Archive for the ‘Soups, Stews, Chili – Slow Cooker’ Category
Best Ever Beef Stew
February 16, 2017 Lee
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Best Ever Beef Stew

Love a good beef stew, and this sounds pretty good. I cannot vouch for this being 'best ever' but it does sound good.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 8 hours
Total Time 8 hours 20 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 6 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 1 kilo beef, any cut, cut into 1 inch cubes
  • 1/2 cup all purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • olive oil, as needed
  • 1 large onion, diced
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1/4 cup Worcherstershire sauce
  • 2 cups water
  • 2 tablespoons beef stock powder
  • 4 potatoes, diced large
  • 2 carrots, sliced
  • 1 stalk celery, import, diced
  • black pepper, as needed

Instructions
 

  • Shake the beef in a resealable plastic bag with the flour, salt, garlic powder, and onion powder until evenly coated. Heat a splash of olive oil in a skillet then add the floured beef to the pan and brown on all sides. Remove using a slotted spoon or tongs and place into the bottom of your slow cooker. Season with pepper as desired.
  • Saute the diced onion in the same hot skillet for 2 minutes. Don't worry about cleaning it out in between, that's added flavor! Transfer the onions into the slow cooker as well.
  • Pour the Worcestershire sauce, water, beef stock powder into the same skillet and whisk until mixed. Remove from heat and set aside.
  • Add the diced potatoes, carrots, celery, bay leaves to the slow cooker. Now, pour the mixture from the skillet into the slow cooker. Cover, cook on Low setting for 8 hours. Remove the bay leaves before serving.

Notes

The beef would cost about 200 Baht/kilo. For 6 servings, this is about 98 cents per serving.
Provided courtesy of good friend, Stephen Connell.
United States.
* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,Soups, Stews, Chili - Slow Cooker
Poor Man’s Stew
February 11, 2017 Lee
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Poor Man's Stew

Sounds good and tasty. On my to cook list.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 6 hours
Total Time 6 hours 10 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 500 grams ground beef, browned and drained
  • 750 grams potatoes, diced large
  • 2-3 carrots, sliced
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
  • 1 can tomato paste, 170 gram can
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano

Instructions
 

  • Add the cooked ground beef, potatoes, carrots, onions, and garlic to a large slow cooker.
  • In a small bowl whisk together the tomato paste, water, salt, pepper, and oregano. Pour this mixture over everything in the slow cooker. Stir.
  • Cover and cook on Low setting for 6-7 hours, without opening the lid during the cooking time. Serve with buttered bread.

Notes

The beef will run about 100 Baht/500 grams. For 4 servings, this is about 75 cents per serving.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,Soups, Stews, Chili - Slow Cooker
Kapusta – Polish Sausage and Cabbage Soup
February 7, 2017 Lee
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Kapusta - Polish Sausage and Cabbage Soup

Sounds great! Common ingredients as well. This is a slow cooker recipe but the sausage will be browned a little before going into the slow cooker. Servings is an estimate until I make this.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 hours
Total Time 10 hours 15 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine Polish
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups potatoes, cubed, peeled or unpeeled
  • 4 cups cabbage, shredded fine
  • 1 carrot, shredded
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 2 teaspoons caraway seeds, crushed
  • 600 grams Polish sausage, or smoked sausage
  • 4 cups chicken stock, fresh or from powder
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions
 

  • In a hot skillet cook the sausage to brown it up a little, no need to cook it through. Then slice in half lengthwise, then cut each half into 1/2 to 1 inch pieces, drain any fat and add to the slow cooker.
  • Add the rest of the ingredients and give it a quick mix. Cook on Low setting for 10-12 hours or High setting for 5-6 hours. Serve.

