Embracing Him

This morning my mother called looking for a quick and easy Crock Pot recipe using beef. Tomorrow she plans to provide a meal for a church member recovering from surgery.

The recipe I shared with her came to me from an unlikely place. A few years ago as JT and I were sitting in the lobby of the title company waiting to close on our current home, I realized I needed to change my daughter’s diaper. I walked over to the receptionist to ask for directions to the nearest bathroom. She was wrapping up a telephone conversation with one of her children and concluded by saying something along the lines of “Dinner is in the Crock Pot. I’ll be home soon.”

The mention of a Crock Pot piqued my interest, so when the receptionist hung up I inquired about the simmering contents of her Crock Pot. She smiled and eagerly shared the recipe for Pepsi Pot Roast, one of the easiest and tastiest Crock Pot recipes we’ve ever enjoyed.

When I make it, I throw in a few carrots, onions, and red potatoes for a nice stew. I also season and sear my roast in a pan before adding it to the Crock Pot. You don’t have to do this, but I find searing allows the seasoning to adhere to the meat and gives it a bit more flavor. Feel free to add whatever you like and make the recipe your own.

Pepsi Pot Roast:
1 pot roast (3 or 4 pounds)
1 envelope dry onion soup mix
1 bottle of Pepsi (12 ounces)
1 jar chili sauce (12 ounces)

Place the pot roast in the Crock Pot. In a medium bowl combine the soup mix, Pepsi, and chili sauce. Pour over the roast and cook on low for 8 hours.

Photo:Courtesy of wingerz (Flickr)

One of my most treasured kitchen items is my Crock Pot (also known as a slower cooker) and once fall hits, I use it quite often. I love the convenience of tossing a few items into it, setting the timer, going along my merry way, and returning hours later to find a great homemade meal.

If you are planning to give your slow cooker a workout (and I HIGHLY recommend doing so) I’ve found it’s helpful to keep several items stocked in your pantry as many slow cooker recipes call for their use: condensed cream soups (celery, mushroom, chicken), tomato soup, canned/crushed tomatoes, beef and chicken broth, Worcestershire sauce, onion soup mix, chili sauce, Italian salad dressing (liquid as well as dry packets), barbecue sauce, soda (ginger ale, cola, lemon lime), and cranberry sauce. Also, make clean up easy by lining your slow cooker with a Slow Cooker Liner. They are made by Reynolds and can be found in the paper and plastic aisle of the supermarket.

Today’s recipe is one we recently tried and loved. I shared the recipe with my friend Monica and she said her family enjoyed it as well. The recipe yields a good amount of food and has a flavorful sauce that is good with pasta. As always, adjust the ingredients to your family’s liking and feel free to use low fat/low sodium ingredients. You won’t be able to tell the difference.

Slow Cooker Chicken Stroganoff:
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cubed
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 cup white wine
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 package Italian style salad dressing mix
1 package cream cheese (8 oz)
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup (10.75 ounce)

Place chicken, butter, dressing mix, white wine, and chicken broth into the slow cooker. Mix together and cook on low for 5 to 6 hours. Add cream cheese and soup, mix together and cook on high for another half hour or until heated through and warm.

My modifications: I thought a whole block of cream cheese would make the recipe too rich so I used half a block and was pleased. I found 5-6 hours was too long a cooking time and the chicken was a bit dry. Next time, I’ll shorten the cooking time to about 4 hours. Before serving, I sprinkled the pot with some black pepper and stirred it well. I served the chicken over bowtie pasta. Consider adding a can of mushrooms as well for a true stroganoff feel.

Photo: Courtesy of rwc2austin (flickr)

This past weekend, I participated in a soup contest. I took a Crock Pot full of homemade soup to a local community center and spent the day serving soup to the community and judges. I was there all day, but JT, the girls, and my mom stopped by for a little while to offer their support.

The winners will be announced at a later date so I don’t know how I did. However, JT told me he heard compliments about my soup while sitting at his table. In addition, a woman pulled me aside and told me, “I have to say your soup was one of the better ones!”

I first made this soup for Beyond Measure, our cooking club back in January. It was well received there so I’m posting it here just in case you’d like to give it a try.

Curried Chicken Soup:

¼ cup butter
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 carrot, diced small
½ cup onion, chopped
½ apple, diced small
1½ tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons curry powder
4 cups chicken stock
¼ cup orzo, uncooked
2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, grilled and cut into cubes
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon cinnamon
Salt and pepper to taste
1 pinch dried thyme
2 tablespoons cilantro, finely chopped

Melt the butter in a large soup pot and sauté celery, carrot, onion, and apple until tender. Add flour and curry, and cook 3-5 more minutes. Add chicken stock, mix well, and bring to a boil. Simmer about ½ hour.

Add orzo, chicken, cayenne pepper, cinnamon, salt, pepper, and thyme. Simmer 15-20 minutes, or until orzo is done.

Garnish the soup with cilantro and serve hot.