Mulled Crockpot Apple Cider

  'Tis the season...

of warm apple pie, crunchy leaves, pumpkins galore, and of course...hot apple cider.

Don't get me wrong. Buying a jug of good quality apple cider

and simply heating it up is completely acceptable.

 But when it takes so little effort to make something soooo much better...why would we not?? :)

Mulled Apple Cider

Ingredients:

1/2 gallon apple cider

8 whole cloves

10 Allspice berries

6 cinnamon sticks

the peel of one orange

the peel of one lemon

1/4 cup-2/3 cup real maple syrup

  

Simply place the cloves, allspice berries, and cinnamon sticks in a large pot. Peel your lemon and orange, being careful to avoid the white "stuff" right under the peel. Add your peel to the pan.

 

Next measure your maple syrup. Use 1/4 cup to 2/3 cup, depending

 on the level of sweetness you would like. I prefer to use a 1/2 cup...plenty of sweetness for me.

Add the golden goodness, known as maple syrup, to your pot.

Note: You may lick the measuring cup. Nobody is watching.

Measure out a half gallon (8 cups) of apple cider.

Add the apple cider to your pot. Bring all ingredients to a boil. Remove from heat.

Transfer all the warm, steaming deliciousness to a crock pot. Put it on the lowest

setting for 2-3 hours....if you can wait that long. The beauty of the crock pot is

 that you can put this cider on for a party and it will keep warm with no effort by you.

It doesn't get much better than that. :)

*Before serving, you may strain the spices and peel if you would like.

When you are ready to enjoy, ladle it into your favorite mug.

 Mmmm....feels like autumn...My favorite time of the year.

You may notice the logo on my favoritest mug...

if you have never heard of the

THE OUTPOST MERCANTILE, check it out. You won't be sorry.

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I found this recipe from The Pioneer Woman (I love her) and tweaked it a bit.

Crock Pot Salsa

My husband and I are huge fans of chips and dip.  Our first choice is always salsa with tortilla chips.  We generally like our salsa with a little heat, but as long as the flavor is there, we'll eat it!

My parents make homemade salsa every year and I love the way that you can control the levels of heat and spices when you make it yourself.  They can theirs in mason jars, but when I decided to make a batch, I didn't have any mason jars available.  Deciding to make it anyway, I chose to try a batch in the crock pot, then freeze it in ziplocs.  It worked so well!  We just pull a package out to thaw when we want some chips & salsa.  We've also used it to bump up the flavor in some pasta dishes and to top off some yummy tacos.

Ingredients

4 lb. tomatoes, quartered & core removed

5 tsp. garlic paste

2 onions, quarters

6 fresh jalapenos, ends cut off, halved & seeds removed

4 green onions

1 tsp. salt

1/2 c. fresh cilantro, chopped

2 Tbsp. canned jalapenos, chopped

garlic powder, to taste

chili powder, to taste 

Directions

Combine tomatoes, garlic paste, onions, and fresh jalapenos in a crockpot.

Cook on high for 2 1/2-3 hours, stirring as necessary.

Remove lid and allow to cool for at least 1 hour.

Add the green onions and the salt.

Carefully scoop some into the blender and blend to desired consistency.

Pour into a large bowl.

Continue with remaining mixture until it is all blended.

Cover and refrigerate until completely cool.

Stir in cilantro, canned jalapenos, and sprinkle in some garlic powder and chili powder.

Stir in up and taste.

Add more seasonings or salt, if needed, to reach desired flavor/heat level.

Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week, or divide portions into freezer bags to freeze.

When quartering the tomatoes, I just cut the hard core out and left the seeds in.  If you're opposed to "seedy salsa", just scoop the "guts" out, too. :)

Be sure to wear gloves and not touch your face when cutting the jalapenos.

Use your judgement when deciding on the peppers.  Use more for extra heat, less for a more mild salsa.  You could even experiment with different types of hot peppers to find your favorite!

Combine tomatoes, garlic paste, onions, and fresh jalapenos in a crockpot.

Cook on high for 2 1/2-3 hours, stirring as necessary.

The pot gets pretty full, but don't worry about it.  It cooks down a lot!

Remove lid and allow to cool for at least 1 hour.

Add the green onions and the salt.

I left the onion stems whole since they will just get chopped in the blender.  Less work is better! :)

Carefully scoop some into the blender and blend to desired consistency.

Pour into a large bowl.

Continue with remaining mixture until it is all blended.

