Au Gratin Potatoes (#13)





The Ingredients :-)

This recipe was not a success with the entire family. :-( I, personally, thought they tasted WONDERFUL. Pretty? No. But, I know the reason for their challenges esthetically - and I am OK with the trade-off. So, here it goes. I had to search quite some time for a recipe that wasn't heavy on the cream and milk. I found one, and it seemed too good to be creamy, but I was going to give it a shot anyway. Here is what the recipe called for:

 

1/4 pound of diced cooked bacon

4 thinly sliced potatoes

1/2 pound of shredded cheese

salt and pepper

butter

2 medium thinly sliced onions

 

I made some adjustments, so here is what I used:

 

4 thinly sliced potatoes

1/8 cup of fat free Turkey Bacos, the real kind

1/2 pound of FF shredded cheese

2 wedges of Garden Vegetable Laughing Cow Cheese

Salt & Pepper

2 Garlic Cloves, grated

 

Lined CP, full of DELICIOUSNESS

You then want to line your Crockpot with aluminum foil, and layer the potatoes (that have been seasoned with S&P) with cheese, bacon and garlic. Complete until you have used all the ingredients. The original recipe called for butter to be dotted on top. I was going to use butter, but during the last minute, I substituted the butter for Laughing Cow cheese. :-) I love that stuff. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours. I then went to work and left the CP with the family. Called on my way home to have the hubby turn it on WARM, so it would not burn. He informed me that it smelled wonderful, but did look like it burned a little. :-( I was kind of sad to hear that. The entire time I was pregnant with my first, I could sit and eat an ENTIRE box of these. So, I got home, and assessed the situation.

Final product.

 

What I realized had happened, is that FF cheese does not melt the way regular cheese does. This resulted in delicious potatoes, and the Laughing Cow cheese was creamy, but the sharp was not. I had found a recipe that utilized Cheddar Cheese soup, but you cannot find a low fat version of that soup. The hubby and I enjoyed them. To the eye, they were not pretty. To the belly, they were GORGEOUS. And who knows, maybe the kids will eat them one day, but they are on a mashed potato kick. So, there. My first not so successful attempt for April. Made a good side, and an excellent lunch the next day. Happy Crockin...

Crockpot Sourdough Bread (#12)

I did not have the gadgets Google referred to, so  I Googled so more...

Ta-Da! Sourdough!!!

Besides another Crockpot, I have always said "I WANT A BREADMAKER!" I love baking bread, and it tastes SO delicious. :-) Thanks to the almighty Google, I have found that your Crockpot can double as a Bread Machine. So, now I need another TWO Crockpots. I can cook dinner, bread and dessert all at once. <3 This gal would be in kitchen heaven.

The dinner complete with
Cranberry Roast (a la
Crockpot) and my Sourdough
bread (a la Crockpot)

It may not be the PRETTIEST bread ever, but I had to use foil
in place of a trivet and a round pan.

About 1/2 way though its
cooking process :-)

Ready to rise!!!

So, I have an amazing Sourdough recipe that I will share, but for this trial run of my Crockpot's alter ego as a Bread Machine, I used a boxed mix. :-) The mix still required the yeast (packet included) with the allowing to rise, and all that jazz! While it was rising, I fashioned a shelf to place over the boiling water added to my CP. This will be where my bread is being baked my steam. When you add the bread to the foil cooking shelf, you will also want to cover it the top with foil, so the condensation from the lid does not soak your bread. I found it easier to wrap the lid with foil, so it just catches during the cooking process. It took 3 1/2 hours to cook to perfection. (On Low) I found a tip that said to flip the  bread about half way through to create a crust on both sides. And it worked. The top was cooked if you do not flip it. The difference is that is do not have the same crust you associate with bread. I flipped the bread during the last 30 minutes, and received a good crust on both sides. So, here are the simple steps:

1. Add water to cover the bottom of the Crockpot about 1/2 inch.

2. Crumble foil to create a shelf to protect the bread from the water. (It said you could use a trivet, and a pan made for your Crockpot, like an insert. I had neither, and so I used foil.)

3. After you have followed your favorite recipe, and it is ready for the "baking" setp, place the loaf in the Crockpot, and cover.

4. Let cook for 3 1/2 hours. Cooking times may vary, but this Sourdough took 3 1/2 hours.

5. Remove from the foil when done cooking. (It can go back in the Crockpot on "WARM" for up to 30 minutes before a meal and not hurt the bread)

6. Slice and ENJOY!

Now, I promised to share my favorite Sourdough recipe (which works wonders in the Crockpot too, got excited and made another loaf. Practicing on the shaping of bread)

Ingredients

• 1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
• 3 1/2 cups warm water (110 degrees F to 115 degrees F), divided
• 7 cups all-purpose flour, divided
• 1/4 cup nonfat dry milk powder
• 2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons salt
• Cornmeal

Directions

1. In a bowl, dissolve yeast in 2 cups warm water; let stand for 5 minutes. Stir in 2 cups of flour until smooth. Cover loosely with a towel. Let stand in a warm place to rise for 48 hours; stir several times daily. (The mixture will become bubbly and rise, have a "yeasty" sour aroma and a transparent yellow liquid will form on the top.) Stir in milk powder, butter, sugar, salt, remaining water and enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. (Do not knead.) Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1-1/2 hours. Turn onto a floured surface; punch dough down. (Do not knead). Divide in half. Shape each into a round loaf. Heavily grease baking sheets and sprinkle with cornmeal. Place dough on prepared pans. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes. With a sharp knife, make three diagonal slashes across tops of loaves. Bake at 350 degrees F for 10 minutes. Brush loaves with cold water; bake 35-40 minutes longer or until golden brown. 

