Stew meat and mushrooms simmers away in a slow cooker all day, and is then finished off with a little cornstarch for thickening. Served atop egg noodles or mashed potatoes, this Slow Cooker Beef Tips is a great dinner for busy weekdays.
Tag: Slow Cooker
Slow Cooker Pork Banh Mi Bowls with Pickled Vegetables
Sweet yet spicy pulled pork, quick pickled vegetables and hearty brown rice is my new favorite summer combo – Slow Cooker Pork Banh Mi Bowls with Pickled Vegetables. With bright flavors, you don’t even need to turn on the oven to enjoy this satisfying meal!
I’ve only had Banh Mi a few times, but those meals were certainly memorable. If you haven’t had it before, Banh Mi is a French-Vietnamese sandwich that’s traditionally served on a hearty, crusty bread, such as a baguette. It’s piled high with meat, pickled veggies, and cool cucumber to offset the spice.
I tried this version from Gina’s Skinny Taste earlier this summer and instantly fell in love. The sweet and spicy pulled pork is wonderful, but for me, it’s the quick pickled vegetables I can’t get enough of. I was also all about the juxtaposition of the hot pork and cold veggies. So good!
I did tweak Gina’s recipe a bit, but not significantly. The changes I made were:
- More meat! I doubled the meat in this recipe because I prefer having leftovers, it just wasn’t enough for my family.
- Adding a little water to the sauce. After reading the comments, I was concerned that there wouldn’t be enough sauce left. I added 1/2 c. water which gave me a decent amount of sauce. Feel free to adjust up or down based on whether your slow cooker runs hotter or cooler, or if you’ll have the slow cooker on for longer than 6 hours.
- Pickling more veggies! In the original recipe, only the carrots were pickled. I pickle the carrots, cabbage and jalapeno because I love the flavor.
I’ll also put in a plug – while Gina has her recipe online, I originally found it in her cookbook, Skinny Taste Fast & Slow, which features healthy meals that either cook up super quickly, or are quickly prepped and tossed in the slow cooker. I’ve made several recipes from it and have enjoyed all of them. If you’re looking for a new cookbook to add to your Christmas list, check this one out.
Recipe Notes
- This recipe is pretty forgiving and easy to customize to taste. My husband isn’t a fan of pickled veggies and is pretty picky with vegetables in general, so I made only enough pickled veggies for myself – and let him put cold shredded carrots on his. He also prefers a bit more rice in his dish, while I’ll usually use a bit less than what’s below in my own. You can’t go wrong.
- I usually prep the pickled veggie the night before, draining them, and keeping them in the fridge to make serving easier the night I serve this. It’s easy to do the night of, but I make them when I’m already in the kitchen prepping something else.
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Slow Cooker Pork Banh Mi Bowls with Pickled Vegetables
Sweet yet spicy pulled pork, quick pickled vegetables and hearty brown rice is my new favorite summer combo - Slow Cooker Pork Banh Mi Bowls with Pickled Vegetables. With bright flavors, you don't even need to turn on the oven to enjoy this satisfying meal!
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 6 hours
Total Time 6 hours 15 minutes
Servings 6
Ingredients
Ingredients for the Pork:
- 1/2 c. low-sodium soy sauce
- 2 Tbs. light brown sugar
- 1 Tbs. minced garlic
- 2 fresh jalapenos sliced
- 1/2 c. water
- 2 lbs. pork tenderloin
- 1 tsp. kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp. black pepper
Ingredients for the Pickled Veggies:
- 1 c. distilled white vinegar
- 3/4 c. granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
- 2 c. shredded carrots
- 2 c. shredded red cabbage
- 2 jalapeno sliced
Ingredients for the Bowls
- 4 c. cooked brown rice
- 1 c. sliced cucumber
- 1/2 c. fresh cilantro leaves chopped
Instructions
Make the Shredded Pork:
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Add soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, jalapeno, and water to the bowl of the slow cooker. Whisk to combine. Add pork tenderloin and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
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Cook on low for 6 hours. Transfer to a cutting board or plate to shred. Return to slow cooker and serve with sauce.
