Chapter 3: Appetizers

French Meatballs

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp. dry sherry

1 pkg. dry onion soup mix

1 jar beef gravy

2 pkgs. Cooked meatballs

Directions:

1. Arrange the meatballs as evenly as possible in the bottom of the slow cooker.
2. Mix the gravy, soup mix, and sherry in a bowl before pouring on top of the meatballs.
3. Place the lid on top of the slow cooker and cook this meal for about 5 hours on a low setting before enjoying.

Taco Soup

Ingredients:

1 can green chilies, diced

1 can tomatoes, diced

1 can Rotel tomatoes

1 can corn

1 can white beans

1 can pinto beans

1 envelope taco mix

1 envelope Ranch dressing

1 lb. shredded chicken

Directions:

1. Cut the meat up a bit to fit better into the soup. Place all of the ingredients into the slow cooker without draining the liquid from the cans.
2. Place the slow cooker on a low setting and cook for 4 hours.
3. Serve this warm with some cheese or other toppings of your choice.

Mexican Chicken Soup

Ingredients:

1 can diced tomatoes

1 can tomato sauce

1 can chicken broth

½ tsp. chipotle pepper

2 tsp. Tabasco sauce

1 tsp. salt

2 tsp. pepper

2 tsp. cumin

1 Tbsp. chili powder

2 Tbsp. minced cilantro

2 minced garlic cloves

4 chopped tomatoes

½ c. onion, chopped

1 chopped jalapeno pepper

2 chopped Anaheim chilies

3 c. shredded chicken

Directions:

1. Bring out the slow cooker and place all of the ingredients inside, stirring to mix well.
2. Cook this on a high setting for about three hours or a low setting for six hours.
3. When ready to serve, add on a bit of garnish and enjoy.

Spanish Rice

Ingredients:

2 lbs. ground beef

2 chopped onions

2 chopped sweet peppers

1 c. beef broth

1 can diced tomatoes

1 can tomato sauce

2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 Tbsp. chili powder

1 c. uncooked brown rice

Directions:

1. Take out a frying pan and brown up the ground beef until it is done. Drain out the fat before placing into the slow cooker.
2. Add in the rest of the ingredients and stir before covering the slow cooker.
3. Cook the dish on a low setting for about 8 hours or until done. Serve warm and enjoy.

Stuffed Peppers

Ingredients:

3 c. uncooked rice

3 lbs. ground turkey

7 ½ c. marinara sauce, low sodium

9 peppers

8 c. no salt canned tomatoes

Directions:

1. To begin this recipe, take the peppers and cut off all their tops. Remove the seeds and then wash them off.
2. In a bowl, mix the turkey and the rice together. Fill up the peppers with this meat filling before placing the pepper into a slow cooker. Fill up the rest of the pepper with tomato sauce and then surround with the canned tomatoes.
3. Place the lid on top of the slow cooker and let the mixture cook for about 10 hours on a low setting. Serve warm.

Veggie Chili

Ingredients:

3 peeled and diced carrots

2 diced celery ribs

1 diced red onion

Cooking spray

16 oz. sliced mushrooms

1 Tbsp. chili powder

1 diced yellow bell pepper

1 tsp. basil, dried

1 Tbsp. cumin

1 tsp. chipotle chili powder

1 can tomato sauce

3 c. tomato juice

1 c. whole kernel corn

4 cans beans

Directions:

1. Take the first three ingredients and sauté them in a skillet that has been coated in the cooking spray. Cook them for about 10 minutes so that they have time to become translucent.
2. Add in the garlic, mushrooms, and peppers and sauté for another 3 minutes before adding in the spices and chili powder and sautéing for another 3 minutes.
3. At this time you can stir the tomato juice and the tomato sauce together in a slow cooker until they are smooth. Add in the sautéed vegetables, corn, beans, and diced tomatoes.
4. Cover and cook this on a low setting for 8 hours before serving.

