Crock Pot Cabbage Casserole

I just saw this recipe on a forum, and it reminded me of one I already had.  This one uses brown rice, which I think is a good itdea.


Lazy Cabbage Roll Casserole

1 green cabbage (about 1.5 lbs) 
1 lb lean ground beef (I used sirloin) 
1 cup long grain brown rice, uncooked 
28 oz can tomato sauce, divided 
1 tsp thyme 
salt & pepper to taste 

This will work in a 4-quart crock pot. 

Cut the cabbage in half (then in quarters to cut the core out easily). Cut one half into roughly 1" pieces and break up the layers a bit as you place them in the bottom of the crock pot. If desired, salt the cabbage a bit and toss to mix. 

In a mixing bowl, combine the rice, ground beef, about 1 cup of tomato sauce, thyme, salt & pepper. Press into a layer on top of the cabbage in the crock pot. 

Cut the remaining half head of cabbage like the first half and salt (if desired), placing it on top of the meat/rice layer. 

Top with remaining tomato sauce (try to cover all the cabbage a bit). 

Cook on low 8-10 hours. 

Makes 4 very generous servings. 

Cal: 532 
Fat: 21 g 
Sodium: 1251 (without added salt) 
Carbs: 58g 
Fiber: 10g 
Sugars: 13.5g 
Protein: 31g 

Polish Sausage Stew

Okay, time for another easy crock pot recipe. Sorry, with mom being in the hospital, that's what i am making lately. And with canned foods no less! Sigh. Life's a beachball...

One package of Polish Sausage, sliced (I used Hillshire Farm)
4 medium potatoes, diced
1 package of frozen green bean, thawed
1 small onion, chopped
1 can of Campbell's Cream of Mushroom soup

Spray container. Pour in ingredients and stir. Cover with lid and cook on low for eight hours. A little soupy, but not bad to come home to at all.

Sweet Potato Casserole

I love the fact that this is made in the slow cooker. It frees up the oven and stove burners, and makes the timing a lot more laid back. While this is not my momma's recipe, she is a big fan of it.


Sweet Potato Casserole
4 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and mashed (I usually bake them, but you can boil them if you prefer)
3 tablespoons of unsalted butter
1 cup of canned crushed pineapple
2 large eggs, beaten
2 tablespoons of Splenda
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup of mini marshmallows

Lightly spray slow cooker with cooking spray. Mix the sweet potatoes, melted butter, pineapple, eggs, sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Spoon half of the mixture into the slow cooker. Cover with ½ cup of marshmallows. Cover with the remaining sweet potato mixture. Cover and cook on high for 1 to 2 hours, or until hot in the center. Sprinkle with the remaining ½ cup of marshmallows on top, cover, and cook 5 minutes longer or until melted.

Barbequed Spareribs in a Crockpot

I know, it sounds like a contradiction in terms. Still, I don't know how to use an outdoor grill, and I am not about to lose out on a chance to eat BBQ ribs.

3 to 4 pounds of spareribs
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of pepper
1 sliced onion
16 ounces of favorite barbecue sauce

Place onion slices at the bottom of the crock pot.
Rub ribs with salt and pepper. The spare ribs, not your own. This isn't that sort of blog.
Place the ribs in a broiler pan under the broiler for 7 minutes. Turn over. Broil another 7 minutes.
Slice ribs into serving pieces and place in crock pot. My crock pot is 5 1/2 quarts.
Pour in barbeque sauce.
Cover and cook on LOW for 8 to 10 hours.


I LOVE this recipe. Bob likes it well enough, but he isn't too fond of boney meats. Yeah yeah, that's what she said. Anyways, the meat does fall right off of the bone. I never order ribs out anymore, because it is always a disappointment to me when I compare them to this.

This post today inspired by friend Wendy at Weightwhat and her burnt offerings.

