slow cooked mac 'n cheese

I saw this recipe in my taste of home slow cooker book a while ago. I posted it on my food blog fearsfood.blogspot.com a couple of months ago.  Went back to make it again this week because it is my favorite home-made mac 'n cheese that I've found so far, and it is also low fat.  Soo good.  I like it sprinkled with a bit of pepper.

Ingredients

• 2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
• 1 can reduced-fat evaporated milk (12 oz)
• 1 1/2 cups fat-free milk
• 1/3 cup egg substitute
• 1 tablespoon butter, melted
• 8 ounces reduced-fat Velveeta, cubed
• 2 cups (8 oz) shredded dharp cheddar cheese, divided

Directions

1. Cook macaroni according to package directions; drain and rinse in cold water. While macaroni is cooking: Reserve 1/2 cup cheddar cheese and mix remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Mix in the macaroni

2. Transfer to a 3-quart slow cooker coated with cooking spray. Cover and cook on low for 2 3/4 hours to 3 hours or until center is set, stirring once. Sprinkle with remaining sharp cheddar cheese.

Slow Cooker Cashew Chicken

This is in my crockpot as we speak! Okay, so I did have to change a few things a little...

I did use chicken breast strips. I used white cooking wine instead of rice wine vinegar. And i used red pepper instead of red pepper flakes, but my house smells so good!

The best part is, I finished work at about noon. I got lunch for the kids, and then I threw everything together. Even on low, dinner will be ready by 4:30-5:00! I just have to steam rice and decide on a vegetable or fruit!

LOVE MY CROCKPOT!!!

Prepared by Karen Peterson

http://365daysofcrockpot.blogspot.com

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1/2 inch pieces (don't use chicken breasts)

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 tbsp canola oil

1/4 cup soy sauce

2 tbsp rice wine vinegar

2 tbsp ketchup

1 tbsp brown sugar

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 tsp grated fresh ginger

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

1/2 cup cashews

Combine flour and pepper in resealable food storage bag. Add chicken. Shake to coat with flour mixture. Heat oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Brown chicken about 2 minutes on each side. Place chicken in slow cooker. Combine soy sauce, vinegar, ketchup, sugar, garlic, ginger, and pepper flakes in small bowl; pour over chicken. Cook on low for 3 to 4 hours. Add cashews and stir. Server over rice.

http://www.abc4.com:80/content/about_4/gtu/recipes/story/Slow-Cooker-Cashew-Chicken/Ua08KOkIUUS14duCCwX9YA.cspx?rss=691

Black Bean Soup

so this is TGI Fridays recipes out of one of my very favorite cookbooks - its called topsecret restaurant recipes 2. Yes, I have both and love both, but if I could only buy one it would be this one. Warning, its not the prettiest to look at - but yum its delicious

2 TBSP Vegetable oil
3/4 c. diced white onion - I use yellow if I don't have white
3/4 c. diced celery
1/2 c. diced carrot
1/4 c. diced green bell pepper
2 tbsp minced garlic
4 15oz cans black beans
4 c. chicken broth
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp liquis hickory smoke

Can garnish with shredded cheddar / monterey jack cheese blend / chopped green onion

Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a large saucepan over med / low heat. Add onion, celery, carrot, bell pepper, and garlic to the oil and simmer slowly (sweat) for 15 minutes or until the onions are practically clear. Keep the heat low enough the veggies don't brown. While you cook the veggies, pour the canned beans into a strainer and rinse them under cold water. Measure 3 cups of the drained and rinsed beans into a food processor with 1 cup of the chicken broth. Puree on high speed until smooth. When the veggies are ready, pour the pureed beans, the whole beans, the rest of the chicken broth, and every other ingredient in the list, into the pot. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 50-60 minutes or until soup has thickened and all the ingredients are tender. Serve the soup topped with a couple tablespoons of the cheese blend and a teaspoon or so of chopped green onion. Makes 6 1 cup servings

Karley

Coconut Curried Vegetables and Noodles

If you have ever tried Noodles and Company's Bangkok Curry, you'll love this. I've had it for lunch for two days now and have just enough sauce left for one more day. Yum!

INGREDIENTS

Rice Noodles (or udon)

1 c broccoli florets

1 c carrots (julienne cut)

1/2 c green onions, sliced

1/2 c red pepper (diced)

1 c fresh sliced mushrooms

1 T fresh ginger (peeled and chopped)

1 T Thai curry paste (red or green)

1 can light coconut milk

1 T teriyaki sauce

1/2 c sweet chili sauce (less if you are sensitive to spiciness)

DIRECTIONS

Cook noodles while vegetables are steaming (all except the green onions). When noodles are done, drain them and use the pan to mix and heat the sauce (ginger, curry paste, coconut milk, coconut milk, teriyaki, and sweet chili sauce). Combine and enjoy!

