Black Bean "Fiesta" Chili in the Slow Cooker

My little ones are still... well... little. But that doesn't mean life doesn't get busy. I don't always have time, or the desire to stand in my kitchen and cook. 

I love my slow cooker. I want to meet the person who invented the crock pot and give them a hug. 

This recipe for what I call "Fiesta" Chili is very simple and very tasty. I used a few simple ingredients, including a bag of frozen vegetables! 

What you'll need:

1/2 pound of lean ground beef or turkey

2 cups diced tomatoes

1 bag Bird's Eye Southwest Blend frozen vegetables (it includes corn, black beans and various peppers)

Taco seasoning 

Combine all of your ingredients in your slow cooker and mix thoroughly. Put your slow cooker on low for four hours. And that's it. You're done! 

What easy meals have you made recently?

For more recipes be sure to follow me on Pinterest. 

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Easy Slow Cooker Chicken in Three Simple Steps

There is something just so grand about throwing something in the crock pot, coming back later and it being done!

I love to cook a whole chicken in there. It's so easy and tasty. And ECONOMICAL! 

I wanted to break it down to for you in THREE simple steps that will MAXIMIZE flavor, juice and tenderness. 

What you'll need:

A whole chicken, with any giblets and neck removed

Your favorite seasonings, for this I used kosher salt, pepper, paprika and celery seed

One medium apple, chopped

one onion, chopped

Step 1: Line the bottom of your slow cooker with your apples and onions. 

Step 2: Shove some apples and onion pieces into your bird. 

Step 3: Place your bird in the slow cooker and rub down with your spice mix. 

Set your slow cooker to low for six hours. 

Done! That's it. You're done. 

Come back later to a beautiful roast chicken. 

What slow cooker treats have you made lately? 

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Country Style Pork Loin in the Slow cooker

I like easy meals. Don't you? I love being able to throw a few ingredients in my slow cooker and go about my life. 

Last week I made country style pork loin. It was delicious and so easy. The ingredients are pretty basic and when paired with a roasted broccoli it was a meal. 

What you'll need:

A country style pork loin

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup apple juice 

minced onion

paprika

pepper

kosher salt

Step1.

Place your pork loin in a greased slow cooker.  Rub down with your brown sugar.

Step 2.

Add a generous amount of your seasonings and rub into your pork loin.

Step 3.

Add your apple juice. Set your slow cooker to low for 6 hours. 

Have you done any slow cooking lately?

My five favorite slow cooker recipes

I hear it time and time again: "I don't have time to cook my family a home cooked meal every night." 

I hear what you're saying. You have work/home/church/civic/school responsibilities. You're tired and stretched too thin. 

I stay home with my kids, and I have a small business. So my time is far more flexible than more women I know and I still don't always find time to cook. 

But, I have found that for me there is always time to throw some stuff in my trusty slow cooker and go about my day. 

I have a Hamilton Beach Set'n'forget. I love it. (That is an affiliate link. Read my disclosure policy.) I use it weekly and it has made life infinitely easier. 

So here are my five favorite slow cooker recipes. 

The easiest way ever to roast a chicken. 

White Chicken Chili 

Pineapple Pork Loin

Slow cooker lemon herb leg quaters 

Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese 

What's your favorite slow cooker recipe? 

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My top 5 favorite slow cooker recipes

I have told you how much I love, love, love the crock-pot my sister gave me for Christmas. It's very special to my heart. 

And since I am busy working on business project and getting ready to have another baby boy in 14 weeks (ahh!) Lilly Potter is getting quite a work out. 

I thought I would share my top five favorite slow cooker recipes... so far. 

1. Pineapple Pork Loin. Pork and pineapple. They are like a duo created by the gods. Seriously. What goes better than pineapple and pork. Maybe barbecue and pork? Potatoes and pork? Wait, looks like someone loves pork.

This is a dump and go recipe, one pork loin (or roast) one can crushed pineapple in pineapple juice. Put it all in the slow cooker and let it go for 8 hours on low. 