Notes

Only thing pricey is the sausage, for 600 grams, I will estimate 150 Baht. For 4 servings, this is about $1.10 per serving.
Provided courtesy of good friend, Stephen Connell.
United States.
* Fair Value $1.01 to $1.50 per Serving,Soups, Stews, Chili - Slow Cooker
Cheesy Brat Stew
January 4, 2017 Lee
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Cheesy Brat Stew

This sounds like a great recipe as an alternative to grilling brats (which I love by the way) so I will have to test this one out. The time stated for this was odd at best, so if you make this before me, check the potatoes at 4 hours, but you may need to cook until 6-8 hours, on low.Link to the shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 4 hours
Total Time 4 hours 15 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 6 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 500 grams smoked sausage, cut into 1/2 inch slices
  • 4 medium potatoes, cubed
  • 1 1/2 cups fresh long beans, chopped into 1 inch pieces
  • 1/2 onion, chopped
  • 1 red bell pepper, chopped
  • 2 cups Cheddar cheese, shredded
  • 1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup, OR make from a shortcut
  • 2/3 cup chicken stock, fresh or make from powder

Instructions
 

  • Place everything in a slow cooker and mix and cook on Low setting for 4-8 hours or until the potatoes are tender. You may need go to the 7 or 8 hours. You can add the long beans about an hour before the end.

Notes

For pricing, go with about 180 Baht for 5 Brats. For 6 servings, this is about 88 cents per serving.
Shortcut: Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,Soups, Stews, Chili - Slow Cooker
White Bean & Ham Soup
December 9, 2016 Lee
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White Bean & Ham Soup

This, sounds wonderful! You can use canned beans or dry beans that you cook the day before. You can use an immersion blender, a regular, or just a potato masher if like a chunkier soup. On my to cook list for sure! If using dry beans, you need to plan ahead to cook the beans the day before. It may seem odd to slow cook cooked beans but it is the blend the flavors.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 5 hours
Total Time 5 hours 20 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 8 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 750 grams dry Great Northern beans, cooked the day before
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 1 small onion, diced
  • 1 cup carrot, diced
  • 2 stalks celery, import, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
  • 1 1/2 cups cooked ham, diced
  • 3 cups chicken stock, fresh or from powder
  • 1 bay leaf
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions
 

  • In a non stick skillet over medium heat with the olive oil, add the onion, carrot, and celery and cook until tender, then add the garlic and diced ham and cook for about 1 minute, the pour this into your slow cooker. Then add 1/2 of the beans, chicken stock, bay leaf, and salt and pepper to taste to the slow cooker. Mix this, cover and cook on Low setting for 4 hours.
  • At 4 hours, remove the bay leaf and you can do one of three things, immersion blend, use a mixer to blend, or just use a potato masher to mash the beans in the slow cooker. My vote is potato masher but I will see when I make this. Add the remaining beans, cover, and cook for another 1-2 hours. Serve.

Notes

This is low cost and less than $1 per serving, either using a ham bone, or using thick cut ham slices from Makro (that is what I will be doing).
Provided by Barefeet in the Kitchen and the link to this recipe is here.
United States.
* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,Soups, Stews, Chili - Slow Cooker
White Chicken Chili I
December 9, 2016 Lee
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White Chicken Chili I

There is as many ways to cook white chicken chili as there is stars in the evening sky. This recipe is very tasty and is a slow cooker recipe for the most part. The beans listed are for beans that you have prepared from dry beans, not only is this a money saver, some places do not have canned beans available. Plan your timing appropriately. I made this on 19 Dec 2016 and it is very good, recipe modified slightly. Link to the shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 5 hours
Total Time 5 hours 10 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 6 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 3 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless
  • 1 medium onion, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
  • 3 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
  • 500 grams dry Great Northern beans, cook in the morning, very easy
  • 2 cups chicken stock, fresh or from powder
  • 2-3 green chilies, chopped
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream, OR make from a shortcut

Instructions
 

  • Rinse and sort the dry beans, place in a pot and cover with about 3 inches of water, and a couple of good shakes of crack black pepper. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Stir the beans every 15 minutes or so and add more water as needed. Cook the beans for 2-4 hours until soft. Remove from heat and drain.
  • Place the chicken in the slow cooker, put everything else in the slow cooker including the beans, except the sour cream and heavy cream. Cover and cook on Low setting for 5-7 hours. Chicken should be fall apart tender at 5 hours, if using frozen chicken breasts, then go the full 7 hours, or on High setting for 3-4 hours.
  • Remove the chicken to a plate using some slotted spoons, shred with a couple of forks and return the chicken back to the slow cooker.
  • Mix together the heavy cream and sour cream in a small bowl until smooth and stir this into the slow cooker. Cover and continue cooking on Low setting for 30 minutes. Serve.

