Crockpot Tortellini Sausage and Spinach

I feel like I say it often (mostly because I DO say it often!), but this is one of my favorite meals! Easy to make, not many ingredients, and super yummy, even as leftovers. We like it served with garlic bread, so that we can use the bread to mop up the sauce in the bottom of the bowl :)

You can also use refrigerated tortellini if you want, just don't add it in until the last 20 minutes or so, otherwise it will be overcooked.

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb ground sausage

19 oz bag frozen cheese Tortellini

Baby Spinach (I used just over half of a 6 oz bag, but I think it would be good with the whole thing too)

2 14.5oz cans Italian style diced tomatoes (do not drain)

8 oz cream cheese, cut up

3 cups chicken broth

Garlic Powder (I didn't measure, just sprinkled over the top)

Parmesan Cheese for topping (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

Brown the sausage, drain the grease.

Put all ingredients in the crockpot.

 Cook on low for about 5 hours, stirring once in the middle so the melted cream cheese blends in.

Sprinkle with Parmesan Cheese, if desired, and enjoy!

Crockpot Bacon Cheeseburger Soup

This consistency of this is similar to potato soup, but the taste is a lot different!

INGREDIENTS:
1 lb ground beef
1/2 large onion, chopped
black pepper
32 oz Chicken Broth
32 oz bag frozen Ore Ida hash browns
16 oz Velveeta, cubed 
14.5 oz can petite diced tomatoes
small can diced green chilies
3 oz bag bacon bits (the real bacon kind, not imitation), plus more for topping if desired
8 oz cream cheese, room temp and cut into smaller sections
french fried onions for topping, optional

DIRECTIONS:
Brown ground beef along with onion in skillet. Season with black pepper. Transfer to crock pot when done.
Add the chicken broth, hash browns, velveeta, tomatoes, green chilies, and bacon bits to crock pot. Cook on low for about 5 hours, stirring a few times to prevent cheese from settling at bottom.
Add cream cheese. Cook on low for another 30-60 minutes.
Serve with desired toppings. Enjoy!

Crockpot Pepperoncini Beef Hoagies

I am not a very big fan of this beef plain, but it is really good as a sandwich!

INGREDIENTS:

2-3 lb boneless beef roast

16oz jar whole pepperoncinis

4 cloves garlic, minced

Hoagie Rolls

sliced provolone

DIRECTIONS:

Place roast in crockpot. Cut small slits into roast and put garlic in. Pour jar of pepperonicis and juice in. Cover and cook on low 6-8 hours.

When done, shred and let sit for another 20ish minutes to soak up more juices.

Cut hoagie rolls in half. Place meat (and desired amount of peppers, if any) and cheese on bottom half.

 Broil (including top half) a couple of minutes, til cheese is melted.

Serve with a side of the juice for dipping, if desired. Enjoy!

Crockpot Black Bean Italian Cream Cheese Chicken

I think this recipe needs a shorter name haha. I don't actually call it all that, I usually something more like "Its chicken with some other stuff. Eat it." Do not judge it based on appearance. It is one of those that don't look very appealing at all but taste yummy! It is a little on the runny side so we eat it over rice the first day. The leftovers (if you have any!) are still good over rice the next day but also work well on a tortilla since it thickens up in the fridge.

INGREDIENTS:
Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts (I use a 2.25 lb bag and dump it all in, still frozen)
15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
15 oz can corn
15 oz can Rotel
1 pack dry Italian Dressing mix
8 oz cream cheese

DIRECTIONS:
Place chicken in crockpot. Top wtih beans, corn, Rotel, and dry Italian mix.
Cover. Cook 4-6 hours, stirring a couple times throughout.
Once chicken is done (and about 30 minutes before you want to eat), shred the chicken and add cream cheese. Mix in until well blended. It will probably be soupy. Keep cooking on low, but leave the lid off to help thicken.
Serve over rice or pasta (or however else you want).

