Slow Cooker Sausage and Potatoes

 I never think to take a photo, sigh.

This came from Tiktok and is so easy to put together, versatile, and delicious.

Ingredients:

• One (what used to be a pound) of cooked sausage (smoked, turkey, andouille)
• One package of baby potatoes, or cut up larger potatoes
• Vegetable of your choice. I used frozen green beans. My son thought they were too mushy, so next time I will try fresh. Other possibilities include chopped cabbage, carrots, or another firm vegetable.
• Seasoning of your choice. I used Kinders meat and vegetable seasoning. Lots of it.
• Half stick of butter, cut up.

Throw it all in the crock pot and cook on low for about 6 hours (I checked it with half an hour left and it was ready).

Stir and serve.

Chicken Enchiladas

• 24 oz cooked, shredded chicken
• small can green chilies
• 2 oz chicken broth
• 8 tortillas
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup mayo (I used lite)
• 1/2 cup salsa verde
• 1 T ranch powder
• 1 T taco seasoning
• 4-8 ounces shredded cheese

Mix chicken, chilies, and broth

roll chicken mixture in tortillas

place in a baking dish sprayed with oil

mix sour cream, mayo, salsa, ranch, and taco seasoning

pour over enchiladas

sprinkle with cheese

bake at 400 for about 30 minutes

Weekly Sheet Pan Salmon

 I always liked to cook salmon plain - it has so much flavor on its own. Until I tried this seasoning blend from A Couple Cooks. Their website says they are authors of recipes you will want to make again and again, and it is true for this recipe. We make it almost every week, it is that good. This will make a batch that can be used for a few meals.

2 T paprika
2 T garlic powder

1 T onion powder

1 t thyme

1 t celery seed

1 t kosher salt

.5 t cumin

.25 t allspice

Mix and keep in a spice jar.

Coat salmon generously and rub in, then cook as usual (I prefer cooking on a sheet pan in a 405 degree oven for 15-25 minutes, depending on thickness.

Marinades

 8 Easy Healthy Chicken Marinade Recipes (Whole30 Paleo Keto) • Tastythin

Healthy Steak Marinades (5 Recipes) • Tastythin

13 Easy Tasty Fish Marinades (ultimateperformance.com)

5 Easy Pork Marinades - Gimme Some Oven

Pork Chop Marinades - Six Easy Homemade Flavors (andianne.com)

The Best Ever Meat Sauce

 This recipe comes from Belle of the Kitchen and it is so very good. The flavor is deliciously rich.

1.5 lbs ground beef
1 large onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
2 cloves minced garlic (1 tsp)
3 15 oz cans diced tomatoes
1 6 oz can tomato paste
2 tsp brown sugar
1.5 tsp oregano
1 tsp salt
.5 tsp basil
.5 tsp thyme
bay leaf
2 cups beef broth

Brown ground beef, onion, and pepper

Add garlic, cook one minute

Add the rest of the ingredients

Bring to a boil, turn down and simmer uncovered 1.5-2 hours

Emergency Dinner 7: Barbecue

 

• 1 pound boneless chicken, cooked and shredded (or two cans chicken)
• 1 bottle barbecue sauce
• 1 large can baked beans
• 1 can corn
• 1 bag frozen collard greens (or canned)
• corn bread, frozen

Emergency Dinner 6: Chicken Soup

 Even though chicken soup is made with mostly perishable foods, it still works for a two week plan because the chicken can be frozen or canned, and the carrots and celery can be used for other items to keep them fresh. Just make sure to always have plenty of carrots and celery on hand and plans to use them. Chicken soup is a staple in this house during the cooler months so they will get used.

• about 1.5 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken (can substitute with a couple of large cans)
• 6 carrots, chopped
• 4 celery stalks, chopped
• small onion, chopped (optional)
• 1/2 box orzo 
• chicken bouillon for 12 cups of water

Simmer chicken in 3 quarts of water and bouillon (or canned or boxed chicken broth) for about 1.5 hours

remove chicken and add vegetables and pasta and cook for at least 15 minutes until all are soft

meanwhile, chop chicken

add chicken back to pot when pasta and veggies are done

Emergency Dinner 5: Vegetarian Fajitas

 

• 1 can refried beans
• 1 pound frozen peppers and onions
• 1-2 T olive oil
• tortillas (keep in freezer)
• jarred salsa
• seasonings of your choosing
• Spanish or Mexican rice mix

Thaw tortillas on counter, in oven, or in microwave.