Final note: I think I love Sourdough because the kneading is not there. I am wanting to venture and make a cinnamon raisin bread for breakfast. :-) Exciting!!!  I would love everyone to share their favorite bread recipes. Making bread is one of my favorite "RELAXING" things. :-)        

Cranberry Roast (#11)

Unfortunately, this post does not come with photos. Today, I work 10 hours without a lunch. And you may wonder why this matters, but coming home to a house that smells THAT amazing means no "FINISHED photo." Good thing, this was SO good and flavorful, this will be a frequent meal.

1.  roast (I used a 4 pound rump roast, but I am sure a pork roast would do wonderful too)
2.  a couple of WHOLE gloves of garlic.
3.  a can of jellied cranberry sauce. (The recipe I used called for 2, but I feared this would be too sweet. I used one, and it was plenty...even enough to make a pretty delicious gravy)
4. salt
5. pepper

I rubbed the roast with the salt and pepper, and placed it in the Crockpot. Take the jellied cranberry sauce, and slice it. I covered the roast in the slices, and added a cup of water and the cloves of garlic. Cover and cook for 8 hours. While it is cooking, I will go over the cost breakdown...

roast - $9.63

cranberry - $1.65

garlic - $0.65

mashed potatoes - $0.95

mixed veggies - $1.00

I did not calculate the cost of salt, pepper, and flour (to be used later) since this is a regular in my cabinet. Total cost - $13.88. This made enough for 2 meals each for the 5 of us, which breaks down to a WHOLE $1.39 a meal. That is a GREAT bargain if you ask me. :-)

Back to the roast... it has been 8 hours, and it is done. Michael has made some instant mashed potatoes and mixed veggies to act as sides. I take a cup or so of the sauce in the Crockpot, and whisk it with a little flour until it reaches the consistency of gravy. This roast is as tender as you can expect from a Crockpot, but the flavor of the cranberry was amazing. The smell and taste reminded me of family holiday dinners. The gravy was served on top of the meat and potatoes, and made it that much better. I highly recommend this meal to anyone who loves a good roast. Who knew a big family dinner can be made while at work. Man, whoever invented the Crockpot is my hero! Until next time...

Cheesy Chicken and Veggies (#10)

This is one for the rotation. :) Simple, and everyone ate it. I will be honest, it isn't blow your mind flavorful, but I will experiment with adding more spice. So here it goes.

1. 1 can of reduced fat cream of chicken
2. 1 can of cheddar cheese soup
3. 16 ounces of mixed frozen veggies
4. Salt
5. Garlic
6. Black pepper
7. 4 chicken breasts

Toss it all in the Crockpot, cook it on low for 8 hours. :)  I walked into the house smelling INCREDIBLE. The chicken fell apart, and the sauce was a perfect touch to the mashed potatoes. It is not common, in a house of five incredibly different tastes to all eat seconds. So far, Crockpot April has been a success... Two recipes in and 2 successes. :) Til next time...

 

The finished product!

In the pot!

The Ingredients!

Rice Krispies in the Crockpot(#9)

YUM!!!

We love Rice Krispies and Marshmallows, so it only seemed like the kids would love Rice Krispies Treats! And in the Crockpot, the kids can help so much more than I could on the stove.
2 tablespoons of butter
10 ounces of marshmallows
6 cups of Rice Krispies
Turn your Crockpot on high, and add the butter. Then the marshmallows. Then the cereal. Place the lid on the Crockpot, and go read for an hour. Well, that's what we did. Fancy Nancy, Glow Eyes in the Jungle, and Peek-a-Boo Bard.
After an hour of whatever you choose to do with your free time, come back and give it a good mixing. If it doesn't seem done, just another 30 minutes is needed. Scoop out and spread in whatever you use for treats. Ours were done in just about 45 minutes.
Ours came out Delicious! On a sad note, my Wok died last night. :( This is a sad day in my world of appliance cooking. We mourn the loss of my Wok with Rice Krispies Treats! Hope you enjoy as much as we do!



So excited to help!

What?

Helping make the treats!

<3

The finished product!

April Plans :-)

I have been neglecting my blog (and my Crockpot) during the last couple of weeks. It has been one of those months! Today, I am getting my shopping list together, and I am cooking 16 new things in my Crockpot, then I am also going to try a CP recipe for Playdough. April is going to be a fun (and hopefully TASTY) month for the Crook household. I will keep you posted along the way with my April Adventures. As for now, here are the plans I have for April...

1. Chicken Tortilla Soup
2. Chocolate Mess (thanks Kristyn)
3. Apple Coffee Cake
4. Baked Potato Soup
5. Bread (I was shocked to find this recipe)
6. Carnitas
7. Chicken Parmesan
8. Potatoes Au Gratin
9. Granola
10. Orange Chicken
11. Peanut Butter Cup cake
12. Cranberry Roast
13. Chicken Noodle Soup
14. Honey Garlic Chicken
15. Cheesy Chicken and Vegetables
16. Rice Krispies
17. PLAYDOUGH!!!

I look forward to eat and every one of these. I sure do wish that my Easter basket was a Crockpot filled  with YUMMIES! :-) Until we meet again...