BBQ ribs

8 Easy Crockpot Recipes: BBQ ribs
from www.mommysfabulousfinds.com

Crock-Pot BBQ Spareribs

 

Ingredients

• 2lbs of pork ribs
• 1½ cups ketchup
• 1½ Tbsp seasoned salt
• ½ cup brown sugar
• ½ cup white vinegar

Instructions

1. Place pork ribs in gallon sized ziplock. Mix remaining ingredients together in a separate bowl and pour over ribs. Seal bag and place in freezer. Thaw over night in fridge. Cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-7 hours.

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Made this for dinner. It was super easy. I added a squirt of mustard to my sauce. I trimmed the fat before cooking but I still ended up with a lot of grease which diluted the BBQ sauce. One of my favorite meals my mom makes is BBQ ribs. She does it in the oven by cooking the ribs, then adding the sauce and heating through. I think next time I'd rather go that route b/c I can pour the grease out before adding the sauce.

Jared liked them but Aaron did not.

Shasta's Slow Cooker Honey Sesame Chicken

Slow cooker honey sesame chicken. 

Ingredients: 

4 boneless skinless chicken breast or thighs all fat removed. 
Salt and pepper, 
1 cup honey, 
1/2 cup soy sauce, 
1/2 cup diced white onion ( white for heat yellow for sweet or mild), 
1/4 cup ketchup, 
2 tablespoons vegetable or olive oil, 
2 cloves fresh minced garlic or more, 
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes ( just adds flavor doesn't really add heat but is optional), 
4 teaspoons cornstarch dissolved in 6 tablespoons water, 
sesame seeds for garnish. 

Instructions: 

Season both sides of Chicken with salt and pepper and set aside. In a large bowl combine honey, soy sauce, onion, ketchup, oil, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Cut Chicken into chunks add to bowl and stir. 

Cook on low for 3 hours or high for 1 and a half or until chicken is cooked through. Remove chicken from crock pot but leave the sauce.

Dissolve the 4 teaspoons of cornstarch and 6 tblspn of water and pour them into the crock pot. Stir to combine with remaining sauce. Replace lid and cook sauce on high for 10 minutes until slightly thickened. Sprinkle chicken with sesame seeds and serve over rice or noodles with sauce.

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Now that I've had the final product, let me say that this was REALLY good - especially over brown rice with gingered carrots mixed in. 

That being said, some commentary on the recipe: I have one of those crockpots with a timer, so I set mine on high for 4 hours then took the chicken out. My chicken had been frozen when I put it in, so maybe this made a difference in the end. It took almost the full 4 hours to cook. About 20 minutes before the end I took the chicken out and added the cornstarch. The sauce never thickened. I think if I were to make it again I would just add the cornstarch in the beginning. I was unable to sprinkle the sesame seeds on the chicken either, so I just sprinkled them into the sauce when I put the chicken back in the pot to serve. 

Crockpot Santa Fe Chicken

Crockpot Santa Fe Chicken from skinnytaste.com

Really easy to make and good flavor. I used frozen chicken and it was ready in 6 hours. I had it as a taco and over rice. I preferred the rice. Avocado would have made a wonderful addition to it. We layered the chicken over rice and topped it with cheese, lettuce, sour cream and salsa. 1 cup is a serving, so I reserved my one cup and was able to make two or three "helpings" out of it for a total of 726 calories with all the fixings (1 cup rice, 1.5 TB sour cream, 1 c lettuce, 1/2 c cheddar cheese, salsa and one taco shell. We also had Chili's tortilla chips. That was bad. Blew my fat count way out of the ballpark!!)

Crockpot Cream Cheese Chicken

Crockpot Cream Cheese Chicken

Hillbilly housewife

Ingredients:

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 10 oz. can cream of chicken soup
2 T. margarine or butter
1 envelope spaghetti sauce seasoning
8 oz. cream cheese (can use 1/3 less fat Neufchatel)

Place chicken in bottom of crockpot and add remaining ingredients except cream cheese. Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or on high for 3 to 4 hours. Shred chicken with fork, add cream cheese, and stir. Let stand in crockpot until heated through. Serve over rice or mashed potatoes. (serves 4 to 6)

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I did not have cream cheese on hand so I used plain yogurt. I don't know what difference it would have made but it was still good. Reminded me of stroganoff. I had to put together my own spaghetti seasoning mix so  I linked the recipe I used and only put in about 1/4 cup of it. It smelled so good while it was cooking!! I served it over brown rice with a spring salad and fruit.

