Slow Cooker Sour Cream Pork Chops

 

 

Does anyone else have a few penny-pinched Kraft Fresh Take seasoning kits in their fridge that need to be used up? When I was looking at the Publix sales ad this week and saw they were on sale (~again~), I decided surely we could use them to make a  yummy slow cooker meal this week.

 

These Slow Cooker Sour Cream Pork Chops only took about 15 minutes to prepare in the morning, and I love having a meal all ready to go at the end of the day! My son said they were fantastic, and everyone in our family gobbled theirs down. Here’s how to get started making a simple penny pinched meal in your home too!

Slow Cooker Sour Cream Pork Chops

Ingredients

  • 6 pork chops
  • salt and pepper
  • garlic powder
  • 1 onion, sliced thin
  • 2 cups chicken broth
  • 2 tbsp flour
  • 1 8 oz container sour cream
  • 1 Kraft Fresh Takes ~ we used Italian Parmesan but you could easily substitue with regular bread crumbs and 1/2 cup Mozzarella cheese

Instructions

  1. Salt and pepper pork chops and sprinkle with garlic powder.
  2. Dredge pork chops in bread crumbs from Kraft Fresh Take.
  3. Saute chops in olive oil over medium heat, just until lightly browned.
  4. Place pork chops in slow cooker and cover with onion slices.
  5. Pour 2 cups chicken broth over the pork chops and cook on low, 6-8 hours.
  6. Transfer pork chops from slow cooker to baking dish and keep warm in 200 degree oven.
  7. Meanwhile, add sour cream, flour and Mozarellla cheese from Kraft Fresh Take to slow cooker.
  8. Turn slow cooker to high, and cook until sauce thickens slightly (mine didn't get very thick).
  9. Serve over pasta or with mashed potatoes ~ enjoy!
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Here are the sale items you’ll want to watch for this week to make this meal:

Thanks to I Heart Publix for the coupon matchups, and check out $5 Dinner Mom for more bargain meal deals!  If you need a little more menu inspiration, go HERE

Simply Potatoes Potato Soup

 

Potato Soup

 

The last time that I purchased Simply Potatoes during a big sale at Publix, I never used them, forgot to freeze them, and ended up throwing them out. {gasp!}

 

Determined not to make the same mistake twice, I decided to use some leftovers from Easter Dinner and whip up something yummy from our fridge and stockpile for dinner last night. If you’re a Publix Shopper I’m betting you have all these ingredients right in your kitchen, and this is a great way to turn those deals into meals!  While I love getting great deals, if I pick up the deals but forget to use them I’m not saving any money at all (and wasting my time . . . ) so coming up with ways to make use of a bargain always makes me happy.

Just for fun, here’s what this pot of soup cost me:

  • Simply Potatoes ($.30 in last week’s sale)
  • Sargento Cheese $.74 (2 cup bags were $1.49 after coupons last week, plus I got free eggs because I bought two)
  • Ham (leftover from Easter, so I had to buy it anyways)
  • Philadelphia Cream Cheese (free at Publix a few weeks ago)
  • Swanson Chicken Broth ($.67 for large carton in last week’s sale)
  • Half and Half (I think it was around $1.67 ~ I actually bought if for another recipe so I had some in the refrigerator. . . I’ve substituted with milk before in other potato soup recipes, but I’m not sure it would be quite as creamy unless the milk was 2% or whole?)
  • Total Spent: $3.38 for enough soup to easily feed 6-8 people (if you really want to treat your family, add a loaf of homemade bread and Cinnamon Butter too)
My family loved the recipe, and while it took just an ounce more effort than my slow cooker potato soup recipe takes, it was still super easy to throw together  and used some great bargains too.   I’d love to hear if you’ve turned any deals into meals lately . . . it’s fun to see what recipes work when using what you have on hand!

 

Simply Potatoes Potato Soup

Ingredients

  • 14 oz can chicken broth
  • 2 cups Simply Potatoes (I used hashbrowns but think any of the Simply Potatoes brands would work
  • 1 1/2 cups chopped fully cooked ham (optional but will add a little flavor)
  • 2 cups half and half
  • 3 oz cream cheese, softened, cut into small pieces
  • 1 cup (4 ounces) cheddar cheese
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 pepper

Instructions

  1. Combine chicken broth, potatoes and ham in saucepan on stove.
  2. Bring to a boil and cook, then reduce heat and cook on low for 20 minutes.
  3. Add half and half, and cook an additional 10 -15 minutes, or until potatoes are tender.
  4. Add cream cheese, cheddar cheese, salt and pepper. Cook until cheese is melted.
  5. Enjoy!
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Recipe adapted from Simply Potatoes.  Thanks to I Heart Publix for the coupon matchups, and check out $5 Dinner Mom for more bargain meal deals!  If you need a little more menu inspiration, go HERE