Chicken Noodle Soup

Ingredients:

½ c. peas

1 c. diced carrots

1 c. diced celery

1 c. diced onion

4 c. chopped chicken, cooked

2 c. cooked egg noodles

Pepper

Salt

2 tsp. fine herbs

2 cans cream of mushroom soup

4 cans chicken broth.

Directions:

1. Take the meat off the bones and then dice it up into smaller pieces. Place the chicken along with the carrot, celery, peas, and onions into the bottom of your slow cooker.
2. Mix in the broth, pepper, salt, fine herbs, and mushroom soup and stir to combine everything together.
3. Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook the mixture on a low setting for about 8 to 9 hours.
4. When you are ready to eat, pour in the cooked egg noodles and you are ready to go.

Pasta Soup

Ingredients:

8 oz. pasta

1 jar spaghetti sauce

1 tsp. Tabasco sauce

5 tsp. parsley

2 tsp. pepper

3 tsp. oregano

2 cans beef stock

1 can drained white kidney beans

1 can drained red kidney beans

2 cans tomatoes, diced

4 chopped celery stalks

3 chopped carrots

1 chopped onion

2 lbs. ground beef

Directions:

1. Add the ground beef to your skillet and fry it until the beef is cooked all the way through. Drain out the beef and add into the crock pot. Add in the rest of the ingredients, besides the pasta.
2. Place the lid on top of the slow cooker and cook on a high setting for five hours or a low setting for eight hours.
3. During the last hour, pour the pasta into the slow cooker and let it cook before serving.

Minestrone Soup

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp. Italian seasoning

3 garlic cloves

1 onion, diced

1 ½ c, celery, chopped

2 c. potatoes, chopped

2 c. carrots, chopped

1 can diced tomatoes

1 ½ c zucchini, diced

1 can green beans, drained

1 can cannelli beans, drained

1 can red kidney beans, drained

4 c. vegetable stock

3 c. tomato juice

2 c. water

2 bay leaves

½ tsp. pepper

1 tsp. salt

1 c. ditalini pasta

Directions:

1. Slice up the vegetables before adding them into the slow cooker along with the rest of the ingredients for the soup.
2. Place the lid on your slow cooker and let this cook on a low heat for about 7 hours.
3. Serve this with a bit of cheese on top and enjoy.

Potato Soup

Ingredients:

1 pkg. cubed cream cheese

1 can cream of chicken soup

3 cans chicken broth

1/3 c. chopped onion

8 c. potatoes, diced

½ lb. cooked and crumbled bacon.

Directions:

1. For this recipe, arrange the potatoes, broth, chicken soup, and onion inside the slow cooker.
2. Cover your slow cooker and let it cook the soup on a low setting for about 8 hours. After this time, pour in the cream cheese and stir around.
3. Add the bacon and chives as toppings as you serve.

Split Pea Soup

Ingredients:

1 chopped onion

3 sliced carrots

2 c. ham, diced

1 pkg. split peas, dried

1 ½ qts. Hot water

½ tsp. pepper

½ tsp. seasoning salt

1 bay leaf

2 minced garlic cloves

2 chopped celery stalks

Directions:

1. Prepare the vegetables so they are smaller before placing them into the slow cooker along with the rest of the ingredients. Add in the water, but do not blend.
2. Cover the slow cooker and let the ingredients cook together for about 8 hours on a low setting.
3. Before serving, take the bay leaf out and mix everything together.

White Chicken Chili

Ingredients:

1 can chicken broth

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 can green chilies

1 envelope taco seasoning

1 can hominy

2 cans navy beans

1 ¼ c. chicken

Directions:

1. Take the chicken and arrange it at the bottom of your slow cooker. Top with the beans and the corn.
2. Pour the cream of chicken soup, taco seasoning, chicken broth, and chilies on top of the chicken and then place the top on to the slow cooker.
3. Cook this mixture on a high setting for 5 hours or until the chicken is cooked through. Break up the chicken into smaller pieces and then dish out while...