Cover and refrigerate until completely cool.

Stir in cilantro, canned jalapenos, and sprinkle in some garlic powder and chili powder.

Stir in up and taste.

Add more seasonings or salt, if needed, to reach desired flavor/heat level.

Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week, or divide portions into freezer bags to freeze.

Or just take a bowl outside to enjoy while appreciating the view.  :)

Crock Pot Spinach & Artichoke Dip

I'm not really sure why I waited so long to post this recipe.  I made it as a snack for the Superbowl and got some pretty great feedback.  It was just my husband, his brother, and me for the actual game, but I kept the leftovers in the fridge and when my family came to visit, I pulled it out and reheated it.  It was gone in no time and my brother even asked me for the recipe!

This is a super easy dip and well worth the minimal time it takes to make it!  We served it on toasted french baguette slices and with tortilla chips.  Both are fabulous. :)

It's as easy as mixing up most of the ingredients....

...then topping with the spinach and cooking until it's creamy. Easy peasy! :)

SPINACH DIP

8 oz. fresh spinach, roughly chopped

8-16 oz. cream cheese (depending on how creamy you want it)

12 oz. artichoke hearts, drained and chopped

8 oz. mozzarella cheese, grated

1 c. fresh Parmesan cheese, grated

5 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 tsp. white pepper

Combine all ingredients, except spinach, in the crock pot.
Stir as best you can.
Place spinach on top and cover.
Cook on HIGH for 2 hours, stirring occasionally to mix spinach in evenly with melting ingredients.
Once it's all melted and creamy, it's ready to go!

Serve while still warm with tortilla chips or toasted baguette slices.

Crock Pot "Refried" Beans

I can't believe that fall is here again! Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love the crisp autumn air and being bundled in jeans and a cozy hoodie! It makes me want to run through an apple orchard (or just walk since we all know that me running is not very believable) or visit a pumpkin patch! Totally on my bucket list for this fall, by the way! The only thing that makes me sad about the fact that fall is here is that is always seems to be here and gone in the blink of an eye. Life just needs to slow down a bit so we can enjoy this wonderful season and have time to not only drive by the apple orchards, but actually stop and spend the day there. Aww...wouldn't that be nice?

Since the weather has been cooling off, my mind has been buzzing with different Crock Pot ideas and delicious baked goods. So not where I want my mind to be when my sister's wedding is only 2 1/2 weeks away! 

When I was younger, I thought refried beans were awful. Blended beans were not high on the list of favorite foods for me. In fact, they didn't even make the list. Over the years, I began to eat them in certain dishes at parties so I wouldn't look rude, secretly thinking how much better it would be without all the bean guts smeared over my plate. Now..? I love them! I could literally probably sit down and eat an entire platter of 7 layer dip with some salty tortilla chips and purposely add extra refried beans! Who woulda thought?!

Now that I know how to make "refried" beans in the Crock Pot, I love them even more! Not only are the much cheaper, they are healthier, crazy easy, and taste so much better! You will love these! :)

My husband and I both like ours a little thicker, but you can totally make them the consistency you want. Thick, chunky, thin, smooth...whatever. 

(Just use a food processor instead of a potato masher if you want a smoother consistency.)

Ingredients

2 lb. dry pinto beans

10 c. hot water

2 medium yellow onions, chopped

1 1/2 Tbsp. ground cumin

1 Tbsp. salt

1 1/2 tsp. pepper

1 Tbsp. garlic paste

Directions

Pick out any bad beans and rinse well.

Dump beans in the slow cooker and add 10 cups of hot water. Remove any beans that float to the top.

Add the chopped onion.

Add the seasonings and stir. (Do it slowly because it will be full!)

Cook on HIGH for 4 hours.

Gently stir.

Cook on LOW for another 2 hours.

Put a colander in a large bowl and gently dump the beans in the colander.

Once drained, set the reserved liquid aside.

Transfer the beans to a large bowl.

Begin mashing the beans with a potato masher, adding the reserved liquid until you reach the desired consistency.

Add more salt & pepper, if needed.

You can serve them right away, store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 10 days, or divide into freezer-safe ziploc baggies and freeze until ready to use! :)

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What you'll need to make delicious "refried" beans in your slow cooker:

Pick out any bad beans and rinse well.

Dump beans in the slow cooker.

Add 10 cups of hot water. 

Remove any beans that float to the top.

Add the chopped onion.

Add the seasonings.

Stir. (Do it slowly because it will be full!)

