Thursday, March 31, 2011

How To Make A Delicious Sweet Potato Crockpot Recipe For The Holidays

With holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas just around the corner you may already be in the midst of meal planning. Maybe you are searching for recipe ideas to help make your special holiday celebrations even better by making something new. Then again, you may want to make something sweet and delicious with your harvest of sweet potatoes. If so, then you are in luck, since this is one of the most delicious holiday dessert crockpot recipes you can consider.

These potatoes make some of the best side dishes you can serve and enjoy with any holiday meal. They are full of goodness and vitamins that keep your family feeling good and strong. They are also a vegetable that you can get the kids to eat more easily than you can some other types of foods that are good for them. Sometimes, all it takes is seeing you enjoy something delicious and they want a bite too. When you serve sweet potatoes, you can up your odds that the kids will love having them just about any time.

Crockpot

Crockpot Recipes save You Time during the Holidays

This recipe is not only delicious it can also save you time while cooking. Rather than standing over a hot oven, you can make these delicious holiday sweet potatoes in your crockpot. You can have them ready and waiting for you while you take care of other yuletide pleasures and tasks.

For instance, you can make these sweet potatoes and decorate your home. On the other hand, you may have online holiday gift shopping to do or even wrapping a few presents to put under the Christmas tree. Regardless of the other things you may have to do on your list, making a sweet potato dessert in the crockpot is actually priceless when you consider the time you save to compliment your meal as well as the scrumptious impression that this dish can make.

Recipe for Holiday Sweet Potatoes

What You Need

4 pounds peeled diced sweet potatoes ¼ cup melted butter or margarine ¼ teaspoon salt 1/3 cup sugar 1/3 cup packed brown sugar ½ topsoil ground cinnamon ½ cup flaked coconut ½ cup chopped pecans ½ teaspoon vanilla flavoring ½ teaspoon coconut flavoring

How to Make It

Prepare 5-quart crockpot by coating it with cooking spray. Set on low heat.

Place the peeled and diced sweet potatoes into the crockpot and cover.

Using a medium size mixing bowl you will combine the margarine or butter, salt, sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, coconut and pecans. Sprinkle this mixture over the sweet potatoes. Cover and cook for approximately 4 to 5 hours or until the sweet potatoes are tender.

After reaching the desired tenderness, stir in the vanilla and coconut flavorings to serve about 10 to 12 people.

How To Make A Delicious Sweet Potato Crockpot Recipe For The Holidays

This is one of the various dessert crockpot recipes you may consider for serving during the holidays. Of course, this recipe will also be good any other day. If you find that using a crockpot is so much easier while preparing your family meals you might also want to try our crockpot white chicken chili. It is a family favorite, be sure to visit us at our website to find even more great meal planning ideas!

The Best Crockpot Recipes Start With Our Recipes - BestCrockpotRecipes.net

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Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Easy Crockpot Recipes With Meat

Meat is the basis for many delicious crockpot meals and there are many different types of meat you can cook to perfection in a slow cooker. You can cook anything from chicken and pork to the toughest cuts of beef.

These economical cuts of beef are broken down gradually by the slow cooking process and they come out incredibly tender and juicy.

Crockpot

You can make easy crockpot recipes using beef, pork or something else, simply by combining the meat of your choice with stock, wine, juice or even a can of broth. Some of the easiest recipes for the crockpot only require three or four ingredients and because slow cooking boosts the flavor of the dish you will not need a lot of herbs, spices and additional flavorings for a well balanced and flavorful meal.

You can roast a joint of beef or pork in a slow cooker and you can do this without adding water or another liquid. You will find that it is best to add some liquid though because this creates a flavorful gravy for the dish. If you are using something fatty and marbled, you will not need to add much liquid because the fat will melt out of the meat. You do need liquid in the crockpot if you are cooking vegetables in there though, to soften them and cook them properly.

Tips for Cooking Meat in a Crockpot

If you want to slow cook something with a lot of fat, it is best to remove as much of it as possible because fat does not cook well in this way. Another option would be to brown the beef or pork beforehand in a skillet and then drain the fat off before adding it to the crockpot. If you are cooking dense vegetables like potatoes and carrots, place the meat on top of them in the slow cooker because the vegetables will take longer to cook and therefore benefit from more heat.

It is not compulsory to brown the meat before adding it to the crockpot and there are many easy crockpot recipes which will just tell you to add the ingredients to the crockpot, stir and leave it to cook.

However, if you do sear the pork or beef before adding it, you will find that the flavor is deeper and better, so it might be worth doing this.

Cooking Meat from Frozen

It is possible to cook meat from frozen when making easy crockpot recipes. If you want to do this you will need to ensure sufficient cooking time for everything to thaw, cook properly and tenderize.

The temperature of the frozen pork or beef will bring down the temperature inside the crockpot but allowing enough time for the meal to cook means this does not have to be a problem.

If you are making easy crockpot recipes using meat which is frozen, it is a good idea to use a cooking thermometer to ensure the meat is not only cooked but safe to eat. It needs to be above 165 degrees F in order to be tender and cooked perfectly.

If you are new to cooking meat in a crockpot, it is a good idea to have a look at some of the best crockpot recipes for more information and to give you some ideas of what to make.

Easy Crockpot Recipes With Meat

Whichever meat you like best, there are plenty of delicious and easy crockpot recipes you can prepare. You can make stews, soups, casseroles and even a roast dinner in a slow cooker. For tender, juicy meat, a crockpot is nearly always the best cooking method.

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Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Simple Crockpot Dinners

Some will say that the best Crockpot recipes will be those that do not create a nuisance when it comes to making dinner for your family. They only need to be simple and to the point. It is with this in mind that we should look at some very simple dinner ideas that will impress your family and leave you with a considerable amount of time on your hands as well.

One of the best Crockpot recipes will be soup. It is very easy to make and will only take a matter of moments to throw it together. Take chicken noodle for example. Take your deboned chicken, cut it up into chunks, and toss it in about 4 cups of water. Add some carrots and celery and then let it cook on low all day. About 10 minutes before you are going serve it, throw in some egg noodles and then give your family some homemade chicken noodle soup.

Crockpot

The next choice you have for one of the best Crockpot recipes will be chili. This is really a very simple process that will make an awesome dinner. Take a few cans of your favorite beans, like kidney beans and maybe even some black ones. Then mix in some ground beef, a can of tomato sauce and chili spices. Then add about a cup of water and allow it to simmer all day on low. You can garnish it as you would like and it took no time at all. It was as simple as tossing together these ingredients and putting a lid on the cooker.

While you are looking at the dinners you can make, you might also need to consider that some desserts can be made in there as well. There are a number of delicious choices you have, so we should take a moment to look at one of those options. It will be just as quick and as simple as the dinners we mentioned, but it will add something extra to your meal at the same time. Just remember that this is just one of the choices you can make.

Chocolate Crockpot Cake

What You Will Need

1 cup brown sugar 1 cup water 2 tablespoons cocoa 3 cups brownie mix 1 egg 2 tablespoons soft margarine 1/2 cup water 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips

How to Make It

Start the process by boiling your water with the brown sugar and cocoa in a separate pan. Next, whisk together your dry ingredients in a bowl. Then pour the wet ingredients together into your bowl and whisk them together until well combined. When this is done, butter the bottom of your Crockpot and then layer the batter evenly into the base. Cover your slow cooker and cook on high for 2 hours. Then turn it off and let it sit for 30 minutes. Spoon out and serve when it is done.

Simple Crockpot Dinners

There are a number of crockpot recipes that can be found online. When you are looking for some of the best crockpot recipes you will need to visit our website. There you will find a variety of delicious choices that will certainly satisfy your family.

The Best Crockpot Recipes Start With Our Recipes - BestCrockpotRecipes.net

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Monday, March 28, 2011

Slow Cooker Pork and Beef Rib Recipes

If you have been looking for slow cooker rib recipes, here are 2 to try. I think you will want to make both of them more than once. I have included a recipe for both pork and beef slow cooker ribs. Both of these recipes are quick to put together and easy to make. Both recipes taste very good, with very tender meat. I think you will be happy you tried them.

Pork Spare Ribs

Crockpot

Ingredients:

2-3 pounds pork spare ribs
1 can tomato soup
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
3 teaspoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons prepared mustard
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Preparation:

Place spare ribs in slow cooker.

Mix together soup, onion, garlic, brown sugar, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper. Pour sauce into cooker and stir until ribs have been coated on all sides. Cover with lid.

Set slow cooker on LOW setting and cook for 5 to 7 hours. Ribs are done when tender and meat pulls away from the bone easily. Don't overcook or the meat will fall off the bone into the sauce.

Tip: You can substitute thicker country style ribs for spare ribs, but will need to allow up to an hour additional cooking time.

Beef Ribs

Ingredients:

3-4 pounds beef ribs, fat trimmed
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon mustard powder
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 packages French Onion instant soup
2 cups water

Preparation:

In a medium mixing bowl, mix the flour with a little water to form a paste. Add the rest of the water, brown sugar, garlic, thyme, mustard, pepper and dry soup mix. Stir well.

lace the beef into slow cooker or crock pot. Mix together until all side of ribs are coated with seasoning mixture. Cover with lid.

