crock pot

Hearty Pork Posole

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This recipe is a remake of a Mexican classic. Improved, if I do say so myself. I have recreated Posole that knocks your socks off.  It’s an easy dish, with basic ingredients, that can be made on the stove top or cooked in the crockpot.  We love this! Even my kids that aren’t big fans of hominy eat every last bit. My version is a little heartier, with the addition of a few beans.  Even though we often think of “soup season” during the fall and winter months, believe me, you will want this all year long! 

Funny story:  I have made this soup numerous times, but on two different occasions, I have done a grocery pick up for ingredients. Twice I have gotten the restaurant sized (110 oz. can) of hominy.  I have laughed both times at the industrial sized can.  Lesson learned, check the number of ounces before completing the order!!! Or, ya know… make a lot of posole! ~Kathy

Ingredients:

2 T. cooking oil (your favorite will do) 

1 ½ to 2 lb. pork stew meat (or thick cut pork chops cubed)

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced fine (or 1 tsp garlic powder)

½ to 1 jalapeno seeded and chopped fine (more or less to taste)

3 c. broth (chicken or beef)

1 (7 oz.) can chopped green chiles

1 (10 oz.) can Ro-tel tomatoes with green chiles (choose your heat preference, I use mild)

1 (15 oz.) can pinto or cannellini beans, rinsed and drained (can also use black or light red kidney beans)

2 (15 oz.) cans hominy, rinsed and drained (I prefer the brand Juanita’s)

½ tsp salt

½ tsp cumin, heaping

½ tsp oregano

¼ tsp black pepper

Dash of cayenne

Dash of chili powder

¼ c chopped cilantro

Suggestions for serving: Warm tortillas, tortilla chips, diced avocado, sliced lime, additional cilantro, finely shredded cabbage

In a large dutch oven or soup pot, pour in 2 T oil. Turn on to medium high heat. Lightly season pork with salt and pepper. Add to pot. Allow to brown before turning. When first side of pork is golden brown, add onion and stir. Continue to cook a few minutes until pork is no longer pink. Add garlic and jalapeno. Cook an additional minute; then turn off heat. Remove any remaining oil. Stir in broth, Ro-tel tomatoes, beans, green chiles and spices. Cook about 20 minutes at a simmer; add in drained hominy. Continue to simmer for an additional 20-25 minutes, or until pork is tender. Stir in chopped cilantro. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed. Serve. 

If using a crock pot, add pork (browning first in a skillet with oil if you prefer), broth and remaining ingredients EXCEPT hominy and cilantro. Cook on high 4 hours or on low 7 hours.  During the last 30 minutes of cook time, add drained hominy and cilantro.  

Crock Pot Pork Roast in Gravy

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I don’t know about y’all, but pantry-friendly recipes are my go-to right now.  I need meals that don’t require grocery runs because that’s not happening.  This is one of those recipes.  My kids love it and I love how easy it is to make.  In literally 5 minutes, I can have supper going in the Crockpot.  Eight hours later, I’ll bake up some potatoes, open up a salad mix and BAM dinner is on the table… hot and delicious with minimal work.  That’s my kind of meal.  ~Erin20200507_182133

Ingredients:

2 ½ pound pork roast, trimmed

1 (10.5 oz.) can Campbell’s Healthy Request Cream of Mushroom soup

1 (10.5 oz.) can Campbell’s Healthy Request Cream of Celery soup

1 soup can full of water

1 (1 oz.) packet Lipton Recipe Secrets Onion Soup and Dip Mix

Baked potatoes, for serving

Place the trimmed pork roast in a slow-cooker pot.   In a medium bowl, stir together all other ingredients.  Pour the mixture over the roast.  Cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours, until meat is cooked and shreds easily.  Shred the roast and stir it to incorporate the gravy/sauce.  Serve over baked potatoes.

WW info.:  This recipe makes 6 1-cup servings.  Each serving is 6 points on all plans, not including the baked potato.

