Simple & Saucy BBQ Chicken

I needed a "pantry dinner" tonight.  Somehow I forgot to plan a dinner for tonight and needed to grab stuff from my fridge and pantry to throw together a dinner.  I had chicken drumsticks and some stuff to make a simple BBQ sauce.  Ta dah!  Dinner!

This makes enough for 5 or 6 people.

1 Large Onion, sliced
1 1/4 Cup Ketchup
1/3 Cup Molasses
4 Tbsps Cider Vinegar
1 Tsp Worcestershire Sauce
1/4 Cup Light Brown Sugar
1 Tsp Smoked Paprika
3-4 lbs Chicken Drumsticks
Green Onions

Place all the ingredients in the slow cooker except the chicken and green onions.  Place the slow cooker on high for 30 minutes to 1 hour and let the sauce come together, stir and combine.  Salt and pepper the chicken (if possible throw the drumsticks in the oven on 400 for about 20 minutes to crisp up the skin, but you do not have to).  Place the chicken in the slow cooker.  Turn slow cooker down to low and top with chopped green onions (green part only).

Cook chicken for 4-6 hours on low (closer to 4 hours if chicken was precooked in the oven).

This is delicious served with rice to soak up the extra sauce.

"French" Onion Soup

It took a couple of tries, but I finally got this soup tasting the way I want it to.  The key is to really give the onions a head start and let them cook down and caramelize.  Traditional onion soup is topped with Gruyere cheese.  I topped mine with asiago cheese.  I love asiago cheese.

This soup makes 6-8 servings.

2 Tbsps Unsalted Butter
2 Tbsps Olive Oil
4 Medium Onions, thinly sliced (I used yellow onions)
2 Bay Leaves
1 Tsp Dried Thyme
1/2 Cup Water
4 Cups Beef Broth
1/3 Cup Sherry Vinegar
Asiago Cheese, shredded

Place butter in slow cooker set to low and let it start to melt while you slice the onions.  Add 1 tbsp of olive oil and the onions.  Pour the second tbsp of oil over top of the onions.  Add the bay leaves, thyme and water.  Let the onions cook for a good 3 hours until browned.  Remove the bay leaves and add the beef broth.  Stir to blend and let the soup continue cooking another 2 hours.  Add the sherry vinegar, stir and let finish cooking about 30-60 minutes.

Top each serving with a sprinkle or a handful of asiago cheese and enjoy.

Homemade Applesauce

I love apples.  One of the best things about the fall is that apples are everywhere and delicious!  This applesauce is so easy to put together and is delicious warm straight from the slow cooker or chilled the next day.

This makes about 8 servings.

7-8 Medium Apples, peeled and cored
1 Cup Water
1/3 Cup Light Brown Sugar
1/4 Tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice
1/4 Tsp Cinnamon

Place the apples and water in a slow cooker and cook on low for about 4 hours.

Mash up the apples with a potato masher.  Add the sugar, pumpkin pie spice and cinnamon and mix well.

Let cool slightly or completely before serving.

Meatloaf

My husband loves meatloaf.  I make mine right in a gallon size bag so I do not get my hands full of raw meat and, if needed, I can freeze it right in the bag.  I alternate between ground turkey and ground beef so either works in this recipe.

This meatloaf serves 6 easily.

2lbs Ground Meat (beef or turkey)
1 Envelope of Lipton Beefy Onion Soup Mix
1/3 Cup Water
1 Egg
1/4 Cup Breadcrumbs
1 Tsp Worcestershire Sauce
1 Tbsp Tastefully Simple Merlot Sauce
1/3 Cup Ketchup

Place all the ingredients in a bowl or ziplock bag and combine well.

For best results let mixture rest together before cooking (or freeze).

To cook place in a 2 quart casserole dish and bake in a 400 degree oven for 45 minutes to an hour or place in a slow cooker on low for 6 hours.  It is especially delicious with some red wine poured over top and used as sort of a marinade.

PB & Marshmallow Cookies

These no-bake cookies are quick and easy.  The gooey marshmallow on top is an extra treat!

This makes about 20 cookies

1 Sleeve of Cinnamon Graham Crackers, crushed into crumbs
1/2 Cup Creamy Natural Peanut Butter
1/4 Cup Pancake Syrup
1/4 Cup Sugar
1 Tsp Vanilla
10 Jumbo Marshmallows, cut in half

In a mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients, except marshmallows, until well blended.  Using your hands, roll the mixture into approximately 20 balls (about 1-1 1/2 in).  Place in a microwave safe plate.  Using a fork, flatten each one and top each with a marshmallow.  Microwave the cookies for about 25 seconds to partially melt the marshmallow.  Enjoy, especially warm and gooey!

Corn Muffins

I admit that corn muffins are a favorite of mine.  I also admit I rarely make them from scratch!  This trick to make the muffins extra moist was passed to my mom from a stranger and she passed it to me and I am now passing it on too!

This makes 6 muffins.

1 Package of Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix
1/4 Cup Milk
1 Egg
1/2 of a 14oz Can of Creamed Corn

Combine all ingredients until just combined.  Let batter sit for 5 minutes.  Stir one more time and then pour batter evenly into muffin pan.

Bake in a 400 degree oven for about 17-19 minutes until just golden brown.

Italian Chicken Soup

 

I love soup and I am so glad the weather has cooled down enough to enjoy soup for dinner.  Tonight I needed an easy soup that I could throw in the slow cooker.  Sadly I just threw some traditional chicken soup ingredients and tomatoes in the crock pot and truly enjoyed the result!

This soup serves 6 easily.

2 Cups Water
1 14oz Can of Petite Diced Tomatoes
4 Cups Chicken Broth or Stock
2-3 Carrots, peeled and sliced
2-3 Stalks of Celery, sliced
2 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
1 Tsp Dried Thyme
2 Tbsps Tomato Paste
1/2 lb Pasta, any kind (I love Filini)
Grated Parmesan Locatelli Cheese, for topping (optional)

Place all ingredients except tomato paste and pasta in the slow cooker on low for 6 hours.  With about an hour remaining, stir in the tomato paste and shred the chicken with forks.  Cook the pasta to al dente, drain and add to the pasta just before serving.  Serve with salt and pepper and cheese to taste.