Notes

Chicken breasts will cost about 30 Baht/500 grams. For 6-8 servings, this well under $1 per serving.
Shortcut: Heavy Cream.
Provided by Barefeet in the Kitchen and the link to this recipe is here.
United States.
#1 Go-To Recipes,* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,Soups, Stews, Chili - Slow Cooker
Stuffed Bell Pepper Soup
December 9, 2016 Lee
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Stuffed Bell Pepper Soup

I love stuffed bell peppers so this soup sounds very delicious, on my to cook list. I will base this on preparing the black beans from dry beans so I will just state cooked beans so you will have to do some planning to make this if you cannot find canned black beans. There is also one shortcut that you can make to save money as well. Link to the shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 8 hours
Total Time 8 hours 10 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 8 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 500 grams ground beef
  • 1 large onion, diced
  • 4 large bell peppers, colors are up to you, cut into cubes
  • 1 1/2 cups cooked black beans, or 1 can drained and rinsed
  • 4 cups beef stock, fresh or from powder
  • 2 cups tomato sauce, OR make from a shortcut
  • 2 tablespoons Worcherstershire sauce
  • 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • red pepper flakes, to taste
  • hot cooked rice, to serve

Instructions
 

  • Heat a non stick skillet to medium heat and add the onion, when the onion is softened, add the beef and just brown it, season with salt and pepper as you desire. When the beef is just browned, drain the fat and pour into your slow cooker. Add the rest of the ingredients except for the rice. Cover and cook on Low setting for 8 hours or until the pepper pieces are tender, or on High setting for 3-4 hours.
  • To serve, place a scoop of hot rice in a bowl, ladle soup over the rice and mix.

Notes

The  ground beef would run about 100 Baht/500 grams, grind yourself to save money. For 8 servings, this is about 37 cents per serving.
Shortcut: Tomato Sauce.
Provided by Barefeet in the Kitchen and the link to this recipe is here.
United States.
* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,Soups, Stews, Chili - Slow Cooker
Slow Cooker Lasagna Soup
November 20, 2016 Lee
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Slow Cooker Lasagna Soup

Sounds really good, on my to cook list for sure! Several shortcuts here to save you money as well. Links to the shortcuts are listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 8 hours
Total Time 8 hours 10 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 6 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 500 grams Italian sausage, OR make from a shortcut
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 2-3 carrots, chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
  • 1 can whole peeled tomatoes, chopped and with juice, this a 565 gram can
  • 1 3/4 cup tomato sauce, OR make from a shortcut
  • 250 grams fresh mushrooms, any type you like, sliced
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1 3/4 cups water
  • 1 cup dry rotini pasta, or any small pasta
  • 2 cups Mozzarella Cheese, shredded, for topping
  • olive oil, as needed

Instructions
 

  • In a large non stick skillet, heat with a splash of olive oil, and add the sausage, onion, and carrots, cook until the sausage is browned and the carrots are soft, then add the garlic and cook for another minute. Drain most of the fat then add to the slow cooker.
  • Add to the slow cooker the chopped tomatoes, tomato sauce, mushrooms, water, and seasonings. Cover and cook on Low setting for 8 hours or High setting for 4 hours.
  • Stir in the dry pasta, cover and continue cooking for another 20 minutes or so to cook the pasta. Serve topped with shredded Mozzarella in each bowl.

