Crockpot Teriyaki Chicken Lettuce Wraps

I have your new favorite dinner recipe, right here!

There's no oven involved (but we do get to break out our slow cookers!), every bite is packed with flavor and texture, and this recipe is so super simple! It's a win/win/win.

These Crockpot Teriyaki Chicken Lettuce Wraps are bursting with sweet. sour, and spicy Asian flavors. It's like drippy teriyaki chicken meets fresh and crunchy spring rolls, all tucked together in a piece of fresh, tender bib lettuce. They are light yet satisfying - a perfect summer meal or appetizer! Let's walk through it all...

It all starts with the most unbelievable teriyaki chicken, which we whip up with very little thought thanks to our Crockpots. It starts with chicken breasts and chopped onions layered in the bottom of the pot, doused in an amazing teriyaki marinade. The marinade is quite simple and packed with tasty ingredients you probably already have on hand - teriyaki sauce, soy sauce, sweet chili sauce, lime juice, garlic and ginger. After 4 to 5 hours cooking on high, we simply shred up the chicken, thicken the sauce with a bit of cornstarch, and pile it high on our wraps!

Besides the lettuce, I love adding a handful of vermicelli rice noodles to each leaf of lettuce. The rice noodles soak up the glorious sauce from the chicken and give the whole dish a little more oomph. To finish up, we just need a few simple fixin's. I'm partial to cilantro leaves, sesame seeds, and a squirt or two of sriracha.

Now, this dish...sure, it's a little messy. Your fingers are going to get sticky and you may get teriyaki sauce all over your face. But trust me - for a dish this delicious, it's worth it!

Crockpot French Onion Beef Stew

Beef stew season is here!!

I la-la-love beef stew, in any variety. With barley, over mashed potatoes, with a harvest-style twist, I feel like I've done it all. Cooked low and slow, no matter what you throw in it, it's bound to be delicious. 

This Crockpot French Onion Beef Stew is rooted in tradition - big bites of carrot, potato, celery, and onions cook all day with tender stew beef and rich beef broth. There's not much more you need, but I wanted to try...something else. I happened to have a packet of french onion soup mix in my pantry and I didn't have to think twice - this is what my stew needed. A salty, oniony kick, complimented with a glug of Worcestershire sauce and a can of tomato sauce for a little tang. 

Now, I don't think I need to spend much time on the fact that this is all made in the Crockpot and therefore you hardly have to expend any effort before you get to snuggle up with a big delicious bowl of this stew. Chop up those veggies, dump everything in your trusty slow cooker, do whatever you have to do for 8 hours, and then...dinner time! 

Just a few notes on this stew: french onion soup mix can be VERY salty, so I strongly suggest using a low sodium beef broth and salting very lightly in the beginning. It will be very important to taste and season gradually to avoid over-salting the dish. Also, I always recommend searing your stew beef before adding it to the Crockpot, but this dish will be just as delicious if you skip this step (but oh, boy, it is delicious if you have the time!) Lastly, the stew will freeze well! Once it has finished cooking, cool completely and store in a freezer-safe air tight container for up to 2 months. Defrost in the fridge then reheat in a large pot until warmed through. 

Crock Pot Italian-Style Beef with Cheesy Polenta

I adore this dinner. Simple, slow-cooked, tangy, and cheesy.

These are adjectives to live by! 

Are you, like me, a fool who forgets all about her beloved Crock Pot in the summer? Why do we neglect the one device in our kitchen that cooks our food entirely without an oven?! Well today, we are fixing this problem. 

This Crock Pot Italian-Style Beef with Cheesy Polenta is familiar yet intriguing. Comforting Italian flavors like oregano, parsley, and tangy crushed tomatoes meet boneless chuck steak, make a wonderfully rich ragu as they simmer away while we are at work, THEN get piled high atop a polenta packed with garlic, mozzarella cheese and cracked black pepper. What's not to love?

Oh, I nearly forgot, if you--this time, unlike me--are handy with your summer garden and find it overflooowing with fresh basil, please please PLEASE tear up a bunch and throw it on top. Please? Thank you. 

So, here's how this all goes down:

The night before your delicious dinner: Set out your Crock Pot/slow cooker, the exact spices you need, a can of tomatoes, and honey so you don't have to fumble in the pantry early in the morning. Chop an onion and a clove or two of garlic, then stick them in the fridge in a zip top baggie.

