Crock Pot Roasted Summer Vegetables

Crock pot roasted summer vegetables (adapted from "Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Cookbook" by Beth Hensperger and Julie Kaufmann)

(Printable version)

2 red onions, cut into small wedges

2 green bell peppers, seeded and cut into strips

1 large zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced into 1/2" chunks

1 large yellow squash, halved lengthwise and sliced into 1/2" chunks

1 pound yellow or green beans, ends trimmed

5 garlic cloves, peeled

3 Tbsp olive oil

1 Tbsp dried basil

salt and pepper to taste

2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

Combine first 6 ingredients in a large crock pot (I used a 5 1/2 quart, and it was extremely full). Add oil, basil, and salt and pepper and stir well to coat all veggies. Cook on high for 2 hours, or until all veggies are tender (you may want to stir everything after about an hour). Stir in vinegar before serving. Serves 5.

This was delicious, and I can't stop eating it. I've become a roasting fiend in the last year, but using the crock pot was a nice alternative because it prevented the kitchen from heating up. It's also great because you can put a variety of vegetables in at the same time, even though they would have different cooking times in the oven. I will definitely be making this again soon, and can't wait to try out new veggie combinations.

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Spicy Crockpot Sweet Potatoes Recipe

Makes about 6 servings, Recipe created by Kalyn using this spice mix for sweet potatoes from Epicurious.com.

3 lb. orange-fleshed sweet potatoes/yams

2 T olive oil non-stick spray for crockpot 

2 tsp. sweet potato spice mix (see below) 

fresh ground black pepper to taste 

sea salt to taste 

Sweet Potato Spice Mix 

2 T ground coriander 

1 T ground fennel 

1 T dried oregano 

1 t cayenne pepper

 2 T kosher salt

Peel sweet potatoes and cut into pieces about 1 inch square. Put sweet potatoes into plastic Ziploc bag, add 2 T olive oil and 2 tsp. spice mix, seal bag and squeeze potatoes around until they're all coated with oil and spice mix is well-distributed.


Spray inside of Crockpot slow cooker with non-stick spray or olive oil. (I used a 3.5 quart crock pot for this recipe.) Put sweet potatoes in crockpot and cook on high, stirring a couple of times so they don't stick or get too browned on the bottom.


Sweet potatoes are done when they're completely softened and fragrant, about 3 hours. Mash slightly if desired, and season to taste with fresh ground black pepper and sea salt. Serve hot.


Make Ahead Tips: Sweet potatoes can be cut and mixed with olive oil and seasoning earlier in the day. Cooked sweet potatoes could be kept in the crockpot on low or warm for a few hours if needed.

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Low Calorie Spicy Tomato Soup With Tortilla Strips

Ingredients:

• 4 cups chopped fresh tomatoes
• 1 1/4 cups vegetable broth
• 1 medium red onion, chopped fine
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
• 6 corn tortillas, cut into strips (use kitchen shears for extra ease)
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Directions: Combine first five ingredients in the crock of your slow cooker and cook on low 7-8 hours or high 3-4 hours. Spray tortillas with non-stick spray and broil 3-4 minutes until crisp. Serve soup in bowls with tortilla strips on top. Serves 6.

Optional toppings (use as many as you choose): light sour cream, shredded reduced-fat Monterey Jack or hot pepper cheese, chopped black olives, avocado slices, shredded chicken.

Serve your spicy tomato soup as a starter for a Tex-Mex fiesta, or on its own with salad and corn on the cob.

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Light Potato Cheese Soup

Ingredients:

• 6 large potatoes
• 2 1/2 cups vegetable broth
• 4 green onions, chopped (some reserved for garnish)
• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups evaporated skim milk
• Fresh ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 cup reduced fat sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
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Directions: Combine all ingredients in crock of slow cooker except cheese. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours. Remove lid and mash potatoes with a potato masher, stir in cheese, replace lid and cook an additional five minutes, or until cheese is melted through. Pour into bowls and garnish with additional green onions. Serves 6.

Tips: Make your potato soup zesty by adding a few hits from your favorite bottle of hot sauce. Customize your soup without adding too many calories or fat grams by adding healthful mix-ins: crumbled vegetarian bacon, fresh corn, roasted red peppers, or diced japaneno are all welcome additions.

You can use regular skim milk, but evaporated skim has a creamier texture.

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French Onion Dip

Ingredients


2 large onions, finely chopped (about 3 cups chopped onions)
2 T olive oil
1 T butter
large pinch salt
1 cup sour cream
1/2 c. mayonnaise
1 small pinch cayenne pepper
salt to taste


Instructions


Place onions, oil, butter and pinch of salt into a slow cooker, and stir to coat. Cook on high for 8 hours, or until onions are deep caramel brown.


Drain any liquid off the onions. Combine half the onions with remaining ingredients in a small bowl, salt to taste. Serve with potato chips and enjoy the Superbowl.


Cooking time: 8 hours


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Slow-Baked Mac and Cheese

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups milk
• One 12 oz can evaporated milk (I used skim, evaporated milk keeps the egg and milk from curdling)
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted, cooled to room temp
• 3 large eggs
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 cups (12 oz) shredded cheese (I used an Italian blend, recipe calls for Italian fontina cheese)
• 1/2 pound elbow macaroni or mini penne tubes, par cooked and drained (this means cook them for about five minutes until tender but not completely cooked)
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese 

Directions:


Spray the inside of your slow-cooker with cooking spray or grease it with olive oil. Combine milk, evaporated milk, eggs, butter, and salt in slow-cooker and whisk until until smooth (or you can use an immersion blender to do the whisking for you). 


Add the shredded cheese (not the Parmesan) and macaroni, sprinkle with black pepper (and whatever other spices you want to use). Stir gently with a spatula to coat evenly. 


Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese on top. Cover and cook on HIGH for 30 minutes. 
After 30 minutes, reduce the temperature to LOW and cook for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, until custard is set in the center and the pasta is tender. The macaroni and cheese may sit in the cooker on the KEEP WARM setting for 30 minutes before serving. Before dishing it up, I sautéed some bread crumbs with olive oil and sprinkled them over the top to make it a little fancier. 


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Crockpot Breakfast Burritos

Adapted from Cooking Light Slow Cooker

Place the following in a crockpot, give it all a stir, and set the pot on low. Cook for 4-5 hours.

1 15oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 10oz can diced tomatoes with green chiles, don't drain
1 cup uncooked pearl barley
2 cups vegetable broth
3/4 cups frozen corn, no need to thaw
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lime juice
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper
3 garlic cloves, chopped

When the filling is done, scramble however many eggs you intend to eat, and spread some of the filling on an flour tortilla along with the eggs. Garnish with any or all of the following:

Shredded cheddar cheese
Fresh cilantro
Salsa
Lettuce
Guacamole

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Crockpot Refried Beans

Crockpot Refried Beans

• 3 cups of dry pinto beans (rinsed)
• 1 onion, diced
• 9 cups of water
• 5 t salt
• 1 3/4 t pepper
• 2 T minced garlic
• 1/8 t ground cumin

1. Put all the ingredients in a crockpot and cook on high for about 8 hours.
2. After they are done, drain all of the liquid out and SAVE THE LIQUID!!
3. Mash beans with a potato masher or whatever you mash with. Add liquid, a bit at a time, to desired consistency, but remember you want them a little runny because they thicken over time. (makes about 6 cups)

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