Notes

The Mozzarella cheese will run about 142 Baht for 200 grams which is about 2 cups shredded. I have never seen bulk Italian sausage here as I have always made my own, takes just minutes, so I will figure the sausage at the cost of minced pork (keep in mind, if you grind yourself, it costs even less), cost for minced pork is about 65 Baht/500 grams. For 6 servings, this is about $1.05 per serving, more than reasonable.
Shortcuts: Italian Sausage, Tomato Sauce.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
* Fair Value $1.01 to $1.50 per Serving,Soups, Stews, Chili - Slow Cooker
Tuscany Soup
November 20, 2016 Lee
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Tuscany Soup

When I found this recipe it was called Zuppa Toscana, and since I am not teaching Italian on this site, lets just stick to English, Tuscany Soup. This does sound really good. Links to the shortcuts are listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 6 hours
Total Time 6 hours 10 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 6 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 500 grams Italian sausage, OR make from a shortcut
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 3-4 potatoes, cubed into about 1 inch pieces, skin on or off is up to you
  • 2 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
  • 4 cups chicken stock, fresh or from powder
  • 1-2 cups spinach, frozen is fine, thawed and drained well
  • 1 cup heavy cream, OR make from a shortcut
  • 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions
 

  • In a large non stick skillet, heat a splash of olive oil, then add the garlic and sausage and cook to brown, drain the fat and add the meat to the slow cooker when browned.
  • On top of the meat, add the potatoes and onion, pour in the chicken stock, add additional water to make sure the potatoes are covered with liquid. Cook on Low setting for 5-6 hours or High setting for 3-4 hours, or until potatoes are soft.
  • Once potatoes are soft, whisk together the flour and heavy cream in a bowl until well mixed, stir this into the slow cooker along with the spinach. Cover and cook on high for about 30 minutes and the soup should thicken slightly. Serve.

Notes

I have never seen bulk Italian sausage here as I have always made my own, takes just minutes, so I will figure the sausage at the cost of minced pork (keep in mind, if you grind yourself, it costs even less), cost for minced pork is about 65 Baht/500 grams. For 6 servings this is about 32 cents per serving.
Shortcuts: Italian Sausage, Heavy Cream.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,Soups, Stews, Chili - Slow Cooker
Sausage, Spinach, and White Bean Soup
November 19, 2016 Lee
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Sausage, Spinach, and White Bean Soup

This sounds really good and your slow cooker does most of the work, all you have to do is brown the sausage, then put everything in the slow cooker. This recipe called for canned beans, feel free to cook dry beans for this as a cost saver, you will need 3 1/2 cups cooked beans. Canned beans are a prepared item, not a processed item.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 7 hours
Total Time 7 hours 15 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 8 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 400 grams smoked sausage, OR chicken sausage, thinly sliced
  • 3 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 2-3 carrots, chopped
  • 2 stalks celery, chopped, go with import for this
  • 2 cans Great Northern Beans, 15 oz cans drained and rinsed
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 4 cups chicken stock, fresh or from powder
  • 3 cups spinach, fresh or frozen, thawed and drained
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • olive oil, as needed

Instructions
 

  • Heat a large non stick pan with a splash of olive oil and brown the sausage slices, when browned after 4-5 minutes, put them in the slow cooker. To the slow cooker, also add the garlic, carrots, celery, beans, oregano, and bay leaves. Then stir in the chicken stock and 2 cups of water until combined. Season with salt and pepper to your liking.
  • Cover and cook on Low setting for 7-8 hours or High setting for 3-4 hours. Stir in the spinach and cook until that is wilted and warmed through. Serve.

Notes

Figure about 100 Baht/500 grams for smoked sausage at Makro. Prepare the beans from dry beans for a substantial cost savings or to save time, and if they are available in your location, use the canned beans. For 8 servings, this is about 37 cents per serving.
Variants, instead of sausage, use 2 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless, cube them up and throw right into the slow cooker, no need to brown. Use vegetables you have on hand.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,Soups, Stews, Chili - Slow Cooker