Easy Sweet 'n Tangy Crockpot Meatballs ****

I know there's really no need to post a recipe for this one.  Pretty much everyone has tried either this version or the grape jelly and BBQ sauce one at some point in their lives.  But even so, it was the first time I've made any of them myself.  The grape jelly one is usually just too sweet for my tastes, so I decided to give this one a go instead.  We loved it.  I doubled the recipe for our family Christmas party, and it was almost completely gone by the time we left.  I'll definitely be making them again!

EASY SWEET 'N TANGY CROCKPOT MEATBALLS
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ TheFrugalGirls)

26oz fully-cooked frozen meatballs (homemade or store-bought)
1 (14oz) can of jellied cranberry sauce
1 (12oz) bottle of Heinz chili sauce

Combine cranberry jelly and chili sauce in a bowl, then stir.
Based upon your preferences, you can alter the proportions of cranberry jelly {sweet} and chili sauce {tangy}.
Add frozen meatballs to crockpot and cover with sauce mixture.
Heat on HIGH for 2 hours or LOW for 4 hours, stirring occasionally. Once they're nice and hot, let simmer on LOW or WARM setting. ENJOY!

Dill Pickle Roll-Em-Ups ****

This is an old family favorite, but I keep forgetting to take a picture of it. I'll have to make them this weekend, just so that I can get one. Then I'll have to force myself to eat them so that they don't go to waste. Darn. ;-)
This is the easiest recipe ever, but it's always gone first at any get-together. The kids love them too, so they're popular all around.

DILL PICKLE ROLL-EM-UPS
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy)

Pack of sliced ham
8 oz container cream cheese
Jar of dill pickle spears (I like to cut the spears in half lengthwise, to get more rolls out of them)

Spread slice of ham with cream cheese. Place pickle on it lengthwise, and roll up. Slice roll into about 5-6 pieces, and place a toothpick in each piece.
Repeat with each slice of ham
*Can also sub roast beef for the ham

Easy Chicken Enchilada Tortellini Bake **

We were a house divided on this one.  Hubby and one of the kids loved it.  The other kid and I thought it was just so-so.  Honestly, to me, the enchilada taste is just overpowering.  Combining it with the Rotel makes the sauce way too runny.  If I made it again (which I won't), I would probably use a drained can of stewed tomatoes and a can of green chilies.  To give it a bit more bulk.  I'd also mix a little cheese into it before adding it to the tortellini.  I did add a drained can of corn and a drained can of black olives, just to give it some taste other than the enchilada sauce, and I think that's all that saved it for us.  Oh!  It actually might be better if you just used one can of the enchilada sauce and added a carton of sour cream.  That could be pretty good.  Might have to try that one now!

EASY CHICKEN ENCHILADA TORTELLINI BAKE

(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ ThisGalCooks)

2-1/2 cups of cooked chicken breast. I've included instructions below for slow cooking but you could use a rotisserie chicken, too.

2 (9oz) packages of refrigerated tortellini. I used Butoni Roasted Garlic and Cheese.

1 (14.5oz) can of spicy red pepper diced tomatoes

1 (15oz) can of all natural enchilada sauce. I used this brand.

1-1/2 cups shredded Mexican Cheese (you can also used shredded cheddar)

1. To Slow Cook the Chicken: If slow cooking the chicken, spray the inside of a slow cooker with cooking spray. Place two split chicken breasts (with the bones and skin - keeps it tender) in the slow cooker and sprinkle with salt, pepper and ground chipotle pepper, if desired. Place ½ C chicken broth in the slow cooker, cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees. Once the chicken is done cooking, remove from the bones, remove the skin and shred.

For using Rotisserie Chicken: Remove the skin from the rotisserie chicken. Pull the chicken breasts from the bones and shred with a fork.

2. Preheat oven to 400.

3. Cook the tortellini according to package directions. Once done cooking, drain and return to the pot.

4. Prepare the sauce. Place the enchilada sauce and the diced tomatoes into a blender and blend. You can also place these two items into a large bowl and blend with an immersion blender.

5. Prepare the tortellini bake. Add the chicken to the pot with the tortellini. Mix well. Then add desired amount of sauce to the pot. I used about 3/4 of the sauce. The remaining sauce can be stored in an air tight container in a refrigerator for up to a week. Mix everything well and then pour into a 1.5 quart baking dish. Sprinkle with the shredded Mexican cheese.

