Tips:
Do we love our crock pots or what? Especially in the hot summer months. Even though we think of the crock pot as being a semi new invention, it really isn’t. For thousands of years, people have been using the technique of slowly cooking in one pot as their primary and easiest way to fix a meal.
The only difference between then and now is that they had to let their pots slowly cook over a hot open fire where we are blessed to be able to slow cook in a pot with the heat contained within it. We do love that wonderful man who invented our modern day crock pot. So get your crock pots out and start using them on those hot summer days.
- To make clean up easier always spray or grease your crock pot with oil.
- Use crock pots for other things like hot bean or cheese dips.
Easy Meal Plan
Bean Goulash*
Cucumber Salad*
Cornbread*
Angelic Strawberry Dessert*
Crockpot Bean Goulash Recipe
This crockpot bean goulash recipe is a super easy dump and go crockpot recipe. It makes a delicious, hearty one dish meal that everyone loves and it takes less than 5 minutes to prepare!
- Yield: 8-10 servings
Ingredients
1/2 lb. ground beef
1/2 lb. bacon
1 stalk celery
1 small onion
1 (15 oz.) can kidney beans or 2 cups cooked beans
1 (15 oz.) can butter beans
1 (15 oz.) can pork and beans
1 Tbsp. vinegar
1/2 cup barbecue sauce or ketchup
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350° (unless you’re using a crockpot).
- Brown the ground beef, bacon, celery and onion.
- If using canned beans, drain them.
- Mix the remaining ingredients together with the beef mixture.
- Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or put in the crockpot on low for 1-2 hours.
Easy Cucumber Salad Recipe
This easy cucumber salad recipe is a cool and delicious cucumber and onion salad with vinegar that you will love! It’s a perfect bright, seasonal side dish.
Ingredients
- 3 medium cucumbers, peeled, diced, or sliced
- 1/2 medium onion, diced or sliced (I use white or red.)
- 1 Tbsp. white vinegar
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup water
Instructions
- Mix all if the ingredients in a bowl.
- Cover and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.
- Serves 4.
Best Ever Easy Cornbread Recipe
- Yield: 9 servings
Ingredients
2 cups baking mix (Bisquick)
1/2 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 tsp. baking powder
2 eggs
1 cup milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- Stir all the ingredients together in a mixing bowl.
- Blend until smooth.
- Pour into a greased 8×8 inch baking pan.
- Bake for 30 minutes.
Notes
I like to bake my cornbread in a cast iron frying pan. I grease it with bacon grease and heat the pan in the oven while it is preheating. As soon as it is hot (about 5 minutes of so or the amount of time it takes to mix the batter) I pour the cornbread batter into the pan and bake it.
You can also easily make this easy cornbread recipe into corn muffins by pouring the batter into muffin tins.
Angelic Strawberry Dessert Recipe
This strawberry dessert recipe is the best summer dessert! It is great to keep 2 or 3 of them made and in the freezer for unexpected or out of town company. It’s also a great dessert for a bridal shower, graduation or summer party.
Ingredients
1 (1 lb.) angel food cake (you can use a larger one — the filling just won’t be as thick)
1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, softened
1 can vanilla frosting
1 pint fresh strawberries, sliced
Instructions
- Mix cream cheese and frosting.
- Cut cake in thirds horizontally.
- Spread the bottom layer with half of the frosting mixture.
- Then layer with half of the strawberries.
- Place the next layer of cake on top of that and again spread with the other half of the frosting and strawberries.
- Add the top layer of cake.
- Wrap and freeze.
These Recipes Are From Volume 1 of Our Cookbook:
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Photo by: karviainen
That Angelic Strawberry Dessert looks real good. I just bought some beautiful strawberries on Saturday, so I now have a great way to use them. Thanks.
I’m so glad I came across your site! Thank you for the abundance of information.
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I was so hungry for a good dessert, that I made the Angelic Strawberry Dessert last night. It is so good! It even looks pretty, and could be made for a special occasion. This is one of the best cakes I’ve ever had.
i didnt see the recipe for the bean goulash… or did i miss it?… hehehe…
trying to get more fiber in our diet and also saving on groceries too…
if you can direct me to where i can find the bean goulash recipe i would appreciate it…
and jill/tawra, that strawberry dessert looks yummy! :D … thanks for posting this… :D