Sautee peppers and onion in a little oil (or broth), season

Heat refried beans in microwave

Serve with rice

Emergency Dinner 4: Tuna Alfredo Pasta

 

Tuna casserole morphed into tuna pasta

• 12 oz. egg noodles or pasta (I bought fettuccini because it's easier to store since it comes in a box)
• 1 large can tuna
• 1 jar alfredo sauce
• 1 can LeSeur peas

Cook pasta according to directions

Heat sauce, tuna, and peas

Toss with cooked pasta

Can add basil or oregano as desired

Emergency Dinner 3: Taco Soup

 

Plan and store fourteen emergency meals.

This is a combination of the two taco soups I already have on here. You can substitute cooked ground beef or chicken for some or all of the beans.

Taco Soup

• 1/2 bottle V-8 juice
• 1 can corn
• 2 cans beans
• 2 T C taco seasoning
• 2 T C ranch dressing mix

Combine all ingredients in soup pot and heat on stove for about 20 minutes or

Combine in slow cooker and heat for four hours on low.

Serve with chips if you have them.

Emergency Dinner 2: Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole

 

Compile a two week supply of meals.

The two week plan can include fresh and frozen food items, but the key is to always have the items on hand, which requires some strategy and planning to make sure you have the supply but also rotate it. Because of this, I would prefer to use freezer items than fresh, except for items such as carrots, celery, onions, and garlic, which I use weekly and will store for more than one week.

Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole

• 0.5 C sliced almonds (these will need to be moved from my fridge to my freezer)
• 1 box Uncle Ben's Wild Rice
• 1 can Cream of Chicken soup
• 1 large can cooked chicken (can substitute 1 pound cooked chicken from freezer)
• 1 can green beans (can substitute with frozen green beans)
• 1 t onion powder

Cook rice according to package directions.

Add rest of ingredients and pour into 8x8 baking dish.

Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes.

Slow Cooker Chicken Breasts With Gravy

 Usually I will try a new recipe two or three times before permanently posting it here, but I found a couple of recipes last week that were so good, they are getting posted after one time. This recipe comes from Dinner At the Zoo.

• 2 T olive oil, divided
• 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (I used four but they were large)
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 t Italian seasoning
• 1 C chicken broth
• .25 C soy sauce
• 2 T balsamic vinegar
• 2 T brown sugar
• 2 t minced garlic
• 2 T corn starch
• 1 T butter
• 2 T chopped parsley
• carrots, optional

1. season chicken breasts with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning
2. brown in 1 T oil on medium high heat, about 5-7 minutes per side
3. place chicken in slow cooker (I sliced some carrots and put them in the bottom, then chicken on top)
4. mix together remaining oil, broth, soy sauce, vinegar, brown sugar, and garlic, pour over chicken
5. cook on low 4-5 hours, or high 2-3 hours (I cooked it for 4-5 hours on high, worried because the pieces were really big, but they were cooked longer than necessary.)
6. take out chicken and pour liquid in a pot, bring to a simmer
7. mix cornstarch with .25 C water and stir into broth, bring to boil and cook one minute
8. stir in butter (I forgot to do this and it was still really good), pour gravy over chicken (sliced), sprinkle with parsley

Mashed Potatoes

I have been converted to baby potatoes, and for a long time they were the only ones I bought. Super easy to prepare (no peeling) and taste the best to me (less starchy). If I wanted mashed I would simply mash them with a fork on my plate. But the other day I was in the mood for some creamy mashed potatoes and came across instructions on the All Recipes website. I use one more potato that the recipe calls for, but they are still creamy and delicious.

Four large russet potatoes, peeled and cut in half lengthwise

.25 C butter

.5 C whole milk

salt and black pepper to taste (I use about a teaspoon of salt and eyeball the pepper)

Cook potatoes in salted water for about 25 minutes

Drain and place back in pot on stove for 30 seconds to dry them a bit

Mash potatoes twice around the pan

Add butter and milk and continue to mash until smooth

Whisk in salt and pepper

Delicious!