Set slow cooker on LOW setting for 8 to 9 hours or on HIGH setting for 4 1/2 to 5 1/2 hours. Ribs are done when tender and pull away easily from the bone.

Tip: Serve over cooked egg noodles or with mashed potatoes. Leftover beef is great to use for making open faced roast beef sandwiches.

Slow Cooker Pork and Beef Rib Recipes

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Sunday, March 27, 2011

Crockpots and Easy Crockpot Recipes - Which One Is Best For Your Family?

In this busy world, especially if you're a mom like me, you need some little conveniences to aid you out along the way. I remember as a child coming home in the evenings to the beautiful smell of hearty stews and beautiful slow cooker meals. Often forgotten in modern times, crockpot cooking with easy crockpot recipes and make evening meals easy for busy families. All you need to know is which crockpot is best for your family.

We all appreciate wholesome meals that we do not need to invest hours over the hot stove to cook. Purchasing a slow cooker can be a fun experience there are so many to choose from. Not to mention we all love shopping, of course.

Crockpot

The first thing we need to know is how large is your family? What type of foods does your family most like? Do you attend a lot of pot luck functions? Does looks matter to you? Would you prefer a crockpot that is detachable? These are just some of the questions you'll need to think about prior to buying your first crockpot.

You will discover that some crockpots that have clamps to seal the lid, so that it can't spill. These types of slow cookers are good if you do a lot of travelling. There are also small porcelain or ceramic crockpots. These would be ideal for a couple or small family that likes beautiful dinnerware, as a porcelain crockpot can look beautiful sitting on a counter top. If your family is large, your best selection will be a big crockpot, preferably one that you can remove the cooking bowl that you can use to serve the food on the table.

You'll also find varieties with various settings. Some are electric, some have knobs, others buttons. With all crockpots, you'll be able to set them according to the kind of food that you're cooking.

Just about any department store or good cooking shop will stock crockpots and slow cookers. There are also many places on line that you can purchase a crockpot also, as well as do some of that all important research.

Finally, you will discover that crockpots have many different finishes. As well as porcelain, you can also get stainless steel or glass crockpots. Some are detachable for the ease of washing, and some can even be immersed completely in water or placed in the dishwasher. Some crockpots have glass lids, while others come with a plastic lid. You may even discover one with clamps to seal the lid. This type can be compared to a pressure cooker, and usually have a hole for releasing steam.

These are just a few of the many different kinds of crockpots available, and I am positive that you'll uncover one that's the best fit for you and your family. As well as stews and soups, easy crockpot recipes also include pasta, casseroles and even bread. Perfect for any busy family!

Crockpots and Easy Crockpot Recipes - Which One Is Best For Your Family?

In addition, you can find easy crockpot recipes and slow cooker meals at http://www.easy-crockpot-recipes.org. Easy Crockpot Recipes publishes free recipes every day, plus has more information on crock pot cooking and slow cooker meals.

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Saturday, March 26, 2011

Chuck Roast With Vegetables Slow Cooker Recipe

This is an easy and delicious recipe for cooking a roast in your crockpot or slow cooker. The roast is tender and nearly falls to pieces. There's plenty of tasty gravy too.

The vegetables are added when there is approximately 2 1/2 to 3 hours cooking time left. If you won't be available to add the vegetables at that time, don't worry. You can use the gravy to serve with mashed potatoes or over cooked noodles. I like to cook my egg noodles just before I plan to remove the roast and vegetables. Once the roast and vegetables have been placed on a platter, I add the noodles to the gravy just to let them absorb extra flavor.

Crockpot

Chuck Roast with Vegetables Slow Cooker Recipe

Ingredients:

3-4 lbs. chuck roast
6 potatoes, quartered
4 carrots, cut into 1" pieces
3 stalks celery, cut into 1 1/2" pieces
2 large onions, quartered
1 can cream of mushroom soup or cream of celery soup
1/2 soup can water
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
Flour or cornstarch for thickening

Preparation:

Mix soup, water, pepper and salt together in the slow cooker.

In a large skillet, sear the roast on each side using a small amount of oil before adding to slow cooker, or place directly in soup mixture in slow cooker. Make sure both sides of roast have been coated with soup mixture. Set slow cooker to low and let cook for 4 hours.

After 4 hours, add potatoes, carrots, celery and onions to the cooker. Lift roast so vegetables are submerged in soup mixture. Continue cooking on low for another 2 1/2 to 3 hours, or until roast is tender and vegetables are done.

Remove roast and vegetables to a platter. Add small amounts of flour or cornstarch to soup mixture to thicken slightly. Serve gravy over roast and vegetables, or over mashed potatoes or cooked egg noodles.

Overall cooking time is 6 1/2 to 7 hours on low setting.

Chuck Roast With Vegetables Slow Cooker Recipe

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Friday, March 25, 2011

3 Easy Vegetable Crockpot Dinners

If you aren't in the mood for beef or need a meal with no meat in it, the following are three recipes you can use with your crockpot.

Recipe #1 - VEGETABLES ITALIAN-STYLE

Crockpot

1 teaspoon salt

1 medium eggplant, cut in 1" cubes

2 to 3 medium zucchini, halved & sliced 1/2"

1 large onion, sliced thinly

12 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 plum tomatoes, sliced 1/4" thick

1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded

2 cups tomato sauce

1 teaspoon oregano

salt and pepper, to taste

Toss eggplant and zucchini with the 1 teaspoon of salt. Place in a large colander over a bowl to drain for about 1 hour. Drain and squeeze excess moisture out. In a large skillet over medium heat, saute onion, eggplant, zucchini, and mushrooms until slightly tender. In the slow
cooker/Crock Pot, layer 1/3 of the vegetables (including sliced tomatoes), 1/3 of the the tomato sauce. and 1/3 of the cheese. Sprinkle with oregano, salt and pepper. Repeat layering 2 more times. Cover and cook on low 6 to 8 hours. Serve over rice, pasta, or other grain.
Serves 6.

Recipe #2 - CROCKPOT CHUNKY VEGETABLE CLAM CHOWDER

2 6 1/2 oz cans minced clams

2 c. peeled potatoes, cut into 1/2" cubes

1 c. finely chopped onion

1 c. chopped celery

1 tsp. sugar

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

2 10 3/4 oz cans condensed cream of potato soup

2 c. water

1 c. nonfat dry milk powder

1/3 c. flour

1 c. cold water

4 slices bacon, crisp-cooked, drained, and crumbled

Paprika

Drain clams, reserving liquid. Cover clams; chill. In CP combine reserved clam liquid, potatoes, onion, celery, carrot, sugar, salt, and papper. Stir in potato sour and 2 cups water. Cover; cook on low heat for 8 to 10 hours or on high heat for 4 to 5 hours. If using low heat setting, turn to high. In a medium bowl combine nonfat dry milk powder and flour. Gradually whisk in 1 c. cold water; stir into soup. Cover; cook on high 10 to 15 minutes or till thickened. Stir in clams. Cover; cook 5 minutes more. Ladle soup into bowls. Sprinkle each serving with crumbled bacon and paprika. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Recipe #3 - MIXED VEGETABLE BAKE

* 2 cans Creamed corn, 17 oz each

* 2 cans Green beans; cut, 16 oz each

* 2 cans Peas, 16 oz each

* 1 can Tomatoes, 17 oz

* 1/2 cup Mayonnaise

* 1 teaspoon Tarragon

* 1 teaspoon Basil

* 1/2 teaspoon Salt

* Pepper

Combine all ingredients in removable liner, mix well to blend herbs. Place liner in base. Cover and cook on low 4-6 hours.

Enjoy!

3 Easy Vegetable Crockpot Dinners

About the Author: Kara Kelso is the mother of two, and owner of http://www.Idea-Queen.com. For more quick and easy recipes, visit: http://www.idea-queen.com/recipes-for-mom.html

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Thursday, March 24, 2011

Enjoy Delicious Recipes With Crockpot Slow Cooker

A Crockpot or a Slow Cooker is designed to cook food for longer periods at temperatures close to boiling point or below. These crockpots basically use a moist heat cooking method of cooking the food while you are working, sleeping or playing. These cooking appliances are popular amongst people who want to enjoy a slow cooked meal and put it before leaving for work then come home to a delicious slow cooked treat many hours later. A crockpot slow cooker is also a gift for busy parents who can't spare time for cooking and are busy in other household jobs. Even though there's nobody to watch while food is being cooked in a crockpot, these are considered safe slow cooking gadgets as these can function unsupervised for a long period of atleast 8 to 9 hours. With crockpot meals one will slowly but surely enjoy the benefit of taste bud-satisfying serving of food.

