It baffles the mind that you can buy an entire case of ramen noodles at Aldi for less than $3. No wonder they're the official meal of college students across the country. When the only cooking supplies I had consisted of a hot pot and tap water ramen noodles made a daily appearance on my menu and I was perfectly fine with it. Now that my kitchen (and budget) has expanded I still have found a use for them! I always keep several packages of ramen noodles in my pantry. If you break them up and toast them under a broiler they make the best topping for any salad, especially an Asian chopped salad or coleslaw...yum! However they tend to get the most regular use at my house around lunch time. I love to doctor them up a bit and make this chicken soup. You can add any veggies you have in your refrigerator or freezer. I prefer carrots, peas, corn, and/or edamame. Some other great options might be cabbage, broccoli, red pepper, celery, or spinach. Feel free to experiment! The same is true with the chicken, you could easily use shrimp, pork or beef instead of the chicken. Just don't skip the cilantro or the red pepper flakes- they're my favorite part! This soup does not keep well so be sure to eat it as soon as its ready and don't plan on keeping leftovers unless you don't mind eating it as pasta instead of soup! Its a perfect spring lunch, especially on rainy days like we're having here today. So run out to Aldi or Walmart or wherever and take advantage of the $3 special- it will make you lunch for the next two weeks. How do you beat that??
Chicken Ramen Soup
Recipe Type: Soup
Author: Wendy
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 3
Ingredients
1 pckg chicken ramen noodle soup
2 c. water
1 c. peas
1/2 c. chopped carrots
1/4 c. chopped cilantro
1 c. chicken breast, chopped
1 Tbsp red pepper flakes
1 Tbsp olive oil
salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
In a large soup pot heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook until slightly browned and cooked through. Season with salt and pepper and remove from the pot, place on a plate and keep warm.
Back in the soup pot add 2 cups of water, bring to a boil. Add the seasoning packet from the ramen noodles. Discard the vegetable packet from the soup package.
Add the ramen noodles, peas and carrots and simmer over medium heat for 5 minutes.
Add in the chicken and red pepper flakes, simmer for another 2-3 minutes.
Remove from heat. Separate into 2 or 3 serving bowls and add in the cilantro and salt & pepper to taste.
I'm fairly certain the benefits of the crock pot have been loudly heralded here before. Nothings better- put your meal in a pot, add some seasoning, turn a dial, come back later and eat. Brilliant! This recipe is SO simple and it makes great tacos. Not to mention it can feed a small army. My kids are currently on a quesadilla kick, so when I made the tacos we had plenty of leftovers for quesadillas the next day.
I am never a fan of using water in the crock pot. No matter what seasonings I use, it always comes out tasting well...watery. So I used beef broth in this recipe and had great results. I'm sure you can use water and beef bullion cubes, or probably even just water to add the needed moisture. Add whatever you love to finish off your tacos, but I think these are GREAT with just cilantro, onion and some cheese. (I cannot have tacos without cheese, its against my religion.)
Give yourself a break next week and make these for dinner!
~Wendy
Crock Pot Beef Tacos
Recipe Type: Dinner
Author: Wendy
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 10-12
Ingredients
1 1/2-2lb Sirloin Roast
2 1/2 c. beef broth
1 large onion, cut into 3 pieces
2 Tbsp cumin
2 Tbsp chili powder
1 Tbsp black pepper
1 Tbsp salt
1 Tbsp onion powder
1 Tbsp garlic powder
Instructions
Remove the roast from the refrigerator and unwrap. Let rest on the counter for 5 minutes.
Meanwhile mix all of the seasonings together in a small bowl. Place the onion pieces on the bottom of the crock pot.
Rub the seasonings into the roast, be sure to cover the entire roast.
Place the roast in the crock pot on top of the onions. Pour 2 cups of the beef broth into the crock pot AROUND the roast (not on top of).
Cook on low for 8 hours, check every few hours, add more broth if necessary.
Remove roast and shred the meat with two forks, put into a bowl and add the remaining 1/2 cup of beef broth.
Serve with warm taco shells, cilantro, chopped onions, and cheese.
Notes
I used a Sirloin Roast, you could likely use any type of non-fatty beef roast.
If you ask my mother-in-law Shirlene, she'll tell you she's not a great cook. I however respectfully disagree. She's one of those people who have found a few recipes that are really good and sticks with them. That doesn't make you a bad cook, it makes you a smart one! I on the other hand, am an ADD cook. I can't ever focus on one thing and try new recipes all the time. The problem with my method is that there are LOTS of epic fails! This recipe comes from my mother-in-laws consistently awesome arsenal, with only a few small changes. Interestingly enough the changes weren't made by me- they were made by my husband. Considering the last meal my husband made me was pork chops, french fries & rice (whoa carbs) I was SUPER impressed!
I LOVE these BBQs. Before I tasted them I was solidly on the Manwich train. Its probably the only type of sloppy joe I'd ever eaten. After I tried this version I've not made any other recipe. These are very sweet so your kids will love them. You can double, triple or quadruple this recipe and throw it in a crock pot for a party. My wonderful mother-in-law will make a batch of the meat for me and I'll freeze it for later meals. Put it on your weeknight menu for the fall and be sure to thank her!
