Crockpot Cooking and Pumpkin Soup

There are lots of types of food you can make in a crockpot, including stews, casseroles and more. But what about soup recipes and pumpkin soup in particular? You might not have considered making soup in a slow cooker before but there are a few reasons why you might want to think about using this unusual cooking method for your favorite soup recipes.

Three Great Things about Crockpot Soups

First of all, crock-pot cooking is easy. Some of the many types of soups you can make in your crockpot include classic pumpkin soup, bean soup, tomato soup, broccoli soup and lots of others.

With a lot of crock-pot soup recipes you simply add the ingredients to the crock-pot, let it cook all day and then puree it in a food processor or blender. You can make extra soup and freeze what you do not want to eat immediately. If freezing your pumpkin soup omit the milk or cream in the recipe. When you thaw it, you can add that afterwards.

Secondly, a slow cooker brings out the flavors of your food like no other cooking method. Vegetables become juicier and sweeter and all the flavors you add to the soup recipe blend and combine together perfectly.

Another great reason to make soup in a crock-pot is that it is ready when you are. You can add the soup ingredients in the morning, go out all day and the soup will be ready when you get home.

Some slow cookers have programmable warming options so you can set it to cook on low or high for the right number of hours and then to keep your soup warm rather than cook it any more.

If you are using an old or simple crockpot, one of the best things about crockpot cookery is that the timing for your recipes is flexible and does not need to be exact to the minute.

If you are cooking soup and it needs to be left to cook for six hours, you will find that if you get home half an hour late the soup will not be ruined because it has been cooking over such a low heat.

Tasty Slow Cooker Pumpkin Soup

Pumpkin soup is one of the nicest kinds of soup to make in a slow cooker. There are many different types of this delicious, hot soup that you can choose from and these include curried pumpkin soup, a simple canned pumpkin soup recipe, an old fashioned, classic pumpkin soup and lots more.

Crockpot cooking brings out the natural juiciness and sweetness of pumpkin, enhancing its naturally delicious flavor. The flavor of pumpkin goes just as well with sweet ingredients like apple cider, sugar, cinnamon, and fruit as with savory ingredients like carrot, potato, chicken broth, and broccoli. Depending on your personal taste and preferences there are lots of types of pumpkin soup recipes you can choose from.

Cooking Squash in the Crockpot

Nothing says fall like a delicious winter squash. The tender orange flesh is so good when it is roasted covered with butter and brown sugar. It is hard to make on busy weeknights, however, because squash can take up to an hour to bake. Did you know that your crockpot cannot only cook you a nice roast while you are away, but it can also handle squash? It is true! You can have your delicious winter squash cooking merrily away while you are at work or running errands. Make a quick main dish to go with it and dinner is ready, complete with a great vegetable.

Remember that setting your crockpot to High generally cooks twice as fast as the Low setting. If you are going to be out all day, set it to Low so your food is not overdone. The general rule of thumb is that if a food takes 8 hours to cook on Low, it will be done in 4 hours on High. For most slow cookers, Low is approximately 200 degrees Fahrenheit, while High is about 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Your particular model may vary slightly. Try to resist the temptation to lift the lid. Each time you do, it adds 20 minutes to your cooking time. Crockpots can be used for many types of dishes like this. You can also use them for desserts and even for baking. There is a lot more to crockpots than meets the eye.

You can use other types of winter squash in this recipe if you do not have butternut. Acorn, Hubbard and many other varieties of winter squash all taste great in this recipe. If you really want to jazz it up a bit, put some bacon in there with the squash. Using your crockpot is also a great way to prepare squash on Thanksgiving while the oven is otherwise occupied. You can always jazz up your squash by adding some carrots, parsnips, and rutabagas so you can make a true winter vegetable medley. Make the most of your crockpot and use it for more than just stews and main dishes!

Recipe for Butternut Squash with Brown Sugar and Cinnamon

This is a simple way to get tender, delicious squash.

What You Need

• 
  1 large butternut squash


• 
  1 cup apple juice


• 
  4 Tablespoons butter, melted


• 
  1/4 cup packed brown sugar


• 
  1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

How to Make It

Cut the butternut squash into quarters lengthwise. Cut off the stem and scoop out the seeds.

Pour apple juice into your crockpot.

Mix the melted butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon together in a bowl.

Place two quarters of the squash in the bottom of the crockpot. Drizzle half of your butter mixture over the squash.

Set the remaining two quarters of squash on top of the first two crosswise. Drizzle with the remaining butter mixture.