Adapted from HERE

Chile Colorado Burritos

These are so easy, and taste so yummy! If you are craving some Mexican food, you definitely need to try these out!

INGREDIENTS:
1.5 lbs stew meat
2 10oz cans mild Enchilada sauce
2 beef bouillon cubes
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 can refried beans
Burrito size flour tortillas (about 5, depending on how you fill them)
1-2 cups shredded cheese
sour cream and black olives for topping (optional)

DIRECTIONS:
Place meat, bouillon cubes, enchilada sauce, onion, and garlic into slow cooker. Cook on low for about 8 hours, until meat is super tender and falling apart.
When meat is ready, heat up refried beans in microwave.
Spread desired amount of beans on a tortilla and top with beef (use a slotted spoon to drain the sauce).

Roll tortilla up burrito style (folding in both sides). Top with sauce and cheese.
Heat in 300F oven for about 4-5 minutes, until cheese is melted. 
Top with sour cream and/or black olives if desired.

adapted from HERE

Crockpot Honey Sauce Chicken

Easy and delicious! It has a little kick to it, but the amount of red pepper flakes can always be reduced. I like to eat this chicken with rice, pouring some of the extra sauce over the top.

INGREDIENTS:
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup soy sauce
half a small onion, chopped
1/8 cup ketchup
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Salt and Pepper

DIRECTIONS:
Season chicken with salt and pepper. Place in crock pot.
Combine remaining ingredients in small bowl. Pour over chicken.
Cook on low for about 3 hours.
Cut chicken into bite size pieces. Cook another 10-15 minutes.

adapted from HERE

Crockpot Chicken Tortilla Soup

This is the only tortilla soup I have ever had, so I can't say how it compares to others. All I know is I love this one!

INGREDIENTS:
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast (can still be frozen)
15 oz can whole peeled tomatoes, smashed
10 oz can enchilada sauce
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed 
4 oz can chopped green chilies
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 14.4 oz cans chicken broth
10 oz pack frozen corn
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 bay leaf
Salt and Pepper (I don't measure these, just do what seems good to me)
6 corn tortillas (this is optional, you can just use tortilla chips)
vegetable oil or cooking spray (only needed if using tortillas)
Sour cream and shredded cheese for toppings

DIRECTIONS:
Throw everything (except tortillas and oil) into crock pot. Cook on low for 6 hours.
Remove chicken, shred, and put back in crock pot. Cook additional 2 hours.
Brush both sides of tortillas with vegetable oil (or spray with cooking spray). Cut into strips (a pizza cutter works awesome!). Bake about 10 minutes in 400F oven, turning over half way.

Serve soup with tortilla strips, sour cream, and cheese.

adapted from HERE

Crockpot Breakfast Casserole

I hate making breakfast in the mornings. I am tired and would rather just sit on the couch. This is the perfect solution. Throw it all together the night before, wake up and eat! The original recipe (found HERE) called for 12 eggs, but I knew we would have way too many leftovers so I cut down on them, plus I made a few other small changes based on what I did or didn't have. I haven't tried it the original way, but this way is definitely a keeper!

INGREDIENTS:
32 oz bag frozen hash browns
10 strips of bacon, cooked and crumbled
4 Tablespoon dried chopped onion
1 green bell pepper, chopped
3/4 cup shredded cheddar
3/4 cup shredded monterey jack
7 eggs
1 cup milk
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried dill
salt and pepper (I didn't measure these, just used what I thought looked good)

DIRECTIONS:
Spray crockpot evenly with cooking spray. 
Pour half of the hashbrowns into crock pot, followed by half of the bacon, onion, bell pepper, and cheese. Repeat layers.
Mix eggs, milk, garlic, dill, salt and pepper in large bowl. Pour evenly over top of ingredients in crock pot.
Cook on low for about 8 hours (thermometer placed in center should reach 160F when done).

NOTES:
I have also made this using 2 bags of real bacon bits (they come in a zip lock 3 oz bag) instead of taking the time to actually cook up some bacon. Much easier and tastes just as delicious!

