If you are short on time using the slow cooker is a great way to prepare a boneless ham. This recipe is a convenient way to make a ham for dinner or even for the holidays. There is nothing complicated about this recipe, a few ingredients are mixed together and poured over a ham in the slow cooker. The sauce is just a combination of pineapple, Dijon mustard, and brown sugar. If you don’t want to use a boneless ham you could also use thick ham slices. I would recommend serving this with some of the sauce in the crock pot for even more delicious flavor. Enjoy. Adapted from Six Sisters Stuff.

Ingredients:
1 (3-4lb) boneless fully cooked ham
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 (20 oz) can pineapple tidbits (or crushed pineapple)
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: Lightly grease the slow cooker. In a medium bowl combine pineapple tidbits (with the pineapple juice), brown sugar, and Dijon mustard. Mix well and pour over the ham.
Step 2: Cook on low for 5-6 hours or for about 3 hours on high.
(Makes 8 Servings)

What is amazing about this recipe for smothered burritos is how easy it is to prepare. The meat is cooked in the slow cooker and very little work is involved, and to make things even better, this recipe uses very few ingredients. The process to making these smothered burritos is very simple—stew meat, enchilada sauce, and beef bouillon cubes are combined in the slow cooker and cooked on low until the meat is tender. The meat mixture is then spooned into a tortilla and rolled up with refried beans. It is then topped with the sauce from the crock pot and cheese and baked until the cheese has melted. What I like to do to save time is pop the burritos into the microwave to melt the cheese. The meat in this recipe is so tender that it just flakes easily when stirred so no shredding is necessary. These can be topped with your favorite burrito toppings such as sour cream, lettuce, and tomato. Enjoy. Adapted from Food Pusher.

Ingredients:
2lbs stew meat (or cubed beef)
1 (20 oz) can mild red enchilada sauce
2 beef bouillon cubes
½ can refried beans
5-7 large flour tortillas (warmed)
1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: Add cubed beef, beef bouillon cubes, and enchilada sauce into a crock pot. Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours. Heat up refried beans in a microwave safe dish or in a small saucepan on the stove top.
Step 2: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease a 9×13 inch baking dish. Lay out a flour tortilla onto a flat surface. Place a thin layer of refried beans into the center of the tortilla, add about ½ cup of the meat mixture onto the burrito with a slotted spoon (make sure to drain most of the liquid). Fold the sides of the burrito in, then roll from the other sides until you have a package formed. Place the burrito seam side down into the casserole dish. Spoon some of the remaining enchilada sauce in the crock pot over the burrito and top with shredded cheddar cheese. Repeat until all of the burritos are rolled and in the casserole dish.
Step 3: Place into the oven and bake at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until the cheese has melted. You can also place the burritos onto microwave safe plates, and microwave for about 30 seconds until the cheese has melted.
(Makes 5 Servings)

This recipe for mashed potato casserole is a great way to make your mashed potatoes even better. This casserole is perfect for the Holidays and makes a great side dish to go with dinner. This recipe does require a little bit of work because you need to make the potatoes but other than that it is easy to prepare. The potatoes are mashed with ingredients such as sour cream, chives, butter, and cheddar cheese. The mashed potato mixture is spooned into a casserole dish and topped with additional cheddar cheese, crumbled bacon, and French fried onions. If you want to could mix additional bacon right into the mashed potato mixture for even more delicious flavor. Enjoy.

Ingredients:
6 medium potatoes (peeled and quartered)
¼ cup butter
¾ cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons fresh chives (chopped)
½ cup French fried onions
2 tablespoons cooked crumbled bacon (or more)

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Lightly butter a 1 ½ quart casserole dish. Place potatoes into a 3-quart saucepan and add enough cold water to cover the potatoes. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and cook for 20 minutes or until fork-tender. Drain the potatoes.
Step 2: Mash the potatoes with a potato masher or mixer. Add the butter, sour cream, 1/2 cup of cheddar cheese, and chives. Mash or stir until mixed well.
Step 3: Spoon the mashed potato mixture into the prepared casserole dish. Place into the oven and bake at 325 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until hot. During the last few minutes of cooking top with 1 cup of cheddar cheese, bacon pieces, and French fried onions. Return to the oven and bake until the cheese has melted.
(Makes 6 Servings)

I love frying chimichangas but they are also great when they are baked in the oven. Frying in hot oil can be dangerous and time consuming and this recipe eliminates all of that by using the oven to cook these delicious chimichangas. What’s also great about this recipe is that it uses ground turkey instead of ground beef. If you have never made chimichangas before, they are not very difficult to prepare. A seasoned turkey mixture is rolled up into small burritos with refried beans and cheese. If you are not a big fan of refried beans, it is okay to leave them out. After you have finished rolling the chimichangas, they are brushed with butter and then baked in the oven. There are a lot of good options to use for toppings such as salsa, sour cream, guacamole, lettuce, and tomato. Enjoy.

