American Ghoulash in crockpot

Saw a recipe and similar to chili in cooking.

Used modified recipes from slowcookergourmet.net, dearcrissy.com, and simplyhappyfoodie.com 

The kids were in town so for 8 meals, used 2 lbs of ground turkey and 1 full bag of macaroni. 

Eric said too much macaroni and thought green beans would have been good to go with it.

He also felt not flavorful enough, so maybe more salt, Italian seasoning, fresh oregano, Worcestershire sauce?

I added a can of garbanzo beans but didn’t like it with it.

Avocado was good topping

Ingredients:

-Ground turkey (1-2 lbs)

-garlic cloves

-1 yellow onion, diced

-Serranos - used like 6 diced

-3 bell peppers, diced

-green beans (eric said to add)

-2 bay leaves

-1 Tbsp Italian seasoning

-1 Tbsp dried oregano - Eric said next time use fresh oregano

-1 Tbsp paprika (forgot because didn't see)

-salt (2 tsp)

-pepper (1/2 tsp)

-1.5 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

-1 can diced tomatoes

-1 can tomato sauce (16 oz)

-Chicken broth - probably used 1 cup

-elbow macaroni

Directions:

1. Brown turkey with cloves and serranos

2. Stir in all ingredients except pasta.  

3. Cook on low 4-6 hrs in crockpot

3. Cook elbow macaroni separately (because didn't fit in crock pot).  Add in at end.

Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Soup

Recipe modified from Skinnytaste.  It was pretty good, but the chicken breasts I bought were huge and almost 2 lbs of meat, so it was a lot for 6 servings.  I seasoned the chicken breasts with salt, but the canned sauces had salt, sooo too much salt.  It was also cool because I used the slow cooker bags and because I was at my parents and couldn't cook right away, I had Eric put the bag in the slow cooker as it was being held by the big red bowl in the fridge.  He just added the chicken broth and bay leaves.  Also, wasn't so much of a soup, more "soupy" which Eric liked better.  Eric said it was a 5 and he would eat again :)

UPDATED: cooked on low for 3.5 hrs and chicken was done already, so try 3 hours next time esp if cut them in half

Ingredients:

-16 oz boneless, skinless chicken breasts (I had closer to 32 oz, oh well)

-kosher salt (didn't need)

-fresh black pepper

-1 tsp olive oil

-1 SMALL yellow onion chopped

-1 sliced shallot (I added last time I cooked)

-1 head of garlic

-1 jalapeno, sliced (USED MULTIPLE HABANEROS AND SERRANOS FROM GARDEN)

-4 cups of reduced sodium chicken broth (the whole box) --> USED BONE BROTH BETTER

-8 oz can tomato sauce (I used fresh tomatoes cooked on stove with olive oil and salt and pureed)

-1/2 Tbsp chipotle chile in adobo, chopped (used the whole 3.5 oz can)

-1 tsp dried oregano

-1/4 tsp cumin

-2 bay leaves

-1/4 cup chopped cilantro

VEGGIES:

-2 zucchini, chopped instead of spiralized

-1 red bell pepper, chopped

-1 green bell pepper

-1 SMALL white onion to add cold and fresh on top

-frozen corn (half a bag)

-consider adding garbanzo beans next time - YES, ADD GARBANZO BEANS YUM

-queso fresco - didn't use because it expired

-avocado

Directions:

1. Chop veggies - zucchini, red bell pepper, onion (divided), jalapeno - and set aside

1. Season chicken with salt and pepper and place in slow cooker

2. Sauté garlic, half the onion, and jalapeno 3 min

3. Transfer to slow cooker with bone broth, tomato sauce, chipotle, cumin, oregano, half cilantro, and bay leaves

4. Cover and cook on LOW 4-6 hrs --> TRY 3 HOURS

5. Shred chicken with 2 forks

6. Add in rest of veggies while shredding chicken and cook on HIGH (10 min or so)

Served with some rice, avocado, and fresh cilantro. Eric made homemade tostadas.  A lot of food given 2 lbs of chicken.

*Mexican

Instant Pot Coconut Chicken Curry

Pretty good recipe from PipingPotCurry.com.  I doubled the amount.

Ingredients:
-1 Tbsp ghee or oil (used avocado oil)
-2 tsp cumin seeds
-1 yellow onion, diced
-1 Tbsp ginger, grated
-1 Tbsp garlic, minced
-1 can of tomato puree
-2 lbs chicken, cut into 1-1.5 inch pieces
-1/2 cup of water

-2 bell pepper, diced

-1 can of garbanzo beans, rinsed
-1 cup of canned coconut milk (I used lite)
-2 tsp garam masala
-2 Tbsp lime juice (1 whole lime)
-cilantro to garnish (didn't use)

-avocado to garnish

Spices
-2 tsp ground cumin
-1 tsp ground turmeric
-1 tsp paprika
-2 tsp coriander powder
-2 tsp salt

Directions:
1. Put Instant pot in Sauté mode.
2. Add ghee/oil and cumin seeds.  Sizzle for 30 sec
3. Add onions, ginger, and garlic.  Sauté for 3 min until onions turn golden brown.
4. Add tomato puree and spices.  Mix and let sauté for 3 min.
5. Add chicken pieces.  Sauté for 4 min. 
6. Add water, bell peppers, and garbanzo beans

7. Press cancel and close lid. Manual cook on high for 4 min (I did 6 min because of doubling recipe).
8. When pot beeps, quick release.
9. Stir in coconut milk + garam masala  + lime juice.  

