Pumpkin Black-Bean Turkey Chili

I like to spend my spare moments looking over cookbooks. I know that may sound odd to some of you, but I've found I enjoy it much more than reading a magazine. Sometimes I visit thrift stores just to pick up some new ones.

Freezer to Crockpot Philly Cheesesteak Sandwiches

I am continually looking for recipes that I can make ahead and allow to cook while I am shuttling kids to and from activities. This one is a keeper!

Freezer to Crockpot Creamy Chicken and Noodles

It's basketball season at our house which means weeknights are a little more hectic as we try to get our boys to and from all their practices. Weekends are also crazy as we watch 3-4 ball games every Saturday. I am relying on my crockpot a lot to have a meal ready when we make it home, hungry and tired after it all. This freezer to crockpot creamy chicken and noodles is a new favorite.

Mexican Garden Goulash in the Slow Cooker

We had just a few garden items left including tomatoes, onions, and green peppers. I created this dish to help use them up before they spoiled. It makes a large batch which is perfect to make dinner prep non-existant another night. Just freeze any leftovers in meal size portions and reheat another night.

Lasagna Soup

The first night I served this soup, my six year old told me he had a new favorite meal! Score one for mom! It really is simple to throw together and can be on the table in about 30 minutes.

10 Freezer to Crockpot Meals

I've rounded up 10 of my most requested recipes that work to go from the freezer to the crockpot. We pull from my stash in the freezer a few times every week because of our busy family schedule. The studies are in and we all know how important having a family dinner is. These meals allow me the chance to get the kids to all the places they need to be after school and still sit down to a meal together. I hope they help you in your meal planning also. 

Freezer to Crockpot Mediterranean Chicken

Isn't it the loveliest of all pictures? This is another meal we enjoyed during our kitchen remodel when I was cooking in a crockpot on the bathroom counter and eating on paper plates in the basement. The activity tablecloth is on the table since the other half of the space was being used to paint a school project. Ahh - the joys of remodeling! During that remodel, I learned to love the freezer to crockpot method. It was the only way we survived the remodel with home-cooked food! It has made my life since the remodel so much easier also. I serve a freezer to crockpot meal at least once a week to free up my dinner prep time to be used shuttling kids to and from events.

Freezer to Crockpot Beef Stew

The nights are getting colder and I am ready for a few easy, crockpot meals. I learned to love these freezer to crockpot meals last winter when we were living through a kitchen remodel and cooking on the bathroom counter. The truth of it all is, they also make my evenings run smoother even when I have a functioning kitchen. I can throw a few of these together in what feels like no time at all and then dinners are easier for a couple of weeks or more depending on many I have put in the freezer.

Freezer to Crockpot Mongolian Beef

Notice the lovely paper plate - this is another meal we enjoyed during the weeks of our remodel. It's just taken me a bit to get it posted here on the blog. Now that the nights are getting cooler and the kids are busy every afternoon, I am turning to my crockpot much more. Preparing a few meals all at once and then storing them in the freezer for later is a time saver for me.

Freezer to Crockpot Honey Mustard Pork Roast

Now that school is in full swing and the kids keep me busy between the hours of 4-6:00 pm, I am back to loving my freezer to crock pot meals! I purchased a package of pork roasts a few weeks back. The total package weighed just over 5 lbs and there were two pieces in it. I made this recipe and I also packaged up a Cranberry Lemon Pork Roast to use another time.

I let the meal thaw and then placed it in the crockpot at about 3:00 on high. I did cut the roast in half knowing that I was getting a bit of a late start. (I knew two smaller pieces of meat would cook faster than one larger piece.) I basted the roast a couple of times during the cooking process, but otherwise I was free to help kids with homework, piano practice, etc.

Just before serving, I sliced it up and drizzled a little of the thickened sauce over the top. Simple and delicious. I served mashed potatoes and green salad on the side.

Freezer to Crockpot Honey Mustard Pork Roast
2-3 lb pork roast 

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1 small clove garlic, minced

4 tablespoons Dijon or regular mustard

2 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 tablespoon cider vinegar

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

Add just before cooking:

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 tablespoon cold water

Combine all the sauce ingredients in a gallon ziplock bag. Knead until well mixed. Add the pork roast. Label bag with instructions to add 1 Tbsp cornstarch just before cooking. Freeze. Thaw before cooking. Dump everything into the crockpot. Mix cornstarch with a little cold water and add to crockpot. Cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 6-8 hours.

