Slow Cooker Swedish Meatballs

I made dinner. It was daylight so I quickly snapped some photos while my toddler sat there angrily smacking his lips at me.

Hi. This is my life.

My son is a hungry little hippo who insists upon eating any and all food he sees, especially meatballs because he loves them. So I decided speedy photos were better than none and took these because GOSH DARN IT I OWE YOU ALL A RECIPE. And it's a good one, guys. You're gonna love it.

They're yummy. They're flavorful. They're pretty darn easy (thanks to our lovely friend the slow cooker--I know pressure cookers are like the big thing but don't even talk to me about them because I am TERRIFIED of them so I'll just live with the sweet torture that is the low and slow cooking machine. Luckily-this recipe only cooks for like 2.5 hours!). The meatballs are super tender and delicious and the gravy is creamy and has sour cream in it so you know that equals pure YUM. Just serve them over mashed potatoes or egg noodles and enjoy pure comfort food.

UPDATED Southern Style Chicken and Dumplings--with Slow Cooker Method

5 years ago I hit publish on a blog post for a recipe I was pretty lukewarm on. As evidenced by the fact that I didn't make it again for 5 years. These days I'm constantly searching for something new to make for dinner thanks to the fact that I eat a ton (thanks breastfeeding) and so does Michael and now little James. So I unearthed the chicken and dumplings recipe I'd made so many years ago. And decided to try making it in the slow cooker. And it was awesome. Michael loved it, I loved it, James loved it.

So now the internet should love it too, right? It's creamy dreamy comfort food: perfect to warm you up on these cold January evenings. And using a slow cooker makes it even simpler to make.

Check out the original post here:

https://www.cookingactress.com/2014/04/southern-style-chicken-and-dumplings.html

Southern Style Chicken and Dumplings-Slow Cooker Method
Makes 6 servings.
Ingredients:

• 8 cups (64 oz) chicken stock/broth (or 8 cups water + 8 tbsp. bouillon)
• Approximately 1.5 lbs. boneless, skinless, chicken breasts
• pepper, salt, dried basil, garlic powder, to taste
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 3 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
• 3/4 cup buttermilk (or substitute)

Preparation:

• Put chicken, broth, and seasonings in a slow cooker and cook on low for about 8 hours.
• Remove chicken and shred. 
• Skim any fat/scum off of the liquid and discard, along with the bay leaves.
• Turn heat to high.
• In a medium bowl whisk together flour, 1/2 tsp. salt, and baking soda. Stir in melted butter and buttermilk. Place on a lightly floured surface and roll out to about about 1/8" thickness. Cut out 2 in. shapes (or just tear them off).
• Plop dumplings into crockpot and put on the lid, cooking for 20 minutes on high. Stir occasionally.
• Add shredded chicken and stir until combined. Serve warm!
• Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Slow Cooker Amish-style Shredded Beef

And another new delicious dinner has been added to my rotation! Sometimes, particularly when James was small, my in-laws would come over and bring dinner (and play with the baby, of course). One day Michael's stepmom brought this incredibly flavorful, melt in your mouth, shredded roast thing that she served over egg noodles (alongside roasted carrots-which we just talked about a few weeks ago). I asked her how she made it and it involved a packet of onion soup-I really loved the dish and the idea of it so I set out to sort of make my own, from scratch, version. 

And I did-to MAJOR success. The only downside was attempting to name it. Google made it seem like this was similar to Amish shredded beef recipes so I sort of used that (I mean...I live near-ish to Ohio's Amish Country so...sure) but let me just sum it up for you. 

You create a flavorful gravy-like situation that a roast (along with some garlic and onions) slowly cooks in. Then it's falling apart tender and SO SO flavorful and you shred it up and mix everything together and serve on top of mashed potatoes or egg noodles or whatever suits your fancy. And it's SO DELICIOUS. Seriously...SO. FRIGGIN. GOOD.

Eat it.

Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup

I made chicken noodle soup! And it wasn't so bland that it was borderline inedible! IT'S A MIRACLE!

...er...I know...you're probably all, "Kayle whaaaat are you talking about??" Well...I had a few unfortunate attempts at chicken noodle soup, a few years back, and they sort of scarred me for life and terrified me from making soup. Then I made some ridiculously yummy soups. So then it was just the basic CNS (chicken noodle soup, get on my level) that I was afraid of. Buuut...then I saw a recipe for homemade CNS in the slow cooker and I was like, "OK. It's time. Let's break this curse."

I'm going to warn you all RIGHT NOW-this recipe makes like...a lot of soup. Much more than just Michael and I can really handle, BUUUUT you can freeze it. Like...so I poured it in a freezer bag (made sure it was upright and not going to leak) and let it cool COMPLETELY. Then I sealed it and flattened it and put it in the freezer. I now have a nice, flat, bag of CNS just waiting for when I need it. Which I sort of love. You never know when a random cold is going to hit! Or just a craving for some soup. And sometimes you're too busy (or, God forbid, sick) to make something and having that extra stash of soup in the freezer makes me feel safe.