2. White Chicken Chili. I love anything I can cook while taking nap! I begin by using 2 cups shredded chicken left over from when I cooked a chicken in my crock pot. Add some beans and a little garlic, an onion and cumin and let it cook for a coupls hours on high. 

3. Lemon Herb Leg Quarters. This is a very CHEAP and easy recipe. I purchased some leg quarters for $.79 a pound. They were beautiful and I wanted to cook them in my slow cooker, but sometimes meat falls apart in the crock pot. These didn't. These leg quarters came out gorgeous! Just some chicken broth, lemon juice and basil and herbs. 

Best part was, and are you ready for this, the entire meal (which served 4) only cost $2.48!!!!! Yes, it deserved that many exclamation points.

4. Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese.   Have you ever been perusing Pinterest and you see a recipe and you think, "how can I make this better/easier/cheaper/my own?" 

I had one of those minutes a couple weeks ago when I saw a recipe for buffalo chicken mac and cheese. I wondered if I could make it in my slow cooker using just what I had in my cabinet.  And I did. And it was divine. 

No, for real, it was good. And not healthy. So if you eat this on Monday eat a spinach salad on Tuesday, okay?

5. Cream Cheese Cinnamon Rolls . This is a fun Sunday Morning breakfast. Just use some frozen biscuits, some butter and cinnamon and of course, my cream cheese frosting. 

Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Dip, Extra Blue Cheese

Are you ready for some football? Sunday night is the big game, right? I ask because I honestly don't know. Football and I are not friends. But I am sure my husband cares. So I should probably make him some buffalo chicken dip. 

I made this a couple weeks ago in my lovely new crock pot that my lovely sister gave me. 

I found a recipe on line, but I didn't like it. It used canned chicken. Gross. And a lot of ranch dressing. We are more a blue cheese family. 

(Note: I am NOT a food snob. I know a lot of people don't mind canned chicken. If you like it, use it. But I prefer to just use chicken I cooked myself. I am weird that way.)

What you'll need:

2 1/2 cups cooked chicken cubed (great for leftovers!)

1 package cream cheese

1/2 bottle Frank's Redhot Buffalo Sauce

1 cup blue cheese dressing, go with the chunky 

2 cups cheddar cheese

1 cup blue cheese

Spray the bottom of your crock pot and place your chicken, dressing, sauce and cream cheese. Set your slow cooker on HIGH for one hour and let the cream cheese melt. Then add your cheddar cheese and continue to cook for about an hour. 

20 - 30 minutes before serving add your blue cheese and stir again. 

White Chicken Chili

Last week I cooked a chicken in my crock pot. Seriously, if you've never cooked a chicken like this you need to. It saves so much time and energy.

However, every time I make a whole chicken I have scads of leftovers. I was able to make a pot pie, a quick Paella and White Chicken Chili with the leftovers.

This is the easiest, most delicious chili I have ever made and it is super simple. You literally dump the ingredients in the crock pot. Go have an adventure, come home and your supper is ready. Tada!

What you'll need:

Two- three cups shredded chicken

Two cans navy beans

One medium onion, chopped

Two garlic cloves, minced

4 cups broth I recommend going homemade

2 tbsp cumin

2 tsp cilantro

2 tsp paprika

1 tsp chili powder

Place your chopped onion in the bottom of your slow cooker. Add your chicken, garlic, beans and seasonings. Stir, stir, stir. Pour broth over the chicken mix.

Cook on HIGH for two hours.

Garnish with sour cream and cheese. It's delicious.

What is your favorite slow cooker dish? 

Cowboy Chicken

SO I don't know about you, but school has started down here. It seems way too early and way too hot for these kids to be back in school.

I see the school bus roll by in the morning and I think how busy the school year gets. Even for those of us without school-aged children.

The fall will be packed with activities. So that's why I have been doing more crock pot cooking. Plus it's way too hot to turn on the oven. That kitchen gets like a sauna!

Last night I whopped up some Cowboy Chicken. It's got corn and black beans and garlic and lots of tomato-y goodness. Plus it's super simple. Crazy simple.