Salsa Verde Chicken Enchiladas

Remember my last post for Salsa Verde Shredded Chicken? Finally, I'm grabbing a chance to give you the instructions for making some amazing enchiladas using up all that yummy broth left from cooking the chicken.

Here is my crockpot full of the chicken broth salsa combination after I removed the chicken breast for shredding,

Add to your broth one 8oz brick of cream cheese. Allow it to melt and mix well.

Add back in some of the shredded chicken.

I like to stuff them full of white beans also.

Here is the enchilada filling all ready to go.

I like to use the green chile sauce when I make chicken enchiladas.

Pour a little sauce in the bottom of your 9x13 pan.

Roll up the enchilada filling in flour tortillas. Top with more sauce and a layer of shredded cheese. Cover with foil and bake at 350 until heated through. It usually takes 45 minutes or so. I have also been known to cover them with plastic wrap and microwave them for about 10 minutes. (I made sure when we bought our microwave that it would accommodate a large pan and still have the tray rotate. That feature has been a life saver many times when it comes to having dinner on the table in time for the rest of the night's activities!)

Bag up and freeze any remaining enchilada sauce and filling for another day. Or, make up an extra pan of enchiladas and freeze the entire thing ready to go. 

This dish is one that all of my kids love! Enjoy!

Salsa Verde Shredded Chicken

We love chicken cooked this way! I use it in many Mexican style dinners and it is so easy to cook up a large batch.

I place 5-6 frozen chicken breasts in the crockpot. Then I dump in a bottle of salsa verde. We like the mild version, but you can make it as spicy as you like. I add 1-2 tsp of chicken bouillon. That's it - put the lid on and cook for 3-4 hours on high or 6-8 hours on low. To prepare ahead and freeze, just combine everything in a gallon ziplock bag. To use, thaw and cook as above.

When you can poke a fork into the chicken and twist easily, you know the chicken is ready for shredding.I lift it out of the crockpot and into a casserole dish so the juices don't get all over the place while I shred it with two forks. (Reserve all the remaining liquid in the crockpot - the next post will tell you how I turn it into delicious enchilada filling.)

Here is my pile of shredded chicken. I usually plan it so that I use some of the chicken for dinner and freeze the rest for another night. To freeze, allow to cool completely and bag in freezer ziplock bags or containers.

You can top a taco salad, roll some in a burrito, make enchiladas, bake up some chicken nachos, top a tostada, use it in white chicken chili - really your options are about limitless. 

You can do the same thing with red salsa or picante sauce. You can also substitute pork roast for the chicken. It really is that simple - 

Freezer to Crockpot Mexican Sweet Pork with Beans

It is difficult to photograph the filling in a tortilla - that said, this is so tasty! I cooked up a large pork roast and shredded it as the recipe below describes. I wanted to stretch it and use it for a few meals so I decided to throw some beans in the mix. I am so glad I did. The beans added a nice texture and everyone loved it. 

To prepare this for the freezer, place the pulled pork in a ziplock freezer bag. You need about 4 cups of pork. Add the salsa and brown sugar. Throw in 2 cans of kidney, pinto, or white beans, drained. (You could also cook dry beans and use them. You need about 3 cups.) Label and freeze. To eat, thaw and heat through in the crockpot or microwave. Wrap in a tortilla and add cheese and lettuce. (You can see some purple cabbage and a carrot in the photo because we just used a lettuce salad mix to make it easy.) This recipe was enough for two meals. You can choose to divide it into additional freezer bags before freezing or just know you'll have leftovers or enough to share with company.

Mexican Sweet Pork
This becomes a speedy dinner if you already have pulled pork cooked and frozen in the freezer.
1 pork picnic roast	1 cup brown sugar, packed
1 cup medium salsa	½ cup chicken broth, optional
Place pork roast in a crockpot and cook on low for 12–15 hours. I usually put the roast in just before going to bed. Test the pork by stabbing it with a fork and twisting. If the meat shreds easily, it is ready. Remove from the crockpot and place on a baking sheet. Using two forks, pull the pork apart and separate out all the visible fat and bone pieces. It pulls apart more easily when it is still warm. Combine 4 cups of the shredded pork with the salsa, and brown sugar. Add a small amount of pork juices or chicken broth if the mixture seems too dry. Return this all to the crockpot. Heat through and serve wrapped in tortillas or top a taco salad with it.

