Archive for the ‘Casseroles – Slow Cooker’ Category
Kielbasa & Potato Casserole (Slow Cooker)
This recipe is from a social media friend who specializes in slow cooker dishes. I made this on 24 Nov 2022 and I will say, this is an easy, and exceptionally good casserole! Highly recommended.
Equipment
- Slow Cooker (3½+ quart)
Ingredients
- 1 kilo potatoes, diced into about ½ inch cubes, (2 lb)
- 500 grams kielbasa, or any smoked sausage, sliced ½ - ¾ inch rounds, (1 lb)
- 3 cups Cheddar cheese, shredded, divided
- 1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
- 1 cup onion, diced
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ cup sour cream
Instructions
- For the potatoes, if using frozen, thaw first. If using fresh, peel, then dice to about ½ inch cubes. Add potatoes to the slow cooker. In Thailand, Makro has frozen cubed potatoes 15x15mm. I dice fresh by cutting first with a French fry cutter then use a knife to cut the cubes.
- Add sausage, onion, garlic powder, and 2 cups of the cheese to your slow cooker. In Thailand I use what is called Sausage Scraps from Makro, excellent sausage, 4 types in one package, one type is very much like kielbasa.
- Mix together.
- Add the soup to the slow cooker and mix into the potato mixture.
- Cover and set to Low and cook for 3 to 4 hours. Check at 3 hours for fork tender potatoes. If not tender, check again at 3½ hours to 4 hours.
- When potatoes are tender, add the sour cream and stir in.
- Top with the remaining 1 cup of cheese, cover and continue cooking. If you like cheese, feel free to add more on the top.
- When the cheese is melted, the casserole is ready.
- Serve and enjoy.
Notes
Low cost per serving.
Slow Cooker Tuna Mornay
What is a mornay you ask? It is a casserole, a mornay seems to be a cream sauce with cheese, possibly an Australian thing. First clue was Tasty Cheese (Cheddar cheese, Mainland Brand) and second clue was liquid measurements in metric. Either way, this not only sounds good, it is good! Link to the Shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Equipment
- Slow Cooker
Ingredients
- 1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup, Shortcut
- 1¼ cups whipping cream, or evaporated milk
- 3 cans tuna in brine, about 165 g / 5 oz each, do not drain
- 2 cups dry Penne pasta
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 1 cup frozen corn, or canned
- 3 shallots, diced
- ⅓ cup water
- 1 cup Cheddar cheese, shredded
- salt and pepper, as desired
Instructions
- I used 3 cans, 185 grams each, of tuna chunks in brine.
- Open each can and dump brine and all into the slow cooker pot.
- Break up the tuna with a fork.
- Add the rest of the ingredients except the cheese, season with a pinch of black pepper as desired. I used frozen mixed veggies in place of the corn and peas. And I took the photo before I added the evaporated milk (I actually forgot to add it at this point).
- Give everything a good stir. Cover and cook on Low setting for 4 to 5 hours. Stir the pot (literally, not figuratively) once an hour. Check if the pasta is tender at the 4 hour mark, if tender, stir in the cheese. If not tender, check again at 4½ hours.
- Cook for another 15-30 minutes on Low setting, stir again, taste, season with salt and pepper as desired.
- Spoon into bowls, serve.
Notes
Three cans of tuna is on average 43 Baht per can, 3 cans would be 129 Baht, 1 cup of of shredded cheese from a block would be on average 90 Baht. For 4 servings, this is about $1.77 per serving.
Shortcut: Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup.
Variants: 1. Use 2 cups frozen mixed vegetables in place of the corn and peas.
Chicken Casserole (Slow Cooker)
Sounds really good, takes some prep work but I think the results would be delicious. Links to the shortcuts are listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Equipment
- Slow Cooker
Ingredients
- 4 cups chicken, cooked and cubed, Shortcut
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 1 green bell pepper, chopped
- 1 can condensed cream of chicken soup, (10½ oz / 298 g), Shortcut
- 1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup, (10½ oz / 298 g), Shortcut
- 1 can whole peeled tomatoes, drained and chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 12 small corn tortillas, 6 inch size
- 2 cups Cheddar cheese, shredded
Instructions
- In a large bowl, stir together first 8 ingredients. Set aside. Tear the tortillas into 1 inch pieces.
