Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes 4-4 1/2 hours

Ultimate Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes

• 5 lb baking potatoes, peeled, cut into 1-inch chunks
• 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 1/4 cup butter, cut into chunks
• 1 cup sour cream (I used light sour cream)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, if desired (I left this out)
• 1/2 to 1 cup milk, warmed

1. In 4- to 5-quart slow cooker, place potatoes, chicken broth and butter.
2. Cover; cook on High heat setting 4 hours to 4 hours 30 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
3. Add remaining ingredients except milk. Mash, crush or smash potatoes using potato masher, or beat with electric mixer on low speed until well blended. Do not overmix. Stir in enough milk for desired creamy consistency.
4. Cover and keep warm on Low or Warm heat setting until serving time, up to 2 hours. Stir before serving and you may need to mix in additional milk if potatoes have stiffened while on the warm or low setting.

Green Beans with Bacon & Carmelized Onions

Ingredients:

1 pound fresh green beans (thin or thick, whatever kind you can get)
1/2 pound bacon, diced (or more if you wish)
1 large sweet onion, diced
2 T butter
1 T balsamic vinegar (you could substitute apple cider vinegar or wine vinegar)
sea salt & pepper

Preparation:

Cook bacon until almost crisp in a cast iron skillet large enough to hold the whole side dish. Pour out most of the bacon fat (leave enough to lightly coat entire bottom of pan) and reserve it in a mason jar. Add the butter to the pan with the reserved bacon fat, and add the onion. Saute the onion for about 15 minutes or more until it golden brown and caramelized. When the onions are nearly done, add the 2 T of balsamic vinegar and deglaze the pan.

While the onions are cooking, steam the green beans until barely cooked (should still be crisp and not limp – if you’re using very thin green beans you may be able to skip this step and just add the beans to the pan directly). Add the green beans to the cast iron skillet, along with the reserved bacon pieces. Cook all ingredients together for about 5 minutes, until the green beans are completely cooked. Every bean should be lightly coated with the fat (no dry spots). Add more reserved fat if needed.

If the recipe seems dry at any time, add a few teaspoons of the reserved bacon fat.

Taste and season with sea salt and pepper. You may not need any salt at all depending on the amount and saltiness of your bacon.

Mashed Cauliflower

Mashed Cauliflower

2 heads cauliflower, washed and cut into large pieces
2 tablespoons Earth Balance Natural Buttery Spread (soy free)
½ teaspoon celtic sea salt

1. Steam the cauliflower pieces until very tender
2. Puree cauliflower in a food processor, add in buttery spread and salt
3. Reheat in a casserole dish in the oven at 350° for 20 minutes
4. Serve

Orange Garlic Turkey Glaze

• 1 turkey
  
• vegetable oil
• salt and pepper
• -
• Glaze
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 6 ounces orange juice concentrate (about 3/4 cup)
• 2 tablespoons sweet orange marmalade
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger or 2 tablespoons fresh minced ginger

Preparation:

Heat oven to 325°.

Rub turkey breast lightly with vegetable oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place the turkey on a rack in a roasting pan. Roast for time indicated on the cooking time guide on package. A meat thermometer will reach 170° when the turkey is done. If necessary, tent with a piece of buttered or oiled foil during the last hour. Baste with glaze (below) a few times (every 20 minutes) the last hour or two of cooking time. Let turkey stand for 10 minutes before carving.

Glaze: In a small saucepan combine glaze ingredients and bring to a boil, stirring frequently.

Clean Eating Green Bean Casserole

Here's the recipe that's in the Fresh Market holiday recipe book. I'm sure you can use it as a base and do something wonderful with it. I'm sure it isn't necessary to use the fancy schmancy onions and mushrooms too.

2 1/2lbs french beans, ...with stems snapped off.
2 TBSP butter
5 cipollini onions, thinly sliced (I'll use regular onions)
2 tsp Hungarian Paprika
pinch of cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp ground pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 Chanterelle mushrooms, rinced and coursely chopped
8 oz baby Portabella mushrooms, sliced (I will just use canned and brown them)
4 TBSP flour (gluten free)
2 Cups Chicken Stock
1/2 c. Greek yogurt
1 TBSP fresh lemon juice
2 (4oz) packs Lars crispy onions

Directions in a nutshell:

blanch beans, rinse in cold water, cut in half, set aside
melt butter, add onions and mushrooms, sautee 5 mins. Add paprika, cayenne, S&P, mix. Gradually add in flour, then chicken stock and simmer 5-8 mins. Stir in creme fraiche, lemon juice and beans. Simmer 8 mins. Transfer to baking dish & bake at 400* for 20 mins. Remove from oven and top with crispy onions, if desired.

Pumpkin Hummus

I find I eat more crudites (raw veggies) if I'm dipping them in 2 tbsp of some kind of hummus, so I'll be giving this a try for sure.

Looking for something unique and healthy to spice up your next football party? Then you’ll score some extra points if you whip up a batch of this Pumpkin & Spice Hummus.

Hummus is one of my favorite appetizers. Not only do I love the taste, but I also love that it’s a healthy alternative to mayonnaise-based dips.

While hummus is traditionally made with chickpeas, I like to shake it up a little just in the fall by using pumpkin puree instead. Here’s my favorite recipe for…

Pumpkin & Spice Hummus

• 2 tablespoons tahini
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
• 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
• 1 garlic clove, chopped
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Place all ingredients, with the exception of the parsley, in a food processor (or your high speed blender), and process until smooth. Add parsley and pulse until blended.

Spoon hummus into a cute serving bowl and sprinkle with toasted pumpkin seeds, if desired.

Serve with veggies or with toasted whole wheat pita or tortillas. To toast your pita or tortillas, simply spray them with olive oil baking spray, place on a cookie sheet, and bake under the broiler until crispy. Then, cut with a pizza cutter and serve.

SOURCE: http://blogs.livewellnebraska.com/2010/11/06/spice-up-the-party-with-pumpkin-hummus/

Crock Pot Cream Cheese Chicken 7 hours

• 3 lbs chicken pieces
• 1 (2/3 ounce) package Italian salad dressing mix(I omit this and use some thyme instead to lower to sodium level)
• 4 tablespoons melted butter (divided)
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, chopped
• 1 (10 1/2 ounce) can cream of chicken soup(reduced sodium or make your own)
• 8 ounces cream cheese
• 1/2 cup chicken broth (I use my own which is unsalted)

Directions:

Prep Time: 20 mins

Total Time: 7 1/2 hrs

1. Place chicken pieces in crock pot and sprinkle Italian seasoning over chicken. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons melted butter.
2. Cook on low for 4-6 hours.
3. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a sauce pan and saute onion and garlic. Add Cream of Chicken Soup, cream cheese, and chicken broth. Stir until smooth.
4. Add this mixture to crock pot and cook on low for an additional hour.

Crock Pot Cream Cheese Chicken

Serving Size: 1 (267 g)

Servings Per Recipe: 6

The following items or measurements
are not included below:

Italian salad dressing mix

Amount Per Serving

% Daily Value

Calories 549.5

Calories from Fat 401

73%

Total Fat 44.6 g

68%

Saturated Fat 19.9 g

99%

Monounsaturated Fat 15.3 g

76%

Polyunsaturated Fat 5.7 g

28%

Trans Fat 0.0 g

0%

Cholesterol 169.4 mg

56%

Sodium 652.0 mg

27%

Potassium 368.3 mg

10%

Magnesium 33.5 mg

1%

Total Carbohydrate 5.9 g

1%

Dietary Fiber 0.1 g

0%

Sugars 0.9 g

3%

Protein 30.3 g

60%