Crockpot cranberry apple herbed pork roast

Hello there! I know, it has been a while. But, I am back with a lot of new recipes waiting to be posted for those who haven't given up on my blog :).

Over the past couple of months, I have been on a hunt for good slow cooker recipes. There are entire blogs dedicated to this topic, but I can be pretty picky when it comes to what I like from a crock pot, so generally try only recipes that have been recommended by friends! Several weeks back, I asked my friends on Facebook what their favorite crock pot recipes are, and I got a lot of responses! I was excited, and saved all of their recipes so I could go through and try them one by one-thank you, friends! My goal has been to do at least one slow cooker meal a week, usually on a day when I am busy and need dinner to be cooking all day long so we can come home and eat without any last minute preparation. Every day that I do this, I think I fall more in love with my crockpot. There is nothing better at the end of the day than driving into my garage and smelling the nice aroma of a meal I don't have to touch until I'm ready to put it on my plate! I am ALL about some easy meals these days! And I also love that this recipe, other than the stuffing, isn't full of processed ingredients, as are so many other slow cooker meals out there. We do eat our share of processed foods, but I try to limit them whenever possible.

A friend of mine raved about this recipe, and it sounded like one that would be perfect for fall. I'm so glad I tried it, because it is really good! And I love that the recipe makes enough for two meals, so as you are preparing it, you simply place half of it in a freezer bag to pull out for another meal. This dinner is very simple, and requires barely any prep time other than making sure you give the pork time to sit with the rub on it. This is a great meal for this time of year, with hints of thanksgiving from the apples, cranberries, and stuffing. And the apples give a hint of sweet and taste like applesauce. If you don't like stuffing, you could always omit this and make a side of potatoes or even cheese grits. MMM...this was a good one! If you are looking for a new slow cooker recipe, give this one a try!

I do not have a picture for this. Sorry! Honestly, it didn't turn out very pretty so a photo wouldn't do it justice!

Crockpot cranberry apple herbed pork roast

From all recipes

I N G R E D I E N T S :

Divided for two dinners (one goes in the freezer)

2 1/2 tsp. sugar

3/4 tsp dried marjoram (I couldn't find any, but you can substitute basil or oregano-I did half of each)

3/4 tsp. rubbed sage

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. celery seed

1/4 tsp. ground mustard

1/8 tsp. pepper

2 pounds boneless pork loin roast divided in two (the pack I bought already had them divided)

4 granny smith apples, each divided in half

1 1/2 cup dried cranberries, such as Craisins (not frozen cranberries, or it will be too tart)

1 pkg stuffing mix, divided in half (I used stovetop for pork)

Celery and cooked sausage are optional additions

D I R E C T  I O N S :

Combine the first seven ingredients, and rub over roast. Cover and refrigerate 4 hours or overnight. 

If roast is not already halved, divide it if you are wanting to save half for another meal.

Place (half) the herbed roast in the crockpot. Surround with half of the apples and half of the dried cranberries. Cook on high for 3 1/2 hours. Do not open during cooking. 

After cooking is finished, put (half) stuffing in the crockpot, allowing it to absorb the juices. Cover, and let sit for 5-10 minutes, or until stuffing is soft. If it does not soften, you may add some boiling water for additional moisture (just about 1/2-3/4 cup should do it).

Reserve half the pork loin, apples, and cranberries. Place all in a freezer bag, remove air, and freeze up to 6 months. It is ready for an easy meal; you just need to thaw, cook, and add the remaining stuffing!

Baked chicken and veggies

Don’t you just love it when you try a new meal that is really easy and are surprised by how tasty it is? Well, this meal certainly falls into that category. Last week I bought two bags of frozen chicken breasts on sale, so the other day I was rummaging around seeing what I could make with some of that chicken for dinner. I looked through a little recipe booklet I had received over email and noticed I had everything on hand to make this. It was so easy to make, and it really is delicious and satisfying. I think my husband liked it more than anything I had made in a while! It’s comfort food, but not high in fat or calories. The only unhealthy ingredient is the cream of chicken soup, and I figure a little of that here and there won’t kill anyone. I literally threw this dish in the oven for a couple of hours and had a complete meal, other than some spinach I made for a green side.

This recipe calls for bone-in chicken breasts, but I used frozen, unthawed boneless, skinless chicken breasts and simply increased the cooking time from 1 hour to 2 hours. I loved how done the vegetables were after cooking the dish for this time.

Baked Chicken and Veggies

From Simple Suppers for Busy Moms

I N G R E D I E N T S :

4 bone-in chicken breasts, remove skin (I used unthawed, frozen boneless, skinless chicken breasts)

1 large potato, sliced (I used a few new potatoes and quartered them)

1 bag peeled mini carrots (I sliced up some regular carrots)

1 onion, quartered

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 package Good Seasons dressing mix (I found a spice mix recipe online for a substitute. See below)

Salt and pepper

Paprika

Good Seasons Italian Salad Dressing Recipe 

(click above on title for a link to the site)

2 Tbsp. lemon juice

1 clove garlic (I used the equivalent to 1 clove in garlic powder; I think it was 1/4 tsp.)

1 tsp. sugar

1/2 tsp. dry mustard

1/2 tsp. dried oregano

1/4 tsp. dried basil

freshly ground pepper to taste

D I R E C T I O N S :

Season chicken with salt, pepper and paprika. 

Placed in a greased 9x13 pyrex and add veggies around chicken.

Stir together soup and dressing mix and pour on top.

Cover with foil.

