Faux-tisserie Chicken

I found this recipe on Our Best Bites and loved it for it's simplicity and heavenly taste!  I have since made some modifications to make it even easier and lower in calories.  This is a recipe that you can totally change up based on the flavors your family loves.  If you have never bought a whole chicken, let me tell you, they are cheap.  Most of the time I get mine for $0.88/lb.  AND you can pick the meat off or boil the carcus for a second meal later in the week.  AND it takes about 3 minutes to put it all together in your crock pot.  Have I mentioned that I love this recipe?

1 whole chicken
Salt based seasoning (Lemon pepper, Seasoning Salt, Cajun Seasoning, Italian dressing pkt., etc.)
Fresh or dried herbs (optional)


Rip off 3 large-ish sheets of aluminum foil and wad them up into balls.  Put them inside of your crock pot.  Take your chicken out of the package and pull out the innards from the cavity of the bird.  I'm not going to lie, it's kind of nasty.  Throw them away and rinse the inside and outside of the chicken with warm water.  Pull up on the skin and use a pair of kitchen shears or a knife to cut off all the skin and fat you can.  Sprinkle seasoning of choice on the breast of the chicken.  Be kind of generous with the seasoning.  Lay the chicken breast side down on the foil balls inside the crock pot.  This allows heat to circulate around the bird like a rotisserie chicken.  Sprinkle seasoning over the rest of the chicken.  Sprinkle with dried herbs or lay fresh herbs over top of chicken if you like that herb-y taste.  Cover your crock pot and turn to low.  Cook 8 hours. Lift out with a spatula to place on your serving plate.

crock pot chicken legs

Here is another crock pot recipe. I love using the crock pot! This recipe is great because you use chicken legs. I have made this chicken twice and served it to guests and everyone liked it.


3 1/2 pounds chicken legs
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 garlic cloves (minced)
1 8oz can tomato sauce

Grease inside of crock pot. Place chicken inside. Mix all ingredients in separate bowl and pour over the top of chicken. Cook on low 6-8 hours.

Grandma's Vegetable Soup

Another crock pot recipe coming at you.  I told you I was on a mission!  My grandma is a fantastic cook.  She can make anything taste good and I probably don't even know how many of my favorite recipes originated with her.  This is a thick, hearty soup, perfect for a cold day.  I love that it is ultra packed with veggies.  Even the broth is mostly tomato juice.  So the next time you are in a soup mood, give this one a try.

1 lb. Ground Beef, cooked and drained
1 quart tomato juice or 1 15oz. can crushed tomatoes
1 quart water
1 1/2 C. Chopped Carrots
3/4 C. Chopped Celery
1 onion, chopped
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. Salt
1/2 tsp. Garlic Powder
1 1/2 C. Chopped Potatoes
3 cubes Beef Boullion
1 C. Shredded Cabbage

Add all ingredients to a large crock pot.  Cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 5-6 hours.  I like to add my cabbage about 2 hours before serving to get it soft but not mushy. 

Crock Pot Roast Beef Sandwiches

Oh, yum.  I am not kidding when I tell you that you have got to try this meal!  I can't imagine anyone not liking this.  It is reminiscent of a french dip sandwich but the flavors the spices give the meat really don't compare with any french dip I have ever had.  Definitely a crowd pleaser, this meal is likely to be a favorite for men, women and children alike, at least it was at our house.

3 lb. Beef Roast (I used a shoulder roast but any boneless cut will work)
1 1/2 C. Beef Broth
1 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Pepper
1 tsp. Oregano
1 tsp. Basil
1 tsp. Garlic Powder
1 tsp. Onion Powder
1 tsp. Dried Parsley
1 bay leaf
1 pkt. Good Seasons Italian Dressing Mix

Spray your crock pot with cooking spray then put the roast in the bottom.  Pour Beef Broth over top of meat then sprinkle all seasonings over top.  Cook on low heat for 8 hours.  You really don't want to cook this on high because you want the meat to kind of fall apart and shred easily.  After the 8 hours, shred meat, removing as much fat as possible, and return to juices.  Serve on hard rolls with juices from meat on the side for dipping.  You can serve with slices of provolone cheese if desired.

Crock Pot Beef Stroganoff

This recipe is one of my top 5 favorite crock pot recipes.  I happen to be a big fan of Stroganoff.  The combination of pasta with mushrooms in any form is bound to be a personal favorite for me.  My kids devoured this dish and the stew meat made it a hearty, filling meal that my husband thoroughly enjoyed. 

1-2 lbs. Stew Meat
1 tsp. Salt
Pepper, to taste
1 Onion, sliced
Garlic Powder, to taste
1 T. Worcestershire Sace
1 T. Ketchup
1 1/2 C. Beef Broth
1/3 C. Flour
1/2 C. Water
8 oz. Fresh Sliced Mushrooms
1/2 C. Sour Cream

Put stew meat into your crock pot and sprinkle chopped onion, salt, pepper and garlic powder over top.  In a small bowl combine the broth, ketchup and worcestershire sauce.  Pour over top of meat.  Cook on high 4-5 hours. (You can also cook it on low heat for 7-8 hours but I feel like the meat becomes overly tender and falls apart when small pieces of meat are cooked for that long.)  After about 4 hours, whisk together the flour and water and pour into the crock pot.  Stir into the meat mixture to thicken juices.  Add mushrooms, cover and cook 30 minutes longer.  Stir in sour cream just before serving and ladle over top of cooked rice or pasta.