Franks and Beans in a Slow Cooker

My friend Beth, at that's not me anymore, Beth's take on technology and microwave hot dogs. has initiated a conversation about gourmet hot dog suppers. I thought I would contribute this:

Franks and Beans in a Slow Cooker

2 16 oz cans of great northern beans, drained
1 16oz can of cut green beans, drained
1 8 oz can of tomato sauce
1 chopped onion
¼ cup of sugar or sugar substitute
2 tsp of yellow mustard
A dash of black pepper
16 oz of frankfurters, cut into circles

Spray container with butter flavored cooking spray. Combine beans and tomato sauce in the container. Add onion, sugar, mustard, and pepper. Mix well. Stir in frankfurters. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours. Mix well before serving.

If you choose fat free hot dogs and use sugar substitute, viola (that sic is for you Annie), you have a diet supper.

The Casserole With No Name.....

A Casserole for Sherri
1 lb of ground beef
1 can of Healthy Request Tomato Soup
1 cup of chopped tomatoes
3 raw potatoes, diced
1/3 cup of instant rice, uncooked
1 chopped onion
1 and 1/2 cups of chopped carrots
1 cup of chopped celery
1 tsp of parsley flakes
salt and pepper to taste

Brown the ground beef in a cooking skillet sprayed with butter flavor cooking spray. Spray the crock pot, too. Combine meat, tomato soup, and tomatoes. Sir in potatoes, rice, onion, carrot, and celery. Add parsley flakes, salt, and pepper. Mix well to combine. Cover and cook on Low for 8 hours.
Sherri, I have decided to let you name this casserole, since I posted it for you.



Can be a diet recipe if you use 90% lean ground beef.

Smoked Sausage and Sauerkraut

Smoked sausage that you purchase at a good Polish (or Hungarian) deli can not be beaten, even with a stick. However, this recipe turns out just fine with a 16 oz package of whatever is on sale at Jewel/Albertsons.

Smoked Sausage and Sauerkraut in a Slow Cooker

3 cups of unpeeled raw red potatoes
2 cups of carrots
1 chopped onion
15 oz can of sauerkraut
¼ cup of water
1 lb of smoked sausage, cut into circles

Spray slow cooker with butter flavored cooking spray. Combine potatoes, carrots, and onion in the container. Mix in the sauerkraut and water. Add sausage. Mix well. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours. Mix well before serving.

Green Chile Pork

I have had one affair in my life. Yes, it's true. But don't think less of me though because it just happened and it was love from the start. It's an affair that has continued to this day and there is no end in sight. My affair has been with Mexican food and it started because my best friend growing up has a mother who is from Mexico and she owned a Mexican restaurant in town. This was no ordinary 'Americanized' Mexican restaurant, this was the real deal. On Saturday mornings while the chorizo, eggs and potatoes were cooking, Rose was making homemade tortillas. As she pulled those awesomely warm tasty delights off of the grill, Nancy and I would smother them with butter and jam, roll them up and revel in the deliciousness. I became best friends with chicken fajitas, carne asada, tacos el pastor, chile verde and chile rellenos. Oh my.

One of my favorite dishes is chile verde. I have simplified the recipe (ok, I've Americanized it) and made it quick and easy to prepare before throwing it in a crockpot to cook so the pork can become fall apart tender. You can serve it in a tortilla with cheese, sour cream, tomatoes or whatever, but I prefer it in a bowl and scooping it up with a tortilla. Delish.

GREEN CHILE PORK

2 lbs. boneless pork roast cut into cubes
1/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon salt (heaping)
1 teaspoon cumin (heaping)
1 teaspoon chile powder (heaping)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
4 garlic cloves minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large can (28 oz or so) green enchilada sauce
2 Tablespoons corn starch

Put cut up pork in a large bowl. Sprinkle with flour, salt, cumin, chile powder and pepper and stir to coat. In a large skillet heat olive oil. Add garlic and stir for about 30 second. Add pork. Cook in skillet until pork is browned, about 5-7 minutes. Transfer to a crockpot. Add green enchilada sauce and stir well. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Before serving, to thicken the sauce, put about 1/2 cup of sauce in a bowl and whisk in 2 tablespoons of cornstarch or flour. Stir back into crockpot and let thicken for a few minutes. Serves 6.

(@ Katdish, this could be 'low carb' without the tortillas.)