Slow Cooker Cajun Chicken Spaghetti ***

I made this basically as written, except that I added crawfish and used angelhair pasta in place of spaghetti. Oh, and smoked sausage in place of andouille. Those are all just personal preferences, though. It was amazing. It technically does take a bit of prep time, but it's worth it. For me, it helped that I had cooked chicken on hand and used a frozen fajita pepper blend in place of the peppers. All I really had to do was cut up the sausage. I actually need to make it again soon, now that I think about it!

SLOW COOKER CAJUN CHICKEN SPAGHETTI
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ Tablespoon)

10 oz (about 2/3 of a 1 lb box) dried spaghetti noodles
1 jar (15 oz) Alfredo sauce
1 medium (about 1 cup) yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1/2 lb andouille sausage, sliced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 can (14.5 oz) Muir GlenOrganic Diced Tomatoes Fire Roasted
1 1/2 tablespoons Creole seasoning
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon salt

To start, cut the chicken into bite-size chunks and slice the andouille sausage.
Dice the whole onion, chop the bell pepper and mince the garlic. (Prep work over.)
Pour 1/3 of the Alfredo sauce into the bottom of the slow cooker and stir in the onions and garlic. Layer the chicken pieces on top of the saucy onions and sprinkle half of your Creole seasoning over the chicken.
Layer the bell pepper and sausage pieces over the chicken, then pour in the whole can of tomatoes (including the liquid). Top tomatoes with remaining Creole seasoning and Alfredo sauce.
Close the lid and cook on low for 4 hours. After 4 hours, give everything a stir and add about 1/4 cup of heavy cream to the sauce. Season with salt to taste, and add additional Creole seasoning if desired.
Break the spaghetti noodles in thirds and place them in the sauce. Stir until noodles are completely coated and submerged in the sauce, with no pieces sticking out.
Increase heat to high and cook, covered, for 20-25 more minutes. Give your pasta a good stir or two, and enjoy! NOTE: Keep in mind that once you turn the slow cooker off, the sauce and noodles will continue to cook for a few minutes. If you're not going to eat immediately, reduce the time you cook the noodles so that they are not overcooked by the time you're ready to eat.
*Amy's notes: I subbed angelhair pasta, smoked sausage, and a frozen fajita pepper blend. I also cut back on chicken and added crawfish.

3-Ingredient Crockpot Ranch Pork Chops ***

These are very basic, but they're good. We had them back in the winter, so they made for a nice, warming comfort food. I love that they're so easy to throw together in just a few minutes, but you still come home to a good meal. Add some green beans and mashed potatoes, and you're good to go!

3-INGREDIENT CROCKPOT RANCH PORK CHOPS
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ SlowCookerKitchen)

4 thick cut pork chops bone-in seems to work better
2 to 3 tablespoons ranch dressing mix
15 ounces chicken gravy

Place the pork chops in a lightly buttered crockpot insert
Sprinkle with the ranch dressing mix and pour the gravy over the top
Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours
Freezer Meal Directions:
Pour the chicken gravy and the ranch dressing mix into a large freezer bag. Close and knead to mix.
Open the bag, add the pork chops and shake to coat.
Lay flat and remove as much air as possible. Label and freeze for up to 8 weeks.

Chicken Bacon Ranch Frito Pie ***

I'm usually not a huge fan of mayo-based meals, but the hubs and kids love them. I don't eat supper very often throughout the week, so I threw this one together on a night I knew that I wouldn't be eating. They loved it! There's nothing special about it at all, but it's super quick to get in the oven. I served it with salad, to make myself feel better about all of the less-than-healthy (ha!) ingredients. But they gave it rave reviews.

CHICKEN BACON RANCH FRITO PIE
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ ThisIsNotDietFood)

3 cups chicken cooked, shredded
1/2 cup mayo
1/2 cup ranch dressing
1/2 cup real bacon bits
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 bunch green onions, chopped
5 cups Frito's corn chips
2 cups cheddar cheese blend, shredded
2 tbsp real bacon bits

Preheat oven to 400F.
Dump the shredded chicken, mayo, ranch dressing, 1/2 cup of real bacon bits, salt and pepper into a large mixing bowl.
Add half of the chopped green onions to the mixing bowl and set the remaining half aside.
Stir all of the ingredients in the mixing bowl together until they are fully combined.
Dump the corn chips into a greased 9 x 13 inch baking dish and spread them out evenly.
Spoon the chicken mixture over the corn chips.
Sprinkle the shredded cheese over the chicken.
Sprinkle the remaining chopped green onions and 2 tbsp of real bacon bits on top of the cheese.
Place the dish in the oven and bake until the cheese is fully melted and just starting brown around the edges. 23-25 minutes.
Remove from the oven, slice and serve.
Enjoy!