- Layer ⅓ of the tortilla pieces in a lightly greased slow cooker. Top with ⅓ of the chicken mixture and ⅔ cup cheese. Repeat the layers twice.
- Cover and cook on the Low setting for 3½ hours, then remove the cover and continue to cook for an additional 30 minutes.
- Serve with salsa and sour cream.
Notes
Figure 60 Baht/1 kilo of chicken, the cheese would cost about 180 Baht/250 gram block. I cannot price the tortillas until I buy them and I will update the serving cost when I make this. For 6 servings, minus the tortillas, this is about $1.18 per serving.
Shortcuts: Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup, Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup, Boiled Chicken, Salsa, Sour Cream.
Easy Taco Bake (Slow Cooker)
Sounds really good and a slow cooker recipe as well. On my to cook list. Link to the shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Equipment
- Slow Cooker
Ingredients
- 500 grams ground beef, (1 lb)
- ¼ cup water
- ½ cup beef stock, fresh or from powder
- 2 tablespoons taco seasoning mix, Shortcut
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 can whole peeled tomatoes, chopped, with juice
- 1 small onion, diced
- 125 grams Cream cheese, softened, (4 oz)
- 2 cups Cheddar cheese, shredded
- 250 grams pasta, any bite size pasta will work, (8 oz)
- fresh cilantro, chopped, for garnish
Instructions
- Brown the ground beef in a large skillet, then drain off the fat and add the beef to your slow cooker, then to the slow cooker add the water, stock, taco seasoning, garlic, onion, and tomatoes, stir then cover, cook on Low setting for 4-5 hours.
- During the last 30 minutes of cooking, cook the pasta in a pot of salted boiling water until just tender and drain well. Stir the Cream cheese into the slow cooker until well blended. Then add the Cheddar cheese and pasta and mix that in, leave uncovered and cook on High setting for another 10-15 minutes to melt the Cheddar and heat everything through.
- Sprinkle the top with cilantro and serve.
Notes
Figure about 100 Baht/500 grams of beef, 180 Baht for the Cheddar (1 block of 250 grams), and 60 Baht for the ½ block of Cream cheese. For 6 servings this is about $1.67 per serving.
Shortcut: Taco Seasoning.
6 Layer Slow Cooker Casserole
This is a really good tasting casserole. Does involve the use of the stop top for a few minutes as well. The use of a mandolin for slice is recommended. Link to the shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Equipment
- Slow Cooker
- Mandoline
Ingredients
- 500 grams ground beef, or ground pork, (1 lb )
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- 1 cup onion, sliced and rings seperated
- 1 cup celery, sliced
- 2 cups carrots, sliced
- 2 cups potatoes, sliced
- 1 can condensed cream of celery soup, (10½ oz / 298 g), Shortcut
Instructions
- In a skillet, brown the ground beef and add in the salt, pepper, and onion powder, drain well. I used ground pork.
- Add the browned meat to the slow cooker and spread into a layer. Then the onion in a layer, the celery on top, then the carrots, then the potatoes as the photos show.
- Onions.
- Celery.
- Carrots, I used a mandolin to slice these.
- Potatoes, I used a mandolin for these as well.
- Soup. I made the shortcut for the soup, very easy and low cost.
- Cover and cook on Low setting for 5 hours.
- Serve.
Notes
Figure about 100 Baht/500 grams of ground beef. For 6 servings, this is about 50 cents per serving.
Shortcut: Condensed Cream of Celery Soup.
Slow Cooker Ravioli Casserole
This can be made from ground beef, pork, or chicken. Sounds good, but being a cheese dish, this is not a cheap meal but does sound very good indeed. Link to the shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Equipment
- Slow Cooker
Ingredients
- 750 grams ground beef, or minced pork ground chicken, (1½ lb)
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 clove garlic, smashed and minced
- 1¾ cups tomato sauce, Shortcut
- 1 can whole peeled tomatoes, slightly chopped
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, Shortcut
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 300 grams spinach, frozen, thawed and drained, or fresh (10 oz)
- 500 grams bowtie pasta, or any bitesize pasta, (8 oz)
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- 1½ cups Mozzarella Cheese, shredded
Instructions
- Brown ground meat in a non stick pan along with the onion and garlic, when browned (not needed to be cooked through) pour into your slow cooker, and add tomato sauce, chopped tomatoes with juice, and seasonings. Cover and cook on Low setting for 5 hours.