Freezer to Crockpot Taco Soup

A warm bowl of taco soup is a hit at our house from the cool, Fall days of October through the chilly, windy, Spring days in April. It is a great meal to prepare ahead and have ready to throw in the crockpot for an easy weeknight meal.

I made a couple of these meals before the remodel began. To cook, just allow to thaw or defrost in the microwave.

Throw in the crockpot and cook on low for 4-5 hours or on high for 2-3. It really just needs to be heated through so if you are in a real big hurry, just throw it in the microwave. The flavors have had a good time to blend during the time it was in the freezer so the slow cooking process is not really needed.

Serve with sour cream and shredded cheese as toppers. 

We love to sprinkle in a few Fritos as a final step. Delicious!

As a freezer meal, I combine all the ingredients below in a ziplock bag. Once it has thawed, I add the water. It couldn't be easier on a hectic weeknight and all the family loves it!

Taco Soup
2 (15 oz) cans kidney beans, rinsed	1–2 tsp taco seasoning
2 (15 oz) cans diced tomatoes	1 Ranch seasoning packet, optional
1 (15 oz) can corn, drained	¼ cup dry onions
1 lb hamburger
Combine all ingredients in a pan or crockpot. Add water depending on how much liquid you like. Heat through. You can use 3 cups precooked dry beans—kidney, pinto, or red beans work equally as well. The leftovers freeze very well.

Freezer to Crockpot Cranberry Lemon Pork Roast

Another successful freezer to crockpot recipe. This method is quickly becoming something to love. You don't always have 5-6 weeks without a kitchen like we are living through right now with our remodel, but everyone always has at least one day each week with some reason why preparing dinner just won't work into the schedule. This method of preparing quite a few meals all at once and then freezing them for later can help us eat healthier and stay within our food budget since we wont' be feeling the need to run out for take-out or fast food. I've decided I will probably keep a few of these meals in my freezer all the time even after the new kitchen is done.

Freezer to Crockpot Cranberry Lemon Pork Roast

2-3 lb pork roast

1 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp dry mustard

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1-2 tsp minced garlic

1 16oz can whole berry cranberry sauce

1 Tbsp lemon juice

2 Tbsp cornstach (added later)

Place all ingredients into a gallon ziplock freezer bag except for the cornstarch. Label bag with instructions to add 2 Tbsp cornstarch just before cooking. Thaw before cooking. Dump everything into the crockpot. Mix cornstarch with a little cold water and add to crockpot. Cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 6-8 hours. Serve over rice.

Freezer to Crockpot Orange Chicken

My family cheers every time they learn we are having this for dinner! It pleases everyone which is a difficult task with seven of us. They would probably not mind if we ate it every week. I've adapted the recipe over the years to make it very easy which allows me to cheer too!

Our remodel continues - this recipe was easy to cook on the bathroom counter. I did the chicken in the crockpot and the egg rolls (pre-made and in the freezer a few months ago) and stir-fry veggies in an electric frying pan. I had pre-cooked rice also waiting in the freezer that we warmed in the microwave.

Freezer to Crockpot Orange Chicken
3 chicken breasts	1 cup orange juice
1 cup brown sugar, packed	½ cup apple cider vinegar
1–2  Tbsp soy sauce	5-6 Tbsp cornstarch
1 cup orange juice
Combine brown sugar, soy sauce, orange juice and vinegar in a gallon size ziplock freezer bag. Add 3 fresh or frozen chicken breasts.  Label bag and freeze. Thaw before cooking. Dump everything into the crockpot and cook on high for 3 hours or on low for 5-6 hours. Fish the chicken out of the crockpot and set aside. Use a slotted spoon to remove any unwanted material that may be floating in the sauce. Discard. To thicken the sauce, mix cornstarch with a little bit of cold water. Add to crockpot and mix. Dice chicken and return to crockpot. Allow to simmer 30 minutes on high to complete the thickening process. (I always use Ultra Sperse to thicken my sauce.  It is an instant thickener. This means that I can just sprinkle a little in and stir then decide if I need a bit more. I can get it to "just the right" thickness without guessing and I don't have to wait 30 minutes.) Once the sauce is thick, serve over rice.