 

Easy Lasagna

 

 

I got this great Easy Lasagna recipe from my friend Mary earlier in the week, and couldn’t wait to try it out! When I checked out the Publix sales ad and saw that Publix had their Jimmy Dean Sausage crumbles on sale in the new ad, I knew this was the perfect week to try it out.  Rather than cooking the sausage myself, I just grabbed a bag of the Jimmy Dean Sausage Crumbles in the refrigerated section of my store, and got to work!

 

While I’ve always made lasagna from scratch, I loved that it took me just fifteen minutes to throw this together, and then an hour to bake. The no-bake noodles worked perfectly (I wasn’t so sure since I haven’t used them before. . .), and saved me quite a bit of prep time. I served it with a side salad and some stockpiled frozen garlic bread, and everyone in my family gobbled it down! Here’s how you can make dinner easy in your home too this week . . .

 

{Mostly} Homemade Lasagna

{Mostly} Homemade Lasagna

Ingredients

  • 1 box (9 oz.) no boil pasta (I used Barilla pasta)
  • 2 eggs
  • 15 oz. ricotta cheese
  • 4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 lb. cooked Italian Sausage or Ground Beef (I used Jimmy Dean's pre-cooked Sausage crumbles)
  • 2 15 oz. jars pasta sauce

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375.
  2. Mix together beaten eggs, ricotta, 2 cups Mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.
  3. Spread 1 cup sauce on bottom of baking pan.
  4. Layer 4 uncooked sheets pasta (slightly overlapping), 1/3 Ricotta mixture, half browned meat, 1 cup sauce and 1 cup mozzarella.
  5. Then layer another 4 uncooked sheets, 1/3 ricotta, and 1 1/2 cup sauce.
  6. Layer 4 more uncooked sheets, remaining ricotta and browned meat, and 1 cup sauce.
  7. Layer last 4 uncooked sheets of pasta, remaining sauce, and 1 more cup mozzarella cheese.
  8. Bake covered with foil until bubbly, about 50-60 minutes.
  9. Uncover and cook a few minutes more until cheese is melted.
  10. Let stand 15 minutes prior to serving. Enjoy!
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Here are the sale items you’ll want to watch for this week to make this meal:

 

 

Thanks to I Heart Publix for the coupon matchups, and check out $5 Dinner Mom for more bargain meal deals!  If you need a little more menu inspiration, go HERE

 

 

Simple Stovetop Roast

 

 

This is a simple stovetop roast for the momma who’s never made a stovetop roast in her life (aka, me.) Every roast that I’ve cooked has been in the slow cooker (with varying levels of success . . . this one and this one are my favorites for the slow cooker. . .) however this simple stovetop roast just might be my favorite roast ever.

 

It doesn’t take much work in the kitchen at all, and the results are fantastic. (Seriously, my little girl just kept asking for more “chicken” over and over . . . apparently she thinks the only thing we serve around here is chicken.) ;)  My husband declared it “almost as good as Bob Evans” and my kids agreed it actually beat Bob Evans, so I’m one pleased mom. And, the best part is we’ll turn the leftovers into open face roast sandwiches . . .yummmmmm! Here’s the recipe so you can impress your family too.

 

Also . . . I’m already planning to make this for my in-laws when they come to visit because it’s *almost* gluten free ~ except for the flour in the gravy. I’m wondering if corn starch would work in place of the flour to thicken the gravy? If you eat a gluten free diet and have any tips, I’d love for you to share them!

 

 

Simple Stovetop Roast

Simple Stovetop Roast

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 (2-3 pound beef sirloin tip roast
  • 1 onion
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 2 cups coffee (brewed)
  • 1 1/2 cups water
  • 2 cubes beef bouillon
  • 1 tbsp salt
  • 1 tsp pepper
  • 1/2 cup flour
  • 1/2 cup water
  • salt to taste

