Slow Cooker San Francisco Chops

After seeing this recipe recommended on Grandma Honey's blog, I decided to give it a try. It is the perfect recipe: easy, delicious, with common, inexpensive ingredients! We loved it.

Grandma Honey got this recipe from Mel's Kitchen Cafe, who adapted from a recipe from Jane Deere, both great blogs!

printable recipe

Slow Cooker San Francisco Chops

Serves 4-6

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 pork chops, about 1-inch thick
Salt and pepper for seasoning
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1/4 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon cold water
Hot Cooked Rice, for serving

In a large 12-inch skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat until it is simmering and hot. Season the pork chops on both sides with salt and pepper and place 1 or 2 at a time in the skillet.

Brown the pork chops for 1-2 minutes on each side in the hot oil until golden.

Transfer the chops to the slow cooker.

Add the garlic to the drippings in the skillet and stir constantly over medium heat until the garlic is aromatic and golden (but not burned or it will turn bitter!). Stir in the soy sauce, broth, brown sugar and red pepper flakes; cook and stir until sugar is dissolved.

Pour over chops.

Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 7 to 8 hours until the meat is tender.

If using bone-in pork chops, fish out the bones from the slow cooker. Remove the chops from the slow cooker to a shallow pan or plate – they will most likely be falling apart in tenderness at this point.

In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch and cold water until smooth.

Whisk the cornstarch slurry into the sauce in the slow cooker.

Return the chops to the slow cooker. Turn the slow cooker heat to high and cook for 30 minutes to an hour longer, until the sauce is slightly thickened.

Serve the tender chops over rice and garnish with green onions, if desired.

Crock Pot Ribs

I have come to the conclusion that I never need to go out to eat for good ribs ever again. These ribs are just as good as any I have had in a restaurant. They start out in the crock pot then finish on the grill for a great texture and flavor. Give them a try next time you want to make your loved one a special meal!

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Crock Pot Ribs

1 rack baby back ribs
1 bottle barbecue sauce (we like Sweet Baby Ray's)
1 can Dr. Pepper (not diet)

Cut the rack into 2-3 pieces and place in your crock pot.

Pour the can of soda and bottle of barbecue sauce over the ribs (reserving 1/2 cup barbecue sauce for basting later).

Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours. You don't want to overcook these, they should be tender but not quite falling off the bone. You can serve them like this, but we prefer to finish cooking them on the grill.

Heat your grill to high, place ribs on grill then turn heat to low and cook 15-20 minutes. The initial high heat will add a nice crust.

Don't these look great?! Serve with mashed potatoes and steamed broccoli or asparagus.

This recipe is featured in Menu Plan 11.

Taco Soup

This is such a yummy, easy soup. Start it in the morning and no matter how busy your afternoon is, you'll have dinner waiting for you when you get home!

I got this recipe off of my friend Julie's blog, Real (Good) Cooking. The flavors are mild, making it very kid-friendly. If you don't have kiddos to worry about and like a bit of a kick, add a few drops of Tabasco.

printable recipe

Taco Soup

serves 4

1 lb ground beef

1 medium onion, diced

1 packet of taco seasoning, or if you buy the big containers like I do, 2 rounded Tbsps

2 cans of diced tomatoes (with chiles if you have them)

1 can corn

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

tortilla chips, cheddar cheese, and sour cream for garnish (optional)

Cook ground beef and onion together over medium-high heat until beef is browned and onion is translucent. Drain off fat.

Add half the packet of taco seasoning (or 1 rounded Tbsp) and 1/4 cup of water to the meat mixture. Cook and stir until seasoning is blended in and water is absorbed.

Place meat mixture in the bottom of your crock pot and add corn and juices, tomatoes and juices and the rinsed black bean. Sprinkle remainder of taco seasoning on top.

Add 1/2 cup of water (tomatoes will give off more juice while cooking) and stir.

Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours. I loved how my house smelled while this was cooking all day!

Serve with chips, shredded cheddar cheese, and a dollop of sour cream!

 This recipe is featured in Menu Plan 9.