This week we got our first substantial bit of snow. And it happened literally the day after we finally bought a snow shovel. You see....we've been meaning to buy one for a while. But Michael was being super picky about it and didn't like any of the ones we'd seen. However...time passed....winter came...and I started to get nervous that we'd be stuck with a bunch of snow and no way to shovel it out of our new driveway. So we finally agreed to just go and buy one. And so we did. And then we woke up the next morning aaaand snow. So our new little shovel got christened quickly.

And you know what's fun to do? Sit in your new kitchen, looking out at the snow, but knowing you're snug and warm inside, and eating from an even warmer bowl of comforting and classic chicken noodle soup.*

*With lots of crackers. Because that's who I am, as a person. I eat soup with lots of crackers. (Not as many as my brother, who usually just consumes moist crackers since there are so many that they've fully sucked up the soup...that's a bit too far for me.)

Mom's Pot Roast

I wish I could properly type out a cry of victory.

Maybe like this?: "EEEEEEEEEEE AHAHAHAHAAAAA YAYYYY YES YES!!"

Meh. It'll do. The important fact to take away is this: I love my mom's pot roast. And I have been unable to replicate it myself. UNTIL NOW! YIPPEE!

This pot roast recipe has been my white whale for YEARS now, and what's funny is....IT'S NOT EVEN HARD TO MAKE. Like....it's kind of insanely easy (you don't even need to sear the meat--the only dish you're gonna dirty is the crockpot! And cutting board...but still.) So why did I have problems? I didn't have the correct kind of slow cooker--I had a super old one that didn't have low and high settings-it had temperatures. And it seems like it couldn't cook it slow enough. I don't know, but what I do know is that I now have a real, beautiful, crock-pot and I took my mom's roast and made it my own. 

This was the recipe that my mom would always make for my birthday, or when I came to visit. And apparently the fact that I love roast caught on because then my mothers in law also started to make me their recipes. And they're ALL good. But...you know. There's something about the recipe that you grew up with...it's special. So I'm a bit partial. But...you know...I also am pretty into this whole cooking/baking thing. So I very slightly improved upon the recipe. But in minuscule ways (namely I added onions and I cut the potatoes smaller so they would cook all the way through, as my mom's tend to be hard and uncooked in the middle sometimes because they're too big of chunks).

Anyway. Let me tell you about this roast--it falls apart. Like...insanely tender. SO flavorful. And you can really add any veggies you want (like carrots, for example) but I'm a big fan of potatoes and onions (yes...those orange veggies are potatoes--cooking in the juices turns them that color. And makes them melt in your mouth delicious). This is gonna be your new fave. I'm so excited. It was so good.

Slow Cooker Creamy Chicken

I thought I didn't like Bob Evans. I thought I wad too good for Bob Evans.

Turns out? I'm not. And I love it. Specifically--I love their pot roast and their deep dish chicken noodles entree. So when I made this recipe (which I found in one of my cookbooks)-I had imagined it would taste somewhat like that.

I'm gonna warn you-it doesn't. BUT: it's great in its own right. Let's discuss.

First of all: I love how simple and comfy and cozy this is. Like...you'd imagine it would be the sort of thing your mom would make for you. And it's EASY-you just throw some stuff in your slow cooker and leave it alone until it's time to eat! It tastes pretty much like chicken noodle soup, but  creamy chicken noodle soup. AND even though all these pictures show the chicken over noodles...I highly recommend serving it over mashed potatoes! Then it becomes like an almost gravy/soup hybrid with the potatoes...and it makes it even more comfort food. So, next time you have a rainy day--make this slow cooker creamy chicken!

Grandma's Beef Stroganoff-Beef Checkoff #MC #Sponsored

I participated in an Influencer Activation Program on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for the Beef Checkoff. I received products to facilitate this review and a promotional item to thank me for participating.

This recipe should actually be titled: Grandma's Beef Stroganoff, adapted by Mom, adapted further by me. But that's a bit of a mouthfull. My grandma's recipe involves mushrooms. Mom and I are not fans so she adapted this recipe to use gravy and beef broth instead. And then I further adapted it by making stuff a little bit more from scratch (namely...subbing out a packet of onion soup for actual seasonings) and I added more chunks of beef. Because....really...more beef=more better.

But I'm getting ahead of myself. First of all...I gotta say it: I'm a beef gal. I love it. If I got out to eat there's a decent chance I'll get a burger, steak, or roast beef. Because BEEF IS DELICIOUS. And the insane thing is...I ALMOST NEVER make beef at home! Something about my inability to grill mixed with my constant butchering of my mom's pot roast recipe have led to a beef drought in this house that HAD TO END.

