charisstoma

You can make Apple Sauce, or cook it down to Apple Butter. What ever suits you.
Apple Butter (Crock Pot)


Ingredients-
6 1/2 pounds apples - peeled, cored and sliced
1 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

Instructions-
Place the apples in a slow cooker. In a medium bowl, add sugars, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and salt. Pour the mixture over the apples and mix well.

Cook in slow cooker on low for about 10 hours, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is thickened and dark brown.

Uncover, stir in vanilla and continue cooking uncovered on low for about 2 hours.
Use an immersion blender to puree the apple butter until smooth.
Spoon the mixture into sterile containers, cover and refrigerate for up to two weeks or freeze.

Recipe photo courtesy of John Kernick

Slow-Cooker Bacon Jam
https://www.marthastewart.com/326881/slow-cooker-bacon-jam

Spread this savory bacon jam on bread for a holiday appetizer and send your guests home with a jar. Source: Everyday Food, December 2010

Total time 4 hours Prep 30 mins YIELD 3 cups


Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds sliced bacon, cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces
2 medium yellow onions, diced small
3 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup packed dark-brown sugar
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
3/4 cup brewed coffee
1/2 tsp of red pepper flakes - optional

Directions
1. In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium-high, stirring occasionally, until fat is rendered and bacon is lightly browned, about 20 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towels to drain. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from skillet (reserve for another use); add onions and garlic, and cook until onions are translucent, about 6 minutes. Add vinegar, brown sugar, maple syrup, and coffee and bring to a boil, stirring and scraping up browned bits from skillet with a wooden spoon, about 2 minutes. Add bacon and stir to combine.

2. Transfer mixture to a 6-quart slow cooker and cook on high, uncovered, until liquid is syrupy, 3 1/2 to 4 hours. Transfer to a food processor; pulse until coarsely chopped. Let cool, then refrigerate in airtight containers, up to 4 weeks.

Lasagna Soup
https://www.afarmgirlsdabbles.com/lasagna-soup/

“This Lasagna Soup is truly like lasagna in a bowl. The flavors are lovely. And the ooey gooey cheesy concoction at the bottom of the bowl is YUM!”

yield: 8 SERVINGS cook time:50 MINUTES

Ingredients

THE SOUP:
2 tsp. olive oil
1-1/2 lbs. Italian sausage
3 c. chopped onions
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
2 T. tomato paste (add 1 whole 6-ounce can for a deeper, richer tomato flavor)
29 oz. (two 14.5-ounce cans) fire roasted diced tomatoes
2 bay leaves
6 c. chicken stock
8 oz. mafalda or fusilli pasta
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/2 c. fresh basil leaves, sliced thinly


FOR THE CHEESY YUM:
8 oz. ricotta
1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese


Instructions

For a slow cooker version of this soup, be sure to check out my Slow Cooker Lasagna Soup with Chicken and Mushrooms! (Next post)

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add sausage, breaking up into bite sized pieces, and brown for about 5 minutes. Add onions and cook until softened, about 6 minutes. Add garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Cook for 1 minute. Add tomato paste and stir well to incorporate. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the tomato paste turns a rusty brown color.

Add fire roasted diced tomatoes, bay leaves, and chicken stock. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Add uncooked mafalda pasta and cook until al dente. Do not over cook or let soup simmer for a long period of time at this point, as the pasta will get mushy and absorb all the soup broth. You may even want to consider cooking the noodles separately, and then adding some to individual bowls before ladling the soup over them. This would be an especially smart move if you are anticipating any leftovers. Right before serving, stir in the basil and season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

While the pasta is cooking, prepare the cheesy yum. In a small bowl, combine the ricotta, Parmesan, salt, and pepper.

To serve, ladle soup into bowls and top each bowl with a bit of shredded mozzarella and a good dollop of the cheesy yum. Finish with some freshly ground black pepper over the top and a small scattering of fresh basil.



Quick Tip: To serve, place a dollop of the cheesy yum in each soup bowl, sprinkle some of the mozzarella on top and ladle the hot soup over the cheese.

Serve this lasagna soup with your favorite garlic bread of breadsticks.

Slow Cooker Beef Bourguignon
https://www.cookingmamas.com/slow-cooker-beef-burgundy/

Servings 6 - 8 Cooking time 540 min

Ingredients

8 oz. bacon chopped
4 lbs. beef stew meat preferably chuck
Salt and pepper
1 lg. onion finely chopped
2 carrots peeled and finely chopped
8 cloves garlic minced
2 tsp. chopped fresh thyme leaves
4 T. tomato paste
2 1/2 c. Pinot Noir divided
1 1/2 c. low sodium chicken broth
1/3 c. soy sauce
3 bay leaves
3 T. Minute Tapioca
2 c. frozen pearl onions
5 T. unsalted butter
1 T. granulated sugar
1/2 c. water
10 oz. pkg. white mushrooms quartered
1/4 tsp. salt
3 T. minced fresh parsley leaves
Hot buttered egg noodles for serving

Instructions

1. Cook bacon in large skillet over medium-high heat until crisp. Using slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towel-lined plate and refrigerate. Pour half of bacon fat into small bowl; set skillet with remaining bacon fat aside.