Slow Cooker Beef Tips over Rice ***

It's actually been several months since we had this, but the whole family enjoyed it. I loved how perfectly simple it was to throw together. I doubled the recipe and just stirred my cooked rice into it at the end. I also threw in a box of fresh sliced mushrooms, but that was more just a personal preference kind of thing. All in all, we'd definitely do this one again.

SLOW COOKER BEEF TIPS OVER RICE
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ MormonMavens)

1 lb. beef tips (any cut of beef roughly chopped)
1 can golden mushroom soup
1 can French onion soup
1 package dry onion soup
Hot cooked rice

Place all ingredients in slow cooker.
Cook on low for 5 to 6 hours.
Serve over hot, cooked rice.

Crockpot Italian Chicken Thighs ***

My youngest's favorite meal ever is the Crockpot Mississippi Chicken Thighs. I figured this one probably had to be pretty good, and I liked that it was such a basic recipe. I just chopped it all up at the end and served it on Hawaiian buns. Definitely a winner for us. The boy says the Mississippi Thighs are still his favorite, but this is a close second. Good enough for me!

CROCKPOT ITALIAN CHICKEN
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ BeyerBeware)

2 lbs of chicken breast thighs, or combination
1 (12-oz) jar of pepper rings
2 (.7-oz) envelopes of Italian Salad Dressing and Spice Mix

Put chicken in the bottom of a crock pot. Pour pepper rings with juice over chicken. Sprinkle Italian mix over chicken. Cook on low for 8+ hours or on high for 4+ hours.
After chicken has cooked, remove any bones or skin and shred. Keep on low till ready to eat. Add chicken broth or water if chicken seems to be drying out.
Serve on buns.
*Serves 4-6

Slow Cooker Chili Cheese Casserole ***

I'm baaack! We've had an extremely busy year, and I basically fell back on just cooking old favorites that were quick and easy. But now that life has slowed back down to "normal" again, I'm back to trying out some new recipes. Thank goodness, because we were all starting to get pretty sick of the "same old, same old."

I'm originally from St Louis, and no baseball game or school lunch menu was complete without a "pepperbelly," which was essentially just a bag of Fritos, with chili and cheese on top. I still love the flavor to this day. So when this recipe popped up on my Pinterest feed, I knew I had to give it a shot. As it turned out, I ended up being too sick to eat any that night, but the hubs and the kids absolutely raved about it. They want me to put it back on the menu again. I did use the Steak-n-Shake chili, which is just my absolute favorite where canned chili is concerned, but I think it would be an excellent way to use up leftover homemade chili as well.

The recipe below is basically doubled from the original. Click on the link to see the OP's recipe. I had to double because of the larger crock and larger tummies (two teenage boys can eat you out of house and home in no time flat, lol).

SLOW COOKER CHILI CHEESE CASSEROLE
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ TheMagicalSlowCooker)

2 (9-1/4 oz) bags Fritos
6 (10-oz) cans chili
4 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
32-oz sour cream
1 cup diced white onion

Spray slow cooker with non-stick spray. Sprinkle 1 bag of fritos on the bottom of the slow cooker.
Spoon over the chili.
Sprinkle over half the onions and half of the cheese.
Spread over all of the sour cream.
Top with the rest of the cheese and onions.
Cover and cook on high for 2 hours (or low for 4 hours).
Top with the remaining bag of Fritos before serving.