The morning of: Dump onion, garlic, tomatoes, spices, honey, and olive oil in the bowl of your slow cooker. Whisk until combined, then nestle in the steak. Turn on low, go live your life for 8 hours.

Just before dinner: Prepare the most delicious, creamy polenta known to man. Shred up your beef. EAT! 

It's meals like this that remind me why I l.o.v.e. food! Let's eat.

Crockpot Harvest Beef and Barley Stew

I have your new favorite Crockpot dinner ready to go! If you're overwhelmed at the thought of a full 24+ hours of cooking for Thanksgiving, this is a perfect recovery meal (that is better than take-out!)

This Harvest Beef and Barley Stew is the perfect set it and forget it meal that is packed with warm, comforting fall flavors. I love how just a few updates on a classic recipe make this stew feel totally new again!

If you're wondering what exactly makes this a "Harvest" stew, it's really quite simple! I added a couple of small diced sweet potatoes, a few dashes of cinnamon, a dash of nutmeg, and chopped fresh rosemary. The sweetness of the potatoes and cinnamon pair well with the tang of tomato soup and the saltiness of the beef broth to create glorious soupy balance!

If food were blankets, this stew would be the biggest, warmest, flannel-iest blanket you could imagine!

The recipe as written includes one teeny, tiny extra step that I think truly makes a difference in the depth of flavor - dredging the beef in flour and browning it in a cast iron pan prior to dumping everything in the slow cooker. This step is optional if you are really in a pinch, but if you have the time give this technique a try!

Crockpot Lamb Stew

September is here. Isn't that weird? Time flies when you're having fun.

I'm not too mad about September being here. I love the Fall! Fall foods, fall activities, crisp weather. Plus, I feel like I jam-packed my summer with lots of activities--I'm ready to slow it down for a few months before the Holiday season hits.

Speaking of slow, I think it's time we get back into the slow cooking spirit. Let's rev up our Crockpots for some delicious Lamb Stew.

This recipe is hearty and healthy and bursting with flavor. I've combined carrots, turnips, celery, and onions with chunks of lamb shoulder and rosemary. Everything cooks low and slow while you're at work, and when you come home, you're house will smell AMAZING and dinner will be on the table in no time!

How do you guys feel about turnips? I've never even thought about trying them. I just assumed I didn't like them. Recently, however, I've had a change of heart. I love replacing potatoes with turnips in slow cooked stews (see also: Homestyle Beef Stew). They are a little bitter but become more delicious the longer they cook. And they hold up very well in the slow cooker, which is a critical part of creating a good Crockpot meal. Of course, if you don't like turnips - diced potatoes will work beautifully.

I also strongly recommend getting up a little earlier and browning your lamb chunks in a skillet before tossing them in the Crockpot. The depth of flavor that comes from a quick sear is not worth sacrificing for a few extra minutes of shut eye!

To keep your morning effort minimal, try chopping up all your vegetables the night before and storing in an airtight container. Also, if necessary, butcher your lamb shoulder the night before as well.

I served this lamb stew over big egg noodles. The whole meal with keep you feeling full and satisfied. Take a time out from this busy life of ours and curl up on the couch with a bowl of warm, rustic stew.

Ginger Beef and Vegetables (Crockpot)

The entire month of April has HECTIC written all over it for me, and it is at times like this that I am eternally grateful for my Crockpot.

I feel like Crockpot dinners can get monotonous...it's always some kind of soup or stew or pulled pork. I've been searching the ends of the internet for some fresh takes on a typical slow cooker meal.

I stumbled upon this recipe from Fit Magazine and knew I had to give it a try. I love this combination of Asian flavors, and they pair so well with the tender beef round. I simply made adjustments to what vegetables I had on hand.

Ginger Beef and Vegetables is a fun yet simple meal. Nearly all of the prep can be taken care of the night before, with a few finishing touches made just before you eat. This meal is rich in protein and packed with flavorful veggies.

The night before, I pre-chopped all my vegetables and beef. The beef, carrots, scallions, and garlic get added to the bowl of your slow cooker. In a measuring cup, whisk together minced ginger, water, vegetable bouillon, and low-sodium soy sauce. Pour over the meat and carrots and stir to combine. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

In the morning, place the bowl in the body of the slow cooker and cook on low for 9 hours (or high for 4 1/2).