Bake at 350 for about 1 hour (if using frozen, unthawed breasts, increase cooking time to 2 hours)

Greek Lemon Chicken

This chicken is so full of flavor and tastyness, I couldn't believe it. Maybe I was just really craving Mediterranean food, but I was really impressed with this little recipe! It is so easy to make: another dish you can make using FROZEN chicken! I'm totally on this frozen chicken kick. I got this recipe from a cookbook I received over email, and I just added feta cheese to it after seeing a similar recipe in the same book and used less salt since feta is salty on its own. The chicken is fabulous and tender, and the potatoes have a wonderful crispy outside and tender center. The sauce is delicious.

I used a lot less salt than the recipe calls for, and thought it was salty enough, especially with the addition of feta cheese.

Greek Lemon Chicken
Adapted from a recipe in Simple Suppers for Busy Moms

I N G R E D I E N T S :
5-6 chicken quarters (or chicken breasts-I used frozen chicken breast)
3-4 lbs. small redskin potatoes (I used medium sized red potatoes and quartered them)
1 cup lemon juice but the person who submitted it only used 1/2 cup and it seemed like plenty (I agree)
1/2 cup olive oil
1 Tbsp. salt (I would only use about 2 tsp. when adding feta cheese, and I might still decrease the amount if I weren't)
1 tsp. pepper
1 Tbsp. garlic, granulated (or about 4 small-medium cloves, minced)
1 tsp. paprika (optional, but I liked the color it gives)
2 Tbsp. oregano
Feta cheese-I added this but didn't measure how much..I just sprinkled about 1/3 of a small package on top.

D I R E C T I O N S :

Place chicken in deep baking pan. Surround with potatoes. In a separate bowl, combine lemon juice, oil, salt, pepper, paprika, garlic, and oregano. Stir to combine all ingredients and drizzle mixture over chicken and potatoes. Cover with foil and bake at 425 degrees for 1 hour. Remove foil and bake for an additional 1/2 hour to achieve a crisp light brown texture*. Serve hot. Serves 5-6.

*Even though I used frozen chicken, I still cooked it at the same temperature and amount of time, and it was fully cooked and tender. But if your frozen meat is really thick, check for doneness (or about 170 degrees). If you need to cook it longer, place the foil back on it so it does not get burnt.

Note from original cookbook: You can substitute other cuts of chicken. Boned chicken is the most flavorful.

Baked chicken with vegetables in white wine

Here is another easy dinner you can make with FROZEN chicken straight out of the bag. I'm trying to come up with lots of recipes to do this with because it makes for such little preparation and no having to clean up after handling slimy, raw chicken. This is a spinoff of the pork chops in white wine dish I've posted on here, and I got the idea of this variation from my sister. The end result is like a chicken version of a pot roast, complete with a very yummy sauce/gravy that is made from everything baking together. This is a nice one dish meal that is low fat, healthy, and a good combination of protein and vegetables. No picture this time but, like a pot roast, its aesthetic qualities just wouldn't do it justice. Enjoy!

baked chicken with vegetables in white wine

I N G R E D I E N T S :

2-3 pieces of frozen chicken (or more if they are small and will fit into a 9X12 dish)
4 carrots (or more, or less...), peeled and cut into 2-3" long pieces
1 onion, chopped
2 pieces of celery, cut into 2-3" long pieces
3 baking potatoes or several small new potatoes. peel baking potatoes but you don't have to peel the new potatoes, and cut into chunks.
1/3-1 cup white cooking wine (you can use 1 cup and less broth but I only had 1/3 cup)
1 tsp soy sauce (my sister uses 2 Tbsp and likes it, so you might want to try more for more flavor).
1 cup chicken broth or 1 cup water with 1 bullion cube (you can also omit this or use less, and use more cooking wine)
salt and pepper to taste

D I R E C T I O N S

Preheat oven to 350.

Clean, peel, and chop the vegetables while oven preheats.

In a 9x12 pan, place frozen chicken breasts. Place vegetables on top. Season with salt and pepper.

Mix wine, broth, and soy sauce together. Pour over vegetables and chicken.

Cover dish with foil, and bake at 350 for 1 1/2-2 hours, or until chicken is done. If you cook it a little longer than you need, it's okay-like a roast, the chicken just seems to get more tender as it cooks in the sauce.

Chicken Italiano

Tonight I tried a new recipe from an email I recently received of a collection of quick, simple, and tasty dinner recipes that was put together by some moms. I have been eager to try one of the many that claims to have a preparation time of under 15 minutes. A friend of mine had mentioned that this dish is great, so I decided to make it tonight. I was so impressed! It was extremely easy to prepare-you take frozen chicken (yes, frozen!), top it with a few tasty ingredients, plop it in the oven, and there you have it. I love how easy it was, and we really liked the flavor of mushrooms, artichokes, parmesan cheese, and italian seasonings (how can you go wrong with those ingredients?). This will certainly be a meal I make again!

Chicken Italiano
from Simple Suppers for Busy Moms

I N G R E D I E N T S :

3-4 FROZEN boneless, skinless, chicken breasts (you can also use thawed if that is what you have)
3/4 cup italian dressing
1/2 cup fresh mushrooms (optional, but I actually used more because we love them)
1 can quartered artichokes, drained
1/2 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup italian breadcrumbs
1/2 stick melted butter

D I R E C T I O N S :

Place (frozen) chicken breasts in greased casserole dish. Pour dressing on top. Add mushrooms and artichokes. Sprinkle with Parmesan and breadcrumbs, then melted butter. Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 1 to 1 1/2 hours.