Doubly so.

I like meatloaf. I like crocking meatloaf. I should probably do it more often. Yes? Yes.

"Clean Out The Fridge Turkey Loaf" (6 quart pot)

~1 1/2 lbs 80/20 ground turkey (I usually use 99%, but this was on clearance and so cheap I HAD to buy it.

~1 egg

~1/2 c dried minced onion

~1/2 c grated parmesan cheese (all that was left in ours...that expired in 2012. Yikes.)

~1/2 c pizza sauce (all that was left in an open one we had that said it should've been used within 5 days, but probably at least 2 weeks old. Double yikes.)

Create 2 long handles of aluminum foil and place in crock pot. (Because this is I think all crocked meatloaves should be done.)

Mix all ingredients in a bowl.

Form loaf.

Place in crock pot.

Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.

Drizzle with ketchup. (Optional, but thats how I like it.)

I served this with sautéed asparagus.

6 servings.

Mmm. Can you really go wrong with a meatloaf? I don't know about you all, but meatloaf was a staple of my childhood. My dad almost never ate anything my mom cooked, but he did eat her meatloaf. I am definitely crocking more meatloaves. ESPECIALLY because my little helper had 2 servings. 2!! Looks like it'll be a staple of his childhood, too. I'm kind of okay with that.

It's chili out.

It's been awhile since I've crocked a good chili. Heck, it's been awhile since I crocked ANY chili. I was going to make a meatloaf, but I accidentally didn't leave enough time for the turkey to defrost. So...I crocked a chili.

"Long Time No Chili" (6 quart pot)

~1 lb ground turkey, browned
~1 c frozen corn
~1 (15 oz) can petite diced tomatoes
~1 (15 oz) can dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
~1 green bell pepper, chopped
~2 carrots, chopped
~1 T dried minced onion
~2 t chili powder
~1 t ground cumin
~1 t salt
~1/2 t pepper
~1/2 t garlic powder

Add all ingredients to crock pot.
Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.

6 servings.

I crocked a chili. A VERY good chili. Flavorful. Just enough spice. I guess I've learned a thing or two in the last 3 years, eh?

New and different.

New year. New crocks!

I crocked this today. I just kind of threw random stuff in the crock pot and hit go. Because, you know, that's what crock pots are for. Right? Right.

"Turkey Chili Stew" (6 quart pot)

~2 lbs ground turkey, browned and drained

~1 c frozen corn

~ 1 sweet potato, skinned and chopped into bite-sized pieces

~2 c chicken broth

~1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes

~1 (15 oz) can Northern Beans

~1 t salt

~1 t chili powder

~1 t ground cumin

~1/2 t smoked paprika

~1/4 t pepper

Add all ingredients to crock pot and mix well.

Cover and cook on hight for 4 hours.

6 servings.

This was really good! Not quite a chili, but not really a stew, either. I'm going to pat myself on the back for this one. Maybe I should crock more often. (Or at least find the time to blog about it.) 

Sweet!

Apparently, just before I threw all of our stuff into the car and bolted for Philly, I shoved a bunch of food into the freezer. And then, of course, I completely forgot about it.

"Turkey Chops with Sweet Potatoes and Cranberries: (6 quart pot)

~1 lb turkey chops
~1 c frozen cranberries
~1 onion, chopped
~1 large sweet potato, skinned and cut into bite-sized pieces (I don't usually skin them, but I thought my little helper *might* actually eat them if they were skinless.)
~1/4 c maple syrup
~1 t allspice
~1/4 t salt

Add all ingredients to crock pot and mix.
Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.

4 servings.

This was good. Not as awesome as I wanted it to be, but I don't really care. My little helper actually ate the sweet potatoes. Woot!

Thanks.

Another from the crocktober website...

"Flavorful Turkey Breast" (6 quart pot) The original recipe is HERE.

~3 lb boneless turkey breast, thawed (Because I didn't feel like buying a huge bone-in one.)
~1 envelope onion soup mix
~1 (14 oz) can whole berry cranberry sauce

Place turkey in crock pot.
Top with onion soup mix and cranberry sauce.
Cover and cook on high for 2 hours.
Reduce to low and cook for 5 (or 6) additional hours.
*It said to baste occasionally. I didn't do this because lifting the lid during a crock is silly/stupid.

I served this with broccoli from the CSA.

6 servings.

So easy. So good. I'd totally make this for Thanksgiving dinner. Even if my little helper "doesn't like it".

Perfect timing.

