Chicken Tacos

I wanted some tacos and I had chicken thighs and we were going to be at the beach.  Some seemingly unrelated, random thoughts, melded together into this idea.  Place in crock pot for the day, while enjoying some beach time with the girls and their friend.  It was a success.  So easy!

Here is my peach salsa.  We love it with chicken.  You can find the recipe here.  I just brightened it up a bit with cilantro and green onions.

My daughter likes to put all her ingredients on her plate in a deonstructed fashion and then load up tortilla chips one at a time.

The meat was very tender and very tasty.  Totally going to make this again, as in real soon.  As my Mother would say, "That tastes like another" and proceeds to have seconds of whatever it is.

Chicken Taco Meat

8 - 10 chicken thighs
1 cup water
2 tablespoons taco seasoning or a packet of it
1 onion quartered
1 tablespoon minced garlic
pinch of oregano
1 bay leaf

Pour water in crock pot/slow cooker.
Place chicken thighs over bottom of crock.
Sprinkle taco seasoning and oregano over thighs.
Place quartered onion in different spots between the thighs.
Add bay leaf.
Cover.  Slow cook on low 5 to six hours.
Inhale amazing smell wafting through house.
When ready, remove from slow cooker. Let cool a little.
Take skin off and shred chicken with forks.
Voila, chicken taco meat ready to go.

Crock Pot Pot Roast

So many years since I made this certain type of pot roast that requires cans and packets of prepackaged stuff.  I wanted that pot roast.  I haven't made it since, seriously, November 2001.  Yup, you heard me.  The reason why I remember it so vividly is because I made it for my husband before he was my husband.  It was the first meal I ever made him.  Straight for the stomach I went.  Of course, you know the old adage, " a way to a mans heart is through his stomach".  Honestly, on our second date I had given him pumpkin muffins.   Really, I was not trying to hook the guy, I merely thought he is a bachelor, let me give him something homemade.

Fast forward to the other day,  I totally had a hankering for this.  I decided to make it again.  True confessions I bought a can of mushroom soup.  Yes, of course, I could have made it myself but I wasn't in the mood. The rest I did myself.

I will tell you exactly what I did, this way when I want to remake this I will know how to do it.

I served it with some freshly baked loaves of bread.  Great for dunking into the juice!

Crock Pot - Pot Roast

3-4 pound pot roast
large can of condensed mushroom soup
4 cups beef broth*
1/2 cup dried minced onions
4 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon of Montreal Steak Seasoning
4 large potatoes, diced
5-7 large carrots, diced ( I like a LOT of carrots in mine)

In crock pot combine mushroom soup, minced onions, garlic and beef broth.  Mix well.  Place roast in crock pot.  Turn on high for 2 hours then add in carrots and potatoes.  If you are not going to be home for a normal work day put the roast on a lower setting and add everything in.  I like to add my carrots and potatoes later as they become less mushy.

*If you dont have beef broth, beer makes an excellent replacement.

Chicken Wing Balls

I love chicken wings, but probably more specifically, Frank's Red Hot Sauce.  Don't tell me anything bad about Frank's Red Hot Sauce.  I dont want to know.  I have had Franks over popcorn, pizza, wings, chicken, whatever for many years.

I dont do the wing thing too often anymore.  In my 20's, yes, but have since slowed way down with wings.  Too many calories.  I did a post about baked wings- they are very good, but honestly, I just dont think about buying wings when I go to the store.  Besides, they used to be inexpensive, now- not so much.

This chicken ball with Frank's is like wings- less calories and more substantial.  We loved it.  Dipped in a little of my home made blue cheese and I was totally loving it- a real treat. I served it along side some rice and a big plate of celery sticks and carrot sticks.

Chicken Wing Balls
Printable here.

2 pounds ground chicken
2 egg
1 3/4 cups Progresso panko breadcrumbs or more depending on consistency
3/4 teaspoon celery seed
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 teaspoon ground pepper
3 cups buffalo sauce
blue cheese dressing

Mix the ground chicken with the rest of the ingredients except the panko until it feels like you can ball it together. Add in the panko. If it feels sticky add more panko. If by chance you added a bit too much panko add a little water (tablespoon by tablespoon).

Roll into 1 1/2 inch balls and place on parchment lined cooking sheet.  Bake in a 400F oven for about 5 (crock pot) to 10 minutes (Dutch oven).  Add the meatballs to a crock pot or a Dutch oven and pour in the Franks. Make sure the meat balls are covered.  If you don't have enough sauce you can use less just make sure you stir it periodically to ensure maximum yum coverage. Cook in slow cooker for about 2 hours.  In the Dutch oven for about 45 minutes to an hour on a very low heat.

Ham in the Crockpot

Aren't crock pots wonderful?  I have two.  One oval and one round.  I do use both of them.  I feel like I really need to use them more.  Its always great to come home to a meal already prepared.  Like you have your own personal chef.  

This is not the best picture. But this is the best way to prepare ham, especially if you have things to do.  You can tuck that sweet little ham in the crock pot for the day while you go out sledding or shopping or skiing or whatever.  Then when you come home you can cook up whatever sides you like and you are good to go for dinner.

I don't cook a lot of hams but when I do this is my preferred way to do it.
 

Ham in the Crock Pot
Printable Version Here

1 1/2 cups brown sugar, divided
1 can pineapple chunks or crushed
1 ham (I used a spiral sliced ham)

In the crock pot, place a cup of brown sugar at the bottom, smoothing it out in a thin layer.  Place your ham on top of the brown sugar.  Pour the can of pineapple over top.  Then sprinkle about a 1/2 cup more of brown sugar on top.  Cover and cook on low for about 6 hours. Crock temps can vary, adjust accordingly.

Black Bean Soup Crock Pot Style

Lately I have been into my crockpot. Since I bought the new crockpot for yogurt it has reignited my love for crock pot cooking. I cooked a ham in it last week. It was one of the juciest hams I have ever had. I placed pineapple slices in the bottom of the crock and poured the rest of the juice in there along with about a cup of water in before placing my ham inside. I had to lop off the end of the ham to get it to fit. In five hours my bone in ham was done. Juicey and tastey.

Having ham makes me think about black bean soup. No winter would be complete without black bean soup. This time I wanted to do my stand by recipe in the crock pot.

SMOKEY BLACK BEAN SOUP

2 cups dried black beans
8 cups water or broth
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 cup sherry
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 teaspoons Worcestershire
2 bay leaves
4 slices bacon, crisped and crumbled
2 carrots, chopped
2 onions coarsely chopped
2 cups ham, small cubes

Add all ingredients to the crockpot except for the ham. Cook on low for about 6 to 8 hours. Puree soup and add in ham before serving, along with a dollop of sour cream.