Crockpot Sweet & Sour Chicken

This recipe is a blend of recipes primarily based upon a recipe I received from my mom many years ago.  I remodeled the recipe to give it an upgrade and a thicker sauce.  I love that this meal uses the slow cooker which saves me from the dinnertime rush hassle.

CROCK POT SWEET & SOUR CHICKEN

2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch strips

½ c flour

¼ c oil

Salt and pepper to taste

1-8 oz. can pineapple chunks, undrained

1-8 oz. can sliced water chestnuts, drained

3 carrots, thinly sliced

1 green pepper, sliced

1 onion, cut into wedges

2 T soy sauce

2 T cornstarch

⅓ c brown sugar

⅛ c vinegar

¼ c water

1 c sweet and sour sauce

1 t ginger

¼ t garlic powder

On a plate, coat chicken pieces with flour. In a skillet, heat oil. Add chicken in batches and brown on all sides.

Drain pineapple, reserving juice. In a 5-qt. slow cooker, combine chicken, water chestnuts, carrots, peppers, onion, and pineapple in bottom of crock pot.

In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch, soy sauce, pineapple juice, brown sugar, vinegar, water, sweet and sour sauce, ginger, and garlic powder. Pour over chicken and vegetables. Cover. Cook on high setting for 3-4 hours. Serve over rice.

Pulled Pork Subs

I found this recipe in a Taste of Home slow cooker recipe book.  Pulled pork sandwiches are always delicious.  I've tried other pulled pork recipes in the past, but this recipe is better than most.  It's easy to prepare; just plan ahead so that you get everything into the cooker in time.  While the meat is marinating and cooking, the aroma of the BBQ sauce will spread through the whole house.  My husband said it smelled heavenly.  I know he was partly joking but I think that he was being a little bit truthful at the same time.

PULLED PORK SUBS

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 boneless pork loin (2 ½ pounds)
1 bottle (18-oz.) barbecue sauce
½ c water
¼ c honey
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 t seasoned salt
1 t ground ginger
8 submarine buns, split

Place onion and roast in a 5-qt. slow cooker. In a small bowl, combine the barbecue sauce, water, honey, garlic, seasoned salt and ginger; pour over meat. Cover and cook on high for 5-6 hours or until meat is tender.

Remove the meat; cool slightly. Shred meat with two forks and return to the slow cooker; heat through. Serve on buns.

Hawaiian Haystacks

This main dish is certainly not gourmet but it will keep your family happy and fed.  I like that this nutritious dinner is easy to prepare.  It's perfect for a busy weeknight!

2 lbs. chicken tenders
1 c chicken broth
2 cans (10 ¾ oz. each) cream of chicken soup
1 -12 oz. can evaporated milk
6 c cooked rice

Place chicken in greased 3 ½ - 5 quart slow cooker. Combine all remaining ingredients except rice and pour over chicken. Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low heat for 6-8 hours. Shred chicken and stir back into gravy sauce.


Serve hot over rice with a variety of cold toppings that may include grated cheese, peas, pineapple tidbits, Chinese noodles, olives, diced tomatoes, diced green peppers, and sliced green onions.

BBQ Chicken Sandwiches

I got this recipe seven years ago from the realtor who helped us buy our home.  These sandwiches have been a family favorite ever since.  I love using the crockpot because I can do most of the dinner preparation well before dinner time.  In addition, I love that this recipe makes a lot and can easily be doubled when I need to share a meal with a neigbhor or friend.

3-4 lbs. chicken breasts (boneless, skinless)
12 kaiser rolls

Sauce:
1 T canola oil
1 c ketchup
12-oz. chili sauce
½ c brown sugar
⅓ c vinegar
2 t onion powder
1 t garlic powder
1 t chili powder
2 T Worcestershire sauce
1 t salt & pepper (to taste)


Combine sauce ingredients together in a 4-quart slow cooker. Add chicken and stir to coat. Cook on high 4-5 hours or low 7-8 hours. Remove chicken and shred. Stir back into sauce. Serve over rolls.

Lemon Garlic Chicken

This is a wonderful chicken recipe that you prepare in the slow cooker. Even though this chicken recipe uses the slow cooker it doesn't require a full day of cook time - it can be prepared in as little as 2 hours.  I've prepared this dish using either chicken tenders or thin boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (I find the chicken is more tender if the pieces aren't too large.)  This chicken is excellent served with a buttered rice or pasta.