Freezer to Crockpot Chicken Broccoli Casserole

This is the dinner we enjoyed last night even though we are living in the basement without a working kitchen. We have now survived a week of the kitchen remodel and we have learned a few lessons - the number one lesson we have learned is that preparation pays off. The freezer to crockpot and freezer to microwave meals have been a huge success! I pull something out of the freezer in the morning (or the night before if I remember) and it is easily ready to go for dinner. We've kept it simple with side dishes. Some that have worked well are pre-washed lettuce salad, fresh veggies and fruits, canned fruits or veggies. Frozen veggies have also worked, we just heat them in the microwave.

Here is my casserole prepared, labeled, and ready for the freezer.

I prepared it along with 5-6 other meals the same afternoon a few weeks ago.

I don't usually worry about using the slow cooker liners, but without a kitchen sink, they have been very helpful.

Below is my recipe for chicken broccoli casserole. I have cooked it in the crockpot many times, but this is the first time I froze it first. I did alter the directions slightly to work this way. Mix soup, mayonnaise, sour cream (or plain yogurt) and seasonings together. Omit the bread crumbs and sprinkle the cheese on top of individual servings on each plate, if desired. We just skipped it all together. Place three full, raw chicken breasts in a gallon freezer ziplock bag. Pour the soup mixture into the bag. Plan to add the broccoli the last 30-40 minutes of cooking. Label bag and freeze. I made a note on my bag to remind me to add the frozen broccoli. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 3-4. Serve over rice.

When it was done cooking, I fished the chicken breasts out and cut them into cubes and then returned them to the crockpot. You would not need to do this if you prefer serving your chicken breasts whole. With a family of mostly younger children, I knew I would be cutting it up for everyone anyway and decided it would be easiest to do this way instead of waiting until it was served onto plates.

Chicken and Broccoli Casserole
This has been a family recipe for years—it is true comfort food.
1–2 lbs chicken, cooked and cubed	1 Tbsp lemon juice
2 cups frozen broccoli	1–2 tsp lemon pepper
2 cans cream of chicken soup	1 cup bread crumbs
½ cup mayonnaise	1 cup cheddar cheese, grated
½ cup sour cream (plain yogurt)
Mix soup, mayonnaise, sour cream and seasonings together. Layer chicken, broccoli, soup mixture and cheese in a 9x13-inch pan. Top with bread crumbs. Cover with foil and bake at 325° F 30–45 minutes. This also cooks well in the microwave or crockpot. Stir a few times while it is heating. Sprinkle bread crumbs and cheese on top just before serving. We love this served over rice. This casserole freezes well. Thaw and then bake as above.

Freezer to Crockpot Meals

We are embarking on a kitchen remodel that will leave me without a functioning kitchen for a month or more. For someone who cooks every meal, nearly every day this will throw a serious wrench in our day to day routines. I am excited with what the new kitchen will bring. We have been saving money and making plans for over 3 years now so it seems high time to get it done!

In anticipation of being without a kitchen, I have had to make plans to cook on the bathroom counter. I went in search of recipes that I could prepare now and freeze to then thaw later and cook in the crockpot. I have done quite a few freezer meals over the years, but many of them require the oven to bake. I now have over 30 recipes prepped and waiting in the freezer. Some people do a month of meals in one day. I have often read about that method, but I know it wouldn't work for me. I never get that much focused time in the kitchen between kid's needs and other demands. I chose to do 7-8 meals at a time over a couple of weeks.

I am inspired by how easy it was to prepare them all. I mixed all the ingredients for each meal right in the gallon ziplock bag and didn't even dirty any bowls. I tried to group similar meals to the same prep time so I was pulling out similar ingredients. I did do some pre-cooking of dry beans to be ready to prep everything and I thawed meat I had only enough to pull it apart (but so there were still ice crystals in it) to keep it safe to throw back into the freezer. I had all the ingredients for the meals I chose on hand already which was really nice to stretch our budget and to help rotate what we store. A lot of the meals use chicken since I had stocked up with a recent sale.