Crockpot Sugared Pecans ***

So after the last time I made these, I commented that I should try adding white sugar at the end. This time, I went ahead and added about 1/4 cup to the powdered sugar in step 2 and another 1/4 cup to the cinnamon mix at the end. SO much better. The first part helps with the carmelization, and the second part gives it a bit of that cinnamon/sugar combo that I so dearly love. I might try getting rid of some of the powdered sugar next time. We'll see. No matter what, though, this remains one of our most favorite Christmas traditions. 😋

CROCKPOT SUGARED PECANS
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ via TheSpruce)

16 ounces pecans (or walnut halves)
1/2 cup melted unsalted butter
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
(1/2 cup white sugar, optional)

Turn slow cooker to high about 15 minutes in advance.
In hot slow cooker, stir together the nuts and butter. Add the powdered sugar, stirring to blend and coat evenly. Cover and cook on high for 15 minutes.
Reduce the heat to low and remove ​the lid.
Cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for about 2 to 3 hours, or until the nuts are coated with a crisp glaze.
Transfer the nuts to a bowl.
In another small bowl, combine the spices; sift over the nuts, stirring to coat evenly.
Let cool before serving.
*luckymommy's notes: I add 1/4 cup white sugar to step 2 and another 1/4 cup white sugar to step 4.

Previous Posts:
9/23/12 ~ Hubby loves the cinnamon sugar pecans that are sold at football games and at the stores during Christmas season.  For some reason, you can't find them anywhere in stores around here right now.  I went in search of some that I could make at home, and came across this recipe for the crockpot.  Score!  These are positively divine.  They taste kind of a like a mixture between pumpkin pie and pecan pie.  Yummy, yummy, yummy!  They don't get as crispy as the ones at the football games do, so I'll probably try another recipe eventually.  They definitely hold their own, though.    Both boys loved them as well.

Crockpot Pizza Tater Tot Casserole ***

This was a winner for us, but it was also kind of a no-brainer. I love almost anything with tater tots (except for the regular old-school Tater Tot Casserole, oddly enough), and it's pretty hard to go wrong where pizza is involved. We love the Crockpot Pizza, so I basically put the same toppings in this one. I went with onions, green peppers, black olives, and mushrooms. SOOO good.  I used ground turkey for this one, just because I had some in the freezer to use up. I am totally making this one again, though. Yum!

CROCKPOT PIZZA TATER TOT CASSEROLE
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ RecipesThatCrock)

2 lbs ground beef
1/4-1/2 c onion diced
10.5 oz can cream of mushroom soup
10.5 oz can cream of chicken soup
14 oz pizza sauce
37 pepperoni slices (approx)
1/2 c green pepper chopped
2 1/2 c shredded mozzarella
32 oz bag tater tots
Pizza toppings, per preference

Brown beef in a skillet with onion over medium-high heat and drain
Mix beef mixture with your soups
Spray your crock pot with cooking spray
Pour your mixture into your crock pot and spread out evenly
Pour your pizza sauce evenly across your mixture
Place your pepperoni slices evenly across the top
Spread your green peppers evenly across your pepperoni slices
Sprinkle your cheese on top
Cover evenly with your tater tots
Place aluminum foil on top of your crock pot
Cover and cook for 3 hours on high
Remove your aluminum foil and continue cooking on high for an additional hour
Optional: Place in your broiler (on high if you have the choice of hi/lo for 2-4 minutes, watching very closely

Cherry Pork Chops (Crockpot) ***

We loved this one! I can only stand pork chops when they're done in the crockpot, and I was just kind of intrigued by the idea of making them with the pie filling. If anyone but Amylz had posted it, I might have thought it sounded crazy, but her recipes have never failed me in the past. I figured it was worth a shot. And we loved it! The 12-year-old is already asking to have it again! The cherries were actually my favorite part. I had them as a side instead of a topping, just because I liked them so much on their own. You can't beat this for ease, obviously, but they taste more complex than they actually are. Definitely a winner for us!

CHERRY PORK CHOPS
(Amy - amylz - The Everything Slow Cooker Cookbook )

6 pork chops
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 (21 oz) can cherry pie filling
1 chicken bouillon cube
2 tsp lemon juice

Place the pork in a large skillet on the stove. Brown on medium high heat for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Mix half the can of cherry pie filling, the crushed bouillon cube and the lemon juice in the crock pot. Place the pork chops on top. Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours. Heat the remaining cherry pie filling and serve over chops.

