done, start the water for your pasta. 

While waiting for the water to boil, turn your crockpot to low setting (if not already at that setting). Add sour cream and ranch dressing to the chicken mixture. Stir to combine. Add shredded mozzarella. Stir until well mixed.

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain well. Add to the Buffalo chicken mixture in slow cooker. Mix well.

Serve immediately!
 

 
CROCKPOT BUFFALO CHICKEN PASTA
Source: Adapted from The Country Cook
Posted by: www.meldingmagic.com

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 to 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into chunks
• 2 cans condensed cream of chicken soup (undiluted)
• 3/4 to 1 cup buffalo wing sauce (adjust heat to personal preference)
• 1/2 to 3/4 cup finely chopped red onion
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1-1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 2 cups (16-ounces) sour cream
• 1/2 cup (prepared) ranch dressing
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 (16-ounce) package penne pasta

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a 5-quart (or larger) crockpot, combine cream of chicken soup, buffalo wing sauce and red onion.
2. Trim chicken of excess fat and cut into bite-sized chunks. Season with salt, pepper and garlic powder.
3. Add the chicken pieces to the sauce and stir well to combine.
4. Cover and cook on low for 7 to 8 hours (or 3 to 4 hours on high).
5. About a half hour before chicken is done, start the water for your pasta. While waiting for the water
    to boil, turn your crockpot to low setting (if not already at that setting). Add sour cream and ranch
    dressing to the chicken mixture. Stir to combine. Add shredded mozzarella. Stir until well mixed.
6. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain well. Add to the Buffalo chicken mixture in slow cooker.
    Mix well.
7. Serve immediately!

Crockpot Cube Steak (with Onions & Gravy)

Mike loves his cube steak, but it can be quite a challenge trying to find new ways to prepare it. Other than pan frying (which is not only boring, but tough and chewy), there’s only so much you can do with a cube steak. I usually make Country Fried Steak, but this time I wanted to find a more “tender” approach. The best way to get fork-tender meat is to slow cook it. So, I went online to see if I could find any crockpot recipes. Believe it or not, I actually found a website that is dedicated specifically to “cube steak” (www.Cube-Steak-Recipes.com). How cool is that? Of course, there’s not a lot of recipes there (like I said, cube steak is limited), but I did find one that peaked my interest. Not only are the steaks slow cooked in a crockpot, but they are smothered in onions and bathed in a succulent gravy. Sound reminiscent of Salisbury steaks? Well, that’s exactly how they tasted. Mike couldn’t stop raving about them. They were moist, incredibly tender, a breeze to prepare, and as hearty and satisfying as their retro counterpart.

In a large re-sealable plastic bag, combine flour, garlic powder, onion powder and pepper. Add cube steaks, a few at a time. Shake gently to coat steaks. Repeat with remaining steaks. (I did find that the 2nd batch of steaks coated better on a plate, instead of the bag. So, use whichever method gives you a nice thorough flour coating.)

In large skillet, heat 2 Tablespoons oil over medium high heat. Add the steaks, a few at a time, and cook until browned on both sides. Add more oil, if necessary, and repeat with remaining steaks, reducing heat (if necessary, to avoid scorching).

Place the browned steaks in the slow cooker. Pour 2 cups water over all. Cover. Cook on low for 8 hours total (4 hours if using high setting), or until meat is tender. Halfway through cooking time, you will add the onions. Contrary to what you may have learned in the past about cooking veggies in the crockpot, some vegetables, such as onions and bell peppers, require a lot less time to cook than the meat. If you put them in with the meat initially, they will literally dissolve and disappear by the time the meat is cooked. I always add them much later in the cooking process. (With bell peppers, I usually wait until the last hour of cooking to add them, so they are crisp tender.)

Slice onions.  

After the steaks have been cooking for 4 hours on low (or 2 hours on high setting), add the onions to the crockpot. Cover and continue cooking for the balance of cooking time, or until steaks are tender.

