Red Beans and Rice

Red Beans and Rice

1 onion, chopped
1 pound small red beans
1 cup chopped celery
3 quarts stock
1 pound smoked sausage
1 small ham hock
2 T. minced garlic
2 bay leaves
2 T. Joe's Stuff seasoning

6 cups cooked rice

Soak beans in water overnight to soften. Drain beans and place in crock pot with all other ingredients except smoked sausage. Cook for 8 hours or until thickened. Grill or saute smoked sausage and add to beans in small chunks. Remove bay leaves before serving over rice.

Notes:

This recipe is adapted from Class Act, Simple, Authentic Recipes from the New Orleans School of Cooking. It is cooked on the stove in the original recipe, but the crockpot works better for me. But, it did not thicken as much as it should have, so I put it on the stove for an hour or so.

You could probably substitute any Cajun type seasoning for the Joe's Stuff.

It is not overly spicy at all, and was fantastic with the Smoked Tobassco sauce added at the table.

Baked Potato Soup

Baked Potato Soup

From Mary Harke, from LCJ cookbook

• 2/3 cup butter or margarine
• 2/3 cup all purpose flour
• 4 large baking potatoes (baked, cooled, peeled and cubed – can use left over baked potatoes)
• 7 cups milk
• 4 green onions chopped
• 12 bacon strips, cooked crisp and crumbled
• 1 ¼ cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground black pepper

Melt butter in a large pot. Stir in flour and whisk until smooth. Gradually add milk, stirring constantly over medium heat until thickened. Add potatoes and onions. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes. Add bacon, cheese, sour cream, salt and pepper and stir until cheese is melted.

Baked Potato Soup Kevin & Joanie Style

1 cup butter or margarine

1 cup all purpose flour

12 cups raw potatoes diced (10-12 Russets)

10 ½ cups milk

6 green onions chopped

1 ½ - 2 cups cooked bacon

1 8oz package of Hoffman’s Super Sharp Cheddar Cheese Shredded

½ 8 oz package of Hoffman’s Vermont Cheddar Cheese Shredded

1 ½ cups sour cream

1 – 2 teaspoons garlic depending on your taste

Salt

Pepper

Peal and dice potatoes – rinse under running water for 3-5 minutes, then let soak in cold water for at least ½ hour.

Melt butter in a large pot, slowly add flour and stir until smooth. Gradually add milk, stirring constantly over medium heat until thickened (will have to boil). Remove from heat and add onions, pepper, garlic & bacon

Drain potatoes and put in bottom of crock pot

Pour hot milk mixture over potatoes, stir and cover.

Cook on high for 2 ½ - 3 ½ hours, depending on crockpot.

Once potatoes are done, stir in sour cream and cheese, add cheese slowing stirring constantly to make sure it melts. Let simmer for 10 minutes after cheese is melted.

Serve and enjoy.

You can garnish with bacon, green onions, and/or shredded cheese (garnish items are extra for above ingredients)

North Woods Wild Rice Soup

North Woods Wild Rice Soup

Recipe By : posted by Lisa W at cl bb
Serving Size : 0 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Low-Fat Soup


Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
2 tsp vegetable oil
1 medium onion -- chopped (1/2 cup)
2 medium stalks celery -- diced (1 cup)
2 medium carrots -- diced (1 cup)
1 cup diced smoked turkey
1/2 cup uncooked wild rice
1 tsp dried tarragon leaves
1/4 tsp pepper
2 cans chicken broth -- (14 1/2 oz ea.)
1 can evaporated fat-free milk -- (12 oz)
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup frozen green peas -- thawed
2 tbsp dry sherry -- if desired

Heat oil in skillet over medium heat. Cook onion in oil about 4 minutes, stirring occassionally, until tender.

Place onion, celery, carrots, turkey, wild rice, tarragon and pepper in 3 1/2 - 6 quart slow cooker. Pour broth over top.

Cover and cook on low heat setting 6-8 hours or until wild rice and vegetables are tender.

Mix milk and flour; stir into soup. Cover and cook about 20 minutes or until thickened. Stir in peas and sherry during last 15 minutes of cooking.

Calories 225 (Calories from Fat 2.5); Fat 3g (Saturated 1g); Cholesterol 25mg; Sodium 750mg; Carbohydrate 32g (Dietary Fiber 3g); Protein 21g10

Sausage, Cabbage and Apples

As part of this weeks menu plan, I looked around and found a half a head of cabbage that needed to be used up. We also have some "church" sausage still from last year and the sausage dinner is less than a month away, so our old supply must be gone by March 1. So, this was the result

Sausage, Cabbage and Apples in the Crockpot

1 pound home style sausage links (or bratwurst)
1/2 a medium head of cabbage, wedged
3 apples, quartered and cored
1/2 onion
1 tea. Penzey's bratwurst seasoning

Put everything in a Crockpot and cook on low for 6-7 hours.

Notes: I thought this turned out very good for something simple and with few ingredients. Of course, I love cabbage, so you could hardly go wrong. The sausage was pretty well done, but it still tasted really good.

You could substitute salt, pepper and your favorite seasoning for the bratwurst seasoning.

Chex Mix in the Crockpot

I haven't tried this yet - once I do, I will go back and add my notes. Click on the title link for notes from the Year of Crockpotting.

Crockpot Chex Party Mix - from the Year of Crockpotting blog

--5 Cups General Mills Rice Chex Cereal
--1-2 cups of dry roasted peanuts (salted or not, your choice)
--2 cups pretzel sticks
--1/2 t onion powder
--1/2 t seasoned salt
--3 T butter
--1 1/2 T Worcestershire Sauce


The Directions.

--put the butter into the bottom of your crockpot
--turn it on low
--add the onion powder and seasoned salt
--add the Worcestershire sauce
--add dry ingredients
--stir. if the butter is still clumpy, it's okay
--cover and cook on low for 2-3 hours, stirring every 45 min or so

Dump out onto a cookie sheet to cool.

Serve and enjoy.

Joanie's Pork Roast

This rocks!!! It is amazing!!!

3-4 pounds pork roast
1 onion, roughly chopped
8 ounces sliced mushrooms (optional)
3/4 can or bottle of beer
1 T. garlic salt or more to taste
black pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a Crockpot and cook 8-10 hours. Shred with a fork before serving.

Notes: I made this a few weeks ago for Bunko and nearly every person asked for the recipe. It is great served with bread or buns and your favorite sauce. You could also use the drippings to make gravy.

Crockpot Brown Sugar Chicken

Since we last spoke, I have done some more cooking! Yipee!

Yesterday, I put the Crockpot Brown Sugar Chicken in. The link is from the A Year of CrockPotting blog. Kiy first pointed me to this blog - I hope to find lots of inspiration from it and use the Crockpot more.

Maybe I was expecting too much. Michael and I both though it was okay, but not fabulous. I will try it again someday, with no soda, less sugar, more garlic and more soy sauce. And maybe a pinch of red or black pepper. It is certainly not bad, and the leftovers today at lunch were better than last night's dinner, but it was just not quite there.

On Friday, I stopped for groceries after work and found the deal of the day - the small clamshells (maybe 6 ounces) of blackberries for a dollar!!! I bought every one that they had - they were super fresh and Olivia was eating them like crazy. Last night I made a blackberry cobbler - I used Bisquick and it was was just okay. I seriously need a good cobbler recipe - anyone???? Then today, Michael and I used the rest of them and made 8 1/2 pints of blackberry jam!