Asian Lettuce Wraps {Slow Cooker Saturday}

 

Since we have moved from a suburb by a big city to a small town that is the big city, I find myself missing a few things. Now, don't get me wrong, there are a lot of things I love. Maybe I should list a couple of those so I don't seem all Negative Nelly.

Things I love about living in a small town:

-really friendly neighbors

-no traffic

-safety

-family oriented

Now that I have been positive for a minute, I will spill the beans about what I don't love about living in a small town:

-not close to a lot of attractions

-less access to more stores

-absence of my favorite restaurants

On that last point, I would like to tell you how much I have missed one restaurant in particular. I have missed PF Changs like you wouldn't believe. Okay so I have missed there and Panera. Insert cry face and boo-hooing here. 

I have missed three things from PF Chang's the most. 1. Mongolian Beef; 2. Cheesecake; 3. Lettuce Wraps.

Since I live 3 hours plus away, I figured I should probably just accept the fact that I might need to find some homemade alternatives.

So accept I did.

Recipe I did.

Cook I did.

Love I did.

This Asian Lettuce Wrap recipe is amazing. The whole family loved it. That is huge people! Huge. One of the Little Men is more than a little picky. Even he ate this filling. Don't ask about the lettuce though. I don't want to talk about it.

The fact that he would eat the filling though tells you how yummy this filling for the lettuce wraps is.

People it gets better. The filling for these Asian Lettuce Wraps is made in the slow cooker. You know how I love using my slow cooker. Slow Cooker Saturday came to the rescue.

This is a recipe that comes together quickly. The recipe also is a quick slow cooker recipe. Meaning it isn't an all day slow cooker recipe.

So easy. So yummy. 

So, go ahead and make yourself some. 

Slow Cooker Asian Lettuce Wraps

Print Recipe

1 lb ground pork

1 red bell pepper, cored and finely diced

1/2 yellow onion, finely diced

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1/2 cup hoisin sauce

2 Tablespoons soy sauce

1/2 teaspoon minced ginger

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

4 oz sliced water chestnuts, chopped

3 green onions, sliced

1 head iceberg lettuce

Cook the pork in a saute pan until no longer pink. Drain off fat. Put the cooked pork into the slow cooker. Stir in the bell pepper, onion, garlic, hoisin sauce, soy sauce, ginger, salt and pepper. Cover and cook on low for 2 hours. Do not be tempted to cook it on high, there is no need. Cooking it on high will just dry it out.

After 2 hours, stir in the water chestnuts and green onions. Let the mixture cook for another 5-10 minutes. 

Serve over lettuce leaves.

Enjoy!

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Slow Cooker Kahlua Pork (Slow Cooker Saturday)

It has been three and a half years since The Hubs and I went to Hawaii. We both dream of that tropical trip daily. That time we spent in Hawaii really was magical. We had never been to Hawaii before. When people told us it was paradise and we would love it, they were not exaggerating.

We felt the kiss of paradise the minute we set foot out of the airport. The fact that we were 5 hours off our internal clock didn't matter. We felt instantly rejuvenated. Paradise I tell you. Glorious paradise. Pretty much every minute of the trip from that point until we got back on the plane to head home was like that.

In addition to the magical sand and surf, the food was insane. AHHH. Insane, people! Of course the highlight of many a meal was Kahlua Pork. Our very favorite meal was a Kahlua Pork Quesadilla with Guava BBQ Sauce (be looking for that recipe very soon). Seriously, it was sauce all over your face, fingers, and bathing suit good. I will elaborate more on our divine quesadilla experience when I share the recipe with you.

Today, we are talking about the Kahlua Pork. In order for us to copy cat the quesadilla we loved so much, we had to start with a killer Kahlua Pork recipe.

Well, wam bam thank ya ma'am. We have it.

How do you make a killer Kahlua Pork. Well you have to cook it slow, aka for a long, long time. Now I don't have a pit, or a spit or anything like that. Ya know what I do have though, I have a pretty nice little slow cooker.

After the pork and the slow cooker hang out for, oh you know, like 18 hours, you have a Kahlua Pork that will blow your mind and your taste buds.

We have made this Kahlua Pork like lots and lots of times. The Hubs might dream of it fort nightly. We typically pair it with Coconut Rice and sometimes some Coleslaw.

The ingredients themselves are few and simple. Pork. Salt. Liquid Smoke. That hardest part is having to sit in your house smelling all the yumminess to come but knowing you have quite a bit to wait.

The recipe also makes plenty for left overs or to use in another recipe...oh I don't know like Kahlua Pork Quesidillas with Guava BBQ  Sauce.

Thanks for letting me reminisce about Hawaii for a bit on this Slow Cooker Saturday. Don't have a trip to Hawaii planned anytime soon? Ya, me neither. Put on a bathing suit, roll out a beach towel, play some island music, and dish yourself up a plate of Kahlua Pork. I know it isn't the same, but at least you get to eat something yummy.

Enjoy!

