Slow Cooker Bolognese Sauce

Rich & hearty, this homemade bolognese sauce simmers in your slow cooker all day. Just serve with rigatoni or tagliatelle for comfort food perfection. 

Well, folks... I think the start of comfort food season has officially arrived. The temps have started to drop slightly, the leaves are falling off of the trees, and I have actually had to turn on the heat a few times after waking up in the morning to a cold house. 

I know we typically think of bowls of cozy soups and cheesy casseroles as traditional comfort food, but I am about to step up your homemade comfort food game with this slow cooker recipe for an easy and flavorful bolognese sauce.

I fell in love with bolognese sauce earlier this year when my boyfriend helped to open a new Italian restaurant just north of Pittsburgh. 

There, they slow simmer their bolognese sauce on the stovetop all day and then serve it over homemade tagliatelle pasta. It quickly became my go-to pasta dish to order off the menu almost every time that I would drive up to visit my boyfriend while he was working at the restaurant.

Since I can't always make the two hour drive to the restaurant when I have a bolognese craving, I decided it was time to come up with my own homemade version of my new favorite comfort food. I did consult with the chef of the restaurant as to what his must-have ingredients are for a good, traditional sauce. 

And since I know that most of us do not have the time (nor the patience) to simmer & stir a pot of homemade bolognese over the stove all day, I decided that a slow cooker adaptation for the recipe was necessary.

Slow Cooker Chicken & Veggie Soup

Enjoy your favorite flavors of late summer in this comforting & nourishing soup that is perfect for fall...

As you all may recall from the recipe I shared for my Italian Steak Sandwiches with Roasted Vegetable Tapenade last month, I am on a mission this outdoor farmers market season to show you all how you can create a delicious recipe purchasing only locally grown & raised produce and meats at your local farmers market this summer. Each month I will be sharing a recipe here to the blog inspired by and featuring some of my own personal favorite fresh & local finds from my local market. 

For the month of September, I am sharing the recipe for this comforting & nourishing Slow Cooker Chicken & Veggie Soup with you all. This soup is the perfect dinner idea for making the transition from late summer to early fall with. 

It fully takes advantage of the late summer veggies that are still in season like sweet corn, okra, & fresh basil. But this soup is so cozy and satisfying that it will have you wishing for crisp fall days.

Slow Cooker Pumpkin Ale Beef Stew

Stay warm & cozy this fall with this hearty & flavorful Slow Cooker Pumpkin Ale Beef Stew...

I know that most of you all are ready to get into that holiday mode now that Thanksgiving is over and done, but bear with me for just a second, okay? 

It is still officially the month of November, and I am not ready to give up on all things fall quite yet. I am determined to squeeze in just one more pumpkin recipe before going all-out Christmas on here starting next week. ;)

So, say hello to what is probably my very last fall recipe of 2016- this hearty & flavorful Slow Cooker Pumpkin Ale Beef Stew! Because even though the fall season is just about over, a lot of us still have some pretty cold and wintry days ahead of us, right? 

This slow cooker beef stew happens to be a tasty way to stay warm and cozy on even the most blustery of days...

Slow Cooker Banh Mi Pork Sandwiches

Flavorful slow roasted pulled pork, a quick pickled slaw, and a simple sriracha mayo are the delicious building blocks for these Slow Cooker Banh Mi Pork Sandwiches...

This tasty recipe post is sponsored by the National Pork Board, the National Pork Producers Council, & the Minnesota Pork Board. As always, all opinions & thoughts expressed below are 100% my own.

Happy Friday, friends! I would like to take this moment to introduce you all to one of my new favorite things- Banh Mi! :) Not familiar? No worries. You certainly will be by the end of today's recipe post. 

I hadn't actually tried Bahn Mi myself until last month when I attended the Pass the Pork tour in Minneapolis & found myself in charge of mixing up the Bahn Mi Pork Burgers recipe that my team was assigned to during our group cooking class. 

I had definitely heard of Banh Mi before, but I had not actually tried it until we had cooked up those flavorful and juicy burgers. And guess what, folks? I am now 100% hooked! 

For those not familiar with Banh Mi, let's start with just what it is exactly. Banh Mi actually refers to the Vietnamese baquette or roll that these tasty sandwiches are usually served on.