Note: recipe called for sautéing longer in end to thicken, but I didn't do this step because I wanted it to be more liquidy.

*Indian

Cauliflower Potato Curry in the Instant Pot

Got recipe from Monkey and Me.

Was pretty loyal to the recipe except added garbanzo beans and bell pepper instead of carrots  Served with basmati rice and naan.  Very carb heavy.  

Got 7 meals out of it

Ingredients:
-1 yellow onion, diced

-1 small serrano pepper, diced

-2 TBSP minced garlic

-2 tsp fresh minced ginger

-1 lb cauliflower florets (1 head)

-4 cups unpeeled potatoes (about 6 potatoes), cut into small cubes

-1 can of garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

-1 red bell pepper, diced

-1 can diced tomatoes, pureed

-1 cup of vegetable broth (could add a lil more)

-1 cup lite coconut milk (used half can of regular coconut milk because subbed at store)

Spice/herb ingredients:

-1 tsp garlic powder

-1 tsp onion powder

-2 TBSP dried minced onion flakes

-1 TBSP + 1 tsp curry powder

-1 tsp garam masala

-1 tsp sea salt

-1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (didn't measure and added too much and was too spicy)

Directions:

1. Mix spice ingredients, set aside

2. Cut veggies and set aside

3. Saute onion & serrano peppers in Instant Pot for 3-5 min until soften

4. Add garlic and ginger for 1 min

5. Added spice mix (but would consider adding LAST)

6. Add cauliflower florets & potatoes for 1 min

7. Add garbanzo beans, bell peppers, pureed tomatoes, vegetable broth

8. Press CANCEL, then Manual Pressure HIGH, and cook for 5 min (did 7 min because I added more veggies, but was overcooked a little)

9. Allow to sit for 4 min, then do quick release.  Unplug Instant Pot

10. Add coconut milk

11. Stir

Very tasty in my opinion.  Added too much cayenne pepper and Eric likes to add fresh jalapenos.  Felt like too much work to add cilantro.  Next time could try with meat, but works well as a meatless dish.

*Indian

Slow Cooker Thai Basil Chicken Curry

Recipe taken from Closet Cooking.

Ingredients:
-1 lb chicken breast
-1 can coconut milk (I used whole milk)
-1 Tbsp curry powder
-1 Tbsp fish sauce (or soy sauce)
-1 Tbsp lime juice (or rice vinegar - I used this)
-1 Tbsp coconut sugar (DOES NOT NEED, DO NOT ADD)
-1 onion, diced
-1 jalapeno, diced (seeds and all)
-4 cloves garlic, cuisinart-ed
-1 Tbsp ginger, cuisinart-ed
-1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
-1/3 cup basil, chopped

Directions:
1. Place all in slow cooker and cook on low for 4 hours
2. Shred chicken
3. Add in cilantro and basil before serving

Notes:
-Was spicy with the whole jalapeno, but would keep it that way
-I think my slow cooker cooks fast or too high on low, so it was fully cooked in 4 hrs (maybe even less)
-Was too sweet, so would not add sugar next time

*Thai

Turkey Chili in Instant Pot

Made this Turkey (no beans) Chili using recipe from 2 different websites - Ambitious Kitchen and Wholesome Yum

Good for 6 servings or more

Ingredients:
-Ground turkey (1 lb)
-3 garlic cloves
-1 yellow onion, chopped
-1 red bell pepper, chopped
-1 green bell pepper, chopped
-1 jalapeno, chopped (keep seeds)
-1 can Ro-tel --> fresh tomatoes
-1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth (or water)
-1 cup corn (used 1 whole bag frozen corn)

-1 can of garbanzo beans (rinsed) --> half a bag of dry garbanzos (pre-soaked)
-1 T Worcestershire sauce (optional)
-1 bay leaf (optional) 

-avocado (optional)

SPICES:
-2 T chili powder
-2 tsp ground cumin
-1 tsp dried oregano
-1 tsp black pepper
-1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
-1/2 tsp paprika
-1/2 tsp salt

Directions:
1. Cook rice in Instant Pot ahead of time
2. Sauté garlic, ground turkey, and olive oil until browned using sauté function on Instant Pot.
3. Add all other ingredients into Instant Pot and stir until combined.  Place bay leaf in middle
4. Close lid.  Press "Keep Warm/Cancel" to stop sauté cycle.  Select "Manual" setting and enter 15 min --> been doing 10 min.
5. Wait for natural release or turn valve for quick release. 

Notes:
-Served with rice - cook ahead of time

-I replaced 1 can of diced tomatoes with 1 can of Ro-tel.  Could use 1 can tomatoes + 1 can green chiles.
-Adding garbanzo beans was a hit

-instead of cooking on meat/stew setting (35 min), I cooked on manual for 15 min and was fully cooked
-------------------------------------
Edit part deux
-try adding to spice: 1tsp dried basil, brown sugar, smoked paprika, some tomato paste to make thicker
-garnish: fresh cilantro and avocado

-good with cornbread. Used some jalapeño cornbread chips that were good, but a lot of processed ingredients. Try to find a good mix.

-------------------------------------

Edit part tres;

-using fresh tomatoes instead of canned

-tried dry garbanzo beans, but too HARD - soak beforehand in fridge

-Eric wanted some fresh cold tomatoes on top

*American