One gets us rid from the hassle of getting trapped in the kitchen and performing varied cooking functions like adjusting heat, stirring soup with ladles, standing in front of the oven watching and waiting until it simmers and boils or go running back and forth switching from the pot holder to the vacuum cleaner keeping track of how the meat was cooking because the last thing you need after a time-consuming recipe is your children screaming out on your burnt stew. These slow cooking appliances can vary in size from one to six quarts and usually have recipes that exactly match the cooking conditions of the appliance. These slow cooking crockpots are best to cook cheap tough cuts of meats, delicate meats such as rabbit, stews and dishes like chilli con carne work well. The controlled lower temperature of these exceptional cooking gadgets can bring out their best in these meats and other different types of crockpot recipes.

Crockpot

Depending on size and varied features and exclusive applications these crockpot are available in different price points that start from 20 dollars to 200 dollars or even more. There are various brands like Cuisinart, KitchenAid, DeLonghi, Breville, Haden, Euro Pro etc that have features depending upon their price. While selecting these cooking appliances its important that one identifies their cooking needs as these come in different types as well. There are manual crockpots with slow cooking process which generally have two or three heat settings.

These manual ones are fully removable units with glass lids and dishwasher safe. The other type is the programmable slow cookers which offer the users one touch control facilities and multiple time and temperature settings. This particular type will also be completely dishwasher safe. There are slow cooking devices available in the market that have cook and carry functions as well. These types are great for cooking meals on the go and have lockable glass lids for overall safety. These come with heat resistant handles, carrying travel bags and other easy to use accessories.

So why not add spice or rather spices in your life with the crockpot slow cookers especially at times when you come home all tired and do not have strength to cook meals for yourself and your dear ones. So get a model for yourself as soon as possible and you also have tips, tricks and necessary advise to buy one just right here.

Enjoy Delicious Recipes With Crockpot Slow Cooker

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Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Crockpot Recipes: Make A Crockpot Hot Fudge Cake Recipe

Cake making takes a lot of skill or a lot of natural creativity. There are many people who can make some delicious cakes. Others may try to make cakes but they do not always get the results they desire. Many even go to school and take classes to learn to make the perfect type of cake and cake frostings. Making a cake may involve something as simple as throwing just a few basic ingredients together or it may involve some intricate directions and even exotic ingredients depending on the type of cake you may be making.

However, many ingredients you may be including or not you still have to bake the cake or cook the cake by some means of heating. In the past, making cakes involved having to heat or even over heat the kitchen or even the whole house, especially in the hot summer months. Working in an overheated house can be most uncomfortable for anyone. Standing over a hot stove will make you ill from the heat. However, when you learn to use a crockpot you can make so many different types of recipes to serve to your family and friends. You can cook for them using the slow cooker and not have to worry about causing too much heat in the house.

Crockpot

You might make anything from cooking meats, vegetables, and fruits while using your slow cooker. For instance, if you want to make a delicious sweet dessert to serve you can learn how to make this crockpot hot fudge cake recipe and serve it with ice cream or even whipped topping. This will make a fun and delicious snack or after dinner dessert.

Recipe for Crockpot Hot Fudge Cake

What You Need

1 cup flour 2 teaspoon baking powder ½ teaspoon salt 1 cup brown sugar 3 Tablespoons cocoa 2 Tablespoons melted butter or margarine ½ cup milk ½ teaspoon vanilla flavoring ¾ cup brown sugar ¼ cup cocoa 1 ¾ cups boiling water Vanilla ice cream

How to Make It

Combine the flour, baking powder, salt, one cup of sugar and cocoa in a large mixing bowl. Mix to blend these dry ingredients thoroughly.

Melt the butter or margarine in the microwaveable bowl in the microwave or in a small saucepan or skillet. Remove from heat and stir in the milk and vanilla flavoring.

Mix this butter mixture into the dry mixture. Stir or beat with an electric mixer while thoroughly blending all the ingredients. Spread this mixture over the bottom of the crockpot evenly.

Combine the remaining ¾ cup brown sugar and ¼ cup cocoa and then mix well. Sprinkle this cocoa sugar mixture over the mixture at the bottom of the crockpot. Do not stir these two layers together.

Cover with lid and then cook on high for 2 to 3 hours or until you can insert a toothpick and it comes out clean. After allowing the dessert to cool for a bit, serve it with the vanilla ice cream.

Crockpot Recipes: Make A Crockpot Hot Fudge Cake Recipe

You can make delicious desserts while using crockpot recipes. Of course, you might also want to prepare a good and hearty dish such as crockpot beef stew. You can make all sorts of recipes while using your slow cooker. Visit our website today to find something good to eat.

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Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Slow Cooker Beef Short Ribs and Vegetables in Red Wine

Beef short ribs were a bargain meal during my graduate school days. How things have changed. My local butcher shop stopped carrying beef short ribs because they had gotten so expensive. "Most of the short ribs are being shipped to the Orient and this drives the price up," he explained. "Now that the price has dropped a bit I'm carrying them again."

When the weather turns cold I crave "stick-to-the-ribs" meals like beef short ribs. The ribs, a combination of lean meat and fat, are cut from the end of a standing rib roast, and this is what makes them so tasty. Many cultures have recipes for beef short ribs.

Crockpot

The Polish fix beef short ribs in a sauce made with bacon, onions, and caraway seeds. Texas short ribs are a different thing all together. "The Complete Round the World Meat Cook Book" by Myra Waldo contains a recipe for Texas short ribs made with bottled chili sauce. The book also has a recipe for deviled short ribs.

But I didn't want caraway seeds, or chili sauce, or lots of spices in my short ribs, so I braised them in red wine. For a more complete meal I added onions, tomatoes, and carrots to the sauce. You may bake the covered short ribs in a 325 degree oven for two hours if you don't have a slow cooker.

INGREDIENTS

3 1/2 pounds beef short ribs

2 tablespoons extra light olive oil (more if you need it)

3/4 cup regular flour

14 1/2-ounce can of no salt diced tomatoes and juice

2 cups red wine (cabernet or hearty burgundy)

3 inch-wide pieces of orange zest

1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1 teaspoon prepared chopped garlic

1 cup frozen pearl onions

3 carrots, peeled and cut into one-inch chunks

3 tablespoons gravy flour

METHOD

Ask the butcher to cut the short ribs in half. Remove extra fat from ribs with a boning knife. Dredge the short ribs in flour. Pour olive oil into a cast iron skillet. Brown the short ribs, front and back, and them set aside. Add the red wine to the skillet. Cook over high heat for two minutes to evaporate the alcohol.

Pour canned tomatoes and juice into the slow cooker. Add orange zest, thyme, pepper, and garlic.
Transfer short ribs to the slow cooker. Pour the red wine over the ribs and stir with a rubber scraper. Sprinkle pearl onions and carrots over the short ribs. Cover and cook on low for four hours. Using a slotted spoon, remove ribs from cooker and set on a large plate. Remove and discard orange zest.

Pour the sauce into a large pan and carefully skim fat with a spoon. Put gravy flour into a cup and, stirring constantly, add a little cold water. Pour this mixture into the sauce, stirring constantly. Cook over medium heat until sauce thickens. Return the short ribs to the sauce, cover, and cook over low heat for five minutes. Serve immediately with ciabatta bread and a green salad. Makes 6 generous servings.

Copyright 2007 by Harriet Hodgson

Slow Cooker Beef Short Ribs and Vegetables in Red Wine

http://www.harriethodgson.com

Harriet Hodgson has been a freelance nonfiction writer for 29 years. She is a member of the Association of Health Care Journalists and the Association for Death Education and Counseling. Before she became a health writer she was a food writer for a city magazine. Her 24th book, "Smiling Through Your Tears: Anticipating Grief," written with Lois Krahn, MD is available from http://www.amazon.com A five-star review of the book is posted on Amazon. You will find other reviews on the American Hospice Foundation Web site ("School Corner" heading) and the Health Ministries Association Web site.

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Monday, March 21, 2011

Advantages Of Cooking With A Crockpot

When you cook at home, you have a variety of appliances that you can use. If you turn on weekend morning television, there is bound to be a number of appliances for sell that will argue to make home cooking easier. One appliance that has been around for awhile is the crockpot or the slow cooker. While it is a dated technology, it still has many advantages that you might consider using it to make your meals at home.

The first advantage is that it is relatively safe. It's one of the few cooking appliances that you can leave on and leave the house with it running without any major concern of it damaging your home. Many other appliances can't be used this way and be that safe.

Crockpot

In your crockpot everything inside will absorb the flavors better. You can get great tasting meat while your vegetables also absorb some of that meat flavor at the same time. Everything cooks in it's own juices. This is a bit harder to do with other cooking tools.

You can put the meal in the morning and let it cook all day long. Once you get home from work it's going to be ready to serve and eat. It takes the excuse out of cooking versus getting unhealthy fast food.

What is nice about these appliances is that it will rarely ever burn your food even if you end up cooking it longer than you had planned. You won't scorch your food like you would in oven type appliances.

If you do it right, you will have limited clean up. Really you only have to clean the one dish. You can also purchase sleeves that fit inside the crockpot that will let you just pull it out and throw it away not cleaning anything.

In the summer time, it won't heat up your house like your oven does. This keeps the temperature down and saves you money.

