Slow Cooker Zuppa Toscana

 

Slow Cooker Zuppa Toscana

The classic zuppa toscana soup, in slow cooker form! It tastes WAY better than Olive Garden's, and is sure to be a crowd pleaser!

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 4 hours

Total Time 4 hours 10 minutes

Servings 6 servings

Calories 513 kcal

Author The Chunky Chef

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground Hot Italian sausage (we have used ground and links browned, sliced and then halved, I prefer the links)
• 1 bag Simply Potatoes diced potatoes and onions (can substitute with 1 diced yellow onion and 4 russet potatoes, peeled and cubed)
• 2 cloves large garlic minced
• 32 oz chicken stock
• 1/2 bunch kale (a couple of handfuls) de-stemmed and torn into bite sized (we like baby kale)
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 Tbsp flour
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Pinch of red pepper flakes optional (not for my crowd)

Instructions

1. Heat large saute pan over medium high heat and brown sausage.
2. Add minced garlic and stir to combine.
3. Drain off the grease and then add sausage and garlic to the bottom of slow cooker.
4. Add bag of diced potatoes and onion, cover with chicken stock and water (if necessary) to completely cover potatoes and sausage.
5. Cover and cook on LOW for 5-6 hours or HIGH for 3-4 (potatoes should be soft)
6. BEFORE SERVING:
7. Whisk together heavy cream and flour until well mixed. Pour into slow cooker, add kale and stir to combine.
8. Cover and cook on HIGH for 30 minutes until soup has thickened slightly.
9. Taste, season according to your tastes, and serve.

Recipe Notes

** if desired, top soup with slices of crumbled peppered bacon
** goes great with a nice crusty bread
STOVETOP INSTRUCTIONS

1. In your dutch oven or large soup pot, brown the Italian sausage and red pepper flakes over MED-HIGH heat. The last minute or two, add minced garlic. Drain.
2. Add chicken stock and bag of diced potatoes and onion (or substituted russet potatoes and diced onion), bring to a boil.
3. Keep at a low boil for about 20 minutes, or until potatoes are fork tender (this time will vary based on your stove).
4. Whisk flour and heavy cream and add to pot, stirring to combine.
5. Add in kale, stir, reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook for about 5-10 minutes (or until soup has thickened slightly).
6. Season with salt and pepper, and serve.

Borscht

Borscht

8 cups beef broth
1 pound beef stew meat
1 large onion, chopped
4 large beets, peeled, thinly chopped
3 carrots, peeled, shredded
3 large potatoes, peeled, cut into 1/2 in. cubes
2 cups thinly sliced cabbage
3/4 cup chopped fresh dill
3 Tbs red wine vinegar- balsamic works to
salt and pepper to taste
sour cream-  dollop garnish on top

Put all ingredients in but sour cream in a slow cooker on high for 4 hours.  Adjust seasoning, ladle into bowls and put a dollop of sour cream on top.  

Pepperoncini Pork Roast

Slow cookers are such huge time savers, but a lot of people never get past making the same old chili and soups in them. This pork roast gets a zingy kick from pepperoncini peppers (find them jarred near the olives at your supermarket) and dry English mustard. It’s sophisticated enough for a dinner party, and no one will ever know you made it in a crock pot!

Pepperoncini Pork Roast

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 6-8 hours on low

Serves 8

2 ½ pounds boneless pork roast

1 cup minced pepperoncini peppers

1 cup pepperoncini juice

1 tsp, black pepper

½ tsp. sea salt

¼ tsp. dried oregano

¼ tsp. dried basil

1/8 tsp. dried rosemary

1/8 tsp. dry mustard, such as Colemans (I usually rub the whole roast with regular old mustard)

3 cups chopped broccoli, spinach, or asparagus

Place all the ingredients except the vegetables in a slow cooker.  Simmer on low for 6 to 8 hours or on high for 4 to 5 hours.  (You can just slice this up but I usually shred it and then stir it all together with the peppers etc. then serve it more like pulled pork with rice) Serve with the steamed broccoli, spinach, or asparagus. 

Turkey or Buffalo Chili

Lean ground turkey or buffalo sub-in for the typical beef in this slow-cooker recipe, but you’d never know it. This recipe is a total cinch: brown the meat, throw everything into your slow cooker in the morning, and by dinner you’re good to go! You could also put it together in the evening, then when you get up, portion it out and store extra portions in the freezer.