In a bowl, whisk together the 3 packets of gravy mixes with remaining 1 cup of water. (Gravy mixture will be thick.)

Pour over onions and steaks in crockpot. Cover and cook on low for 30 minutes more.

CROCKPOT CUBE STEAK (with Onions & Gravy)
Source: www.Cube-Steak-Recipes.com
Posted by: www.meldingmagic.com

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 to 2 onions, thinly sliced
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 6 (about 4 ounces each) beef cube steaks
• 2 to 4 Tablespoons canola oil, divided
• 3 cups water, divided
• 1 envelope brown gravy mix
• 1 envelope mushroom gravy mix
• 1 envelope onion gravy mix

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large re-sealable plastic bag, combine flour, garlic powder, onion powder and pepper. Add cube
    steaks, a few at a time. Shake gently to coat steaks. Repeat with remaining steaks. (Or, place breading
    mix in a dish and dredge steaks.)
2. In large skillet, heat 2 Tablespoons oil over medium high heat. Add the steaks, a few at a time, and
    cook until browned on both sides. Add more oil, if necessary, and repeat with remaining steaks,
    reducing heat (if necessary, to avoid scorching).
3. Place the browned steaks in the slow cooker. Pour 2 cups water over all. Cover. Cook on low for 8
    hours total (4 hours if using high setting), or until meat is tender. Halfway through cooking time, you
    will add the onions.
4. After the steaks have been cooking for 4 hours on low (or 2 hours on high setting), add the onions to
    the crockpot. Cover and continue cooking for the balance of cooking time, or until steaks are tender.
5. In a bowl, whisk together the 3 packets of gravy mixes with remaining 1 cup of water.
6. Pour over onions and steaks in crockpot. Cover and cook on low for 30 minutes more.

Thai Chicken Thighs (Crockpot)

When I was pregnant with my twins, I developed an allergy to MSG. Actually, it was a little more severe than that. I would actually pass out in a restaurant if my meal had any MSG in it. Even after coming to, the dizziness would linger for hours afterwards. As much I loved Asian cuisine, I had to avoid it because that had the most devastating effect on me. I was hoping it was just a symptom of my pregnancy and would subside afterwards, but it never did. So, for many years I had to give up one of my favorite “food groups” (yes, it was actually a food group to me; that’s how much I enjoyed it). Fortunately, over time, restaurants became more in tune with “fresh, natural” flavors; and, I was, gradually, able to get my feet wet again by ordering take-out. It’s true what they say, “absence makes the heart grow fonder.” My renewed passion for Asian cuisine has now become an obsession, so I’m incorporating that taste into as many home-cooked meals as I can. This recipe for Thai Chicken Thighs is my latest experiment. I say experiment because it is slow cooked in a crockpot. (Hmmmm.) Make you skeptical? Me, too. But, I forged ahead anyway and was not only pleasantly surprised, but actually amazed at how good this turned out. Ok, maybe this isn’t really authentic Thai cuisine; it should probably (more accurately) be described as chicken in peanut sauce. Faux Thai or not, this meal was incredibly flavorful. Although the combination of ingredients seems a bit unusual, it works! The chicken was moist and tender, and the peanut sauce had such a perfect texture to it (not at all soupy as I had expected). Served over aromatic Jasmine rice, this was such an easy and enjoyable dish.

Missing from photo: crushed red pepper flakes

I know what you are going to say, “salsa in a Thai dish?” I thought about swapping out the salsa for chili sauce, but I was afraid the end result would be too spicy. So, I stuck with the salsa and added a little crushed red pepper flakes to add a little heat. The salsa really did enhance the flavors so much more than I expected.

Place chicken thighs in crockpot. 

In bowl, whisk together salsa, peanut butter, soy sauce, lime juice, minced ginger, minced garlic and crushed red pepper flakes. 

Pour over chicken. Cover and cook on low for 5 to 6 hours.

