Barbacoa pork

Ok I finally got one to share!

Here is a rather easy Cafe fake-o

What you'll need

1 boneless pork roast
1pkg taco seasoning (i like la Victoria)
1 cup brown sugar
1tblsp cumin (optional)
12 oz bottle of Dr. Pepper

Lettuce
Tomatoes
Rice
Black or Pinto beans
Soft shell tacos
Your favorite enchilada sauce

In a separate bowl dissolve taco seasoning, brown sugar and cumin in dr pepper
Put the roast and remaining Dr pepper in crock pot.
Pour Brown sugar/taco mixture over top of roast.
Let cook 4-5 hours
Shred the pork and let soak for a little while longer.

Make inside a soft shell taco with beans and rice. Smother in enchilada sauce. Add lettuce and tomatoes on top.

I've been told if you use the tortillas that have to be cooked it makes the recipe even better!

Slow Cooker Lasagna

Yes, it can be done! You can adapt any lasagna recipe for the slow cooker -- just use oven-ready noodles and snap off the corners so they fit in the pot. (You kind of have to be creative.)

Begin with a layer of sauce (this acts as an insulator so the noodles don't burn), then stack up fillings and noodles until the pot is full. Then put on the lid, and let it cook (or, steam, really) for 3-4 hours.

If you want to finish with a cheese layer, don't put it on top until the last 20 minutes of cooking.

Add a salad and breadsticks, and you're done! (Oooh, and what better excuse to have Italian gelato for dessert?)

Easiest BBQ Chicken Sandwiches Ever

Hands-On Time: 5 minutes
Ready In: 3-4 hours
Yield: 4-6 servings

Ingredients

6 chicken breast halves, skinless and boneless
1 1/2 cups barbecue sauce (whatever your favorite is--ours is Famous Dave's)

Directions

Place chicken breasts into the bottom of a slow cooker and pour barbecue sauce over them.

Lid and cook for 3 to 4 hours on high until cooked through and nearly falling apart.

Shred the chicken wel l -- two forks does the job quickly -- and serve on burger buns.

Easy Crock-Pot Chicken Cordon Bleu

I make this all too often because it is so easy and delicious!

Ingredients:

-chicken breasts (one for each person who will be eating)
-ham slices or bacon (I just use lunch meat)
-1 can cream of chicken soup
-1 tbsp. chicken bouillon
-swiss or mozzarella cheese

Directions:

Place chicken breasts in crock pot. Place ham slices or bacon on each chicken breast. Cover with cream of chicken soup and sprinkle with chicken bouillon. Cook on low 3-4 hours. 15 minutes before serving top with swiss or mozzarella cheese. Let it melt and serve!

Slow Cooker Sweet and Sour Chicken - from Deb

Hey everyone, I'm Deb, Liz's favorite Sister-in-law (on the Newey side anyway). :)

I'm doing a crockpot dinner tonight and it smells soooo good!

Slow Cooker Sweet and Sour Chicken:

Prep Time: 10 min

Total Time: 8 hr 10 min

Makes: 6 servings

Ingredients:

1 medium onion, sliced

1 medium carrot, peeled, sliced

1 medium celery stalk, sliced

6 boneless skinless chicken thighs (1-1/2 lb.), cut into bite-size pieces

1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/3 cup Catalina Dressing

1/4 cup soy sauce

1 tsp. grated gingerroot

1 can (8 oz.) pineapple chunks, drained, liquid reserved

1 Tbsp. cornstarch

1 medium green pepper, sliced

1 medium red pepper, sliced

4-1/2 cups hot cooked rice

Directions:

PLACE onions, carrots and celery in slow cooker; top with chicken.

ADD combined brown sugar, dressing, soy sauce and ginger. Cover with lid.

COOK on LOW for 7 to 8 hours (or on HIGH for 3-1/2 to 4 hours). During last 30 min. of cooking time, increase to HIGH. Stir cornstarch into reserved pineapple liquid; add to slow cooker along with the pineapple and peppers. Cook 30 min. or until peppers are crisp-tender and sauce is thickened. Serve over the rice.

Chicken Junk - Oh So Good

Serves 6

- 4 Frozen Chicken Breasts
- 1 Pkg. Italian Seasoning Dressing Mix
- 1 Can Cream of Mushroom Soup
- 8 oz. Cream Cheese

Put all ingredients in the crock pot. Cook on low 6-8 hours stirring occasionally. (Tip: soften cream cheese first) Serve over baked potatoes, rice or noodles.

Cafe Rio Pulled Pork Salad

3-4 lbs. Pork Roast

1 jar of HOT salsa (it has to be hot, don't worry it inst' spicy after its made)

1 c. brown sugar

Combine all ingredients in to slow cooker and cook on high until roast is done (5-8 hours depending on the size). Shred with forks and serve on salad.

Yummy toppings: Tortilla strips, cheese, fresh lime, tomatillo (or ranch with salsa verde in it), cheese, diced tomates, cheese, and if you are daring sprinkle some cheese on top (okay, can you tell I just love cheese!). You can also melt some cheese on a tortilla and build your salad on top of that. :)

It is sooooo easy, and soooo delicious, especially with a little cheese.
Any question, leave me a comment.

What a Crock!

Okay, is it just me or does everyone have a hard time getting motivated to cook at dinner time? Its like I have all day to think about what to make for dinner and then when dinner time rolls around I go blank! So, we need to share some serious crock pot recipes! That way we can toss it all in in the morning, or even the night before and not have to worry about it.

Now its time to share!