Slow Cooker Kahlua Pork

6-7 lb pork butt roast
3 Tablespoons coarse sea salt
3 Tablespoons hickory liquid smoke

Puncture the pork roast all over with a large fork. Combine the sea salt and liquid smoke in a bowl. Rub the mixture all over the meat. Place the roast in slow cooker. Cook on low for 18-20 hours. Half way through cooking time, turn the pork over. Cover and cook the remaining time.

Remove pork from liquid. Remove excess fat. Shred the pork and set aside. Strain the fat from the liquid and set the liquid aside. Add the pork back into the now empty slow cooker. Add in a small amount of the reserved liquid as needed to moisten the pork.

Serve with Coconut Rice and Coleslaw.

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Thirty Handmade Days, Whipperberry, The Idea Room,
The 36th Avenue

White Chicken Chili (Slow Cooker Saturday)

I love chicken chili. True story.

I like that it is lighter than regular chili. I like that it has taco or Mexican seasonings. I like myself some lime and cumin. Yes I do.

I used to have an old faithful White Chicken Chili recipe. Well, it wasn't really a recipe, it was a season packet and the instructions per that packet. Still good, just not really a recipe. We loved it, but we haven't had it in years. Years I tell you.

First, because we kind of outgrew it. Is it weird to outgrow a recipe? I hope not. I mean I hope every day that The Hubs has outgrown his boxed mac and cheese made with cream of chicken soup and peas. Thus far, he has not. I still love him. He can have his mac and cheese and peas.

Another reason we haven't had it in years, the seasoning packets are not as easy to find.

So White Chicken Chili left our culinary lives. So sad. So, so sad.

I kind of wanted it to come back.

So I developed this White Chicken Chili recipe using all my favorite ingredients. Did you catch the whole lime and cumin hint earlier?

Oh White Chicken Chili, thanks for showing back up in my life. Oh and by the way, thanks for showing up in a slow cooker. You know how I love my slow cooker. I super like this chili. Super duper like.

This chili is spicy, but not hot. It is full of flavor, but is not overpowering. This is a chicken chili that will warm you up on a Winter day, but is light enough for a Summer afternoon. It pairs up great with Monterrey Jack cheese (my favorite cheese by the way) and a couple slices of avocado.

Since this recipe is made in a slow cooker, there is little prep to do. Especially if you use a rotisserie chicken. Then the slow cooker does the cooking and you can take a nap. Or at least wish you were taking a nap.

Here is another Slow Cooker Saturday with my new favorite White Chicken Chili.

Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili

Printable Recipe

4 cups cooked shredded chicken
1-2 Tablespoon olive oil
1/2 green bell pepper, diced
1 jalapeno, seeded and diced
1/2 onion, diced
2 teaspoons minced garlic
4 cups chicken broth
3 (15 oz) cans of pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 packet dry ranch mix
3 Tablespoons cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
Monterrey Jack cheese, shredded
sour cream
avocado, sliced

In a large skillet, heat up the olive oil. Add in the peppers, onion, and garlic. Stir frequently until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes.

Add the cooked veggies, the chicken, broth, beans, ranch mix, and cayenne pepper to a slow cooker. Stir. Cook on low for 6 hours.

Serve with Monterrey Jack cheese, sour cream, and avocado slices.

Go HERE for other Slow Cooker Recipes.

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Slow Cooker Chocolate Fondue (Slow Cooker Saturday)

Today is the second Saturday of January, and don't die of shock or anything, but I have the second Slow Cooker Saturday post of 2014 ready for you. 

Don't worry, I am not going to document every Slow Cooker Saturday in this fashion. Could you just imagine...

"Guys, it is the 22nd Saturday in 2014, good old May 31st and I have the 22nd Slow Cooker Saturday post of 2014 for you..."

Goosh. I can't imagine you would still be my friend if I did that. AND P.S., yes I did have to look up what date the 22nd Saturday of 2014 would fall on. I am a geek. You know it!

Today's recipe doesn't fall under the Sunday Dinner worthy category.

However, it does fall under the Yum and Yes, Please categories. This recipe also falls under the romantic Valentine's Day dessert category.

Who doesn't love themselves some chocolate fondue?

 No one I know, and I know like 30 people. Okay, maybe 50. Hehehehe.

Anyway, I like chocolate fondue. This Slow Cooker Chocolate Fondue is ridiculously easy. Ridiculous, I tell you. There are only 4 ingredients. The ingredients melt and morph together in less than two hours and then the chocolate fondue is ready to devour. I also found that it can set in the slow cooker on warm for several hours.

The fondue was so good that we demolished quite handily a package of strawberries in less than 10 minutes. Dipping them in smooth, rich chocolate will do that. The Hubs even found it quite delightful to use the angel food cake and the strawberry in one giant dipping and scarf down the two together. He was quite proud of himself for concocting that culinary creation.

Middle, upon finishing all his "dip-ables", decided the left over chocolate should not be wasted, and he tipped back the his bowl like a giant cup and drank his fondue. Awesome. I have four boys and they have boy manners.

Needless to say it was enjoyed by all.

This Chocolate Fondue is for sure a quick and easy recipe. Plus it is a yummy and fun dessert.