Cover and cook on the Low setting for 6 to 8 hours. Squash should be tender when done.

Serves 4.

Cooking With a Crockpot - How to Convert Recipes to the Crockpot

How many times have you been planning meals and came up disappointed when you discovered you didn't have time to make the meal you wanted? Most people will not even think of putting a recipe in the crockpot unless it is written expressly for the crockpot. Did you know that many standard recipes could be converted to crockpot recipes?

The low setting of most crockpots is around 200 degrees Fahrenheit. The high setting is about 300 degrees Fahrenheit. An hour of cooking on the high setting is about the same as 2 to 2.5 hours of cooling on the low setting. You will find that most recipes for crockpots recommend cooking the food for around 8 to 10 hours on low.

Advice for Converting Recipes to Use in a Crockpot

When you convert a recipe to the crockpot, there are a few tips you will want to keep in mind. You will want to reduce the amount of liquid the recipe calls for. In the crockpot, liquid does not evaporate. You normally wind up with quite a bit of liquid at the end of cooking time. Reduce the amount of liquid you add to the dish by half, unless you are also using rice or pasta.

The spices you use may need to be adjusted. Ground spices may lose some flavor over many hours of cooking, so do not add them until the last hour of cooking. Whole spices will have their flavors intensified by long cooking times, so you may want to reduce them by half.

If you plan to make chicken soup or other liquid-based meals, only add enough liquid to cover the other ingredients. You can add more liquid towards the end of cooking time if needed. If you are making a cream soup, do not add the dairy products until close to the end to prevent curdling and separating.

You can make dried beans in the crockpot. Cook them overnight on low instead of spending the time soaking them. Add your beans and then cover them with water. Add a teaspoon of baking soda. In the morning, drain the beans before combining them with your other ingredients. Bean soup, chili, and other tasty meals can then proceed in the crockpot as usual.

Not All Foods Love Crockpots

Be aware that some foods do not fare well when cooking for 8 to 10 hours. Rice, pasta, seafood, some vegetables, and dairy products are all too delicate for such long cooking times. When making a dish that contains these ingredients, do not add them until the last couple of hours before serving when your pot is set on low. If you are cooking on high, hold off until the last hour before adding these delicate ingredients. If you really must have milk added to a recipe early on, try evaporated milk.

Browning your meat can be done before adding it to the crockpot to add that lovely coloring. Browning may also reduce the fat content a little bit on some kinds of meat. Browning is optional, however. Roasts can turn out very flavorful in the crockpot with or without it

Gourmet Cooking With a Crock-Pot

Often, when considering cooking dinner with a Crockpot, people may automatically think of soups, stews, a pot roast or chicken pieces. However, with a little creativity and a spice rack some delicious, impressive foods can be the result.

Slightly altering recipes from a variety of cookbooks and sources, Crockpot cooking need not be mundane. If you are leaning towards a recipe that calls for slow roasting in the oven, use the Crockpot instead!

One of the main reasons for not using the Crockpot with more creative recipes might be the fear of the unknown for some cooks. Trying something new with an long-standing, tried and true appliance can be a worrisome prospect to some and for good reason. However, trying and failing is better than not trying at all! If one recipe doesn't work for you, try the next one, and the next, until you find a grouping of recipes that will work. Always remember to write down the ones that do work, so you'll have the recipes at the ready the next time you wish to try "something new".

The beauty of the Crockpot, when it comes to cooking, is it allows whatever ingredients you are using to marinate in their flavorful juices. If your primary ingredient is a pork roast, a slow cooker helps to create a tender, tasty piece of meat. In altering recipes from cookbooks, always remember, the lid stays on during the cooking stage, therefore any recipe that requires liquids will use less, due to lack of evaporation.

Some suggestions for the Crockpot might be lasagna, linguine with clam sauce, your choice of white or red, macaroni and cheese, fish with stuffing, Swedish meatballs with gravy, adding a layer of egg noodles for good measure, or meatloaf, a staple in most households.

As most gourmet recipes call for wine, flavored vinegars, olive oil or some combination of the three, some of the liquid is provided but when in doubt add a can of flavored stewed tomatoes, liquid and all, to provide some zest to your dinner table. In addition, if you find yourself at a loss for a liquid, you can always add a cup or two of beef or chicken bouillon or broth to add some flavor to whatever it is you're cooking.

Crock-pots can be used to create a tremendous variety of Hors d'oeuvre, entrees, side dishes and desserts. With the array of sizes in which crock-pots are available, the possibilities are unlimited. Given the versatility of cooking with a Crockpot, you do not have to feel trapped with the same old, tired recipes.