As a garnish, I lightly toasted some sesame seeds in a little sesame oil (1 to 2 minutes, until aromatic). 

   
Garnish chicken with toasted sesame seeds, if desired. Serve warm over rice (preferably an aromatic rice, such as Jasmine or Basmati).

THAI CHICKEN THIGHS (CROCKPOT)
Source: JulieVR
Posted by: www.meldingmagic.com

INGREDIENTS:

• 8 to 10 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 1 cup salsa
• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
• 2 Tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 Tablespoon lime juice
• 2 teaspoons ginger, minced
• 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil, optional (for toasting sesame seeds)
• 1 Tablespoon sesame seeds, optional (for garnish)
• Cooked rice, for serving (preferably an aromatic rice, such as Jasmine or Basmati)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Place chicken thighs in crockpot.
2. In bowl, whisk together salsa, peanut butter, soy sauce, lime juice, minced ginger, minced garlic and
    crushed red pepper flakes. Pour over chicken. Cover and cook on low for 5 to 6 hours.
3. Optional (for garnish): In skillet, lightly toasted some sesame seeds in a little sesame oil (1 to 2
    minutes, until aromatic).
4. Garnish chicken with toasted sesame seeds, if desired. Serve warm over rice (preferably an aromatic
    rice, such as Jasmine or Basmati).

Crockpot Root Beer Baby Backs

For those times when the weather doesn’t permit use of the outdoor grill, there is still a way to get tender, juicy and flavorful ribs indoors (without having the oven on all day). Believe it or not, the baby back ribs pictured above came out of a crockpot. The pork was generously seasoned with a “lower salt” version of Bobby Flay’s rib rub, then smothered in a root beer infused barbeque sauce and slow cooked to perfection. Both the rub and the sauce have a mildly sweet flavor. For those of you leary about the overpowering taste of root beer, no fret, it just makes a yummy sauce without being discernable in the end result. You’ll end up with succulent, moist, fall-off-the-bone tender baby backs. Finger licking good!

In small bowl (or resealable plastic bag), combine all rub ingredients. Mix well to thoroughly combine.

Remove fatty membrane from underside of ribs (if not already removed). Trim excess fat off ribs. Cut ribs in half, or into sections that will fit into your slow cooker. Rub sections generously with rib rub. I used about 1-1/2 Tablespoons per half rack of ribs. Place ribs in crockpot.

Mix root beer, orange juice, ketchup, molasses, Worcestershire sauce, onion, paprika, ginger and hot sauce in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in 2 Tablespoons cornstarch. Stirring constantly, bring to a boil. Simmer a few minutes more, until thickened slightly.

Pour sauce over baby back ribs in crockpot. 

Cover. Cook on high setting 4 to 5 hours. (For low setting, cook 8 to 10 hours.) I cooked mine 4 hours on high and 2 hours on low. 

Serve with some of the sauce in the crockpot, if desired. Garnish with chopped cilantro.

 
CROCKPOT ROOT BEER BABY BACK RIBS
Source: Adapted from Bobby Flay and CD Kitchen
Posted by: www.meldingmagic.com

INGREDIENTS:

• 3-1/2 to 4 pounds baby back ribs
• 2 Tablespoons chopped cilantro, for garnish

Rib Rub:

• 1/2 Tablespoon cumin
• 1/2 Tablespoon paprika
• 1/2 Tablespoon garlic powder
• 1/2 Tablespoon onion powder
• 1/2 Tablespoon chili powder
• 1/2 Tablespoon light brown sugar
• 3/4 to 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon white pepper

Root Beer BBQ Sauce:

• 1-1/2 cups root beer
• 1 cup ketchup
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 2 Tablespoons molasses
• 3 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 Tablespoons onion, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 3 to 4 drops hot sauce
• 2 Tablespoons cornstarch
• Salt and pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS:
 
