Overnight crockpot turkey breast

a boneless turkey breast (frozen or thawed, 3-4 pounds)
a can of beer (or 1-1/2 c apple juice)
1 envelope onion soup mix

Remove the gravy package if there is one. Toss it or freeze it for another day.

Put the turkey breast, the beer or apple juice and the onion soup mix in the crockpot. Cover tightly. Cook on low for 12 hours.

You can shred the meat and eat it on buns for sandwiches. Just reheat it with a little of the cooking juices to keep it moist. OR You can let the meat cool, then slice and reheat in the cooking juices for an entree. OR don't reheat and use the slices for cold sandwiches.

French dip sandwiches

1 (4 pound) boneless beef roast
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 beef bouillon cube
1 bay leaf
3 whole black peppercorns
1 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon garlic powder
20 slices French bread

Remove and discard all visible fat from the roast. Place trimmed roast in a slow cooker.

In a medium bowl, combine soy sauce, bouillon, bay leaf, peppercorns, rosemary, thyme, and garlic powder. Pour mixture over roast, and add enough water to almost cover roast. Cover, and cook on Low heat for 10 to 12 hours, or until meat is very tender.

Remove meat from broth, reserving broth. Shred meat with a fork, and distribute on bread for sandwiches. Used reserved broth for dipping.

Crockpot pork loin

Sliced medium onion
boneless pork loin (about 2 lbs)
1 cup hot water
1/4 cup white sugar
3 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
1 Tablespoon ketchup
1/2 teaspoon each of salt, black pepper, garlic powder
dash of red pepper sauce or powder

Place slices of onion on bottom of crock pot, place pork on top. Mix other ingredients together and pour over top. Cover and cook on high about 4 hours or low for about 6.

Squash and Apple Bisque

1 butternut squash, peeled and cubed
1 medium onion, chopped
1 can (14.5oz) vegetable broth (recipe calls for chicken, but I used veg. to make it meatless)
2 cups applesauce
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup sour cream

Combine all ingredients except sour cream in a crockpot. Cook on low for 8-10 hours or high for 3-5 hours, or until squash is tender. Remove soup in batches to puree in a blender. Return to cooker. Stir in sour cream. Cover and cook on low for 15 minutes; stir.

Serving suggestions:
- garnish each serving of hot soup with a dollop of sour cream and poppy seeds or chopped pecans
- serve thoroughly chilled and garnished with thin slices of Granny Smith apples; sprinkle with finely chopped crystallized ginger.

Hungry Man Stew

Hungry Man Stew

1lb ground beef
1 medium onion, sliced
2 carrots, diced
3 red potatoes, diced
1 can (16oz) dark kidney beans or black beans
1 c uncooked brown rice
1 can (8oz) tomato sauce
4 c water
1/4 t chili powder
1/4 t Worcestershire sauce

Brown meat with onion. Drain and pour into slow cooker. Combine remaining ingredients in slow cooker. Cover and cook on low heat 6-8 hours or until potatoes and rice are tender. Or, cook rice separately and add to stew before serving to ensure that rice is cooked properly.

Pork Loin with Cranberry Gravy

Pork Loin with cranberry gravy 

 Slice one onion and put it in the bottom of the crockpot. Add one can cranberry sauce, either the jelly or the whole berry kind. Add 1/2 can water. Put your pork loin on top. Salt and pepper the loin generously. Cook on low 6-8 hours.

Moroccan Chicken

Moroccan Chicken

6 skinless boneless chicken thighs (I would easily use skin-on thighs, also, or chicken breasts)
1 large red pepper, seeded and chopped into 1-inch squares
1/4 cup golden raisins
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
2 Tbsp. water one
yellow or red onion, diced
about 15oz canned tomatoes, drained and diced
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin 
couple dashes cayenne pepper
few dashes smoked paprika (optional)
few dashes cinnamon (optional)
4 cloves garlic, minced (optional)
can of drained/rinsed garbanzo beans, if desired

Cook on low for 6-7 hours. About a half hour before serving, stir in about a quarter-cup of creamy peanut butter or any other nut butter, and/or some plain yogurt. (I don't measure, I just scoop.) Serve over hot rice with freshly snipped cilantro. This freezes well both before and after cooking.

Ground Beef Stroganoff

2lbs ground beef
1 can beef stock or bouillon
1 small can tomato paste
1-2 cloves crushed garlic
salt and pepper to taste
1 c sour cream
2 T flour

Brown ground beef. Combine cooked beef, stock, tomato paste, garlic, and salt/pepper in a slow cooker. Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours. About an hour before finished, combine sour cream and flour; stir into crockpot with other ingredients. Serve with wide egg noodles. 

Beef mixture freezes very well.