Crockpot Tater Tot Sloppy Joe Casserole ***

This was better than I thought it would be. I am generally not a big Sloppy Joe fan, but I am a HUGE tater tot fan (as I might have mentioned once or twice on here 😉). I figured that would be enough to keep my interest. And I was right! This was not bland at all, which can be a problem with crockpot tater tot meals. I used some frozen ground turkey that I had on hand, so I just skipped the first step and mixed everything together in the pot. I also subbed pinto beans for the kidney beans, since Hubs is pretty anti-kidney.  It was all great, though. The kids loved it. I will definitely make again!

CROCKPOT TATER TOT SLOPPY JOE CASSEROLE
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ TammiLeeTips)

1 lb ground beef
1/2 onion, diced
1 c tomato sauce
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp ketchup
2 tsp mustard
2 tsp garlic, minced
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp salt
1 can red kidney beans
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
1 bag tater tots, frozen

Brown beef with onions, garlic, salt, and pepper.
Add tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, and mustard to the beef mixture. Mix well.
Add the kidney beans
Spray the inside bowl of the slow cooker with non-stick spray or line with parchment paper
Place a layer of tater tots on the bottom of the bowl
Cover with the beef mixture
Place another layer of tater tots on top of the beef mixture.
Cover the bowl with a tea towel, and place the lid over that.
Cook on high for 4 hours
In the last 30 minutes of cooking, remove the lid and sprinkle on the cheese. Replace lid and continue cooking until the cheese is melted and gooey.
When serving, garnish with a dollop of sour cream or ketchup if you prefer.
*luckymommy/Amy's notes: I subbed pinto beans for the kidney and ground turkey for the beef.

Mexican Cream Cheese Crockpot Chicken ***

Well, I just now noticed, while typing up this post, that I put the cream cheese in at the beginning instead of waiting until the end.  Honestly, I see no reason to wait.  It didn't curdle, and letting it cook with the ingredients the entire time lets it soak up more of the juices.  But I don't really think it matters either way.  I chose it off Pinterest because of the short list of ingredients and quick preparation.  I also liked that it closely resembles Crockpot Taco Soup, which is one of my most favorite winter-time comfort foods.  Considering it's the middle of a heat-ravaged summer, I couldn't possibly go the soup route, so this was a nice way of *almost* having it. 😉

I did double the recipe, but I think that it would be better to do more like 1.5 times the amounts. We wrapped ours up in tortillas, burrito-style, and filled them with lettuce and tomatoes and such.  The original recipe mentioned having it over rice, which would be really good in cold weather.  But whatever you choose, this sucker was a big winner for us!

MEXICAN CREAM CHEESE CROCKPOT CHICKEN
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ GonnaWantSeconds)

4 Chicken Breast Halves, Boneless and Skinless
1 (15 Ounce) Can Black Beans, Drained
1 (7 Ounce) Can Ortega Chiles, Chopped
1 (15.5 Ounces ) Can Diced Tomatoes, Undrained
1 (8 Ounces) Can Corn, Drained
1 (6 Ounces) Can Black Olives, Drained
1 Small Yellow Onion, Chopped
1 Envelope Taco Seasoning
8 Ounces Cream Cheese, Cubed

Add all ingredients to crock pot EXCEPT cream cheese.
Cook on high for 4-6 hours or low for 8 hours or until chicken is extremely tender.
Remove chicken and shred. Add back to crock pot. Add cream cheese, cover and continue to cook on high for 30 minutes.  Stir well and serve with tortillas or over rice.

*luckymommy/Amy's notes: I doubled the recipe and added the cream cheese at the beginning.

Crack Slaw (Low Carb) ***

I made a few alterations on this one, but the overall principle is good.  First off, I used a lot more soy sauce.  It was extremely bland.  Second, the 2 tsp of red pepper flakes is just too much for me.  I knew that when I put them in, and I definitely regretted it afterwards.  The rest of the family loved the heat.  Me, not so much.  Finally, one of the many times that I was adding more soy sauce, I accidentally grabbed the Worcestershire.  Oddly enough, it added a whole new dimension to the flavor, and we loved it!  I want to try more recipes likes this before I decide on our final winner, but this one most definitely has possibilities.