I chose many recipes I have made in a crockpot before, but just haven't frozen before cooking. We haven't cooked any of the frozen meals yet, but I am very optimistic since I know what freezes well from past experience. I will share a few of the recipes below and post others as I have a chance.


Teriyaki Chicken - leave the cornstarch out since it does not hold up in the freezer at all. I prefer to stir in Ultra Gel just before serving to get the perfect thickness. For more about Ultra Gel click here. You can always add the cornstarch to the crock pot as you put the meal in to cook if you don't have Ultra Gel. Serve over cooked rice and stir-fry some frozen veggies for a side dish.


Marinated Chicken - Just throw some marinade in the bag with chicken breasts and then freeze. Thaw and grill or dump all in the crockpot for flavorful, juicy chicken. Chicken always cooks for 3-4 hours on high or 6-8 hours on low in a crockpot. Serve a veggie tray and some sliced fruit on the side.


Creamy Black Bean Chicken - Put everything in the gallon ziplock bag except the cream cheese. Make a note on the bag to add cream cheese just before serving. Serve with tortilla chips for dipping or roll in a tortilla. Serve a green salad on the side.


Creamy Italian Chicken - I threw all the ingredients in my gallon ziplock bag including the cream soup and cream cheese. I have cooked it this way before and had great luck. I have found that I need to stir it a few times during the cooking process so the gravy doesn't burn on the edges. That means this is not a meal to cook on a day you have to be away for the full 4 hour cooking time. Serve over cooked egg noodles or rice. Serve a green salad or frozen veggies on the side.


Slow Cooker Freezer Beef Stew - I am trying this new recipe. I made just a couple of changes. I used frozen sliced carrots and omitted the potatoes. I will add them as I put it in the crockpot. (I know that potatoes turn black when frozen raw and I didn't want to deal with that.) I left the flour and cornstarch out since they would break down in the freezer. To help thicken the stew, I increased the tomato paste to 6 oz. I will add more thickener if needed just before serving. I will also add frozen peas the last 15-20 minutes of cooking.


Island Chicken Here is another new recipe I am trying. Her list of recipes on her post is inspiring - I didn't use all her recipes, but the titles made me turn to recipes of my own that I knew we liked with similar titles. Isn't that what food bloggers do - inspire us to enjoy dinner again?


Mongolian Beef Here is another new recipe from whoneedsacape.com. We are excited to try it.

That's enough recipes to share for one night. With the ones I had ready to share and the list from whoneedsacape.com anyone ready to try this method has plenty to think about.

Cooking Wheat Berries or Kernals

Cooked wheat is a great way to add the benefits of whole grain to your diet. You can add a little sugar and milk and enjoy it as a hot cereal for breakfast. There are also plenty of other ways to use the cooked wheat. I've been getting a little creative around her adding it to many dishes - the kids are used to my experimenting by now so it doesn't surprise them at all. They also haven't complained so I guess I've picked some good things to add it to so it "hides" well. I've added it to taco filling, chili, salads, and vegetable soups. They've all been really good. I'll get some recipes posted soon that it has worked well in.

Cooking wheat is easy. I store hard, white wheat so it is what I have been cooking. It is nutritionally equal to hard, red wheat but has a milder flavor. I've cooked it in quite a few ways.

Cooking Wheat Berries

On the Stovetop – Combine 1 c. wheat berries and 2 ½ c. water in a saucepan. Cover, bring to a boil, lower heat to simmer on lowest setting. (Just as you would for cooking rice.) Cook until grains are soft—about 1 to 1 ½ hours. You might have to add water to prevent scorching. Just check on it periodically. Cooked wheat berries freeze very well so don't be afraid to cook a large batch.

Crockpot Instructions – Combine 5 cups wheat berries and 10 cups water. Turn on low and leave overnight. My friend's family would eat this for breakfast with a little sugar and milk added. They called them footballs. You can freeze any extra to use in recipes another time.

Thermos Instructions – Put 5 cups wheat berries in a thermos with 10 cups boiling water and leave on the counter overnight. In the morning, you’ll have 15 cups of wheat berries. Freeze any you don’t use. Sometimes, they aren't quite done cooking and the water has cooled down too much. I just pour them out into a pan and heat it back up. They are done in about 10 minutes. This way significantly reduces my "hands-on" time.

