crock pot

Bready or Not Classic: Slow Cooker Korean-Style Short Ribs

Posted by on Jun 19, 2019 in beef, Blog, Bready or Not, crock pot, gluten-free, healthier, main dish | Comments Off on Bready or Not Classic: Slow Cooker Korean-Style Short Ribs

If all has gone according to plan, I’ve fled to a far-distant isle to enjoy Wensleydale cheese and scones. I didn’t want to schedule new recipes while I travel as I won’t be able to promote them to the fullest. Therefore, I’m revisiting a classic recipe this week. Enjoy!

I’m presenting to you the recipe for one of the best dishes I’ve ever made in a crock pot: Korean-Style Short Ribs.

Bready or Not: Slow Cooker Korean-Style Short Ribs

I have made this many times over now. I’ve even tried it using cheaper cuts like chuck roast and rump roast. Those worked out okay (though the meat really dries out before its soak in the juice at the end), but they are nowhere as delicious as the short rib version.

Bready or Not: Slow Cooker Korean-Style Short Ribs

It turns out amazing whether you use boneless or bone-in ribs–a mix is a great way to go, too! Don’t trim the fat. You want all that flavor. The end result is a sauce that tastes like you added red wine, but you didn’t. It’s like MAGIC.

Bready or Not: Slow Cooker Korean-Style Short Ribs

Seriously, these ribs taste like something from a great Asian restaurant. Pair it with some broccoli and a good spoonful of the sauce, and YUM.

Bready or Not: Slow Cooker Korean-Style Short Ribs

Whenever I see beef short ribs go on sale, I do a little dance of joy because it means I get to make this recipe again.

 

Bready or Not Classic: Slow Cooker Korean-Style Beef Short Ribs

This recipe makes rich, savory short ribs that taste like a dish from a great restaurant! A 5 or 6-quart crock pot is necessary to fit the ribs. Note: A chuck roast or rump roast can be substituted for the ribs and it tastes okay, but the fatty ribs create a much deeper and richer flavor.
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Korean
Keyword: beef, slow cooker
Author: Beth Cato

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce
  • 1/3 cup light brown sugar packed
  • 2 Tb sesame oil
  • 2 Tb rice vinegar
  • 1/2 teaspoon powdered ginger
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 5 lbs beef short ribs bone-in adds more flavor, but boneless works
  • 1-2 Tb cornstarch
  • sesame seeds optional

Instructions

  • In a small bowl, mix together soy sauce, brown sugar, oil, vinegar, ginger, garlic and red pepper. Place the ribs in a 5 or 6-quart slow cooker; pour the sauce over them. Cover and cook on HIGH for 4 hours or on LOW for 9 hours. Depending on how the ribs are stacked in the cooker, you may want to quickly stir them at some point halfway through.
  • Use a slotted spoon to remove the ribs from the cooker. Place a tablespoon of corn starch in a small bowl and add some juice from the cooker. Whisk them together to create a slurry without lumps, and add back into the crock pot. Stir. If the juice doesn't start to thicken, repeat the process with some more corn starch.
  • Either keep the ribs intact, or pull meat into chunks and discard the bones and fat. Place meat in cooker again on WARM setting for 10 minutes or so to soak in flavors. Serve. Great with rice, broccoli, and perhaps a sprinkling of sesame seeds!
  • OM NOM NOM!
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Bready or Not: Slow Cooker Beef Chili

Posted by on May 15, 2019 in beef, Blog, Bready or Not, crock pot, main dish | Comments Off on Bready or Not: Slow Cooker Beef Chili

Make a big ol’ pot of meat with this recipe for Slow Cooker Beef Chili!

Bready or Not: Slow Cooker Beef Chili

My husband loves a good, spicy chili. He does not like beans. This recipe is his favorite.

Bready or Not: Slow Cooker Beef Chili

I find it simple to put together, too. The only fussy thing is taking the time to brown the meat, but I can typically do that in two batches.

Bready or Not: Slow Cooker Beef Chili

There are several heat levels of Rotel-like canned tomatoes and chilies out there. There are also tomato sauce cans and boxes with added spice. In our case, I add a hefty sprinkle of a local Hatch New Mexican seasoning mix.

Bready or Not: Slow Cooker Beef Chili

These make for great leftovers, too, and you can even throw some in a freezer bag to heat up later on!

Bready or Not: Slow Cooker Beef Chili

Modified from The Everything Soup, Stew, & Chili Cookbook edited by Belinda Hulin.

