Cooking chicken is easy in the crock pot but with a good marinade the chicken can have an even better taste as it cooks slowly in the sauce. Be a star at your next party or dinner with some of these marinades.

Each marinade is enough for 8 pieces of chicken.  Just mix the ingredients together and coat the chicken and let sit at least an hour, longer if you can, brushing the chicken with any extra marinade a few times.  It is best to keep refrigerated in hot weather.

Honey and Coriander
2 tabs honey
2 tabs chopped coriander
1 lemon or lime peel grated

Spicey 1
1/4 cup honey
1/3 cup soy sauce
50g (1.5 oz) butter melted

Spicey 2
1/3 cup tomato sauce
3 drops tabasco
50g (1.5 oz)  butter melted

Mustard and Honey
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup veg oil
2 tabs Dijon mustard
1 tsp bbq season

You can then just place the chicken in the crock pot which has been sprayed with some oil to stop anything sticking and cook.

Enjoy!

Tags: chicken, crock pot chicken, marinade

This is one of the easiest soups to make and if you love vegetarian soups then you are going to love this one.  There is hardly any preparation and you get a great soup every time.  Cooking this soup in the crock pot helps you from overcooking the carrots and in my opinion you get a better result.

Here is the recipe:

Vegetarian Carrot Soup

500g fresh carrot, peeled and chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
salt and pepper
1.25 liters (42 oz) of vegetable stock
1 tsp chopped fresh tarragon
-------
1 tsp lemon juice
Cream or yogurt for serving
extra chopped tarragon for garnish

Combine the first 5 ingredients in your crock pot and cook on high for 3 hours.  Check to see the carrots are cooked and if not, then cook another 1/2 to 1 hour.  Some crock pots cook faster than others so this is why I suggest this.

Strain the liquid into a large jug and puree the carrot mixture.  Add back the liquid a little at a time until you get a texture you like.  Add the lemon juice and stir through.  Serve with a tablespoon of cream or yogurt (I like the yogurt taste) with some extra tarragon for garnish and serve with toast, crusty bread or crackers.

If you use the skim milk yogurt this is a no fat recipe perfect for my diet right now.  This makes a great crock pot meal for lunches during the week.

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Tags: Carrot, carrot soup, crock pot meal, vegerarian soup

I love lamb stew and this recipe is just delicious made in the crock pot.  Its a three step process but very easy and while it is cooking you have a lovely aroma through the kitchen and house.  I used the cheapest cuts of lamb I could get but just make them nice thick pieces.

Crock Pot Lamb Stew

4 - 5 thick lamb chops

4 tbs butter

2 heaped tabs plain flour

1 heaped tab curry powder

2 tabs ketchup (tomato sauce)

1 tab plum jam

1 cup white wine

3/4 cup beef or vegetable stock

salt and pepper

Vegetables:

2 medium size carrots and onions each, sliced

1 medium size parsnip, sliced

2 medium size potatoes, peeled and sliced

Melt the butter in a frying pan and brown the chops then add half to the crock pot and half of the vegetables. Place the rest of the chops on top with the remaining vegetables.  Add the flour and the curry to the frying pan and brown for a few minutes.  Combine the wine, plum jam, ketchup and stock together and add to the frying pan stirring constantly until it comes to the boil and thickens to a nice gravy.  Season with salt and pepper and pour over the chops and vegetables in the crock pot.  Cover and cook for 4 hours.

This crock pot lamb stew serves 4.  I accompany the meal with rice.  This is a another great crock pot meal to try.

Tags: crock pot lamb, crock pot lamb stew, crock pot meals

I know I post a lot of soup recipes but it's because I really like soups.  They fill me up for longer than other meals so they are an excellent choice when I am watching my weight.  I like vegetarian soup especially as it is quick to make and inexpensive too.  The following recipe is also easy to make and you can adjust it to whatever vegetables you have at hand, within reason, to get a good result and a tasty vegetarian  soup.

Frugal Vegetarian Soup

1 potato

1 sweet potato

1 piece pumpkin

1 medium size onion

1 large carrot

vegetable (or chicken) stock

salt and pepper

1 teas cumin or curry powder (optional)

Cut the vegetables into small pieces, slice the onion and place them  in the crock pot.  Pour over the stock until the vegetables are covered.  Cook on high for 3 hours.  The larger the pieces the longer it will take to cook.  Remember though that sweet potato and pumpkin take less time than potato to cook in the crock pot so cut them into slightly larger pieces.

Take  half the liquid out of the crock pot and put aside.  Allow the soup to cool a little while then puree the contents and add back the liquid, a little at a time,  to get a good consistency.  This should be thick but not too thick, if you know what I mean.  Serve with fresh bread or toast and this recipe can also be used as a quick entree.  I like to add the curry for a different taste and I take it to work for lunch if there is any leftovers. Serves around 4 - 6 depending on how much vegetables and stock you use.

So, you now have another successful and easy crock pot meal and at a very low cost.  Frugal cooking doesn't have to mean tasteless cooking.