Instructions

  1. Heat olive oil in stock pot over medium heat.
  2. Sear roast on both sides for about two minutes, until slightly browned.
  3. Remove roast from stove top and place on plate.
  4. Cook onion and garlic on stovetop for 10-15 minutes, until onions are lightly browned, stirring occasionally so they don't burn.
  5. Return roast to pan.
  6. Pour coffee, 1 1/2 cups water, beef bouillon, 1 tablespoon salt and pepper over roast.
  7. Bring broth to a boil, then reduce heat to medium low and cover stock pot.
  8. Simmer until meat is cooked and falling apart, about 2-3 hours (mine took about 2 hours and 15 minutes, and then I let it continue to cook over very low heat to keep warm.)
  9. Remove roast from stove top and place in serving tray. Cover to keep warm.
  10. Whisk together flour and 1/2 cup water until smooth with no lumbs.
  11. Slowly add flour mixture into broth and whisk until gravy is smooth.
  12. Season with salt if needed.
  13. Pour some gravy over the roast and add the rest to a bowl for serving.
  14. Enjoy!
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Here are the sale items you’ll want to watch for this week to make this meal:

  • Bertolli Olive Oil 17 oz BOGO $7.60 at Publix
  • Sirloin Tip Roast $3.99/lb at Publix
  • Kroger Value Russet Potatoes $2.99/10 lb. bag

Recipe adapted from All Recipes.  Thanks to I Heart Publix for the coupon matchups, and check out $5 Dinner Mom for more bargain meal deals!  If you need a little more menu inspiration, go HERE

Alice Springs Chicken

If you enjoy this recipe, I’d sure love for you to share it with your friends on Pinterest, and come join me there too! 

 {‘xcuse me . . . had to take a break from getting these pictures shared to go have just one more bite of this deliciousness . . . do you know how hard it is to share a crazy good recipe on an empty stomach?}

 

This is some seriously good chicken. Like, so good that my (not-easily-impressed-with-a-new-recipe) husband even said, “That’s way better than restaurant food.”  I kept trying to remember what restaurant recipe it reminded me of, and all I could think of was Outback Steakhouse’s Alice Springs Chicken. It’s not an exact match, but you might just like it better ~ we did!

 

The pictures really don’t do it justice, just trust me on this one . . . it’s incredible. I think part of what made it so good was that we used Perdue Fit & Easy thinly sliced chicken breast (marked down to $1.99 at my Publix last week), and those thin slices made the recipe even tastier. I checked this morning and the thin slices aren’t included in the Perdue $2.99/lb. chicken deal this week, so you might want to slice it thinly at home befoer baking. (Or, if your meat manager isn’t busy, you might just ask him to do it for you!)

 

The best part?  I’m thinking these will make for some absolutely perfect chicken barbecue sandwiches tonight as leftovers when I plop them on a bun for dinner. Does it get much better than that? (At our house, that’s pretty good. . .)

Okay . . . on to the recipe  . . .

 

Alice Springs Chicken

Alice Springs Chicken

Ingredients

  • 2 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast (thinly sliced is best)
  • 1 tsp. garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp. pepper
  • 10 slices bacon
  • 4 slices Cheddar Cheese
  • 1 cup barbecue sauce

Instructions

  1. Season chicken with pepper and garlic powder.
  2. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes in oven, or until juices run clear.
  3. While chicken is baking, cook bacon.
  4. Once chicken has baked, pour barbecue sauce over chicken.
  5. Then layer bacon and cheese.
  6. Bake an additional 5 minutes, making sure cheese has melted.
  7. Enjoy!
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Here are the sale items you’ll want to watch for this week:

 

Thanks to I Heart Publix for the coupon matchups, and check out $5 Dinner Mom for more bargain meal deals!  If you need a little more menu inspiration, go HERE

Slow Cooker Ranch House Pork Chops

If you enjoy this recipe, I’d sure love for you to share it with your friends on Pinterest, and come join me there too! 

20120307-211736.jpg

I bought pork chops yesterday to re-make this recipe (and take a better picture!), however it turns out I’ve got three kids going three different directions tonight, so we’ll be having leftovers on our way out the door. I’ll update the picture when we actually do have a night home to make this one, but oh-my-goodness I promise this one’s delicious and you’ll love it!

I’ve tried several recipes for pork chops in the crockpot, and not really been all that impressed.  (A crockpot is a wonderful thing, but a bad recipe in the crockpot always seems to turn out just horrible!)  So, I was a little skeptical about this recipe, but it turned out perfectly!  (In fact, my son called it a “five star meal” . . . yayyy!)  I literally found this recipe on Pinterest at noon, popped my pork chops in the microwave for a minute to defrost, threw them in Mrs. Potts with the rest of the ingredients while they were still half frozen (really!), and sure enough they were just delicious five hours later. Woot!