Make the Pickled Veggies:
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Combine all ingredients in a glass bowl. Allow to sit for 30 minutes, Stirring or shaking every so often.
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Drain liquid and cover, storing in the fridge until ready to serve.
Assemble Bowls and Serve:
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Place 2/3 cup rice in a bowl. Top with pork, sauce, pickled veggies, cold cucumber and cilantro. Serve.
Don’t forget to check out the rest of the Farmer’s Market Week Recipes that went live today
Wednesday Farmer’s Market Week Recipes
- Basil Pesto Salad Dressing by The Spiffy Cookie
- Charred Endive Salad by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
- Cheddar & Thyme Yellow Squash Biscuits by Savory Moments
- Fresh Cherry Crisp by The Freshman Cook
- Garlic Broccoli Slaw by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
- Hawaiian Chicken Kabobs by A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
- Lemon Meltaway Cookies by Family Around the Table
- Mixed Berry Cobbler by The Redhead Baker
- Old Fashioned Fruit Cobbler by Tip Garden
- Pink Peony Jelly by Daily Dish Recipes
- Slow Cooker Pork Banh Mi Bowls with Pickled Vegetables by Books n’ Cooks (above)
- Summer Vegetable Pasta Bake by Kate’s Recipe Box
- Tequila Salsa by Our Good Life
- Watermelon and Tomato Gazpacho by Cookaholic Wife
Slow Cooker Honey Sesame Chicken
Sweet slow cooker Honey Sesame Chicken can be prepped in just 10 minutes. Serve with rice and a veggie for a complete, quick meal.
There are some weeks were I’m feeling super organized. Really on my game. Ahead of schedule. I feel good those weeks.
And then there are times like the past few weeks where I feel like I’m floundering. Like every time I try to do something, it’s three times as difficult and time consuming as I imagine. I run errands only to find stores are closed or out of what I need. An easy online task turns into 15 minutes of online frustration, followed by a phone call to customer service to get something resolved.
It doesn’t help that we’ve started birthday season – so lots of planning and entertaining – that we’ve had multiple weeks of lousy winter weather, and a week with two sick kiddos.
Yeah, you can say my plate has been full for the past few weeks. And it’s only going to get worse, as birthday season continues, we have a bit of work done in the house, and my husband and I alternate travel pretty much every other week for the next few months.
My mom is coming to the rescue for my next month, but for now, I’m trying to buckle down, tackle my To Do and spend some much needed time blogging. I know that a few days of FOCUS will help me be more efficient and make me feel better. So that’s what I’m attempting to do… despite everything being much more time consuming and difficult than it should be.
This Honey Sesame Chicken is one of the recipes we’ve made during all of the Crazy recently. It’s a recipe we’ve been making for several years now – from Prevention RD, who hasn’t steered us wrong yet. It’s bright and flavorful, sweet – which my husband particularly loves. And the best part? It only takes about 10 minutes of hands on time – 5 minutes of prep, and 5 minutes of finish, making it ideal for those busy periods in your life.
I served this with quick minute rice and microwaved green beans and almonds for a complete (and easy) dinner. Enjoy!
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Honey Sesame Chicken
Sweet slow cooker Honey Sesame Chicken can be prepped in just 10 minutes. Serve with rice and a veggie for a complete, quick meal.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 6 hours
Total Time 6 hours 10 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 282 kcal
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts 4 chicken breasts
- 1/2 c. honey
- 2 Tbs. low-sodium soy sauce
- 2 1/2 Tbs. ketchup
- 1 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
- 2 Tbs. cornstarch
- 2 Tbs. sesame seeds
Instructions
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Place chicken breasts in the slow cooker.
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In a small bowl, whisk together honey, soy sauce, ketchup, olive oil, onion, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Pour over chicken breasts. Cook on low for 3-4 hours, or on high for 2 1/2 - 3 1/2 hours.
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When chicken is cooked through and tender, transfer chicken breasts to a plate.
