Cookin With Brooke

WHAT?! I never even thought to try to make pizza in a crock-pot, have you? But it’s CROCK-Tober and we tried it! In the studio this morning!! Tommy gave it two spatulas up!

Ingredients

1 can (11 oz) refrigerated thin pizza crust
1/3 cup pizza sauce
¼ lb sausage, cooked, crumbled
½ cup sliced pepperoni
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

 

Spray 3½ – to 4-quart oval slow cooker with cooking spray.
Preheat crock-pot on high for 15 minutes.
Unroll pizza dough; fold in half lengthwise.
Place pizza dough in slow cooker; press in bottom and 1 inch up sides.
Let it cook uncovered 30-45 minutes.
Turn crock-pot temp to low.
Spread pizza sauce evenly over pizza dough.
Top with half each of the sausage, pepperoni and cheese.
Repeat with remaining sausage, pepperoni and cheese.
Cover; cook on Low 1 ½  to 2 hours or until crust edges are deep golden brown and cheese is melted. Remove from slow cooker to cutting board. Cut and serve.
Extra tips:
Any of your favorite toppings could be used. Also, a 3 ½ – to 4-quart round slow cooker can be used instead of the oval. Fold pizza dough in half crosswise instead; press in bottom and 2 inches up sides.

Confession time. Chicken Pot Pie is one of my most FAVORITE comfort foods on the planet. I crave them. So when I found this recipe for Crock-Pot Chicken Pot Pie, I had to try it. And I was NOT disappointed. It tasted exactly like I was hoping. The combination of spices and flaky crust satisfied my craving perfectly. And it’s WAY easier than I thought it would be!

• 3½ cups cooked shredded chicken (or more!)
• 32 oz chicken broth low sodium
• 2 cans cream of chicken soup
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 ½ tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp Lawry’s
• 2 tsp poultry seasoning
• ½ cup chopped onion
• 1 bag cubed hash browns
• 1 (16oz) package frozen peas & carrots
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup flour
• 2 (9-inch) refrigerated pie crusts

 

Combine chicken, chicken broth, cream of chicken soup, seasoning, potatoes, and mixed veggies in crock-pot.

Cover and cook on low 7-8 hours or high 3-4 hours. (until veggies are tender)

Heat oven to 375.

In a small bowl, combine milk and flour. Gradually stir mixture into the crock-pot.

Remove ‘crock’ from crock-pot base and place pie crust over mixture.

Place crock in preheated oven and bake uncovered for 15-20 minutes or until browned and crusty. (if your crock-pot doesn’t come apart, pour mixture into casserole dish, top with crust and bake)

Put the additional pie crust on a round pan and slice into wedges. Bake 10 minutes or until brown and serve with pot pie for extra crust!

Crock-Tober celebrates ANYTHING you make in a Crock-Pot. But dessert in a Crock-Pot doesn’t have to be complicated. Take this one for instance. I used a yellow butter cake mix with peach pie filling. It was amazing and so so easy!

1 Box Cake Mix
2 (20 oz) Cans Pie Filling
1 stick of butter

Pour pie filling into slow cooker. Top with cake mix and butter. Cook on high for 2-2.5 hours. Great with vanilla ice cream.

It’s CROCK-TOBER, y’all! I’m so super excited to give you recipes that are comforting and yummy and easy to make in your crock-pot! You’ll be cooking like a CROCK star all month long! When I saw this recipe, I just HAD to make it. It’s comfort food on a fork. YUM! Add a salad and a loaf of garlic bread and you’re done! Your kids are going to love this one!

Ingredients

 

1. Brown ground beef and sausage together
2. Add salt, pepper, garlic, basil
3. Pour 1 jar of spaghetti sauce into bottom of crock-pot
4. Break spaghetti noodles in half and place noodles over sauce
5. Top with 1 cup chicken broth
6. Top with meat
7. Sprinkle Parmesan over meat
8. Top with cubed cream cheese
9. Pour another jar of sauce on top
10. Top with ½ cup of mozzarella
11. Cook on high for 2½ hours
12. Stir (it will be thick)
13. Add ONE MORE jar of spaghetti sauce and more chicken broth depending on how thick you like the sauce.
14. Cook another 45 minutes to an hour or until you’re ready to serve. (the last 5 minutes sprinkle on another ½ cup of mozzarella)

 

I’m not sure what made me think this. Maybe I was just super intimidated. But I’ve thought for years that making homemade applesauce was overwhelmingly hard. Who has time for that? Well, I do. And you do. It’s super super simple and WAY tastier than the jar version.

Here’s what my mom and dad and I did last week in a few minutes.