These crusty on the outside, soft on the inside rolls are stuffed with flavorful meat and are then usually topped with some kind of pickled veggies. Some people also add a little mayonnaise, chili paste, fresh cilantro, or thinly cut slices of jalapeno to their Banh Mi. 

For this Slow Cooker Banh Mi Pork Sandwich recipe I am sharing with you all today, I simply topped them with a quick pickled slaw and a sriracha mayo. But feel free to throw on some fresh cilantro springs or a few jalapeno slices as well if that happens to be your thing... ;)

Slow Cooker Italian Pepperoncini Shredded Beef

It only takes 4 ingredients & a few minutes of prep to make this juicy and flavorful Slow Cooker Italian Pepperoncini Shredded Beef...

This post first appeared over at Real Housemoms where I’m a contributor.

Whether we are hosting friends for the big game or having the family over for a little get-together, I usually rely on a few go-to recipes that can feed a small crowd and that keep me out of the kitchen and hanging out with our guests as much as possible. 







This Slow Cooker Italian Pepperoncini Shredded Beef happens to be one of those go-to, crowd-pleasing recipes of mine. It takes less than 15 minutes of prep time in the morning to get this flavorful, slow roasted shredded beef ready and in the slow cooker. 

Let it slow cook all day while you do more important things like cleaning the house, baking a cake or a batch of cookies, or whipping up a pitcher of sangria. ;)

My favorite way to serve this Italian shredded beef is topped with provolone or mozzarella cheese on big Italian sandwich buns. I just set out the buns & cheeses and let our guests make their own sandwiches. That is fuss-free entertaining, folks!

Slow Cooker Chipotle Ale Chili

This flavorful Slow Cooker Chipotle Ale Chili with a little kick of heat is the perfect dinnertime solution for a busy weeknight...

We are full swing back into the new school year here. My son actually started back last Thursday, and his cross country season officially started last Monday. In fact, he has his first meet of the season this coming weekend. Though I am a loyal slow cooker user all year round, I really stat ramping up my slow cooker game when school starts back up. There is just so much going on almost every day between homework, after school practices, parent meetings, and weekend meets that it is essential for me to break out my trusty slow cooker at least 3 times a week. I mean, you just can't beat having a delicious, home cooked meal ready and waiting when everyone walks in the door. And everyone does not walk in the door at the same time in this house, so the warm setting on my slow cooker's dial gets used quite a bit during the school year. ;)

One of my favorite meals to make in the slow cooker, especially during the fall months, is a good and hearty chili. Serve a bowl of it with a side of homemade cornbread, and you have the perfect after school/game day/busy weekend dinner plan. Traditional chili is good and all, but you all know me by now- I had to take my slow cooker chili game to the next level. And I did just that with this hearty and flavorful Slow Cooker Chipotle Ale Chili. Let me tell you all- this chili has amazing flavor with a little kick of heat...

Slow Cooker French Onion Soup

This rich and flavorful Slow Cooker French Onion Soup simmers away all day in your slow cooker...

Okay, I know what you all are thinking- Soup?? A slow cooker soup?? But it is JULY, lady! 

Yes, I am aware that we are all smack dab in the middle of the summer heat here. I get that soup isn't normally a go-to dinner idea for the month of July. And yes, I will totally be curling up with a bowl of this rich and delicious Slow Cooker French Onion Soup when the temperatures start to drop and the snow starts to fall (far away from now in like December-ish or something). But who says that soup just has to be a fall/winter thing anyways? I have always been one to rebel a little against the conventional, so today I am sharing a slow cooker soup recipe with you all. ;)

I break out my slow cooker a lot during the summer months. Why? Because I hate turning on my stove or oven when it is hot outside! Even with the air conditioning going, my kitchen still heats up to an almost Hades-like temperature. So, I get out my slow cooker & make roasts, and pulled pork, and chicken for cubing and shredding for recipes, and taco meat, and yes, even soups. 

Strangely, french onion soup happens to be one of my husband's favorite soups. I say strangely because he pretty much hates onions on anything. But french onion soup? He loves. Granted, he only eats the broth, croutons, and cheese and leaves a huge mess of onions in the bottom of his bowl... ;)

This Slow Cooker French Onion Soup requires a little extra prep in the beginning, but the little bit of sauteing and caramelizing this recipe requires is well worth it for the rich, amazing flavor it gives this classic soup...