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Whisk cornstarch into the sauce and continue cooking for another 5-10 minutes, for sauce to thicken.
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While sauce continues to cook, use to forks or a set of bear claws to shred chicken. Return chicken to slow cooker and stir to coat chicken in sauce.
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Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve over rice.
This recipe was rewritten but barely adapted from Prevention RD.
Rich & Easy Clam Chowder: Remix #SoupSwap
Rich & Easy Clam Chowder takes just minutes to prep, and then simmers away in the slow cooker for an easy evening meal.
I first made a version of this Rich & Easy Clam Chowder years ago, back when I had just started this blog. The original post is embarrassing – I didn’t even include a picture. Insane, right?! Despite the sad state of that post, people continue to visit it, so I finally decided it was time to update the recipe – and National Soup Swap Day was the perfect excuse to do so.
Since I had never heard of National Soup Swap Day before this year, I’ll give you a bit of the background, compliments of Soup Swap. The holiday was officially founded on 2006 and has its roots in a Seattle man named Knox Gardner, who started swapping soup with his friends in an effort to bring some variation in soups (some times one batch is just too much to finish!) during a dreary season. Today, Soup Swap is on a mission to encourage healthy eating and community spirit through soup.
This Rich & East Clam Chowder does make quite a large portion – easily enough to feed 6 – and is a comforting lunch or dinner during these cold weather months. As I went to remake my old recipe, I struggled to find the products I used. Everything was in different sizes, if I could find it at all, and many in different variations. So this recipe has been updated with what I was able to find in my local supermarket. I also added a bit more clams and did a bit more tweaking of the prep and quantities. I didn’t have any – I’m actually not a fan of clam chowder – but my hubby at it for 3 days straight, so I’ll call it a winner.
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Rich & Easy Clam Chowder
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 4 hours
Total Time 4 hours 10 minutes
Servings 5
Ingredients
- 1 Tbs. olive oil
- 1/2 onion chopped
- 2 18.5 oz. cans of New England Clam Chowder
- 2 18.5 oz. cans of creamy potato soup I used one with bacon and cheese
- 3 6 1/2 oz. cans chopped clams drained of juices
- 2 Tbs. butter
- 1 pint half-and-half
- 1 Tbs. ground pepper
Instructions
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Place olive oil and onion in a microwave safe bowl. Stir to coat. Microwave for 45-90 minutes, stirring halfway through, until onions are translucent.
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Add onion and remaining ingredients to the crock of a slow cooker. Stir to combine.
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Cook on low for 3-4 hours, stirring occasionally.
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Serve hot, with oyster crackers or saltines.
Thanks to Kate at Kate’s Recipe Box for hosting today’s group of bloggers in their celebration of National Soup Swap Day. Warm up this winter and check out their creations, below!
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- Basil Turkey Soup by Jolene’s Recipe Journal
- Black Bean and Ham Bone Soup by A Day in the Life on the Farm
- Easy Cream of Broccoli Soup by Simple and Savory.com
- Middle Eastern Meatball Soup with Vegetables by Kate’s Recipe Box
- Port Wine Cream of Mushroom Soup by The Redhead Baker
- Rich and Easy Clam Chowder by Books n’ Cooks (above!)
Slow Cooker Beef Tacos with Salsa Verde
Slow Cooker Beef Tacos with Salsa Verde are an easy, flavorful dinner for busy weeknights.
Welcome to Farmer’s Mark Week, hosted by Cynthia at Feeding Big and Christie at A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures! This week, a group of bloggers will be sharing recipes inspired by what we find at our local farmer’s markets, or for those with a green thumb, in our gardens. You can find recipes here on Books n’ Cooks today and Wednesday, but be sure to search social media for #FarmersMarketWeek for more great recipes!
The past couple of weeks have been absolutely horrible at work. For the past two weeks, I came home with stress headaches every day and was just absolutely exhausted. I’d come home almost every day craving quiet and wine and the ability to zone out from the world. I wanted to forget about the people who thought it was ok to send insulting and counterproductive emails to me, when in fact, they were struggling to do their own job. And we won’t talk about how I’m to blame for them not having not any common sense or basic communication skills.
