Turtle Pudding:

Ingredients:

1 (16-ounce) box brownie mix

1 large egg

1/4 cup canola oil

1/4 cup water (room temp, or slightly warm)

1 cup chocolate chips

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

20 wrapped soft caramels (unwrapped)

whipped cream or vanilla ice cream for serving (optional)

Directions:

 Use a 4 or 6 quart slow cooker with an inserted oven safe dish.

 In a mixing bowl, combine the brownie mix, egg, oil, and water. When batter has formed, stir in the chocolate chips and walnuts. Pour batter into your dish. Unwrap all of the caramel candies and press them into your brownie batter. 

 Add 1/2 to 1 cup of water into the bottom of your slow cooker, then lower in the brownie dish. Be careful not to splash any water into your batter.

 Cover and cook on high for 3 to 4 hours, or until the edges have pulled away from the sides and the center has set.

 Unplug your cooker, and let the dish set in it for 1 hour with the lid off before removing. Serve warm with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Tangy Lemon Chicken:

Ingredients:

3 to 4 pounds chicken parts
1 (6-ounce) box Lemon Jello powder
3 Tablespoons melted butter
1 Tablespoon prepared Dijon mustard
1 Tablespoon dried minced onion flakes (or one tiny onion, finely diced)

Directions:

Place the chicken into your slow cooker. In a small mixing bowl, combine the jello powder, melted butter, dijon mustard, and onion flakes. Stir together to make a paste. Smear this onto your chicken.
Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.

Enchilada Casserole:

Ingredients:

2 cups cooked chicken
28 oz can of enchilada sauce
1 orange pepper
1 yellow pepper
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
6 corn tortillas
2.5 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Sour cream (optional) 

Directions:

Combine chopped or shredded chicken with the enchilada sauce. Starting with 2 corn tortillas, layer ingredients into the crockpot:

-tortillas
-chicken mixed with sauce
-chopped peppers
-black beans
-cheese

Repeat layers. Finish with a handful of cheese and 1 tablespoon of water.

Cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours.

Chicken Enchilada Chili:

Ingredients:

21 Ingredient Chili:

Ingredients:

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs (cut in 1-inch chunks)

1 onion, diced

1 (15-ounce) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 (15-ounce) can white cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

1 (15-ounce) can corn (drained and rinsed)

1 (15-ounce) can fire roasted tomatoes (whole can)

1 (4-ounce) can diced green chilies

1 medium sweet potato, peeled and grated

1/2 cup spicy brown mustard

2 Tablespoons soy sauce

2 Tablespoons honey

3 Tablespoons chili powder

1 Tablespoon chipotle chili powder 

1 Tablespoon onion powder

1 Tablespoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon white pepper 

1 teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon cumin

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon cloves

2 cups chicken broth

Directions:

Put the chicken into the bottom of your cooker. Add the diced onion, canned beans, tomatoes, chilies, corn, and grated sweet potato. Now add the mustard, honey, and dried spices. Carefully stir well to distribute spices. Pour in the chicken broth.

 Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours, or until chicken easily shreds with two large forks. This will taste best if cooked low and slow. Stir very well and serve in a large bowl with your favorite chili toppings. 

Tamale Pie:

Ingredients:

Cornbread topping:

3/4 cup cornmeal

1 1/4 cup all purpose flour

1 cup milk

1/4 cup sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon baking powder

The Filling:

1 pound ground beef, browned and drained

1 (15-ounce) can drained and rinsed black beans

1 (14.5-ounce) can fire roasted tomatoes
1 (15-ounce) can drained corn

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/4 cup diced onion

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

The Directions:

Spray your crockpot with cooking spray. Dump in the filling ingredients and stir well to distribute the spices. Make sure that the spices aren’t clumped up.

In a separate bowl, mix together the cornbread topping. When finished, pour evenly over the filling, spreading with a spatula if needed.

Cover and cook on low for 4-7 hours or on high for 2-4. This does cook pretty quickly!