CRACK SLAW (LOW CARB)
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ MandyJo.com)

2 lbs. ground beef or turkey (your choice on meat)
2 bags classic cole slaw mix
4 green onions, chopped
3 tsp minced garlic
3 tbsp light soy sauce
2 tbsp sesame oil
2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
2 tsp ground ginger
*Optional add a single serve packet of Splenda.

Ground hamburger in pan as you normally would. Drain excess fat after cooking and set hamburger aside.
In separate pan, put sesame oil, soy sauce, chopped up green onion and chopped up garlic together and stir fry until tender.
Add cole slaw mix, crushed red pepper, and ground ginger and cook until mostly tender.
Add browned hamburger to the pan with the rest of the ingredients and stir. Can add more soy sauce to taste.
*luckymommy/Amy's notes: Use the Splenda.  Add way more soy sauce.  Add a touch of Worcester.

Slow Cooker Pork Gyros with Cucumber Yogurt Sauce ***

We tried our very first gyros this past January on a trip to a school competition in another city.  We all absolutely fell in love.  Since then, we've tried a couple of other places, but we've never found one that we loved as much as that first place.  So when I came across this recipe on Pinterest, I knew that I had to see if it would work for us.  While this one didn't blow our minds like that first place did, it definitely came in pretty high on the list.  The 11-year-old wanted to have it again the next night. 😂 I didn't go for that one, but I do see us having this again soon.  It's fairly simple, in comparison to other recipes out there, and I was at least able to throw together everything on my lunch break, which is one of my big requirements for most of our meals, lol.  I'm not much of a fan of cucumbers, but even this tzatziki sauce was pretty good.  I think I want to shred the cucumber for it next time, though.  Other than that, I wouldn't change a thing!

SLOW COOKER PORK GYROS WITH CUCUMBER YOGURT SAUCE
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ 365DaysOfCrockpot)

FOR PORK
3 pounds pork sirloin tip roast
1 large onion, thinly sliced
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon dried oregano
3/4 teaspoon allspice
1 tablespoon lemon pepper seasoning
1 large lemon, juiced
Lettuce, sliced cucumbers, sliced grape tomatoes, for serving

FOR TZATZIKI SAUCE
1 cup plain Greek yogurt
1 cup diced cucumber, seeded and diced into tiny pieces
1 tablespoon dried dill or 2 tablespoons fresh dill
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 garlic clove, minced
salt and pepper, to taste

FOR PORK
Place pork, onion, garlic, oil, oregano, allspice, lemon pepper and lemon juice into slow cooker.
Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours (if it’s frozen it will be like 8-10 hours)
Remove lid. Using tongs remove the pork and place on a cutting board. Shred or slice the pork and place back into the slow cooker.
Serve the pork and onions on the top of pita bread with Tzatziki sauce, lettuce, cucumbers and tomatoes.

FOR TZATZIKI SAUCE
Combine yogurt, cucumber, dill, salt and garlic in medium bowl. Stir until creamy and combined.
Salt and pepper to taste.
Serve with gyros.

Yummy Pork Steak ***

This is an older recipe, but it's been a couple years since I've made it.  I was really craving pork steaks, so I pulled this one out of my old files.  I usually do mine on low for about 6-7 hours (my crockpot runs hot).  I also prefer the dry onion mushroom soup, but the flavor is basically the same.  Still a winner for us!

YUMMY PORK STEAK
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ Recipezaar.com)

3 lbs pork steaks
1 (1 ounce) envelope dry onion soup mix
1 (10 1/2 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup

Put pork steaks in bottom of crockpot or slow cooker.
Sprinkle onion soup mix over steaks.
Pour soup over the top.
Cover.
Cook on high setting about 4 hours.

Previous posts:
11/8/10 ~ Well, I boo-boo'd, and I accidentally bought pork chops instead of pork steak.  On top of that, I bought bone-in chops, which I hate.  So, being the industrious mama that I am, I deboned those suckers and threw them in the pot anyway.  They were really good.  It's way better with the pork steaks, but it left the chops so tender, and the sauce, simple as it might be, is really yummy.  The little ones were going on and on about how much they loved it, which is always a good thing in a house with kids who think every night should be take-out, lol.

