RECIPE: Chili Steak and Black Bean Tacos

Flank Steak was on sale this week at the local market, so I hopped online and found a great recipe for chili steak and black bean tacos. It came together easy and tasted great (just like I like it!). I added some seasonings to the original recipe, feel free to experiment with the spices to your tastes. I like to serve these with shredded cheese (try pepper jack for something different), sour cream, guacamole, and salsa.

2 cups low sodium beef broth

1.5 tbsp. chili powder (Have you ever tried Ray's Chilli brand? the spices are AMAZING!!)

1.5 lb. flank steak (remove excess fat, but don't be afraid to leave some for flavor)

1 lg. can of black beans (rinsed and drained)

1 small can of green chilies (get mild if you don't want the BITE)

1 tsp. black pepper

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. garlic powder

• Mix chili powder, garlic, and beef broth in slow cooker
• Add beef, turning in broth to cover with spices
• Cook on LOW for 6-8 hours, or until tender and easy to shred with forks
• Remove beef and set aside
• Drain all but 1/3 cup of liquid from slow cooker
• Shred beef with forks
• Place beef back into slow cooker along with salt/pepper, beans, and chilies (dice these)
• Mix well and cook an additional 45 minutes on LOW
• ENJOY!

RECIPE: Stuffed Pork Loin (w/ dried fruit)

Pork Tenderloin is one of the easiest meats to cook in the slow cooker and is a GREAT offering to impress company. This recipe takes the pork loin up a notch by adding in the sweetness of dried fruit, while keeping the meat moist and delicious.

1 (4 lb.) Pork Tenderloin

2 tbsp. olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

1.5 cups dried stone fruit (plums, peaches, apricots)

1/2 cup sherry

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1/4 tsp. black pepper

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. dried thyme

2 tbsp. butter

• Heat oil in skillet
• Brown tenderloin over medium-high heat
• Remove and set aside
• Melt butter (safe skillet), add onions and cook until soft
• Add sherry and cook a few minutes, scraping bits from pan, 3 minutes
• Stir in fruit and spices, cook one minute and remove from heat
• Butterfly tenderloin
• Spread fruit/spice mixture onto roast
• Bring the roast back together and tie with kitchen string
• Pour 1 tablespoon over tenderloin
• Cook on LOW for 5 hours
• Remove roast from slow cooker and let stand 10 minutes before serving
• Transfer cooking liquid into saucepan cook on high heat for three minutes to reduce sauce
• Serve pork tenderloin with sauce
• ENJOY!

RECIPE: Office Christmas Party Dips... 3 ways!

DIPS THREE WAYS

The date has been set, your Yankee swap gift is being carefully selected form last years unopened gifts, and you are trying to figure out what to bring to the Office Christmas Party. FEAR NOT, Crock Star! Here are three PARTY dips that will leave you being the OPH (Office Party Hero)!

Broccoli Cheese Dip

16 oz. Velveeta cheese

1 can of cream of mushroom soup

1 cup of cooked white rice

10 oz. frozen chopped broccoli

1 small yellow onion, chopped fine

1/2 cup chopped celery

• Combine all ingredients in Slow Cooker
• Cook on LOW for 2 hours
• Serve with sliced breads and crackers
• ENJOY!

Pizza Fondue

1 lb. ground beef

1/2 lb. chopped pepperoni

2 jars of tomato sauce

2 cups of grated cheddar cheese

2 cups of grated mozzarella cheese

1 tsp. dried oregano

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 small yellow onion

1 tbsp. cornstarch

• Brown onion and beef
• Combine all ingredients in slow cooker (except cornstarch)
• Cook on LOW for 2-3 hours
• Add cornstarch to thicken fondue if needed
• Serve with breadsticks and green pepper slices
• ENJOY!

Chicken Dip Ole'

2 cups rotisserie chicken shredded

1 can of black beans, drained

2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese

2 bricks of cream cheese

1 can of RoTel, drained

1 tsp. chili powder

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. ground black pepper

• Combine all ingredients in slow cooker
• Cook on LOW for 2 hours
• Serve with tortilla chips
• ENJOY!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS from the King of Crock!

RECIPE: Chicken Stew

I was looking to make a big crock of stew to have for lunches for the week. I poked around some old chicken stew recipes and headed to the market to see what was good. Lo and behold... the boneless chicken thighs (you KNOW that's the King's GO TO CHICKEN) was on sale. I picked up the other ingredients and got to work. 5 Hours later... it is GREAT! Here is the newly created recipe... ENJOY!