Peel and core 1 bag of Gala apples. Cut into chunks. Combine apples with about ½ cup of water and boil until the chunks are soft. Mash with a potato masher or leave chunks, depending on your preference. Add about 3 tsp of cinnamon or more if you like it spicy. I didn’t add any sugar, but some recipes call for ¼ cup.

If you don’t eat it all for dinner that night, it can be frozen in freezer bags and enjoyed well after apple season is gone. Serve warm or cold.

I’ve had different apple dips, but none that are quite like this. Some of the reviews mentioned that it was too sweet, so I tweaked it a bit and I think I’ve come up with a perfect way for a crowd to enjoy some Michigan apples!

 

2 (8 ounce) boxes cream cheese

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 or so of an 8 oz bag of toffee pieces

1/2 or so of a 15 oz bottle caramel ice cream topping

Several Granny Smith Apples

 

Cream together cream cheese, sugar and vanilla.

Spread mixture on a serving dish or plate

Cover the mixture with toffee bits

Drizzle (or cover) with the caramel sauce

Chill while you slice up the apples

 

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Here’s a GREAT and EASY recipe to serve on the first day of school. (it’s healthy, too…but no one needs to tell the kids!) PLUS…it can be made with ANY cake mix you choose! This time I did something spicy!

 

1 spice cake mix

15 oz can of pumpkin

Half a bag of cinnamon chips

 

Mix three ingredients together (no eggs, no oil!) Scoop into muffin papers. Bake 15-20 minutes in 350 degree oven for moist and delicious pumpkin spice muffins!

 

I have some great boater friends! We love to get together in large groups…because who doesn’t want to come boating, right? Well last time we were all together, my boating buddy Sandi hosted a party with a local band and my other boating buddy Bridgett brought this AMAZING dish! The real name is supposedly “Crack Chicken” but we decided to rename it “Captain Bs Creamy Crock-Pot Chicken”! Seriously make this today! It is great for a crowd, but it’s also phenomenal for families that have many different dinner times because of those crazy schedules! Enjoy!

• 2-2½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts (I used thighs)
• 1 oz packet dry ranch dressing mix
• 8 oz cream cheese (cubed)
• 4 slices of bacon (cut and fried…or fried and crumbled)
• ½-1 cup mayonnaise
• 2 cups shredded Colby cheese
• ¼ cup sliced green onions

Wash chicken and pat dry. Place chicken in crock-pot. Sprinkle with ranch dressing and top with cubed cream cheese. Cook on high 3 hours or low 5-6 hours or until chicken pulls apart easily. While cooking, fry up bacon. I like to cut it into small bites and fry rather than fry then crumble. With 2 forks, shred chicken in crock-pot. Stir in mayo, bacon, green onions and shredded cheese. Serve on buns, white rice, tortilla shells or my favorite…a baked potato!

 

Sometimes, like it or not, you just have to have breakfast on the go! These little gems make it seem alright. Make them the night before, then heat quickly before you head out. Love the fact that everyone could customize their favorite ingredients. Even make it veggie only, if preferred. (you just can’t call them “wake up piggies” if you do!)

Ingredients
3 eggs
1 TBS milk
1 can (8 oz) refrigerated crescent rolls
8 fully cooked breakfast sausage links
4 slices cheese of choice (I used colby-jack)
Salt and pepper to taste

Steps
1. Heat oven to 350°F. In small bowl, beat eggs. Reserve 1 tablespoon  for brushing on tops of rolls. Whisk in milk. Scramble eggs. Salt and pepper to taste.
2. Unroll dough onto work surface; separate into 8 triangles. Cut cheese slices in half; place 1 half on each triangle. Top each with spoonful of scrambled eggs and 1 sausage link. Loosely roll up triangles; place on un-greased cookie sheet.
3. Brush reserved beaten egg on top of each crescent.
4. Bake 15 to 18 minutes or until golden brown.

My sister makes this often for family gatherings. I’ve never made it before, but found myself craving it the other day! So I asked her for her recipe and thought I’d pass it along! I realize there are many versions of this out there, but hers is the BEST!

2 tubes refrigerated crescent roll sheet
2 (8oz) packages cream cheese (softened)
1 cup mayonnaise
1 package powdered Ranch dressing mix
1/2 cup chopped broccoli
1/2 cup chopped cauliflower
1/2 cup grated carrots
1 cup grated cheddar
(you can really use whatever veggies: red pepper, olives, etc.)

Lay both sheets of crescent rolls out on sheet cake pan side by side so it looks like a large pizza. Squish seam together. Bake according to package directions. Let cool.

Mix cream cheese, mayo and dressing mix together until smooth. Spread over cooled crust.

Chop veggies and sprinkle over cream mixture.

Top with shredded cheese, if desired.

Enjoy!

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