Recipes

This is one of our favorite back to school comfort foods. You are going to be amazed by this recipe because you don't even cook the noodles first - everything goes into the oven all at once! (trust us...it works and it's excellent!)

Super Creamy Mac & Cheese

An easy weeknight meal.

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 2 1/2 cups uncooked macaroni/penne/orecchiette
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
• 3/4 lb grated aged cheddar cheese
• 4 1/2 cups of whole milk

Instructions:

Melt butter in a deep baking dish. Stir uncooked noodles in melted butter until well coated. Sprinkle salt and pepper and cheese on noodles. Pour milk on all until it just reaches the top of the noodles. (Do not stir) Bake at 375F for one hour. Do not stir.

Remove from the oven and top with a mixture of toasted, buttered panko bread crumbs and freshly chopped parsley. Serve with a side salad.

Chef's Tip - Make it vegan! Substitute Almond Milk when making this recipe and a cheese like grated Daiya if you're wanting to make it vegan!

Try this recipe for a super versatile Blueberry Syrup. It will make a delicious addition to your French Toast, Pancakes, Ice Cream, Yogurt, Smoothies and Cocktails all winter!

Homemade Blueberry Syrup

• 1 ½ pounds blueberries (about 5 cups)
• 4 cups water
• 2 cups sugar
• 6 x 1-inch strips of lemon zest removed with a vegetable peeler
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Instructions:

In a pot, combine the blueberries with 1 cup of the water. Crush the berries with a potato masher and bring to a simmer. Simmer over low heat for 15 minutes.

Strain the juice into a heatproof measuring cup, pressing hard on the solids. Discard the solids. Rinse out the pot. Add the sugar, lemon zest and the remaining 3 cups of water and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar.

Boil the syrup over moderate heat until it registers 225° on a candy thermometer, about 20 minutes. Add the blueberry juice and lemon juice and boil over high heat for 1 minute. Let the syrup cool, then discard the lemon zest.

Pour the syrup into just-cleaned bottles. Seal and refrigerate for up to 6 months.

Coconut Lime Cilantro Dressing

Delicious summer salad dressing!

A new favorite this summer is the beergarita punch!  It's a refreshing take on a traditional margarita. Made with corona, and limeade...and it just screams summer. The perfect drink for the beach or your next BBQ.

Beergarita Punch 

With the kids getting ready to go back to school and weeknights getting busier, we wanted to share some delicious slow cooker freezer meals. Make these now and set yourself up for success this fall.

Chef's Tips:

• Label your bags before filling them.
• Remove as much air from the freezer bag as possible, seal, and lay flat in your freezer.
• The night before cooking, move frozen bag to your refrigerator to thaw & it will be ready to transfer to the slow cooker in the morning.

6 Slow Cooker Freezer Meals

Prep now, freeze, and enjoy later!

Simple Chicken Cacciatore

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. chicken breasts
• 1 jar your favorite prepared (or homemade) spaghetti sauce
• 1 zucchini, chopped
• 1 bell pepper, chopped
• 1 large cooking onion, chopped
• 8 fresh mushrooms, halved

Instructions:

Mix all of the ingredients in large freezer bag and give it a shake to mix them. Label & freeze.
To cook: thaw in the fridge for 24 hours, then transfer bag contents to your slow cooker and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours. Serve with spaghetti noodles.

Salsa Chicken Tacos

Ingredients:

• 2 cans black beans, drained
• 2 cans corn, drained
• 3 tbsp. taco seasoning
• 1 lb. chicken breasts
• 1 cup salsa
• 3/4 cup water

Instructions:
Mix all of the ingredients in large freezer bag and give it a shake to mix them. Label & freeze.

To cook: thaw in the fridge 24 hours, then cook in your slow cooker on LOW for 7-8 hours.
Shred chicken and serve on tacos, nachos, or rice with your favorite toppings.

Pineapple Chicken

Ingredients:

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 x 9oz tin pineapple (slices or chunks) drained and juice reserved  
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded & chopped
• 3 tbsp. soy sauce
• 2 tbsp. brown sugar
• juice of 1 lemon
• ½ tsp. ground ginger
• 2 tbsp. corn starch
• ½  tsp. salt
• ½  tsp. pepper 
• ½ tsp. sriracha hot sauce

Instructions:
Toss chicken, pineapple, and bell pepper in a large freezer bag. In a bowl combine pineapple juice, soy sauce, brown sugar, lemon juice, sriracha, ginger, corn starch, salt, and pepper and mix until cornstarch and sugar dissolve.

Pour into freezer bag and shake to mix. Label & freeze.
To cook: Thaw in the fridge 24 hours, then cook in the crockpot on  LOW for 4-6 hours. Serve with rice. 

Balsamic Shredded Beef Roast

Ingredients:

• 4 pounds boneless roast beef (chuck or round roast)
• 1 cup beef broth
• ½ cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 tbsp. tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon honey
• ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped

Instructions:

Mix all of the ingredients in large freezer bag and give it a shake to mix them. Label & freeze.

To cook: thaw in the fridge 24 hours, then cook in your slow cooker on LOW for 6-8 hours Remove from slow cooker with tongs into a serving dish. Break apart lightly with two forks and then ladle about ¼ - ½ cup of the leftover sauce over the beef.  Serve with mashed sweet potatoes.

Slow Cooker Lettuce Wraps

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds of ground chicken/turkey/beer  
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded & diced
• 2 large carrots, grated  
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 can of water chestnuts, drained & chopped
• ¼  cup soy sauce
• ¼  cup ketchup
• 1 tablespoon honey
• ¼  teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 head of iceberg lettuce

Instructions:

Mix all of the ingredients in large freezer bag and give it a shake to mix them. Label & freeze.

To cook: thaw in the fridge 24 hours, then cook in your slow cooker on LOW for 4-6 hours. Break apart chicken and serve in lettuce cups.

Italian Honey & Parmesan Pork

Ingredients:

• 3 lbs. whole fresh pork loin (fat trimmed)
• 2 Tbsp. soy sauce
• ¼ cup honey
• 1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
• ¼ cup vegetable broth
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil

Instructions:

Mix all of the ingredients in large freezer bag and give it a shake to mix them. Label & freeze.

To cook: thaw in the fridge 24 hours, then cook in your slow cooker on LOW for 4-6 hours Take the meat out of the slow cooker and shred or slice. Top with some of the liquid. Serve with your choice of potatoes and vegetables.

Did you catch Angie on CTV this morning? She featured this delicious crock pot recipe, as well as several other ideas to make weeknight cooking easy!

Mushroom & Spinach Stroganoff

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp. Butter
• 1 lb. baby Portobello mushrooms, quartered
• 1 lb. button Mushrooms, quartered
• 1 medium Onion, diced
• 2 cloves of Garlic, minced
• ½ cup Vegetable, Beef or Chicken Broth
• 1 cup Sour Cream
• 3 tbsp. Tomato Paste
• 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
• ½ tsp. Black Pepper
• 1 ½ tsp. Paprika
• 8oz Cream Cheese
• 4 cups of fresh Baby Spinach

Instructions:

In a large freezer bag, mix together broth, sour cream, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, black pepper, and paprika. Add butter, mushrooms, onions and garlic.

Cook on LOW for 6-7 hours. Add cream cheese and fresh spinach – cook on LOW for another ½ hour or until everything is heated through and spinach is wilted. Serve over egg noodles, or penne.