Tuesday Recipes

Here are six recipes to try. Enjoy!

CROCKPOT APPLE BUTTER

I love homemade apple butter, and this is probably one of the easiest recipes I've found. It comes from Erin Huffstetler, About.com's Frugal Living expert. Prep Time: 30 minutes; Cook Time: 720 minutes; Total Time: 750 minutes; Yield: Varies

To view this online, click here.

Erin writes, “Pull out your crock pot, and whip up a delicious batch of apple butter. Here's how:”

Ingredients

6 lbs apples

1-1/2 cup sugar

2 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. ground cloves

1/4 tsp nutmeg

Preparation

Peel, core and slice apples.

Put the apples, sugar and spices in a crock pot (4 quarts or larger), cover and cook on high for one hour.

Remove the lid, and cook on low (stirring occasionally), until the apple butter reaches a spreadable consistency and is dark brown in color.

Transfer to hot, sterilized jars, taking care not to fill past the headspace line.

To Can: Process the jars for 10 minutes in a water bath canner.

Refrigerate any jars that fail to seal properly.

To Freeze: Allow the jars to cool. Then, place in the freezer. Use within a year, for the best quality.

Tips:

Use a variety of apples for the best flavor

Want to speed up the process? Turn your crock pot on high, and stir more frequently

Have a super-big crock pot? This recipe doubles and triples beautifully

Prefer to make your apple butter on the stove? No problem. Just set your pot to a low simmer. No recipe modifications are required

Warning: Processing times vary by altitude. Check with your local extension office for times specific to your area.

CROCK POT CHICKEN TACO MEAT

This comes from Food.com. Makes 8 servings.

To view this online, go to http://www.food.com/recipe/crock-pot-chicken-taco-meat-4957.

Ingredients

3 tablespoons taco seasoning

1 cup chicken broth

Note: Use in place of hamburger for tacos.

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast

Directions

Dissolve taco seasoning into chicken broth.

Place chicken breasts in crock pot and pour chicken broth over.

Cover and cook on low for 6 – 8 hours.

With two forks, shred the chicken meat into bite-size pieces.

To freeze, place shredded meat into freeze bags with the juices.

Press out all the air and seal.

APPLE CRISP WITH PUMPKIN SPICE MORSELS

This easy, yummy recipe comes from Very Best Baking. Prep Time: 10 minutes; Cooking Time: 20 minutes; Skill Level: Easy; Makes 16 servings, 1/2 cup each

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

2 cans (21 oz. each) apple pie filling

1 cup (6 oz.) NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Pumpkin Spice Morsels, divided

1 package (17.5 oz.) oatmeal cookie mix

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, cut into pieces

Whipped topping (optional)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375° F.

Spread pie filling into ungreased 13 x 9-inch baking dish. Sprinkle 1/4 cup morsels over filling. Place cookie mix into large bowl. Cut in butter with pastry blender or two knives until mixture is crumbly. Stir in remaining 3/4 cup morsels. Sprinkle mixture over filling.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until bubbly around edges and topping is lightly browned. Serve warm. Top with whipped topping, if desired.

MEXICAN TACO SALAD

This recipe comes from FamilyTime. Serves: varies; Prep Time: 10 minutes; Cook Time: Varies

To view this online, go to http://www.familytime.com/recipe/showrecipe.aspx?recipeid=13446.

Ingredients

1 pound beef or turkey, ground

1 cup onion, chopped

1 cup ORTEGA® Thick & Chunky Salsa

3/4 cup water

1 packet (1.25-oz.) ORTEGA® Taco Seasoning Mix

1 can (15-oz.) kidney or pinto beans

1 can (4-oz.) ORTEGA® Diced Green Chiles

6 tortilla shells, or 3 cups of tortilla chips

6 cups lettuce, shredded

3/4 cup nacho and taco blend cheese, shredded

Directions

Cook beef and onion until beef is browned; drain. Stir in salsa, water and seasoning mix. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to lwo; cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in beans and chiles.

Layer ingredients as follows in each shell: 1 cup lettuce, 3/4 cup meat mixture, 2 tablespoons cheese, guacamole and tomatoes for garnish. Serve with ORTEGA® Thick & Smooth Taco Sauce, if desired.

SLOW-COOKER CHEESY POTATO SOUP

This soup recipe comes from Tablespoon.com, and starts off, “A hot, hearty soup is waiting for you when you get home if you rely on your slow cooker!” Prep Time: 15 min; Total Time: 6 hr 45 min; Servings: 6

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

Reynolds™ Slow Cooker Liners

1 bag (32 oz) frozen southern-style diced hash brown potatoes, thawed

1/2 cup frozen chopped onion (from 12-oz bag), thawed

1 medium stalk celery, diced (1/2 cup)

1 carton (32-oz) Progresso™ chicken broth

1 cup water

3 tablespoons Gold Medal™ all-purpose flour

1 cup milk

1 bag (8 oz) shredded American-Cheddar cheese blend (2 cups)

1/4 cup real bacon pieces (from 2.8-oz package)

4 medium green onions, sliced (1/4 cup)

Directions

Place Reynolds™ Slow Cooker Liners inside a 5- to 6 1/2 -qt slow cooker bowl. Make sure that liner fits snugly against the bottom and sides of bowl and pull the top of the liner over rim of bowl.

In lined slow cooker, mix potatoes, onion, celery, broth and water.

Cover; cook on Low heat setting 6 to 8 hours.

In small bowl, mix flour into milk; stir into potato mixture. Increase heat setting to High. Cover; cook 20 to 30 minutes or until mixture thickens. Stir in cheese until melted. Garnish individual servings with bacon and green onions. Sprinkle with pepper if desired.

CHICKEN POT PIE TURNOVERS

This yummy recipe comes from Melissa d'Arabian, The Food Network's Ten Dollar Dinners. Total Time: 1 hr 25 min; Prep: 20 min; Inactive: 10 min; Cook: 55 min; Yield: 4 servings; Level: Easy

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/melissa-darabian/chicken-pot-pie-turnovers-recipe.print.html?oc=linkback

Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 onion, chopped

1 carrot, chopped

1 stalk celery, chopped

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoons dried thyme

1 tablespoon flour, plus more for dusting

1/2 cup white wine

1 cup chicken stock

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/2 cup frozen peas

1 1/2 cups cubed or shredded cooked chicken

1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed

1 egg

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Melt the butter in a large saute pan over medium heat. Cook the onions, carrots, and celery with salt and pepper, to taste, until the carrots soften, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and thyme and cook for an additional minute, stirring frequently. Add the flour and cook off the raw flavor, about 1 minute more. Turn up the heat to medium-high and deglaze the pan with the wine. Whisk in the stock and Dijon mustard. Add the peas and chicken and cook on a very low simmer until the sauce thickens up into a gravy, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.

On a lightly floured surface, unfold the pastry dough and cut into 4 even squares (cut once horizontally and once vertically). Gently roll out each square, increasing the size of the square by about 20 percent. Place the squares on a baking sheet and spoon the chicken mixture in the center. Fold the squares diagonally to create triangles. Pinch the edges together to create turnovers (use a little water if needed to bind). Press the edges with a fork to create a decorative border. Whisk the egg with a splash of water and brush the turnovers with the egg wash. Cut a small slit in the top to allow the steam to escape during baking. Bake the turnovers until golden brown, about 30 minutes. Let cool at least 10 minutes before serving as the insides will be very hot.