Advantages Of Cooking With A Crockpot

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Sunday, March 20, 2011

Healthy Crockpot Roast

This recipe for cooking roast in a crockpot is easy, simple and healthy. Leave the skins on the vegetables to retain the vitamins. Research indicates that in most vegetables the nutrients are just right under the skin. There are no mixes or packets of gravy in this recipe, which contain toxic MSG and excess salt. This recipe does call for a can of mushroom soup, but you can get a low-salt variety or make your own to pour over the roast.

Here's what you need:

Crockpot

3-5 lb roast
5-6 carrots, cut in chunks
4-5 potatoes, cut in chunks
1 large onion, sliced
1 package mushrooms, sliced
1 can mushroom soup
Worcestershire sauce
1 cup water

In the bottom of the crockpot, layer the cut up carrots, potatoes, onion and half of the mushrooms. Place the roast over the top of the vegetables. Sprinkle the Worcestershire sauce all over the roast.

Mix the can of mushroom soup with 1 cup of water and pour over the roast. Top with remaining mushrooms. Set the crockpot on low for about 8 hours, or until the meat falls apart. Serve with brown rice or quinoa.

If you have leftovers the next day, put it in a pot and add the following ingredients to make a good stew or soup: tomatoes, corn, celery, pinto beans, greens, seaweed, lima beans, peeled sweet potato chunks, parsnips or any of your other favorite vegetables. The seaweed and greens are delicious in a soup and they add loads of magnesium and natural iodine into your diet.

©2009 Shanna Ohmes

Healthy Crockpot Roast

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Saturday, March 19, 2011

Crockpot Cooking - Save Money, Energy, and Appreciate Fresh Foods

Let me tell you why the crockpot will save you money, improve your health, and make cooking easy and fun.

The humble crockpot, or slow cooker, is essentially an electrical Dutch oven. A ceramic or porcelain pot sits inside a heating element that heats the pot at a consistent low temperature. The crockpot is designed to safely cook foods for six or more hours, unattended.

Crockpot

Compared to traditional ovens and stoves, especially older, less energy-efficient models, the crockpot uses much less energy. You can load an entire meal into a crockpot and not turn on the oven, stove, or microwave.

You'll need raw ingredients for the crockpot, which means you'll save money buying fresh items opposed to boxed and processed goods. Frozen or boxed side items, as well as processed entrees, can cost up to two times as much as their fresh, raw counterparts.

Next time you're at the grocery store, equip a calculator and add up your purchases, separating your produce and raw meats to your frozen, canned, and boxed goods. You'll probably be surprised.

By avoiding boxed and processed foods, you'll also be doing your health a favor. Compare the ingredient list of frozen mashed potatoes to the ingredient list on a bag of raw Russet potatoes. Compare the wall of preservatives and chemicals in a large frozen family meal to the ingredients of fresh onions, squash, mushrooms, and a chuck roast from the meat aisle.

Finally, you'll find cooking with a crockpot can easily be done in the morning before work on busy days. Prepare your vegetables and other ingredients, throw them into the crockpot, and turn it on. Compare this to the time it would take to cut everything up after work, often using both the stove and the oven and possibly even the microwave.

For example, a basic roast simply calls for one onion, peeled and quartered; a scrubbed and washed carrot, roughly chopped (you don't even have to peel the carrot if you don't want to); potatoes, cut into halves or quarters (the skins are delicious when cooked under the slow heat of a crockpot); a tender chuck roast, washed; herbs and seasoning of your choice; and a cup of water or broth.

The stew and pot roast was practically invented for the crockpot. You've never had tender meat until you've had beef or a pork roast from a slow cooker. You may end up pawning all the knives in your silverware drawer.

Once again, here are the benefits of crockpot cooking:

* Save energy by cooking on low heat in a small, largely heat-contained environment that won't heat up your house or significantly add to your electrical bill

* Save money by buying fresh ingredients and in-season produce, as well as helping your budget through reduced energy costs

* Improve your health by cooking with and appreciating fresh produce and meats

* Save time by prepping and "cooking" in the morning before work

Crockpot Cooking - Save Money, Energy, and Appreciate Fresh Foods

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Friday, March 18, 2011

Easy Crockpot Recipes: How To Make A Chocolate Peanut Butter Swirl Cheesecake Recipe

If you enjoy eating chocolate and many people do and you also love the creamy flavor sensation of eating peanut butter too, you might enjoy making a cheesecake recipe that you can easily make in your own crockpot today. Swirling the flavors of chocolate and peanut butter together has been a favorite for many individuals. Mixing these two delicious flavors together can create some interesting and mouthwatering things to eat. Adults as well as children love these two flavors whether separately and especially when they are mixed together.

Easy crockpot recipes can be fun and delicious while also saving you time in the kitchen. You can make this delicious dessert and not have to stand over a hot oven in order to prepare it. If you and your family love chocolate, peanut butter and cheesecake as well as using a crockpot, this is the dessert idea you have been searching for.

Crockpot

Recipe for Chocolate Peanut Butter Swirl Cheesecake

What You Need

3 Tablespoons melted butter or margarine 2 Tablespoons brown sugar 1 cup crushed chocolate graham crackers 1 ½ cups softened cream cheese 2/3 cup brown sugar 2 eggs 1/3 cup creamy peanut butter 1 Tablespoon flour ½ teaspoon vanilla flavoring ½ cup melted chocolate chips

How to Make It

Place the cream cheese out onto the counter about 20 minutes before preparation time to allow it to become softened to room temperature.

Melt the butter or margarine and then sprinkle in the brown sugar. Stir to dissolve and combine together. While the butter is melting crush the chocolate graham crackers. You can substitute regular graham crackers if you prefer. Add the crusted graham crackers; stir to combine until the graham crackers are moist.

Pat this graham cracker mixture evenly into the bottom of a 7 inch spring form pan.

Using an electric mixer and a medium size mixing bowl you will add the softened cream cheese and beat until smooth and creamy. Add the brown sugar and continue to combine well.

Add the eggs one at a time and beat well on a medium speed setting for 2 more minutes. Reserve ½ cup of this mixture and then pour the remaining mixture over the graham cracker mixture.

Melt the chocolate chips and then combine them with the reserved mixture. Pour this mixture over the last layer in the bottom of a 7 inch spring form pan.

Using a butter knife, swirl the chocolate batter to create a decorative appearance. However, do not dig down into the crust layer below.

Place the bottom of a 7 inch spring form pan on top of a rack inside the crockpot or form a ring of aluminum foil to raise the pan up off the bottom of the crockpot and then place pan in the crockpot.

Cover with lid and then cook on the highest temperature for about 2 ½ hours. After cooking turn off the heat and allow the dessert to cool completely for about 1 ½ to 2 hours. Remove from pan. Place in the refrigerator to chill before serving.

Easy Crockpot Recipes: How To Make A Chocolate Peanut Butter Swirl Cheesecake Recipe

There are a wide variety of crockpot recipes you can prepare for you and your family. Many of them are very easy crockpot recipes that you will enjoy making and eating. You can find even more of them by visiting our website today.

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Thursday, March 17, 2011

Delicious Crockpot Recipes

The crockpot is an appliance for the kitchen that cooks food in a slow manner. It can help the owner by cutting down the time needed for cooking. It is a good tool for those who are beginners in cooking because you just have to put the ingredients inside the pot and cook it. The crockpot comes with a booklet of some of the best crockpot recipes you can follow. Most of the best crockpot recipes are easy to make. Some of them include crockpot apricot chicken and sour cream and bacon chicken.

1. Crockpot Apricot Chicken - This is one of the best crockpot recipes for chicken. It is a simple dish with four ingredients. You can serve this dish on top of some pasta or rice. The following are the ingredients:

Crockpot

1. six pieces of frozen boneless and skinless breasts of chicken
2. one package of the mix for onion soup
3. one half cup of salad dressing
4. one cup of preserved apricots or apricot jam
5. one third cup of chicken stock
6. one teaspoon of dried basil or thyme
7. one eight teaspoon of pepper

Cooking Procedure:

a. The first step in making one of the best crockpot recipes is arranging the chicken in the four quart cooker. Then put the other ingredients in a bowl and mix it altogether. Pour the mixture on the chicken and give it a stir. Put the crockpot's lid and press the low button to start the cooking process. The dish will be cooked for eight hours. The chicken will then be tender and ready for serving. This recipe can be consumed by six persons.

2. Sour Cream and Bacon Chicken - This is one of the best crockpot recipes for bacon and chicken. You wrap the bacon around each piece of chicken breast and cook it with some cream. The cooking time for this dish is about eight hours.

Ingredients:

1. eight slices of bacon
2. eight pieces of chicken breasts without the skin
3. two cans of cream of mushroom soup with the roasted garlic variation
4. one cup of sour cream
5. one half cup of flour

Cooking Procedure:

a. Wrap each chicken with a bacon and put in the four quart pot.. In another bowl blend the soup, flour and cream together. You can use a whisk to mix it well. Put it on the chicken inside the pot. Put the cover and press the low button for the crockpot tos tart. This dish can be served in eight hours.

