Slow Cooker Green Beans, Ham and Potatoes
Note: Freeze leftover cooking liquid, and then add to bean soup, ham or cabbage dishes, or use to cook dumplings in.
INGREDIENTS:
2 pounds fresh green beans, rinsed and trimmed
1 large onion, chopped
3 ham hocks
1 1/2 pounds new potatoes, quartered
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon seasoning salt
1 tablespoon chicken bouillon granules
ground black pepper to taste

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DIRECTIONS:
Halve beans if they are large, place in a slow cooker with water to barely cover, and add onion and ham hocks. Cover, and cook on High until simmering. Reduce heat to Low, and cook for 2 to 3 hours, or until beans are crisp but not done.
Add potatoes, and cook for another 45 minutes. While potatoes are cooking, remove ham hocks from slow cooker, and remove meat from bones. Chop or shred meat, and return to slow cooker. Season with garlic powder, onion powder, seasoning salt, bouillon, and pepper. Cook until potatoes are done, then adjust seasoning to taste.
To serve, use a slotted spoon to put beans, potatoes, and ham into a serving dish with a little broth.

Slow Cooker Taco Soup
Browned ground beef seasoned with a package of taco seasonings is combined in a slow cooker with canned beans, tomatoes, and green chilies. Serve with tortilla chips and a dollop of sour cream.
Prep Time: 10 Minutes;Cook Time: 8 Hours;
Ready In: 8 Hours 10 Minutes;
Makes: 8 servings
Ingredients
1 pound ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1 (16 ounce) can chili beans, with liquid
1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans with liquid
1 (15 ounce) can whole kernel corn, with liquid
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
2 cups water
2 (14.5 ounce) cans peeled and diced tomatoes
1 (4 ounce) can diced green chile peppers
1 (1.25 ounce) package taco seasoning mix
Directions
1. In a medium skillet, cook the ground beef until browned over medium heat. Drain, and set aside.
2. Place the ground beef, onion, chili beans, kidney beans, corn, tomato sauce, water, diced tomatoes, green chile peppers and taco seasoning mix in a slow cooker. Mix to blend, and cook on Low setting for 8 hours.

Slow Cooker Beef Stew
 "This beef stew recipe requires very little prep time the day you're cooking it. Cutting up vegetables ahead of time helps save time on this easy recipe."  Original recipe yield: 4 -6 servings.
 
INGREDIENTS:
2 pounds beef stew meat, diced into 1 inch pieces
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon no salt herb seasoning
5 potatoes
4 carrots
1 yellow onion
3/4 cup tomato juice
1 (14.5 ounce) can stewed tomatoes
2 fresh jalapeno peppers, sliced into rings

DIRECTIONS:
The night before, cut up potatoes and carrots and slice onions. Put all the vegetables in a plastic container filled with water overnight.
Also the night before, marinate the stew meat with Worcestershire sauce and herb seasoning in a plastic storage bag. Place in the refrigerator.
In the morning, put the raw beef in the bottom of your slow cooker. Drain the vegetables, and pour in on top of the beef. Pour in the stewed tomatoes and tomato juice. If you like your stew a little spicy, add a chopped jalapeno pepper or two.
Turn the slow cooker on high for 1 hour. Then, set your slow cooker to low for 6-8 hours. The beef will cook completely, and will be very tender.

Slow Cooker Beef Stew II
"Easy, quick and delicious. This stew is cooked in the slow cooker, so all you have to do is heat up some egg noodles and you've got dinner!"  Original recipe yield: 6 servings.
INGREDIENTS:
2 pounds stew meat, trimmed and cubed
3 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed cream of chicken soup
1 (16 ounce) package egg noodles
DIRECTIONS:
Spray the inside of a slow cooker with the vegetable cooking spray. Add the meat and the soups to the slow cooker.
Cook on low setting for 8 to 10 hours.
Prepare noodles according to package directions.
When stew is ready, pour over the noodles and serve hot

Delicious Slow Cooker Beef Roast
" easy roast. It makes it's own gravy and is oh, so tender and juicy! Best if served with mashed potatoes and green beans. Any cut of roast should work fine."  Original recipe yield: 4 servings.

INGREDIENTS:
2 pounds boneless beef roast
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
salt and pepper to taste
1 onion, quartered
16 baby carrots
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

DIRECTIONS:
In a large skillet over medium high heat, saute the roast in the oil for 15 minutes, or until all sides are well browned. Season with salt and pepper to taste and set aside.
Place the onion, carrots, garlic and parsley in the bottom of a slow cooker. Place the roast on top of the vegetables and pour the soup over the roast and the vegetables.
Cover the slow cooker and cook on low setting for 8 to 10 hours, stirring once.
Transfer roast to a serving platter and place the vegetables around it. Pour the roast gravy from the slow cooker into a gravy boat.

