Yummy Beef Tips update

Tonight I tried the beef tip recipe in my crock pot. If you did not see the original recipe post please click HERE.
I put all of the ingredients in the crock pot EXCEPT the broccoli. I didn't want it to be too overcooked. I added a few layers of paper towels under the lid to catch the excess moisture. Then I cooked it on low for 8 hours, adding the broccoli at the 6 hour mark.

A few observations:

• Ten hours would have been better. The meat was not as tender as when I made it in the oven. It was still delicious, though.
• I was home to change the paper towels a few times. There is a LOT of moisture. Make sure to put lots of layers under the lid, especially if you will be out for the day. 
• The broccoli should probably only be in for one hour. It was fine, but a bit overdone for my taste. 
• I used Campbell's cream of mushroom this time instead of the organic brand I used originally and there is a difference. It was still very yummy, but not as irresistible as the first time. 
• This time I served it over egg noodles. It wasn't bad, but I prefer it over rice. It felt like fancy Hamburger Helper over the noodles.

Verdict:

It is still a great meal and a nice option if you want something that can be left cooking for 10 hours, but for the best effect you want to cook it in the oven as originally intended. 

Recipe Review: Crock Pot Spicy Chicken Soup

I REALLY love Chicken Tortilla soup. Like, REALLY LOVE it. There is just one problem: Every recipe I have found has green chilies in it. Now, for ME that is not a problem, but for my boyfriend it is a HUGE problem. To put it delicately, he says Chicken Tortilla soup (or anything with green chilies) is a really good "cleansing" meal for him.

So, with all of that in mind, I decided to make up my own recipe that just might, if I am lucky, be close to my favorite Chicken Tortilla Soup recipe. And luckily, it was delicious!! It was also very spicy, as in my nose was a bit runny, so adjust your spices accordingly. I already adjusted it to half the Cheyenne pepper that I originally used.

Please note that I do not eat beans. I have a strange aversion to EVERY type of bean so any recipe that would normally have beans is cooked without for me. That mean I do not use them in Chicken Tortilla soup and did not use them in my substitute recipe. If you like beans feel free to experiment with that and leave comments in this post!

When I experiment with recipes I rarely measure so most of my measurements are approximations and can be adjusted to suit your taste.

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast (I prefer thin cut because it cooks quicker and is easier to shred)
3 carrots or 8 baby carrots, sliced thin
4 large celery stalks, sliced thin
½ large yellow onion, chopped
1 can diced tomatoes
2 C (approx.) chicken stock
1 C (approx..) water (milk can be substituted if you prefer a creamier soup)
2 T (approx..) chopped garlic
¼  t.* (approx.) Cheyenne pepper (this is enough to give it spice but not heat, add more if you like heat)

Black pepper to taste

• In a 2 Qt. crock pot add chicken (it can be thawed or frozen) and fill with stock until chicken is covered.
• Add tomatoes, vegetables and spices, fill with water until covered.
• If chicken is frozen set on high for 6-8 hours. (It will be cooked in 6 but more tender in 8).
• If thawed set on low for 6-8 hours or high for 4. For best results cook on low heat. If you do not have 6-8 hours you can cook on low for 3 hours then set on high for 1-2 hours.
• When food is finished, use 2 forks to shred the chicken. It should come apart easily.

*I tried ½ t of Cheyenne pepper when I made this and it was pretty spicy, not HOT, but had a kick. 

PINTEREST RECIPE FAIL: CROCK POT LASAGNA

In the last 6 months I have been trying to cook more and more rather than eating out or microwaving my meals. Pinterest has been a very useful tool to this end. I have a few recipes of my own that really enjoy making, but I want to give my family more variety.

Since I work full time and have to drive an extra half hour half of my week to get the kids from daycare, I have found that crock pot meals are my best friend. So when I see a really simple recipe for the crock pot I jump at it.

I really love lasagna and the idea of making it effortlessly in a crock pot seemed too good to be true, and I was right.

Let me qualify this, however, I truly think this fail is my fault and I do not in anyway mean to disparage the original poster of this recipe. I will explain as we go.

The original recipe was pinned from a blog titled Creating through Life and can be found HERE.
It seemed so easy and looked very good.

I wish I had a photo of my finished product, but had not yet realized I would be blogging about it. 

I won't list the directions here since I have the link. What I will tell you are where I made my own adjustments. Remember how I said I rarely follow instructions?

The instructions call for putting your crock pot on low for 4 hours or suggest that if you put it on high while you get ready for your you can then put it on keep warm you can leave it for a full work day. I don't take long to get ready for work and forgot to do this "on high" part. So as I left I wasn't sure what to do. I decided to put it on low and when my boyfriend got home, 7 hours later, I had him put it on warm. I them got home 2 hours later. 

We were having his best friend over for dinner and they were already home when I arrived. We had our lasagna with Caesar salad and some bread. They were very gracious about it, but honestly, it was horrible!!!

The edges were nearly burnt, very crusty. The sauce was completely dried out. And the noodles, this part was the worst, were mushy. I had to throw half of it away. Thank goodness we had a lot of Italian bread. 

So, I ask you to PLEASE, go to the link about and try this recipe. Try is EXACTLY as directed. Then please let me know in comments how it was. I am sure this is a lovely recipe and, as usual, it was my own domestic failings that ruined this one.