Rheya's Slow Cooker Post

Hi y'all.  I apologize for not posting recently, life has a way of... getting busy!  Which is why when I was asked to contribute to the Slow Cooker month posts I said "YES!!!"  I love my slow cooker, I could not LIVE without it.  I use it at least once a week and I have posted some of my favorite recipes here already, which is to your advantage but my disadvantage because I had to come up with some others for this posts.  

But first, a book review.

Fix-It and Forget-It 5-Ingredient Favorites by Phyllis Pellman Good

I really hate to say it, but this book is not worth it.  Yes, it is JAM PACKED with recipes.  But there are several on the same page that are the same recipe with just an added ingredient.   Couldn't they have made ONE recipe and said "try these variations?"  This disappointed me so much because I have come to realize , that there really isn't that much NEW material out there.

Recipes and ideas

When I worked at the 911 Center, we frequently did things like "Nacho Wednesday" and other potluck types of things where we all brought in food to share.  I  generally brought the ground meat for the nachos and having the crock pot to warm it up and serve it in was very handy.  

Pizza Dip:

2 8 oz. packages of cream cheese, cubed

1 14 oz. can of Pizza Sauce (I prefer plain, but feel free to experiment, in a pinch, tomato sauce will do)

1 8 oz package of sliced pepperoni

2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella

optional:

1 3.8 oz can of chopped olives

8 oz of bulk sausage, browned

1 cup finely chopped green pepper

1 cup finely chopped onion

Place cream cheese in the bottom of the slow cooker.  Mix together pizza sauce and other toppings.  Pour over cream cheese  Top with mozzarella.  Cook on low 1 1/2-2 hours.  Serve on pita chips or bagel chips, or something else crispy and reminiscent of toast (garlic and sea salt are my favorite flavors to use!)

Another work favorite was cobbler.  You can make it with your favorite fruit pie filling.  

Cherry Cobbler

1/2 cup butter, melted

1 box yellow cake mix

1 21 oz can of pie filling ( I generally use 2 instead of 1)

1/3 cup of chopped walnuts (or pecans!)

In a large mixing bowl, mix cake mix and butter until crumbley and set aside.

Put pie filling in the bottom of crock pot, top with filling and nuts.  Cook on high 2 hours and low 1 hour.  Can easily be doubled, tripled.... 

Serve with vanilla ice cream.

I will have another post, Sir has suggested I post his favorite BBQ Sammich recipe.