As the days grow shorter and the nights get colder, there is no better feeling than coming home to homemade comfort food. The problem is that most of us work and don't have the time to make food like this on the regular. Sure, you could go out and buy it, but why would you when the ingredients cost about half the price?
If you have a Crock-Pot you can make all these dishes and more with very little effort involved and for a fraction of the price of buying one of these dishes at a restaurant. As a general rule of thumb, all you need to do is cut up all the ingredients and dump them in the Crock-Pot with some water when you get up in the morning and then proceed to go about your day. When you come home, there will be a piping hot, nutritious meal waiting for you.
The great thing with this method of cooking is that it makes enough to feed the whole family or, if you live alone, you can store it for several days and the flavors only improve.
So, let's get down to business and do some cooking with next to no effort at all.
1. Three-Cheese Mashed Potatoes
Cooking Time: 4 hours
Ingredients:
4 cloves garlic
2 lb potatoes
salt and pepper
¼ cup butter
¼ cup grated cheddar cheese
4 oz cream cheese
½ cup milk
¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
2. Crockpot Meatballs
Cooking Time: 3 – 3½ hours
Ingredients:
2½ cups grape jelly
18 oz barbecue sauce
2 lb frozen meatballs
3. Spinach & Artichoke Dip
Cooking Time: 2¼ hours
Ingredients:
2 14 oz cans artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 10 oz package frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
8 oz sour cream
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
¾ cup grated parmesan cheese
¾ cup milk
½ cup crumbled feta cheese
¼ cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
8 oz cream cheese, cubed
4. Corn and Jalapeño Dip
Cooking Time: 2½ hours
Ingredients:
4 slices bacon
2 tablespoons chives
3 15¼ oz cans corn, whole kernel
2 jalapeños
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 oz cream cheese
¼ cup parmesan cheese, grated
1 cup pepper jack cheese
½ cup sour cream
5. Blueberry Breakfast Casserole
Cooking Time: 2 hours
Ingredients:
2 cups blueberries
1 Egg
1 cup cream of wheat
1 cup long cooking oats
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup flour
½ teaspoon salt
¼ cup oil
¼ cup walnuts
3 tablespoons butter
1 cup milk
6. Cheesy Broccoli
Cooking Time: 2½ hours
Ingredients:
2 12 oz. packages of frozen baby broccoli florets
2 cans Campbell’s cheddar cheese coup
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
7. Pork Loin With Gravy
Cooking Time: 5 hours
Ingredients:
1 lb pork loin
2½ oz pork roast gravy mix
10¾ oz cream of mushroom soup
½ cup water
8. Beef Stew
Cooking Time: 10 hours
Ingredients:
2 lb beef stew meat
2 cups baby carrots
2 celery stalks
1 cup frozen corn
2 cloves garlic
1 medium onion
1 teaspoons oregano
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 cups frozen peas
4 small red potatoes, diced (about 3 cups)
32 oz beef broth
1 6oz can tomato paste
2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
¼ cup flour
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon salt
¼ cup water
9. Southwestern Chicken and Rice
Cooking Time: 5 hours
Ingredients:
3 chicken breasts
1 3½ oz. can green chiles
1 15 oz. can black beans
1 15 oz. can whole kernel corn
4 garlic cloves
1 medium green bell pepper
1 medium red onion
14 oz tomatoes
1 chicken bouillon cube
1 8 oz can tomato sauce
1 cup long grain rice
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
¾ teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 cups colby jack cheese
2 cups water
10. BBQ Wings
Cooking Time: 4 hours
Ingredients:
12 chicken wings
1 cup bbq sauce
1 can Coca Cola
11. Chicken Noodle Soup
Cooking Time: 7 hours
Ingredients:
1½ lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 bay leaf
2 cups carrots
3 celery stalks
3 cloves garlic
3 tablespoons fresh parsley
½ teaspoon dried thyme
1 medium onion
6 cups chicken broth
2 cups wide egg noodles
salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 cup water
12. Pulled Pork
Cooking Time: 8 hours
Ingredients:
2 lb pork shoulder/butt trimmed of excess fat
2 4 oz cans green chilies
1 12 oz can Cherry Coke (1 ½ cups)
½ cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons liquid smoke
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
½ teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
zest of 1 orange
1 cup bbq sauce