Puffy Pizza Casserole:

Ingredients:

Pesto-Spinach Lasagna:

Ingredients:

1 (26-ounce) jar prepared pasta sauce
1 (10-ounce) box lasagna noodles
1 (11-ounce) container pesto
1 (15-ounce) container ricotta cheese
1 (12-ounce) bag baby spinach
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
16 ounces mozzarella cheese, sliced
1/4 cup water

Directions:

Place a spoonful of pasta sauce (about 1/4 cup) into the bottom of your crockpot and swirl it around. Add a layer of uncooked lasagna noodles (you're going to have to break them to make a layer). Smear ricotta cheese and pesto onto the noodles. Add a handful or two of baby spinach, and top with a layer of Parmesan and sliced mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers until you've run out of ingredients. You may have to squish it down to make it fit. Before closing the pot, put 1/4 cup of water into the empty pasta sauce jar and close and shake. Pour this saucy water over the top of everything.

Cover and cook on low for 6 hours, or on high for about 3 to 4. You'll know it's done when the top layer begins to brown and the cheese is melted and bubbly. It will also pull a bit away from the sides.

Uncover, and let it sit for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

American Chop Suey:

Ingredients:

1 pound lean ground beef, browned and drained

5 bacon strips, diced

1 large onion, diced

1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced

1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes

1 can water (empty tomato can)

6 garlic cloves, chopped

1 (26-ounce) jar prepared pasta sauce

1 (16-ounce) package elbow macaroni, uncooked

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (optional)

Directions:

In a large skillet, brown the beef, bacon and onion all together until the meat is no longer pink. Drain well and put into your slow cooker. Add everything else except for the pasta and cheese. Stir to combine. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours, or high for about 4. Stir in the raw pasta and cook on high for approximately 30 minutes, or until pasta is bite-tender. Serve with cheese sprinkled on top, if desired.

Buffalo Wing Soup:

Ingredients:

2 cups cooked and cubed chicken
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/4 cup flour
2 cups fat free milk (no higher content than 2%, or it will curdle)
3/4 cup chicken broth
4 ounces Velveeta
1/2 cup hot wing sauce
1/2 teaspoon celery salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Directions:

Make a roux with the flour and butter. You can do this in the microwave. In a bowl, melt the butter on high for 45 seconds, then whisk in the flour. Set aside.

Chop up the onion and celery, and dump it into your crockpot. Add the cooked and cubed chicken. Pour in the chicken broth and milk. Add Velveeta. Add the celery salt and garlic powder. Stir in the flour and butter mixture. Add hot sauce. 

Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or on high for 3-4. 

Beef Bourguinon:

Ingredients:

Bean Stew:

Ingredients:

2 cups split peas (or lentils)
6 cups broth of your choice
1 can kidney beans, rinsed
1 can black beans, rinsed
1 potato, chopped
1 yellow bell pepper, cored, seeded, and chopped
4 green onions, chopped
3 tomatoes, chopped
1 cup baby carrots
handful of broccoli (or other veggies you have lying around)
1 teaspoon dill
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1.5 teaspoon paprika

Directions:

Chop up the vegetables to desired size, and throw them in the pot. Rinse the beans, and add. Add the split peas (or lentils). Cover with broth, and stir in the spices.

Cook on low for 7-9 hours, or on high for 4-5. 

Turkey Stew:

Ingredients:

8 cups chicken broth
2 cups peeled and diced sweet potato
1 (28-ounce) can diced or stewed Italian style tomatoes
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon coriander
1 Tablespoon chili powder
1 (15-ounce) can corn
4 cloves chopped garlic OR 1 teaspoon dried garlic powder

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a 6 quart slow cooker and cook on low for 6-7 hours, or until sweet potatoes have reached desired tenderness and flavors have melded. 

Traditional Beef Stew:

Ingredients:

2 pounds beef stew meat

1 yellow onion, peeled and diced

1 cup baby tomatoes, cut in half

2 to 3 ribs celery, sliced

1 cup baby carrots

1 cup green beans

1 cup sliced mushrooms

4 cups beef broth

1/4 cup red wine

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon steak seasoning blend

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1/2 cup flour, for dredging

Directions:

 Wash and chop all of your vegetables, before adding them to your crockpot. Put flour in a shallow bowl and then dredge your meat completely. Place your meat into the crockpot and throw away any extra flour. Add dry seasonings, Worcestershire sauce, wine and beef broth.

