"Crockpot Dinners for Two" Recipes

A bunch of "Crockpot Dinners for Two" Recipes

Chili Stew

Ingredients

¾ pounds boneless pork sirloin or shoulder roast

2 tsp cooking oil

1-2 TBSP chopped onion

1 cup water + ¾ tsp chicken bouillon (or 1 cup chicken broth)

1-2 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes

1 6 ounce can hominy or whole kernel corn, drained

⅓ cup diced fresh bell pepper (red? Yellow?)

½ tsp dried, ground chili peppers

2 tsp quick-cooking tapioca

⅓ tsp garlic salt

pinch ground black pepper

¼ tsp ground cumin

⅛ tsp dried oregano, crushed

Snipped fresh cilantro (optional)

directions

1. Trim fat from pork. Cut pork into ½-inch cubes. In a large skillet brown the pork with the onion in hot oil. Transfer meat to a 1 ½ quart slow cooker.

2. Add water, potatoes, hominy, chile peppers, tapioca, garlic salt, salt, black pepper, cumin, and oregano. Cover; cook on low-heat setting for 7 to 8 hours (or on high-heat setting for 4 to 5 hours). Garnish with snipped cilantro, if desired. Makes 2 servings.

Cheesy Noodle Casserole

ingredients

1 medium-small chicken breast, diced to ½” cubes

¾ cup water

⅓ 10¾ ounce can reduced-fat and reduced-sodium condensed cream of mushroom soup

1 medium tomato, diced

¾ cup sliced celery (2 stalks)

1 sliced carrot, sliced

¼ cup chopped onion (1 large)

½ tsp dried Italian seasoning, crushed

1 clove garlic, minced

pinch teaspoon salt, or ½ tsp low-sodium chicken bouillon

pinch teaspoon ground black pepper

3 to 4 ounces dried extra-wide noodles

½ cup shredded cheddar cheese (2 ounces)

directions

1. In a 1½-quart slow cooker whisk together the water and cream of mushroom soup. Stir in chicken, tomatoes, celery, carrots, onion, Italian seasoning, garlic, salt, and pepper. [Prepare the night before; marinate in refrigerator overnight.]

2. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 7 to 8 hours (or high-heat setting for 3½ to 4 hours).

3. If using low-heat setting, turn cooker to high-heat setting. Stir in uncooked noodles; cover and cook for 20 to 30 minutes more or until tender, stirring once halfway through cooking. Sprinkle with cheese; cover and let stand until cheese is melted.

Option: replace chicken breast with 6 oz cubed tofu, and stir in halfway through cooking the noodles.

Mediterranean Beef with Pasta

ingredients

½ pounds lean beef stew meat, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 tsp olive oil

1 medium carrot, cut into ½-inch slices

¼ medium yellow sweet pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces

¼ medium onion, cut into thin wedges

1 cloves garlic, minced

½ tsp dried Italian seasoning, crushed

pinch ground black pepper

1 medium tomato, diced

½ cup water

1 tsp lower-sodium beef bouillon

½ cup zucchini and/or yellow summer squash halved lengthwise and cut into ¼-inch pieces (1 medium)

2-3 ounces dried whole grain penne pasta

⅓ recipe Basil Gremolata

directions

1.In a large skillet cook meat, half at a time, in hot oil over medium-high heat until brown. Drain off fat. Transfer meat to a 1 ½ quart slow cooker. Add carrots, sweet pepper, onion, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, and black pepper. Pour tomatoes and broth over mixture in cooker.

2.Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 7 to 9 hours or on high-heat setting for 3½ to 4½ hours.

3.If using low-heat setting, turn to high-heat setting. Stir in zucchini and/or yellow squash. Cover and cook for 30 minutes more. Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions; drain.

4.Serve meat mixture over pasta. Sprinkle with Basil Gremolata.

Basil Gremolata Recipe

Yield: about ⅓ cup (three servings)

Mix together:

2 tablespoons finely shredded Parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons snipped fresh basil

2 cloves garlic, minced

Chicken & Shrimp Jambalaya

ingredients

• 1 small skinless, boneless chicken breast (¼ to ½ pound)

• ½ cup thinly sliced celery (4 stalks)

• ½ cup chopped onion (2 large)

• 1 medium tomato, diced

• ½ cup reduced-sodium chicken broth

• 2 tsp no-salt-added tomato paste

• ½ teaspoon salt-free Cajun seasoning

• 1 cloves garlic, minced

• pinch teaspoon salt

• ½ cups uncooked instant brown rice

• 2 TBSP chopped green, red, and/or yellow sweet pepper

• 2 ounces fresh or frozen peeled and deveined cooked shrimp

• ½ tablespoon snipped fresh Italian (flat-leaf) parsley

• Celery leaves (optional)

directions

1. Cut chicken into ¾-inch pieces. In a 1½ slow cooker, combine chicken, celery, onion, undrained tomatoes, broth, tomato paste, Homemade Salt-Free Cajun Seasoning, garlic, and salt. [Prepare the night before, and leave covered in the refrigerator until morning.]

2. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 4½ to 5½ hours (or on high-heat setting for 2¼ to 2¾ hours).

3. If using low-heat setting, turn to high-heat setting. Stir in uncooked rice and sweet pepper. Cover and cook about 30 minutes more or until most of the liquid is absorbed and rice is tender.

4. Before serving, thaw shrimp, if frozen. Stir shrimp and parsley into chicken mixture. If desired, garnish each serving with celery leaves.

Homemade Salt-Free Cajun Seasoning

Combine:

• ¼ teaspoon onion powder

• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder

• ¼ teaspoon ground white pepper

• ¼ teaspoon paprika

• ¼ teaspoon black pepper

• ⅛ - ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

Gingered Beef and Vegetables

Ingredients

½ pounds boneless beef round steak, cut into 1-inch cubes

1½ medium carrots, cut into ½-inch-thick slices

2 TBSP cup sliced scallions

1 garlic cloves, minced

½ cup water

2 tsp reduced-sodium soy sauce

½ tsp dried ginger

½ tsp instant beef-bouillon granules

A bit of crushed red pepper

1 TBSP cornstarch

1 TBSP cold water

2 TBSP chopped red bell pepper

¾ cups loose-pack frozen sugar snap peas, fresh or thawed

Cooked rice

Directions

1. In a 1½ quart slow cooker, combine beef, carrots, scallions, and garlic. In a medium bowl, combine the water, soy sauce, ginger, bouillon, and crushed red pepper; pour over mixture in cooker. [This part can be prepared early, and refrigerated overnight, until ready to start the slow cooker.]

2. Cover; cook on low-heat setting 9 to 10 hours (or on high-heat setting 4½ to 5 hours).

3. If using low-heat setting, turn to high-heat setting. In a small bowl, combine cornstarch and the 3 tablespoons cold water; stir into meat mixture along with bell pepper. Cover; cook 20 to 30 minutes more, or until thickened, stirring once. Stir in sugar snap peas. Serve with rice.

Beef Vegetable Soup

Ingredients

½ pound boneless beef chuck roast, trimmed and cut into bite-size pieces

1½ medium carrots, cut into ½-inch-thick slices

1 small potato, peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes

½ medium onion, chopped

¼ tsp salt [or ½ tsp low sodium beef bouillon]

½ tsp dried thyme  

1 bay leaf

1 14-ounce cans diced tomatoes (substitute diced fresh tomatoes if available)

½ cup water

¼ cup loose-pack frozen peas

Fresh parsley sprigs (optional)

Directions

1. In a 1½ quart slow cooker, combine beef chuck pieces, sliced carrots, cubed potatoes, and chopped onion. Sprinkle with salt and thyme. Add bay leaf, tomatoes with their juices, and water. Stir until all ingredients are combined. [Prepare this the night before, and store, covered, in refrigerator overnight.]

2. Cover; cook on low-heat setting for 8 to 10 hours (or on high-heat setting for 4 to 5 hours).

3. Remove and discard bay leaf. Stir in peas and garnish with parsley if desired.

Crock Pot Breakfast (2 Versions)

Version 1: Serves 3 or 4

1 pound frozen hashbrowns (or about 4 potatoes, shredded)

6 eggs

½ cup milk (try a milk alternative for TJ)

1½ tsp dried mustard

½ pound sausage (half a frozen chub)

½ pound shredded cheddar (or goat cheese?)

Scaled further (⅓): to serve 2

2 large, or 3 modest size potatoes, shredded

4 eggs

⅓ cup milk

1 tsp dried mustard

⅓ pound sausage (half a frozen chub)

⅓ pound shredded cheddar (or goat cheese?)

Directions:

Spray crock pot and evenly spread hash browns at the bottom.

Crack eggs in a large bowl.

Mix well (and slowly) using a whisk.

Add the milk and sprinkle in the ground mustard.

Add a bit of salt and lots of fresh pepper. Mix well and set aside.

Cook the sausage on high heat, drain and set aside.

Add sausage on top of hash browns. Add cheese.

Mix it up well. Pour the egg mixture over everything in the crock pot. Using a wood spoon, even everything out so it's spread evenly.

Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 7 to 8 hours (or high-heat setting for 3½ to 4 hours).