2 lbs. boneless chicken thighs - cut ti bite sized pieces

2 cans cream of celery soup (reduced fat)

3 cups of chicken broth

8 small yukon gold potatoes - cut to bite size

1 bag of baby carrots

1 small onion - diced

1 bag of frozen mixed veggies (use whatever you'd like, but I used peas, beans, and corn)

12 crimini mushrooms - quartered

1 tsp. garlic powder

2 tsp. thyme

1 tsp. pepper

1 tsp. basil

pinch of salt

• Brown chicken with onion
• combine all ingredients in slow cooker (except frozen veggies)
• cook on low for 5 hours or until the potatoes and carrots are tender
• Add frozen veggies and cook for an additional 20 minutes
• ENJOY!

Slow Cooker Holiday Shopping Guide

FOR THOSE ABOUT TO CROCK... I SALUTE YOU!

With Black Friday next week and the holidays right around the corner, I thought it was a good time to give you a King's look at my favorite Slow Cookers. While there are a TON of great slow cookers on the market, I have highlighted my three favorite for the season. Remember, slow cookers are NOT all made equal.

When you are purchasing slow cookers pay attention to the following features:

• Does the slow cooker have a removable insert for easy cleaning?
• Does the slow cooker have a "keep warm" feature?
• Does the cooker have a programmable timer?

Without further ado... here are the CROCK STARS of the season.

AWESOME... but expensive.

The Breville 7 Quart Slow Cooker is in a class of its own. This stainless steel cooker, with a cast aluminum crock takes the art of slow cooking to a new level with itsversatility. The materials and design used allows the user to place the non-stick aluminum insert directly on the stove-top to sear meats or saute vegetables. The handle design allows for "straight to tabletop" serving.

PROS:

• Insert can be used on the stove-top
• Insert is aluminum, allowing for an extremely uniform heating
• This product is VERY easy to clean
• The silicon handles allot the insert to be moved from cooker to table
• roasting rack included with purchase
• It looks GOOD!

CONS:

• There are NO timing features (timer, countdown, programmable, etc)
• This cooker may be cost prohibitive ($129 from manufacturer)
• High heat is high, can cause overheating if not attended to

The King of Crock Rating:

Four out of Five CROCK STARS, you will not be disappointed!

_____________

QUALITY... and affordable!

The moderately priced Kenmore 7 Quart Programmable Slow Cooker is as consistent as they come. With both count-down and count-up digital timer, as well as three temperature settings, this cooker is a perfect for any kitchen, for crockery chefs of all skill levels. The removable stoneware insert is super easy to clean. This popular slow cooker is a good entry point to the Crock World.

PROS:

• Removable stoneware insert for easy clean-up
• Easy to use programmable timer
• "Keep Warm" feature kicks in when time has expired... VERY COOL
• At $49.99, this is a good deal for a good cooker

CONS:

• This cooker is HEAVY
• With the stoneware insert and a glass lid, this is a fragile unit
• It is SLOW to get going. High heat takes a long to time to get there
• It's a Kenmore (Sears) product, customer service can be challenging

The King of Crock Rating:

Four out of Five CROCK STARS, a GREAT Value!!

_______________________________________________

UNIQUE... a great gift

The brand new CREATE-A-CROCK from Rival gives you a chance to customize your slow cooker with photos and colors of your liking. Easy ordering online, this new slow cooker would make a GREAT gift for the holidays.

PROS

• You will have a ONE OF A KIND slow cooker
• removable stone insert is dishwasher safe
• has a convenient "keep warm" setting

CONS

• Perhaps a little more than you'd like to pay for a very basic slow cooker ($50 for a cooker that would normally run you $30)
• Online ordering only
• Manual, no programmable timing

The King of Crock Rating:

Three Crock Stars out of Five

___________________________________________

Happy Holidays and Happy Shopping from the King of Crock!

find me on facebook.

RECIPE: Chicken Teriyaki

An Asian favorite, this chicken teriyaki is en easy fix it and forget it meal. Few ingredients, few steps, this one is a keeper.

1 lb. chicken breasts (bone-in)

1 can pineapple chunks

1 bag frozen asian vegetables

6 oz. teriyaki sauce (Kikkoman is a great brand)

• Combine all ingredients in the slow cooker
• Cook on LOW for 5 hours
• Serve over white rice
• ENJOY!

RECIPE: Home on the Range Casserole

Howdy Partners! This weekend, the King is putting royalty aside and kickin' it Cowboy style! This hearty casserole is a great dish for entertaining or for the family dinner.

1 onion, chopped2 pounds ground beef, browned and drained
6 medium potatoes, 1/4 inch slices
1 clove garlic, minced
1 can beans (kidney or green)
1 can diced tomatoes
salt and pepper to taste

• brown the beef, garlic, and onions
• layer beef mixture, potatoes, beans in slow cooker and cover with tomato
• cook on low for 8 hours, or until the potatoes are tender
• ENJOY!