Slow Cooker Chocolate Fondue
adapted from America's Test Kitchen

Printable Recipe
 
1 1/2 cups milk chocolate chips
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
1 1/3 cups heavy cream
1 Tablespoon light corn syrup
pinch of salt

Combine the chocolate, cream, corn syrup, and salt in a 3 quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 1 1/2 hours or until the chocolate melts.

Whisk the melted chocolate together until smooth. Serve with fresh fruit or angel food pieces. Can continue to warm in the slow cooker, but make sure to whisk often to keep smooth.

ENJOY!!

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Spaghetti Sauce {Slow Cooker Saturday}

Once the thrill and anticipation of Christmas has passed, winter takes on a different mood. I go from all warm, cozy and curled up by the fire to so cold I loathe every drop in degree.

Winter just doesn't seem as romantic after Christmas. It just seems cold. Now it doesn't help that I live where it gets down right chilly. A special kind of chill that lasts FOR-EV-ER...I am being a tad bit dramatic. Basically, it is cold and I am not a fan of being cold.

Being cold makes me want to dress in over-sized sweaters and big chunky socks and stay curled up in a blanket.I want to snuggle with my warm and cozy children. I want to drink mug after mug of hot cocoa and slurp bowl after bowl of soup.

Seeing as I don't want to unravel myself from my blanket or put my cozy kids down, I also don't really want to slave over dinner.

Yeah for the return of my slow cooker a month ago.  Now I can throw dinner together in the morning whilst still in my jammies. Then it just cooks away all day long whilst I remain cozy...yes I said whilst twice in two consecutive sentences.

I am feeling fancy.

For this first Slow Cooker Saturday of 2014, I am sharing this Slow Cooker Spaghetti Sauce.

This sauce is great! Super packed with flavor and there are some extra hidden veggies in the sauce. A double win. The recipe cooks all day long, so the flavors in this sauce are amazing.

We loved this sauce at our house. In fact, we were able to eat spaghetti for two nights in a row. This recipe makes a big family sized amount. We have leftovers for more than one meal. If you have read this blog for awhile, you know I am not always the biggest cheerleader for leftovers. Even if I really loved something the first time, I may not always want it reheated.

So when I do eat leftovers, that is a big deal. HUGE.

I ate these for leftovers, and enjoyed this spaghetti just as much the second night.

Pass the spaghetti please!

Slow Cooker Spaghetti
adapted from Damn Delicious

2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 pound ground beef
1 pound ground Italian sausage
1 medium onion, minced
1 heaping teaspoon minced garlic
3 (14.5 oz) cans diced petite tomatoes, drained 
1 can sliced carrots, purreed
2 (15 oz) cans tomato sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar
3 bay leaves
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon basil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Heat the olive oil in a skillet. Brown the hamburger and the sausage for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and onions and saute for several more minutes, until the meat is browned. Drain fat.

Place the meat mixture into the bottom of a slow cooker. Add to it the tomatoes, carrots, tomato sauce, bay leaves, oregano, basil, salt and pepper. 

Cover and cook on low for 10 hours.

Serve immediately on spaghetti noodles.

 Happy eating!!

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Top Ten Recipes of 2013

Time for the yearly post recap.

2013 was a big year for recipes. You the reader (and also the pinner...lots of love to Pinterest), really seemed to like the recipes posted here on Just Another Day in Paradise. In fact, that is two years in a row that the majority of the top ten most viewed posts are recipes. I always contemplate changing over into a recipe blog after I compile these lists. However, I just love the sewing projects, DIY, holiday, party, and all the other lifestyle aspects of this blog too much to say goodbye to them. So for now I will continue to be a general lifestyle blog.

I would love your input though, so feel free to let me know what you think.

As I was compiling my Top Ten Posts list for 2013, I realized I might need to do two lists. A recipe list and a project list, since like I just said, I also like all that projecting stuff.

Today, though we will stick to the recipes.

So here for your drooling...er...uh...reading and pinning (aka feel free to pin the heck out of these recipes) delight are the Top Ten Recipes of 2013 from Just Another Day in Paradise starting at number 10...

Drum roll please...

10. Slow Cooker Cheeseburger Pasta

9. Slow Cooker Lasagna Soup

8. Hawaiian Sliders

7. Dutch Oven Artisan Bread

6. Slow Cooker Mango Chicken with Coconut Rice

5. Slow Cooker Buffalo Mac and Cheese

4. Cheesy Spanish Rice

3. Taco Soup

2. Slow Cooker Teriyaki Chicken

1. Shredded Chicken Tacos

Are you hungry now? 

I am.

Did you notice the love for the slow cooker? I really need to dedicate more time to Slow Cooker Saturday don't I? I promise I will, just for you.

I just want to say a big thank you to everyone who reads this blog. 

Thanks for sharing and pinning what you read.

 I appreciate it just so stinkin' much!

Cinnamon Roll Hot Cocoa (Slow Cooker Saturday)

Guys! Guys! Guys!

SLOW COOKER SATURDAY is BACK!

Happy dance. Happy dance.

Man it has been awhile.

I have a really good excuse. Sadly my handy dandy slow cooker up and died on me. Well it didn't die on me per say, but it was making some awfully naughty choices.