Slow Cooked Sirloin (crockpot)

Slow Cooked Sirloin
Ingredients

1 beef top sirloin steak (1-1/2 pounds)
1 medium onion, cut into 1-inch chunks
1 medium green pepper, cut into 1-inch chunks
1 can (14-1/2 ounces) Progresso ® Beef Broth
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon dill weed
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Dash crushed red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons water

Directions

In a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray, brown beef on both sides. Place onion and green pepper in a 3-qt. slow cooker. Top with beef. Combine the broth, Worcestershire sauce, dill, thyme, pepper and pepper flakes; pour over beef. Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours or until meat reaches desired doneness and vegetables are crisp-tender.

Remove beef and keep warm. Combine cornstarch and water until smooth; gradually stir into cooking juices. Cover and cook about 30 minutes longer or until slightly thickened. Return beef to the slow cooker; heat through. Yield: 6 servings.

Nutritional Analysis: 1 serving equals 199 calories, 6 g fat (2 g saturated fat), 68 mg cholesterol, 305 mg sodium, 8 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 26 g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 3 lean meat, 1 vegetable.

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October 18, 2010 - The picture does not do this justice. I took it as an afer-thought.

I was really impressed with this dish. The meat was so tender and the flavor was great. Matthew didn't even complain about the bell peppers! I served it with mashed potatoes and green beans. I don't make gravy very often, so I thought the juice would go well with the potatoes. It did. A-1 sauce was a really great addition to the meat too.

I did substitute the sirloin with striploin because that was what I had in my freezer.

Southwestern Chicken Black Bean Soup

Southwestern Chicken Black Bean Soup 2 pts for 1 cup soup (without cheese or chips)

Ingredients

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast, cubed
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 tablespoon chopped onion
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 cans (14-1/2 ounces each) reduced-sodium chicken broth
3 cups fresh corn or frozen corn
1 can (15-1/2 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained
2 tablespoons lime juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup minced fresh cilantro
16 baked tortilla chip scoops, crumbled
1/2 cup shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese

Directions

In a large kettle or Dutch oven, saute chicken in oil until no longer pink. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. In the same pan, saute onion and jalapeno pepper until tender; add garlic and saute for 1 minute.

Stir in the broth, corn, beans, lime juice, salt, hot pepper sauce, pepper and reserved chicken; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Stir in cilantro. Top each serving with crumbled tortilla chips and cheese. Yield: 8 servings (2 quarts).

Editor's Note: When cutting hot peppers, disposable gloves are recommended. Avoid touching your face.

Nutritional Analysis: One serving (one cup soup with 1 tablespoon cheese and two crumbled tortilla chips) equals 227 calories, 4 g fat (1 g saturated fat), 37 mg cholesterol, 647 mg sodium, 27 g carbohydrate, 4 g fiber, 21 g protein.
Diabetic Exchanges: 2 lean meat, 1-1/2 starch, 1 vegetable.

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Made June 8, 2010. I was happily surprised to see the soup by itself was only 2 points for 8 servings. I added the chips and cheese separately when I calculated my points because it was easier to get an accurate accounting.

Variations:
*I cooked it in the crockpot on high for 4 hours. I cubed the chicken (which was frozen) and added all the other ingredients except the cilantro which I added in the last half hour. The leaves did look kind of bleached by the time the timer went off, so next time I might wait to add them. But, it did give them a chance to add their flavor to the soup.

*I did not add the jalapenos, so this soup was not as spicy as it could have been, but it had a wonderful flavor.

*I used white corn instead of yellow, so it looked really bland. Probably if I had used jalapenos or yellow corn it would have looked more colorful. I was surprised it didn't call for diced tomatoes. Perhaps a future trial might include a can of ro-tel in place of jalapenos.

Berry Barbecued Pork Roast

Berry Barbecued Pork Roast 6 pts for 3 oz and 1/4 c. sauce

Ingredients
1 boneless rolled pork loin roast (3 pounds)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
4 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup barbecue sauce

Directions

Sprinkle roast with salt and pepper. Place with fat side up on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 45 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a saucepan, combine the cranberries, sugar, orange juice and barbecue sauce. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook and stir for 10-12 minutes or until cranberries pop and sauce is thickened.