Slow Cooker Coq au Vin

Fall off the bone chicken thighs, carrots, and mushrooms are slow-cooked all day in a very simple red wine sauce until tender and flavorful in this Slow Cooker Coq au Vin...

Am I the only one who looks ahead to when their kiddos have left home and are in college and think about which things they will miss from home the most? (And I know that many of you have been or currently are in that place with your children.) 

I am still trying to wrap my mind around the fact that my son will be a high school graduate just 2 years from now. 

I mean, how do these things happen anyways?? One day I am taking him to Cub Scouts meetings and the next I am helping him register for classes for his freshman year of college. 

Those of you with little ones- it does happen that fast. Trust me. 

Italian Style Red Wine Chili {Slow Cooker}

This rich & flavorful Italian Style Red Wine Chili with a delicious Italian flavor twist from herbs and red wine simmers in your slow cooker all day...

I will be busy, busy with the Baking For Kate online bake sale & auction this coming weekend, but I wanted to be sure to share this recipe for my Italian Style Red Wine Chili with you all before this coming Sunday. 

And why this coming Sunday?

Because this Sunday is National Wine Day, silly... ;)

Use a red wine that you love sipping for this recipe because you will have enough leftover in the bottle to have a couple of glasses. 

Or you can use that little bit of red wine that you didn't happen to finish off when you popped it open & has been just chilling in your fridge for a week or so.  (Tasty recipes are a fabulous way to use wine that maybe is past it's drinking prime, but still has lots of rich flavor for cooking and baking.)

Creamy Crock Pot Chicken Marsala

This creamy slow cooker version of Chicken Marsala has all the flavor of the traditional dish minus a lot of the work...

Earlier this week, I posed the question to my blog's Facebook page to find out if my readers would rather see a slow cooker recipe or a Valentine's Day recipe on the blog before the weekend.

Needless to say and as is proof of this post today, it was a resounding and overwhelming vote for the crock pot recipe. ;)

Man, you all love your slow cooker recipes!

One of my brilliant Facebook fans (ahem... Amanda) specifically asked if I could post a slow cooker recipe that would be perfect for a romantic dinner for Valentine's Day!

Clever girl. ;)

Slow Cooker Tequila Lime Beef Barbacoa {Spiked!}

In case you missed the announcement a couple of weeks ago, this month's Spiked! Recipe Challenge ingredient is Tequila!  And it was just in time for Cinco de Mayo! ;)

Tequila is not a liquor that I partake of often.  In fact, I had to head to the liquor store to pick up a bottle because I did not currently have one in our liquor cabinet.  There was a time (a LONG time ago during my college days) when I could kick back shots of Cuervo with a little salt and lime and call it night, but those days are far behind me.   Now I like to enjoy a nice margarita (frozen & flavored, please) every once in a while, but save the shots. 

For Cinco de Mayo this year, I decided to make a little beef barbacoa in the Crock Pot.  And hey, why not add some tequila and lime in there?

What you will need:

1 1/2 to 2 lbs of stew beef

1 chipotle pepper (seeded & chopped), plus a tbsp of adobo sauce from a can of chiles in adobo

1/2 onion, chopped

2-3 cloves of garlic, minced

1 bay leaf

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1 tsp salt

Juice of 1 lime

1/4 cup tequila

1 cup of beef broth

1 tbsp brown sugar

In a small bowl, whisk together the chipotle and adobo, the onion, garlic, cloves, salt, lime juice, the tequila, brown sugar, and beef broth.  

Place the stew meat in the Crock Pot, and then pour the chipotle/tequila mixture over top of the meat.  Toss in the bay leaf.

Cook on High for 2-3 hours, and then on Low for 2-3 hours.  

Once the meat is cooked, remove it from the Crock Pot and place onto a cutting board.  (Also be sure to fish out that bay leaf and toss it in the trash!) Cut into bite size pieces, trimming any excess fat.  Place the trimmed barbacoa back into the Crock Pot, stir, and leave on Warm until ready to serve.

I served our beef barbacoa rolled into warm flour tortillas.  You can top yours with your favorite taco toppings- shredded cheese, avocado, salsa, sour cream...   I ate my simply with just slices of avocado on top.