 Cover and cook on low for 8-12 hours.

Creamed Corn:

Ingredients:

1 bag frozen white corn

1 can corn

1 Tablespoon butter

1 Tablespoon cream cheese

2 Tablespoons flour

3 Tablespoons fat free milk

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

In a small saucepan, melt your butter and cream cheese over low heat and make a roux, adding your flour slowly and whisking until there aren't any lumps. Add your milk and the liquid from the can of corn to the mix and whisk again. Mix in the black pepper.

Empty the contents of the frozen bag of corn and the corn from the can into your crockpot. Cover with the sauce.

Cook on low for 4-6 hours or on high for 3-4.

Honey Lentils:

Ingredients:

1.5 cups lentils
3 cups water
1/2 red onion, diced
1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup shredded carrot
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried mustard
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
1/3 cup honey

Cowboy Beans:

Ingredients:

1 pound dried pinto beans, soaked overnight
1 small yellow onion, diced
1 pound lean ground beef or turkey (optional)
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1-2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 Tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 (10-ounce) can Rotel (tomatoes with chilies), or traditional chopped tomatoes, your choice
1-2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
7 cups water
sliced jalapenos (optional)

Directions:

Sort pinto beans, and soak overnight in lots of fresh water. In the morning, drain your beans, and pick out any that have split open, or look discolored and shriveled.

Pour into a 6 quart crockpot. Brown hamburger and onion on the stove, and drain fat. While the meat is cooking, add the rest of the ingredients into your crockpot. Start with 1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce and apple cider vinegar. Add the meat, and top with 7 cups of fresh water. Stir to combine.

Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours, or on high for about 6. Taste the beans. If you'd like your beans to have more of a tang, add some more Worcestershire sauce and apple cider vinegar. Top with sliced jalapenos, if desired. 

Ingredients:

1.5 cups quinoa
3 cups broth (chicken or vegetable)
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 sliced or chopped almonds
1/3 cup dried unsweetened cranberries
Handful of baby spinach
1 cup baby tomatoes, halved or quartered depending on size
1/2 block feta cheese, crumbled

Directions:

Pour quinoa into the crockpot. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and mix it around. Add chicken or vegetable broth, the salt, and cinnamon. Stir in almonds and cranberries.

Cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours, or on high for 2-4. The quinoa is done when you can fluff it with a fork and it is tender. The liquid should be pretty well absorbed, similar to how you know rice is done.

Fluff the quinoa with a fork, and add the baby tomatoes and feta cheese. Stir gingerly to mix. Add a large handful of baby spinach to the top of the crockpot, and close the lid. Cook on high for about 20 minutes, or until the spinach has wilted. Stir again to distribute the spinach. 

Italian Rice:

Ingredients:

1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained

6 green onions, sliced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1 cup long-grain white basmati rice

2 cups chicken broth

Directions:

Put the tomatoes and sliced green onions into the bottom of your cooker and add garlic and Italian seasoning. Stir in the raw rice until it's evenly coated with the tomato mixture and spices. Pour in the chicken broth.

Cover and cook on low for 4 hours, or until the rice is tender. Take the lid off and fluff the rice with a fork. Let the slow cooker sit with the lid off for 10-15 minutes before serving to release steam.

Chocolate Covered Strawberries & Apples:

Ingredients:

Fruit – Strawberries, Apples, Pineapple or any other favorite

Chocolate chips – 1 bag or as much as you’d like.

Crockpot

Directions:

Dump chocolate chips into the crockpot.

While the chocolate is melting, wash and prepare the fruit you're going to use, and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

Cook on high for 30 min-1 hr. You will know that the chocolate is ready to stir when it gets really shiny and begins to break down. You can start stirring it when the chip forms are still visible.

Dip fruit pieces into the melted chocolate. Put the covered fruit onto the parchment-paper lined cookie sheets and place into the refrigerator to harden.