- Add the pasta, spinach, and cheeses and mix well, top with an additional ½ cup of Mozzarella to melt onto the top, cover cook on High setting for another 30 minutes, serve.
Notes
750 grams of beef would be about 125 to 150 Baht, pork would be about 80 Baht, chicken would be less. Cheese, however, is the major cost. Figure about 140 Baht for Parmesan, and about 180 Baht for the Mozzarella. This comes out to about (using beef), for 6 servings, to about $2.45 per serving, pork would be about $1.97 per serving. Chicken would be less. Over all, not bad, chicken would be a good choice when friends or family visits.
Shortcut: Tomato Sauce.
Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Casserole
Show of hands, who likes Chicken Noodle Soup? Yep, that is what I thought, most people do. Well here is a casserole recipe I found and it sounds wonderful. There is 2 cooking steps but I agree on why. On my to cook list. Link to the shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Equipment
- Slow Cooker
Ingredients
- 500 grams chicken breasts, boneless, skinless, or legs and thighs skin on bone in, (1 lb)
- 1 can condensed cream of chicken soup, (10½ oz / 298 g), Shortcut
- 3½ cups chicken stock, fresh or from powder
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley
- ½ cup celery, chopped
- ½ cup carrot, chopped
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 400 grams egg noodles, (14 oz)
Instructions
- First, I cannot stress the need to make the condensed soup yourself. It is not a only a cost saver, you know what is in it. It is so easy and I have a shortcut recipe for this on the site that I have made many times. Also, use the chicken stock powder instead of canned stock or make fresh stock yourself from a chicken carcass or from a previous chicken recipe.
- Pour the undiluted condensed soup and the stock into the slow cooker and add the bay leaf and chopped celery, stir to combine then add the chicken into the broth mixture, cover and cook on High setting for 3 hours or Low setting for 5-6 hours.
- Remove the chicken, if using just breasts, shred with two forks into bite size pieces and return to the slow cooker, and if using thighs, using two forks, remove skin and bone and set aside (great treat for your dog), then shred with the forks into bite size pieces and return to the slow cooker. Or feel free to use a combination of the two. Remove the bay leaf.
- About 20 minutes before the chicken is done (either on High or Low setting), boil a pot of water and cook your egg noodles or Fettuccine (which is what I will use) and the chopped carrot together. Drain and set aside. The reason for cooking the noodles, or pasta, separate is to prevent them from becoming mush.
- After the chicken is shredded and returned to the slow cooker, stir in the egg noodles or fettuccine pasta and carrots and heat for another 30 minutes, stirring once in a while as well, until heated through. Serve.
Notes
Chicken breast will cost about 35 Baht/500 grams. The soup canned will run about 55 Baht, make yourself for 22 Baht, and the stock will only cost a few Baht if made from the powder. For 8 servings, well under $1 per serving.
Shortcut: Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup.
Slow Cooker Cowboy Casserole
Sounds really good, I like meat and potatoes, a must try.
Equipment
- Slow Cooker
Ingredients
- 750 grams ground beef, or minced pork or ground chicken, (1½ lb)
- 5 medium potatoes, cut into 1½ inch cubes
- 1 onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, smashed and chopped
- 1 can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed, Shortcut
- 1 can whole tomatoes, diced, undrained
- ¼ cup water
- salt and pepper, to taste
- ½ cup Cheddar cheese, shredded
Instructions
- Brown the ground beef (or pork, or chicken), drain the fat.
- Place the potatoes in the bottom of your slow cooker pot along with the onion and garlic, add salt and pepper to your liking, add the ground beef. Top this with a layer of beans, then tomatoes, and add the water.
- If you cook the beans yourself, use about 1½-2 cups of cooked beans, drained.
- Cover and cook for 7-8 hours on Low setting. About 15 minutes before the cook time is up, add the cheese to the top, cover and cook until cheese is melted, about 15 minutes. If you like cheese, go with 1 cup of Cheddar but it adds to the cost.