Bready or Not: Slow Cooker Beef Chili

This all beef, no bean chili recipe makes a big pot of delicious chili! Make it as spicy as you want by using different types of Rotel and additional spices and sauces. Modified from The Everything Soup, Stew, & Chili Cookbook edited by Belinda Hulin.
Course: Main Course
Keyword: beef, slow cooker, soup and stew
Author: Beth Cato

Ingredients

  • 2 - 2 1/2 pounds beef stew meat or chuck roast, chopped into 1-inch cubes
  • 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 whole onion diced
  • 1 green bell pepper cored and diced
  • 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 4 Tablespoons chili powder hot or otherwise
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 10 ounce can tomatoes and green chilies like Rotel
  • 14-15 ounces tomato sauce canned or boxed
  • additional spices or sauces to preference

Instructions

  • In a skillet or wok, brown beef in vegetable oil over high heat. Use a slotted spoon to transfer beef to the crock pot. Add onion to pan and cook for just a few minutes to soak up the drippings. Add onion to the slow cooker, followed by the green bell pepper.
  • In a small bowl, combine the flour, chili powder, cumin, and salt. Sprinkle over the meat. Pour the cans of chili and tomatoes and the tomato sauce over the meat. Stir with a large spoon.
  • Place lid on slow cooker and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours, or on high for 3 to 4 hours. Turn heat to low, and break the meat into smaller pieces. It should flake apart under little pressure. Taste and adjust seasonings as desired.
  • Eat and enjoy. Keep leftovers in fridge up to 3 more days, or freeze for later enjoyment.
  • OM NOM NOM

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Bready or Not: Slow Cooker Korean-Style Beef Short Ribs

Posted by on Mar 15, 2017 in beef, Blog, Bready or Not, crock pot, gluten-free, healthier, main dish | Comments Off on Bready or Not: Slow Cooker Korean-Style Beef Short Ribs

I’m presenting to you the recipe for one of the best dishes I’ve ever made in a crock pot: Korean-style beef short ribs.

Bready or Not: Slow Cooker Korean-Style Short Ribs

I have made this many times over now. I’ve even tried it using cheaper cuts like chuck roast and rump roast. Those worked out okay (though the meat really dries out before its soak in the juice at the end), but they are nowhere as delicious as the short rib version.

Bready or Not: Slow Cooker Korean-Style Short Ribs

It turns out amazing whether you use boneless or bone-in ribs–a mix is a great way to go, too! Don’t trim the fat. You want all that flavor. The end result is a sauce that tastes like you added red wine, but you didn’t. It’s like MAGIC.

Bready or Not: Slow Cooker Korean-Style Short Ribs

Seriously, these ribs taste like something from a great Asian restaurant. Pair it with some broccoli and a good spoonful of the sauce, and YUM.

Bready or Not: Slow Cooker Korean-Style Short Ribs

Whenever I see beef short ribs go on sale, I do a little dance of joy because it means I get to make this recipe again.

Modified from Heather’s Bytes.

Bready or Not: Slow Cooker Korean-Style Short Ribs

This recipe makes rich, savory short ribs that taste like a dish from a great restaurant! A 5 or 6-quart crock pot is necessary to fit the ribs. Note: A chuck roast or rump roast can be substituted for the ribs and it tastes okay, but the fatty ribs create a much deeper and richer flavor.
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Korean
Keyword: beef, slow cooker
Author: Beth Cato

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce
  • 1/3 cup light brown sugar packed
  • 2 Tb sesame oil
  • 2 Tb rice vinegar
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 4 cloves minced garlic
  • 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 5 lbs beef short ribs boneless, bone-in, or a mix
  • 1-2 Tb cornstarch
  • sesame seeds optional

Instructions

  • In a small bowl, mix together soy sauce, brown sugar, oil, vinegar, ginger, garlic and red pepper. Place the ribs in a 5 or 6-quart slow cooker; pour the sauce over them. Cover and cook on HIGH for 4 hours or on LOW for 9 hours. Depending on how the ribs are stacked in the cooker, you may want to quickly stir them at some point halfway through.
  • Use a slotted spoon to remove the ribs from the cooker. Place a tablespoon of corn starch in a small bowl and add some juice from the cooker. Whisk them together to create a slurry without lumps, and add back into the crock pot. Stir. If the juice doesn't start to thicken, repeat the process with some more corn starch.
  • Either keep the ribs intact, or pull meat into chunks and discard the bones and fat. Place meat in cooker again on WARM setting for 10 minutes or so to soak in flavors. Serve. Great with rice, broccoli, and perhaps a sprinkling of sesame seeds!
  • OM NOM NOM!