Turkey or Buffalo Chili

Serves 6 (a single portion is 1.5 cups)

Prep time: 25 minutes. Cook time: 5 to 8 hours, depending on slow-cooker setting

Ingredients

•               1 to 1½ pounds lean ground turkey or buffalo meat

•               ½ cup diced red onion, or more if desired

•               2 Tbls. fresh parsley or cilantro

•               1 heaping Tbls. chili powder

•               1 Tbls. minced garlic

•               ½ tsp. crushed red chili flakes

•               15-ounce can white beans

•               15-ounce can kidney beans (no sugar added)

•               15-ounce can black beans

•               15-ounce can pinto beans

•               15-ounce can lentils or adzuki beans

•               4 cups chopped zucchini

•               28-oz can crushed tomatoes

•               1 heaping tsp. sea salt

Brown the turkey or buffalo meat in a skillet and drain.

Turn a slow cooker to high setting. Add the meat, onion, parsley, chili powder, garlic, and red  pepper flakes to the pot. Stir, cover and set aside.

Open and partially drain all 5 cans of beans; I leave a little liquid in to make my chili a little juicier. Add the beans, zucchini, and tomators to the cooker. Stir well.  Keep the cooker set on high for 4 to 5 hours or adjust heat to low and simmer for 6 to 8 hours.

Stir and taste occasionally, adjusting seasonings as needed. Add the salt just before serving to best preserve its nutrients.

Slow Cooker Pesto Ranch Chicken

This was really great and so easy.  I made another crockpot of scalloped potatoes and we had a delicious easy meal all ready when we got home from an evening of soccer games.  I also thought this would be yummy with more veggies- carrots, mushrooms etc.

Slow Cooker Pesto Ranch Chicken

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, or 12 or so tenderloins- i just put them in frozen.
• 6 ounce jar pesto (I used basil pesto) I love the Sam's club brand, all pesto's are not created equal, so pick one that is not dry, and I think the refrigerated pesto is much tastier.
• 1 package ranch dressing seasoning mix or 3 Tablespoons
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1 -2 cups frozen green beens or you can use canned- add this the last half hour.

1.  Spray slow cooker with cooking spray and place chicken breasts in the bottom.

2.  Sprinkle ranch packet over the chicken breasts, pour pesto over the top, and lastly pour the chicken broth over the top.

3.  Cook on high for 4-6 hours or low for 6-8 hours.
Recipe adapted from Picky Palate 

Vegetable and Wild Rice Soup

• This is the same recipe as one of my favorite soups with chicken in it- but I omit the chicken and add a bunch more vegetables.  It is still really tasty and doesn't miss the chicken one bit.  The mustard powder and curry give it a nice little touch. 
• Saute for five minutes:
  1/2 cup butter
  1/2 cup chopped celery
  1/2 cup sliced carrots
  1/2 cup diced onion
• Add and Saute for 2 more minutes:
  1/2 pound fresh sliced mushrooms
• Add and stir well:
  3/4 cup flour
• Gradually pour in:
  6 cups of chicken broth
  2 ears of corn on the cob- or one can of corn2 small summer squash or one medium
  handful of green beans or peas
  really any vegetables that you would like!
• Stir constantly until all has been added. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and let simmer.
• Add:
  2 cups cooked wild rice
  1/2 tsp salt
  1/2 tsp curry powder
  1/2 tsp mustard powder
  1/2 tsp dried parsley
  1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper
• Allow to heat through, then pour in:
  2 cups of half and half
• Let simmer 1-2 hours. Do not boil or your roux will break. Can also be cooked easily in a crock pot. Yummy.

Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

• Saute for five minutes:
  1/2 cup butter
  1/2 cup chopped celery
  1/2 cup sliced carrots
• Add and Saute for 2 more minutes:
  1/2 pound fresh sliced mushrooms
• Add and stir well:
  3/4 cup flour
• Gradually pour in:
  6 cups of chicken broth
• Stir constantly until all has been added. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and let simmer.
• Add:
  2 cups cooked wild rice
  1-2 cups cooked, diced chicken
  1/2 tsp salt
  1/2 tsp curry powder
  1/2 tsp mustard powder
  1/2 tsp dried parsley
  1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper
• Allow to heat through, then pour in:
  2 cups of half and half
• Let simmer 1-2 hours. Do not boil or your roux will break. Can also be cooked easily in a crock pot. Yummy.

Tortilla Soup

TORTILLA SOUP
This is a great recipe.  Toss it in the crock pot and enjoy later.  It tastes really fresh- don't forget the lime juice. Its also a great recipe for an abundant zucchini crop.