3. One of the best crockpot recipes for vegetarians is the three bean cassoulet. This dish has no meat at all so it is very low in calories as well.

Ingredients:

1. one cup of lima beans, the dried variant
2. one cup of garbanzo beans, dried variant
3. four and a half cups of water
4. sixteen ounces of small carrots
5. one onion
6. three garlic cloves
7. one tablespoon of dried parsley
8. one teaspoon of dried basil
9. one half teaspoon of dried thyme
10. one half teaspoon of salt
11. one eight teaspoon of white pepper
12. one bay leaf
13. one can of chopped tomatoes
14. two tablespoons of tomato paste

Cooking Procedure:

a. Put the beans in a large bowl with cold water then put it in a big pot and let it boil for one minute then set it aside for one hour.

b. Drain the beans and put them in the four quart cooker with the water,chopped onions, herbs and garlic. Set aside the tomatoes and the salt.

c. Put the crockpot's lid and crank up the heat to high just for thirty minutes. Then lower down the heat until it gets cooked for nine hours. After nine hours of slow cooking put the tomatoes, salt and the paste and wait for one more hour.

d. Take out the bay leaf then serve this dish hot.

Delicious Crockpot Recipes

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Wednesday, March 16, 2011

How to Make Crockpot Fisherman's Stew

Most people will not attempt seafood in the crockpot because it is so delicate. Overcooking is the worst thing you can do to seafood. However, there is no reason to keep seafood away from your crockpot. This delicious recipe for Seafood Cioppino, or Fisherman's Stew, is a great seafood dish to make on a cold winter's night. All the ingredients except for the seafood simmer gently all day long. You just add the seafood a little while before you want to eat. What better way to use your crockpot and still eat seafood?

This method for fisherman's stew lets all the flavors combine together into a fantastic dish that you can enjoy sitting in front of the fire with someone you love. Serve it up with a glass of wine and some crusty bread and you will be ready to withstand any winter storm. This hearty stew is full of nutrition and comfort. If you are lucky enough to live on the coast, make sure you pick up the catch of the day before you head home so you can add it to your cioppino. There is nothing like fresh seafood.

Crockpot

You can choose any type of seafood, do not feel constrained by the recipe. If you can get seasonal fresh crab, add it. Lobster, too. Clams, mussels, shrimp, fish, squid, scallops; you name it. This stew can handle them all. Cioppino is a rustic stew that originated in San Francisco in the late 1800s that is a combination between Italian stews and the local cuisine. You can also choose to serve it over pasta if you want a more substantial dish. Spaghetti, linguine, or other long noodle is perfect. If you choose to do so, you may want to provide extra napkins or even bibs so the tomato sauce does not end up on your guests' clothing.

Recipe for Seafood Cioppino

This delicious stew is perfect for a cold night.

What You Need

1 (28 ounces) can crushed tomatoes with juice 1 (8 ounces) can tomato sauce 1/2 cup onion, chopped 1 cup dry white wine 1/3 cup olive oil 3 cloves garlic, minced 1/2 cup parsley, chopped 1 green pepper, chopped 1 hot pepper, chopped (optional) Salt and pepper to taste 1 teaspoon thyme 2 teaspoons basil 1 teaspoon oregano 1/2 teaspoon paprika 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper Water, if desired to thin the stew 1 sea bass, cod or other whitefish fillet, deboned and cubed 1 dozen prawns 1 dozen scallops 1 dozen mussels 1 dozen clams

How to Make It

Place the tomatoes, sauce, onion, wine, olive oil, parsley, peppers, thyme, basil, oregano, paprika, cayenne and salt and pepper into the crockpot and mix. Cover and cook on Low for 6 to 8 hours.

Half an hour before serving, add the fish, prawns, scallops, mussels, and clams. Turn the setting to High and stir gently occasionally during the remainder of the cooking time.

Serve with crusty bread for dipping.

Note: You can use whatever types of seafood are available to you.

How to Make Crockpot Fisherman's Stew

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Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Crockpot Chicken Recipes Made Easy

No one wants to spend the entire day making Crockpot chicken recipes. It is because of this, that we take a moment to look at some of the easiest recipes out there. These choices are designed to deliver the full flavor of a dish that took all day to make, while avoiding the considerable amounts of prep work that are often involved. It is important that we take a moment to look at some helpful tips that will ensure that all future Crockpot chicken recipes that you make turn out perfect each time and do not take up too much of your time.

One of the first things you need to know to make these dishes easier to handle is that white meat cooks faster than dark meat. So, for white meat, you would need to cook a dish for six hours, where darker meat will need at a minimum 7 hours to ensure it has cooked completely. Along with this, you should also note that items, which still have bones in them, will require about 2 additional hours of cooking time when they are being made in the slow cooker.

Crockpot

Along with this idea, you also need to realize that going simple is often the best approach. There are a number of recipes that have less than 5 general ingredients that are associated with them. So, by creating one of these delicious recipes you end up saving both time and energy and still end up with a dish that people will be talking about around your dinner table. Just keep in mind that you can always make variations to these dishes as needed.

One of those recipes is creamy bacon chicken. This dish can be out together in a matter of minutes and then slow cooked over the entire day. Like other simple Crockpot chicken recipes, you will find that it delivers a remarkable flavor that will keep your family happy and looking for seconds. This is a fun and delicious treat that is going to be a huge hit, so plan on making it a few times a year.

Creamy Bacon Chicken

What You Will Need

4 slices bacon 4 boneless chicken breasts 1 can garlic cream of mushroom soup 1/2 cup sour cream 1/4 cup flour

How to Make It

Start by wrapping a piece of bacon around each chicken breast and place them into the Crockpot. Then add in your sour cream, soup, and flour and whisk until it is well blended. Make sure that the mixture covers your chicken. Set your slow cooker to low and allow it to cook for about 8 hours or until the chicken reaches proper internal temperature.

Crockpot Chicken Recipes Made Easy

If you are looking to make some delicious crockpot chicken recipes you will need a useful guide. Our website is full of tips and tricks to help you create those perfect dishes as well as additional crockpot recipes that your entire family will love.

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Monday, March 14, 2011

Family Favorite Mexican Crock Pot Recipes

There are so many different delicious crock pot recipes available now days. You can feed your family well, and with variety too. If your family loves Mexican dishes, but you're tired of the same old tacos for dinner, try one of our simple Mexican recipes. Start your meal in the morning and come home to an easy evening of dinner with the family.

These easy Mexican style crock pot recipes are ones your family will love and ask for over and over again. There are three different types: Beef, Chicken and Pasta crock pot recipes listed below. Try one this week and treat your family and yourself to a great meal together.

Crockpot

Mexican Shredded Beef Crock Pot Recipe

4 lbs chuck roast

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 onion, chopped

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

2 - 4 oz cans green chilies, undrained

3/4 cup hot pepper sauce or to taste

Water

Season chuck roast with salt and pepper. Place in crock pot. Mix together remaining ingredients except water, and spoon over meat. Pour water down along the sides of the crock pot until roast is 1/3 covered. Cover it and cook on high 6 hours. Reduce to low 2-4 hours, until meat falls apart. Shred with forks if needed. Sauce can be thickened with a little flour. This is perfect as a burrito dinner or on buns.

Mexican Chicken Stew Crock Pot Recipe

2 lbs skinless boneless chicken breasts cut into 1 inch pieces

4 medium russet potatoes, peeled and cut small

1 -15 oz can mild salsa

1 -4 oz can diced green chilies

1 -1 ¼ oz package taco seasoning mix

1 -8 oz can tomato sauce

Mix all ingredients together in a crock pot, cook 8 hours on low. Serve with warm flour tortillas, and corn or add it to the finished stew.

Mexican Macaroni and Cheese Crock Pot Recipe

5 to 6 cups hot cooked macaroni, drained -12 oz dry

2 tbs butter

1 can 12 oz evaporated milk

1 can nacho cheese soup

2 cups shredded Mexican Cheddar cheese

1 - 4 oz can chopped green chilies

1 - 4 oz can sliced black olives

3/4 cup thick medium salsa

salt and pepper to taste

Grease your crock pot lightly. Toss the hot macaroni with butter; add remaining ingredients and mix well. Cover and cook on low for 3 to 4 hours.

Family Favorite Mexican Crock Pot Recipes

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Sunday, March 13, 2011

Seven Tips for Successful Crockpot Creations

Crockpot Creations are terrific comfort foods. Crockpot meals are easy to prepare, can usually be cooked all day while you are at work and for the most part are "set it and forget it" meals. If you are anything like me, you will love coming home to the aroma of a crockpot meal. It always reminds me of the way the house smelled when I was a kid.

Everyone today is so busy, with two worker households and the kids involved in numerous extra-curricular activities, many people are turning to "slow cookers" or crockpots to prepare nutritious and delicious family dinners. I actually have four slow cookers but only one is actually a Crockpot. I should explain that a "Crockpot" is actually the name of a slow cooker that is sold by the Rival Company and made famous sometime in the 1970s. It was such a success that crockpot became a household word and is used interchangeably with slow cooker.

