Slow Cooker Beef and Potato Au Gratin

Slow Cooker Beef and Potato Au Gratin

This sounds really good, only expensive part would be the cheese.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 4 hours
Total Time 4 hours 20 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 6 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 500 grams ground beef
  • 1 1/2 kilos potatoes, sliced, 1/4 inch thick
  • 1 cup white onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon dried parsley
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 3 cups Cheddar cheese, shredded
  • 1/2 cup beef broth, fresh or from powder
  • salt and pepper, to taste, for seasoning the beef

Instructions
 

  • Brown the ground beef on the stove top, season with salt and pepper to your liking, drain well and set aside.
  • In a small bowl while the beef is browning, mix together the paprika, garlic powder, parsley, salt, and pepper.
  • Add half of the sliced potatoes to your slow cooker in a layer, add half of the onion in a layer, sprinkle over half of the seasoning mix, add half of the ground beef in a layer, add half of the cheese in a layer. Repeat the layers again. Drizzle the broth evenly over the top.
  • Cover and cook on High setting for 4 hours without opening the cover, opening the cover releases steam which is needed to properly cook the potatoes through.
  • Serve with a vegetable for a complete meal.

Notes

The ground beef will cost about 100 Baht/500 grams. The cheese, figure 180 Baht/250 grams (I would just go with a 250 gram block and shred that, about 100 grams in a cup, this would be 2 1/2 cups, fair enough). For 6 servings, this is about $1.37 per serving.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
Mississippi Pot Roast II

Mississippi Pot Roast II

Provided by a good friend, this is on my to cook list. Links to the shortcuts are listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 8 hours
Total Time 8 hours 15 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 6 people

Ingredients
  

  • 1 boneless chuck roast, about 1 1/2 to 2 kilos
  • salt and black pepper, to taste
  • cooking oil, as needed
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, this is 1/2 of a standard block
  • 8 peperoncini peppers, pickled, OR use banana peppers
  • 1 packet dry ranch dressing mix, OR make from a shortcut
  • 1 packet dry onion soup mix, OR make from a shortcut

Instructions
 

  • Add a splash of cooking oil to a large pan and heat it up, season the beef with salt and pepper to your liking. Once pan is hot, brown the meat on all sides in the skillet for 2-3 minutes on each side or until golden brown.
  • Transfer the meat to the slow cooker, sprinkle the dry dressing and soup packets over the beef. Top with the 1/2 block of butter and the peppers.
  • Cover and cook on the Low setting for 8 hours. At the end of the cooking time, the beef should be fall apart tender, shred with two forks and serve on mashed potatoes or even on a roll with a slice of Provolone cheese.

Notes

Beef will run about 150 Baht/kilo, large cities should be able to get a chuck roast, out of the way places, like where I am at, I will try this with just 1-2 large chunks of beef. 300 Baht for 2 kilos would be about $1.47 per serving.
Shortcuts: Ranch Dressing Mix, Onion Soup Mix.
Provided courtesy of good friend, Neal Hightower.
United States.
Chicken & Noodle Casserole

Chicken & Noodle Casserole

Sounds really good, nice combination of cheeses as well. Simple ingredients.
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 8 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 2-3 chicken breasts, boneless, skinless, cubed
  • 500 grams pasta, Ziti, Penne, or any bite size pasta
  • 2 cloves garlic, smashed and finely minced
  • olive oil, as needed
  • 1 bell pepper, any color, diced
  • 1 small onion, diced
  • 1 stalk imported celery, diced, or a lot of Thai celery
  • 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 cups chicken stock, or vegetable stock
  • 2 teaspoons paprika
  • 1 pinch cayenne pepper
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1/2 cup Gorgonzola cheese, or Bleu cheese, crumbled
  • 2 cups Havarti cheese, or Swiss cheese, shredded

Instructions
 

  • Cook pasta in a pot of lightly salted boiling water until just tender. Drain well and mix in the garlic, set aside.
  • Preheat your oven to 180 C.
  • In a large skillet, heat a splash of olive oil and add the bell pepper, onion, and celery and cook for 3-5 minutes to soften them. Then mix in the paprika, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper to taste.
  • Add the chicken to the skillet and mix occasionally to just cook the chicken through, takes just a few minutes. Mix in the flour and cook for another minute or two.
  • Add the stock to the skillet and the Gorgonzola cheese and mix it in and let the cheese melt. Remove from heat and mix the chicken and vegetable mixture into the pasta.
  • Pour the pasta mixture into a lightly oiled 9x13 baking dish, sprinkle the Havarti cheese over the top and bake for 30 minutes or until the cheese is melted and just starting to brown.