6. Bake at 400 for 10 minutes. After baking, if desired, turn on the broiler to high and broil for about 5 minutes to brown the cheese.

Sue's Reuben Sandwich ***

The 12-year-old's very favorite food right now is Reubens.  I haven't made them in at least two years, but both he and the hubby have been begging for them lately.  I finally caved in over the weekend.  They were wonderful as usual.  I do always have to rinse my sauerkraut really well, though, just because hubby hates the flavor otherwise.  Truthfully, I don't really follow the amounts on the recipe.  I just use it as a guide to make sure I get everything on the sandwich in the right order.  I definitely need to make them more often, though, because they all loved them!

SUE'S REUBEN SANDWICH
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ Food.com)

4 ounces lean thinly sliced deli corned beef
2 (1 ounce) slices Swiss cheese
2 slices rye bread
1/3 cup sauerkraut, well drained
1-1/2 to 2 tablespoons thousand island dressing (to taste)
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1 pinch crushed juniper berries or 1 pinch caraway seed (optional)

Bring corned beef and Swiss cheese to room temperature.
Heat sauerkraut until it is warmed to about 120-140 degrees.
Prepare sandwich by first buttering one slice of bread on one side with 1 tbsp butter.
Place bread, butter side down, in a small skillet.
Follow with the following ingredients in this order: 1 slice of Swiss cheese, followed by 4 oz. corned beef, followed by 1-1/2 to 2 tbsp (to taste) of Thousand Island dressing, followed by well drained and warmed sauerkraut, followed by a pinch of either juniper berries or caraway, followed by the final piece of cheese.
Top the sandwich with the last piece of bread and spread the other tbsp of butter on the outside of the bread.
Heat the sandwich in the skillet on a med-low heat until the bottom side becomes golden; flip sandwich with spatula and lightly brown other side.
Remove to plate and slice in half before serving.
Serve with a dill spear and your favorite chips.

Previous Posts:
2/4/12 ~ I was completely astonished when hubby requested Reuben sandwiches this week, since he is vehemently anti-sauerkraut.  That being said, there are a handful of dishes that I can make with it, as long as I rinse the kraut really well.  That takes away some of the tartness of it, which is what he has the biggest problem with.  I don't like Thousand Island, but you really can't taste it in here.  It just adds the tiniest bit of sweetness to the sandwich.
I made these tonight, but I didn't follow recommendations for amounts or anything, just the order in which the ingredients were added.  I didn't bring my meat and cheese to room temp, but when I put them in the skillet, I put the lid on it, to warm the entire thing.  That worked just fine.  When I rinsed the kraut in the colander, I did it with warm water, so that warmed it enough that I didn't have to warm it separately.  Hubby asked for seconds, and both boys loved them too.  Definite winner for us.  :-)

Pumpkin Delight Dessert ***

This was delicious!  My grandma always made a cake she called a Robert Redford, which was basically a vanilla version of this.  Then my mom picked up and made a chocolate version, aptly named Chocolate Delight.  This one miraculously popped up on my Pinterest feed the very same day that my mom asked me to bring a dessert for a family get-together.  It was perfect!  I made it that morning, and it was good to go by the afternoon.  I will say, though, there were a couple pieces left over that the kids had for snack the next day, and it is so much better the second day.  I would probably make it the day before next time.  But however you look at it, this is a total winner for us!  I made it in a 9x13, and if you do that, be sure to follow her notes about increasing the crust amounts.  You don't want to skimp on that deliciousness!

PUMPKIN DELIGHT DESSERT
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ LilLuna)

1 cup Flour
1/2 cup Butter (softened)
1/2 cup plus 1/4 cup Pecans, chopped
8 oz. Cream cheese, softened
1 cup Powdered sugar
3 cups Whipped topping, divided
2-1/2 cups Milk
3 small pkgs. White chocolate instant pudding mix (or vanilla) - 3.4 oz. boxes
1 (15 oz) can Pumpkin puree
1 tsp. Pumpkin spice

Layer 1: Mix flour, butter and 1/2 cup pecans together. Press into a sprayed 9x9 OR 9x13 pan. (For a 9x13 or if you would like more crust add an additional 1/2 cup flour, 1/4 cup butter and 1/4 cup chopped pecans.) Bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees, then remove and let cool.
Layer 2: Blend cream cheese and powdered sugar, add 1 cup of the whipped topping then spread over cooled crust.
Layer 3: Mix milk, pudding mix, canned pumpkin, pumpkin spice and 1 cup whipped topping until smooth. Spread over top of layer 2.
Layer 4: Spread remaining 1 cup of whipped topping and sprinkle pecans.
Let chill for 3 hours or until set.

