Crock Pots Will Make Life Easier!!

I use my crock pot for a ton of stuff. The night before, I prepare my food, put it in the crock pot and store it in the fridge. Then in the morning I just set it on low for the day and by dinner time it is ready.

BBQ Ribs are awesome in the crock pot.
Just choose the type of rib you prefer; put in crock pot with your favorite BBQ sauce (I like Sweet Baby Rays)and set on low for 6 to 8 hours. If you don't have much fat on your ribs then you may want to some water or cola or beer for a little extra moisture.

BBQ pulled pork is great in a slow cooker. This should be cooked for a longer period of time. I put my pork butt in the night before with some cola(the acid helps break down the muscle) and let it cook about 12 hours. Remove meat and let cool. Empty all excess fat and liquid from the crock pot. When meat is cool, pull apart. Return to crock pot with BBQ and some liquid and cook for 1 to 1 1/2 hours. If you don't need meat till dinner time then just let it sit in sauce until you are ready to cook it.

Pork Chops in the crock pot!! Sooo goood! Put any type of chop in the pot and smother with cream of chicken or cream of mushroom (depending on what your kids like) and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours. They will fall apart when you eat them. Delicious. The fat that cooks off the pork should be enough liquid for the pot.

Sirloin Tip Roast; or another cut. This can be put on low the night before or in the morning; as long as it cooks 8 hours. Put in pot with some water and seasoning and add carrots and potatoes about 4 hours before it is done cooking. If you put the veggies on too long they may become mushy; don't forget that you may need to add more water when you put in the veggies. Onions can be put in with the meat for extra flavor.

Rigatoni- so simple! Just mix together rigatoni, sauce, meat, and cheese and put on low for the day. Combine 1 box of rigatoni, 1 and 1/2 cans of Hunt's spaghetti sauce (not tomato sauce)mixed with half pound of cooked burger (if desired), 16 oz. mozzarella cheese, and 8 to 16 oz. of cottage cheese. Set aside 1/3 of the mozzarella to sprinkle on the top. Using cottage cheese instead of ricotta gives more moisture so you don't end up with dried out noodles. Be sure there is enough sauce for the noodles top cook in all day; add more if you think you need to. You can also slightly cook the noodles ahead of time to be sure they'll be soft.

Meatloaf

1 lb. burger
1 egg
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup BBQ
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 small onion
salt---
pepper---
garlic powder- 1 teaspoon of each
rosemary---
bread crumbs

mix ingredients together
form into loaf shape on baking sheet or in loaf pan
bake at 350 for 1 1/2 hours

My Chicken Pot Pie

Now, I call this 'pot pie' but it is really chicken pot pie ingredients poured over biscuits.

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
a bag of frozen mixed vegetables or fresh veggies cut into bite size pieces
flour, butter, milk,- or a can of cream of chicken soup

I like to boil the chicken ahead of time and cut into small pieces. Then use some of the chicken water to make a rue. Take about 1/3 cup of chicken water 1 tablespoon of butter and 3 to 4 tablespoons of flour or more and heat in pan stirring constantly. The flour should soak up all the liquid creating a paste. Cook for a minute or two to get the flour taste out. Then add a half cup to a cup of milk and stir until thickened. If this doesn't look like enough to cook the chicken and veggies in then add more milk. When you have a nice sauce add the other ingredients and cook over low heat for about a half an hour; stir once or twice. season to taste.

If you aren't good at making a rue sauce then you can mix cream of chicken soup with milk instead.

While this is cooking make some biscuits; either instant or your favorite recipe.
Poor mixture over the biscuits and enjoy!

Cheesy Potatoes

Everything is better cheesy; especially when you have kids to feed. These potatoes are easy and fast to make. Or you can slow it down and make your own home-made version.

Pre-heat oven at 350
1 Bag frozen home fries (or hash browns)
2 cans cream of chicken soup
8 ounces cheddar cheese

mix together and bake in greased baking dish covered in foil for at least an hour

You can also add sour cream to this or use a cheese of your choice; Colby jack is a more mild flavor.