Cook on HIGH for 4 hours.

It should look somewhat like this after 4 hours:

Gently stir.

Cook on LOW for another 2 hours.

Beans should be pretty soft at this point, but not mushy.

Put a colander in a large bowl and gently dump the beans in the colander.

(I used a pot & colander set that we have. It worked pretty well!)

Once drained, set the reserved liquid aside.

Transfer the beans to a large bowl.

Begin mashing the beans with a potato masher.

Add the reserved liquid, a little at a time, until you reach the desired consistency.

Add more salt & pepper, if needed.

**Like I said before, if you like them smooth and thin, just continue adding the liquid and throw them in the food processor. If you like them thick with lots of texture, just mash 'em up and add enough liquid to get them well mixed! Your call. :)

You can serve them right away, store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 10 days, or divide into freezer-safe ziploc baggies and freeze until ready to use! :)

Yes, I know they don't look that appetizing, but they really are even better than store-bought!

So much more flavor, and customizable to suit your tastes.

My husband even said it would be fun to try doing some ranch or taco flavored "refried" beans! 

I'm sure we'll be trying that soon. :)

Crock Pot Buffalo Dip

Can you believe next week is already the beginning of April?! That's crazy. It feels like the new year was just a few weeks ago. It's already almost Easter!

I don't know about you, but around here there are usually a few gatherings with family or potlucks at work this time of year. It must be the changing seasons...everyone's been stuck in the house for too long and they all want to get out and party when the sun starts melting the snow. Ahh...what a wonderful thought.

This is a great dish to bring to a potluck! It's quick and easy, and you can prepare it early, then toss in the slow cooker on warm until ready to serve. A woman my husband used to work with told me about this recipe, and it's definitely a keeper!

Ingredients

1 c. ranch dressing

8 oz. cream cheese

2 c. cheddar cheese, shredded

3 c. cooked chicken breast, shredded

1 c. Frank's buffalo sauce

Directions

Cook chicken thoroughly, then shred it.

Place it in the crock pot.

Add remaining ingredients.

Stir well.

Place on low for 2-4 hours, or until cheese is melted, stirring if needed.

May serve warm, or remove from heat, transfer to a covered dish, and refrigerate until ready to serve.

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(Directions with Photos)

Cook chicken thoroughly, then shred it.

Place it in the crock pot.

Add remaining ingredients.

Stir well.

(TIP: If making this dip ahead of time, just mix it up to this point, cover and place in the refrigerator until ready to start heating.)

Place on low for 2-4 hours, or until cheese is melted, stirring if needed.

May serve warm, or remove from heat, transfer to a covered dish, and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Believe me, it's awesome hot AND cold!

This dip is great served with tortilla chips, or a crusty loaf of bread!

Use leftovers for a cheesy buffalo chicken wrap! :)

Crock Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup

With so many cold & hectic days this time of year, I've been finding that using the crock pot has been making our life much simpler. After busy days, we come home to a hot meal that is ready to go! One of our favorites is this Chicken Tortilla Soup. My husband and I both love it, and it makes a good sized batch. I usually let the leftovers cool in the fridge, then pour it right into a freezer-safe gallon ziploc and freeze it for later. Just let it thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat when you're ready to enjoy again. :)

Ingredients

3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, frozen

1 can diced tomatoes

1 can diced tomatoes with green chiles

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 can kidney beans, rinsed and drained

1 can whole kernel corn, drained

1 c. onion, diced

4 c. water

1 Tbsp. garlic powder

1 Tbsp. chili powder

1 Tbsp. ground cumin

1 pkg. taco seasoning

salt & pepper, to taste

Directions

Place your chicken in the slow cooker.

Open the tomatoes, beans, and corn and add it to the pot.

Add the onion, water and seasonings.

Stir it up and bit.

Cook on LOW 6-8 hours or HIGH 3-5 hours.

After the chicken is thoroughly cooked, remove from the soup and shred it with forks.

Return it to the pot and stir.

Serve with shredded cheese, sour cream, and broken up tortilla chips.

(Directions with Photos)

Place your chicken in the slow cooker.

Open the tomatoes, beans, and corn and add it to the pot.

Add the onion, water and seasonings.

Stir it up and bit.

Cook on LOW 6-8 hours or HIGH 3-5 hours.

After the chicken is thoroughly cooked, remove from the soup and shred it with forks.

Return it to the pot and stir.

Serve with shredded cheese, sour cream, and broken up tortilla chips. :)