 

Slow Cooker Ranch House Pork Chops and Potatoes

Ingredients

  • 6 pork chops
  • 1 packet dry Ranch Dressing Seasoning
  • 10 oz. can cream of chicken soup
  • 4 lbs. potatoes
  • 5 tbsp. butter or margarine
  • 6 cloves roasted garlic
  • 1 1/2 cup warm milk (we used skim)
  • 1 tbsp. salt optional, to taste
  • 1 tsp. fresh cracked pepper optional

Instructions

  1. Directions (for the pork chops)
  2. Place pork chops, ranch seasoning & soup in slow cooker and heat on high four hours or low six hours. (Ours cooked on high for four hours, and were even a little frozen when they went in.)
  3. Directions (for the potatoes)
  4. Roast garlic. (To roast the garlic, cover the entire garlic bulb including skin in aluminum foil and bake at 350 for one hour. Then let cool, remove from skins and mix into a paste to add to your potatoes.)
  5. While garlic is cooling, cook peeled potatoes in large pot of water for about 15-18 minutes, until ready to mash.
  6. Mash potatoes, then add garlic, salt, and pepper.
  7. Slowly add in milk until the potatoes are the consistency that you'd like them (mine only needed about 1 cup of the milk.)
  8. Add potatoes to plate, then cover with pork chops from slow cooker and use the sauce for your gravy. . . yummmm!
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Looking for more slow cooker recipes to add to your menu plan this week? Here you go . . .

Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff

If you enjoy this recipe, I’d sure love for you to share it with your friends on Pinterest, and come join me there too! 

I posted this simple recipe for Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff  way back in September of 2011, but it’s one of our favorites and I’m adding it to our menu plan next week! If you try it out, I’d love to hear what you think.

I’ve never tried Beef Stroganoff in our slow cooker before, so I was thrilled to find a simple recipe that made cooking a night of cooking a little simpler at our house!  This was so good, but a wee bit on the pricey for us.  However, it made enough for dinner plus tons of leftovers, so we’ll freeze what we don’t eat tomorrow and then just reheat the meal when we need a quick dinner.  (You can freeze it in plastic bags even with the noodles as long as they’re cooked, then just re-heat and serve!)

 

Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff

Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff

Ingredients

  • 2 lb. beef stew meat
  • 2 cans Golden Mushroom Soup
  • 1 onion
  • 4 oz. cream cheese
  • 1 tbsp Worcestershire
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1 beef bouillon cube
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/8 tsp. pepper
  • 1 cup mushrooms
  • noodles, cooked

Instructions

  1. Heat bouillion cube in water in microwave for 30 seconds. Then place all of the first ten ingredients in slow cooker.
  2. Cook on low 5-6 hours.
  3. About 30 minutes before meat is cooked, saute mushrooms in 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add to stroganoff and let it cook another fifteen minutes. Whisk any cream cheese that has not melted completely until smooth.
  4. Serve over cooked noodles, enjoy!
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    Looking for more slow cooker recipes to add to your menu plan this week? Here you go . . .

Slow Cooker Potato Soup

This is a re-post of our favorite Slow Cooked Potato Soup recipe that we make each Christmas. If you need a warm meal while it’s chilly outside, this one is a great penny-pinched option!

 

We made this Slow Cooker Potato Soup on Christmas Eve, and goodness gracious, it was perfect! I’ve made it once before but had forgotten just how yummy it was, however my husband decided after tasting it that this is the only Potato Soup recipe I need to make from here on out.

 

I did use half and half this time (before I’d only tried it with skim milk, which worked well too but it never thickened quite as much.) It was so simple, and would be a great penny-pinched meal to enjoy on a cold winter night this week!

 

Slow Cooker Potato Soup

Ingredients

  • 4 slices bacon
  • 1 1/2 cups chopped onions
  • 5 cups peeled russet potatoes (about five potatoes)
  • 1 medium stalk celery
  • 1 carton (4 cups) chicken broth
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1/4 tsp. pepper
  • 1/2 cup all purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 cups half and half or milk (we used skim milk and it was fine, but it might be a little creamier if you use half and half)
  • 8 oz. shredded Cheddar Cheese

Instructions

  1. In skillet, cook bacon over medium heat, until browned & crispy. Remove from skillet, and drain on paper towels, then refrigerate until dinner time.
  2. In bacon drippings, cook onion over medium heat 4-5 minutes, stirring frequently, until tender.
  3. Spray slow cooker with cooking spray. In cooker, mix onion, potatoes, celery, broth, salt & pepper. Cook in slow cooker on low for 6-7 hours.
  4. In small bowl, beat flour and half and half (or milk) with wire whisk until well blended; stir into soup.
  5. Increase heat on slow cooker until high. Cover; cook about 30 minutes longer or until thickened.
  6. Stir in cheese until melted & smooth. (If you want fewer lumps in your soup, you’ll want to mash the potatoes a bit with a potato masher.)
  7. Crumble bacon, serve on top of soup.
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Looking for more slow cooker recipes to add to your menu plan this week? Here you go . . .

