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Chicken Drummies in Pucker-Up Honey Sauce

Chicken DrummiesWe love wings around here. Plus we also love chicken marinades and those work for wings or low-fat chicken breasts. Yes, I say that because I have a wrestler cutting weight and I have my IBS issues. Both of us can’t do greasy-fried wings but we still want the flavor darn it! So just use 3lbs of your favorite chicken meat.  Double the recipe and toss some in the freezer for later.

This makes a full meal when served alongside potato salad or another hearty side dishes. Normally potato salad is a Summer dish but I’m here to break us out of that routine. We love our summer salads so any excuse to bring it into the Winter is a good one. lol

Chicken Drummies in Pucker-Up Honey Sauce
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Recipe type: Main
Author: Val
Prep time: 15 mins
Cook time: 4 hours
Total time: 4 hours 15 mins
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
  • 3 lb. chicken drummies (drumstick looking part of wings)
  • 2 cups honey
  • 1 cup soy sauce
  • 1/2 cup spicy marinara sauce
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  • salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. Put drummies on broiler pan and sprinkle wings with salt and pepper.
  2. Cook under the broiler for about 15 minutes or until browned, flipping over once.
  3. Put browned chicken drummies in slow cooker.
  4. In separate bowl, mix together honey, soy sauce, marinara, and oil, then pour over drummies.
  5. Cover slow cooker and turn heat to LOW and Cook for 4 to 5 hours.
  6. Remove from slow cooker to platter and serve hot.

Photo credit: Perry Marco

Cheesesteak Sandwiches

I’ve never been to Philly so I’m not saying that’s what these sandwiches are. I can’t compare it for ya. But I know we love them and they are easy.

We’re trying to go through the beef in the freezer so I am mixing it up with the recipes. This recipe will freeze well believe it or not. Just cook the vegetables about half way. Then you can fry them back up after you thawing and they won’t get mushy.

I have a big, castiron skillet so I was trying to make these as I’ve seen them grill them up on tv or at the mall. It worked pretty well and everyone got their sandwich hot and fresh off the stove.

Cheesesteak Sandwiches
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Recipe type: Main
Author: Val
Prep time: 5 mins
Cook time: 20 mins
Total time: 25 mins
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 1.5-2lbs cubed steak or inexpensive steak pounded out, cut into thin strips
  • 2 medium green peppers, sliced
  • 1 small onion, sliced
  • 8 slices of provolone cheese
  • 1 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp seasoning salt
  • black pepper to taste
  • 4 large hoagie rolls or hard rolls, split but not all the way through
Instructions
  1. Heat large skillet on medium high. Add olive oil and heat oil.
  2. Add vegetables and saute but make sure they stay slightly firm. You don’t want them mushy.
  3. Set vegetables aside on plate or in a bowl.
  4. Add meat to skillet. Sprinkle seasonings over the meat. Cook until meat is just barely pink.
  5. Now for me, I moved the meat all over to one side of the skillet so I could put each sandwich together separately, but you may need to put the meat on a plate of it’s own.
  6. Put 1/4 of the meat into the skillet somewhat in the shape of your rolls. Add desired amount of vegetables on top of the meat and layer two slices of cheese on top.
  7. Wait for cheese to melt, about 3 minutes.
  8. Open up sliced roll and scoop meat mixture into the roll. I use a big spatula so I can try to get it fully in one scoop and lay it gently in the roll.
Notes

You can gently toast the rolls before putting the meat mixture in if you prefer. That is how my family likes it but I like my roll softer.

 

Apple Brats and Kraut

Apple Brats and KrautWe have a long history of German’s in our family. That said, I’m not a German food fan. lol I know, kick me as you see fit.

However, my family loves it and I’m happy to oblige. German recipes are easy and I’ve found very few that can’t be added to the slow cooker. They are still very flavorful meals. Seems like they just had other things to do besides spend hours in the kitchen. NO WONDER I associate with my German ancestors! Meal planning and freezer cooking is right up their alley. Get it prepared because there is so much other stuff to get done.

Serve this with some fried red potatoes and onion, plus steamed broccoli for a full, nutritious meal.

Apple Brats and Kraut
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Recipe type: Main
Author: Val
Prep time: 10 mins
Cook time: 3 hours
Total time: 3 hours 10 mins
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 1 lb. bratwursts, cut in fourths on a diagonal
  • 4 tart apples (like Granny Smith) cored, and sliced into 8 wedges each
  • 1 (27 oz) can sauerkraut
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 1/4 cup water
Instructions
  1. Put all ingredients in slow cooker.
  2. Add 1/4 cup water and stir gently.
  3. Put cover on and let cook on LOW for 3 to 4 hours.

 
Photo credit: reynolds.james.e

Southern Style Beef Stew

I’m Irish, so there just aren’t too many stews that I don’t want to gobble up with biscuits. This one is a little different for my Irish blood as there really aren’t a lot of vegetables going on. It’s very quick to toss together and of course, filling, as that is a major requirement for a stew.

Southern Style Beef Stew
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Recipe type: Main
Author: Val
Prep time: 15 mins
Cook time: 6 hours
Total time: 6 hours 15 mins
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 1 lb. beef stew meat
  • 1 can (15 oz) diced tomatoes with garlic
  • 2 cups kale, cleaned and chopped
  • 1 can (15 oz) black eyed peas, drained and rinsed
  • 1/2 bunch of fresh kale
  • 1 clove fresh garlic
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/8 tsp black pepper
  • 1/2 cup flour
  • 2 TBSP oil for frying
Instructions
  1. Put salt, pepper, and flour in paper bag, add beef and shake to combine.
  2. Heat oil in cast iron pan over medium heat, then add beef and brown quickly. Remove beef from skillet with slotted spoon to slow cooker.
  3. In same skillet over low heat add can of diced tomatoes and stir to get browned bits from skillet.
  4. To slow cooker, add kale, garlic and black-eyed peas then pour diced tomatoe mixture from skillet over all.
  5. Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours until beef is nice and tender.

 
Photo credit: mailsparky

Orange Marmalade Chicken and Sweet Potatoes

Orange Marmalade I know when I asked on the facebook fanpage most of us were in agreement that we make the same slow cooker recipes or slight variations of the same recipes a lot.

I want to help all of us break out of the spaghetti sauce and chili routine. I love sweet potatoes and chicken is a mainstay in my house. You can find chicken thighs on sale quite frequently so this recipe becomes very frugal as well.

Orange Marmalade Chicken and Sweet Potatoes
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Recipe type: Main
Author: Val
Prep time: 15 mins
Cook time: 6 hours
Total time: 6 hours 15 mins
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 4 sweet potatoes, cleaned and cut into large squares
  • 6 chicken thighs, skin off
  • 1 cup orange marmalade
  • 1/2 cup chicken broth
  • salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. Put prepared sweet potatoes in slow cooker, add salt and pepper to taste.
  2. Arrange chicken thighs on top of sweet potatoes, sprinkle with salt and pepper.
  3. Mix orange marmalade and chicken broth together in separate bowl, then pour over the chicken.
  4. Set slow cooker to LOW and cook covered for 6 to 8 hours.
  5. Spoon sauce over top of chicken when serving. Serve alongside steamed kale for a complete meal.

 
Photo credit: L. Marie