Summertime Baked Potatoes NO HEAT in KITCHEN

I live in Texas- so cooking and heating up the house with the oven on is NOT an option.  So, instead of firing up the grill outside for a good baked tater, just put them in the Slow Cooker!

SLOW COOKER BAKED POTATOES

Prepare just like you would if you were cooking on the grill or in the oven.
* Clean the Potato
* Wrap in Foil

(Lately, I have been experimental and have started adding spices to the potato before I wrap it in foil. For example: A tad of Sea Salt or any flavor you think will take good on a potato)  I think I will try the butter sprinkles some time to see if I can get that taste without the calories.

Place the potatoes in your Slow Cooker and turn the settings to LOW 6-8 hours (if you have that much time) or HIGH 2-3 hours.   Depending on the settings for your Slow Cooker, I'd check on them after a few hours to see if they are softening up.  If you put 10 in a bowl, they are going to take longer, of course.

That's it!  ENJOY!

London Broil Steak- EASY

I made London Broil Steak yesterday and boy oh boy was it good!  First of all, I had a long day at work, then had to do errands for about 2 hours after work.  Therefore when I walked in the door at 7:00 pm and could smell that wonderful beef, I was elated.

Here's how you cook it (so very easy)

LONDON BROIL STEAK- JUICY & EASY, EASY, EASY

Give yourself 5-6 hours for this to cook on low (I started mine at lunch)

-Rub tenderizer (off the shelf) on your meat and let it sit for about 30 minutes.

-Turn your Slow Cooker on HIGH and let it heat up.

-Sprinkle a little Chicago Steak Seasoning  ( I use Webers brand, but there are others, or you can actually make your own)

-Place the meat in the Slow Cooker and let it cook on high for about 30 minutes (if you have time before you leave)

-Turn the Slow Cooker to low for 4-6 hours and let it cook.

That's all there is to it!  I LOVE this one-- it was absolutely delicious.

Pair with potatoes of your choice and veggies.  I had a broccoli salad and a baked potato (which can also be cooked in the slow cooker).

Enjoy!

Brisket: easy, tender, delicious

For your next holiday weekend, try this EASY brisket recipe in the slow cooker.  Allow a full day of prep and cooking, so if you want to eat it on Sunday, start your prep late Friday night or Saturday morning.

I only cook for 2, or possibly 3 if my son shows up, so I try to keep things small and simple.

First, I bought a small lean brisket (flat), which basically means I chose a smaller piece of meat without all the fat.  However, keep in mind you need a little fat on the meat to keep it juicy. 

I was raised on brisket, we have it for holidays including Christmas and even Easter.  In Texas, brisket is as important as the traditional turkey or ham for a holiday meal. 

My mothers brisket (sorry mom) has a tendency to be dry and sometimes a little charred at times. I actually love the charred part, so thought I'd go for the charred without the burned, crusty results.  

Easy Brisket:

1. Unwrap your USDA Grade A beef brisket flat and sprinkle a little water on the top with unseasoned beef tenderizer (not too much.. just enough to cover it). Place the piece of brisket in a Ziplock baggie and place in the refrigerator for about 8 hours. 

2. Turn your slow cooker on HIGH before placing the meat in the pot.  Let the pot get HOT and then place the brisket in the cooker with the fatty side up.   Rub the fatty portion with a good steak rub (your choice of flavors). I use a very basic rub, as I love to get the real taste of the beef brisket when it's done. 

3. Allow the brisket to sizzle on the hot pot for about 30 minutes.

4. Flip the brisket over to the fatty side, continue cooking on high for another 2-3 hours. 

5. There should be a lot of liquid at the bottom of the slow cooker- drain this into a bowl, cover and place in the refrigerator. 

6.  Change setting to low and cook for a good 10-12 hours or until done to your liking. 

If you've never had brisket- I prefer to have it in a non-traditional way. I am not much of a barbecue person, I like my brisket juicy, tender and flavorful without the need for any sauce.  I also like to cut it like roast and not a piece of barbecue.  

Left overs:  

Brisket is one of those meats where it is even better the next day and the next!  After you eat, if you have anything left, place the remainder in a dish, like a shallow bowl.  Take the bowl of juice you refrigerated out and pour a little on top of the brisket to keep it moist.  Refrigerate until next meal.  

Microwave to heat it back up or place back in a slow cooker on high. I just place in the microwave for about 2-3 minutes depending upon the size of meat. 

* I cooked baked potatoes in my 2nd slow cooker as a side and added a nice spinach salad with ranch. YUM. 

     

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Easy Simple Roast

Roast reminds me of Sunday afternoons after church growing up in Texas.  My mother would always have a roast cooking for lunch, so we'd walk into the house and the roast aroma would fill the house.  Walking in the door was a wonderful- as the smell of roast and potatoes would waft and hit you in the face.  The problem with this was I simply did not like my mother's roast.  I hate to say it mom- but of all the things you cook so well- I just lost interest in roast. So, fast forward to many years later.  I tried cooking a roast or two or 100 in a regular roasting pan, flavoring it and adding the potatoes and carrots- I still just didn't like it.