Brush some of the sauce over roast. Bake 15-20 minutes longer or until a meat thermometer reads 160°, brushing often with sauce. Let stand for 10 minutes before slicing. Serve with remaining sauce. Yield: 12 servings.

Nutritional Analysis: 3 ounces cooked pork with 1/4 cup sauce equals 262 calories, 8 g fat (3 g saturated fat), 67 mg cholesterol, 190 mg sodium, 23 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 24 g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 3 lean meat, 1 starch, 1/2 fruit.

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Made May 9th. Because Matthew does not care for pork, I substituted beef eye of round roast for the porkloin. I also cooked it in the crockpot. If you follow the link to the recipe, the picture is nothing like what mine turned out to look like, but it was still pretty delicious!!

For cooking in the crockpot: I trimmed the fat, set the roast in the crockpot, and sprinkled the salt and pepper as directed. Then in a separate container I mixed the OJ, BBQ and sugar; poured it over the meat into the crockpot and topped the roast with the cranberries. I cooked it on low for 8 hours. The roast was really tender and by the time I remembered I needed to take a picture and moved it to the loaf pan, it was falling apart.

I would like to try to make it again following the actual directions to see what difference it makes.

I served this with mashed potatoes, salad, rolls, and california blend vegetables with cheese sauce. Happy Mother's Day, Mom!

Slow Cooker Pork and Apple Curry

Slow Cooker Pork and Apple Curry 5 pts for 2/3 c. mix plus points for rice

Ingredients

2 pounds boneless pork loin roast, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 medium apple, peeled and chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 cup orange juice
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 teaspoon chicken bouillon granules
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons cold water
Hot cooked rice, optional
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup flaked coconut, toasted

Directions

In a 3-qt. slow cooker, combine the first 10 ingredients. Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours or until meat is tender.

Increase heat to high. In a small bowl, combine cornstarch and water until smooth; stir into slow cooker. Cover and cook for 30 minutes or until thickened, stirring once.

Serve over rice if desired. Sprinkle with raisins and coconut. Yield: 8 servings.

Nutrition Facts: 2/3 cup curry mixture with 1-1/2 teaspoons each raisins and coconut, calculated without rice) equals 235 calories, 9 g fat (4 g saturated fat), 68 mg cholesterol, 341 mg sodium, 13 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 25 g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 3 lean meat, 1 fruit.

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Made May 5th. I enjoyed this recipe though there was a bit of bite to it. We couldn't pinpoint what exactly was causing the spice. I used a mix of pork loin and venison stew meat, so it could have been the way the venison was cured.

Sweet Potato Lentil Soup (Crockpot)

Sweet Potato Lentil Soup LT04, 183, 5 pts

Ingredients

4 cups vegetable broth
3 cups sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed (about 1-1/4 pounds)
1-1/2 cups lentils, rinsed
3 medium carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 medium onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro or parsley
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions

In a slow cooker, combine the first nine ingredients. Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours or until vegetables are tender. Stir in the cilantro and salt.
Yield: 6 servings.

Nutritional Analysis: One serving (1-1/3 cups) equals 247 calories, 1 g fat(trace saturated fat), 0 cholesterol, 785 mg sodium, 48 g carbohydrates, 13 g fiber, 14 g protien.
Diabetic Exchanges: 2-1/2 starch, 1 very lean meat, 1 vegetable.

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Made Feb 21st. This is one of those rare recipes that didn't make it to the website which didn't seem like a big stroke in its favor, but I was pleasantly surprised. I prepared this for our Sunday meal, so the house was smelling really good when we got home from church. Matthew and I liked it, Jared thought it was so-so, and Aaron wouldn't touch it.

This recipe is my first really good experience with lentils. They turned out so soft, and the sweet potatoes and carrots blended into a really good flavor. This dish is really filling and hearty too. I would be willing to make this again.

Spicy French Dip Sandwiches (Crockpot)

Spicy French Dip LT03, 116, 7 pts

Made on Feb 17th. This is one of those rare recipes where the published nutritional info and my final product actually match point values. The meat part is only 3 points, but once you add the bread product it makes 7 points. I used whole wheat bolillos as our breading.

I really liked these. It was so simple to put together and the meat was really juicy and flavorful. I did not add the can of jalepenos because we don't do spicy too well. I had a 24 oz pork roast on hand, so that it was I used even though the recipe calls for beef sirloin tip roast.