Easy Slow Cooker Pot Roast in Beer

This pot roast really packs in a lot of flavor and is so simple to make.  You don't even need the hassle of searing the meat.  The only liquid used is beer, which adds a beautiful depth of deliciousness to the pot roast.       

Note:  For this recipe, I recommend using a lighter beer or one with 20 IBU or less to avoid any bitterness in your pot roast.  To my embarrassment, I once tried a 65 IBU beer and had to throw out the entire pot roast because it was too incredibly bitter to eat.  

Slow-Cooker Cuban Steak Tacos with Mojo Cream Sauce

I don't know about you but 85 degrees in the middle of May is not my ideal spring day.  Because my husband and I are pushing ourselves to see how long we can survive before turning on the air conditioning, I thought a crock pot meal would be appropriate for dinner.  These Cuban steak tacos are hearty, succulent and perfectly complemented by the intense tart and tangy mojo cream sauce.  

Crock Pot Meat Pie - My 500th Recipe!

Today I celebrate 500 recipes on Cooking Creation!  It's kind of hard to believe that I have posted 500 recipes in the last three short years.  Of all of the meals that I make for my family, my husband's favorite is meat pie.  Meat pie is a savory pie consisting of beef stew in a pie crust.  My husband grew up eating meat pie usually as a special treat on his birthday.  I, however, never heard of such a thing until I was introduced to it by his mother.  This recipe originates from my mother-in-law but I have made a few changes to it over the years.  This pie is a very hearty, stick-to-your-ribs kind of pie. 

Slow Cooker Spicy Chicken Tortilla Stew

Make a New Year's resolution to have a healthy diet?  Try this delicious spicy chicken tortilla stew!  It's healthy, low in calories and oh, so good!  Simply throw the ingredients in your slow cooker in the morning and return home in the evening to the amazing smell of Southwestern goodness.  

Tip:  To save a little bit of time, you can substitute the "Southwestern Seasoning" ingredients listed below with an envelope of taco seasoning.

Recipes like this:  Easy Crock Pot Tortilla Stew

Crock Pot Balsamic Chicken over Pasta

This delicious pasta dish is hearty, healthy and full of flavor.  My family loves the rich, tart and sweet taste of balsamic vinegar - it's definitely a favorite!  If you're unsure about how much balsamic vinegar is right for you, start off by using 2 tbsp.  You can always add more once it's done cooking.  In addition to the amount called for in the recipe, I tend to drizzle about 1/2 tsp more on top of my plate.  Yum!

Beef Daube Provencal (French Beef Stew)

This classic French beef stew has become a top 10 favorite meal for my family.  It is a hearty, company-worthy dish with rich, deep flavor that will have your guests raving.  Serve it with a side of egg noodles, rice or mashed potatoes.  Delicious! 

I have included two ways of cooking this: In a slow cooker and in the oven. 

Slow-Cooked Pot Roast with Red Wine & Rosemary

It doesn't get much better than a hearty pot roast after a long, hard day of work on a chilly evening.  Unwind while you dig into this savory dish.  Yum!

Southern Chicken and Pastry

One Year Ago: Honey Mustard Grilled Chicken and Spinach Salad with... 

We had my mom, dad and Granddaddy over for dinner last night.  My Granddaddy was raised in eastern North Carolina and has the cutest southern drawl.  I asked him what specifically he would like to eat when he came over.  One of his favorite southern meals is chicken and pastry.  Chicken and pastry is a very common dish in the south and is also known as chicken slick.  It is not to be confused with chicken and dumplings.  My Granddaddy's mother, known to me as Grandma Doc, used to make this quite often and would get a chicken right from her own back yard to use.  Unfortunately, I do not raise chickens, so I am limited to store-bought.  Even if I did raise chickens, I don't know if I would have the heart to actually use one in cooking!  Not for me!  Since I knew my day was going to be pretty busy with work on the day that they were coming for dinner, I did most of the cooking the day before, which worked out perfectly for me.  The chicken turned out so amazingly tender and the pastry dough is incredibly easy to work with and tasted delicious.  Everyone said they loved it and my Granddaddy was happy to take the leftovers home with him.  I served this with steamed broccoli, salad, and garlic bread on the side.