• 6 cups of chicken broth
  1-16 oz can diced stewed toms
  2-16 oz cans corn drained
  1 cup of cooked, diced chicken, or 10 oz can chicken drained
  2 tsp cumin
  1 tsp crushed red pepper
  1 tsp dried minced onion
  1/2-1tsp chili powder
  1 small yellow squash cut into small cubes
  1 small zucchini squash cut into small cubes
  • Combine in crock pot and cook on high for 4-5 hours. Ladle into bowls, and serve with shredded cheese, diced avocado, cilantro, tortilla chips, olives and lime juice. It tastes so fresh, I love it.

"Award" Winning Enchilada Soup

• I really did win a first place award for this at our ward chili cook-off. It isn't even a chili. Good stuff.
  • Saute:
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 medium onion chopped
  • 4 Tbs oil
• Add:
  • 4 cups water
  • 1- 15oz can diced stewed tomatoes
  • 1-4oz can chopped green chilies
    2- beef boullion cubes
    3- Chicken boullion cubes
    1-2 cups, diced or shredded cooked chiken
    1 TBS cumin
    1 medium Zuccini diced
    Garlic salt and pepper to taste.
• Cook until zucchini is softened
  1 can of corn or use frozen
• Then Add:
  8 oz sour cream
  1 can cream of chicken soup
  12 oz can evaporated milk
  2-3 cups shredded cheese
• The last time I made this I added a can of great northern beans, and I usually add a little more cumin, cause I like it, so add as much as you like. If you like, add chili powder as well. Ladle into bowls and serve with tortilla chips.

Slow Cook Pork Tortilla Soup- Sara

• 3-4 lbs Pork Roast (You can use about 4 chicken breasts instead)
• ½-1 tsp. taco seasoning
• Garlic Salt and Onion Powder
• 2 16 oz. jars salsa (I like to use Taco Bell mild)
• 6 cups chicken broth (3 cans or use bullion)
• 2-15 oz cans black beans (lightly drained)
• 1-15 oz can corn (lightly drained)
• 1-15 oz can diced tomatoes with green chilies
• Trim fat off pork. Rub with seasoning. Place in large crockpot. Pour salsa over top. Slow cook on low for 4-6 hours. Break apart roast. (I take out half of meat for another recipe, but you can leave all meat in for a meatier soup).
• Add all other ingredients. Add dashes of garlic salt and taco seasoning to taste. Simmer on low for 2-4 hours or on high for 1 hour. Serve with crushed tortilla chips, shredded cheese, diced avocado, and sour cream. This is always a hit!

Crockpot Coq Au Vin- Sara

• CROCKPOT COQ AU VIN-Sara
• 3-4 pounds chicken (with bone or without, but no skin)
  16 oz mushrooms, sliced
  Cooking wine (about 2/3 cup)
  2 cans crm of mushroom soup
  3 cloves garlic, minced
  Garlic salt to taste
  
  • Place mushrooms in crockpot.
    Sprinkle with garlic salt, and 1/3 of cooking wine.
    Place chicken over mushrooms so that chicken is not touching the
    edges of the crockpot. Sprinkle with a little garlic salt.
    Stir mushroom soup with minced garlic and remaining wine.
    Pour over chicken. Turn on pot to low.
    Cook for 5-6 hours (more if chicken has bone, less if boneless).
    Remove bones if preferred (usually you need to fish for them, they fall off so easily).
  • Make sauce a little thicker by cooking 1 Tbsp butter and 1 Tbsp flour (stirring for 1 minute) then adding
    at least ¾ cup of sauce. Boil to thicken, then add to crockpot and
    stir. Serve over rice, mashed potatoes, or noodles. THIS IS A FAVORITE!

Sticky Chicken- Mom Redd

STICKY CHICKEN-Mom Redd1 lb. Skinless boneless cooked chicken breasts cut into strips
1 C apricot or plum jam
1 C fat free Catalina salad dressing
½ -1 envelope dry onion soup mix

• 
  
  Mix all ingredients together. Heat in oven. Serve over rice.
• 
  
  Ivalou's note *Sautee chicken in frying pan using olive oil. Combine
  rest of ingredients in bowl and mix together. Pour over chicken and
  bring to a boil. Turn heat to low, partially covered. Simmer 15-20
  minutes. So easy and Super Good!!!!
  
  Or cook in Slow Cooker 6-8 hours on high