For instance, it chose to not control how hot it was getting on the outside and after a little Kahlua pork it went and warped my counter top. Then when I was so generous and gave it another try, this time setting it on my wooden cutting board, it went and melted the glue holding the boards together.

So I had to kick that slow cooker right on up and out of my life for fear of losing more counter space and/or my house to a fire.

At the same time my slow cooker went crazy, we had a couple other things up and lame out on us too. So purchasing a new slow cooker wasn't part of the plan.

Thanks to some Black Friday online shopping, I can happily announce that I have been reunited with a slow cooker.

Happy dance again. 

The very first recipe I made in my lovely new slow cooker was for this Cinnamon Roll Hot Cocoa.

Uh, guys! To. Die. For. This hot cocoa is INSANE. Insane I tell you.

There are almost no words. Almost.

This cocoa is rich and creamy. The cinnamon is glorious.

This cocoa almost made me wish for a longer winter. Almost.

The ingredients for this cocoa just all go into the slow cooker. The slow cooker melts it all together over a couple of hours. Then when it is done it can just sit there on warm. Yep my new slow cooker has a warm function. Yippee! Although we did find out that it only will warm things for 6 hours. I guess after that long it figures you should just probably finish off the rest of the hot cocoa.

Oh okay, if you insist slow cooker, if you insist.

I can't help but say again, how awesome this cocoa is.

It is so very cold in so many places right now...including some places that aren't normally so chilly. I just think that is another reason to make yourself some cocoa.

Stay warm. Drink some cocoa, but not just any cocoa. Drink this Cinnamon Roll Hot Cocoa. You will totally thank me.

Cinnamon Roll Hot Cocoa

Printable Recipe

5 cups milk
1 1/2 cups cinnamon roll flavored creamer (like International Delight)
1 cup heavy cream
1 14oz can sweetened condensed milk
1 1/2 cups cinnamon chips
1 cup white chocolate chips
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Mix the milk, creamer, cream, sweetened condensed milk, and vanilla in the slow cooker. Then add in the cinnamon chips and the white chocolate chips. Stir them into the milk mixture evenly. Cover the crock pot and set to low. Cook for 2 hours. Stir frequently. After two hours, keep on warm.

Serve with a giant dollop of homemade whip cream.

I hope you are keeping warm on these chilly days.

This cocoa will definitely help.

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Slow Cooker Saturday: Sloppy Jose(s)

Slow Cooker Saturday is here.

Can I get an ole?!?

Humor me.

I am so excited to share these yummy little sandwiches with you. I have been plotting, developing, and trying to figure out this Tex-Mex version of the traditional Sloppy Joes for awhile now.

See, I am not a big fan of the traditional Sloppy Joe, sorry Joe. However, the Hubby and my Little Men love them. I am, however a fan of Tex-Mex kind of food. So when I first thought it would be kind of genius to have a Sloppy Jose, I realized I had to figure out how to do the name justice with a great recipe.

Yes, I named the dish before I ever made it.

Figuring out a new recipe is tough, especially when you factor in recipe fails...or in my house a set of two thumbs down from Oldest and Middle...and by two thumbs down I mean sometimes it is two thumbs down and sometimes it is fake vomit and gagging face.

I hate recipe fails. It makes me grumpy.

So I was pretty stinkin' pleased that this recipe came out right the first time.

We loved it. They were the perfect amount of Joe and Jose. Everyone was equally happy. There were no thumbs down or fake vomit faces. Only grins and a good amount of silence as we shoved our faces.

This is a keeper and will make the permanent slow cooker rotation for sure.

Sloppy Jose(s)

1 1/2 lbs ground beef, cooked
1 can diced tomatoes with chilies
1/2 cup salsa
1 8 oz can tomato paste
2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 Tablespoon white vinegar
2 Tablespoons sugar
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup frozen corn
crushed tortilla chips

Combine the cooked hamburger, tomatoes with chilies, salsa, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, and sugar together in the slow cooker.

Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours.

In the last 30 minutes, add the beans and corn.

Serve on  a bun and top with crushed tortilla chips.

Enjoy Friends! 

I hope you all are finding lots of inspiration on Slow Cooker Saturdays.

I hope they have given you meals full of happy faces and thumbs up.

I am always on the hunt for new Slow Cooker recipes to try.

I would love it if you shared what some of your favorite Slow Cooker recipes are!

Thanks for reading.

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Slow Cooker Saturday: Philly Cheese Chicken Sandwiches

We had family in town for Labor Day Weekend.

There was card playing, a shrimp feast, golf, rain, more golf, shopping, and much much more. All crammed in a few days.

I love cooking when we have guests. Sometimes I go a little overboard. I just really like entertaining guests, and feeding them is kind of the funnest part.

Sometimes though there is so much fun planned that to cook a giant meal doesn't really work out for me. Believe me I have tried. That is when I am oh-so-tardily serving dinner at 8:30. Lovely.

I got all smart with my guests this time. I planned a slow cooker meal for one of the days.

A slow cooker kind of saves my fanny on a weekly basis.

So Sunday, we had these Philly Cheese Chicken Sandwiches.

Let me tell you people...

YUM! I mean seriously YUM!!