1. In small bowl (or resealable plastic bag), combine all rub ingredients. Mix well to thoroughly combine.
2. Remove fatty membrane from underside of ribs (if not already removed). Trim excess fat off ribs. Cut
    ribs in half, or into sections that will fit into your slow cooker. Rub sections generously with rib rub
    (about about 1-1/2 Tablespoons per half rack of ribs). Place ribs in crockpot.
3. Mix root beer, orange juice, ketchup, molasses, Worcestershire sauce, onion, paprika, ginger and hot
    sauce in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in 2 Tablespoons cornstarch. Stirring
    constantly, bring to a boil. Simmer a few minutes more, until thickened slightly.
4. Pour sauce over baby back ribs in crockpot. Cover. Cook on high setting 4 to 5 hours.
5. Serve with some of the sauce in the crockpot. Garnish with chopped cilantro.

Creamy Crockpot Mac and Cheese

 

As much as I love Baked Macaroni and Cheese, with its crunchy topping and browned edges, there are times I crave a bowl of creamy goodness. Although, this recipe is categorized as “crockpot,” all the prep is done on the stove top, so you could just as easily finish it that way, as well. I’ve tried other slow cooker recipes, where you throw all the ingredients in the crockpot, and it makes its own sauce. But, I wasn’t satisfied with the overall consistency; it was gummy, not creamy. This version yields a perfectly textured, creamy, cheesy blend. With 3 different cheeses, the right amount of seasoning and the addition of sour cream, the taste just can’t be beat. There is absolutely no reason to succumb to the temptation of reaching for that classic blue box. With minimal additional time and effort, you can achieve the ultimate; nostalgia at its finest. There’s nothing more comforting, satisfying and delicious than homemade when it comes to mac’ n’ cheese; always a family favorite!

Missing from photo: Paprika and Cayenne Pepper

In my earlier post for the “baked” version of mac’ n’ cheese, I cautioned staying away from Cheddar cheese, because the prolonged cooking process would produce a grainy texture, and the oils of the cheese would separate. You can use some Cheddar in this recipe. Sharp white cheddar produces the smoothest result. Yellow and extra sharp Cheddars can still become grainy. Colby is a perfect substitute for Cheddar and always yields a creamy texture. (As you can see in my ingredients photo, I did use a “yellow” Cheddar, but only because I already had it in-house and wanted to use it up. Normally that wouldn’t be my cheese of choice.)

Shred cheeses. 

Cube butter.

Cook macaroni according to package directions for al dente. 

Meanwhile, in large saucepan, combine soup, milk, sour cream, butter and seasonings. Cook and stir over medium-low heat until blended. 

Stir in cheeses until melted. Sauce may be a little thick; so, at this point, add as much additional milk as you need to get the creamy texture that best suits you.

Rinse pasta under cold water; drain fully. 

Transfer to a greased crockpot (or sprayed with non-stick cooking spray). 

Stir in cheese sauce.

Cook, covered, on low setting for 1 to 2 hours, or until heated through.

CREAMY CROCKPOT MAC AND CHEESE
Posted by: www.meldingmagic.com

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 box (16-ounces) uncooked elbow macaroni
• 2 cans (10-3/4 ounces each) condensed cheddar cheese soup, undiluted
• 2 to 3 cups milk
• 8 ounces sour cream
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, cubed
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 8 ounces shredded Cheddar, sharp white (or substitute Colby cheese)
• 8 ounces shredded Fontina cheese
• 8 ounces shredded Monterey Jack cheese, or Colby/Jack

DIRECTIONS:
1. Cook macaroni according to package directions for al dente.
2. Meanwhile, in large saucepan, combine soup, milk sour cream, butter and seasonings. Cook and stir
    over medium-low heat until blended. Stir in cheeses until melted.
3. Drain pasta; transfer to a greased slow cooker. Stir in cheese sauce. Cook, covered, on low setting for
    1 to 2 hours, or until heated through.