Chuck Eye Steak with Onion & Green Pepper in Red Wine Sauce (Crock Pot)

My daughter has piano lessons every Tuesday at 5:00, which leaves very little time for dinner preparation, so I normally make a quick-and-easy dinner or a crock pot meal. I decided on a hearty steak and mashed potato dinner tonight because it is freezing out and this is a comforting and warm meal to me. Braising the steak with the use of a crock pot is so convenient for days like these, when I am running around trying to get things done but still have a yummy dinner on the table at the same time. Braising definitely yields the best results. There is no need for steak sauce and no need for a knife for this tender, juicy meal! While we were chowing down, my daughter asked me if we could "eat this meal every night for the rest of our lives".

The chuck eye steak is a great cut of meat. When cooked properly, it can taste just as good as rib-eye steak and is definitely a great cost alternative at only $4.00 to $4.50/lb.

Meat and Potatoes... and Beer (Dude Food) in the Crock Pot

Today is the first day of autumn! YAY! It also is getting up to 90 degrees. BOO! I would normally braise the chuck roast with the aid of the oven but there is no way I was about to make my poor air conditioning work that hard; therefore, I decided to use my crock pot. Are there any beef and beer lovers out there? If there ever was a "dude food", this would be it. Serve this with crusty bread and Au Jus.

Whole Chicken in a Crock Pot with Parsley, Garlic and Cilantro

 

It has been in the 90s around here and if you know me, you know that I hate to fire up my oven when it is so hot outside. I bought a whole chicken at the grocery store and today was the last day before expiration. For the first time, I decided to attempt to slow cook an entire bird. I have cooked just about everything in a crock pot, but not a whole chicken. It takes about 7 hours total to cook, so I threw everything together before we left for church this morning. The chicken was so moist and tender and fell right off the bone and the potatoes absorbed all of that wonderful garlic and onion flavor. It was just out of this world good! I have a good 3/4 lb of leftovers, too! Now that I know it is possible to slow cook a whole chicken, I will be doing this on a regular basis, especially on hot, busy days.

Beef Barbeque Sandwiches Topped with French Fried Onions

Since I made some BBQ sauce today, I am of course going to be using it this evening for dinner. The French's fried onions were the perfect addition to this sandwich. This is one of those meals that you keep eating even when you are full because the taste is so good.

Pulled Pork BBQ Sandwiches

Today is one of those rare, beautiful, spring-like March days. The sun is out, I can hear Maddy laughing with the neighbors in the backyard and the birds are singing away. I was definitely in a picnic-type mood, so pork BBQ sandwiches were in order. This is so simple, yet so delicious! I served it with potato salad and a pickle. YUM!

Pork Stew in the Crock Pot

I am flabbergasted that it is the beginning of April and it is supposed to get up to nearly 90 degrees today! I, therefore, am still trying to stay away from using my oven because I refuse to turn on the air conditioning yet. Anyway, I was in the mood for pulled pork BBQ sandwiches but I had no buns and I was not in the mood to run to the store to buy some. It has been a while since I have made a stew in the crock pot and today is the last day expiration-wise for my pork, thus the pork stew recipe. If you prefer a thicker stew, in the last 15 minutes of cooking, turn up the heat to high and thicken with some cornstarch or flour . To avoid clumps when thickening, mix flour or cornstarch with water thoroughly in a small bowl before adding. I personally thought this was good and I would rate it at about a B but my husband said it was not his taste (probably because I left the potato skins on and he is not a big fan of that).

Chicken and Vegetables in the Crock Pot

Today is just one of those days with lots going on and very little time for it all, which just happens to make it the perfect day to make a quick, easy and healthy crock pot dinner. 

Pork and Sauerkraut

My husband and I grew up in Pennsylvania, where we still reside today. Growing up, my family never had pork and sauerkraut. It was a tradition in my husband's family to have pork and sauerkraut every New Years Day. In fact, the first time I ever had pork and sauerkraut, I was with my husband's family when we were dating and I thought it sounded disgusting; however, it is something that I fell in love with over time. We will even have it on occasion throughout the year and not just on New Years Day. I have tried this recipe many different ways: With and without brown sugar, with and without caraway seeds, with and without apples, with and without onions, etc. We find that less is more when it comes to this dish. I always serve this with mashed potatoes. Applesauce is also a very nice side with this. This has become one of my favorite comfort foods and I love how it makes my house smell while it is cooking -- yum!

Easy Crock Pot Chicken Tortilla Stew

Photo and recipe by cuckooking.blogspot.com

This is great for those busy days and cold nights.  I give this a 5/5 stars when sour cream and tortilla strips are added.