When we walked in the house after three hours of church, we all stopped and inhaled a long slow breath. Then we looked at each other and declared how glorious the awaiting dinner smelled. Even Oldest agreed.

The chicken is seasoned perfectly and pairs fabulously with the peppers and onions. I love the mixture of green AND red peppers. Red peppers add just a hint of sweetness. The smoky provolone cheese melts over the top of  the chicken and peppers and makes it a delightfully cheesy sandwich.

How can you  make it better? Well slap it on a pretzel hoagie bun. Bam. Yah I just stepped up this sandwich's game.

This sandwich was a major hit. I even remember seeing my dad soaking up every last bit of filling with extra bits of roll. Yeah he cleaned his plate completely off.

That good, friends. That good.

 

You won't be disappointed that you put this in your weekly rotation. Promise!

Enjoy your slow cooker! Happy Saturday!

Philly Cheese Chicken Sandwiches

adapted from What's Cooking in the Burbs

Printable Recipe

3 chicken breasts, cut into slices
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1 green pepper, sliced
1 red pepper, sliced
3 Tablespoons Montreal Chicken seasoning
1 Tablespoon olive oil
4 slices provolone cheese
pretzel hoagie buns or rolls

Coat the bottom of the slow cooker with olive oil. Add in the onions and peppers. Toss to coat with oil.

In a separate bowl, coat the chicken with the Montreal seasoning.

Add the chicken on top of the vegetables.

Cover and cook for 6 hours on low. At the last 30 minutes, uncover and add the sliced provolone over the top. Cover and let cook for the last 30 minutes.

Scoop out onto the pretzel hoagies. Before putting on the top of the hoagie, season the top of the chicken mixture with seasoning salt.

Serve with a side of fries.

Call it a day! A wonderful day at that!

Happy eating!!

 

Slow Cooker Saturday: Cheeseburger Pasta

Slow Cooker Saturday.

Finally!

This is a simple one. I jumped back into the Slow Cooker Saturday slowly, one itty bitty toe at a time.

We still have another week of Summer around our house. For everyone else it would seem school is already in session.  This is a great school night meal.

It is easy.
It actually doesn't have to be in the slow cooker for too long.
Small children devour it, I mean like super scarf-down and then ask for seconds and thirds.
It really does solve all kinds of after school types of problems.

Except maybe math homework...

Spelling...maybe...but math, nope.

I am helpful like that.

Happy School being back in...even if we are not quite there yet!

Slow Cooker Cheeseburger Pasta

1 lb ground hamburger
1 can tomato soup
1 can cheddar cheese soup
1 cup water
1 cup beef broth
2 cups shell pasta
pepper to taste

Cook the ground hamburger. Drain.

Combine cooked hamburger, soups, water, beef broth, and pasta in a slow cooker. Stir to combine. Season with pepper. Cover and cook on high for 3 hours or until pasta is tender.


See what I am saying about this being easy? It will probably take more time to read the instructions than to make it.

Happy slow cooking!

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Slow Cooker Saturday: Shredded Barbeque Chicken Sliders

Any Summer day can be made better with some barbeque chicken, especially a crazy busy Summer day.

I have been a little lax in the cooking department this Summer. We have been ultra busy and all of the sudden the end of the day is there and then BAM my kids start saying they are hungry and before I know it that sneaky little devil dinnertime has snuck on up me.

On the days where I anticipate the impending need for evening nourishment, I bring out the slow cooker and start making dinner before the crazy descends.

Some slow cooker Barbeque Chicken seemed the perfect answer for a busy Summer day.

These little sliders are so scrumptious.

Plus they were very little trouble to whip out.

Cook the chicken slowly and all day long with little to no supervision.

Then shred it up. Soak it up in some sauce. Serve on a roll. Slather in more sauce.

And now it is eating time.

Another Slow Cooker Saturday success. Woot! Woot!

Slow Cooker Shredded Barbeque Sauce
adapted from America's Test Kitchen 

3 chicken breasts
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1 Tablespoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 cups brown sugar barbeque sauce (your favorite brand)

Mix the chili powder, paprika, brown sugar, salt, cayenne pepper, and pepper in a small bowl. Rub the mixture evenly over the chicken and then put the chicken in the slow cooker. Pour 1/2 cup of the barbeque sauce over the chicken. Cook on low for 4-6 hours until chicken is done.

Take the chicken out and shred and set aside. Skim the fat off the leftover liquid. Mix 1 cup of the liquid with the 1 cup of barbeque sauce. Toss the chicken with the mixture.

Serve on slider rolls.

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Slow Cooker Saturday: Lasagna

Welcome to Slow Cooker Saturday

I hadn't had traditional lasagna in years. Years and years.

Consequently, neither had my family. Poor, poor family!

I figured I should rectify that post haste...hehehe, sometimes I wish I were living smack dab in the middle of a Jane Austen book.

Back to the lasagna...

The yummy, delightful lasagna...

There are a lot recipes out there. As is my normal style, I morphed a few recipes and I feel I created a pretty darn tasty version that is sure to make any hungry family really happy.

