Browsing Tag:

Crock Pot

Slow Cooker Noodle Bowls

April 5, 2019

 

 

You guys…I didn’t know how much I needed noodle bowls in my life until I started skiing at a mountain with a noodle bowl bar. You get to choose the broth: chicken, beef or miso. And the meat: chicken, beef brisket or pork belly. And the noodles: ramen, udon or soba.

The first time I ordered one it was late in the day and they only had Udon noodles left. And basically now I’m hooked on them. They are so chewy and light and velvety. The perfect mix in a bite of meat and broth and crunchy veggies.

When we’re skiing, I dream about the tender meat, and salty broth, and spicy bits of jalapeno and sriracha sauce and those luxurious noodles.  And afterwards, this food makes you feel SO good. Super nourished and comforted and charged with good things so you can ski for hours.

I usually have to fend off all of my kids from grabbing all the noodles, so I decided to try to make noodle bowls at home.

What I did not realize was how easy it could be in a crock pot. Or what an awesome family meal this is, since picky eaters usually love the noodles and the egg (why does the egg just make this dish?) and can be coaxed into some grated carrots. It actually would make great party food too – lay out all the toppings and let friends build them selves a customized bowl to their liking.

All you have to do is cook the chicken and broth with some aromatics and mushrooms for a few hours, and then add the noodles five minutes before you want to serve it.

Then you layout all the toppings…

And then you start to assemble…

Oh man. They are just so good. And I know that you could look around for complex broth recipes and boil pork knuckles with cinnamon and star anise like real pho broth. But the thing is I’m probably never going to make those because I don’t have time.

This broth takes 10 minutes has a complex flavor from the garlic and ginger and onions, as well as the soy sauce and rice wine vinegar.

You could obviously swap beef broth and some cuts like flank steak or brisket to this recipe, and you could also use Ramen or Soba noodles instead. And if you’re looking for any of these ingredients, an Asian section at most grocery stores should have the Udon and Ramen noodles, and I also found some Miso Broth that I can’t wait to try too.

I hope you try these soon, because they are life changing. I don’t say that lightly but THEY’RE THAT GOOD.

Slow Cooker Noodle Bowl (I doubled this to feed 8 and have some leftovers):

Ingredients:

1 diced onion

6 garlic cloves, minced (may only want to do 8 when you double it)

1 T. fresh ginger, minced

4 cups chicken broth (1 32 oz. boxes)

1 lb. chicken breasts

8 oz. sliced shitake mushrooms

¼ soy sauce (more to taste for serving)

¼ rice wine vinegar

½ t. pepper

1 package Udon or Ramen noodles

 

Toppings:

Shredded Carrots

Bean Sprouts

Cilantro

Sliced Jalapeño

Hard-boiled egg, cut in half lengthwise

Sriracha sauce

Directions:

Add onions, ginger, garlic, chicken breasts, chicken broth, mushrooms, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, and pepper to crock pot. Cover and cook on low for 3 hours.

When finished, remove chicken breasts and let rest, and add noodles to crock pot. Let cook for 5 minutes while you prep toppings. Slice chicken breasts then add back into crockpot, stirring to be sure noodles are broken up.

To serve, ladle broth, noodle, chicken and mushrooms into bowl. Add fresh vegetables and herbs, two halves of the hard-boiled egg, and Sriracha and jalapeños for heat.

Slow Cooker Sauce Bolognese

November 16, 2018

A few weeks ago, right before I went to meet our farmer in Vermont and pick up our grass fed beef, I was running a 5k and thinking about all the different cuts we were going to get. I was like a kid in a candy store, and I thought to myself what should I make first??

This sauce popped into my head. It is so good, and one I used to make a lot at our ski condo since it is from the very aptly named Ski House Cookbook. I love that it cooks all day in the crock pot and then when you go to make dinner, you just boil a box of pasta.

They even recommend freezing half so it is always ready for you at your condo. I might be at home but I still took their advice, and I’m going to cook it this weekend when my sister comes over for her birthday so we can just catch up and relax.

This dish is a classic for a reason – the wine and the milk do some special alchemy to make this an elevated pasta sauce, and it it sticks to your ribs with not one but two kinds of beef – ground and cubed that are super tender from cooking all day. (If you’re in a pinch you can just used ground beef). And kids love this dish (don’t worry about the wine, all the alcohol evaporates) so it makes for great family dinners.

Definitely taste it for seasoning and add more salt if it needs it! Or just heaping piles of parm like I do.