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What you'll need:

2 large chicken breasts, cubed

1 15 ounce can black beans (I used 1/2 cup dried beans which comes to 1 1/2 cooked. SO MUCH CHEAPER!)

1 cup corn

1 can tomatoes

1/2 cup water or chicken stock

1/4 large onion diced

1 cloves minced garlic (or like a spoonful from the jar)

1 tablespoon cumin

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1/2 teaspoon paprika

Spray your crock pot if you want but you don't have to

Placed diced onions, garlic and beans in your slow cooker and give it a stir.

Then throw in your chopped chicken. Sprinkle with all your seasonings and spices.

Dump in your tomatoes and broth or water.

Cover and set on low.

About 20 minutes before serving throw in your corn.

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You can garnish with cheese and sour cream. We served ours over rice.

Slow Cooker Lemon Herb Leg Quarters

As you probably notice I have become momentarily obsessed with my crock pot. I don't have a lot of time to stand in the kitchen.

Plus, it's hot. Hot, hot, hot. The weather lady said to run the AC full blast today. But since I'm frugal, it's on 79. (We had a $330 electric bill! Can you believe that???)

I purchased some leg quarters for $.79 a pound a couple weeks ago. They were beautiful and I wanted to cook them in my slow cooker, but sometimes meat falls apart in the crock pot.

These didn't. These leg quarters came out gorgeous!

Best part was, and are you ready for this, the entire meal (which served 4) only cost $2.48!!!!! Yes, it deserved that many exclamation points.

Here's a break down:

Chicken- 2 lbs @ $.79 a pound: $1.58

Brown rice- 4 servings @ $.10 a serving: $.40

Green Giant steamed vegetables- One sale $.50

Let's get started.

What you'll need:

4 leg quarters (thighs and legs)

1/2 cup chicken broth

2 tbsp lemon juice

dried basil, oregano, paprika and kosher salt

You can spray your crock pot if you want. I didn't and it turned out fine.

Sprinkle your chicken with the herbs. You can either remove the skin, leave it on and sprinkle the skin with the seasoning, or you can put the seasoning under the skin. It's all up to you.

Place chicken in the pot and pour in broth and lemon juice.

Cover, set on low. Walk away. Go to work. Come back when dinner is ready!

What about you? Do you have a slow cooker favorite?

Homemade yogurt- easier than it sounds

I love yogurt. My baby loves yogurt. We all scream for yogurt! Okay, we don't scream. It's not like it's Ben and Jerry's but whatever.

We have been eating so much yogurt that it gets expensive. Also, it has a lot of sugar in it. So I decided to make my own, plain yogurt.

It turned out pretty good and I was able to make a gallon for around $4.50! That saves me $.07 an ounce, or 50 percent off. Yes. I did the math. I love saving money that much. Of course, if I hadn't used organic milk and starter yogurt it would have been cheaper.

What you'll need:

A crock pot

1 gallon 2 percent or whole milk 

1 cup plain yogurt (you need it for the cultures)

Jars, etc. for freezing

Turn your crock pot on HIGH and pour all the milk into it. (I lost my crock pot, so my mother gave me her old one. The lid broke so now I use aluminum foil. It's a bootleg crock pot.)

Let it sit for 2 hours, until it reaches a boil. Then take that weird membrane off the top and throw it out.

Once it has boiled and killed off all the germs, let it cool down until it is about 115 degrees. Add your cup of yogurt. (Note: If you are using whole milk you do not need the powdered milk.)

Then cover your crock pot with a towel and stick it in a place where it won't be deserved. Some people stick it in their oven. I just put it on the counter and left it alone.

About 8 hours later I had yogurt!! If you want a thicker yogurt you can strain it through a cheese cloth or coffee filter.

I poured mine into Ball jars and stuck what I didn't need now into the freezer.

Save a cup of your homemade yogurt and freeze it so you have the cultures later. 

If you liked this recipe and you want more DIY ideas, then you really should check out Romance on a Dime. Betsy hosts a great Tuesday link up with lots of projects.