Easy Slow Cooker Meatballs 
an easy recipe that can be prepared in a slow
cooker for a great hot meal at the end of the day.
Prep Time: 20 Minutes; Cook Time: 8 Hours 
1 1/2lbs ground beef ;
1 1/4 cups Italian seasoned bread crumbs ;
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley;
2 cloves garlic, minced ;
1 medium yellow onion, chopped ;
1 egg, beaten ;
1 (28 ozs) jar spaghetti sauce ;
1 (16 ozs) can crushed tomatoes ;
1 (14.25 ozs) can tomato puree;
In a bowl, mix the ground beef, bread crumbs,
 parsley, garlic, onion, and egg. Shape the
mixture into 16 meatballs.
In a slow cooker, mix the spaghetti sauce,
crushed tomatoes, and tomato puree.
 Place the meatballs into the sauce mixture.
 Cook on Low for 6 to 8 hours.
 Makes 16 servings
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 Easy Beer and Ketchup Meatballs 
 appetizer.
Yields 6 to 8 servings.
 Prep Time: 40 Minutes Cook Time: 3 Hours 
1 (28 ozs) bottle ketchup;
24 fluid ozs beer ;1 1/2 lbs ground beef;
2 tspns garlic powder ;1 onion, chopped ;
Preheat oven- 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
Place the beer and ketchup in a slow cooker
on high setting and allow to simmer..
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the
ground beef, garlic powder& onion, mixing well.
Form mixture into meatballs about 3/4 inch
in diameter.Place meatballs in 9x13 inch baking dish.
Bake@400 degrees F (200 degrees C) for 20 mins.
Transfer meatballs to the slow cooker with the
 beer and ketchup and simmer for 3 hours;
 sauce will thicken.

Belly Burner Chili
Spicy sausage is browned, then cooked in a slow cooker...
INGREDIENTS: for 8 serves ;
3 pounds ground spicy pork sausage
2 cups chopped onion
3 (15 ounce) cans tomato sauce
3/4 cup water
1/2 cup chopped black olives
1/2 cup chopped green olives
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans
DIRECTIONS:
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook sausage until brown. Drain and crumble.
In a slow cooker, combine sausage, onion, tomato sauce, water, black and green olives, pepper, soy sauce, chili powder and beans. Cover and cook on low 8 hours.
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Curried Vegetable Soup
A crock pot is used to cook a mixture of butternut squash,

zucchini, eggplant, carrots and onion with tomato sauce,

stewed tomatoes and a little vegetable broth.
Golden raisins, cinnamon, and curry powder add flavor

and interest to the mixture.

Ingredients:
1 butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1-inch cubes
 2 medium sliced zucchini
 1 medium eggplant (peeled, if desired)
 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
 1 medium onion, chopped
 1 (8 ounce) can stewed tomatoes
 1 carrot, thinly sliced
 1/2 cup vegetable broth
 1/3 cup golden raisins
 3 cloves garlic, minced
 2 teaspoons salt
 2 tablespoons curry powder
 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
 Pita pockets or French bread
Method:
Place all ingredients in slow cooker, stir to combine.

Cook on high heat setting for 4 hours.

Serve with pita pockets or French bread.
Notes:
This is a great recipe for a large group. It's easy, delicious and can accompany pita pockets or a loaf of crusty French bread.
Number of servings: 8-10

An easy make-ahead crock pot dish-potatoes

with bacon, jalapenos and onion soup mix.

Ingredients:
 6 cups cubed potatoes
 1 envelope onion soup mix
 1 stick margarine
1 teaspoon chopped jalapenos (optional)
6 slices cooked bacon, crumbled
Method:
Coat potatoes with onion soup mix. Melt margarine stick.

Put all ingredients in a 2 1/2 quart slow cooker, stir,

and cook on high for 4 hours or slow for 8 hours.
Notes:
Number of servings: 8

1 lb. dry limas
1 lb. smoked sausage/Italian peperoni
1 bunch green onions
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
4 beef bouillon cubes
3/4 tsp. Tabasco sauce
6 c. water
PREPARATION:
Wash limas and put them in a slow cooker. Add 6 cups water. Slice smoked sausage into round pieces and add to limas. Chop green onions and add to mixture. Now add remaining ingredients and mix. Cover and cook in slow cooker on high for 8 to 10 hours.
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