Notes
Ground beef will run about 95 Baht/750 grams, if using minced pork, that will cost be less for pork and chicken. Cheese will run 75 Baht for ½ cup Cheddar. Everything else is minimal. For 4 servings this is about $1.25 per serving, less for 6 servings. Even less with pork or chicken. Over all, not a bad meal.
Shortcuts: Red Kidney Beans (Pressure Cooker), Chili Beans (Slow Cooker).
Variant: 1. Use chili beans in place of the kidney beans for added flavor.
Chicken Enchilada Casserole
Simple and easy slow cooker recipe that is delicious! I have made this and it is excellent, and filling! Recipe is slightly revised to reflect my findings. Link to the shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Equipment
- Slow Cooker
Ingredients
Cooked all day
- 3 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless
- 2 cups salsa, Tesco brand works great, two 300 gram jars, Shortcut
Added after 6-8 hours
- 250 grams Cream cheese, this is a block, softened, (8 oz)
- 500 grams tortillas, this is one package, corn or flour will work for this, (1 lb)
- 250 grams Cheddar cheese, this is a block, shredded, (8 oz)
- ½ can black olives, drained and sliced
Instructions
- Add the chicken to the bottom of your slow cooker. I used 3 good sized chicken breasts.
- Pour over the salsa. Cover and cook on Low setting for 6 to 7 hours, check at 6 hours and if tender and shreds with a fork at this point, continue with the next step, if not tender, continue to cook and check at 7 hours. I used the Fast and Simple Fresh Salsa II listed on this site, excellent salsa which makes just a tad over 2 cups, use all of it.
- Plop the cream cheese on top of the chicken. Cover for about 10 minutes to let it get really soft. While the cheese is softening, shred the Cheddar cheese and cut up the tortillas into strips, and slice the olives.
- With the cream cheese softened, shred the chicken with 2 forks right in the slow cooker and stir together.
- Add the tortilla strips, 1 cup of Cheddar cheese, and half of the olives and stir this into the chicken mixture. Flatten this down and clean the sides of the pot.
- Add to the top the remaining cheese then olives. Cover and cook on High setting for another 45 minutes until the casserole is heated through.
Notes
Three chicken breasts cost me about 80 Baht, this would be less if you use thighs or quarters. Cream cheese will run about 120 Baht for a block. Cheddar cheese will run about 185 Baht per block of 250 grams, you only need one, shred the whole block. This can easily make 10 servings at a cost of about $1.15 per serving, overall, very good price.
Shortcut: Salsa.
Crock Pot Bowtie Casserole
This is an easy to make casserole in a slow cooker, and has lots of potential! Think using cubed chicken or minced pork. For greens instead of spinach, try some of the greens available at Tesco and most open markets, like Chinese Cabbage or Mustard Greens. Links to the shortcuts are listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Equipment
- Slow Cooker
Ingredients
- 750 grams ground beef, or minced or chicken, (1½ lb)
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 can tomato sauce, 1½ cups, Shortcut
- 1 can stewed tomatoes, 565 gram can, or use fresh tomatoes, chopped
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, Shortcut
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 300 grams spinach, frozen (thawed) or fresh, (10 oz)
- 500 grams dry bowtie pasta, or corkscrew pasta, cooked and drained, (8 oz)
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
- 1½ cups Mozzarella Cheese, shredded
Instructions
- Brown ground beef with onion and garlic, no need to cook it through, just brown it. Put in slow cooker and add sauce, tomatoes, and seasonings.
- Cook for 6-7 hours on Low setting.
- During the last 30 minutes, add the spinach, pasta, Parmesan cheese, and 1 cup of the Mozzarella cheese, and mix well, then turn the heat setting to High. Add the last ½ cup of Mozzarella cheese on to and allow to melt.
Notes
Ground beef would run about 150 Baht/kilo. Mozzarella cheese will run about 142 Baht for a package, and Parmesan will run about 140 Baht for a package, each package should be around the correct measurements needed. Mozzarella you will need to shred, Parmesan comes shredded. Even though the recipe calls for 750 grams of meat, just with a kilo and call it good, no one will complain. For these three major items, the cost would be about $2.12 per person for 6 meals. Not bad overall, still a reasonable dish to make at home instead of the high prices of a restaurant.
Shortcut: Tomato Sauce, Italian Seasoning.