I’d come home with so little energy that several nights, I couldn’t even bother to season meat and veggies for my hubby to grill. Pathetic, right?
After one week of that, I finally got my act together to make life a little easier for myself, at least at home. This slow cooker beef tacos was a life saver last week. I’ve made it several times before. It truly requires minimal effort. Slice those onions and peppers from your farmers market or garden (or grocery store – for the really crazy weeks, buy two packages of presliced fajita veggies and skip the slicing all together), dump into the slow cooker and walk out the door for work. Shredding the beef only takes a minute when you get home before you can serve, and likely have some for leftovers. The salsa verde gives the beef and vegetables a bright, slightly sweet flavor and has just a hint of a bite. (If you like things spicier, I bet you could throw a few sliced jalapenos in here as well).
The other reason I really like this meal is that it’s so easy to customize to what’s in season and to individual tastes. I’ve made this with all colors of bell peppers as well as both red and white onions. You can even do all onions or peppers, if someone in your house has an aversion to one or the other. Same goes for toppings. I favor a little more fresh produce, the tomato and avocado (or guacamole) that you see above but my hubby adds more salsa, cheese, and even a bit of sour cream to his tacos. The options are endless.
Enjoy this dish now while farmers markets and gardens are producing tons of produce, or bookmark it for a busy weeknight for later. And don’t forget to check out the other recipes featuring farmers market produce at the bottom of this post! Bon appetit!
Prep Ahead: Slice onions and peppers the night before (or even a couple nights before), and store in an airtight container for easy prep the morning you want to make this.
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Slow Cooker Beef Tacos with Peppers, Onions & Salsa Verde
Slow Cooker Beef Tacos with Salsa Verde are an easy, flavorful dinner for busy weeknights.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 hours
Total Time 10 hours 10 minutes
Servings 6
Calories 351 kcal
Ingredients
- 2 medium to large onions white, red, or a combination of the two, cut into thin strips
- 2 large bell peppers any color, cut into thin strips
- 1.5-2 lb. lean flank steak trimmed of fat if necessary
- 16-20 oz. salsa verde
- tortillas
- Toppings of choice: additional salsa diced tomato, cheese, avocado/guacamole, sour cream, etc.
Instructions
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Place sliced peppers and onions in the bottom of the slow cooker. Place flank steak on top of vegetables. Top with salsa.
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Cook on low for for 10 hours.
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Shred beef and return to slow cooker.
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Serve hot with the onions and peppers in salsa verde, in a tortilla with toppings of your choice.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition calculated based on the larger quantities noted for the beef, vegetables and salsa. It does not include tortillas and toppings.
A Books n’ Cooks Original recipe.
Looking for a side dish to accompany these tacos? Try my Cilantro Lime Rice.
#FarmersMarketWeek Monday Recipes
Aunt Mary’s Refrigerator Bread & Butter Pickles by Corn, Beans, Pigs & Kids
BBQ Corn on the Cob with dilled butter by Red Cottage Chronicles
Beef Tacos with Peppers, Onions & Salsa Verde by Books n’ Cooks
Blistered Tomato Dutch Baby by A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
Blueberry Crisp for Two by Family Around The Table
Blueberry Scones by The Freshman Cook
Cherry Stout Jam by The Redhead Baker
Farmer’s Market Breakfast Casserole by New South Charm
Freshly Dug Potato Salad by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
Intro post by Bear & Bug Eats
Israeli Salad by Caroline’s Cooking
Marinated Mozzarella and Tomato Appetizers by Jolene’s Recipe Journal
Peach and Blueberry Overnight Oats by Simple and Savory
Peach Bourbon Jam by Feeding Big
Peaches and Cream Overnight Oats by Cooking with Carlee
Strawberry Mango Jam by Palatable Pastime
Summer Veggies & Kielbasa Sheet Pan Dinner by Tip Garden