Crockpot Corn & Crawfish Bisque ***

I found this one in an old cookbook.  We adore crawfish, so we tend to try a lot of new ways to work them into our menus.  The recipe below is doubled from what was posted in the cookbook.  It's me and three me/boys in our household, and the 3-5 servings that was listed in the original recipe would NOT have held up for us, lol.  I also like to have quite a bit left over for their lunches, now that the teenager prefers to take leftovers like his dad instead of sandwiches.  The original recipe had a full stick of margarine (so it would have been two sticks for my version), but I cut it down to just 2 tablespoons.  Honestly, I think you could skip it altogether.  I don't really see a need for it at all.  That's why I just put "optional" in the recipe below.  The original recipe also said to use cayenne pepper, but I went with the Cajun seasoning instead, so that it would have that Cajun-ish flavor to it.  Anyway, we all loved this.  We had it on a cold and icy night with some crusty rolls, and it hit the spot just perfectly.  Now I just wish it would go back to being cold so that we could have it again.  Ha!

CROCKPOT CORN & CRAWFISH BISQUE
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ an old cookbook)

4 cans cream of potato soup
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
2 cans whole kernel corn, drained
8 oz cream cheese
2 pints half-and-half
2 pkgs frozen crawfish meat, thawed
1/2 tsp Cajun seasoning (to taste)
2 Tbsp margarine (optional)

Add all ingredients in crockpot and cook on high heat for 3-4 hours or low heat for 6-7 hours.
Stir until well-combined.

Slow Cooker Chicken Fajita Pasta ***

We all really enjoyed this one.  It wasn't one of our favorites or anything, but it was quick to throw together and tasted pretty good.  I used angelhair pasta, just because it's our preference.  I also just threw in a frozen bag of fajita blend peppers and onions, to cut down on the prep time.  Mine cooked on high for about 6 hours, and it was perfect.  It kind of reminds me of my mom's recipe for Chicken Spaghetti, without the rotel and Velveeta.  I can't stand Velveeta, so this definitely played in its favor for me.  I would definitely make it again, but I think that next time I'll add in a can of diced green chilies.

SLOW COOKER CHICKEN FAJITA PASTA
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ MyHeavenlyRecipes)

1 Green Bell Pepper, diced
1 Onion, diced
1 Can Diced Tomatoes, drained
1 TSP Ground Cumin
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
salt & pepper, to taste
5-6 chicken breasts
2 Cans Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 Box Barilla Spaghetti or Angel Hair, cooked and drained
2 cups Cheddar Cheese, grated
3/4 C Chicken Stock (or water)

Place onion, bell pepper, cumin, garlic powder, salt, pepper, chicken, mushroom soup and 1 cup of grated cheese together in a crock-pot. Stir to mix ingredients. Cook on high for 3-4 hours or until chicken is fully cooked.
Remove chicken breasts from the crock-pot, dice and return to crock-pot. Pour in cooked spaghetti, tomatoes and remaining cheese. Using a pair of tons coat the pasta in sauce and melt cheese, adding in a few splashes of chicken stock (or water). Cook another 20-30 minutes on low and serve.
*luckymommy/Amy's notes: I used a bag of frozen fajita blend peppers.  Next time I'll add a can of green chilies.

Cranberry Kielbasa Bites (Crockpot) ***

This was my second new appetizer recipe for our Christmas Eve gathering.  Super simple, but very flavorful.  My boys (even the grown-up one, lol) ate this one up.  They all loved it.  It's similar to the Lil Smokies or meatball recipes that use the grape jelly, but I think that the cranberry adds a nice mellowing factor to it.  The grape jelly ones are just a tad bit too sugary-sweet for me, but the tartness of the cranberries kind of tone that down a bit.  Whatever it was, it was a winner for us.  My kids ate the few remaining leftovers for snack the next day and still loved them! (Sorry, but there's no pic on this one either.  I was too busy trying to get everything ready and out the door in time for the party!)

CRANBERRY KIELBASA BITES (CROCKPOT)
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ TheFrugalGirls)

1 can Jellied Cranberry Sauce (14 oz.)
1 bottle Heinz Chili Sauce (12 oz.)
2 links Hillshire Farm Beef Polska Kielbasa (12 oz.)

