Budget Travel

Slow Cooker Mashed Sweet Potatoes

SERVES 8 | ACTIVE TIME 10 Min | TOTAL TIME 4 Hours 30 Min

4-5 large sweet potatoes
1 cup water
1 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup honey
2 tbsp smoked paprika
2 tbsp celtic sea salt
1 tbsp fresh cracked pepper
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp red pepper flakes
1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Wash potatoes and stab each 4-6 times with a sharp knife to create steam vent holes.

Add water to slow cooker cover and cook 4 hours, until potatoes are soft.

In a small bowl, add butter , honey, and all herbs and spices (everything but the nuts), blend well to create compound butter. Cover with plastic wrap and leave in refrigerator.

Remove potatoes and drain water. Wait until potatoes are cool enough to touch (but still very warm), and remove peels. They should slide right off when sweet potatoes are cooked. Add peeled sweet potatoes back to slow cooker.

Add 1/2 compound butter mix to potatoes and using a handheld mixer, whip potatoes and butter until soft, fluffy, and creamy.

Optional: Cook potatoes in slow cooker another 30 minutes to bring out the rich flavors from the compound butter even more!

Mix nuts into potatoes, serve, and top with pats of compound butter for extra-indulgent sweet potatoes your guests will love!

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Best Ever Bacon Jalapeno Popper Dip

SERVES 8 | ACTIVE TIME 5 MIN | TOTAL TIME 25 MIN

8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon New Mexico chili powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 pound bacon, (cooked and crumbled) divided
1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded Colby Jack Cheese, divided
1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded pepperjack cheese, divided
1 (4 ounce) can diced jalapenos , well drained (or 2 fresh jalapenos, deveined, deseeded and diced)
1 tablespoon fresh parsley
1 or 2 (4.5 ounce) packages Crunchmaster Roasted Garlic Multi-Grain Crackers

Preheat oven to 350°F.

In a large bowl combine cream cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, New Mexico chili powder, ground cumin, pepper, garlic powder. Stir with a spoon until well mixed. Add 3/4 of the bacon, 1 cup Colby Jack cheese, 1 cup pepperjack cheese, and drained jalapenos.

Spread into a 10" cast iron skillet (or (2) 5" skillets for the perfect party plate). Top with the remaining cheese.Bake for 15-20 minutes until the cheese is bubbly.

Sprinkle with reserved bacon and parsley.

Serve with a bag of Crunchmaster Crackers. I love the garlic with this dip!

Enjoy!

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Crockpot Beef Stroganoff

SERVES 6 | PREP TIME 10 Min | COOK TIME 8-9 Hours

1 1/2 pounds cut beef stew meat

1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 1/4 cups low-sodium beef broth
2 cups (about 6 ounces) coarsely chopped white mushrooms
1 medium onion, chopped
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 heaping tablespoon dijon mustard
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 (12 ounce) package egg noodles
1 cup sour cream (light or regular)

Place beef in 6-quart crockpot, add salt and pepper. Then add beef broth, mushrooms, onion, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, Dijon mustard, parsley and thyme. Mix well.

Cook on low 8-9 hours, or high 4-5 hours. I prefer cooking the beef on low to make sure it's nice and tender.

Cook egg noodles according to the package directions.

Add the cooked and drained noodles to the crockpot as well as sour cream. Mix well. Let simmer for another 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

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Slow Cooker Sausage and Ravioli

SERVES 6 | PREP TIME 5 Min | COOK TIME 4 Hours

1 pound Italian sausage links, cut into bite size pieces
1 pound frozen cheese ravioli
2 (14.5 ounce) cans diced tomatoes
1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
Salt to taste
Fresh Parmesan for garnish

Add sausage, ravioli, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, and basil to the slow cooker.

Set slow cooker to LOW for 4 hours, or until sausage is fully cooked.
Salt to taste.

Remove from slow cooker and serve with a garnish of Parmesan cheese.

Enjoy!

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Crazy Caramel Apple Pie Bombs

SERVES 12 | ACTIVE TIME 15 Min | TOTAL TIME 45 Min

4 tablespoons melted unsalted butter, divided
2 medium apples, peeled cored and diced (I used gala)
6 tablespoons light brown sugar, packed
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
30 caramels, unwrapped and divided (I use Kraft)
All-purpose flour, (for dusting)

12 frozen white dinner roll dough balls, (I used Rhodes)
2 tablespoons heavy cream

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter an 8 x 8-inch
baking pan with 2 tablespoons of the butter and set aside.