Posting Recipes

Due to an excellent idea, we are changing the way we are sharing recipes. I will still try and make an initial post for the week stating the recipe-share theme. And then you can post your own recipe in a new post (not as a comment). That way, we'll be able to see all of the recipes at a glance in the Archive history (and not have to dig through posts to find the comment of the recipe that you saw).

In order to do this, you need to be added to the authors list, so please e-mail me and I will add you to the list so you can post your favorite recipes too.

Thanks, Liz

Souper Yummy

It is getting colder outside and what better to compliment crisp fall air than
SOUP!

In the English language, the word "soup" has developed several uses in phrase.

• Alphabet Soup, a term often used to describe a large amount of acronyms used by an administration, has its roots in a common tomato-based soup containing pasta shaped in the letters of the alphabet.
• Primordial Soup is a term used to describe the organic mixture leading to the development of life.
• A soup kitchen is a place that serves prepared food of any kind to the homeless.
• Pea soup describes a thick or dense fog.
• "Soup legs" is an informal or slang term used by athletes to describe fatigue or exhaustion.
• "Stone Soup" is a popular children's fable.
• Duck Soup is a term to describe a task that is particularly easy.
• Word soup refers to any collection of words that is ostensibly incomprehensible.
• Tag soup further refers to poorly coded HTML.
• Soup Fire! can be used an expression of surprise.
• Soupe du jour is French for "soup of the day." Sometimes used as a metaphor for anything currently trendy or fashionable.
• Soup to nuts is an American English idiom conveying the meaning "from beginning to end"
• Soup's on is a common term used to say, "Dinner's ready."
• Soup Sandwich is a denigrative U.S. military slang term, typically used to admonish a trooper for poor work or shoddy appearance. The term comes from the concept that a sandwich made out of soup would be a sloppy mess.
  

Now its your turn, post your favorite simple soup recipe.

Chicken Salsa Soup

5 c. Water
1/2 lb. Chicken, cooked/cubed
6 heaping tsp. Chicken Bouillon
1 tsp. Chili Powder
1/4 c. sweet pepper, chopped
15 oz Corn, drained
1 jar Garden Style Salsa/picante sauce

Broken Tortilla Chips (3-5 cups)
8 oz. Monterey Jack Cheese with Jalapeno Peppers, shredded

In 3 qt. saucepan combine water, chicken bouillon, chicken and chili powder. Bring to boil; reduce heat. Cover and simmer a few minutes. Add corn and peppers. Simmer until heated through and peppers are tender.

To serve: Put a handful of chips in bottom of bowl, ladle in soup and top with cheese. Enjoy immediately. :)

By: Liz S.

Black Bean Soup

2 cans black beans, drained
1 can chicken broth
1 can corn, drained
1 cup salsa
1/4 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. chili powder

Mix beans, broth, and corn together in a large pot and bring to boil. Add salsa and spices. Take half the mixture and blend it, then recombine. Simmer 15 min. on low.
Serve with tortilla chips, sour cream, chopped avacado, tomato, and cheese.

By Tiffany C.

White Chili

4 lg. chicken breasts, cooked and cubed
2 cans white beans
2 cans diced green chilies
2 cans chicken broth
2 cans white corn
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp. lemon pepper
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 c. minced dried onion

serve with:
4 fresh limes, wedged
white corn chips
grated monterrey jack cheese

By Tiffany C.

Chicken Noodle Soup

Whole Chicken
Chicken broth cubes
Onion
Celery
Carrots
Reames frozen noodles
Milk

Cook Chicken in crock-pot filled with water. Cook all day(approx. 5 hrs) then take off bone. Add noodles and 6-8 chicken broth cubes to water. Sauté onion, celery, and carrots in butter on stove. Add to crock-pot along with ½ cup of milk. Salt and pepper to taste.

By Atrena

Baked Potato Soup

1/2 lbs. butter
1 1/4 lbs. onions
1 c. flour
1 qt. half and half (or 2 c. milk & 2 c. cream)
4 lbs. baked potatoes (cooled and diced)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon basil
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon Tabasco Sauce
8 c. chicken stock

Saute onions; add flour and stock to make white sauce. Add everything else. Serve hot topped with bacon bits, grated cheese and green onions.

By Sarah G.

Jen's Soup

Sometimes I throw together a bunch of stuff and call it soup. :) Everything is to taste... Call it what you want. This one is good if you are running low on fresh ingredients.

1 lb Ground meat (beef or turkey)
1 can beans (whatever you prefer, black, white, kidney, pinto, etc.)
1 can tomato sauce or paste
1 bag frozen veggies (I like the different stir fry varieties)
macaroni or rice
Garlic (powder is fine)
Onion (powder is fine)
Salt & Pepper
any other seasoning you like... italian, basil, whatever
Enough water to make it soup.

Serve it with some delicious bread and Voila! you have dinner!

Taco Soup

1 lb Ground Hamburger (or ground turkey if you want it a little healthier)

2 cans of dice tomatoes (I always use Del Monte w/ zesty green chilies)

1 can of kidney beans (I usually throw in two since we like them so much)

1 can of corn (just had to put something in parentheses since I have done it on EVERY one!)

1-4oz. can of diced green chilies

1 pkg of McCormick's Taco Seasoning

Directions:

Brown and season hamburger meat (note: do NOT use the taco seasoning to flavor your meat), then in a large pot combine cooked meat, undrained canned foods and package of taco seasoning. Bring to a boil and then simmer until ready to serve (you can also stick it in a crock pot and forget about it until dinner time).

Serve with sour cream, cheese and tortilla chips (we love using Frito's).