Tags: crock pot meals, Vegetable, vegetarian soup

Chicken soup has to be the most popular soup people make and is often made when we don't feel very well especially with a cold or flu.  Making a traditional soup means doing it the old fashioned way so that is what I have done here.   A note though, if you are making it for someone with a sore throat think about sieving or blending the vegetables to make it easier to swallow for them but still getting the goodness of the soup.

This crock pot chicken soup recipe is delicious and good for you so enjoy all the time not just when you are sick or feeling down.   You can freeze this soup very easily as well so you can make enough for another time or for your work day lunch.  Here is the recipe:

Crock Pot Chicken Soup

1 small chicken (or 1 kg chicken carcass or 6 drumsticks)

2 liters of water (or whatever you need to cover the chicken in the pot)* *

1 teas salt

sprinkle of pepper

1 onion

1 large carrot ( I like lots of carrot so I used 2 medium as you can see in the image)

1 stalk celery with leaves still on

bouquet garni - make  with 1 bay leaf, 4 sprigs of parsley, 1 sprig thyme- tie together with some string, this is taken out when the soup is cooked

extra chopped parsley

noodles (optional)

Chop the onion, celery and carrot finely.  Put the chicken and vegetables into the crock pot and cover with the water.  Cook on low for 6  hours (8 hours for the whole chicken).  Take the chicken out and the bouquet garni.  If you want to sieve the vegetables do that now.  Remove the chicken from the bones and add to the soup.  Cool the soup overnight and skim off any fat from the top.  You can add noodles if you like, reheat and serve.  Sprinkle with the extra parsley just before serving.

That was a fairly easy crock pot chicken soup recipe really.  You don't have to cool the soup overnight if you don't want to but I recommend it and the flavors will be better as well.

** You can add some chicken stock powder if you like the taste a little stronger

Tags: crock pot chicken soup recipe, crock pot meals, Soups and Stews

If you are looking for a simple recipe then Marinated Crock Pot Chicken is the one you will want to try.  You use a whole chicken and marinate it for a few hours then place in the crock pot and it does the rest.  How simple can it get!   The flavors of the marinade really penetrate the chicken and you can then thicken the liquid in the base of the crock pot for a lovely sauce.   I hope you like this recipe as I do.

Marinated Crock Pot Chicken

1 medium size whole chicken

For the marinade:

1/2 cup Teriyaki marinade sauce

2 teas chopped rosemary

1 teas honey

2 tabs lemon juice

1 clove garlic

rest of lemon after juicing

Combine all ingredients in a bowl except the garlic and the rest of the lemon (not used for the juice)  and stir well.   Place the garlic and the lemon in the chicken cavity and then pour the marinade over the chicken.   Place in refrigerator for a few hours or overnight, basting with the marinade occasionally.  Place into the base of the crock pot and cook on high for about 4 hours.  You can baste it with the juices about twice during cooking, trying not to leave the lid off too long.  Remove the chicken and cut into serving pieces.  Thicken the juices with a little flour mixed with water to make a sauce to pour over the chicken.  Serve with rice or potatoes and vegetables.  Serves 4.

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Tags: chicken, crock pot chicken, crock pot recipe

This is a great crock pot meal to prepare and eat  on a cold rainy night to keep you warm inside.   It's easy to make this Beef Casserole with Paprika and you should have all the ingredients in your pantry although I have only become a fan of smoked paprika for about a year so I wouldn't have had that myself before then.

Casseroles are perfect for winter or when you know you haven't got much time to cook as you just set and forget in the crock pot.  I hope you enjoy this recipe and if you want to adjust it slightly then go ahead and let me know how it turns out.  Cooking is all about experimenting with the recipe to suit your tastes and this crock pot meal is no exception.

Beef Casserole with Paprika

1 kg steak cut into large cubes*
1 tab butter
2 onions, chopped
1 tab butter extra
1 tab plain flour
2 teas mustard
2 tabs tomato paste
1/2 teas regular paprika
1/2 teas smoked paprika
1/2 cup each of red wine and beef stock **
salt and pepper to taste

Brown the meat in the first lot of butter and remove to the crock pot.  Add the extra butter then add the onions and cook until clear then add the  flour.  Cook for a minute then add the rest of the ingredients to the pan.  Bring to the boil stirring constantly then pour over the meat in the crock pot.  Cook on high for 4 hours on high or 6 - 7 hours on low.  If  the casserole needs any more thickening do that now just before serving.  You may find you  need this as the meat does give off more juices during cooking.  Serves 4 - 5.

Serve  Beef Casserole with Paprika with rice, mashed potatoes or small whole potatoes.  As there are only two of us this crock pot meal makes two meals for us.  I serve it one night with the small potatoes topped with sour cream and steamed vegetables, and the next night with rice as a quick meal.

*  Cheaper cuts do well cooked on the low setting
** You can replace the red wine with the same amount of beef stock if you want.