Crockpot Cashew Chicken

Christin and I have been talking lately about how we don't have enough crock pot recipes so I have been on the hunt for some new recipes to try out.  We had this one last night and we liked it.  It takes more prep work than the average crock pot recipe and doesn't cook as long so you can't put it all together until 4 hours before dinner.  The breading on the chicken was so delicious so don't be tempted to skip that step.  You could skip the cashews if you want to but, personally, I liked the added crunch and so did my family.

5-6 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Thighs
1/4 C. Flour
1/2 tsp. Pepper
2 T. Oil
1/4 C. Soy Sauce
2 T. Rice Vinegar
2 T. Ketchup
1 T. Brown Sugar
2 Cloves Garlic, pressed
1/2 tsp. Peeled Fresh Ginger, grated or minced
1/4 tsp. Red Pepper Flakes
1/2 C. Cashews

If your chicken is frozen, take it out of the freezer early in the morning or the night before and put it in the refrigerator to thaw.  The chicken has to be completely thawed before you assemble this recipe.  In a zip lock bag combine flour and pepper then add chicken and shake to coat.  Heat oil in a large skillet and add chicken.  Cook 2-3 minutes on each side until all chicken pieces are browned but not cooked through.  Transfer chicken to crock pot.  In a small bowl combine soy sauce, ketchup, brown sugar, garlic, ginger and red pepper flakes.  Pour over top of chicken and cook on low for 3-4 hours.  Just before serving, add cashews to crock pot.  Serve over rice.

Baked Potato Soup

I had no idea what to make for dinner tonight. I wanted to get something into the crock pot while I had some time early this afternoon. I decided to use some potatoes from the freezer that I had baked and chopped up about a month ago. I just put this together with (of course) just some stuff I had on hand. Turned out pretty good. Though I must say that I would have preferred using green onion rather than yellow. Just a side note.


6-8 red potatoes (baked, peeled, and chopped)
half of an onion (diced)
6 bacon slices (cooked and crumbled)
3 tsp chicken bullion
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 TBS parsley
1 cup heavy cream

Put everything except the cream into your crock pot. Pour in just enough water to cover potatoes. Cook on low about 5 hours. Pour in cream and cook 1 hour longer. Top with cheese.

Barbecued Ribs

While Andrea was visiting with her cute family over Christmas we decided we wanted to wow the men in our lives with something delicious for New Years Eve dinner. We decided that our guys are carnivores. They like lots of meat. So we drove to Costco and loaded up on boneless pork ribs. They were soooo delicious and so easy.


1 Package of boneless ribs(I used pork)
1 bottle of barbecue sauce (I used Bull's eye)
Brown sugar
Garlic Powder
Onion Powder

Spray your pan with cooking spray. Put your ribs in pan and spread barbecue sauce in liberally turning them over to really coat them. Put brown sugar on top and sprinkle garlic powder and onion powder all over. Cover with tin foil and put in a 350 degree oven for 1 hour then lower heat to 280 degrees and let cook for 2 more hours.  You can also make this recipe in your crock pot by layering all the ingredients and cooking them on low for 6-7 hours or on high for 3-4 hours.

These were so tender and delicious you could say they were falling off the bones but there were no bones just yumminess if that's even a word.

Potato Cheese Soup

This is a recipes I have made since before I was married. I make this whenever I am in the mood for a meatless meal. Always a hit with the kids.


5 potatoes
3 celery stalks
3 carrots
1 small onion
2 tsp chicken bullion
1 cup cheddar cheese
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup butter

Cut up vegetables and place in crock pot. Fill with water until just above vegetables and add the bullion. Cook on high for 5 hours. Melt butter on stove and whisk in flour. Add to soup. Add cheese 15 minutes before serving.

Favorite crock pot chicken

I love this chicken because it is so fast and easy. The best part is that all of my kids eat it and don't complain. Tonight Daniel said, "This is my favorite meal!" This is a great recipe because it uses few ingredients. So if you ever want a no fuss meal using things right out of the cupboard this one is for you.

4 chicken breasts
3/4 cup water
3/4 cup ketchup
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 TBS vinegar
2 TBS Worcestershire sauce
4 TBS soy sauce

Put everything in the crock pot except the chicken. Mix and then add chicken. (It's okay if chicken is frozen) Cook on high for 4-5 hours or on low for 7-8 hours. Serve over rice.

Italian Pot Roast

This is one of those smell up your house kind of meals.  I was so excited to try dinner when I made this recipe.  It is similar to one I found on Everyday Food.  We served it over rice.