Slice Kielbasa links into round pieces 1/4"-1/2" thick.
Place sliced Kielbasa pieces in Crockpot
In mixing bowl, stir together Jellied Cranberry Sauce and Chili Sauce.
Pour sauce mixture over Kielbasa in Crockpot.
Cook on HIGH for 1-1/2 hours, or LOW for 2-1/2 hours, or until hot.
Serve with toothpicks and Enjoy!

Bacon-Wrapped Brussels Sprouts ***

I am so far behind on my postings that it's not even funny.  Hubby was unemployed for a while, and everything was so crazy that I mainly just stuck to old tried and true recipes.  I'm going to try to catch myself up on all the new stuff we've tried, though, so you've been warned. ;-)

These were AMAZING.  I mean, our family is crazy about Brussels sprouts and bacon, so there really was never a question.  I took these to our family Christmas Eve celebration, though, and even the folks who don't like Brussels said that they were good!  The general consensus is that they don't even taste like Brussels, since the bacon flavor is so predominant.  However you want to look at it, they were great.  Not to mention easy.  I can honestly see doing these as a side dish over the weekend or something (when you have a bit more time).  I used those sprouts that come cleaned and in the steaming bags, mainly just because I'm lazy.  Worked perfectly, though!  I forgot to take a pic of this one, but if you follow the link, you can see hers.  Mine were basically the same.  Some of the larger sprouts worked better when cut in half, so mine we're necessarily as pretty.  Ha!

BACON WRAPPED BRUSSELS SPROUTS
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ FitFoodieFinds)

12 strips of bacon
12 medium/large brussels sprouts
pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 375*F and line a baking sheet with tin foil.
Then, prep brussels sprouts by washing and patting dry with a paper towl.
To make bacon wrapped brussels sprouts. Place a brussels sprouts at the top of a piece of bacon. Then roll it up, your bacon inside the brussels sprout and place on baking sheet. Season with pepper, to taste.
Bake at 375*F for 30-35 minutes depending on how crispy you like your bacon.
To serve, insert a toothpick into each sprout.

Slow Cooker Salisbury Steak ***

This was another winner for us.  There was only one little problem, but it was all my fault.  I always sub ground turkey for ground beef.  Even in meatloaf.  This is one of those recipes, though, where you really need to use the beef.  The turkey just doesn't hold up all that well in the crockpot.  But the flavor was amazing.  Next time, though, I think I want to double the sauce ingredients and throw in some fresh mushrooms.  It's not my typical easy-peasy recipe, but it's really not bad at all.  We will definitely keep this one handy.

SLOW COOKER SALISBURY STEAK

(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ AllRecipes)

2 pounds lean ground beef

1 (1 ounce) envelope dry onion soup mix

1/2 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs

1/4 cup milk

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed cream of chicken soup

1 (1 ounce) packet dry au jus mix

3/4 cup water

In a large bowl, mix together the ground beef, onion soup mix, bread crumbs, and milk using your hands. Shape into 8 patties.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Dredge the patties in flour just to coat, and quickly brown on both sides in the hot skillet. Place browned patties into the slow cooker stacking alternately like a pyramid. In a medium bowl, mix together the cream of chicken soup, au jus mix, and water. Pour over the meat. Cook on the Low setting for 4 or 5 hours, until ground beef is well done.

Bacon Cheeseburger Tater Tot Casserole ***

I believe I've mentioned once or twice (or a zillion times) that I have a freakish love of tater tots.  I'm always excited to find a recipe that uses them successfully.  This was absolutely perfect.  The cheesy flavor of the tater tots kind of reminds me of loaded baked potato skins.  Just seriously yummy.  Again, nothing mind-blowing, but just simple and tasty.

BACON CHEESEBURGER TATER TOT CASSEROLE

(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ PlainChicken)

1-1/2 pounds ground beef

1 (3-oz) package real bacon bits

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1 (32-oz) package frozen tater tots

1 (10.75-oz) can condensed cheddar cheese soup

16-oz sour cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray a 9x13-inch pan with cooking spray. Set aside.

Cook ground beef in a large skillet until no longer pink. Drain fat.

In a large bowl, combine cooked beef, bacon bits, cheddar cheese, tater tots, cheese soup and sour cream. Mix until thoroughly combined.

Spread mixture into prepared pan.

Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until bubbly.