December 2018 – Slow Cooker Meals
Crockpot Parmesan Ranch Mushrooms
Kris Zimmerman, Lititz
“These are delicious as an appetizer or served on top of grilled steak.”
- ½ cup butter
- 16 oz. fresh mushrooms
- package Hidden Valley Ranch dressing mix
- 2 teaspoons Parmesan cheese
Melt butter in bowl, add ranch dressing mix. Pour over mushrooms in crockpot. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Cook on low for 4 hours.
Crockpot Beans & Rice
Kris Zimmerman, Lititz
- 3 cups cooked beans, total
- 1 cup brown rice
- 1 can diced tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon butter, melted
- salt to taste
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 cups water
- hot sauce or cayenne pepper, if desired
Combine rice and butter in the crockpot. Rinse and drain beans. Put remaining ingredients and beans in crockpot. Stir well.
Cover and cook on high for 2 to 3 hours. Begin checking at 2 to 2½ hours to see if rice is done.
Cheesy Chicken, Bacon, Tater Tot Crockpot Bake
Kris Zimmerman, Lititz
- 32 oz. bag tater tots
- 3 oz. jar real bacon bits
- 5 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1½ cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 1½ cups shredded Monterey Jack pepper cheese
- ¾ cup milk
- salt & pepper to taste
Grease bottom of crockpot. Layer half the tater tots on bottom of crockpot. Sprinkle with ¼ jar of bacon bits.
Combine the two cheeses, and sprinkle 1/3 of it over the bacon and tots.
Top cheese with chicken breasts. Sprinkle chicken with salt & pepper.
Top chicken with another 1/3 of cheese. Sprinkle with another ¼ of the jar of bacon bits.
Add remainder of tater tots. Top with final 1/3 of the cheese. Pour milk over top.
Cook on high for 3 to 4 hours.
Easy Crock Pot Meal
Janice Martin, East Earl
“Prepare in the morning and in 3 to 4 hours you will have a nice lunch to serve!”
- meat (chicken, turkey or beef)
- potatoes (sweet, white or red) or rice
- carrots (baby or whole)
Cook on low till finished, 3 to 4 hours. If using beef, you might have to cook the meat for and hour or two before adding the other things.)
Easy Pot Roast & Veggies
Janice Martin, East Earl
- 3 to 4 lbs. chuck roast, trimmed of fat
- 4 medium potatoes, cubed (unpeeled)
- 4 medium carrots, sliced OR 1 lb. baby carrots
- 2 celery ribs, sliced thin (optional)
- 1 envelope dry onion soup mix
- 3 cups water
Put roast, potatoes, carrots and celery in 4 to 5 quart slow cooker. Add onion soup mix and water. Cover. Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.
Yield: 6 servings
Gone All Day Casserole
Janice Martin, East Earl
- 1 cup uncooked rice, rinsed and drained
- 1 cup chopped celery
- 1 cup chopped carrots
- (2) 4 oz. cans mushroom stems and pieces, drained
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- ½ cup slivered almonds
- 1¼ teaspoon seasoned salt
- 2 lb. boneless round steak, cut into 1” cubes
- 3 cups water
Place ingredients in order listed in slow cooker. Cover. Cook on low 6 to 8 hours or until rice is tender. Stir before serving.
Yield: 8 servings
Turkey Loaf
Pat Roth, Ephrata
- 2 lbs. ground uncooked turkey
- 1½ cups soft bread crumbs
- 2 eggs, slightly beaten
- 1 small onion, minced
- 1 teaspoon prepared horseradish
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard
- ¼ cup catsup
- ¼ cup evaporated milk
Combine turkey with the rest of the ingredients. Form into a 7” round loaf. Place in the bottom of slow cooker.
Cover and cook on low for 5 to 6 hours.
Makes 6 to 7 servings.
Spiced Apricot Punch
Pat Roth, Ephrata
“Makes a nice Christmas punch.”
- 46 oz. can apricot nectar
- 3 cups orange juice
- ½ cup brown sugar, packed
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 3 sticks cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon whole cloves
In a crock pot, combine apricot nectar, orange juice, brown sugar and lemon juice.
Tie cinnamon and cloves in small cheesecloth bag, and add to the juices. Cover and heat on low for 2 to 5 hours. Serve hot from the pot.
Yield: 12 servings
Festive Meat Balls
Pat Roth, Ephrata
- 1½ lbs. lean ground beef
- 4½ oz. can deviled ham
- 2/3 cup evaporated milk
- 2 eggs, slightly beaten
- 1 tablespoon grated onion
- 2 cups soft bread crumbs
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon allspice
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- ¼ cup flour
- ¼ cup water
- 1 tablespoon catsup
- 1 teaspoon dill weed
- 1 cup sour cream
Combine beef and ham with milk, eggs, onion, bread crumbs, salt, allspice and pepper. Shape into meat balls about 2” round. Carefully arrange meat balls in crock pot. Cover and cook on low for 2½ to 3½ hours.
Turn control up to high. Stir in flour that has been dissolved in ¼ cup water. Add catsup and dill weed. Cook on high for 20 minutes or until slightly thickened.
Turn off the heat and stir in sour cream.
Makes 5 to 7 servings.
Crockpot Lasagna
Cheryl Hoover, Stevens
- 1½ to 2 lbs. hamburger
- 12 oz. package wide noodles
- 1 jar spaghetti sauce
- ½ cup margarine
- 16 oz. box Velveeta cheese
- 1 bag shredded mozzarella
Brown hamburger. Cook noodles and drain. Add margarine to hot noodles. Stir well to melt.
Layer in crockpot, starting with sauce, hamburger, noodles and cheese. Cut Velveeta in small chunks. Layer three times to fill crockpot. Cook on low 4 hours.
Slow Cooker Pumpkin Pie Pudding
Gloria Dougherty, Akron
“It tastes just like pumpkin pie but without the crust.”
- 15 oz. can solid packed pumpkin
- 12 oz. can evaporated milk
- ½ to ¾ cup sugar
- ½ cup Bisquick
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- Cool Whip
Mix all ingredients except Cool Whip together in food processor. Pour into greased slow cooker. Sprinkle with additional cinnamon (optional). Cover and cook on low for 4 hours.
Serve with Cool Whip, frozen yogurt, etc.
Baked Corn
Gloria Dougherty, Akron
- 1 qt. corn, fresh or frozen
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup milk
- 1/8 teaspoon pepper
- 2 teaspoons oil
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 3 tablespoons flour
Combine all ingredients well. Pour into greased slow cooker. Cover.
Cook on high for 3 hours, then on low for 45 minutes.
Note: If using homegrown sweet corn, you could reduce the amount of sugar.