2. Dry beef thoroughly with paper towels. Season beef with salt and pepper; place half of beef in slow cooker. Heat skillet containing remaining bacon fat over medium-high heat until just smoking. Cook remaining beef in single layer until deep brown on all sides, about 8 minutes. Transfer browned beef to slow cooker.

3. Add reserved bacon fat to now-empty skillet and heat over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add onion, carrots, and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook until vegetables begin to brown, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and thyme and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add tomato paste and stir until beginning to brown, about 45 seconds. Transfer mixture to slow cooker.

4. Return now-empty skillet to high heat and add 1 1/2 cups wine, chicken broth, and soy sauce. Simmer, scraping up brown bits, until pan bottom is clean, about 1 minute. Transfer wine mixture to slow cooker
Stir bay leaves and tapioca into slow cooker. Set slow cooker on LOW, cover, and cook until meat is fork-tender, 8- 9 hours.

5. Meanwhile, about a 1/2 an hour before the stew is done cooking, bring frozen pearl onions, unsalted butter, sugar and water to boil in large skillet over high heat. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat until onions are tender, about 5 minutes. Uncover, increase heat to high, and cook until liquid evaporates, about 3 minutes. Add mushrooms, and 1/4 tsp. salt and cook until vegetables are browned and glazed, about 5 minutes. Stir the onions and mushrooms into the stew.

6. Discard bay leaves and stir in reserved bacon. Bring remaining 1 cup wine to boil in large skillet over high heat and simmer until reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Stir reduced wine and parsley into stew and adjust seasonings. Serve over buttered egg noodles. Bon Appetit!

Cook's Note: Make sure to use the LOW setting on your slow cooker; the stew will burn on the HIGH setting.

Slow Cooker Swiss Steak
https://tasteerecipe.com/2016/10/07/fire-slow-cooker-cuz-swiss-steak-night-classic-recipe-crock-pot/2/

“Tender steak and vegetables slow cooked in gravy then served over creamy mashed potatoes.”

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs. top round steak cut into small steaks or 1-inch pieces
1 (8-oz.) pkg. sliced fresh mushrooms
1 c. onion sliced
1 c. celery sliced
1 T. minced garlic
1 (14.5-oz.) can diced tomatoes
1 (8-oz.) can tomato sauce
1/2 c. water
1 (0.87-oz.) pkg. brown gravy mix
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper


Instructions

In a 4 to 6-quart slow cooker, combine steak, mushrooms, onion, celery, and garlic.

In a medium bowl, combine tomatoes, tomato sauce, ½ cup water, gravy mix, salt, and pepper.

Pour over steak mixture. Cover and cook on LOW for 8 to 10 hours. Serve over mashed potatoes with a mixed green salad.

Quick Tip: You can use canned tomatoes for this recipe but sometimes you might like to use salsa.

Slow Cooker Italian Pot Roast


https://thelemonbowl.com/slow-cooker-italian-pot-roast/

“Slow Cooker Italian Pot Roast comes together in minutes and will permeate your house with the aromas of rosemary, garlic and red wine while it cooks.”

This is cooked in slow cooker, which makes the meat absorb the flavors more. Slow cooker also makes this super tender, a quality we all love in our meat dishes.

Servings: 8 servings Calories: 366 kcal
Author: Liz DellaCroce

Ingredients

3 lb beef roast chuck will produce the most tender result
5 teaspoons salt divided
1 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 cloves garlic peeled left whole
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
4 celery stalks quartered
2 carrots peeled and quartered
32 ounce can whole peeled tomatoes
2 cups beef broth
1 cup dry red wine or additional beef broth
fresh parsley to serve

Instructions

1. Take the beef roast out of the refrigerator and let come to room temperature by sitting on the counter 10-15 minutes.

2. Sprinkle roast evenly with 3 teaspoons kosher salt and all of the pepper.

3. Heat a Dutch oven or large pan over high heat (or insert of Slow Cooker with Stove Top Browning) then add olive oil.

4. Sear beef roast on all sides, rotating every 3-4 minutes, so that it forms a golden brown crust on all sides. Remove from pan and place in slow cooker if you didn’t use the stove-top-safe slow cooker insert.

5. Add all remaining ingredients to the slow cooker: garlic, rosemary, celery, carrots, tomatoes, beef broth, wine and remaining 2 teaspoons of kosher salt.

6. Heat on Low for 8 Hours.

7. To serve, remove beef from slow cooker and let rest 10 minutes. Shred with fork or slice against the grain. Serve with vegetables on the side and fresh parsley.

Slow Cooker Ham and Potato Soup
http://tasteerecipe.com/2016/09/21/slow-cooker-ham-soup-easier-cook/2/

This soup is creamy and amazing. It’s reminiscent of baked potato soup but the ham and onion gives it that distinct flavor of the casserole. Served this with crusty French bread. Freeze leftovers and have for lunch. Soup – it really stretches!