I love the spinach in this recipe. The more veggies nestled within the better. Not only does this lasagna have ground beef, but also has Italian sausage. Then the cheese. Cheese makes so many things better.

On top of being yummy, this recipe is easy to prepare and then just cooks all day in the slow cooker. See, super easy and bonus your house smells divine all day long.

The whole family ate it all up. I am so happy I introduced my teeny tiny eaters to lasagna. Oh it was so yummy. I kind of want a big ol' serving right now.

I might be making this again sooner than later.

Enjoy!

Slow Cooker Lasagna

1 lb ground hamburger
1 lb Italian sausage
3 (14 oz) cans crushed tomatoes
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 Tablespoons dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 (15 oz) containers part skim ricotta cheese
2 cups grated mozzarella cheese, plus 1 cup for the top
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
12-15 lasagna noodles
6 cups baby spinach, roughly cut up

Cook the ground hamburger and the Italian sausage in a skillet. Drain off extra fat. Set aside.

In a bowl, combine the tomatoes, garlic, oregano, salt, pepper flakes, pepper.

In another bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, mozzarella (not the 1 cup for the top), and Parmesan cheeses.

Spray bowl of the crock pot. In the bottom of the crock pot, spread a little bit of sauce. Top the sauce with three noodles. You might need to break some of the noodles to get them to fit. Pour 1 cup of sauce over the noodles. Then top with a third of the meat. Next layer on 2 cups of the spinach. After the spinach layer on a third of the cheese mixture.

Repeat two more times.

End by topping the lasagna with three noodles and the 1 cup of mozzarella.

Cover and cook on low. Cook for for 4-5 hours, until the noodles are done.

Thanks for reading!

Slow Cooker Saturday: Chili Over Cornbread Waffles

This week for Slow Cooker Saturday-- Chili over Cornbread Waffles.

I know it is almost July and it could be said that it isn't really chili weather.

However, I have men of both normal and itty bitty size and a chili craving can not be thwarted just because it is the wrong season.

When they want chili, chili must be made.

However, I decided to make slow cooker chili so that I didn't have to sweat it out over a stove. This way they got chili and I remained cool and collected (aka not sweating like a man through my shirt).

Then Hubby requested cornbread waffles be served with the chili. This is what happens when your husband likes to peruse Pinterest.

So I tweaked a slow cooker chili recipe that I found. I am NOT a burn your mouth and innards kind of chili gal. So this recipe is very mild. Just enough season and heat to know you are eating chili. If chili can be light and refreshing, this is it.

 Then I made a basic cornbread recipe and simply cooked it in a greased waffle iron.

A topping of sour cream and cheese, and the result is...

A really satisfying, no-fuss Summer and kid friendly chili.

Enjoy!

Slow Cooker Chili Over Cornbread Waffles 
chili adapted from Jimmy Fallon via Martha Stewart





Printable Recipe

Chili:

2 Tablespoons olive oil
3 lbs ground beef (90/10)
salt and pepper
1 white onion, diced
1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped
1/4 cup chile powder
1 Tablespoon dried oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 (28oz) cans of whole tomatoes, roughly chopped in juices
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
2 (15oz) cans kidney beans drained and rinsed

Waffles:

2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups yellow corn meal
1 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt

Toppings:
shredded cheddar cheese
sour cream

To make the chili, in a large skillet heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Cook the ground hamburger. Season with salt and pepper. Drain fat and set aside.

In the skillet, heat up the other tablespoon of oil. Cook the onions, garlic, and jalapeno. Cook for about 5 minutes, until translucent. Set aside.

In a slow cooker, combine beef, onion mixture, chili powder, oregano, cumin, cayenne pepper. Stir to combine. Add in tomatoes and cilantro. Cover and cook on high for 5 hours

Add in kidney beans and season again with salt and pepper. Cook uncovered for 30 minutes, or until thickened.

When the chili is done, turn down to low and make the waffles.

Heat the waffle iron.

Beat eggs in a bowl. Stir in milk, oil, corn meal, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt until smooth. Batter should be smooth and pourable. If it is too thick add a tablespoon of milk at a time.

Grease waffle iron. Pour some of the cornbread mixture into the waffle iron. Cook until done.

Serve chili over a warm cornbread waffle. Top with cheese and sour cream.

Thanks for reading!

Slow Cooker Saturday: Sweet Hawiian Boneless Ribs

 

Nothing says Summer like some ribs. 

I have this problem though. I really, really, don't care to eat meat off of bones.

Alas, the very term RIBS implies that there will be meat on said bones.

So it seemed that the quintessential Summer BBQ meal and I would always be at an impasse.

Forever. 

FOR...EV...ER

FOR...EV...ER

...name the movie (also a Summer must)...  

Okay so I am being a little over dramatic.

I can have ribs. It is true.

Glory be, there are boneless ribs. The next best thing to boneless chicken wings.

All the yumminess. All the sauce. All the messiness. NONE of the me having to gnaw meat off of bones.

The good news doesn't stop there.

Not only can I enjoy yummy ribs, but I also don't have to work that hard to make them. 

Simply throw them in a slow cooker. 

This is the second time I have cooked ribs in a slow cooker. No you did not miss that recipe on the blog. There was a very good reason you didn't see it...I wasn't a huge fan (most likely because they were on the bone). 