Ingredients:
1 1/2lbs ground turkey
1 (1.25 ounce) packet taco seasoning
1 ¼ cups water
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons fresh oregano (chopped)
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro (chopped)
2 green onions (chopped)
1 (4 ounce) can diced green chilies
2 cups shredded Coly-jack cheese
1 (16 ounce) can refried beans
6 large flour tortillas
4 tablespoons melted butter

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. In a large skillet add ground turkey and brown over medium high heat. Add the taco seasoning and stir. Add the water and stir. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the liquid has reduced by 2/3.
Step 2: Add cumin, oregano, cilantro, green onions, and green chilies. Simmer until the rest of the liquid has evaporated.
Step 3: In a small saucepan heat the refried beans until warm, smooth, and easy to spread. Warm the tortillas according to package directions. Lay a tortilla onto a flat surface (such as a cutting board), spread a thin layer of refried beans into the center of the tortilla, top with the meat filling mixture, and sprinkle some cheese over the meat. Roll up the tortillas while tucking in the sides. Place onto a lightly greased baked sheet, arranged so that they are not touching. Repeat until all of the tortillas are rolled.

Step 4: Brush the chimichangas on the tops and sides with melted butter. Place into the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown and crisp. During the last few minutes of cooking top each tortilla with remaining Colby-jack cheese. Bake until the cheese has melted.
(Makes 6 Servings)

With the holidays coming up soon casserole recipes make some of the best side dishes for Thanksgiving and Christmas. This potato and sausage casserole is an excellent choice to add to your holiday dinner menu. This casserole consists of potatoes, smoked sausage, and it is topped with a delicious cheese sauce. The cheese sauce gets most of its flavor from Velveeta cheese. This recipe does take a little work to prepare because you need to peel all of the potatoes and then make the sauce, but it is worth it. If you don’t like smoked sausage you could replace with it cubed ham instead. This casserole could be served for a main course or as a side dish. Enjoy.

Ingredients:
4 cups Idaho potatoes (peeled and cut into cubes).
4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons flour
2 cups milk
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
½lb Velveeta cheese (diced)
½ cup sharp cheddar cheese (shredded)
1lb skinless smoked sausage
1/8 teaspoon paprika
2 green onions (sliced)

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Place potatoes into a large saucepan; add enough water to cover the potatoes. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until the potatoes are tender (it could be less time or longer depending on the size of the potato cubes). Drain.
Step 2: Cut the sausage in half lengthwise and then chop it into ½ inch cuts. Cook in the frying pan for about 15 minutes to brown slightly. Lightly grease a 2-quart casserole dish. Add the cooked potatoes chunks to the casserole dish, and add the cooked sausage chunks, and toss lightly to combine.

Step 3: Melt butter in a large sauce pan over medium heat, whisk in flour. Cook for 2-3 minutes while whisking. Slowly add milk, a little at a time while whisking constantly. Whisk until the mixture becomes thickened. Add cubed Velveeta and whisk until the sauce is smooth. Remove from heat. Season with salt and pepper and mix well.
Step 4: Pour the cheese sauce over the potatoes and sausage in the casserole dish. Sprinkle shredded cheddar cheese on top, and then sprinkle paprika on top of the cheese. Place into the oven and bake at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes. Remove from the oven and top with green onions.
(Makes 4 Servings)

This delicious Asian inspired pasta dish combines linguini with cashew chicken. What I really like about this recipe is that everything goes perfectly together and it can be served as a delicious dinner for any night of the week. There is no need to serve rice or anything with this. However, egg rolls would make a great appetizer. The chicken in this recipe is stir-fried and then mixed with a sauce. The sauce uses Chinese ingredients such as soy sauce, hoisin sauce, and also red chili flakes and chili garlic sauce for the just right amount of spiciness. The red chili flakes and the chili garlic sauce can be adjusted to your taste. If you are looking for a great tasting Chinese pasta dish, give this one a try. Enjoy.

Ingredients:
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (sliced into strips)
1 cup cashews
½ cup green onions (chopped)
1lb uncooked linguini pasta
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Sauce-
½ cup hoisin sauce
¼ cup soy sauce
¼ cup sherry wine
1/8 cup red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons chili garlic sauce
¼ cup sugar
5 garlic cloves (minced)
½ teaspoon crushed red chili flakes

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add linguini and cook according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
Step 2: Meanwhile, in a small bowl combine hoisin sauce, sherry wine, red wine vinegar, chili garlic sauce, minced garlic, and crushed red chili flakes. Add in the sugar and whisk until well combined.
Step 3: Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a wok or skillet over medium-high heat. Add sliced chicken and stir fry in batches until the chicken is fully cooked (the internal temperature has reached 165 degrees). Add more oil if needed between batches. Remove the chicken from the wok. Pour the sauce mixture into the wok and cook until it becomes bubbly and heated through. Add chicken to the wok, add cashews. Mix well and cook until heated through. Mix the chicken and sauce mixture with the cooked linguini. Add green onions and stir.
(Makes 4 Servings)