Happy Eating! xoxo Katie

Slow Cooker Sauce Bolognese (printer version here): 

3 Tablespoons canola oil

1 pound chuck stew meat, cut into ¾ inch pieces

2 small carrots, finely chopped

1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped

1 pound ground beef

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 ½ cups dry white wine

1 cup whole milk

1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste

1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes

1 (28-ounce) can crushed or pureed tomatoes

Freshly ground black pepper

 

Directions:

  1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over high heat. When the oil is shimmering, add the cubed meat to the pan in one layer (you will most likely need to do this in batches) and brown it on all sides, about 6 minutes. Transfer the browned beef to the slow cooker. Repeat until all the cubes are browned.
  2. Return to the skillet to medium heat, add the carrots, and cook for 2 minutes. Add the onion and continue cooking until the vegetables are softened, about 4 minutes. Add the ground beef and cook , breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon. When the meat is nearly cooked through (but not brown), about 5 minutes, add the garlic and continue cooking for 2 more minutes.
  3. Add the wine and simmer until nearly all of the liquid is evaporated, about 6 minutes. Add the milk and simmer until nearly all of the liquid evaporates, about 4 minutes.
  4. Transfer the ground beef mixture to the cooker and add the salt. Stir in the diced and crushed tomatoes. Cover the slow cooker and set it to low heat for 6 hours.
  5. Stir the sauce and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper, and serve immediately, or cool, cover and freeze in small containers for up to 1 month. Reheat over medium-low heat until simmering, adding a little water if needed to prevent scorching.

Adapted from The Ski House Cookbook by Tina Anderson and Sarah Pinneo

 

Weekly Meal Plan 10/2

October 4, 2018

Hello October!

Fall is my favorite. We’re planning on heading north for the long weekend, and will be eating out at our favorite places to keep it simple. But I’m planning on doubling the beef stew just in case! It travels really well and gets better each day.

Here’s what we’re having this week. Happy Fall! xoxo Katie

Monday

Root Vegetable Shepherd’s Pie – this was my daughter’s dinner choice since it was her Saint’s Day, St. Therese the Little Flower. I am linking my Root Vegetable version (usually post my Easy Shepherd’s Pie) for a little change.

Tuesday 

Stuffed Chicken Breasts 

Wednesday

Eggplant Parm

Thursday 

Instapot Beef Stew 

Friday, Saturday, Sunday 

Going North & Eating Out – Time to look at all the peak foliage in the White Mountains.

Weekly Meal Plan 4/30

May 2, 2018

As you may know if you follow me on Instagram, Monday April 30th was my son’s birthday, and the birthday boy requested spaghetti and meatballs, so that was our meal on Monday. Sorry to duplicate. But Tuesday’s dinner was so good, every loved it. Plus I cooked extra pasta and spaghetti squash on Monday so I just warmed it up. Pro Tip.

Monday: Slow Cooker Spaghetti and Meatballs

Tuesday: Paleo Slow Cooker Balsamic Chicken and Sausage

This was a big hit with everyone! And I loved that it came together really easily in the crock pot. I think next time I will double up on the balsamic vinegar and add a bit more garlic, but otherwise it was really flavorful and had that comfort food factor. Also, cheese on top doesn’t hurt but if you’re aiming for health it’s a winner as is.

Wednesday: Roast Chicken with Creme Fraiche and Herbs

I love this recipe SO much – Mimi Thorisson does it with a whole chicken but I use thighs and it is quick and delicious and easy. Serve with couscous or mashed potatoes to soak up all that delicious liquid on the bottom of the pan with the melted creme fraiche and herbs.

Thursday: Bacon wrapped Pork Tenderloin – 

This is a super old post with old photos, but it sort of adds to the fact that this is a retro dinner, one that my mom used to make when I was growing up. It’s a long post but a SHORT recipe – pork tenderloin, onions, peppers, and tomatoes all sliced and stacked with semi-cooked bacon wrapped around it with a toothpick. Season with salt and pepper and roast. It’s one of those ‘the whole is greater than the sum of its parts’ kind of dish, where the combination of these ingredients is surprisingly flavorful and very satisfying. And that lemon butter zucchini side dish is strait out of my childhood and SO good. 

Friday: It’s pizza, but we are making our own and doing a Brussels Sprout + Pancetta version for the grown ups with a sauce that is just jarred alfredo sauce and probably store bought pizza dough (I love to make my own but with twins I concede to let the pizza dough makers do it). Here is a comparable recipe.

Saturday: I made three Baked Ziti so we could have some for busy sports days and this Saturday is pretty typical of our spring sports season. So glad it’s waiting there for us! The Pioneer Woman’s Baked Ziti is very close to how I make it (hope to blog my recipe soon!).

Crock Pot Pork Ribs

February 6, 2013

The grilling season is a long way off, and after feeling the warmth of Florida sun last week on our trip to Disney, it feels like even spring is taking foorreeeeverrrrr.  (No doubt my impatience is even more acute waiting for baby and not being able to ski.)  But I do have some sunshine to share with you:

Ribs you can make in your crock pot!

