Slow Cooker Salisbury Steaks

I hear this is the last "cold" week we are going to have in Minnesota!  Cold being in the 30's.  They are predicting that the high on Easter Sunday will be 49 degrees!  Yay!  

While I am happy to see spring come in (like a lamb), I will be sad to see my slow cooker go.  I guess we don't totally have to part ways but spring and summer are for crisp salads and grilling, not heavy (yet delicious) slow cooked meals.  

I took advantage of my slow cooker again this weekend and made these Salisbury Steaks for my parents and boy were they tasty.  They do take a little prep before hand but the end result is deeelish.  

Start with two pounds of ground beef.  I used 93/7

Finely, FINELY, dice up an onion.  If you don't do it FINELY they have the tendency to fall apart.

One packet of dried onion soup mix.

Italian seasoned bread crumbs.  I'm pretty sure you could use regular if you wanted.

And a little milk.  Combine with your hands and shape into patties.

Place in a large preheated skillet on medium high heat.

You want to give them a good sear...like so... No need to cook them all the way through, that will happen in the crock.

Remove the patties and place them on the bottom of your crock.  Be sure to spray with cooking spray before you pop them in there.  You will be happy you did.

Add two cans of cream of chicken or mushroom soup to the pan you cooked the patties in.

Along with a little water.

Give it a good stir.  This looks neon.

I also added one of those condensed beef stock things.  I think it added good flavor but I would say it is optional.

And a dash of Kitchen Bouquet.  It deepens the color and the flavor.  You must have this in your pantry. It's old school.

See, pretty gravy.

Add a ton of black pepper, if you are cooking for my Dad.  If you are cooking for someone who doesn't coat their food in black pepper, just a little will do.

Pour the gravy over the patties and let this cook away on low for about 4 to 5 hours.

Whip up some mashed potatoes to go with it and you are good to go.

Salad would be a good choice for a side...

Now, who has summer slow cooker recipes for me!?

Slow Cooker Salisbury Steaks

2 pounds ground beef (I used 97/3)
1 onion, FINELY diced
1 packet dried onion soup mix
1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs
1/4 cup milk
Drizzle of canola/vegetable oil
2 cans cream of chicken or cream of mushroom soup
1/2 can of water
1 1/2 teaspoons of Kitchen Bouquet
Pepper to taste

Start by combining the ground beef, onion, onion soup mix, bread crumbs and milk together.  Form into patties.  Preheat a large skillet on medium high heat and drizzle with oil.  Place the patties in the skillet and sear on both sides.  No need to cook them through, just get a nice brown on them.  Place the patties in the crock of your slow cooker that has been sprayed with cooking spray.

In the same pan you used to brown the meat, add the soup, water and Kitchen Bouquet.  Lower the heat to medium and bring to a bubble, this shouldn't take long.  Taste and season accordingly with black pepper.  Pour the sauce over the patties in the crock.

Let cook on low for 4-5 hours.  Serve with mashed potatoes and enjoy!

Recipe adapted from: AllRecipes.com

Crockpot Salsa Chicken

If you follow me on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook, you already know I have had a doozy of a week with a nasty cold and WHOOPING cough (not the real thing but, it feels like it) and a casual root canal on Wednesday.  Fun times.  

But, the worst part: I haven't been able to taste ANYTHING for a week.  Like nothing.  What is the point of eating when you can't taste anything?  Let me tell you, not much...besides sustaining your life, I guess.  Yesterday I thought "today is the day I will taste" mind over matter I guess because BOOM, it worked.  I made this Crockpot Salsa Chicken Chipolte style with cilantro lime rice, fresh corn salsa and tons of cheese.  It was worth the wait and don't let me forget so flippin' easy to make.  This will definitely be going on our dinner rotation...if you would call it that.  

Start by spraying your crock with cooking spray and placing your chicken breasts in the bottom.  I know, my crock looks pretty raggedy but I know exactly how it cooks and my other one (of 5--not kidding) cooks things too quickly.  I will cry when that crack goes straight through the whole thing.  Especially if I have it loaded with something.  #canyousuperglueacrockpot?

Anyway, mix up the sauce, starting with cream of chicken soup.  Yes, it sounds weird.  No it doesn't not taste weird.  Also add a cup of salsa (not pictured--blame it on the plethora of cold meds flowing through my body). 

