Pork Chops with Apples and Squash

Pork Chops with Apples and Squash

Ingredients
1) 1 small butternut squash
2) 3 large unpeeled apples
3) 4 pork loin chops about 3/4 inch thick

4) 3/4 cup of honey
5) 2 tablespoons whole wheat flour
6) 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions
1) Peel squash and cut in half
2) Remove seeds and cut squash into 1/2 inch slices
3) Cut apples into quarters and remove cores
4) Layer squash and apples on the bottom of the crock pot
5) Place pork on top of squash and apples
6) In a small bowl, mix honey, flour and cinnamon
7) Pour honey mixture over pork
8) Cover and cook on low for 8 hours
9) Enjoy

Sesame Chicken in the crock pot

Sesame Chicken in the crock pot
Ingredients


1) 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2) 1 cup honey
3) 1/2 cup Braggs liquid aminos or lite soy sauce
4) 1 small onion
5) 1/4 cup all natural ketchup such at Steve's
6) 2 Tablespoons olive oil
7) 2 cloves garlic
8) 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
9) 2 Teaspoons whole wheat flour
10) Sesame seeds

Directions1) Place chicken into crock pot
2) Dice onion
3) Mince garlic
4) In a bowl, combine honey, Bragg's, onion, ketchup, oil, garlic and pepper flakes
5) Pour over chicken
6) Cover and cook on low for 4 hours
7) Remove chicken from crock pot with slotted spoon, leaving sauce behind
8) Dissolve 2 teaspoons of whole wheat flour in 3 tablespoons of warm water
9) Pour into crock pot while stirring or whisking sauce
10) Replace lid and cook on high for 10 minutes, until sauce is thickened
11) While sauce is thickening, shred chicken
12) After 10 minutes, add chicken back into sauce and toss
13) Serve with sesame seeds sprinkled on top
14) Enjoy!

Minestrone in the Crock Pot

Minestrone in the Crock Pot

Ingredients

1) 1 15 oz can cannellini beans

2) 4 cups of low sodium chicken broth

3) 2 teaspoons olive oil

4) 1 small onion

5) 3 carrots

6) 2 stalks celery

7) 2 garlic cloves

8) 28 ounce can diced tomatoes

9) 2 bay leaves

10) 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

11) 1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley

12) 1 medium zucchini

13) 2 cups spinach

14 2 cups small cooked pasta such as diatlini

Directions

1) Rinse and drain beans

2) Chop onion

3) Dice carrots and celrery

4) Mince garlic

5) Chop basil

6) Chop parsley

7) Dice zucchini

8) Chop spinach

9) Puree beans with 1 cup of the broth in a blender or with a hand blender

10) Add all ingredients EXCEPT pasta, zucchini and spinach into crock pot

11) Cover and cook on low for 6  hours

12) Add zucchini and spinach 

13) Cook for an additional hour on low

14) Take out bay leaves

15) If serving immediately, put in pasta and serve.  Otherwise only put pasta in whatever you are using.

Salsa Chicken in the crock pot

Salsa Chicken in the crock pot

Ingredients
1) 1 lb of boneless skinless chicken (dark or white works)

2) One jar of salsa - your choice

Directions
1) Place chicken in crock pot
2) Pour salsa over chicken
3) Cover and cook on low for 6 hours
4) When done, shred chicken and mix together to use for nachos, tacos, lettuce wraps etc.
5) Enjoy!!

Eggplant Casserole in the crock pot

Eggplant Casserole in the crock pot

Ingredients
1) 1 ounce grated Parmesan cheese
2) 1 cup ricotta cheese (either whole milk or skim)
3) 1 cup cottage cheese (either whole milk or skim)
4) 3 cloves of garlic
5) 1egg
6) 1/2 cup packed basil leaves
7) 3 cups marina sauce (jarred or homemade - if using jarred get the no sugar added type)
8) 1 large eggplant

Directions:
1) Mince garlic
2)  Chop basil to very tiny pieces
3) In a large bowl, combine cheeses, garlic, egg and basil until smooth
4) Slice eggplant into 3/4 inch rounds (leave skin on for more taste and nutrients
5) Spray inside of crock pot with cooking spray
6) Spread a thin layer of marinara sauce on the bottom of crock pot
7) Place 1/3 of eggplant slices over sauce, overlapping edges
8) Spread 1/2 of the cheese mixture over eggplant and spoon one third of remaining marinara over top
9) Repeat with another 1/3 of eggplant, second half of cheese mixture and another 1/3 of sauce
10) Finish with remaining 1/3 of eggplant and sauce
11) Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours
12) If casserole is watery at the end, turn to high and uncover for 10 minutes. 
13) Enjoy