Combine the apples, 2 tablespoons of the brown sugar and the cinnamon in a medium bowl and toss to coat. Set aside. Unwrap the caramels and cut 18 of them into quarters. Set aside. Lightly flour your counter top.

Flatten each dough ball into a circle about 3 inches across. You can use a
rolling pin or you can pull the dough around the edges like you are making a mini
pizza. Add 1 tablespoon of the apple mixture and 6 of the cut caramel pieces.

Carefully pull each side over the center to create a “package,” and then roll the
dough into a ball. Be careful to make sure you cannot see through the dough. If you
have any tears or can’t seal the dough, tap your fingertips in flour, pinch any tears
and roll again.

Place the dough ball in the prepared dish, seam side down. Repeat until all of the
apple pie bombs are in the dish. Brush the apple pie bombs with the remaining
2 tablespoons of melted butter and sprinkle with the remaining 4 tablespoons
of brown sugar. Bake the bombs for 30 to 35 minutes, until the tops are
golden brown and they are no longer doughy.

Meanwhile, place the remaining 12 caramels and the heavy cream in a microwavesafe
bowl and microwave until melted, 30 seconds at a time, stirring after each
interval. Once you have a smooth mixture, set aside to cool.

Remove the apple pie bombs from the oven and drizzle with the caramel sauce.

Serve and enjoy!

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Chicken Tetrazzini

SERVES 8 | ACTIVE TIME 20 Min | TOTAL TIME 55 Min

1/2 cup butter, plus 1 tablespoon melted
8 ounces sliced cremini mushrooms
1 medium yellow onion, diced
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, minced (can substitute 1 tsp dried thyme leaves)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
3 cups chicken stock
1 cup heavy cream
16 ounces egg noodles, cooked according to package directions
3 cups cooked, shredded chicken (or 2 large chicken breasts cooked and shredded – see recipe notes below)
2 cups frozen peas
1 1/2 cups shredded Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup Panko breadcrumbs

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Heat a large cast iron (or other oven safe pot) skillet over medium heat. Add 1/2 cup of butter and cook until melted. Add mushrooms and onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 5-6 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute.

Stir in thyme, salt and pepper, then add flour, stirring to coat completely.

Add chicken stock and cream, stirring frequently to remove any lumps. Cook, stirring often, about 8-10 minutes, or until thickened.

Stir in cooked egg noodles, shredded chicken, peas and Parmesan cheese.

In a small bowl, stir together melted butter and panko breadcrumbs, then sprinkle over the top of the dish. Season with additional pepper if desired, then bake 35-45 minutes, until bubbly and golden brown.

COOK'S NOTES: To make using fresh chicken breasts, add a drizzle of olive oil to pot over MED heat. Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper, to taste, and cook 5-6 minutes per side, until cooked through and golden. Remove chicken from skillet and drain excess grease. Shred chicken with two forks and set aside. Preheat oven, add butter and cook recipe as directed, starting with step 2 above.

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Pumpkin Roll

SERVES 12 | PREP TIME 25 Min | COOK TIME 15 Min

3 large eggs
1 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
Powdered sugar for dusting

Filling:
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Line a 15”x10” jelly roll pan with parchment paper, set aside.

In a medium bowl whisk together your eggs, sugar, pumpkin, baking soda, nutmeg, ginger, cinnamon and flour until no lumps remain.

Pour the batter into your prepared baking pan and spread it out to the sides.

Bake for about 10-15 minutes or until the top springs back when touched, remove from oven.
Liberally sprinkle the hot cake with powdered sugar. Place a tea towel that is slightly larger than your cake over top. Top with a cooling rack or larger baking sheet on top of that. Hold the stack together firmly and flip the cake over onto the cooling rack. Remove the parchment paper.

While the cake is still hot, fold the towel over the short edge on the cake. Slowly roll up your cake (with the tea towel inside) and leave it rolled until it is completely cooled, about 1-1 1/2 hours.

Meanwhile to make your filling beat your cream cheese in a medium bowl until it is light and fluffy.
Add in your butter, powdered sugar and vanilla and continue to beat until smooth, set aside.

Carefully unroll your cooled cake roll, remove the towel and spread your filling all over the cakes surface. Then roll the cake back up tightly. Wrap the cake in plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour.

Once chilled, dust with powdered sugar, slice and serve.

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