Tags: beef, beef casserole with, crock pot meal

This crock pot recipe for Stuffed Peppers with Beef and Rice is one I used to make many years ago and forgot all about it until recently.  I originally had changed it slightly from one of the recipes that came with the crock pot.

My tastes have changed a little since then again and I like my food a bit spicier now so amend this recipe to your own tastes.  You can spice up the filling a bit more if you like with fresh chopped chili and/or other herbs.  You could also add a couple of tablespoons of sweet chili sauce to the recipe but then reduce the wine.

Stuffed Peppers with Beef and Rice

4 - 6 bell peppers (capsicum)

2 med onions, chopped finely

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 lb (500g) minced beef

salt and pepper

1/4 cup white wine or stock

1 large ripe tomato chopped or canned tomato

1 cup cooked rice

1 cup stock or tomato juice (from canned tomato)

4 - 6 pieces of bacon (one for each pepper)

1/4 cup corn kernels (cooked or canned)

handful of basil chopped

Grated cheese (optional)

Turn crock pot on to high and spray with non stick spray.  See how many peppers will fit into your crock pot.  Take the top off the peppers and seed them, then put aside.  Combine onions, garlic, beef, corn and salt and pepper.  Add the rice and the basil and fill the peppers, pressing the mixture into each.  Top with a piece of bacon.   Pour over the stock (or tomato juice).  Cover the crock pot and cook for 3 -4 hours.  Top with grated cheese or add just before serving.  You can serve these stuffed peppers with salad or  steamed vegetables as a meal or serve alone as an entree.

If you have any left over mixture you can roll it into balls, coat with breadcrumbs and fry.  You can heat and serve these as a snack or with fried eggs for breakfast.  I used fairly large peppers and could only fit 4 in my crock pot.  I think they are nicer though a bit smaller and then you will fit more in especially if you use an oval crock pot.   I hope you enjoy this crock pot recipe for Stuffed Peppers with Beef and Rice.

Tags: Bell pepper, crock pot recipe, stuffed peppers with

This recipe for crock pot spaghetti sauce is one I have made for many years and is a fairly simple one.  The only preparation is the browning of the onion, garlic and meat.  Just turn on the crock pot add the ingredients and cook on low.  You then only need to cook whatever spaghetti or pasta you like to go with the sauce.  I usually use spaghetti but occasionally I will use fettuccine.

This crock pot spaghetti sauce recipe will serve at least 8 to 10 people so it is good for a big family, a party or even to freeze for future use when you are busy. You can also adapt it and add mushrooms, bacon or chili for a different taste.  I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do and find it easy to prepare.

Paulineh's Crock Pot Spaghetti Sauce

2 lb (1 kg) minced steak (use the best quality you can afford)
3 tabs oil
2 onions chopped finely
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 teas oregano
2 teas basil
2 cans whole or chopped tomatoes
5 ounces (140g) tomato paste
3/4 cup beef stock
1/2 cup red wine
1 tab sugar
salt and pepper to taste
Parmesan cheese for topping (optional)

Place the 2 tabs oil in a frying pan and heat, add the onion and garlic and stir until transparent.  Place in the base of the crock pot.  Add 1 tab oil and brown the meat in 3 batches and adding to the crock pot as they brown.  Now add the chopped tomatoes, tomato paste, beef stock, red wine, herbs and salt and pepper and mix well.  Put on the lid of the crock pot and cook on low for 6 hours.  In the last hour stir and add the sugar.  This cuts down on the acid from the tomatoes.

To serve cook the spaghetti or other pasta and pour the sauce on top or stir through.  Add Parmesan cheese if you like it.  You can also serve some crusty bread to mop up the sauce and a tossed salad.  Freeze any sauce that is left over for another meal.  I hope you like my crock pot spaghetti sauce.

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Tags: beef, crock pot spaghetti sauce, Garlic, Onion

If you looking for an easy recipe for the crock pot then this Chicken Thighs Oriental Style is the one for you.  Mix up your marinade the night before and pour over chicken then cook the next day.  Presto, there is your dinner.

I turn the chicken a few times when I think about it so both sides are coated with the marinade.  This helps with the color and flavor so remember to do that step. You can also use drumsticks or wings if you prefer them to thighs.  Here is the recipe.

Chicken Thighs Oriental Style

1/4 cup soy sauce

1 clove garlic, crushed

1/2 teas crushed or minced ginger

1 dsp dry sherry

salt and pepper

1 dsp oil

*1 dsp honey

Mix all the ingredients except the chicken and mix well.  Pour over the chicken pieces and marinate in the fridge overnight.  Turn once or twice.  Spray the crock pot with some oil spray and place the chicken pieces in the base.  Spoon any of the left over marinade over the chicken and cover.  Cook on low for 6 hours.

Serve with rice or with vegetables as I tend to do (you have probably noticed by now) as dinner is when I try and get my four serves in.  You can also serve this dish cold with salad.

*  You can use 2 dessertspoons of honey if you like it sweeter.

Tags: chicken, Crock Pot, oriental chicken