Then one day- I was broke (had just become a single mom) and tired.  I bought a chuck roast- poured A1 sauce on it and placed it in the slow cooker.  It was delicious!!!  Over the years, I've done a few things to add to the flavor, but this is my favorite and simple roast in the slow cooker. 

Easy Simple Roast: 

1.  Buy a chuck roast.  Chuck roasts are fatty, but I like to choose one with a good section of meat without the fat.  The fat is what makes this roast so delicious, however the meat is what you're going to eat.  I prefer my chuck roast to be thick too. 

2. Spray your slow cooker with a non-stick spray.  (I do this with all food)

3. Cover your roast with A1 Sauce- don't over do it- but make sure the roast is covered with the steak sauce.

4. Cook on low for 10-12 hours.  

* I like mashed potatoes on the side with this roast instead of the potatoes in with roast.  However you can add whichever side dishes you prefer.  

This roast is SO easy and SO delicious.  The steak sauce cooks into a nice thick and somewhat gooey covering for the roast. 

I actually keep the roast on low or "warm" for hours later to get some of the roast side a little "crunchy"- which I love. 

Enjoy! 

Cornbread Dressing

 I've become obsessed with my crockpot as of late.  At first, I started with the slow cooker I already have (which is actually not a crockpot brand..but anyway), and tested recipes which I normally cook in the oven or on the stove top and moved them to the slow cooker.  Of all things- I tried cooking most of my Thanksgiving meal in the slow cooker and it was delicious!  Yes, delicious!  I made the dressing, the turkey, the sauce and more.  I then did it all again the next day for my son and his "bros-giving" with all his friends.  I am now officially obsessed.

    My first official dish other than the standard "Roast with potatoes and carrots", which I have cooked in the slow cooker for years, was Thanksgiving Dressing!  It was YUM.  I wasn't sure how it would taste, but decided to go for it.  I had NEVER made dressing at all- not in the oven or otherwise, so cooking it in the crockpot was a task just as cooking in the stove would have been for me.
    First, I emailed all my friends and co-workers asking for their favorite dressing recipes.  My mom has always been the cornbread dressing chef at our house and she made the BEST. However, due to her health, she can no longer cook.
    I received several good recipes from friends and then combined and tweaked those with the way I remember my mom's tasting, adding a little bit more sage than the other recipes, adding a little bit of turkey meat, adding premium bread pieces and more.  After all the tweaks, I came up with the following perfect CrockPot Dressing Recipe.

RECIPE:
CORNBREAD DRESSING IN THE SLOW COOKER
1.  Cook your cornbread early that morning or the night before.  I like to use the yellow Martha White Mix or CornKits Mix.
2.  Once your cornbread is cooked- let is cool and then crumble it with your hands into a bowl, measuring out 5 cups
3. 1 large bag of Pepperidge farm herb stuffing (this is in the bread baking section usually). I like the Pepperidge Farm, as it seems to be high quality and has a great taste.
 Next- simply combine all the ingredients... these include
    5 cups crumbled cornbread
        (if you like it a little more dense- you can do 5 1/2 cups)
    2 cans of cream of chicken soup - pour straight in- do not dilute
    2 cans of chicken broth
    2 tablespoons of rubbed sage
          (I add an extra pinch or so, as I love Sage)
    2 tablespoons butter (sliced pieces)-set to the side
    1  onion (or sweet) use as you'd like- more or less  (sliced/chopped)
    4 large eggs beaten
    (Optional- shredded pieces of cooked turkey or chicken)
(Mix all except the butter, in a big bowl)
 Spray your crockpot (or slow cooker) with a non-stick spray (I like butter flavored).  Dump all of the ingredients into the crockpot and then place slices of the butter on the top of the uncooked mixture.  I leave some of the pats of butter in the refrigerator to add later too.  Let the dressing cook on HIGH for 3-4 hours.  A lot of the recipes say low for 8 hours-but I like the HIGH on 3-4 hours.  Depending on your cooker, you'll notice the sides of the dressing getting that wonderfully crunchy edging to it.  The last hour, you may want to go to  LOW for 1 hour, if the sides are already crusting.   Add a little more butter to the sides to help keep moisture on the edges, while letting the middle cook.  Of course each crockpot (slow cooker) cooks differently, and the same with each type of bowl.  A ceramic bowl is going to cook a little hotter in my opinion, so you'll want to watch it closely.
    That's it!  It's done!  This is a DELISH recipe and so easy to make and walk away while it cooks.  Let me know what you think or of any good changes/tweaks you make.  I'm always looking to improve my slow cooking recipes.
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