My friend Molly sent me this link. She had me at Crocktober. There are 31 recipes there and there's no way I'm doing all of them, but I'll do some. I started with the meatloaf recipe because it's been awhile since I've crocked a meatloaf. So...I crocked a turkeyloaf.

"Perfect Crockpot Turkeyloaf" (6 quart pot)

~1/2 C. whole milk
~2 slices white bread (White bread? We haven't had white bread in this house in probably about a decade. I used a whole grain oatmeal bread from the CSA.)
~1 1/2 lb. ground beef (I used ground turkey.)
~2 eggs (From the CSA.)
~1 small onion, peeled
~1 1/2 tsp. salt
~1/2 tsp. pepper
~1 tsp. dry mustard
~1 can (12 oz.) whole tomatoes (The smallest I could find was 14 oz)
~aluminum foil strips (Because I said ALL future meatloaves would involve these. SEE?)

Place the milk and the bread in a large mixing bowl, and let stand until the bread has adsorbed all the milk.
With two forks, break the bread into crumbs.
Beat the ground beef into the crumbs until well mixed.
Make a hollow in the center of the meat and break the eggs into it.
Beat the eggs a little; then grate the onions into the eggs.
Add salt, pepper and mustard. Beat the eggs into the beef.
Shape into a round cake and place in the slow cooker.
Drain the tomatoes, and place them on the meat.
Cover and cook on Low for 7 hours.
Remove using aluminum foil strips.

I served it with sautéed spinach sprinkled with mozzarella.

6 servings.

We dug it. The tomatoes on top were a nice change, but I still prefer slathering mine in ketchup. THAT's a perfect meatloaf.

It's a good thing.

Fall is here! Hooray! So...I crocked something fall-ish with stuff we had in the house and some clearanced turkey I grabbed from the disaster that is the local remodeling Safeway. (Why are they changing a good thing?)


"Tiz The Season Turkey Stew"(6 quart pot)

~1 lb turkey cutlets
~2 sweet potatoes, chopped into bite-sized pieces (From the CSA.)
~1 apple, chopped into bite sized pieces (From the CSA. I don't remember what kind it was. I know it was reddish and greenish.)
~1/2 onion, chopped
~1 c dried cranberries
~1/2 c cranberry juice cocktail
~1 t poultry seasoning
~1/2 t allspice

Add all ingredients to crock pot and mix.
Cover and cook on low for 6 hours.

4 servings.

Fall is delicious.

Workwoman's comp.

Today was something else. I'm half surprised I didn't burn down the house. Somehow, in the middle of tending to 5 wasp stings (4 for me and 1 for my little helper) AND a broken toe (mine), I managed to put together this crock. I deserve a medal. Or a vacation. Or both. I think I'd be okay with both.

"Clean Out The Kitchen Turkey Stew" (6 quart pot)

~1 lb ground turkey
~1 onion, chopped
~1 jalapeño, seeded and minced
~4 yellow squash, chopped (From the CSA.)
~2 white potatoes (From the CSA.)
~2 handfuls of string beans, chopped (From the CSA.)
~12 oz hot salsa (Safeway brand.)
~1/2 t salt
~1/4 t pepper
~2 c beef broth

Brown turkey and onion together. Drain.
Add all ingredients to crock pot and mix well.
Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.

4 servings.

This was pretty good. It was spicier than I thought it'd be. The jalapeño I used was on the larger side of things and I used a hot salsa, so I shouldn't have been THAT surprised. Can a girl blame her swollen wrists, back, and toes for her brain malfunctioning?  Please?

Working for the weekend.

I worked this weekend AND my little helper was sick with a stomach bug yesterday, so things are going to be a little delayed here at BornToCrock this week. Sorry.

This was yesterday's crock. It's chapter 1 in the E-book.

"White Bean Turkey Chili" (6 quart pot)

~1 onion, chopped
~5 garlic cloves, minced
~1 lb lean ground turkey
~2 (4 oz) cans green chili peppers
~1 T ground cumin
~1 T dried oregano
~1 T fresh cilantro, chopped
~1 t ground cinnamon
~1/2 t ground cayenne pepper
~1/4 t black pepper (The recipe said white pepper to taste, so I improvised.)
~2 (15 oz) cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
~1/2 c fat-free half & half
~2 c chicken broth
~sour cream
~1/2 c shredded colby jack cheese
~1/2 c green onions, chopped

Combine onion, garlic, and turkey in a large pot over medium heat.
Sauté until turkey is browned.
Stir in cumin, cilantro, oregano, chili peppers, cinnamon, cayenne pepper, and black pepper.
Sauté until everything is heated through.
Add one can of beans to crock pot and cover with chicken broth.
Pureé second can of beans.
Add this to pot with the half & half.
Combine and let simmer for 10 minutes.
Place all ingredients except sour cream, cheese, and green onions in crock pot.
Cover and cook on low for 4 hours.
Top each serving with sour cream, cheese, and green onions.