Crockpot Cheesy Bacon Chicken

I personally am not a huge fan of bacon, but this is definitely one of my favorite meals! The kids eat it willingly also, which is always a plus. Ill be honest, it doesn't necessarily look very appealing, but don't judge a book by its cover! ;)

INGREDIENTS:
4-6 Boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/4 cup Teriyaki Sauce
1/2 cup Ranch
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 cup chopped onion
10 pieces bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 cup shredded cheese (I used sharp cheddar)

DIRECTIONS:
Place the chicken in the crockpot.
Mix together the teriyaki sauce, ranch, and garlic. Pour over chicken. Top with onion and bacon.
Cook on high 3-4 hours or low 6-8. When chicken is done, top with cheese and put lid back on crockpot until cheese is melted, it only takes a couple of minutes.

Adapted from HERE

Crockpot Ham and Potato Soup

Really quick to throw together and very yummy! Can also be made without the ham (thats actually how I made it the first time and it was just as good).

INGREDIENTS:
32 oz bag frozen hash brown (like Ore Ida shredded has browns)
3 14oz cans chicken broth
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 tsp black pepper
1.5-2 cups cooked ham, diced (I didn't measure, I just used up our leftover Easter ham)
8 oz cream cheese

DIRECTIONS:
Put all ingredients except for ham and cream cheese into the crock pot. Cook on low for about 6 hours. Add in the cream cheese (room temp or warmed up in the microwave so it melts better) and ham. Continue to cook on low for another hour. Serve with cheese, sour cream, bacon bits, or whatever else sounds good!

Crockpot French Dip

Quick, easy, and delicious! This makes 5-6 sandwiches. If more are needed, use a larger roast and add more broth.

INGREDIENTS:
2-3 lb beef roast
1 can plus 1 cup beef broth
1 can (10.5 oz) french onion soup
crusty rolls
sliced Provolone

DIRECTIONS:
Put roast in slow cooker, along with broth and soup. Cook on low 7-8 hours. Once done, take meat out and shred it. Return to slow cooker for another 30 minutes.
Slice rolls in half. Top with cheese. Heat in 200F oven for about 10 minutes.
Top the rolls with the meat and serve with a side of the juice. Enjoy!

Crockpot Caesar Chicken

This chicken can be used in a variety of ways. I made both chicken Caesar sandwiches as well as a salad. Yum!  The kids gobbled it up and even asked for seconds.

INGREDIENTS:
1 lb chicken thighs
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 
Caesar Dressing (didn't measure, probably about a cup)
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan
1 teaspoon dried Parsley flakes
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper


DIRECTIONS:
Put chicken in slow cooker, along with 1-2 cups of water.  Add garlic powder. Cook on low 4-6 hours.
When fully cooked, remove chicken. Shred, discarding all fat. Discard water from slow cooker.
Return chicken to slow cooker, along with remaining ingredients. Use more or less of the dressing to preference. Mix evenly. Cook on low until heated through (30 minutes is plenty).

For sandwiches, put desired amount on burger bun, top with extra Parmesan and Romaine lettuce. I also topped with a little more dressing so the sandwich wouldn't seem dry.

For salad, put chicken on top of romaine lettuce. Add more cheese and dressing, if desired. 

Crockpot Buffalo Chicken

I make this to use for a variety of recipes, including Buffalo Chicken Mac n Cheese and Buffalo Chicken Pizza. Easy to make and freeze!

INGREDIENTS:

1 bag of boneless skinless chicken breasts (the bag I use is 2.25 lbs)

8-12 oz of buffalo wing sauce

1 pack Ranch dressing mix

2 Tbs butter

DIRECTIONS:

Trim fat off of the chicken. Put chicken, sauce, and ranch mix into the slow cooker. Cook on low around 6 hours. Once chicken is done, shred it with 2 forks. Stir chicken so it will absorb the liquid. Add the butter. Add more wing sauce if needed or desired.  Cook for another hour on low.