Pasta Fagioli in the Crock Pot

Pasta Fagioli in the Crock Pot

Ingredients
1) 1/2 pound ground turkey                                        
2) 3 carrots                                                                                 

3) 2 celery stalks
4) 1 small onion
5) 1 clove garlic
6) 2 cans cannellini beans
7) 1 can fire roasted diced tomatoes
8) 2 cups water
9) 4 cups chicken stock
10) 2 1/2 cups small whole wheat pasta COOKED - orzo, tubette, ditalini
11) 1 tablespoon olive oil
12) 1 teaspoon rosemary
13) 2 teaspoons parsley
14) 2 bay leaves

Directions
 1) Dice the carrots, celery and onions.
2) Mince the garlic
3) Heat oil in a large skillet unless you have one of the crock pots like I have and you can do it right in the crock pot.  Add onions and garlic and saute until softened.
2) Add ground turkey and cook until browned.
3) Put turkey mixture into crock pot and add carrots, celery, herbs, tomatoes, water and chicken stock.  DO NOT add the pasta at this time.
4) Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours
5) When ready to serve, add the pasta
6) Enjoy

Stuffed Peppers in the Crock Pot WITH 21 Day Fix Container Count

Stuffed Peppers in the crock pot

Ingredients
1) 1 lb ground turkey
2) 4 red bell peppers
3) 2 cups cooked brown rice
4) 1/2 teaspoon Onion powder
5) 1/2 teaspoon Garlic powder
6) 2 cups of tomato sauce

Directions
 1) In a mixing bowl, mix together ground turkey, rice, onion powder, garlic powder and 1 cup of tomato sauce.  I use this Mix N Chop from Pampered Chef.  Love it!
2) Cut tops off of peppers and take out seeds
3) Place 1 cup of tomato sauce in bottom of crock pot
4) Fill peppers with ground turkey mixture
5) Place filled peppers and tops into crock pot (I usually have to lay them on their sides and it is fine)
6) Cover and cook on low for 6 hours
7) Enjoy!

For those of you doing the 21 Day Fix, the containers for each peppers are 1 green, 1 red, 1 yellow and 1/2 purple  Save some blue to add some grated cheese to the top!! YUMY

Chicken Barley Stew in the Crock Pot

Chicken Barley Stew in the Crock Pot

Ingredients
1) 4 cups chicken broth
2) 3 cloves garlic
3) 1 teaspoon each salt and pepper
4) 2 bay leaves
5) 1 1/2 pounds boneless chicken breast
6) 1/2 cup black eyed peas (already cooked or canned)   

7) 1/2 cup of barley rinsed
8) 1 sweet onion
9) 2  Sweet potatoes
10) 3 carrots
11) 2 teaspoons fresh basil chopped
12) 2 teaspoons dill chopped

Directions
1) Mince garlic
2) Cube chicken breast
3) Dice onion
4) Peel and cube potatoes
5) Peel and cut carrot into 1/2" pieces
6) Place broth, 1 cup water, garlic, salt, pepper and bay leaves into slow cooker
7) Add chicken, peas and barley
8) Layer onion, potatoes and carrots over the top - do not stir
9) Cover and cook on low for 6 hours
10) Remove bay leaves and stir in basil and dill
11) Enjoy

Chicken and Sausage Stir Fry

Chicken and Sausage Stir Fry

Ingredients
1) 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast
2) 1 pound sausage (any kind you would like)
3) 1 large onion
4) 1 red bell pepper
5) 1 green bell pepper
6) 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
7) 1/2 teaspoon onion powder

Directions
1) Cut chicken breast into strips
2) Slice onions and peppers into strips
3) Preheat frying pan with 1 tablespoon oil
4) Brown chicken and sausage
5) Take out of pan and put to the side
6) Cut sausage into 1 inch pieces
7) Brown onions and peppers
8) Add chicken and sausage to onions and peppers
9) Add garlic and onion powder
10)  Cook for about 10 minutes or until chicken and sausage are no longer pink. I sometimes cook longer to have onions and peppers are almost caramelized. 
11) Enjoy!!