When you get home from work, turn the heat setting to high and stir in the bell pepper. Whisk cornstarch with a little bit of water and stir into the pot. Cover and cook for a bit longer. Remove the cover and stir in green beans (the frozen variety, thawed) and some lime juice. Cook until green beans are warmed and the sauce is to the desired thickness.

I served this beef over brown rice and garnished with additional scallions. This cured our craving for Chinese take out for half the cost and very little work! The beef was tender and packed with the great flavors of ginger and  soy sauce. The crispy beans and soft carrots make this a great vegetable medley. The creamy sauce is so dreamy! Below is the ingredient list and step by step instructions--enjoy!

Pulled Pork Tacos

The obsession I have with my Crock Pot is no secret (see slow cooker pot roast for details).

Now, I'll be honest. I don't limit my Crock Pot gushing sessions to just the internet. Oh no. In fact, anyone who will listen, I will tell them all about the great things this kitchen device can do. A couple of lucky coworkers get to hear all about my adventures with the Crock Pot. I have even, at times, left these same coworkers at happy hour to tend to a meal that had been simmering away for eight hours. WHAT ELSE WAS I SUPPOSED TO DO?!

While some hard feelings remain, I feel that there is a happy ending to this story. A few weeks ago, my friend Lidia brought me some GREAT news -- she had inherited a slow cooker from a friend. I must say, I have never been more proud. That is, until a few days later when she came to work flaunting images of pulled pork tacos she made with said slow cooker.

At this point, I knew she had a secret she wasn't telling me. I narrowed it down to one of three things:

1. She is the heir to the fortune that is Super Chef Bobby Flay's culinary empire.

2. She is Martha Stewart, trapped inside an actuary's body.

Or, most realistically,

3. She is, without a doubt, an evil genius.

First of all, let's talk tacos. Everybody LOVES tacos. They are easy, they are fun, they can feed a large crowd for a small price, they are versatile, they are delicious. What more can you ask for?

Mouth-watering goodness

Oh, of course. You could ask for pulled pork. This American barbecue delicacy is often enjoyed plopped atop a mound of homemade coleslaw or a sesame seed bun. In these forms, it is amazing. But who is to say it can't be transformed into something different?! That's my point! It CAN be made in different ways. And it IS delicious, no matter what. Try it for yourself with my Pulled Pork Tacos.

Here's what you need:

The Flavor Makers

2 to 2.5 pounds of pork (some kind of roast or butt would be best)
1/2 bottle barbecue sauce (I used Jack Daniels Honey Smokehouse, because it's amazing)
1/4 cup of water (or more, if you have more meat. You want a majority of the pork submerged in the liquid)
1 vidalia onion, roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1 packet Sazon Goya (a Spanish seasoning)
chili powder, black pepper, and salt to taste
1 head of romaine lettuce
1 cup of shredded sharp cheddar cheese
6-inch soft tortillas
Fresh cilantro to taste

Here's what you do:

First, remove as much of the meat as possible from the bone. I find this easier to do ahead of time because searching through your final meal for bones is just a hassle. The chunks can be as large or small as you like.
Add the pork, barbecue sauce, water, onion, garlic, Sazon seasoning, chili powder, salt and pepper to your trusty Crock Pot or slow cooker. Stir to combine.
Cook the pork on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours.
When the pork is finished cooking, use two forks to gently pull apart the pieces of pork. This should be a relatively easy process as the meat will be very tender at this point.

Heat up your tortillas for 30 seconds on each side in a dry frying pan.

Finally, build your tacos!

Here's a tip: Because the pulled pork is swimming in the cooking liquid, line your tortillas with lettuce to avoid them getting soggy. Also, allow the pork a second or two to drip dry before you pile it high on your tortilla shell. I did lettuce and cilantro on the bottom, pulled pork on top of that, and the cheese on top of that. Enjoy alongside brown rice and corn or beans.

You could also enjoy these with sour cream, tomatoes, onions, a cole slaw, or any taco topping of your choosing! Have you gotten fancy with your taco dinners recently?

Also...is it just me, or is my tortilla REALLY happy to see me? SMILE!