If you are extremely short on time this recipe for crock pot ravioli is the perfect meal for you. This dish is prepared using only the slow cooker and uses very few ingredients—it does not get much easier than this simple recipe. The frozen ravioli are combined in the crock pot with pasta sauce, tomato sauce, red pepper, and Italian seasonings. For the ravioli, I will often make a double batch and use a combination of beef and cheese. The quality of this recipe is going to depend a lot on the brand of sauce and ravioli you are using. Before the ravioli in finished cooking, they are topped with shredded mozzarella cheese. I like to serve this dish with garlic bread or cheese bread. Enjoy.

Ingredients:
1 (25 ounce) bag beef ravioli
1 (26 ounce) jar pasta sauce
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 red bell pepper (diced)
Italian seasoning (to taste)
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: Pour half of the pasta sauce into the bottom of the crock pot. Add the frozen ravioli and pour the remaining pasta sauce and tomato sauce over the ravioli. Top with red bell pepper and Italian seasoning to taste. Mix well and cover.
Step 2: Turn the crock pot on low and cook for 4-5 hours or until the ravioli are tender. During the last 20 minutes of cooking top with mozzarella cheese and cook until it has melted.
(Makes 6 Servings)

One of my favorite things to prepare for a snack or dessert is brownies. When I saw this recipe for Twix brownies, I knew I had to give it a try. What I found great about these brownies is that there are very few ingredients and that they look incredibly moist. I am not a big fan of dry brownies and these brownies did come out with a very moist texture. Chopped Twix candy bars are layered right into the batter mixture in the pan. For even more amazing and sweet flavor and caramel sauce is poured over the brownies for serving. Even if you didn’t want to make the caramel sauce, the brownies would still be delicious even without it. It is important to make sure that you allow the brownies to cool completely before cutting them because they are very moist. Also, the caramel sauce should be served over the brownies immediately. These Twix brownies are perfect for the upcoming Holidays. Enjoy! Adapted from My Baking Addiction.

Ingredients:
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate (coarsely chopped)
¾ cup unsalted butter (cut into cubes)
1 ¼ cups sugar
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
12 Fun Size Twix Bars (each cut into thirds)
Caramel Sauce-
10 individually wrapped caramel candies
2 tablespoons heavy cream

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8×8 inch baking pan with aluminum foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray. In a large microwave safe bowl add chocolate and butter. Microwave on medium (50% power) for 3-4 minutes or until the butter has melted. Stir until the chocolate has melted. Whisk in sugar, eggs, vanilla, and salt. Gradually add flour, stir until just combined.
Step 2: Spread ½ of the batter into the prepared baking pan. Add an even layer of the chopped Twix candy bars and pour the remaining brownie batter over the Twix. Place into the oven and bake for 30-35 minutes at 350 degrees. Make sure to not over bake the brownies.
Step 3: Remove from the oven to a cooling rack and allow the brownies to cool completely. Just before serving, cut the brownies, and prepare the caramel sauce.
Step 4: To make caramel sauce- Unwrap the caramel candies. Place the unwrapped caramel candies and heavy cream into a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on 50% power in 30-second increments until the caramels begin to melt. Stir frequently. Continue microwaving and stirring until the mixture becomes smooth and creamy. Drizzle over each brownie and serve.

The flavor of flaked coconut goes great on these delicious chicken tenders. What is amazing about this recipe is that these chicken tenders are baked and not fried. These coconut chicken tenders make for a great appetizer or can be served as part of a dinner. They are first dipped in an egg and milk mixture and then rolled in a cornflake and flaked coconut mixture. The crushed corn flakes make these chicken tenders nice and crunchy right out of the oven. If you are looking for a good dip to go with the chicken tenders, honey mustard might be a good choice. Enjoy. Adapted from Budget Gourmet Mom.

Ingredients:
1 boneless skinless chicken breast (cut into 2 inch bites)
2 cups crushed cornflakes
½ cup flaked coconut
½ teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1 egg
1 tablespoon milk

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. In a shallow bowl or pie plate mix crushed cornflakes, coconut, ginger, salt, and pepper. In another shallow bowl or pie plate beat together the egg and milk.
Step 2: Dip each piece of chicken first into the egg mixture and then roll in the cornflake mixture until evenly coated. Make sure you press down when you are rolling the chicken in the cornflake mixture to ensure that it sticks.
Step 3: Place the coated chicken strips onto the baking sheet. Place into the oven and bake at 375 degrees for 12-14 minutes or until the chicken is fully cooked (the internal temperature has reached 165 degrees).
(Makes 2 Servings)