4 servings.

This was a nice chili. It had lots of flavor and a nice kick at the end, but it loses points for having 99% of the work done on the stovetop. LAME!

What's in a name?

The third card from the end was...

"Makeover Hash Brown Soup" (6 quart pot)

~2 green onions, chopped
~1 t canola oil
~1 (28 oz) package frozen O'Brien potatoes, thawed
~2 c milk (The card said 2%. I used whole because that's what we keep in the house for my little helper.)
~1 (10 3/4oz) reduced-fat, reduced-fat cream of chicken soup, undiluted
~6 turkey bacon strips, diced and cooked
~1/2 c shredded cheddar cheese

In a small skillet, sauté onions in oil until tendeer.
In crock pot, combine potatoes, milk, soup, and onions.
Cover and cook on low for 6 hours or until heated through.
Top each serving with 2T bacon and 1T cheese.

8 servings.

This was the least soupy soup we've ever seen. It was cheesy potatoes with a strip of fake bacon on top.  It was good, but it didn't wow our socks off or anything like that. I've said it once or twice or a million times: I'm not a foodie and I'm terrible at naming crocks. HOWEVER, the name of this crock makes absolutely zero sense to me.

Cloudy with a chance of meatballs.

My other half picked number 7. (Thanks, G!) Number 7 was...

"Turkey Meatballs and Sauce" (6 quart pot)

~1 egg (It said 1/4 c egg substitute, but we have a lot of eggs, so buying substitute would've been kind of silly.)
~1/2 c seasoned breadcrumbs (I used Panko because they're awesome.)
~1/3 c chopped onion
~1/2 t pepper
~1/4 t Italian seasoning
~1 1/2 lb lean ground turkey

Sauce

~1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce
~1 (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
~1 small zucchini, chopped
~1 green pepper, chopped
~1 onion, chopped
~1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
~2 bay leaves
~2 garlic cloves, minced
~1 t dried oregano
~1 t dried basil
~1 t dried parsley flakes
~1/4 t crushed red pepper flakes
~1/4 t pepper
~whole wheat spaghetti

In a large bowl, combine egg, breadcrumbs, onion, pepper, and seasoning.
Crumble turkey over mixture and mix well.
Shape into 1-inch balls; place in a shallow baking pan coated in cooking spray.
Bake, uncovered, at 400° for 15 minutes or until no longer pink. (I used our oven for something!!!)
Meanwhile, in the crock pot, combine tomato sauce, tomatoes, zucchini, green pepper, onion, tomato paste, bay leaves, garlic and seasonings.
Stir in meatballs.
Cover and cook on low for 6 hours.
Meanwhile, cook spaghetti according to package directions; serve with sauce.

8 servings.

This was good. It's more than the amount of work I like to do to put a rock together, so it loses points for that. I do think, though, that if I was more of a fan of Italian food, I might be willing to overlook it. I'm ready for a crock that isn't overly tomato-y, that's for sure.

Joe Schmo.

Sherry picked number 4. (Thanks Sherry!) Number 4 was...

"Turkey Sloppy Joes" (6 quart pot)

~1 lb lean ground turkey
~1 small onion, chopped
~1/2 c chopped celery
~1/4 c chopped green pepper
~1 (10 3/4oz) can tomato soup, undiluted
~1/2 c ketchip
~2 T prepared mustard (I used Gulden's because in my mind, no other mustard exists.)
~1 T brown sugar
~1/4 t pepper
~hamburger buns

In a large skillet coated with cooking spray, cook turkey, onion, celery, and green pepper over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain.
Stir in the soup, ketchup, mustard, brown sugar, and pepper.
Transfer to crock pot.
Cover and cook on low for 4 hours.

8 servings.

This was good, but it wasn't our favorite sloppy joe recipe. Of course, that might be because my other half's homemade sloppy joe recipe kicks the asses of all other sloppy joe recipes. If you like tomato soup, you'll probably like this one.

Big whoop.