I had a little of this beef leftover the next day, so I made a delicious breakfast burrito with it- I just scrambled some eggs with a little cheese, added the warmed leftover barbacoa, and rolled them into a flour tortilla.

Are you a fan of tequila?  Do you cook with it or do you prefer it in beverage form? ;)

If you happened to miss the sign-ups for this month's Spiked! Recipe Challenge, never fear!  We will be back in July with a whole new boozy challenge- Stay tuned! :)

Slow Cooker Tequila Lime Beef Barbacoa

by Frugal Foodie Mama

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 4--6 hours

6047424

Ingredients (4-6 servings)

• 1 1/2 to 2 lbs of stew beef
• 1 chipotle pepper (seeded & chopped), plus a tbsp of adobo sauce from a can of chiles in adobo
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 1 tsp salt
• Juice of 1 lime
• 1/4 cup tequila
• 1 cup of beef broth
• 1 tbsp brown sugar

Instructions

In a small bowl, whisk together the chipotle and adobo, the onion, garlic, cloves, salt, lime juice, the tequila, brown sugar, and beef broth.

Place the stew meat in the Crock Pot, and then pour the chipotle/tequila mixture over top of the meat. Toss in the bay leaf.

Cook on High for 2-3 hours, and then on Low for 2-3 hours.

Once the meat is cooked, remove it from the Crock Pot and place onto a cutting board. (Also be sure to fish out that bay leaf and toss it in the trash!) Cut into bite size pieces, trimming any excess fat. Place the trimmed barbacoa back into the Crock Pot, stir, and leave on Warm until ready to serve.

I served our beef barbacoa rolled into warm flour tortillas. You can top yours with your favorite taco toppings- shredded cheese, avocado, salsa, sour cream... I ate my simply with just slices of avocado on top.

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Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff

Maybe a year into our marriage my husband informed me that one of his all time favorite dinners is Beef Stroganoff.  Honestly, this blew my mind.  It never would have occurred to me that my husband would EVER request that I make Beef Stroganoff for one reason and one reason alone- the mushrooms!  

He hates them.  

Now I will say in my husband's defense, I always find a little pile of discarded mushrooms near the edge of his plate every time he eats this.  So, I am guessing it is the flavor that he likes and maybe the texture of the mushrooms that he dislikes? ;)

I originally stumbled upon this slow cooker beef stroganoff recipe on allrecipes.com.  I love just about any recipe that I can make in my trusty Crock Pot AND I loved that it uses cream cheese instead of sour cream.  I actually didn't make too many tweaks to this recipe except for the addition of fresh mushrooms. (Yep.  Unlike my husband, I DO like mushrooms! :) )

What you will need:

1 lb of beef stew meat, cubed (you can usually pick them up in the meat section packaged and all ready to do like this)

1 can of cream of mushroom soup (10.75 oz)

1/2 medium onion, chopped

About 10 fresh mushrooms, sliced

1/4 cup water

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

4 oz. (1/2 a bar) of cream cheese 

Egg noodles

This recipe is seriously so crazy easy.  Dump everything BUT the cream cheese and egg noodles into the Crock Pot.  You do not even have to brown the stew meat.

Mix together.  

Cook on High for 5 hours or on Low for 8 hours.

When you are close to serving dinner, prepare about a half bag of noodles according to the package directions.  Mix in the cream cheese about 20 minutes before serving. 

Plate up the noodles and top with the beef stroganoff.  Easy, peasy!  All done! :)

Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff

by Frugal Foodie Mama

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 5-8 hours

6041395

Ingredients (4 servings)

• 1 lb of beef stew meat, cubed
• 1 can of cream of mushroom soup (10.75 oz)
• 1/2 medium onion, chopped
• About 10 fresh mushrooms, sliced
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 4 oz. (1/2 a bar) of cream cheese
• Egg noodles

Instructions

Dump everything BUT the cream cheese and egg noodles into the Crock Pot. You do not even have to brown the stew meat.

Mix together.

Cook on High for 5 hours or on Low for 8 hours.

When you are close to serving dinner, prepare about a half bag of noodles according to the package directions. Mix in the cream cheese about 20 minutes before serving.

Plate up the noodles and top with the beef stroganoff.

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What is your favorite comfort food dinner to make in the slow cooker?

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Slow Cooker Beer Braised Pot Roast

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