1 t dried oregano

½ t seasoned salt

¼ t pepper

2 lbs. chicken breasts

2 T butter

¼ c water

3 T lemon juice

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 t chicken bouillon granules

1 t minced fresh Parsley, optional

Combine oregano, salt, and pepper. Rub all of mixture into chicken. Brown in butter in skillet. Transfer to slow cooker. Place water, lemon juice, garlic, and bouillon in skillet. Bring to boil, loosening browned bits from skillet and pour over chicken. Cover, cook on high 2-2 ½ hours or on low for 4-5 hours. Add parsley, ife desired.  Baste chicken, cover and cook on high 15-30 minutes, until chicken is tender.

Chicken Cacciatore

I originally got this recipe from my friend Janie. It's a little more complicated than many slow cooker recipes - more prep work - but it's well worth the effort.

½ c flour
3 lbs. chicken pieces (*I use boneless skinless chicken breasts)¼ c oil
½ c onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 6-oz. can tomato paste
1 c apple juice
pinch of salt
½ t pepper
1 ½ c chicken stock
1 bay leaf
½ t thyme
1 c fresh mushrooms, quartered or 1 6-oz. can, drained
1 12-oz. pkg. linguine, cooked and drained


On a plate, coat chicken pieces with flour. In a skillet, heat oil. Add chicken in batches and brown on all sides. Transfer to slow cooker. Sauté onions and garlic in remaining oil and transfer to slow cooker. Add juice, salt, pepper, chicken stock, bay leaf, thyme, to chicken mixture. Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours, until juices run clear when chicken is pierced with a fork. During the final 30 minutes add mushrooms. Cook linguine. Serve chicken and sauce over hot buttered pasta.

Slow Cooker Picnic Ribs

I saw this recipe featured on a local television show and I decided to give this a try tonight. These barbecue pork ribs were amazing. They tasted like I spent all day slaving in the kitchen. The beauty of it was that the slow cooker did the work for me. This recipe is super easy but is so yummy! You should try it too! 

 3 lbs. boneless pork country style ribs
Salt and pepper to taste
¼ c brown sugar
2 cloves garlic
1 large onion, thinly sliced
¾ c cranberry juice
1 ¾ c Famous Dave’s Rich and Sassy Original BBQ sauce




Lightly spray or line a 5-6 qt. slow cooker with cooking spray. Put sliced onions in the bottom and then place ribs on top. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, brown sugar and minced garlic. Turn ribs to coat. Pour cranberry juice over all, cover and cook on LOW for 8 hours. Drain liquid from Crock pot and then pour BBQ sauce over pork and onions; stir, cover and cook on LOW for 1 more hour.

Fiesta Chicken Burritos

This recipe is a creative twist on traditional chicken burritos. The first time I made this recipe my parents and my sister's family joined us for dinner. The burritos won rave reviews. They're simple to prepare using the slow cooker - one of my favorite kitchen aids!

1 ½ lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts
1-15 oz. can whole kernel corn, drained
1-15 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
1-10 oz. can diced tomatoes and green chilies, undrained
3 T ground cumin
1 t salt
1 t paprika
½ t pepper
1-8 oz. package fat-free cream cheese, cubed
8 flour tortillas
Optional toppings sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese, shredded lettuce, guacamole and salsa

Place chicken in a greased 4-qt. slow cooker. In a large bowl, combine the corn, beans, tomatoes and seasonings; pour over chicken. Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours or until chicken is tender.

Remove chicken; cool slightly. Shred and return to the slow cooker. Stir in cream cheese. Cover and cook 15 minutes longer or until heated through. Spoon ¾ c chicken mixture down the center of each tortilla; add toppings of your choice. Fold sides and ends over filling and roll up. Makes 8 generous servings.

Taco Soup

This recipe comes from my brother-in-law's family. It's super easy but every busy mom needs recipes like these in her arsenal. This tasty soup is also loaded with fiber and protein!


1 lb. ground beef, browned and drained
8 c diced tomatoes or 4 can (14.5-oz each) diced tomatoes
2 cans (15-oz. each) pork and beans
2 cans (15-oz. each) whole corn, drained
2 cans (15-oz. each) creamed corn
1 pkg. taco seasoning mix

Put all ingredients in crock-pot slow cooker. Stir. Simmer 2 ½ hours. Serve with grated cheese, fat-free sour cream, and corn chips.