Crock Pot Recipes MINUS the canned cream soups...

I like to make butter chicken sauce in the crock pot. It is a Canadian Living recipe and it has peanut butter or almond butter in it which adds protein to the sauce and tastes amazing!

go for some of those crock pot seasoning packets at the store instead. I love them and the calories are like 15 per packet

I posted 2 great and healthy recipes in my blog - http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/chellec23

we have a few,

personal favorite is
Stewing beef (don't bother browning it)
Couple of onions,
Carrots
Celery
a potato or two
a sweet potato
maybe a little garlic if you want
beef bullion
add a little water until it covers about half of the veggies up to 2/3rds
I add montreal steak spice (but black pepper works too)
then some oregano and basil.
Cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 4-6

mmmm beef stew/soup

I don't have exact measurements but this is very easy for beef stew and a family favorite at my house.

Stewing Beef
Carrots, celery, onions, potatoes
1 package onion soup mix
1 package gravy mix
1 small can beef broth
salt and pepper to taste at the end.

Just toss it all in, and cook for the workday on low until beef is very tender. You can do the exact same thing with a pot roast too.

Dump a can of crushed pineapple in the crock pot (with juice), set a ham on it, and cook for 4 hours or so. My mother-in-law told me about that one. And I think I saw it on allrecipes.com.

I just made some pork loin this past weekend...super easy.

5# pork loin
~ 1/2 to 3/4 cup dry rub spices of your choice
2 large onions

Cut onions
Cover pork with dry rub
Put a layer of onions on bottom of crock pot
Add pork
Add remaining onions on top of pork

NO WATER!

Cook on high for ~ 5 hours. The pork literally falls apart. Yummy!

What is the reason your kids can't eat them? Celiac or some other food allergy?

not sure she needs to disclose reasons to get advice

Sheesh...of course she doesn't have to disclose anything, but more information is always helpful when someone needs advice. She said she liked recipes with canned cream soups, but had children that could not eat the soup.

From her original post:

Don't get me wrong, I love them and they make things easier and faster, BUT my kids can't eat them.

Knowing the reason they can't eat a certain product would help other MFP members make recommendations for this woman.

For example, my family has MANY members who have celiac disease. They can't eat any Campbell's 'Cream of... Whatever' condensed soups because they are all made with wheat products. But, Pacific Naturals makes a line of organic, gluten-free condensed 'Cream of' soups that my mom loves to use in crockpot and casserole recipes.

Some days I just hate the reactionary climate of the forums...

Barbecue Sauce Meatballs!

I made these last night, and they were fan-fricking-tastic!

1 lb ground beef
1/2 chopped onion (small, small pieces. I recommend a Slap Chop or a blender)
1/2 C bread crumbs
1/4 C milk
1 egg
salt
pepper

Mix everything, roll into golf ball sized balls. (Makes about 20) Bake at 400 for 12-15 min, then put in the bottom of a crock pot, pour enough barbecue sauce over to just cover them, (I used my husband's homemade bourbon barbecue sauce) and simmer on low for about 4 hrs. BAM. I served them over rice, but would also be awesome on a hoagie roll.

I don't use canned "cream of" soups for recipes because I don't like the ingredient list on the can. I found this recipe to make my own (it is really easy) freeze it, and use in place of the cans in recipes. They even include a substitute list for ingredients to accommodate food allergies and dietary choices.

http://onceamonthmom.com/homemade-cream-of-something-soup/

Bumping for later--- that buffalo chicken crock pot recipe sounds amazing!

bump for later

2lbs whole carrots cut washed - i dont peel them
3 LARGE onions chopped
bag lentils
2 large tomatoes or can tomato sauce
6-8 meatballs or 1lb ground italian style flavored turkey
1lb bag corn
4c water
6-10 leaves fresh basil or 1TBSP pesto or 1tsp dried basil
crock pot on low all day
add pepper salt garlic and frozen peas to it when you get home, turn it off, and serve, VERY healthy , extremely low cal "almost "vegetarian soup"

I made a DELISH crock pot chili last night that made my entire house smell incredible when I got home. No cream of anything, just legit ingredients:

1 lb ground whatever-meat-you-like (I used extra lean ground beef, also tasty with turkey)
1 medium yellow onion (chopped)
4-5 cloves garlic (minced)
1 14 oz can diced tomatoes (don't strain out the juice)
1 can tomato paste (the little cans, can't remember exactly how many ounces but it's the small can)
1 bell pepper (chopped)--I used 1/2 a yellow and 1/2 an orange one. Use whatever kind you like/have on hand
3-4 tbsp chili powder
2 tsp dry oregano
1-2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 c chopped fresh cilantro (give or take---I kinda eyeballed that one, I love cilantro)


You can add salt and pepper if you want, or really any other seasoning that you like more of in your chili. You can also add beans of your choice if you'd like, I don't eat them personally, but if you add them don't drain those either, you'll need a little extra juice. Stick it all in the crock pot on low (I usually switch it from the low setting just to "warm" as soon as I get home) and enjoy!


Another good, easy recipe I make a lot is just 3 chicken breasts in the crock pot with a large jar of salsa poured in there, whatever kind you like, just dump the whole thing in, plus a packet of whatever taco seasoning you like, fill your salsa jar with water (so it's still a little salsa-y) and pour just enough water in there to make sure the chicken is pretty much covered, set on low all day, and the chicken shreds with a fork when it's done. You can use it as taco filling, put some avocado on top, or just eat it by itself like my son does. SO good and easy!

honestly, my favorite is simply chicken. i know it's more fattening, but if you season the leg quarters up with a yummy chicken rub and leave it there for 8 hours, it's suuuuuper juicy and falls apart. then just make a really quick stir fry of veggies, or steam some broccoli really quick. all donsies.