Enchiladas and Scones

I found and tried two really yummy recipes this week. Success!

The first was Easy Chicken Enchiladas from Allrecipes. Loved them. It's nice to have a new way to make enchiladas. Here's a picture of the leftovers:

INGREDIENTS

1 (8 oz) package cream cheese (I used light)

1 cup salsa

2 c chopped cooked chicken

1 can pinto or black beans, drained

6" flour tortillas

2 c shredded cheese

mild enchilada sauce

DIRECTIONS

1.Preheat oven to 350^

2. After you have cooked your chicken, add the cream cheese, salsa, and beans. Stir over medium heat until the cream cheese has melted and everything is blended.

3. Fill your tortillas with this mixture and place them in a 9x13 baking dish. Cover with enchilada sauce and cheese. Cover pan with aluminum foil.

4. Bake for 30 min. Enjoy!

The next recipe I tried were scones (also from Allrecipes). They were a perfect Sunday morning treat. The texture is similar to a buttermilk biscuit and they are lightly sweet and delicious.

INGREDIENTS

1 3/4 c all purpose flour

4 t baking powder

1/4 c white sugar

1/8 t salt

5 T butter (I used salted)

1/2 c dried fruit (like craisins) cut into small bits

1/2 c milk

1/2 c sour cream

1 egg & 1 T milk to brush on the tops

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 400^

2. Mix the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt in a large bowl or mixer.

3. Cut in the butter. (Or, grate frozen butter into the bowl and then mix a bit with your hands)

4. Add dried fruit, milk, and sour cream. Mix until blended, but don't overwork the dough.

5. The dough will be very sticky. Drop large spoonfuls onto a greased cookie sheet and flatten lightly.

6. Brush the tops with the egg/milk mixture.

7. Bake for 10-15 minutes in the preheated oven. They will be lightly golden brown when done. And they will be delicious!

Chocolate Chip Cookies with Pudding in the Mix

Mmmmmm......love these. They have the perfect texture and the vanilla taste is awesome. I got this recipe from a friend long ago and hadn't made them myself until last weekend. Needless to say, I never got around to taking a picture before they were all gobbled up!

3/4 c shortening

3/4 c butter

3/4 c sugar

1 1/2 c brown sugar

3 eggs

2 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

4 1/2 c flour

1 3 oz. box vanilla pudding

3 c chocolate chips

Bake at 350 for 8 min. They should look underdone. Enjoy! They will not be as flat as other chocolate chip cookies....I flattened some of mine prior to cooking and decided I liked them better when I just left them to do their own thing.

Smothered Chicken (Outback style)

Mmmmmm......yummy. This one has so many flavors going on, and they're all totally delicious together. I found it on a blog called "or so she says". Check it out. It's full of recipes and crafty things and, basically, all the things I love. I must give credit for this photo, I took it from their blog so that you could have a peek at how yummy it looks:

Smothered Chicken

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

Garlic powder and seasoned salt to taste

1 T. vegetable oil

8 oz. button mushrooms, cut in half or quarters

1 c. shredded Cheddar cheese blend

½ c. chopped green onions

½ c. real bacon bits (real bacon works best and tastes the best)

½ c. tomatoes

1 bottle BBQ sauce

Flatten chicken breasts to ¼ in. thick (or just cut chicken breasts in half horizontally). Sprinkle with seasonings. In a skillet, brown chicken in oil for 4 min., or until mostly cooked through (you could also grill them if that is easier) In a separate pan saute cut up bacon until crispy. Drain the excess grease. Add mushrooms to the bacon and cook until mushrooms are soft. Place chicken breasts on a cookie sheet or in a 9x13 pan. Squeeze a generous amount of bbq sauce on top of each chicken breast. Top the chicken with the mushroom and bacon mixture. Sprinkle the cheese all over the tops of the chicken breasts. Cover and cook until chicken is done and cheese is melted, about 10 minutes. When chicken is finished, top the chicken breasts with the fresh tomatoes and green onions. Serve with garlic mashed potatoes and honey mustard sauce.

Honey Mustard Sauce

1 c. mayo (can use fat free or low fat)

3/4 c. Dijon mustard

¼-1/2 c. honey

1/8 tsp. Cayenne pepper (I left that out, for the kiddos)

2 T. Lime juice

1 tsp. Ginger powder

Mix. Add extra honey or lime for desired flavor

Posted by Tamara