Also add taco seasoning

And a can of diced green chilis.  I have to say, this did bring the heat up a lot so either cut down on how many or leave them out if you can't handle the heat.

Pour the sauce over the chicken

And spread it out evenly.

Let it cook for about 8 hours or so.

I used a tongs and just smooshed the chicken between them and it all just fell apart perfectly. I love when that happens.

Add a little sour cream, this did reduce the heat a bit.

Mix up a jumbo batch of Fresh Corn Salsa and try to not devour it on it's own with corn chips straight out of the bowl.  I could live on this stuff.  Someday I will repost this recipe on it's own but for now, check it out here and scroll to the bottom without looking at any of the pictures because they make me cringe.  Note that I did add a whole red pepper as well.

Start with a bed of cilantro lime rice.  Basically make rice as you usually would, add the juice of one lime and a few tablespoons of cilantro and good pinch of salt.  That's it, the secret is out Chipolte.

Add in that delicious chicken.

A ton of corn salsa.

And cheese. Lots of cheese.

Garnish with a lime wedge. s

And serve with those corn chips...and more corn salsa.

My taste buds sang I tell you!  

Crockpot Salsa Chicken

3 chicken breasts

1 can of cream of chicken soup

1 cup salsa

1 packet taco seasoning

1 little can of green chilis (more or less depending on your taste, omit if you would like)

1 cup sour cream

Fresh Corn Salsa 

Cilantro rice

Cheese (we used Monterey Jack)

Lime wedge, for garnish

Start by spraying the crock with cooking spray and lay the chicken breasts in the bottom.  

Combine with soup, salsa, taco seasoning and green chilis in a small bowl.  Pour over the chicken and spread out evenly.  Cook on low for about 8 hours.  

Once cooked, use a tongs and smoosh the chicken, it will shred very easily.  Stir in the sour cream and heat through.  

Layer the rice, chicken, corn salsa and cheese in a bowl.  Garnish with lime wedge and serve with corn chips and additional salsa. 

Enjoy!  

Crockpot Salsa Chicken recipe slightly adapted from: Fake Ginger

Crockpot Spaghetti Meat Sauce

I have professed my love of Crockpot meals several times on the blog.  I love, like LOVE Crockpot meals.  Is there anything better than stepping in your front (or garage for me) door and being hit in the face with the smell of dinner that is almost done!?  No, I'm telling you no.  

When I stumbled across this recipe from Iowa Girl Eats I was intrigued.  Yes, the sauce looked amaze but, the whole cooking the meat and onions + garlic thing…um, no thanks.  I thought "how special can this sauce be, mean I could just use Regu…"  Just call me Mrs. Skeptical.  I figured I would give it a shot, just to see how it was.  Let me tell you this sauce was something else.  The depth of flavor was out of control and we gobbled down every last bite.  Trust me, the prep work ahead of time is worth it!  

Start with chopping up an onion and adding it to a pan with the ground beef.  Brown it up.

Chop up a bunch of garlic. 

Add that to the pan as well.  Let this cook for 2 minutes longer or so.

Into the crock it goes.

Add a large can of fire roasted tomatoes.

Add a bunch of tomato sauce. 

A can of tomato paste.

Basil

Oregano.  I'm pretty sure I used the Spanish variety…does that matter?

Bay leaves

Salt

Brown sugar

And a few shakes of red pepper flakes.  Give this a good stir.  Let cook for 8 hours.

Cooked.  Ps, how funny are those bay leaves?  

Look at that richness.

Ugh, I can't take it.

Spicy, hearty

And deeeelicious!

Crockpot Spaghetti Meat Sauce

1 medium onion
1 pound of lean ground beef
2-3 garlic cloves
28 oz can of Fire Roasted Tomatoes
8 oz can tomato sauce
6 oz can tomato paste
2 teaspoons oregano
2 teaspoons basil
1 large to 2 small bay leaves
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes


Chop the onion and add it to a pan on medium high heat.  Add the ground beef and cook until no longer pink.  Mince the garlic and add to the pan.  Cook an additional 2 minutes or so.

Spray the crock of your slow cooker and add the ground beef mixture.  Add the remaining ingredients and give it a good stir.  Cook anywhere from 6-8 hours on low heat.

Serve over hot cooked noodles.

Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from: Iowa Girl Eats