Overcoming your fears and trying something new in your crock-pot will be an advantageous and delicious way to feed your family while not spending all your time in the kitchen, both before and after dinner. Try some new recipes in the crock-pot when company comes and give yourself more time to enjoy your company, which is really what entertaining is all about, isn't it?

Gourmet cooking in your crock-pot is obtainable and oh so delectable! Your family will love you for it and guests will marvel at how much time they might think you have spent preparing a delicious, "time-consuming" meal making them feel even more special!

Cooking Boneless Chicken Recipes in a Crockpot

Boneless chicken is economical, versatile, and very tasty. You can make all kinds of boneless chicken recipes including chicken parmesan, chicken cordon bleu, chicken soups and stews and much more. If you have a crockpot, there are plenty of crockpot boneless chicken recipes you can try as well. Boneless chicken cooks very nicely in a crockpot. It becomes really soft and tender and takes on the flavors of the other ingredients you are using in the recipe.

Crockpot Cooking Tips

If you are on a tight budget, you can use boneless, skinless chicken thighs instead of chicken breasts in many recipes. One and a half thighs are about equal to a chicken breast, or two thighs if they are quite small.

Test your chicken after it has been cooking for six hours on low. Chicken can become mushy if you cook it in the crockpot for too long, so it is best to keep an eye on it towards the end of the cooking time.

An Easy Crockpot Recipe for Chicken Tacos

This is a great recipe if you like Mexican food. You can even double or triple the recipe if you have a big crockpot and this would be great if you are having a buffet or if you want to make Superbowl party recipes or feed a crowd. If you do not have taco seasoning, you can use cumin, chili powder, garlic, salt and pepper as an alternative seasoning.

The leftover chicken is versatile and you can use it in all kinds of other boneless chicken recipes. This recipe makes enough to feed ten people and if you want an easy recipe, which cooks itself, or if you are going to be out all day, this crockpot chicken recipe is perfect.

You will need:

• 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts


• 2 cups salsa


• 1 chopped green bell pepper


• 1 chopped onion


• 1 envelope taco seasoning


• 1 package flour tortillas, to serve

How to Make it:

Put the chicken breasts in the crockpot with the bell pepper and onion. Sprinkle the taco seasoning into the salsa, stir well to combine, and then pour this over the chicken and vegetables.

You can add a little water if you think the dish requires more liquid but remember the chicken and salsa produce more liquid as they cook. Cover the crockpot and cook the chicken mixture on high for about five hours or on low for about seven hours. When you can easily shred the chicken with a fork, it is done. Take the chicken breasts out of the crockpot to shred them, and then serve the chicken in the flour tortillas.

Remove the onion and bell pepper pieces with a slotted spoon and add these to the tacos. Garnish the tacos with any toppings you like. Good toppings include lettuce, grated cheese, sour cream, salsa, olives, guacamole, and tomatoes.

Cooking Beef Casserole in a Crockpot

There are various ways to cook beef but crockpot cooking brings out the juiciness and flavor of beef really well. You can cook the toughest beef cuts in a slow cooker and it will come out succulent and delicious because of the moist, slow cooking method.

One of the most popular slow cooker recipes of all time is beef casserole. This is such a simple dish but there are so many different ingredients you can choose from. Classic ingredients include potatoes, onion and carrot but you can also use other vegetables such as zucchini, yam, rutabaga, broccoli and more, depending on what you have to use up and what flavor you are aiming for.

Why We Love Casseroles

Casserole recipes are simple to make and satisfying to eat. Not only can you add any meat, vegetables and flavors you like but you can choose from thick and rich casseroles to thin, watery ones.

Serve either of these over a mound of mashed potatoes or rice and you have a rich, filling and truly delicious dinner. The crockpot could have been invented solely for making casseroles because they come out so incredibly well.

You can make beef casserole, chicken casserole, pork casserole or even fish casserole in a slow cooker and the ingredients will merge their flavors in the same way, resulting in a flavorful dish which everyone will be impressed with. A lot of crockpot casserole recipes also freeze well so you can make a huge casserole and freeze half for another occasion.

Recipe for German Beef Casserole

This delicious crockpot recipe is easy to make and combines beef with carrots and an assortment of spices and flavorings including molasses, tomatoes, sherry and ginger. This is a rich and tasty dish and a real winter warmer of a meal. Serve this German style beef casserole with bread for mopping up the wonderful juices.