 

Bready or Not: Slow Cooker Korean-Style Short Ribs

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Bready or Not: Crock Pot Green Chile Chicken

Posted by on Jun 1, 2016 in Blog, Bready or Not, chicken, crock pot, gluten-free, healthier, main dish | Comments Off on Bready or Not: Crock Pot Green Chile Chicken

My slow cooker is my friend, and in this case my friend heats up some fantastically flavorful chicken that’s good in all sorts of dishes!

Bready or Not: Crock Pot Green Chile Chicken

This recipe is a cousin to my Verde Pork Loin one. Both make a great protein for salads (my preference), tacos, burritos, casseroles, and likely all other sorts of stuff.

Bready or Not: Crock Pot Green Chile Chicken

Don’t be afraid of the chiles here, either. I was for years. A standard can of green chiles is pretty mild and adds a punch of flavor. If you’re feeding people who can take the heat, by all means, use the hot version! We favor the Hatch brand because my husband used to live in Las Cruces, near the Hatch Valley; it’s good to support New Mexico products, in any case.

Bready or Not: Crock Pot Green Chile Chicken

And yes, you can make this with chicken breasts or tenders, but there’s greater risk of the meat drying out. I much prefer to use boneless thighs in the crock pot.

Bready or Not: Crock Pot Green Chile Chicken

Modified from The Perfect Pantry.

Bready or Not: Crock Pot Green Chile Chicken

Use boneless chicken thighs to create a flavorful, fantastic protein that's good on a plate or in burritos, tacos, salads, and more. It freezes well for later eating, too!
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: chicken, slow cooker
Author: Beth Cato

Ingredients

  • 3 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs
  • 16 ounces verde salsa
  • 2 cloves garlic smashed
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 4 ounces Hatch green chiles canned, mild or hot

Instructions

  • Cut the chicken thighs into thirds and place in a 4 to 6 quart slow cooker. Pour the salsa over them, followed by the garlic, cumin, and canned chiles. Give it a stir then pop the lid on.
  • Cook on low for 4 to 5 hours; if the chicken was still a little frozen, cook on high for an hour or so to speed the process. Use a slotted spoon to remove chicken pieces, and shred or cut them into chunks. Place back in crock pot to soak in juice for another 20 minutes.
  • Serve chicken on a plate, or in burritos, tacos, salads, or just about anything. Freezes fantastically for later dining.
  • OM NOM NOM!

 

Bready or Not: Crock Pot Green Chile Chicken

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Bready or Not: Slow Cooker Verde Pork Loin

Posted by on Mar 2, 2016 in Blog, Bready or Not, crock pot, main dish, pork | Comments Off on Bready or Not: Slow Cooker Verde Pork Loin

Since March is all about green, let’s start off the month with some colorful meat! This verde pork loin recipe, originally posted at the Holy Taco Church, creates delicious and versatile protein.

Bready or Not: Slow Cooker Verde Pork Loin for Tacos & more

My slow cooker is one of my best friends, a friend that cooks up loads of food to feeds us for days. It works miracle when I’m writing on a deadline. This meat recipe reminds me a lot of posole, that luscious green Mexican stew.

Bready or Not: Slow Cooker Verde Pork Loin for Tacos & more

This dish, though, focuses on the meat. This lets you be flexible. You can eat it on a plate with a vegetable side. Or on a salad. Shred it in tacos, burritos, or in a nice oozy quesadilla. Throw it on a Mexican pizza, or load it on nachos.

Bready or Not: Slow Cooker Verde Pork Loin for Tacos & more

With good, tasty meat, you can find your bliss in many ways.

Plus, this is great to freeze in a larger dish or in personal portions. Make it last as long as possible!