 

Crock Pot Potato Soup

This is an awesome, easy potato soup, perfect for topping with cheddar cheese, crumbled bacon, sour cream and chives. Just throw it into the crock pot and forget about it until half an hour before dinner time!

We served it with Dilly Bread.

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Crock Pot Potato Soup

serves 4

2.5 lb potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-2" chunks

1/2 onion, diced

2 large cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tsp seasoned salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper

1 quart (4 cups) chicken broth

1 (8oz) package cream cheese

crumbled bacon, cheddar cheese, chives, sour cream for garnish (optional)

Place peeled and chunked potatoes and place them in a crock pot. Add onion and garlic.

Sprinkle in the seasonings and pour in the broth.

Cover and cook on low for 8 hours (or high for 4 hours).

Cut the cream cheese into pieces and add to crock pot. 

Replace lid and cook on high for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally until the cream cheese is completely dissolved. Season with more salt and pepper to taste.

Ladle into bowls.

Serve hot with toppings, if desired.

This recipe is featured in Menu Plan 9.

Roast Beef and Pepperoncini Sandwiches

This is one of the first crock pot recipes I ever tried, and we still come back to it now and then for an easy and fun way to serve roast beef. It is great for a fast, fuss-free weeknight meal. Just start the meat in the crock pot in the morning, and at the end of the day you will have dinner on the table in about 5 minutes.

Roast Beef and Pepperoncini Sandwiches

printable recipe 

serves 4-6

1 jar pepperoncinis

1 onion

1 chuck or rump roast

slices of provolone cheese (1-2 per person)

hoagie buns or steak rolls

Okay, so if you have never purchased pepperoncinis, they are usually found in the condiment aisle near the pickles and look something like this. We only used about half of the jar because we only had half a roast (enough for about 3 sandwiches). If you are using a whole roast (4-6 servings), use the whole jar, juice and all.

Start by plopping your roast down in your crock pot. Yes, that's right, no browning or seasoning required. Told you this was fuss-free. Now cover it with onion slices.

Dump the jar of pepperoncinis in on top, including the juices. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours.

Now, go out and have a great day. When you come back, your house will smell great and the food in your crock pot will look something like this.

Pull the roast out and shred the meat with two forks.

Using a slotted spoon, remove the onions and pepperoncinis from the crock pot and place in a bowl. Set aside.

Slice the rolls in half and place face up on a baking sheet.

Place shredded meat on the bottom half of the roll.

Put a slice of cheese on top of the meat.

Broil for a few minutes, until the cheese is melted and bun tops are toasted.

Place onions and pepperoncinis on top.

Serve with some fresh fruit. I love Honeycrisp Apples, aren't they the best?

This recipe is featured in Menu Plan 6.

Roast with Potatoes and Carrots

Photo courtesy of Ashley Chaffin

This slow-cooker pot roast recipe comes from the blog of a family friend and is similar to a pot roast recipe from Paula Deen. The crucial thing about this recipe is that it needs to be cooked on LOW for 8-10 hours. Do not try to rush it by turning up the crock pot heat, it will turn out tough. Slow cooking is the key for that tender, fall-apart texture that really makes a good pot roast!

Roast with Potatoes and Carrots

printable recipe 

1 large chuck or rump roast

fresh garlic

potatoes (peeled and cut into bite-sized chunks)

carrots (peeled and cut into sticks, or use baby carrots)

salt and pepper

1 yellow onion

1 can beef broth

Worcestershire sauce

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 packet Lipton Onion Soup Mix

Cut slits in the roast and insert fresh garlic cloves. Rub salt and pepper onto roast. 

Pour half of the can of beef broth into bottom of the crock pot. Place roast in beef broth in crock pot. Pour a little Worcestershire sauce on top of roast.

Top with the rest of the beef broth and the cream of mushroom soup.

Salt and pepper the potatoes.

Place potatoes and carrots in crock pot.

Top with rings of onion and Lipton Soup Mix. Cover crock pot and cook on LOW for at least 8 hours.