 

Thanks to I Heart Publix for the coupon matchups, and check out $5 Dinner Mom for more bargain meal deals!  If you need a little more menu inspiration, go HERE

Slow Cooker Barbecue Ribs

Ready for another slow cooker recipe? If you’d like ribs this weekend but it’s too cold out to grill, these are a simple way to make them without lighting up the grill. So good, and you only need five ingredients . . . woot!

 

I think I’ve finally figured out ribs in the slow cooker (WOOHOO!)  After reading through a few suggestions on how to cook ribs in the crockpot, I made these today and they were perfect.  And EASY.  What more could a girl ask for?

 

Here’s the trick:  do NOT just put the ribs in the slow cooker.  (I know, I know . . . that takes a little of the fun out of slow cooking, but I promise spending a few minutes to prepare those ribs in the morning will reward you with some fall-apart-heavenly ribs!)  Allow just thirty minutes in the morning to pre-bake them in the oven, and then let your slow cooker to the rest of the cooking for you.  These were so good that my husband declared them better than Logan’s Roadhouse, and liked them as much as our favorite rib recipe for the grill.

 

 

Yup, I was a rockstar at our house tonight. Here’s the recipe if you want to be a rockstar too. . .  ;)

Slow Cooker Barbecue Ribs

Ingredients

  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • Garlic Salt
  • Barbecue Sauce (we used Sweet Baby Rays)
  • 3-4 lbs. Pork Long Country Style Ribs, or Pork Sirloin Chops

Instructions

  1. Season ribs with salt, pepper and garlic salt.
  2. Bake at 350 in oven for 15 minutes, then turn ribs over and bake another 15 minutes.
  3. Transfer ribs to slow cooker (you may need to cut them to fit into Mrs. Potts!) :)
  4. Pour bottle of barbecue sauce over top of the ribs.
  5. Cook for 6-7 hours on low.
  6. Serve along with extra barbecue sauce (optional).
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Looking for more slow cooker recipes to add to your menu plan this week? Here you go . . .

Slow Cooker Italian Chicken

please forgive the photo . . . it was late and we were hungry, so no time for a pretty pic! ;)

 

I saw this great recipe for Pesto Ranch Chicken Thighs over on Pinterest, but when I went to actually make it, I was missing almost all of the ingredients! Because I’ll do anything to avoid a last minute (un-planned) trip to the grocery store, I decided to see what I could come up with using what we did have on hand.

 

Guess what? This Slow Cooker Italian Chicken turned out perfectly!  I served it with green beans, mashed potatoes, and some of those Country Crock Apples that were $.50 at Publix last week (those taste just like Cracker Barrel. . . ), and my little family gobbled down every bite on their plate. I’m planning to shred the leftover chicken for lunch to make a Caesar Chicken Wrap.  Here’s the recipe if you’d like to add it to your menu plan:

Slow Cooker Italian Chicken

Slow Cooker Italian Chicken

Ingredients

  • 1 - 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 1/8 cup parmesan cheese (I used the DiGiorno grated cheese)
  • 1 tsp minced garlic
  • 4 tsp Italian seasoning
  • 2 tablespoon minced onion
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder

Instructions

  1. Place chicken in slow cooker.
  2. Mix remaining ingredients, pour over chicken.
  3. Cook on low 6-8 hours, or on high 3-4 hours.
  4. Enjoy!
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Here are the sale items and coupons you’ll want to watch for this week (2/20/13) to pinch those pennies at Publix this week on this meal:

  • Crisco Olive Oil 16.9 oz BOGO $5.99 at Publix
  • Or Extra Light Olive Oil 17 oz. $2.79 at Aldi’s
  • Perdue Chicken Breast Individually Wrapped Frozen 32 oz. $6.99, use $1/1 Perdue Chicken Breast
  • Sam’s Club also has 6 lbs. Daily Chef Frozen boneless skinless chicken breast for $10.98 (makes it $1.83/lb.)

 

Looking for more slow cooker recipes to add to your menu plan this week? Here you go . . .

 

 

 

Thanks to I Heart Publix for the coupon matchups, and check out $5 Dinner Mom for more bargain meal deals!  If you need a little more menu inspiration, go HERE