Swiss Steak

Is there anything more comforting than coming home to a house that smells like delicious food? I don't think so, and this recipe is sure to deliver. By about two hours into the cooking time, I was ready for it to be done. Sadly, I still had about six hours to go, but the smell was sooooo good! As soon as that timer went off I was sticking my spoon in to take some out. The steak nearly melted as I was pulling it out it was that tender. Which, of course, is what swiss steak is all about. The name does not refer to the country at all, but the process of cooking it. Basically, the process involves taking a tough cut of meat and slowly cooking it to make it tender. The perfect job for a slow cooker!

I served this along with the Dijon and Herb Roasted Potatoes I posted earlier and some steamed broccoli. It was very delicious and very filling.

Slow Cooked Sausage and White Bean Stew

I am completely and madly in love with my slow cooker. Seriously. Coming home to a house that smells wonderful and a meal that smells wonderfuler (I swear that's a word) is fantastic. I am always excited when I am driving home from work or wherever I might be when there is something going in the slow cooker.


I adapted this recipe from All You. The beans make it really filling because they are packed with fiber and there is also a good dose of protein from the sausages.

Slow Cooked Barbecue Turkey Chili

To me, chili is the ultimate comfort food. It is pretty much guaranteed to make you feel all warm and cozy inside. I almost always make mine with ground turkey instead of beef, but that can be substituted in this recipe also. I don't really notice a difference, and in fact I think I actually like it better with turkey instead of beef.

I put this recipe into the slow cooker before I left for work so that it would be ready when I got home. I don't usually get home from work until 11-11:30 at night. When I was on my break, I got a text saying that the house smelled wonderful. When I got home, two bowls were already gone from the chili. Therefore, I did not get to calculate the serving size, but this recipe makes 6 servings.

Also, the pictures are not that great because I was in a hurry to eat it. I photographed it a day after I had tried it and didn't feel like trying to get that perfect shot. It will definitely be made again, and then I might update the pictures.

This chili has a bit of a kick to it, so if you don't want that substitute regular diced tomatoes and use mild chili powder. 

Slow Cooked Pumpkin Oatmeal

This is a delicious recipe sure to keep you satisfied. It is packed with fiber to keep you full for longer, and of course breakfast is the most important meal of the day. I put this recipe into my slow cooker before bed and woke up to a delicious meal.

By itself, this oatmeal is not very sweet. I sprinkle some brown sugar in top. My dad likes it with maple syrup. If you add maple syrup and whipped cream, then this can also double as a nice warm dessert. You can also add more agave syrup to the slow cooker as well.

I set this for 6 hours overnight. There may be variations in the amount of time this recipe needs to cook, but 6 hours seems a pretty reasonable amount of time.

Slow Cooked Moroccan Chicken

I absolutely love my slow cooker, especially as the weather turns cooler and all you want is a nice big plate of something to warm you up. This recipe blends many different spices and ingredients into something warm, filling and delicious. Served with some couscous, this is the perfect fall meal. Some of the ingredients sound a little unusual, but trust me, it turns out well.

I adapted this recipe from Parents Magazine. No, I do not have any kids or plan on having kids for a while but I look everywhere for new and interesting recipes to try out. And, if they happen to come from a magazine geared toward moms, so be it. :)

When I was calculating the nutrition information for this recipe, I got a few discrepancies between the calorie calculator and the Points+ calculator. I am not sure why, but if you are following Weight Watcher's, I would recommend using 8 Points+, instead of the 7 Points+ that the nutritional information would result in.

Slow Cooked Chicken and Rice Soup

I have been a bit under the weather the past couple of days and we have been in a string of rainy, gray days. I thought a nice, slow cooked soup would be perfect to both help me get better and also be the perfect comfort food for the bad weather. I looked up several different recipes for this dish, and in the end I decided to just wing it. I took the parts I liked best from each recipe to come up with my own. I hope you enjoy it!