You will find that the sherry and ginger add a special elegance to this beef casserole. Some beef casserole recipes feature beer or red wine to enhance the beef flavor but the sherry also goes well. The ginger lends the dish a trace of oriental flavor without detracting from the European influence.

This is a really special recipe. If you like, you can omit the potato and serve it with some mashed potatoes on the side instead. Of course you will have to make those on the stove.

What you will need:

• 1 1/2 lbs beef chuck


• 2 cups carrots, sliced thinly


• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder


• 1/2 teaspoon celery salt


• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper


• 1 cup water


• 1/4 cup dark molasses


• 16 oz can diced tomatoes in juice


• 2 tablespoons flour


• 1/4 cup sherry


• 1 potato, chopped


• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

How to make it:

Cut the beef into two inch cubes and add it to the crockpot. Sprinkle the ginger, pepper, salt and garlic powder on top, then add the rest of the ingredients and stir briefly. Cover the slow cooker and cook for six to eight hours on low. Stir and serve hot.

Crockpot Macaroni Cheese Recipe and 3 More Delicious Crockpot Recipes

I know that a lot of you have at least one of these efficient and time saving appliances hidden away somewhere in your kitchen collecting dust. You probably thought that the Crockpot was just for making soups or stews.

Well, below are some easy to prepare and delicious Crockpot recipes you can try at home:

1. 16 Bean Soup

Ingredients:

- 1 package 16 Bean Soup
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon crushed oregano
- 2 cans no-fat chicken stock
- Additional water to cover
- 3 stalks celery chopped
- 3 carrots diced
- 1 large onion chopped
- 3 cloves garlic sliced
- 1 pound turkey Italian sausage sliced
- 2 cans stewed (or diced) tomatoes

Directions:

- Combine first 5 ingredients (liquid should cover mixture by 1"-2") in Crock Pot Cook on high for 2hours.
- Add remaining ingredients and shift cooker to low and cook for additional 3 hours

- For more zing, add cayenne or crushed red pepper when adding second set of ingredients.

Serve as complete meal or over rice.

Freezes well.

2. All Day Crockpot Delight

Ingredients:

- 2-3 lbs. boneless chuck, cut into 1 inch cubes
- 1/2 c. flour
- 1/4 c. butter
- 1 onion, sliced
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1/8 tsp. pepper
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 2 c. beer
- 1/4 c. flour

Directions:

- Coat beef cubes with the 1/2 cup flour.
- Brown in melted butter.
- Drain off excess fat. In crock pot, combine browned meat with onion, salt, pepper, garlic and beer.
- Cover and cook on low 5-7 hours (all day) until meat is tender.
- Turn control to high.
- Dissolve remaining 1/4 cup flour in small amount of water.
- Stir into meat mixture, cook on high 30-40 minutes.
- Serve with rice and salad.

3. All Day Macaroni and Cheese

Ingredients:

- 8 ounces elbow macaroni, cooked and drained
- 4 cups (16 ounces) shredded sharp Chedder Cheese
- 1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk
- 1 1 /2 cups milk
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Directions:

- Place the cooked macaroni in crockpot that has been sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.
- Add the remaining ingredients, all except 1 cup of the cheese, mix well.
- Sprinkle with the remaining 1 cup of cheese and then cover and cook on low setting for 5 to 6 hours or until the mixture is firm and golden around the edges.
- Do not remove the cover or stir until it has finished cooking.

4. Apple Brown Betty

Ingredients:

- 3 lbs. cooking apples
- 10 slices of bread, cubed (about 4 cups)
- 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
- 1/8 tsp. salt
- 3/4 c. brown sugar
- 1/2 c. butter or margarine, melted

Directions:

- Wash apples, peel, core, cut into eighths; place in bottom on crock.
- Combine bread cubes, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, sugar, butter; toss together.
- Place on top of apples in crock. Cover.
- Place crock into outer shell.
- Cook on low setting 2 to 4 hours.

Makes 6 to 8 servings.

How to Make Crockpot Soup Recipes Using Chicken

There are a lot of different ways to prepare chicken, including frying, sauteing, steaming, grilling, poaching and more. Chicken can also be cooked in a crockpot and since you need to add liquid to crockpot recipes because of the long, slow cooking time, this makes crockpot soup recipes a great idea.

Meat cooks well in a crockpot. Not only does it slowly tenderize over a period of hours but the flavor of slow cooked meat is incredible. It will soak up the flavors of all the other ingredients you use to make the crockpot soup recipe.