Italian Pot Roast

Olive oil

3 pound beef chuck roast

1 t. dried garlic

1 jar of tomatoes

1 can tomato soup

1 T. dried rosemary

1 T. dried onion

Pour olive oil into a pan and get it hot.  Season both sides of roast with salt, pepper and garlic.  Sear each side for 2 min or until just browned.  Add to crock pot with all ingredients.  Cook on high for at least 4 hours.  After it was finished cooking I cut up the meat into smaller pieces.

Savory Beef Casserole

Crock pot week came at the perfect time.  It is stormy and dark outside and nothing tastes better on a day like that than a homey, comforting meal like this one.  I have been making this recipe for years.  I got it out of a cookbook my husband bought me- Crock Pot Recipes For Entertaining.  Don't be turned off by a title with "casserole" in it.  I don't normally do casseroles because it reminds me of something gross like tuna casserole.  This is a hearty meal, similar to a very thick beef stew.  So, if you like stew, you'll love this.

1 lb. ground beef
1 onion, chopped
6 carrots, peeled and sliced
8 potatoes, washed (not peeled) and sliced
salt and pepper to taste
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/4 C. Milk
2 beef bullion cubes dissolved in 1/4 C. water (do this in the microwave)

Cook ground beef with onion in a large skillet until onion is translucent and ground beef is cooked through.  Spray crock pot with cooking spray then transfer meat mixture to the bottom of your crock pot.  Put carrots over top of meat then add potatoes.  Salt and Pepper the top of the potatoes.  In a small mixing bowl combine soup, milk and beef bullion water.  Pour over top of potatoes.  Cook on high 4-5 hours or on low 8 hours.

Chicken Parmesan

Yeah!  It's Crock Pot Week! We should be hearing from all the peaches this week and I can't wait to see what you all come up with.  I love cooking in my crock pot but I find myself using the same tried and true recipes (which I will be posting over the next couple of days) and I wanted to try something new.  So my recipe today is Chicken Parmesan.  My family gobbled this right up.  I loved the ease of this meal and how the additional flavors made the sauce more thick and rich.  The chicken was very tender and pulled apart easily with the side of a fork.  However, this recipe isn't like normal Chicken Parmesan recipes, the chicken is not crunchy- you are cooking it in a crock pot after all. 

2-3 chicken breasts, halved
1 egg, beaten
2 T. Milk
1/2 C. bread crumbs
1/2 T. Italian Seasoning
1/2 C. Parmesan Cheese
2 C. Shredded Mozzerella
1 jar of your favorite Spaghetti Sauce

Spray inside of crock pot with non-stick cooking spray.  Pour the entire jar of sauce into the bottom of crock pot.  Set aside.  Beat the egg with the milk.  In a separate bowl combine bread crumbs, seasoning and parmesan cheese.  Be sure that your chicken is completely thawed out.  Dip chicken into egg mixture then coat with parmesan and bread crumb mixture.  Place each piece of chicken carefully on top of sauce.  Top with mozzarella.  Cook 3-4 hours on high or 6-7 hours on low.  Serve over buttered spaghetti noodles.

Crock Pot Italian Chicken

I tried this recipe a while ago and loved it. I made this for a dinner party I was having. My husband who is not a fan of crock pot meals was a little apprehensive to try it but is now a fan of this dish.

Crock Pot Italian Chicken

2 frozen boneless chicken breasts (adjust time if you use defrosted chicken)
2 Tablespoons butter
1/4 cup water
1 Package of Italian dressing seasoning

Place all of the above into the crock pot for 4 hours on high or 6 hours on low. When chicken is done, take out of the crock pot and cut into chunks.
While the chicken is out of the crock pot whisk in: 1 can cream of chicken soup and 1 8oz package of softened cream cheese. It will be a little lumpy but will eventually smooth out.
Put chicken back into the crock pot and continue to heat mixture for 1 hour on high. (You can do this on low too if you need longer but adjust the time)
Stir before serving.
Serve over rice or noodles.
Serves 4

Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup

My family really enjoys this recipe.  It is exactly what the title claims it to be- creamy with lots of chicken.  I love the authentic taste of the cilantro but if you are not a fan then you can omit it but honestly it tastes better with.  I have rediscovered my crock pot over the last year or so.  This is a great go-to recipe for those days when you just know that if dinner doesn't happen before noon it isn't going to happen at all.  It tastes like a meal you spent time on but it took me about 5 minutes to throw it together today.  

2 C. Salsa (make sure you use salsa that you really like because it really adds a lot of flavor to the soup.)
2 Frozen Chicken Breasts (you don't even have to thaw these out, how great is that?!?)
2 C. Corn, frozen or canned
1 Can Black Beans, rinsed and drained
2 Cans Cream of Chicken Soup
1 Soup Can of Water
1 tsp. Ground Cumin
1/3 C. chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1 Cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese

Fried tortilla strips or crushed tortilla chips

Lay the two chicken breasts inside of your crock pot.  Add salsa, soup, corn, beans, water, and cumin.  Cover and cook on low 5 1/2 hours or on high 3 1/2 hours.  Take chicken out and shred and then return it to the crock pot.  Stir in cheese and cilantro and cook 15 minutes longer.  Serve with fried tortilla strips or crushed tortilla chips, chopped tomatoes, olives and additional cheese, if desired.  Serves 6-8 people.