Sarah picked number 13. (Thanks Sarah!) Number 13 was...

"Southwest Turkey Stew" (6 quart pot)

~1 1/2 lbs turkey chops, cubed (The card said tenderloins, but Safeway was out, so I improvised.)
~2 t canola oil
~1 (15 oz) can turkey chili with beans, undrained
~1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
~1 red bell pepper, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
~1 green bell pepper, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
~3/4 c chopped onion
~3/4 c salsa (I used Newman's hot.)
~3 garlic cloves, minced
~1 1/2 t chili powder
~1/2 t salt
~1/2 t ground cumin
~cilantro (The card said fresh, but I used dried.)

In a skillet, brown turkey in oil; transfer to crock pot.
Stir in chili, tomatoes, peppers, onion, salsa, garlic, chili powder, salt, and cumin.
Cover and cook on low for 6 hours or until turkey is no longer pink.
Garnish with cilantro.

6 servings.

Nice flavor. Nice spice. My other half thinks that I (once again) didn't chop the veggies small enough and my little helper wouldn't try ANY of it. Other than that, it was yummy.

Happy meal.

Laura picked number 4. (Thanks Laura!) Number 4 was...

"Chicken Thighs with Sausage" (6 quart pot)

~2 medium carrots, chopped
~2 celery ribs, chopped
~1 onion, finely chopped
~8 bone-in chicken thighs, skin removed
~1 (14 oz) package smoked turkey sausage, cut into 1/2-inch sliced (I accidentally bought a non-smoked kind. More on that later.)
~1/4 c ketchup
~6 garlic cloves,  minced (I finally used the last of the CSA garlic. Woot!)
~1 T Louisiana-style hot sauce
~1 t dried basil
~1 t paprika (I used smoked paprika to make up for buying the wrong sausage.)
~1 t dried thyme
~1/2 t dried oregano
~1/2 t pepper
~1/4 t allspice

Combine carrots, celery, and onion in crock pot.
Brown sausage and drain. (So...the kind I bought was a breakfast sausage and wasn't sliceable. I squeezed it out of the casings and browned it instead.)
Top veggies with sausage and chicken.
In a small bowl, combine ketchup, garlic, hot sauce, and seasonings.
Spoon over meats.
Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or until chicken is tender.

8 servings.

I served this over couscous and it was all super yummy. Nice and tender and the bites with the sauce were slightly spicy. THIS was family pleasing. All 3 of us devoured it. Had I known my little helper was going to eat all of my carrots, I would have put more in the pot!

Behind the scenes.

A few things...

Firstly, I worked this weekend, so I'll probably be a little behind for a few days. Sorry.

Secondly, I didn't preview any of the recipes in this booklet before I decided to do this silly game. So far, I've had to veto two of the recipes because they had ingredients we don't "do" in this house. (Provolone cheese and sauerkraut for those who care.)

Thirdly, THIS recipe was not a crock pot recipe. Why on Earth did a recipe card book of crock pot recipes manage to slip in a 15 minute stovetop soup recipe?   No idea. Of course, I didn't realize this until yesterday morning when I was all set to put everything in the pot. So...I attempted to convert it. This is what I did...

"Turkey-Sweet Potato Soup" (6 quart pot)

~2 c water
~2 t sodium-free chicken bouillon granules
~2 sweet potatoes, cubed
~1 (14 oz) can creamed corn
~1 T fresh sage, minced
~1/4 t pepper
~1 T cornstarch
~1 c milk
~2 c cubed turkey chops (The original recipe said cooked turkey breast.)

4 servings.

This was a yummy soup. I was worried that I'd somehow screw it up, but I'm pretty sure I didn't. I don't see a lot of recipes that use fresh sage, so that was exciting to use and delicious to eat. Even my little helper ate some of it, so I can definitely put this in the win pile.

Rated PG.

Sandra picked number 25. (Thanks Sandra!) Number 25 was...

"Family-Pleasing Turkey Chili (6 quart pot)

~1 lb lean ground turkey
~1 green bell pepper, finely chopped
~2 garlic cloves, minced (From the CSA.)
~1 (28oz) can diced tomatoes, undrained
~1 (16oz) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
~1 (15oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
~1 (14.5oz) can reduced-sodium chicken broth
~1 3/4 c frozen corn
~1 (6oz) can tomato paste
~1 T chili powder
~1/2 t black pepper
~1/4 t ground cumin
~1/4 t garlic powder

In a skillet, cook turkey, green pepper, and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink.
Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Drain.
Transfer mixture to crock pot.
Stir in remaining ingredients.
Cover and cook on low for 6 hours or until heated through.