Cooking Chicken in a Crockpot

The best thing to do when making a chicken soup recipe is to chop the chicken into smaller pieces and brown it in a skillet in some butter or oil before adding it to the crockpot. Not every recipe for crockpot chicken soup will tell you to do this of course but sealing the chicken in this way helps to lock in the juices and it also gives the chicken an attractive golden brown color.

There are also plenty of recipes for chicken soup in a crockpot where you simply add every ingredient to the crockpot, give the mixture a good stir and leave it alone for ten hours. Recipes like these are fantastic when you have a busy day and you are not sure what time exactly you will be home.

Some of the more modern crockpots have a "keep warm" setting which is very handy. If you are more than an hour late your soup will stop cooking and keep itself nice and warm for you.

Crockpot Lamb Soup Recipe

Just to prove that chicken is not the only meat you can use to make delicious crockpot soup recipes, here is a wonderfully easy recipe for slow cooked lamb soup. The flavor of this soup is amazing.

This soup takes all day to cook in the crockpot so it is the perfect meal if you plan to be out working all day and you want to get home to a house that smells incredible and a meal which is all ready to serve. This recipe serves eight people but you can halve it if you want.

You will need:

• 1 1/2 lbs sliced lamb


• 3 sliced carrots


• 1 bay leaf


• 1/4 teaspoon salt


• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper


• 8 whole peppercorns


• 2 halved and sliced leeks


• 1 package French onion soup mix


• 1 sliced red onion


• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce


• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill


• 2 tablespoons olive oil


• 2 tablespoons dry gravy mix


• 3 sliced celery stalks


• 1 lb can chopped tomatoes


• 3 pints vegetable bouillon

How to make it:

Sprinkle salt and pepper over the lamb, then brown it all over in a skillet in the oil, cooking it in batches. Add everything to the crockpot except the dill and stir well. Cook on low for eight to ten hours. Add the dill, switch off the crockpot and stir and leave the lamb soup to rest for ten minutes. Stir it once more then serve hot.

Delicious Crockpot Recipes For The Family

For the working family these recipes work a wonder. Come home, relax, and enjoy a meal you only slaved 10 to 20 min prep in the morning.

Recipe #1:

To Die For Pot Roast

3 1/2 to 4 LB Rump Roast

1 Bag Of Baby Cut Carrots

3 Large Onions

5 Potatoes

1 Can Of Cream Of Mushroom Soup

1 Packet Of French Onion Soup Mix

1/4 Cup Water

Place rump roast in the crockpot. Place the baby carrots around it. Chop up onions into quarters. Slice up potatoes into small chunks, and place around the beef. Add mushroom soup and the onion soup mix. Mix about a 1/4 cup of water into the crockpot. Depending upon how thick you like your gravy mix you can add more water. Place crockpot on low for 8 hours. Stirring occasionally. Beef just pulls right apart. Serve with a nice side salad or some garlic bread. You will be coming back for seconds, thirds and fourths.

Recipe #2:

Moist Meatloaf In the Crockpot

2 Eggs

3/4 Cup Milk

2/3 Cup Seasoned Bread Crumbs

2 TSP Dried Minced Onion or Garlic

1 TSP Salt

1/2 Teaspoon Marjoram

1-1/2 Ground Turkey

1/4 Cup Ketchup

2 TBSP Brown Sugar

1/2 TSP Worcestershire

In a large bowl, combine the first 6 ingredients. Crumble the beef over the mixture and mix well. Shape into a round loaf; place in the crockpot. Cover and cook on low for about 6 hours. In a small mixing bowl, combine the ketchup, brown sugar, and worcestershire sauce. Gently pour it over the meat loaf. Cook for about 15 minutes or until heated through. Let stand for about 15 - 20 minutes before cutting. Serve with some garlic mashed potatoes and your favorite vegetable, and your family will think it was the best meatloaf ever.

Recipe #3:

Cheesy Chili Dogs

1 full pack of hotdogs

2 cans of chilli

1 can condensed cheddar cheese soup

1 can chopped green chillies

2 - 3 Dashes of hot sauce ( if you like it spicier judge accordingly)

10 hot dog buns

1 large onion chopped

Toppings:

Shredded cheddar cheese

Sour Cream

Salsa

Place the hot dogs in a slow cooker. In a bowl combine the chilli, soup and green chillies; pour completely over the hot dogs. Cover and cook on low for about 4 - 5 hours. Serve the hot dogs in the buns, you then top it with the chilli mixture, and onion. Then add the toppings you want. Great for kids. It can be cut up and served with Macaroni and Cheese.