Crockpot Stacked Enchiladas ****

We love this more and more each time I make it.  I know that a lot of people don't like the doughy texture that tortillas get in the crockpot, but honestly, it's one of our favorite parts.  The 10-year-old even picked his tortillas out and ate them first before finishing the rest, lol.  I'm sure the corn tortillas would hold up much better than the flour, though.  We just happen to like the flour.  They all told me over and over how much they loved it.  I personally had to fight the urge to go back for seconds. ;-)

CROCKPOT STACKED ENCHILADAS
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy)

1 (14 ounce) package taco-size corn or flour tortillas
1 (20 ounce) can red enchilada sauce
3 cups shredded cooked chicken or cooked pot roast
1 (10 ounce) can corn
1 teaspoon cumin
1-1/2 cups light cream cheese
1 (4 oz) can green chilies
1 onion, chopped fine
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 can refried beans
1 can sliced black olives (optional)

Mix cooked meat, cumin, cream cheese, green chilies, corn, and onion together.
Spray inside of crock pot with nonstick spray, then pour a little enchilada sauce on the bottom.
Place one tortilla in the bottom of the pot.
Spread 1/4 of the beans on the tortilla.
Cover with 1/4 of the meat mixture.
Pour 1/5 enchilada sauce on top of meat.
Sprinkle some cheese on top of sauce.
Add another tortilla and continue layering until you run out of meat mixture.
You should still have some cheese and sauce left.
Top with a tortilla, then pour remaining enchilada sauce over all.
Cook on HIGH for 4 hours.
When it's done, sprinkle remaining cheese (and black olives, if desired) on top, and replace lid until cheese melts.
Cut into wedges with plastic spatula to serve.

Previous Posts:
4/16/12 ~ We've had this several times, but it's been a few years.  I'm still going through and trying to work some old favorites into our menus, to see how our tastes have changed.  The last time we had this, Monkey 1 was 4, and Monkey 2 was 2.  They're now 8 and 6.  How time flies!  They loved it this time around.  The recipe has changed so much over the years that I'm no longer even sure where I got it.  I do love it, though.  We prefer the flour tortillas, because they soften up so well.  Others may not be as fond of that and would prefer the texture of the corn.  Either way, you can't go wrong.  :)  This time, I used b/s chicken thighs, since I had some on hand.  In the past, I've used frozen shredded chicken and cooked it 6 1/2 hours on low.  It was still delicious!  It's a very forgiving recipe, which is always nice.  As usual, I served it with my Quick Spanish Rice.

Easy Crockpot Creamy Chicken and Rice Soup **

This was just okay for us.  The 12-year-old loved it, but the rest of us thought it was just so-so.  I really love the Chicken and Wild Rice soup at Panera, and the fact that this tasted nothing like it probably did a lot to stand in the way for me.  I did use wild rice, but that wouldn't have changed the taste.  I can't describe it, but the flavors just didn't blend very well.  Oh well.  Back to the drawing board!

EASY CROCKPOT CREAMY CHICKEN AND RICE SOUP
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ BackforSeconds)

6 cups chicken stock
2 chicken breasts (boneless skinless)
2 bay leaves
2 stalks celery (chopped)
1 medium onion (chopped)
2 carrots (chopped)
salt (to taste)
1 teaspoon lemon pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
3/4 cups long grain rice (NOT quick cooking rice)
1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup milk
10oz corn

1. Add everything to the crock pot except the rice, corn, flour and milk. Cover and cook for 8 hours. The chicken will cook in the broth and add more flavor to the soup.
2. Halfway through cooking add the rice (or you can stir in already cooked rice at the end).
3. About 30 minutes prior to serving, shred the chicken. In a small container with a lid shake together flour and milk really well and stir into soup. Add Corn. Let cook for 30 minutes more to allow the soup to thicken.
*NOTE: It seems like newer crock pots cook much faster than the older ones, so please keep that in mind. My crock pot is newer and cooks very hot. I cook this soup on low on the 8 hour setting and it is done in 4 1/2 hours. I add the rice about an hour before it's done.