Cooking Tip #1: it’s really key to use a meat with some type of fat in it when using the crock pot.
You’re not adding any in the cooking – so it’s okay to use some in the meat. Otherwise it just dries out too much. This was also my first time buying Liquid Smoke – that stuff has a great smell! Loved it!
Cooking Tip #2: Stick with the cooking time in the recipe!
A lot of times you think – oh it’s in the crock pot – it doesn’t matter how long it’s in there for. Well with this one – it definitely made a difference. After 10 hours (work + commute) the alfredo mixed with the condensation and was just watery and had no cheese creaminess left. It was awful. I’m guessing that at the 4-6 hour mark it would have tasted better.
My sister had bought a bunch of peppers this summer on sale and then froze them – I’ve been whittling away at them. It was such a great idea – because I’ve been using them all fall and winter! They’re finally gone but it made it so much easier – I just grabbed a handful and threw them in!
1 package mild taco seasoning mix
1 (16 oz) bag frozen corn
1 (16 oz) can black beans drained and rinsed (you could use kidney beans or pinto beans)
2 (14 oz) cans stewed tomatoes
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
1 (4 oz) can diced green chilis
Brown meat and onion, drain. Let meat cool for a minute, then dump into a resealable gallon-sized freezer bag.
When ready to eat, remove from freezer and thaw in fridge for 24 hours. Cook on HIGH for 1-2 hours or LOW for 2-3 1/2 hours.
Cooking Tip #5: You can’t go wrong with chili-like meals!
This was by far my favorite – the taco seasoning really added a lot of flavor to the sauce/soup and it was delicious. I make some variation of this every couple of weeks.
Now – for the freezer portion – there are a couple of different ways to go about it:
1. Do all the meals at the same time and then go in stages (prep all veggies, prep all meats, etc…) and then just bag at the end.
2. Do 1-2 recipes at a time – this is the route I tend to go.
If I had a buddy with me – I could probably do the first – but doing it on my own it’s a little overwhelming – so I break it up and do a couple at a time. I buy all the supplies at once – but then break it up over a couple of nights.
Overall – after two batches of these – I like the idea but haven’t really found a lot of recipes I would say that I’d like to make again. The Whole Chicken in a Crockpot is a mainstay in our house as well as various forms of Chili. As for the rest – I keep searching!
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