How to Test Wheat Berries for Doneness – Test for doneness by removing a grain and tasting. It will be chewy with a soft center. Whole wheat berries stay chewier than rice. You can substitute them for almost all the recipes that require rice. Try to remember that wheat berries take longer to cook and need a little more liquid than rice. For more flavor, try cooking the berries in chicken broth or vegetable juices.

Freezing Wheat Berries – Wheat berries freeze very well once they are cooked. Be sure to cook up a large batch and freeze for later use. I just put the cooked wheat berries in freezer ziplock bags marked with the date. They last for 1 year in the freezer.

 Stretching Your Hamburger with Wheat Berries – Cook wheat berries and allow to cool. If desired, grind with a meat grinder. This will give them the appearance and texture of ground beef. Combine equal parts ground wheat berries and hamburger in your frying pan. The hamburger with the highest fat content will give the wheat berries more of a meaty flavor. Cook together to season your wheat and use in recipes calling for hamburger. You can do this same thing with ground turkey or sausage. Ground wheat berries store very well in the freezer. I keep some on hand and add them to meat whenever I am cooking up a big batch. Once the meat is cooked, I freeze the wheat/meat combination to make dinner prep go quickly another night. It makes a healthier meal and stretches our food budget as well. You could use other whole grains in the same way. I think I would try quinoa or brown rice. 

 
A Word of Caution – Whole wheat is very high in fiber compared to what most people are used to. Switching to whole wheat all at once can upset your digestive tract and make you uncomfortable. As with any major food change, add it to your diet gradually over time and you will adjust just fine. 

Thanksgiving Stuffing in the Crockpot

I've had a few family members request my Thanksgiving stuffing recipe that I've made in past years. I don't have any pictures ready to share since I haven't made it yet this year, but I felt this blog was the best way to share the info for everyone. As I go through the process this week, I will try to update with some photos.

 I have to admit that I don't have an exact recipe for the stuffing as far as the amounts go. I will do my best to guess at how much to put in, but feel free to play with the amounts to your liking. This is basically the recipe my mom always made as we were growing up. We always stuffed it into the turkey. Now the food safety specialists suggest cooking the stuffing separate from the bird. We also have some extended family members who cannot have gluten so doing the stuffing separate allows them the chance to eat the same turkey. The other challenge that we all face on Thanksgiving is having enough oven space to roast the turkey and cook the stuffing and the rolls. By adapting the stuffing recipe for the crockpot, it freed up the oven for other things.

I start drying out bread cubes a few weeks ahead of Thanksgiving. My kids always refuse to eat the heal of the bread loaf. I have a few stack up eventually because I can't eat them all. I cut them into small cubes and place them on a baking sheet. I then leave them on the counter overnight to dry out or place them in a warm oven (200 degrees or so) and allow them to dry out. You need to make sure they are good and dry. Allow to cool and then bag up for safe keeping. I do this process a few times to gather enough bread cubes to make stuffing. They will last 6 months to a year this way, if kept in an airtight container. Feel free to purchase the dry bread cubes that are available at the store this time of year instead of making your own.

I usually saute the vegetables a few days ahead of Thanksgiving to make it very easy the day of. Just store them in the fridge until you mix it all together. We often take this item to dinner when we are traveling to be with family. With the vegetables all sauteed and ready to go in the cooler and my bag of bread cubes, it goes together really fast after the turkey is in the oven.











You can make this dairy and gluten free, by using the appropriate butter substitute and gluten-free bread. That is what we did this year since we were eating with family members who suffer from allergies.


Apple Vegetable Stuffing in the Crockpot

12 cups dry bread cubes
1 large onion
2-3 carrots
3-4 stalks of celery
2 apples
1 stick butter
4-6 cups chicken broth or chicken bouillon dissolved in water
Season with sage, salt, and pepper

Peel and chop all the vegetables and apples. Saute in butter until the onions are clear. Spray the crockpot with Pam and dump the bread cubes in. Mix in the vegetables. Sprinkle a little ground sage over the mix and stir. Pour some of the broth over the stuffing. I use about 1/2 to begin with. Cook on high for 2-3 hours, stirring occasionally. Add broth as needed to gain the consistency that you like. Add additional seasonings at the end, if needed. This would fill a 4 quart crockpot.

The secret ingredient is the apples. They add a certain sweetness that is irresistible! Enjoy!