This recipe I loved. LOVED, I tell you. 

I made a few minor tweaks.

They were a hit. Even Bean devoured the meat. Seriously his itty bitty hands were double fisting the meat in. It was awesome to behold.

So today for Slow Cooker Saturday, I am sharing this yummy just-in-time-for-Summer ribs recipe

Happy eating!

Sweet Hawaiian Boneless Ribs (Slow Cooker) 
adapted from Chef in Training

Print Here

2 lbs boneless pork ribs
2/3 cup reduced sodium soy sauce
3 Tablespoons brown sugar
3 Tablespoons honey
6 Tablespoon pineapple juice
2 Tablespoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon Chinese 5 spice powder

Spray the slow cooker with cooking spray.

Arrange the ribs evenly in the bottom of the slow cooker.

In a small bowl, combine all the rest of the ingredients and mix until everything is combined and the honey and brown sugar is dissolved.

Pour over the meat and cover. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

When the ribs are done, remove 2 cups of the sauce and put it in a small sauce pan. Heat to boiling and cook down slightly. This will take about 10-15 minutes.

Place the ribs on a cooking sheet. Baste liberally with the slightly reduced sauce. Broil the meat for 5-7 minutes, checking often, until the sauce is sticky and the edges of the ribs are almost crisp.

Serve warm.

Have a great and glorious weekend!

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Slow Cooker Saturday: Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal

Slow Cooker Saturday. Yum. Yum. I have another great Slow Cooker Recipe for you.

School is officially out. We can be a little more leisurely in the morning. A fact for which I am super duper excited.

Breakfasts are a bit of a battle at our house. Mostly because pancakes are the only thing that is unanimously agreed upon and I would rather not make them every morning.

Enter a breakfast that I can start the night before. Then make that breakfast appleicious and all cinnamontastic. Oh and did I mention that it is a healthy and filling oatmeal breakfast as well.

Sold.

Kiddos happily devoured it all while snugly in their jammies.

Double Sold. 

Now that I know I can make breakfast in a slow cooker...well that might just be happening a lot more.

There will be far less squabbling at breakfast table now...well at least less squabbling about the food...hahaha...

Slow Cooker Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal 
adapted from Baked by Rachel

3 apples, cored and cut into 1/2" cubes
1 cup apple juice
1/2 cup water
1 cup steel-cut oats
2 Tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 Tablespoon ground flax seed
1/4 teaspoon salt
chopped pecans, garnish

Coat the inside of the slow cooker with cooking spray. Be generous, because if you aren't then it could super stick.

Add all the ingredients, but the pecans, into the slow cooker. Stir everything together and put the lid on. Cook on low for 7 hours.

Serve hot topped with the pecans.

Happy eating.

Slow Cooker Saturday: Honey Sesame Chicken

Welcome to Slow Cooker Saturday.

I have a super delicious slow cooker recipe for you today.

This dish has quickly become a family favorite. We serve it over a hot helping of steamed rice and top it with fresh and crunchy green onions.

We serve it up family style on a big plate. Then we spoon ourselves a not-so-modest serving onto a plate.

Then we pretty much shovel the food into our mouths in a manner suggesting that we have not eaten in days. 

Oh-so-good.

Sometimes I like to pretend that I have houseful of napkin-toting, fork-using, proper-manners, please-and-thank-you using Little Men.

Then there are times I am just gonna say it like it is...

They inhaled this meal. I am not sure napkins were even considered. I served it up and then the next thing I knew their plates were already empty, their little faces saucy (aka covered in sauce), and they were requesting seconds.

Note to self...double the recipe. I mean the Momma and Daddy have to eat too.

This is a great recipe and should definitely make your Slow Cooker rotation. I promise. This Momma does not take a yummy and family friendly recipe lightly.

Slow Cooker Honey Sesame Chicken
adapted from Your Homebased Mom 

Printable Recipe

2-3 chicken breasts
salt
pepper
1/2 cup chopped onions
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 cup honey
1/4 cup ketchup
1/2 cup soy sauce
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon sriracha
4 teaspoon cornstarch
1/3 cup water
1 Tablespoon sesame seeds
3-4 green onions, sliced

Put the chicken in the crock pot and liberally salt and pepper on both sides.

In a bowl, combine onion, garlic, honey, ketchup, soy sauce, oil, and sriracha. Pour the sauce over the chicken.

Cook on low for 4-5 hours.

Remove chicken and shred. Set aside.

Combine the cornstarch and water in a small bowl. Strain the fat off the sauce that is in the slow cooker. Discard the fat and pour the sauce into a small sauce pan. Add in the cornstarch mixture. Cook the sauce over medium high heat, stirring frequently for about 10 minutes OR until the sauce thickens.

Pour the sauce over the shredded chicken.

Serve over rice. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and green onions.

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Slow Cooker Roasted Red Pepper Chicken Sandwiches

First things first people ... I have done it.

For better or worse I put my big girl social media pants on and I joined Twitter.

I am officially ready to Tweet.

Tweet what?

Oh I have no clue.