6 servings.

This was a pretty good chili. Apparently, "Family-Pleasing" means tomatoey and not particularly spicy. My little helper wouldn't touch it even though he likes all of the main ingredients. (Grr. Argh.)

Feeling salty.

Number 26 was:

"Italian Turkey Sandwiches" (6 quart pot)

~3lbs boneless, skinless turkey breast roast (The card said 6lb bone-in, skinless, but I couldn't find one, so I improvised.)
~1 onion, chopped
~1 green bell pepper, chopped
~1/4 c chili sauce
~3 T white vinegar
~2 T Italian seasoning
~4 t beef bouillon granules
~kaiser rolls

Place turkey in greased crock pot.
Add onion and pepper.
In a small bowl, combine chili sauce, vinegar, Italian seasoning, and bouillon; pour over turkey and vegetables.
Cover and cook on low for 5 hours or until thermometer reads 170°.
Shred turkey with 2 forks and return to crock pot to heat through.
Spoon mixture onto rolls.

12 servings. (If you follow the directions, supposedly. Mine made about 6.)

This was pretty good. I thought it was a bit too salty, but I have been trying to decrease my salt intake, so it is QUITE possible that I've become more anti-salt in general. I have no idea. My other half was a huge fan...which is good because he picked the number. (Thanks G!)

(You didn't think you were going to get a shout out, did you!?)

Better than soup.

It was finally time for me to take care of the Thanksgiving turkey carcass taking up all kinds of space in our freezer. No turkey noodle soup for us!

"Leftover Turkey and Green Sauce" (6 quart pot)

~2 c cooked turkey, shredded (Mine was THIS.)

~1 (16 oz) jar Mrs. Renfro's green salsa

~2 garlic cloves, chopped

~2 c brown rice, cooked

Add turkey, salsa, and garlic to crock pot.

Mix.

Cover and cook on low for 6 hours.

Serve over rice.

4 servings.

Mmm... This was a smidge too salty, but otherwise DELICIOUS. You can't really go wrong with green salsa in my book. 

Party on, Garth.

I hosted (and helped plan) a baby shower for one of my best friends last Saturday. As the last few people trickled out, my partner in crime (her sister) left me a bunch of leftovers to play with. Most of it was already made salads, but there was also a bunch of fresh veggies from a veggie tray. Rather than throw them away (Which would be insane, anyway), I made plans to crock them. Because that's kind of how I roll. Right? Right. Ok then.

"Turkey Chops and Veggies" (6 quart pot)

~4 turkey chops
~leftovers from the veggie tray (2 c-ish of celery, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, red pepper strips, and cherry tomatoes.)
~1 (15 oz) can chicken broth
~4 oz Sicilian Lemon Balsamic vinegar (It's THIS. The rest of a Christmas gift from last year.)
~1 T Italian seasoning

Place turkey in crock pot.
Dump veggies on top.
Pour broth and vinegar on top.
Sprinkle seasoning over everything.
Cover and cook on low for 7 hours.

4 servings.

This was yummy and pretty much guilt free. My other half isn't a celery fan, but he ate his handfull (that wasn't chopped into tiny pieces) with NO complaints and my little helper dug the carrots. This is going in the win pile. Do I need to host another shindig so I can crock another veggie tray? Because that can totally be arranged.

Chop, chop, chop.

The carnivore in me has heard of and crocked lots of meat. Pork chops? Yes. Lamb chops? Yes. Turkey chops? No. I didn't even know that turkeys have chops. Do I need to have my carnivorous membership card revoked or something?

"The Turkey Chop Experiment" (6 quart pot)

~1 lb turkey chops
~5 small white potatoes, chopped (From the CSA.)
~1 (15 oz) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
~1 onion, chopped (From the CSA.)
~2 garlic cloves, chopped (From the CSA.)
~1/2 c Safeway Select white wine and pear vinaigrette
~1 t poultry seasoning
~1 c frozen corn

Add turkey, potatoes, beans, onion, garlic, vinaigrette, and poultry seasoning to crock pot.
Mix well.
Cover and cook on low for 7 hours.
Add corn and mix.
Recover and cook for about 15 minutes or until corn is heated.

4 servings.

This was really yummy. I'm kind of wishing I'd made more of it. If you can find turkey chops somewhere, you should try this. K? K.