So I ended it. Thanks to the Beef Checkoff!

What's the Beef Checkoff? It is a national marketing and research program, established in 1985, funded by America's cattle farmers/ranchers. The national checkoff program is directed by cattle farmers, ranchers, and importers and they direct funds to research and promotion to increase domestic (and potentially international) demands for BEEF! Plus it's overseen by The Cattlemen's Beef Board and the USDA. One of the contractors for Beef Checkoff is the National Cattlemen's Beef Association-they manage research and promo programs on behalf of US farmers and ranchers (and are also overseen by the Cattlemen's Beef Board and the USDA)-including the "Beef. It's What's for Dinner" brand--you guys totally know that one, yeah? Yeah!

Here is what I know: The "Beef. It's What's for Dinner" website is AWESOME! Like...I feel like I officially have 0 reasons to not make beef more! The website has a ton of recipe ideas, grilling tips and info (helpful for my grilling phobia!), and even info. about the health benefits of beef (hint: there are tons!) You def. need to check it out and then try to find new ways to incorporate beef into your home cooking too! In my oh so humble opinion.

To celebrate my new commitment to making beef dishes at home I decided to really take it home--I created my Grandma's Beef Stroganoff recipe and served it to my mom and grandma (and Michael, duh!) We had such a fun little dinner party (featuring the use of my adorable new Beef Checkoff oven mitt :P), and I was a little nervous about serving them my version of the recipe that they both have in their regular repertoire! Of course, my nerves were for naught. EVERYONE loved this tasty dish-and my mom said she couldn't even taste the difference with the fact that I subbed out the dried soup! Hooray! It just tastes comforting and beefy (I know, weird adjective, but true!) and flavorful and it's just my idea of the perfect entree.

Seriously, could not be an easier recipe. You throw a bunch of stuff in the crockpot. Let it go. Boil some noodles. SERVE! Easy peasy and a def. new favorite-Michael full on approved and insisted that I should make it regularly as well. Crowd pleeeeaser!

Southern Style Chicken and Dumplings (with Slow Cooker Method)

2019 update: I perfected the recipe with a slow cooker method that has a much thicker texture and is perfection!! It's a new favorite and I've added the instructions under the regular recipe. xoxo

Um...I don't know if maybe I did something wrong here? I'm just gonna 'fess up: I thought this recipe would be thicker but...for me...it was kind of like soup. Now....that's totally cool. It's yummy soup! But I'm not sure if my perception was wrong or if I did something wrong? Regardless, I've slightly minimized the amount of chicken broth in this recipe.

ANYWAY. Now that we got that out of the way. I want to tell you that this is really comforting. And delicious. I've never been to the South (aside from driving through it and a couple family vacations in Virginia and Disney World-but I don't think Disney counts). But...I really feel like I'd enjoy the food. Comfort food. That's the thing. And that's what I AM ALL ABOUT!

And, uh, yeah....for the record...while we're on the subject: Ohio's not the South. Anyone actually from the South knows this but there are weird groups of people who do not. I'm always like "It's a pretty Northern state...sooo..." and then people tell me they love my southern accent and I'm like "I DON'T HAVE ONE?!" (I don't. Seriously. I took a whole class in school about sounding phonetically neutral and I am. I am accentless. There were 2 words when I went into the class that were just slightly Michigan/Chicago-esque. But those got fixed, sooo). Of course there are also the people who think I'm from Idaho. Or...that Ohio is Idaho. Or...I don't know. All I know is I tell people I'm from Ohio and (seriously, this exact phrase has come out of at least 20 different peoples' mouths) they say: "Oh. I love potatoes!" ...."That's Idaho." and then they're confused.

That tangent aside...

This recipe for chicken and dumplings is beautifully simple to make and it tastes so...mmmm. Like...you know? It's that warm, chicken-y, carb-y, comforting kind of flavor. I can't find a word for it. But you know what I'm saying, right? Of course you do. You're my people. You get me. Right?

Yeah. You do. You understand that this is the kind of meal that soothes your soul. Mmmhm.

Crock Pot Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Ugh....it's November. Which means I'm chilly. Like all the time. The only good thing about this time of year (aside from it being my birthday month and that we're getting closer to Christmas) is COMFORT FOOD. Food that warms ya up, inside out! Food that makes you feel full and happy. Food like mashed potatoes.

Plus, you gotta love a slow cooker in the fall. You just throw a bunch of stuff in and leave it alone for awhile. That's a full on win-win-win situation if you ask me! 