Crockpot Recipes Hold the Key to Stress Free Cooking

A few years ago, my crock pot would collect dust in my cupboard waiting for me to make chili or a pot roast. Now it's a rare evening when you don't see it on my counter with the night's dinner in it.

I know that many of you can relate to what it's like in my household from 4:00pm on. After getting 4 kids an after school snack, I am helping a 10 year old with homework, playing dominoes with twin 4 year olds, and chasing after a 2 year old. How on earth could I be expected to do all of this while preparing dinner and not be completely frazzled by the time we sat down to eat? Finally I discovered the answer.

Now each morning I get up and, while drinking my coffee, decide what's for dinner that evening. I take meat out of the freezer to thaw in cold water in the sink, verify remaining ingredients, and play with my 2 year old. Then I leisurely take 10-15 minutes mid morning to throw ingredients into a pot and flip a switch.

I go about the rest of my day relaxed, knowing that dinner will be a cinch. Sure enough, dinner time comes and all I need to do is spoon food onto some plates, sit down, and enjoy!

Reasons why crock pot cooking is virtually stress free:

-Clean up is easy; there aren't numerous pots and pans to wash, just one stoneware pot and maybe a cutting board and knife.

-Minimal preparation is required; just a few minutes each morning.

-It's really difficult to overcook things in a crock pot. Plus, now there are crock pots that will automatically switch to a "keep warm" setting once the cooking time is done.

-Crock pots are wonderful for cheaper cuts of meat. Cooking for a large family, I'm conscientious of my grocery bill. Because crock pots cook meat over a long period of time at low heat, tougher cuts of meat turn out tender and juicy.

-You're not feeding your family fast food or calling the pizza delivery guy again; they are getting quality home cooked meals.

-Crock pot cooking is perfect for any type of mom. Those who work out of the office can quickly fix the meal in the morning or even prepare it the night before and refrigerate.

-Different people can eat at different times. Let's face it, with busy schedules many families can't eat together during the week. A crock pot keeps the meal warm for your toddlers to eat at 5pm, your high school kids to eat at 8pm, and your husband to grab a 10pm snack.

So pull it out of your cupboard, dust it off, and enjoy the wonderful aromas that will fill your home as dinner draws near.

Crockpot Recipes For Summer Entertaining

These crockpot recipes will keep your kitchen cool in the summer heat. Bring any of these delights to your summer parties, and your friends will be delighted, drooling, and lining up for the recipe, - and seconds...

Appetizer:

PIZZA DIP

1 large cream cheese softened

1 jar pizza sauce

1 small can chopped olives

1 medium onion chopped

1 pkg. sliced pepperoni

(and what ever else your pizza loving heart desires!)

1 pkg. grated cheese for pizza

Spread cream cheese in the bottom of slow cooker/Crock Pot. Then mix up the pizza sauce, onion, olives and pepperoni and spread on top of the cream cheese. Sprinkle with the pizza cheese and cook on low until the cheese on top melts. Serve with tortilla chips.

Entree

CHICKEN WINGS IN TERIYAKI SAUCE

* 3 pounds chicken wings (16 wings)

* 1 large onion, chopped

* 1 cup soy sauce

* 1 cup brown sugar

* 2 teaspoons ground ginger

* 2 cloves garlic, minced

* 1/4 cup dry cooking sherry

Rinse chicken and pat dry. Cut off and discard wing tips. Cut each wing at joint to make two sections. Place wing parts on broiler pan. Broil 4-5 inches from the heat for 20 minutes, 10 minutes for each side or until chicken is brown. Transfer chicken to slow cooker/Crock Pot. Mix together onion, soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger, garlic and cooking sherry in bowl. Pour over chicken wings. Cover and cook on Low 5-6 hours or on HIGH 2-3 hours. Stir chicken wings once to ensure wings are evenly coated with sauce. Serve from Slow Cooker. Makes about 32 pieces.

Dessert:

DECADENT CHOCOLATE DELIGHT

1 (18.25 ounce) box chocolate cake mix

8 ounces sour cream

1 cup chocolate chips

1 cup water

4 eggs

3/4 cup vegetable oil

1 small box chocolate flavor instant pudding and pie filling mix

Lightly grease inside of crockpot. Combine all ingredients in large bowl. Pour into crockpot. Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours or on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours.

Serve hot or warm with ice cream.

These recipes practically make themselves. Isn't that the beauty of crockpot cooking? So get out of the kitchen, and back to your life. Haven't you worked hard enough today?