Crockpot

Crockpots come in various sizes and are usable for preparing meats such as beef, chicken and fish in the larger sizes and side dishes, soups and desserts in the smaller ones.

Before you start to cook with a crockpot, there are quite a few tips that will make your experience easy and rewarding. Here are some of the more important ones:

Tip 1: Lightly greasing the inside of your crockpot or using a non-stick cooking spray will help to make cleanup a breeze and will keep food from sticking to the sides of your crockpot.

Tip 2: If you haven't already purchased your crockpot or received one as a gift, try to choose one that has a removable "crock" for easier cleanup and serving. I still have the Farberware crockpot that I received 30 years ago as a wedding present. In those days the crock was not removable, but it's still my favorite!

Tip 3: Once you have added all of the ingredients, don't lift the lid to check on the progress of your meal. Remember this is a "slow" cooker, it's going to take quite a while. Have faith in the recipe and leave that lid on. You may need to add up to 20 minutes of additional cooking time for each time you lift that lid and let the heat and steam out.

Tip 4: Follow the recipe exactly when it comes to layering instructions. Items such as potatoes and vegetables take more time to get tender in a crockpot and the recipes will instruct you to place these on the bottom with any meats and/or sauces layered on top.

Tip 5: I don't usually use regular milk in my crockpot recipes. I have found that due to the extremely long cooking time that regular milk tends to want to curdle. I will recommend that you use evaporated milk, scalded milk or half and half and that you only add milk during the last 30 minutes of cooking time. This rule is not chipped in stone and you are certainly welcome to experiment for yourself.

Tip 6: Remember, if you leave the lid on the crockpot, very little of the liquid will be able to boil away. Some recipes will add a thickening agent such as flour or arrowroot powder to the recipe to thicken the liquid while it cooks, but I generally recommend just taking some of the liquid and thickening it in a sauce pan with some cornstarch right before serving.

Tip 7: Choose the correct sized crockpot for the quantity of food that you are preparing. As a general rule of thumb, try to assure that your crockpot is filled at least halfway to the top. This will help to prevent over-cooking or under-cooking and will give you room to stir and serve without fear of spilling.

These 7 tips should give you a good start toward enjoying your own fabulous Crockpot Creations and the many thanks for scrumptious meals that your family will give you. There are thousands of recipes available for every occasion, try a few each week and you will soon develop your own favorites.

Seven Tips for Successful Crockpot Creations

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Saturday, March 12, 2011

How to Make a Tasty Pot Roast in Your Crockpot

Roasting in the crockpot is a great way to get a tender, juicy roast without a lot of effort. There is no basting at all; just put in the ingredients and let your crockpot do its thing. The juices in the food naturally baste your roast during the long, slow cooking process so your roast turns out moist and tender.

Use whatever vegetables you have on hand, but potatoes and carrots are traditional. Feel free to use parsnips, rutabagas, turnips or whatever root vegetables you prefer. Root vegetables work really well in the crockpot, turning out perfectly cooked every time. They also pick up all the flavors of your roast since they go on the bottom of the pot.

Crockpot

You can prepare your meal in the morning, before you have to leave the house. Let your crockpot take care of all the cooking details while you are gone. You will get to return to a fragrant kitchen at the end of the day. All you will need to do is mix up the gravy and you will be ready to eat. This is a great way to make dinner for busy families who do not have a lot of time to spare. A nice beef pot roast makes a great meal anytime, providing you with flavor, nutrition and a wide appeal.

Recipe for Beef Pot Roast

What You Need

1 (2-1/2 pound) boneless beef chuck roast 1 Tablespoon cooking oil 1 pound whole new potatoes, 3 medium potatoes, or 3 medium sweet potatoes 8 carrots or parsnips, cut into 1 inch pieces 3 small onions, cut into wedges 3/4 cup water 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 2 teaspoons instant beef bouillon 1 teaspoon dried basil or oregano, crushed 1/2 cup cold water 1/4 cup all-purpose flour Salt and pepper

How to Make It

Trim the fat from the roast. Cut up the roast if necessary to help it fit in your crockpot. Brown the roast on all sides in a large skillet. Drain fat.

If you are using new potatoes, peel a narrow strip from the center of each potato. If you are using larger potatoes or sweet potatoes, peel them and quarter them. Place the potatoes, root vegetables, and onions in the crockpot. Position the meat on top of the vegetables.

Combine the water, Worcestershire sauce, bouillon, and herbs in a small bowl. Pour over the top of the meat and vegetables.

Cover and set your crockpot on low for 10 to 12 hours. If you cannot wait that long, put it on high for 5 to 6 hours.

After cooking, move the meat and vegetables to a serving platter, saving the juices. Cover the meat to keep it hot.

Pour the juices into a glass measuring cup and remove the fat. Make gravy with 1-1/2 cup of juices. Add water if there are not enough. Pour the juices into a sauce pan. Combine the cold water with the flour and stir into the juices. Cook and stir until the gravy thickens and bubbles. Season gravy to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with meat and vegetables.

Serves 6 to 8

How to Make a Tasty Pot Roast in Your Crockpot

Keep track of your best crockpot recipes so you can access them easily when you need them. One of the easiest to make is crockpot beef stew. It is a great meal on those cold winter days when you want something cozy and warm.

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Friday, March 11, 2011

A Roast Rival Crock Pot Recipe For an Amazing Dinner

A good dinner means first of all good food. But you need time to prepare other stuff other than the actual food. The crock pot recipes offer you all the time you need. But they still are delicious. Here is one of the rival roast crock pot recipes. Recipe that will make your dinner fabulous.

There is nothing what Rival could do to improve the time-saving Crock-Pot. Their new programmable Smart-Pot is a total winner. Rival controls about 85% of the 100 million $ crock pot appliance market. It offers about 50 different models. Their latest model is the Smart-Pot. This Rival is divided into an oval crock pot and a Cool-Touch crock pot.

Crockpot

And to actually use it here goes the perfect roast crock pot recipe for it. It really is one of the best out there.
Ingredients:

o a boneless beef roast, about 3 to 4 pounds (rump, top round, lean chuck, etc.)
o 4 cups water
o a cup cider vinegar
o 3 tablespoons brown sugar, firmly packed
o a bottle of ketchup
o 3 lg. onions, quartered
o salt and pepper to taste
o 4 whole cloves
o 4 bay leaves
oa heaping tsp. mixed pickling spices

Preparation:

Wash chicken and pat dry. Cut into chunks about 1/2 to 1-inch and put in a large bowl. Add the soup, mushrooms, and onions; stir to combine. Spray the slow cooker insert with cooking spray.

Spoon the chicken mixture into the crock pot and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Combine all ingredients except meat in slow cooker. Stir to blend ingredients. Add beef roast to mixture, coating with mixture. Cover and cook on LOW for 10 hours. Then just place roast in slow cooker. Add remaining ingredients and enough water to cover beef. Cook on low 8 to 10 hours, or until beef is very tender. Shred beef, serve on split sandwich buns or garlic bread.

This is one of the best roast rock pot recipe out there. There is nothing better than a rival crock pot recipe. A true time saver but also a delicious meal.

A Roast Rival Crock Pot Recipe For an Amazing Dinner

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Thursday, March 10, 2011

Secrets to Cooking Vegetables in a Crockpot

You can really bring out the flavor in vegetables by adding them to slow cooker recipes. Vegetables help to pad out stews and soups and the come out juicy, succulent and with a very rich taste. Onions are added to many different slow cooking recipes, as are shallots and leeks.

Garlic is often paired with onions. Slow cooking might increase the taste of spicy ingredients like curry paste and chilies but it decreases the potency of onions and garlic, so you might need to add more if you are going to be slow cooking something for more than three hours.

Crockpot

Root vegetables are nice with pot roasts, stews and soups. They take a long time to cook because of their density, so slow cooker recipes will normally tell you to add the chopped root vegetables first and layer any meat or fish on top. Chop them into very small pieces for a shorter cooking time.

Other Tasty Vegetables for Slow Cooker Recipes

Cauliflower and broccoli are good in a slow cooker, as are mushrooms. Shiitake mushrooms and field mushrooms are strong, portobello and chestnut mushrooms are mid-range in flavor, and button mushrooms are mild. Portobello mushrooms can be used as a meat substitute if you are cooking for vegetarians. The amount of liquid in mushrooms infuses your dish with juiciness and gives it a dark color.

Squash and pumpkins will stay firm in a crockpot and they do not need you to add a lot of liquid, like some other ingredients in slow cooker recipes would. Squash and pumpkins produce moisture when you heat them, like mushrooms do, which makes them good for crock pot cooking.

Tomatoes and Bell Peppers

You can use many forms of tomatoes for your crock pot recipes, including tomato sauce, whole tomatoes, canned tomatoes and tomato paste. Bell peppers are frequently used in such recipes but green bell peppers can become bitter if you cook them for too long, so add them towards the end of the cooking time, along with any leafy vegetables like cabbage or spinach.