Egg and Breakfast Sausage in the crock pot

Egg and Breakfast Sausage in the crock pot

Ingredients
1) 6 links of breakfast sausage - (hold the comments on this not being clean please : )
2) 6 eggs
3) 1/2 cup milk
4) 1/4 cup grated cheese (your choice)
5) Salt and pepper

Directions
1) Cook sausage and break into pieces
2) Spray crock pot with nonstick spray unless you cooked the sausage in it, then the oil from the sausage is enough.
3) Place sausage in crock pot
4) Beat 6 eggs and mix with milk, cheese and salt and pepper to taste.
5) Pour egg mixture over sausage
6) Cover and cook on low for 1 hour and 15 minutes
7) Enjoy

Beef Fajitas in the crock pot

Beef Fajitas in the crock pot

Ingredients
1) 1 1/2 pounds flank steak
2) 12 ounces of salsa - I use Drew's Salsa
3) 1 Vidalia onion
4) 1 red bell pepper
5) 1 green bell pepper

Directions
1) Cut flank steak into strips
2) Chop onions
3) Cut peppers into strips
4) Place steak, onions, peppers and salsa into crock pot

5) Cover and cook on low for 8 hours

6) Enjoy in warms tortillas or over rice with toppings of your choice

Vegetarian Chili in the Crock Pot

 Vegetarian Chili in the Crock Pot

Ingredients
1) 1 medium red onion
2) 1 green bell pepper
3) 3 garlic cloves
4) 1 tablespoon chili powder
5) 1 tablespoon cumin
6) 2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
7) 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
8) 28 ounce can fire roasted diced tomatoes
9) 1 15.5 ounce can black beans
10) 1 15.5 ounce can kidney beans
11) 1 sweet potato

Directions
1) Chop red onion and bell pepper
2) Mince garlic
3) Rinse black beans and kidney beans
4) Cut sweet potato into 1 inch cubes
5) Add all ingredients and 1 cup of water into crock pot
6) Cover and cook on low for 8 hours
7) Enjoy

Sweet and Sour Pork in the crock pot

Sweet and Sour Pork in the crock pot

Ingredients
1) 1.5 lb pork tenderloin
2) 1 medium onion
3) 2 cloves garlic
4) 1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth
5) 1/4 cup Bragg's Liquid Aminos or low sodium soy sauce
6) 1/4 cup white vinegar
7) 3 tablespoons tomato paste
8) 4 tablespoons honey
9) 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
10) 1/4 cup fresh orange juice
11) 2 tablespoons cornstarch
12) 1 large red bell pepper
13) 1 large green bell pepper
14) 1 cup diced pineapple

Directions
1) Cut pork into 1 inch chunks
2) Chop onion into 1 inch chunks
3) Thinly slice garlic
4) Dice both peppers
5) Place pork, onion, garlic and peppers into crock pot
6) In a mixing bowl, whisk together broth, Braggs, vinegar, tomato paste, honey and ginger
7) Pour mixture over pork and mix gently
8) Cover and cook on low for 5 1/2 hours
9) Combine orange juice and cornstarch in  small bowl until no lumps remain
10) Add to slow cooker along with pineapple and cook on high for another 30 minutes. 
11) Enjoy!

Turkey Meatballs in the crock pot

I've been trying to avoid recipes where I have to sear things first but now that I have this new crock pot, I don't mind as much since I don't have to dirty another pot.

Turkey Meatballs in the crock pot

Ingredients
1) 1 egg
2) 2 pounds of ground turkey
3) 2/3 cup of whole wheat bread crumbs
4) 3 tablespoons olive oil
5) 1/4 cup grated parmesean cheese
6) 3 cloves garlic - minced
7) 1 teaspoon dried oregano
8) 2 teaspoons dried basil
9) 1 teaspoon salt
10) 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
11) EITHER A jar of your favorite (no sugar added) tomato sauce, your own homemade tomato sauce OR
         1 large onion
         2 can of crushed tomatoes - 28 ounces each

Directions
1)  Beat the egg in a   bowl.  Add ground turkey, bread crumbs, 2 tablespoons olive oil, parmesean, garlic, oregano, basil, salt and pepper.
2) Mix everything together
3) Roll meat mixture into golf sized balls
4) If using your tomato sauce, pour about half on the bottom of the crock pot..  If using the onion and crushed tomatoes, slice the onions and line the bottom of the pot with them and cover with one can of the crushed tomatoes.
5) Coat a large skillet with remaining Tablespoon of olive oil and bring to medium-high heat. Lightly brown the meatballs for about 1 minute on each side.  Layer the meatballs into the crockpot as you're browning each batch. Once all browned meatballs have been added to the crockpot, pour remaining can of tomatoes on top or the rest of the tomato sauce.
6) Cover and cook on low for 6 hours