Funny story: I just got a filling a couple months ago (my first filling that I've needed in quite a few years) and it totally brought back memories of having my mom make me mashed potatoes to eat while my face was numb. I used to exclusively eat very thick instant mashed potatoes. Nowadays I'll eat some real potatoes. And if there's garlic involved, all the better. With or without my face being numb. :P

This recipe is like...really good, guys. Like...super duper tasty. You get a BIG batch (like...really big...like...it was difficult to finish off because there was so much. So it's perfect for big families or entertaining, etc.) of really creamy, really flavorful potatoes. I did have a problem getting all the chunks whipped up (but this seems to be a problem I always have...maybe it's my mixer?...or maybe I don't chop them up small enough...)--I definitely recommend cutting the potatoes into smaller pieces to make it easier on yourself later.

End of the day though...let's turn on some Netflix, curl up in our pj's with a big warm blanket, and dig into a big bowl of these potatoes. The perfect cure for my fall blues.

Crock-Pot Chicken and Dumplings

Well.

Winter is here.

It's cold. I now officially always wear long johns under my pants or leggings when leaving the house. My only shoes that are getting worn outside are boots. I'm even occasionally donning a hat and gloves (and boy oh boy I hate wearing gloves almost as much as I hate wearing socks-speaking of...) AND SOCKS! Ugh I'm wearing socks. Not all the time, mind you, but more than I would like. Now, don't get me wrong, there are some perks of winter.

Christmas. Gotta love that.

And comforting, happy, delicious food, that warms you from the inside out.

Like this slow cooker chicken and dumplings recipe. 

It is pretty darn simple, and at the end you have a big bowl of warmness. It's quite lovely. Michael and I both absolutely adored this (although it does make a lot so be prepared for a lot of leftovers, or maybe make sure you serve more than 2 people). Michael was especially fond of the dumplings. I adored it but felt it was missing something. So, I whipped up my simple biscuit recipe-but I added cheese, some herbs, even a little chicken bouillon granules in there for flavor, made them drop biscuits, and it was exactly what I feel it needed! The bite of the cheesy biscuits was just sooo good slathered in the rest of it. Mmmmm hmmm. Yes. Either way, you should totally take my word for it and make the most out of winter by making yourself some!

Michael's Applesauce-Holiday Recipe Exchange: Week Six (Fall Spices).

Why did I ever buy applesauce? It's so easy to make and so freaking much yummier!!!!! When Michael and his mom (my "Mama Maria") started speaking about some sort of cryptic special applesauce recipe that Michael did when he was little-I had to see it. So, my precious Mama Maria scanned it and emailed it to me. CUTEST THING EVER! So cute, I'm sharing pictures of it with you--it has the recipe for the applesauce on it! However, since it was written by a 6 year old, it leaves some little details out, so you can also scroll down and see the more in depth directions written by me right under it. Also, it's Holiday Recipe Exchange time again! (View Holiday Recipe Exchange posts for Week 1-Parts 1 and 2 and Week 3) This week is fall spices-and this applesauce has a very obvious and perfect cinnamon component. Seriously make this-it's amazing freshly made and hot, and also great leftover and cold. It tastes much more like actual...apples...than any other applesauce I've ever had! And, it's in no way difficult to make, and requires very few ingredients (and you almost definitely already have all of them). Go forth and make applesauce! (And go "awww" at the cuteness of my boyfriend when he was little). :D

Crock-Pot Chicken-Again-Holiday Recipe Exchange: Week Three (Crock Pot/Slow Cookers).

Sorry about the little hiatus I took there! My mom and cousin visited (so much fun showing a 13 year old girl NYC! <3) and then I had a lot of work (Comic Con). But-I'm back! I'm back with Week 3 of the Holiday Recipe Exchange. I don't use my crock-pot often (yet), and honestly don't have time to make a new recipe with it before the end of the week. So instead, I'll re-post this recipe from back in July. You can see the original blog entry here. Enjoy!! :)

Crock-Pot Chicken

Here is the post to finish out that teaser I gave you guys. This was the main dish that I served with those mouthwatering cheddar biscuits (weren't those great?). I'd been wanting to make this for a long time-I mean....slow cooked chicken, there's nothing to not like there really, especially because it pretty much just requires putting stuff in the crock-pot and then walking away for 8 hours. The only thing that kept me from making them? The recipe calls for white wine. Here's a little thing about me: I don't drink (alcohol) at all. Ever. And, neither does Michael. So, sorry guys, you won't be able to get any fun margarita recipes, etc. here (but check out some of the awesome people on my blogroll, they make some great stuff). Anyway, I didn't want to get an entire bottle of white wine just to use 1/2 a cup for this recipe. Ironically, my day job is doing liquor promotions, so I've been learning more about this stuff I don't drink, and I learned-you can buy small bottles. So I did. And this turned out great. I might try it with chicken broth next time though, the acidity of the alcohol was a bit much with certain bites. I'll let you know how that idea pans out :) (It turned out great--that's how I always make this now)

Crock-pot Chicken

From My Kitchen Addiction's Busy Day Chicken