So y'all know how much I LOVEEEE my crockpot and honestly, I've been missing it this summer, but seriously… who makes recipes full of creamed soups in the summer? Not people in Mississippi ;)
This week I found several summer crockpot recipes to try and I wanted to share the ones we tried and LIKED, I never share the "flops". As a lot of you know, Trevor gives all of my new recipes a rating…1 through 10, 1 being AWFUL...10 being amazing :) So…if hubby gives it a rating of below 7, you'll never see it ;) Sometimes they just need a few changes, but otherwise, they don't make it in the recipe box!
Here's a few we liked this week:
Mexican Tortilla Pie
(I forgot to take pics this week and while I DID get it out of the
crockpot intact, it did NOT look quite this lovely)
Ingredients:
1 (16 oz) can refried beans
1 cup picante sauce or salsa, divided
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup fresh cilantro
1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 tomato, diced
7 medium whole wheat tortillas
2 cups grated cheddar cheese
Salsa, sour cream and extra cilantro for toppings
Instructions:
1) Combine the refried beans, 3/4 cup of salsa and garlic in a small bowl
2) In another bowl, combine 1/4 cup of salsa, cilantro, black beans and tomato.
3) Take 2 long sheets of aluminum foil and make a foil sling. Place in a 5 or 6 quart slow cooker. Spray the foil with non-stick cooking spray.
4 Take one tortilla and spread 1/4 of the refried bean mixture over the tortilla (leave about 1/2 inch of space around the perimeter).
5) Place it in the slow cooker.
6) Sprinkle 1/4 cup cheese over beans. Top it with another tortilla. Spoon 1/3 of the black bean mixture over the tortilla. Sprinkle 1/4 cup of cheese over the black beans. Top it with another tortilla. Repeat layers. You'll end with refried beans on top. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.
7) Cover and cook on LOW for about 4-5 hours (depending on how hot your slow cooker cooks) or about 2-3 hours on HIGH.
8)Use the overhanging edges to gently pull out the dish intact. Transfer to a serving platter. Slice and
serve with sour cream, salsa and cilantro.
Recipe from: www.365daysofcrockpot.com
My review: This recipe was delicious! I think I would add a little more tomato next time to give it a bit more flavor. I used a homemade salsa in it which I liked for a bit of a kick!
Skinny Crockpot Alfredo Sauce
Ingredients
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
4 small zucchini, peeled and cut into quarters (3 large zucchini would be perfect)
3 large garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp olive oil
2 tsp chicken bouillon (I used 1/2 a cube)
3/4 cup water
Salt and pepper to taste
Garlic powder to taste
1 Tbsp cornstarch
Instructions
1) Place chicken in the bottom of the slow cooker
2) Place zucchini on top of the chicken and then sprinkle in the garlic, olive oil and bouillon.
3) Pour water over the top of everything and cover. Cook on HIGH for 3 hours or on LOW for about 6 hours. (I cooked on HIGH for 3 hours)
4) Remove chicken and place on a cutting board and cut into bite size pieces or shred.
5) Pour the remaining contents of the slow cooker into a large blender. Blend until creamy and smooth. Pour back into the slow cooker. Salt and pepper to taste.
6) In a small bowl combine the cornstarch and 1 tbsp of cold water. Stir until smooth and creamy. Add the cornstarch mixture into the slow cooker and stir in. Add the chicken back in. Turn to high and cook for about 10 minutes with the lid off until the sauce thickens up.
7) Serve sauce and chicken over fettuccine noodles or over whole wheat spaghetti.
**Recipe from www.365crockpot.com
My review: I was SO skeptical about this recipe guys! I had NO idea how a zucchini could turn into a creamy alfredo sauce, but it DID! And it was delicious. My "meat and potatoes" hubby liked it and I was nervous if it was going to pass his test! ;) I used 2 large zucchini and next time I will use THREE instead to make sure there is plenty of sauce!
Chicken Caesar Sandwiches
Ingredients
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs (I did not use this, I just used the 1lb breasts)
2 cups water (I used 1 cup water)
1 tsp Shirley J chicken bouillon or 2 tsp regular chicken bouillon granules
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
2 tsp dried parsley
Salt and pepper
1/2 to 1 cup Caesar dressing
Lettuce
Buns, rolls, or some type of bread to serve the sandwiches on (I used whole wheat tortillas for a wrap)
Instructions
1) Place chicken in slow cooker and top with water and bouillon. Cover and cook on LOW for about 4-6 hours.
2) Remove chicken and place on a cutting board. Shred the chicken or cut into small chunks.
3) Drain the liquid from the slow cooker and discard.
4) Place chicken back in the slow cooker and top with dressing, parmesan cheese, parsley, salt and pepper to taste. Stir until combined.
5) Serve chicken over bread and top with lettuce.
**Recipe from www.365crockpot.com
My review: This was one of my hubby's favorites! I didn't have time to cook on low for 4-6 hours, so I cooked the chicken on HIGH for 3 hours. I also made it in the evening and then refrigerated it overnight and served it as a cold chicken salad the next day :) Hubby toasted bread and ate it on a sandwich and I used a whole wheat tortilla and made a wrap! It was delicious! I only used the 1 lb of chicken breasts because there are only three of us and we don't need that large of portions! I kept the caesar dressing as 1 cup even with less chicken to make sure it wasn't too dry!
Sour Cream Chicken Tacos
Ingredients
1/2 cup diced onion
1/2 cup diced red bell peppers
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1 Tbsp canola or vegetable oil
1 Tbsp tomato paste
8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 (13.75 oz) can cream of chicken soup
2 Tbsp quick cooking tapioca (I substituted corn starch for this)
1 (4 oz) can diced green chile peppers
1/2 cup sour cream
Salt and pepper
Instructions
1) Place chicken in bottom of slow cooker.
2) Combine onion, peppers, cumin, chili powder, oil and tomato paste in microwave safe bowl. Microwave for 4-5 minutes, stirring every minute until onions are soft. Add in the soup, tapioca (or corn starch) , green chile peppers. Pour over the chicken.
3) Cover and cook on LOW for 4-6 hours. Chicken should be to the point where you can easily shred it. Take 2 forks and shred the chicken and then return to the slow cooker or use your standing mixer.
4) Stir in sour cream and then salt and pepper to taste.5. Serve shredded chicken wrapped up in tortillas as tacos (or however you want to serve it).
**Recipe from www.365crockpot.com
My review: This recipe was great too! It is definitely a "mushy" type taco filling, but it was delicious and Landon LOVED it. He ate it for 3 days because he loved it so much! So that's a WIN when you're 14 month old loves it too <3