Canned and frozen vegetables are often partially cooked already so they will not need much time in the crock pot. Drain as much liquid from canned vegetables as you can before adding them and rinse off any excess preservatives or salt. Thaw frozen vegetables, at least partially, before adding them to your slow cooker recipes.

If you are new to making slow cooker recipes it is best to follow any recipes you choose carefully, to ensure you prepare the ingredients correctly and add them to the crockpot in the right order. You can add extra spices if you like a fiery flavor or experiment with herbs and seasonings. You will find that most vegetables do really well in the crockpot, as long as you add the ones that do not require much cooking time near the end of cooking.

Secrets to Cooking Vegetables in a Crockpot

You can cook vegetables in a crockpot with your meat, poultry or fish, or by themselves to make tasty vegetarian slow cooker recipes. If you are looking for crockpot meal inspiration, what about making a healthy, tasty dish with some seasonal vegetables?

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Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Rich And Hearty Crockpot Beef Stew

There are a number of different ways that you can make a Crockpot beef stew and there is nothing wrong with any route you choose to go with it. You can go with a traditional meat and potatoes approach or go with a cultural explosion focusing on the foods from another country. No matter which direction you take it in, there is little doubt that you will end up with a tasty treat that leaves the entire family feeling both warm and full. There are some very basic ideas you need to keep in mind to help you create this tasty dish.

The meat in your Crockpot beef stew should be fatty for the best flavor. It is generally a good idea to focus on thicker cuts and meat as well as tougher ones since they will take longer to breakdown and then you end up with a tender and hearty meal. Using lean meat does not typically give your dish a lot of flavor, which is part of the reason for making it.

Crockpot

Another thing to take into consideration is that it is possible to over spice your dish as well. Many people will make the mistake of spicing too much to taste when they are first starting the dish. You need to understand that as the mixture cooks, the flavors will continue to build up in it. What might seem like a small amount will increase in flavor over the course of 8 hours, so be sure you do not go heavy on the spices. It is possible to add in additional flavor during the last hour if you feel there is not enough flavor at that time.

Your vegetables should generally be placed into your stew during the last hour of cooking. What often happens is that these are placed into the mixture in the morning and then forgotten. This will typically turn your vegetables into a mushy mess. To help them keep their natural flavor and texture, you might consider placing them in during the last hour of cooking your Crockpot beef stew.

Thick and Hearty Beef Stew

What You Will Need

2 pounds cut stew beef 5 chopped carrots 2 large diced onions 3 stalks diced celery 3 large diced potatoes 2 cans tomatoes 3 tablespoons flour Salt and pepper

How to Make It

Take your beef and place it in your Crockpot and cover it with cold water. Place in your onion, tomatoes and flour into the mix add in salt and pepper then cook for 8 hours on low. About an hour before you serve, add in your celery, carrots, and potatoes and turn the temperature up to high for the final hour. Serve hot.

Rich And Hearty Crockpot Beef Stew

With a variety of crockpot recipes to choose from, including one of the best crockpot beef stew recipes, come check out our website for tips and tricks that will help you to create dishes that have people talking and have them coming back to your dinner table.

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Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Classic Crockpot Casserole Recipes

Casseroles have to be the most popular crockpot recipes of all time and a lot of people who own crockpots have probably only made casseroles in them. There are a lot of different recipes for casserole dishes, of course, and you might like to use beef, chicken or pork. These recipes can also range from mild to very spicy.

The word "casserole" actually refers to the typical glass dish used in the oven to make these recipes but obviously this is not the case when you make this dish in a slow cooker. Slow cooking brings out the wonderful flavors of every single ingredient so it is little wonder that soups, stews and casseroles do so well in the crockpot.

Crockpot

Tasty Casserole Ingredients

Popular vegetables for recipes like these include mushrooms, onions, garlic, broccoli, cabbage, zucchini, carrot, sweet potato and more. Some casseroles feature rice or potatoes. You can use beef, veal, pork, chicken or even fish to make delicious stew-type recipes.

Anything which cooks nicely in low, moist heat will do well in a slow cooker. Classic recipes for casseroles and stews are usually even better when you make them in a crockpot than when you bake them in the oven on a low temperature or when you cook them over a low flame on the stove. This is partly because a crockpot relies on steam and moisture for recipe success, and a slow cooker lid is very tight-fitting, stopping any moisture or steam from escaping.

Recipe for Easy Beef Casserole with Red Wine

Beef casserole is such an easy meal to make in the slow cooker and it is one of the most classic crockpot recipes of all time. You can use ground beef to make crock pot beef stews or casseroles or stewing beef. Tough beef tenderizes when you slow cook it so you can use a cheap cut of beef if you want to, and rest assured that it will come out succulent and juicy.

This recipe has macaroni in it and it is best to make the macaroni separately and add it to the crockpot fifteen minutes before the end of the cooking time. You can cook pasta in the slow cooker but it is just simpler to cook it on the stove and then combine everything. This recipe serves three or four people.

What you will need:

1 lb ground beef 1/4 cup flour 2 tablespoons red wine 2 teaspoons beef bouillon granules 1 chopped onion 1 teaspoon salt 6 oz macaroni 1 cup sour cream 4 oz canned mushrooms 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce 1 1/4 cups hot water

How to make it:

Brown the onion and ground beef in a skillet, and then drain off the fat. Transfer it to the slow cooker. Stir in the garlic powder, salt, flour and Worcestershire sauce. Add the wine, bouillon granules and wine and stir well.

Cover the crock pot and cook the beef casserole for two and a half hours on low. Cook the macaroni and add it to the casserole with the sour cream and mushrooms. Cook on high for fifteen minutes and serve.

Classic Crockpot Casserole Recipes

As well as delicious casseroles, there are lots of different slow cooker recipes you can make for your family. You can find some new recipe inspiration using a recipe search engine or by browsing a few different food blogs or food websites.

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Monday, March 7, 2011

Whole Chicken Crockpot Recipes

Consider a whole chicken; are you going to divide it into sections breasts, legs, wings and remaining meat and cook individually, or are you going to cook as a whole, and get the best value for money from the bird? With any of the many whole chicken crockpot recipes that are popular and very simple to follow you can make a stunning meal out of a whole chicken, and it really is the best value for money as it cooks all the bird. The beauty of the crockpot method is in the fact it cooks slowly, and this allows for much scope and inventiveness in the resulting dish.

Any standard recipe will recommend you baste the chicken in a simple coating some balsamic vinegar, perhaps, a few herbs and spices thrown in and this is where the scope for trial and error comes into play. You can choose at this point whether you want to cook your chicken in its natural state, or whether you wish to create a beautiful spicy, or sweet and sour, marinade sauce and apply it to the bird before cooking, allowing the flavors to seep through and add to the tenderness of the beautiful juicy meat.

Crockpot

Of course, the flavors you decide to introduce at this point are very much up to you, but there are a couple that come highly recommended. One is lemon, and a full skinned lemon inside the chicken can make a wonderful addition of flavor as the bird cooks, its juices seeping into the skin and making the bird more oriental in its taste. The second recommended flavor is garlic, the perfect adornment for any whole chicken crockpot recipes, and one that while not to everyone's taste is just about the most complementary you will find.

That's the beauty of the dish you can do what you want with it. The advantage of cooking the chicken whole is in the way you treat it, as well as the beautiful manner in which you can serve it whole at the table and carve with panache and skill that, however, is something that comes only with experience!

Whole Chicken Crockpot Recipes

See more of Charlie McDonald's great chicken recipes at his site, Best Chicken Recipes

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Sunday, March 6, 2011

Easy Crockpot Beef Recipes

Good crockpot beef recipes can help dress up a cheaper cut of meat. Slow cookers are not only convenient, but the slow cooking also helps tenderize the meat and really infuse it with flavor. Try these easy crockpot recipes for beef that both taste great and are quick to whip up.

Beef and Creamy Mushroom Crockpot Recipe

Crockpot

Ingredients You Will Need:

1 pound beef sirloin tips, trimmed and cubed

½ cup diced button mushrooms

1 cup green peas

1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup

¼ cup apple juice

¼ cup beef broth

½ teaspoon ground black pepper

½ teaspoon Italian seasoning

¼ teaspoon salt

Place beef, mushrooms and peas in a medium crockpot that is at least 2 quarts in size. In a small bowl, stir together soup, juice, broth, pepper, Italian seasoning and salt. Pour mixture into crockpot. Mix well. Cover crockpot with lid, and turn heat to low. Cook for 11 hours. Remove lid, stir well and serve.

Beef Stew Crockpot Recipe

Ingredients You Will Need:

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 pound beef stew meat, cubed

1 cup diced red onion

1 cup chopped carrots

½ cup diced celery

1 10-ounce can condensed tomato soup

3 cups beef broth

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon minced garlic

½ teaspoon ground black pepper

½ teaspoon cornstarch

Place oil in a large skillet, and turn heat to medium. When oil is hot, add cubed beef to skillet. Brown beef for 3 minutes. Add onions to skillet, and cook beef and onions for 3 minutes. Make sure beef is cooked. Drain half of the fat out of the pan, and discard. Pour browned beef, onions and remaining drippings in a large crockpot, at least 3 quarts size.