I am officially ready to hashtag...or should I have just said I am officially ready to #?

Oh good grief. I am in trouble.

I would love it if any of you out there on twitter would  hold my hand follow Just Another Day in Paradise on Twitter and be there with me during this social media journey.

Thanks for being the best readers ever.

You are grand.

On with Slow Cooker Saturday. Another week, another Slow Cooker Recipe.

Can I get a WOOT, WOOT?

I LOVE sandwiches. Pretty much all sandwiches. There are a very few I won't eat...cough...cough...seafood salad sandwiches...ehem....

I love that this recipe was for chicken that was going into a sandwich.

The roasted red pepper and chicken cooked away in the slow cooker with no never-you-mind from me. When it was time to eat, I just had to get the bread, lettuce, tomatoes, and spread ready.

Then it all cozied up together and got put on a plate waiting for my undivided attention.

Well, not undivided. I couldn't help but giving some of my attention to these insane homemade Garlic Parmesan Fries (recipe included today).

I felt just like I was eating at a restaurant. Except I didn't have to leave a tip and I had to wash the dishes afterwards. But other than that...yeah it felt like a restaurant.

This is an easy and completely yummy sandwich recipe. Plus you can really switch it up how you like. With the Roasted Red Pepper Chicken as a base you can choose the type of bread. You can choose different spreads. Hidden Valley has these great new spreads that work perfectly on sandwiches (they don't know I am saying that, I just really like their spreads and want to pass on this little gem to other sandwich lovers).

We used the Spicy Chipotle Pepper flavor on one sandwich. We used regular pesto on another.

Both were super tasty.

See, you can switch it up how ya like.

Anyway you make the sandwich it will be tasty. Okay I take that back. You probably won't enjoy the sandwich if you use Peanut Butter as the spread.

This recipe is definitely worth trying.

Slow Cooker Roasted Red Pepper Chicken Sandwiches with Garlic Parmesan Fries
Chicken Recipe adapted from Your Homebased Mom

2-3 chicken breasts
1 jar roasted red peppers (about 1 cup)
salt and pepper to taste

spreads--pesto, mayo, pepper spread...
sliced tomatoes
lettuce
bakery style focaccia bread

Place the chicken into a slow cooker and season with salt and pepper. Add in the jar of roasted red peppers.

Cook on low for 6 hours. Remove chicken from crock pot and shred. Return back to the crock pot and mix.

Make the fries.

Garlic Parmesan Fries

1/2 bag of frozen french fries

3-4 Tablespoons butter, melted

2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Bake fries according to directions.  Just before the fries are done, stir the garlic and Parmesan cheese into the melted butter.

Drizzle the garlic Parmesan mixture over the fries. Gently toss to coat. Make sure all the fries are coated evenly.

Assemble the sandwiches and serve with a side of fries.

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Slow Cooker Saturday: Shredded Beef Tacos

Hoorah for me actually showing up to a Slow Cooker Saturday. I have been MIA on Saturdays around here for a couple of weeks. Chalk it up to crazy weekends. It surely isn't because I haven't been using my slow cooker, 'cause I have.

A slow cooker using fool, that is me.

Let me introduce you to these Shredded Beef Tacos.

Reader, meet Taco...

Why Hello....

Sorry for the food conversation. Where was I.

Oh right, the tacos.

These are scrumb-diddli-umcious people.

Srumb.Diddli.Umcious.

We served these at our recent Turning Uno Birthday Mexican Fiesta. These tacos were a crowd pleaser. In fact, the next day when Oldest asked for leftovers and I had to tell him they were gone, he was pretty displeased.

He was really counting on another Shredded Beef Taco.

Oh this meal was yummy. I am kind of wishing that it wasn't several weeks ago when I made this. I am kind of wishing it was like um cooking in my slow cooker right now...okay like really I wish that it was already done cooking so I could eat while typing. All the while dripping yummy taco bits all over my keyboard.

The rice and beans were good too...we will talk about that another day. Here is a teaser. Yum.

Besides being delicioso (yea I just threw in my best Spanish, which I know thanks to Dora), these are insanely easy to make.

Roast and fixins just chilax in the slow cooker for the day. Then when it is done cooking, you just shred it up and serve it up on a tortilla with your favorite taco toppings.

Seriously yum.

Slow Cooker Shredded Beef Taco
classy cooking

Printable Recipe

1 2-3lb chuck roast
1 14oz can beef broth
1 1/2 Tablespoons chili powder
1/2 Tablespoon cumin
1/2 Tablespoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt
freshly cracked black pepper
juice of 1 medium lime

flour tortillas
lettuce, shredded
cheese (I used cojita a Mexican crumble cheese)
guacamole
sour cream 
pico de gallo
cilantro    

In a bowl, whisk together the chili powder, cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper.

Place the roast in the slow cooker. Pour the beef broth over the roast. Then add the lime juice. Sprinkle the roast with the spice mixture. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours.

Remove the roast from the slow cooker. Remove any fat. Shred the beef and return to the slow cooker. Cover with a lid and cook an additional 30 minutes.

Remove the shredded beef from the juices. Serve up on a warm tortilla, topped with your favorite taco toppings.