Peach Barbecue Chicken

I won't be winning any awards for my photography. I got this recipe from Six Sisters Stuff. The only thing I am tweaking is the amount of ginger. Their recipe called for a tablespoon, but I am going to cut that in half. It tasted fine on the chicken, but the sauce by itself was too gingery for me. I marinated it for almost 24 hours. They suggested oiling the grill and I forgot, but it didn't stick at all.

These amounts are for the marinade. I made another half of a batch for basting while grilling.

• 1/2 cup peach preserves (3/4)
• 1 Tablespoon vinegar (1.5)
• 1 Tablespoon ground ginger (1.5)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt (3/4)
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper (3/4)
• 3/4 cup barbecue sauce (+ 1/3)
• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

Mix marinade ingredients in a microwave proof dish. Microwave for 30 seconds, stir, and another 30 seconds, stir. Marinade chicken for up to 24 hours (the longer the better).

Grill, turning every four minutes until done, basting with fresh marinade.

Friendship Soup

This is a recipe for a soup mix you can put in a jar and give as a gift. It makes four quarts so it is also a good one to give if you are bringing a family a meal double if you want a big pot's worth)

Layer in jar:

1/2 C dry split peas
1/2 C dry lentils
1/2 C uncooked long grain white rice
1/3 C beef bouillon granules (16 cubes if you are just making the soup)
1/4 C pearl barley
1/4 C dried minced onion
2 t italian seasoning
1/2 C alphabet pasta or other small pasta, put in baggie and place on top

to make soup

brown 1 pound ground beef, drain
add:
dry ingredients (except pasta)
3 quarts water
28 oz can diced tomatoes

bring to a boil, cover and simmer 45 minutes
add pasta, cover and simmer 15-20 minutes until pasta and beans are tender

Barbecue

about 4 pounds beef or pork roast, simmered about 4 hours, shredded, and
1/2 C reserved broth

Sauce:
Saute:
medium onion, chopped
1/2 C chopped celery
2 T butter

Add:
reserved broth
1 1/2 T worcestershire sauce
1/2 C lemon juice
2 T vinegar
2 T brown sugar or 1 T honey
1 C ketchup
1 t salt
dash pepper
4-8 allspice, balled or tied in mesh

simmer 15 minutes
add meat and heat
* best if made day before and reheated

Lemon Herb Chicken

2-3 large or 6 small boneless skinless chicken breasts

marinade (cut in half for four chicken breasts)

1/4 C vegetable oil
1/4 C lemon juice
3/4 t seasoned salt
3/4 t paprika
3/4 t basil
3/4 t thyme

mix and marinate chicken for an hour or two 

grill or bake on sheet pan in 400 degree oven.

(if using small chicken breasts, bake for 10 minutes per side)

Tarragon Chicken

heat oven to 450 degrees

place skinless, boneless chicken breasts in baking pan

mix and pour over chicken:
1 T lemon juice
1 T onion flakes
3/4 t salt
1/2 t tarragon leaves crumbled
1/2 t white pepper

bake at 450 uncovered 15 minutes
cover with foil and bake at 350 until done...

Roasted Chicken

3-3 1/2 lb chicken
1 head garlic
1 lemon, cut into 1 inch pieces
small bunch fresh rosemary or thyme
2 T olive oil (or less)
kosher salt
fresh ground pepper

cut garlic in half, separate into cloves
stuff chicken cavity with garlic, lemon, and herbs
tie legs and tuck wings
coat skin with oil
sprinkle with salt and pepper
put in roasting pan in oven
roast 1.25 hours or until meat thermometer reads 160 in breast
let sit 10 minutes
carve

Easy Meatloaf

1 1/2 lb ground beef
1 envelope onion soup mix
1 C shredded italian cheese blend
2 eggs
1 1/2 C crushed saltine crackers
1/3 C water

heat oven to 400 degrees
mix all but water, then mix water
place in baking pan
bake 40 minutes