Add carrots and celery to the crockpot. In a medium bowl, stir together the soup, broth, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, pepper and cornstarch. Pour mixture into crockpot. Mix well. Cover crockpot with lid, and turn heat to low. Cook for 10 to 12 hours. Remove lid, stir well and serve.

Crockpot Beef Curry Recipe

Ingredients You Will Need:

2 cups cauliflower florets

½ cup uncooked white rice

½ cup raisins

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon yellow curry powder

1 teaspoon minced garlic

¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

¼ teaspoon salt

1 pound beef stewing steak, cubed

1 cup beef broth

¼ cup water

Place cauliflower, rice and raisins in a medium crockpot, at least 2 quarts in size. Combine flour, curry, garlic, pepper and salt together in a large plastic bag. Place cubed meat in bag. Shake bag, and cover meat with mixture. Pour beef and remaining mixture into crockpot. Pour beef broth and water into crockpot. Mix well. Cover crockpot with lid, and turn heat to low. Cook for 10 hours. Remove lid, stir and serve.

Easy Crockpot Beef Recipes

For more information on crockpot recipes, visit the food section of Life123.com.

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Saturday, March 5, 2011

Crock Pot Recipe For Spicy Shrimp Chowder

Cooking is truly an experiment; what foods work with what spices, how much, the variables go on and on. For many, cooking without a recipe or even altering a recipe is a scary thing. They follow recipes exactly, worried that the cooking police might come find them if they don't.

And so, I offer you my Spicy Shrimp Chowder recipe. You will notice the ingredients are in two categories - what you can alter and what you can't. (Please notice which list is longer and that even the necessary ingredients have options.) What I have offered you is a choice, a sort of "experiment with a guide". I have it listed the way I make it (although I often think my husband sneaks in more red pepper when I'm not looking) but please feel free to add or subtract, increase or decrease amounts, or whatever else you want to please your palate. For some altering hints, I've added a list below the recipe instructions. Enjoy!

Crockpot

Necessary ingredients

2- 14.5 ounce cans of diced tomatoes, undrained

2 cups eight vegetable or tomato juice

1 cup white wine or water

½ cup rice

Other ingredients

2 cups celery, chopped

1 green or red bell pepper, chopped

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp ground red pepper

1 pound pre-cooked, tail off shrimp

Spray 5-6 quart crock pot with cooking spray. Mix all ingredients except shrimp and rice in slow cooker, cover and cook on low 7-8 hours or high 3-4 hours. Stir in fish and rice. Cover and cook on high an additional 45 minutes.

Hints for alteration

- For soupier chowder, add an additional 1 cup juice and/or ½ cup wine.

- Make with any firm fish such as tuna steak, halibut, or haddock cut into 1 inch cubes.

- Increase or decrease celery, bell peppers, and onion according to your tastes.

- For a spicier chowder, increase garlic, Worcestershire sauce, and/or ground red pepper. You could also add some hot sauce if desired.

The point is to get confident and creative. Create recipes for you - ones that you will enjoy. Find this and other recipes at http://www.natalies-recipes.com.

Crock Pot Recipe For Spicy Shrimp Chowder

Natalie is a work at home mom who loves crock pot cooking and quick and easy recipes in general. To view her crock pot recipes visit http://www.natalies-recipes.com, which also includes a variety of helpful hints, cooking tips, quick and easy recipes, great products, and a fun and informative newsletter.

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Friday, March 4, 2011

How To Make Crockpot White Chicken Chili

If you are looking for something delicious for dinner, then you might consider Crockpot white chicken chili. This is a fairly easy meal to make for your family and they might just find that they love eating it with you. It is also one of those items that will take almost no time to do, just put the ingredients into the slow cooker and walk away.

Begin the process by pulling out a three quart Crockpot and placing about 2 pounds of bones chicken breasts into it. Add in four cups of chicken broth to give it a better flavor. When this is done, simply chop up about a cup of onions and add them into the mixture. Mix together the items well.

Crockpot

While this is going, you will want to add in about three cloves of garlic that has been minced. Then add in a teaspoon of cumin seeds followed by three teaspoons ground cumin, 1 teaspoon ground coriander and a teaspoon of white pepper. If you do not have white pepper, you can substitute in black pepper.

Now, you have the chance to walk away. Allow your mixture to cook on high for six hours as you let the chicken cook. Be sure not to end this process before you have fully cooked your chicken. When it is done, you will remove it and then continue the Crockpot white chicken chili recipe.

You will now need to shred the chicken pretty fine. Then add it back into your mixture. Now add in a can of White Beans and White corn. This will add some depth to the flavor that you are having with your Crockpot white chicken chili. The cans should be averaged size. The ideal size here will be about 15 ounces.

Now you will want to add in three cans of chopped green chilies. Now, add in four tablespoons of lime juice and then take a moment to stir the mixture well. When you have done these, allow it to cook for another hour to allow the flavors to blend.

During this time, you can add in any additional spices you might think will add to the flavor. Closer to the end, you might even consider adding in some queso to add to the flavor of the chili as well. That is of course optional, but an idea that some people might enjoy.

To serve this delicious Crockpot white chicken chili, you should top it with cilantro, sour cream and any other items you think might add to the overall flavor of the dish you are serving. Then sit back and enjoy the delicious mixture that you have created, one that your entire family is certain to love.

How To Make Crockpot White Chicken Chili

From a crockpot white chicken chili recipe to a number of other delicious crockpot recipes visit our website. While you are there, you can find a series of tips and hints that will help you to create the best meals for your family.

The Best Crockpot Recipes Start With Our Recipes - BestCrockpotRecipes.net

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Thursday, March 3, 2011

Cooking With a Crockpot - It's Slow Good

It is easy to come home to a hot dinner every night when you use your crockpot. Taking the time to fill up the crockpot in the morning will reward you with a delicious meal in the evening with no fuss. When you get home, just dish everyone up, and have a wonderful meal.

Easy Crockpot Cooking Tips

Crockpot

There are a few tips that will help your crockpot meals turn out perfect every time. First, never overfill the crockpot. Make sure when you are filling it up that the pot is between half and three-quarters full. Too full, and your food will not cook enough. If the pot is too empty, the food will cook too quickly and you will come home to a dinner that is overdone.

Fresh vegetables should be placed in the bottom of the crockpot because they take longer to cook than your meat. You may have trouble believing it, but try putting them on top and see what happens. Frozen vegetables should be placed on top of your meat since they do not take long to cook.

If you take the time to brown your meat before putting it in the crockpot, the fat will get rendered a bit and the natural sugars in the meat will caramelize. Your meal will look more appetizing, and you can deglaze the pan afterwards and add the delicious drippings to the crockpot for flavor. It also helps if you remove any skin or excess fat from your meat before you start.

When to Add those Tender Ingredients

Ingredients that are tender, such as tomatoes, peas, and other soft foods should be added in the last half hour or so of cooking. Dairy should be added only a short time before you serve as well. When you add dairy products, make sure your temperature is on low so they will not curdle. Thickeners like cornstarch can be added during the last hour of cooking. Place the crockpot on high so their thickening qualities are activated. Rice and pasta should be added during the last 45 minutes or so or they will tend to turn to mush.

Do not remove the lid during cooking unless you need to add additional ingredients. Try to do this all at once so you do not lose too much heat. Each time you open the lid; you should add another 30 minutes to your cooking time.

What Can You Make with a Crockpot?

Following these simple suggestions makes cooking in the crockpot easy and fun. Your crockpot can be used to easily make just about anything. Roast pork and beef work well in the crockpot. Add a whole chicken or chicken parts with your favorite sauce for a tender, tasty meal. Stew works well, as does soup. Side dishes can also be made in the crockpot. Vegetable dishes, rice and lentil dishes are all easy to make while you are away.

Amazingly, you can even bake in your crockpot! Desserts like cakes, sweet breads, and boiled peanuts can be made easily without using your oven. The versatile crockpot is a tool everyone should have in his or her kitchen.

Cooking With a Crockpot - It's Slow Good

Crockpots save time and make mealtimes easy and delicious. If you want to explore more options for your crockpot, check out ChickenNoodleSoups.com for some delicious recipes and crockpot tips. It is easy to make nutritious, home cooked meals using your crockpot.

If you are looking for some great recipes or tips on cooking chicken soups and stews of your own, the site will be very helpful. Whether you want a quick and easy soup, a creamy one, or an old fashioned chicken stew, you are sure to find it there. Recipes like our classic chicken noodle soup recipe and many more chicken soup recipes.

If you are in the mood for chicken stew with an international flavor, or any other type of wonderful soup recipes we have a selection that is sure to fit the bill.

Nothing but chicken soups of all kinds. Also find informative articles related to chicken soup's health benefits and other interesting information like soup cooking tips.

Look for our heart health recipe guide to find soup recipes that can help you with your fight against heart disease. All recipes include nutritional information to help you make informed healthy choices about your next recipe decision.

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