Notes

Three chicken breasts might cost 60 Baht. The Havarti (or Swiss) cheese will be about 180 Baht, and the Gorgonzola (or Bleu) will cost about 100 Baht. For 8 servings, this is about $1.25 per serving.
Provided courtesy of good friend, Stephen Connell.
United States.
Pasta with Salami and Peas

Pasta with Salami and Peas

This sounds really good, a definite must try for me. I you like pasta with garlic and olive oil, this should be similar.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 8 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 500 grams dry spiral pasta
  • 2 cups frozen peas
  • 250 grams salami, thinly sliced
  • 1 bunch spring onions, chopped, white and green
  • 3 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
  • salt, to taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
  • olive oil, as needed

Instructions
 

  • Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. The place pasta in the pot, and cook for 6 minutes. Mix in the peas. Continue cooking 4 to 6 minutes, until pasta is just tender. Drain, and return to pot.
  • Heat a nonstick skillet and add the salami, it will release some fat then add the spring onion and garlic and cook until the spring onion is tender. Add the contents of the skillet to the pot with the pasta and peas.
  • Mix to coat the pasta with the oil, adding just a tablespoon of olive oil at time to get the right consistency. Add the Parmesan cheese and toss to mix in, serve with garlic bread and a salad.

Notes

I will say Fair Value right now until I can price the salami.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
Ham & Cheese Pasta Salad

Ham & Cheese Pasta Salad

Lee
I was making another dish and wanted to make a pasta salad as a side and to make room in the fridge as well, glad I made this, it is excellent! Link to the shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
5 from 1 vote
Prep Time 20 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Course Main Dish, Side
Cuisine American
Servings 10 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 250 grams dry small pasta, small shells, spirals, or macaroni, (8 oz)
  • 250 grams ham, cubed, (8 oz)
  • 200 grams bacon, chopped, fried crispy, cooled, (7 oz)
  • 125 grams Swiss cheese, cubed, (4 oz)
  • 125 grams Cheddar cheese, cubed, (4 oz)
  • 5 small dill pickles, sliced, Shortcut
  • mayo, as needed
  • black pepper, to taste

Instructions
 

  • Cook the pasta in a pot of boiling salted water, to just tender, this way when it cools, it will be a perfect tender pasta for a cold salad. Drain well and place in a large bowl.
  • While the pasta is cooking, go ahead and cube the cheese, ham, and cook the bacon. Here I used only Gouda cheese.
  • Add the remaining ingredients to the bowl, except the mayo and black pepper, and gently mix together.
  • Start adding mayo, couple of large spoonfuls and mix, add more mayo as needed to just coat everything, not dripping with mayo. Season to taste with black pepper. Refrigerate for several hours before serving. Serve as a side or as a main dish.

Notes

The ham will cost 135 Baht, the bacon 130 Baht, Swiss cheese is half a 250 gram block so that is 90 Baht, and the Cheddar cheese is half a 250 gram block to that is 90 Baht. For 10 servings, this is about $1.30 per serving, over all, not bad.
Shortcut: Fridge Dill Pickles.
Variant: 1. In place of Swiss use Gouda or use all Gouda.
Green Chile & Cheese Wontons

Green Chile & Cheese Wontons

Unique but looks good! On my to cook list for sure.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Course Appetizer
Cuisine American
Servings 0

Ingredients
  

  • 4 cups Gouda cheese, shredded
  • 2/3 cup large green chilies, roasted, skinned, seeded, diced
  • 1 small onion, finely diced
  • 500 grams wonton skins
  • 1/2 avocado, mashed
  • cooking oil, of your choice
  • salt, to taste

Instructions
 

  • Combine cheese, chiles, onion, avocado; mix well. Working with one wonton skin at a time, spoon about 1 1/2 tsp. cheese mixture in center of each wonton. Moisten edges of wonton lightly with water. Fold wonton in half to form a triangle, pressing edges together to seal. Repeat procedure with remaining wonton skins and the remaining mixture of ingredients. Chill 20 minutes in the fridge.
  • Fry wontons in a small amount of hot oil (375) until golden brown, turning once. Drain on paper towels. Sprinkle with salt. Serve with guacamole if desired.