 

 

These are not just ANY ribs though.  They are smothered in one of the best secrets in my recipe box.

Eileen’s BBQ Sauce. 

When I was first married, there were a few things I craved that my mom (aka Eileen) made, and this was one of them.  It is such a perfectly balanced sweet/acidic/tangy combination that it makes you dream about it in your sleep.  My mom makes the sauce when she cooks ribs in the oven and the sauce becomes thicker, which is yummy, and if you want to know how she does this I tacked it on at the end.  But I was craving more then the skinny ribs with sticky sauce. I wanted fall-off-the-bone-meaty pork ribs.  So I decided to try them in the crock pot, and I used country style ribs instead of a rack of ribs.

Turns out they were heavenly. Think pot roast tender.

 

Even more sunshine for you: this dish is super easy.  First you make the sauce.  I should warn you that I constantly doctor these ingredients to suit my taste.  I am looking for the ZING factor on my tounge, but as I mentioned it is best when balanced with the sweet.  So play around a little.  These amounts should get you close. And don’t stop at ribs – this sauce is good on chicken,  smothered over meatballs, pulled pork, a cardboard box…

Eileen’s BBQ Sauce: 

1 small onion, finely chopped

2 celery ribs, finely chopped

2 T. olive oil

1 c. ketchup

2 tbsp. cider vinegar

2 tbsp. brown sugar

1 tbsp. Worcestershire Sauce

1 tbsp. yellow mustard

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 c. water

Directions:

Heat oil in pan on medium heat.  Sautee onions and celery for 5 min, until tender.  Then add the rest of the ingredients, stir to combine.  Be sure to season to taste, then bring to a boil and then let simmer for 10 min. if using in the crock pot, 30-45 min if using in oven or on grill.

Crock Pot Ribs:

Take 3 pounds country style pork ribs and lay in bottom of crock pot, cutting to fit if necessary.  Season with salt & pepper.  Pour 1 batch of BBQ Sauce over, set on low heat and cook for 3-4 hours.

Oven Ribs: 

If you prefer stickier ribs, select not country style but babyback ribs (or any ‘rack’ of ribs with the word back in the title).  Remove white membrane off back, then set oven to broil and broil in oven for 10 minutes each side.  Then set oven to 300 degrees.   Lay the ribs on large piece of foil, baste generously with BBQ on each side, seal up the ribs in foil, then cook for 2 hours. Baste again generously with the sauce and cook uncovered (remove top foil) for 1 hour more until sauce is nice and thick. (If you have any sauce left over you can serve on the side, yum!)

Serve with a Corona or Margarita and pretend it is summer. (Virgin Margaritas work for me until baby Curtis comes and I can have the real thing!)

 

 

 

Crock Pot Buffalo Chicken

January 24, 2013

Buffalo Chicken, Beer and the Patriots are the Super Bowl trifecta in our house.

This year I won’t be having the beer (25 weeks, yay!).

 

And the Patriots will not be attending. (Moment of silence:                                            )

 

But there can still be Buffalo Chicken.

And it can be ridiculously easy too.

This is especially important if you have a desire to actually WATCH the game (ok, chat with everyone who came over to watch the game and discuss the commercials) and not slave away in the kitchen while it is on.  And when you factor in that this is actually pretty healthy, as opposed to the wings you can order and promptly go up a pant size after eating, this might be the most perfect Super Bowl Recipe ever.  Besides Buffalo Chicken Dip, see here.

First, I throw three chicken breasts (about 1/2 per person) in the oven with a pat of butter and some salt & pepper on each for 30 min. at 350.

 

Then after they have cooled for 20 minutes or whenever  I get around to it, I slice them on the diagonal and toss them in a crock pot set on low.

Then I pour one bottle of this on top:

If you can’t find their Buffalo Wing Sauce, the regular Frank’s Red Hot works perfectly.

Let it cook for 2-4 hours on low, and then when it is done, it is melt in your mouth, falling apart goodness:

 

Serve with crisp Boston or Romaine lettuce, Marie’s Blue Cheese Dressing (love the Lite version), and a bun or Hoagie Roll.

Since Buffalo Chicken is a very personal thing, I am sure you can come up with ways to tweak this all your own (chop up celery and mix with dressing? Add crumbled blue cheese or tomatoes? Sounds perfect. Knock yourself out!  My husband often makes his into a salad. He thinks his carbs taste better in beer).  I know this is so easy it doesn’t even need a recipe, but for all you cut-and-pasters out there, here you go:

 

Crock Pot Buffalo Chicken: (serves 6)

3 cooked chicken breasts

1 bottle Frank’s Red Hot

Rolls

Lettuce

Blue Cheese Dressing

Directions:

Slice Chicken and cook on low for 2-4 hours. Serve on rolls with lettuce and dressing.