Makes twelve 1-cup servings.

Ingredients

7 cups potatoes, diced
1 medium onion diced
1 large carrot, chopped
2-3 cups ham, diced *
2 teaspoons parsley
1 teaspoon thyme leaves
pepper to taste
5 cups Chicken Broth (can use low sodium)
1 cup milk
½ cup sour cream
Pepper to taste


Directions


1. Add diced potatoes, onion, carrot, ham, thyme, parsley, pepper & broth to a crock pot.

2. Cook on low 7 hours, or on high 3 hours if pressed for time.

3. Remove 2-3 cups of the potatoes/carrots and mash, then return this mixture to the slow cooker.

4. Add milk and sour cream. Stir and cook an additional 15 minutes.

5. Add pepper to taste. Makes twelve 1-cup servings.



Quick Tip: I put some chopped scallions on top of our bowls of soup along with a sprinkle of shredded cheddar cheese.

* Quick Tip: Virginia baked ham is perfect in this recipe. Get an extra thick slice from the deli and dice it up!
Even ham lunch meat will work perfect in this dish. If you’re not a fan of chunky pieces of ham you can get deli sliced meat and just rip it up in there.

Apple Goodie In A Crock Pot

Soft, cinnamon apples, crumbly and addictive topping. This apple crisp has caramel too which puts it over the top. This is one of those desserts that you take a bite and just hold it in your mouth for a bit and savor. The caramel hardens a bit and makes the consistency perfect. It’s like a candy bar and classic apple dessert all in one.

Ingredients


For the apples:
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
5 large apples, peeled and cut into chunks
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon

For the topping:
2/3 cup rolled oats
2/3 cup loosely packed brown sugar
1/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3-4 tablespoons softened butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract


Instructions


In a mixing bowl, mix together brown sugar, granulated sugar, apples, salt, and cinnamon. Spread onto bottom of slow cooker.

Mix your crumble topping ingredients until it’s incorporated. Sprinkle it over top of the apples. Cook on low for 4 hours, or high for 2 hours.

Turn off the slow cooker and let sit, covered, for one hour to let the caramel get thicker.

Quick Tip:
It’s better to peel the apples, but truly you could leave the peel on and it’d be delicious still.

Balsamic Pork Tenderloin

Cook the juices down in a separate pan to make a glaze. Serve over Jasmine rice or other starch.

Ingredients

2-3 pound boneless pork tenderloin
1 cup chicken or vegetable broth
½ cup balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon La Choy soy sauce
1 tablespoon honey
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 cloves garlic, chopped

Instructions

Place pork tenderloin into the insert of your slow cooker. In a 2-cup measuring cup, mix together all remaining ingredients. Pour over pork and set the timer for your slow cooker. (6-8 hours on Low)

Once pork tenderloin has cooked, remove from slow cooker with tongs (or slotted spoon)into a serving dish. Break apart lightly with two forks and then ladle about ¼ – ½ cup of gravy over pork tenderloin.

Store remaining gravy in an airtight container in the refrigerator for another use.



http://tasteerecipe.com/2016/08/18/mouth-watering-falling-apart-juicy-meat-5-minutes-prep-im-forever/2/

CROCKPOT FRENCH ONION SOUP
http://slowcookerster.com/crockpot-french-onion-soup/


Caramelizing onions makes them sweet tasting. With this recipe there's no need to stand over the stove & caramelize the onions in a saucepan. Usually, the saucepan is not big enough to make several servings of onion soup. This is where the crockpot comes in handy. Melt the cheese and add a salad for a easy planned dinner.

Ingredients:

3 pounds yellow onions, peeled, cut in half and thinly sliced
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or more to taste

2 sprigs fresh thyme
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
8 cups (2 32-ounce cartons) beef broth
⅓ cup brandy, optional but recommended

4 to 6 baguette slices, toasted (1 slice per bowl)
1 ⅓ to 2 cups grated Gruyere cheese (⅓ cup per bowl)

Instructions:

Put the onion slices in a 5-quart (or larger) slow cooker, along with the butter, olive oil, salt, and black pepper.
Cover the crockpot and cook on low overnight, or for 10-12 hours. The onions should be dark golden brown and soft.

Add the beef broth, balsamic vinegar, and fresh thyme.
Cover and continue cooking on low for 6 to 8 hours.
Season to taste with additional salt and pepper, if desired, and stir in the brandy, if using.

Baguette & Cheese Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 degrees Celcius).

In evenly-portioned amounts, ladle the soup into oven-safe bowls. Place the bowls on a baking sheet to catch any spills while in the oven.

Top each bowl with a baguette slice and the shredded Gruyere.

Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, until the cheese is completely melted.

Turn the oven to broil and brown the tops for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbling and browned. Remove from the oven and let cool for a few minutes before enjoying!