Notes

I cannot price this until I locate the wonton skins. This will fair priced just based on the amount of cheese used.
Provided courtesy of good friend, Jerry Juliana.
United States.
Chicken Casserole (Slow Cooker)

Chicken Casserole (Slow Cooker)

Adapted from an internet recipe.
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.
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 4 hours
Total Time 4 hours 30 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 6 servings

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 â…“ of the tortilla pieces in a lightly greased slow cooker. Top with â…“ of the chicken mixture and â…” 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.
Hamburger Casserole II

Hamburger Casserole II

Sounds like a great casserole, on my to cook list. Link to the shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 50 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 6 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 5 small potatoes
  • 1 kilo ground beef
  • 2 cans condensed cream of mushroom soup, OR make from a shortcut
  • 1 1/2 cups milk
  • 1 1/2 cups Cheddar cheese, shredded

Instructions
 

  • Preheat your oven to 180 C. Grease a 9x13 baking dish with butter.
  • In a large skillet brown the ground beef, drain fat, and set aside.
  • While the beef is cooking, slice the potatoes thin, a mandolin would be the perfect tool for this.
  • In a bowl, mix together the soup, milk, and salt and pepper to taste.
  • Once the beef is cooked and everything else prepped, assemble the casserole. First, place 1/2 of the potatoes in the baking dish, then spread out 1/2 the beef, then 1/2 of the soup mixture, then 1/2 the cheese. Repeat these layers using the remain potatoes, beef, soup, and cheese.
  • Cover with foil and bake for 1 hour. Remove the foil and bake another 30 minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender. Allow the casserole to cool for 10 minutes, then cut, serve, and enjoy.

Notes

Figure about 200 Baht for the 1 kilo of beef and 100 Baht for the cheese. For 6 servings this is about $1.47 per serving.
Shortcut: Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
Hamburger Casserole I

Hamburger Casserole I

Cannot go wrong with a casserole, any of them can be easily changed to your taste. This is an old classic casserole that is just that, add or remove anything you want, make it your own. Link to the shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 6 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 500 grams dry pasta, shells, spirals, or macaroni
  • 500 grams ground beef
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
  • 2 cans tomato soup, OR make from a shortcut, 2 1/2 cups
  • 1 cup Cheddar cheese, shredded
  • 1 cup Mozzarella Cheese, shredded
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions
 

  • Preheat your oven to 190 C. Grease a 9x13 baking dish with butter.
  • Add the pasta to a pot of boiling water and cook until just tender, drain.
  • In a large skillet, brown the ground beef with the onion and garlic, season to taste with salt and pepper. After the beef is cooked, drain the fat and add the soup and 1/2 can of water or if you made soup from the shortcut, add 1/2 cup of water. Stir and cook over medium heat for 3 minutes.
  • Pour cooked pasta into the baking dish and then pour the beef mixture over the pasta and stir. Sprinkle the cheeses over the top, cover the dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 10 minutes.
  • Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes, serve.

Notes

Beef would cost about 100 Baht/500 grams. Cheeses would cost about 180 Baht for the 2 cups. For 6 servings this is about $1.38 per serving.
Shortcut: Tomato Soup.
Provided courtesy of good friend, Stephen Connell.
United States.
Slow Cooker Mongolian Beef

Slow Cooker Mongolian Beef

Sounds like a nice and tender beef recipe, very easy to get ingredients as well.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours
Total Time 3 hours 10 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 750 grams beef flank steak, or use any cut if that is not available
  • 1/4 cup cornstarch
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
  • 3/4 cup soy sauce
  • 3/4 cup water
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 1 cup carrot, grated
  • spring onions, chopped, to garnish

Instructions
 

  • Cut flank steak into thin strips. In a ziplock bag add flank steak pieces and cornstarch. Shake to coat.
  • Add olive oil, minced garlic, soy sauce, water, brown sugar, and carrots to slow cooker. Stir ingredients. Add coated flank steak and stir again until coated in the sauce.
  • Cook for High setting for 2-3 hours or on Low setting for 4-5 hours until cooked throughout and tender. Serve over rice and garnish with green onions.

Notes

Figure the beef at about 150 Baht/750 grams. For for servings, this is about $1.11 per serving.
Provided courtesy of good friend, Stephen Connell.
United States.