~Wendy
BBQ Beef Sandwiches
Recipe Type: Dinner
Author: Wendy (from Shirlene Peterson)
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 4
Ingredients
1 lb ground beef (or ground turkey)
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
1/2 small onion, finely chopped
1 1/2 c. ketchup
2/3 c. brown sugar
2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp chili powder
Instructions
Brown the ground beef (or ground turkey) in a skillet over medium high heat until slightly cooked but still pink, 2-3 minutes. Add in the celery and onion, continue cooking until the meat is cooked through
Drain any grease
Add the ketchup, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce and chili powder to the skillet and turn the heat down to medium-low, stir until fully combined
Cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently letting the flavors combine.
Just a fun fact about me... I move a lot. Not "run in circles, shake my foot, wave my arms" move a lot. I mean "pack up my house and move to a new one" move a lot. We're up to six different homes in the past five years. It drives my family and friends crazy. How many corrections/updates their address books have is a running joke in my family. I really don't know why we move so much. Every move has had its reasons, all of which made sense at the time. Looking back I understand that from the outside it seems ridiculous. I guess we could dissect my ridiculous life choices all day, but I really am getting to a point here. :)
My most recent move brought us to a great subdivision in a small town west of Chicago. We're close to our hometown and our parents, which works out great. Even though we grew up in the area, a lot of our friends have moved away or we've disconnected for some reason over the years. Now that I'm a stay-at-home mom it was really important to me to meet other moms in the area. Lord knows you can go absolutely insane staying home all day with no adult conversation!! Luckily I met another stay-at-home mom in the neighborhood one day at the park. Janell has lived in the subdivision for a while and has been GREAT at introducing me to other neighbors; not to mention keeping my sanity in check at our weekly play dates! At a recent get together she made this slow cooker dip. It was AWESOME. So being the "constantly-thinking-about-our-blog-readers" girl that I am, I immediately asked for the recipe. The timing couldn't be better. This is perfect for your Superbowl parties! You can serve it with cut up bread, crackers or tortilla chips. It didn't come with an official name so I named it the Crock Pot Cheeseburger Dip; although I'm not sure that adequately sums up its awesomeness. On behalf of all who try and love this recipe (try it, you'll love it)- a BIG thanks to Janell! :)
~Wendy
Crock Pot Cheeseburger Dip
Recipe Type: Appetizer
Author: Wendy
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 10-12
Ingredients
1 lb ground beef
1 lb pork sausage
1 Tbsp garlic powder
1 1/2 Tbsp chili powder
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp white vinegar
1 can Rotel tomatoes
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 lb Velveeta cheese
Instructions
Brown the hamburger and sausage in a skillet. Transfer to a crock pot and then add remaining ingredients, stir until combined. Cook until cheese is melted on low 1-2 hours.
Notes
Janell typically uses the spicy version of the pork sausage and the Rotel tomatoes. I ended up using regular pork sausage that I had in the freezer and the medium Rotel tomatoes. So feel free to dial up or down the heat depending on your crowd. She also mentioned that the ground beef and sausage can be made in advance, but a tip to insure they don't dry out is to mix them with the tomatoes and soup before you refrigerate. Then when you're ready to throw it in the crock pot you simply add the remaining ingredients and cook.
I could go on and on about a crock pot. Does using the term crock pot age me? Or is “slow cooker” just way more glamorous sounding? Whatever you call it, these babies are heaven sent. I feel SO in control of my life on the days when dinner is prepared by noon. And instead of inwardly groaning at about 4:30 when I should be in the kitchen starting dinner, kiddos and I stay out to play just a little bit longer.
This chicken has an awesome smoky flavor and a little bit of kick...not really the sweet and tangy flavors you expect from something called barbeque. The sauce goes together pretty quick and is a little more complex than something you’d get out of a bottle. This has been a big hit at family get-togethers when served with some sour cream, red onion, and jalapeno slices.
Crock Pot Barbeque Pulled Chicken
Author: Erin (adapted from Eatingwell.com)
Ingredients
1 8 oz can tomato sauce
1 4 oz can chopped green chiles, drained
3 T cider vinegar
2 T honey
1 T smoked paprika
1 T tomato paste
1 T Worcestershire sauce
2 t. dry mustard
1 t. ground chipotle chile
1/2 t. salt
2 1/2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of fat
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
Instructions
Whisk together first 10 ingredients.
Pour over chicken, onion, and garlic in crock pot.
Cook on low for 5 hours.
Shred chicken with a couple of forks right in the crock pot. It may look like a lot of liquid after cooking, but it incorporates nicely into the shredded meat.
Serve on rolls with sour cream, red onions, and jalepeno slices.
Notes
I have also made this dish using chicken breasts instead of thighs. It's leaner and just as good in my opinion. My recommendation if you make this substitution is to watch your cooking time. Breasts don't take as long to cook and can start to dry out pretty fast. I would start checking it at about 3-4 hours.