 

Bready or Not: Slow Cooker Verde Pork Loin

This slow cooker recipe takes minutes to prepare and makes a delicious pot of green, shredded pork. It's awesome in taco shells, tortillas, salads, quesadillas, enchiladas, Mexican pizza, etc. Freeze leftovers for later enjoyment!
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: pork, slow cooker
Author: Beth Cato

Ingredients

  • 3 - 4 pound boneless pork loin shoulder works, though it's much fattier
  • 15 - 16 ounce salsa verde jar green salsa
  • cumin
  • salt
  • pepper
  • yellow onion or white onion

Instructions

  • Slice onion and place it in bottom of crock pot. Trim excess fat from pork and place it atop the onion. Sprinkle with cumin, salt, and pepper. Pour the full jar of salsa over the meat.
  • Cook in crock pot for 8 to 10 hours on low, or 4 to 5 hours on high. About 30 minutes before eating time, shred the pork. Make sure it's all submerged in the sauce and keep on warm setting until meal time.
  • This verde pork is awesome in taco shells, tortillas, salads, quesadillas, enchiladas, Mexican pizza, etc. It makes for happy leftovers, too.
  • OM NOM NOM!

 

Bready or Not: Slow Cooker Verde Pork Loin for Tacos & more

 

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Bready or Not: Slow Cooker Chicken and Dumplings

Posted by on Jan 27, 2016 in Blog, Bready or Not, chicken, crock pot, main dish | Comments Off on Bready or Not: Slow Cooker Chicken and Dumplings

There are a lot of slow cooker chicken and dumpling recipes out there, but I sought out one that makes everything from scratch. I made it, tweaked it, and loved it… so here it is!

Bready or Not: Slow Cooker Chicken and Dumplings from scratch

There is just something about chicken and dumplings on a cold winter’s day. It is soul food. The recipe I made for years required me to basically camp by the stove for two hours. I wanted something a lot more convenient.

Bready or Not: Slow Cooker Chicken and Dumplings from scratch

Most of the slow cooker recipes for this use lots of canned stuff and grocery store biscuits. I found a from-scratch recipe on How Sweet Eats and have tweaked it to use less broth, more seasoning, and boneless thighs. I find thighs work a lot better to the crock pot since they are less likely to dry out over the long cooking period.

Bready or Not: Slow Cooker Chicken and Dumplings from scratch

If you’re in need of something to warm your gullet and your soul, make this. The leftovers are darn good for the next few days, too, with or without the dumplings.

Modified from How Sweet Eats.

Bready or Not: Slow Cooker Chicken and Dumplings

This slow cooker chicken and dumplings recipe is both convenient and delicious. This big pot will feed a crowd or provide leftovers for days. Note that there are two major cooking stages here, so plan kitchen time accordingly.
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Southern
Keyword: chicken, slow cooker, soup and stew
Author: Beth Cato

Ingredients

  • 1/2 sweet onion diced
  • 1 cup baby carrots whole and halved
  • 3 garlic cloves minced
  • 2 1/2 - 3 pounds boneless chicken thighs cut into halves
  • salt and pepper
  • 40 ounces low-sodium chicken stock or broth
  • 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup half & half or milk

dumplings

  • 1 1/8 cups all-purpose flour
  • herbs to taste parsley, basil, etc
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon white sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter cold, cut into small pieces
  • 1/2 cup half & half or milk

Instructions

Start the chicken

  • In the bottom of a 5 or 6 quart crockpot, layer the diced onion half, carrots, and garlic. Lay the chicken thighs on top and season them with salt and pepper.
  • Heat the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Once it's melted, whisk in flour and cook for 2-3 minutes to create a roux. Once it's golden in color, add 2 cups of chicken broth. Mix it well as it rises to a boil; it'll thicken considerably.
  • After about 4-5 minutes, pour the sauce over the chicken and vegetables. Add the remaining chicken broth/stock. Put the lid on the slow cooker and cook on LOW for 4 hours.

Add the dumplings

  • Change the slow cooker to high heat. Shred or cut up the chicken; it's okay if it's not fully cooked since it has more time to cook. Stir the half & half into the crock pot, and put the cover on again as you make the dumplings.
  • In a mixing bowl, combine flour, herbs, sugar, baking powder, salt, and pepper. Use a fork or fingers to crumble in the butter until it's evenly dispersed. Add in the half and half or milk until a sticky dough forms.
  • Use a tablespoon to dollop the dough into the crock pot. Cover and cook for another 1 to 1 1/2 hours. The dumplings will expand to cover the top. The dumplings are cooked when they are soft and no longer raw and sticky in the middle.
  • Serve immediately. Leftovers are fantastic heated in the microwave. If you need to make more dumplings, use the same recipe again and heat the leftovers and fresh dough on the stovetop.
  • OM NOM NOM!

 

Bready or Not: Slow Cooker Chicken and Dumplings from scratch

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