Crock Pot Spinach & Artichoke Chicken

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Spring is finally here, which means we are reaching the season of the year when my husband and kids start hollering, “let’s go fishing!”  My husband is the type that will go fishing in a full snow-suit or rain gear.  He’s what you would call obsessed.  He reads fishing magazines and watches pro-fishing on TV.  Like I said… obsessed.  However, there are worse hobbies for a person to have, so I tolerate the fishing string remnants that gets caught in my vacuum cleaner beater bar.  I am more of a fair-weather fisherman… fisherwoman?… Let’s go with “angler.”  I like to fish but only when it’s sunny and warm.  I want no part of being on the lake in winter gear. 

Recently, on a particularly warm and sunny afternoon, we decided it would be a good day to do a little fishing.  Before we ventured out, I threw a supper in the Crock-Pot because I didn’t want to go straight to the kitchen after being out all day.  Oh man, I’m glad I did.  I wish I could say we arrived home with some fresh fish to fry, but let’s just say I was glad we planned to have chicken.  This Crock Pot Spinach & Artichoke Chicken smelled amazing after a day at the lake.  A few minutes to slice and toast some bread was basically all it took to have supper ready.  ~Erin

  • 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 1 (9 oz.) package frozen spinach, thawed
  • 1 (14 oz.) can quartered artichoke hearts, packed in water; drained
  • 1 T. minced garlic
  • 1 (8 oz) package fat-free cream cheese
  • ½ c. shredded parmesan
  • ½ c. low-moisture part-skim mozzarella
  • 1/3 c. fat-free half & half
  • Salt & pepper to taste
  • Sliced, toasted French bread, for serving

Place chicken in the bottom of a slow-cooker. 

Squeeze as much water as possible from the thawed spinach and add it to the slow-cooker along with the garlic and drained, quartered artichoke hearts.

Cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-8.

Remove the chicken from the slow-cooker and shred; return it to the pot.

Add cream cheese, shredded parmesan, mozzarella, half & half, and salt & pepper; stir until melted and creamy.

Serve on toasted French bread slices (optional).

WW Freestyle Info:  This recipe makes approximately 8 half-cup servings.  Each serving is 2 SmartPoints. 

Crock Pot Chicken Pot Pie

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My crock pot and I could really be best friends.  When it comes to dinner, I rely on that one appliance as much as anything else.  There’s nothing better than coming home to dinner that is near ready when you walk in the door from a busy workday.   A few basic ingredients and you will be enjoying this slow cooked version of a classic.   Just before you want to have dinner, bake your favorite biscuits and serve it over top of one!  Here’s a great biscuit recipe to try:  Mama’s Flaky Cream Biscuits.  Delish!!

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Ingredients:

  • 5 medium potatoes, peeled and diced to 1 1/2”
  • 3 large carrots, peeled and diced
  • 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts – any fat trimmed (about 1 ¾ to 2 pounds)
  • 2 T minced dried onion (or ½ c fresh onion chopped)
  • ½ tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • ¼ tsp. black pepper
  • 2 cans (10 ½ oz each) Campbell’s Healthy Request cream of chicken soup
  • 1/3 c. water or low sodium chicken broth
  • 1 c. frozen corn
  • 1 c. frozen peas or green beans

Instructions: 

Place diced potatoes in 6-quart crock pot.  Add carrots and seasonings.  Lay chicken breasts on top of vegetables.  Pour in cream of chicken soup and water over chicken.  Do Not Mix!  (Corn and peas are added later.)  Place lid on crock pot and cook on high for approximately 4 hours or on low for approximately 7 hours.  Remove chicken from crock pot to a heat proof plate and shred; set aside.  Add corn and peas or beans to the crock pot.  Thin sauce in crock pot with up to an additional ¼ c. chicken broth, if needed.  Return chicken to pot.   Allow frozen vegetables to heat through, about 10 minutes.  Serve over a baked, warm, split biscuit.

WW Freestyle Info: Makes 8 servings of 1¼ cups each.  4 points per serving, not counting your choice of biscuit.