What a busy few days! We hit the ground running when we returned from Dallas, taking down our live Christmas tree that held all of our family and personal ornaments. We also have a new, prelit 15-ft. tall tree that stands in our new living area in our home addition. It was quite grand, but it will take me a few years to be able to decorate it the way I would like to! Those large ornaments are expensive! So, we had about 15 ornaments on that tall tree, three or four of which became victims of little boys throwing soccer balls at the tree. They say “shatter proof” but that doesn’t mean they won’t break. Trust me, if it can break, my four little men will figure out how to break it. But I digress.
With all of the busyness, I decided for my last two days of crock pot cooking (for the blog series) would consist of a yummy breakfast we always enjoy as well as a couple of appetizers I made in the crock pots for our New Year’s Eve party!
Day 30: Overnight Apple Oatmeal
I’ll say it again: there’s nothing like waking up to your hot breakfast already made and waiting for you. It’s even better if it’s a delicious breakfast the whole family enjoys! This recipe is tried and true, and pretty easy to make. The worst part is peeling the apples, but if you have certain kitchen gadgets to help you (apple peeler, corer and slicer), then it’s not too bad. I double this, so I have to peel 4 apples. But if you are making the single recipe, it’s only 2 apples. So, no big deal. The rest is just dumping everything in the greased crock pot, setting your crock pot on low, and you will have your reward in the morning!
We were so happy that all our older kids decided they wanted to stay home and ring in the New Year with us. They had been talking about going to different friends’ houses, and I was a little bummed. But in the end, everyone stayed home. So, we had a few friends over here, and made LOTS of food! Yay! There were cheese balls with crackers, desserts dips, and meatballs! Not to mention what our friends brought. We played games, set off fireworks, and watched the ball drop at 11 (midnight in New York) and then celebrated at midnight, central time! It was a blast! This taco appetizer was really good. I think I’ll make it again when there is less food to compete with it. The final recipe is kind of a “bonus.” I realized I had posted the same recipe–Calico Beans–twice during my 31-day series. So, I’m adding another appetizer to make up for it.
Ingredients:
1/2 lb. ground beef
1/2 lb. hot Italian sausage
1 large onion, finely chopped
salt to taste
2 tsp. hot pepper sauce, or more or less to taste
2 16-oz. cans refried beans
4-oz. can chopped green chilies, drained
2-3 cups (8-12 oz.) grated Monterey Jack cheese
3/4 cup hot, or mild, taco sauce
tortilla chips or corn chips
garnishes: chopped tomatoes, chopped ripe olives, chopped green onions, smashed ripe avocado, cilantro, sour cream
2. Meanwhile, spread refried beans in lightly greased slow cooker.
3. Spoon browned meat over refried beans.
6. Pour taco sauce on top of cheese. (Do not stir).
1 bag frozen meatballs OR make homemade meatballs (see recipes below)
12-oz. bottle chili sauce
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
2. In a saucepan, combine cranberry, chili sauce, brown sugar and lemon juice. Heat over medium-high heat until jellied sauce and brown sugar melt. There should be no more chunks in the sauce, and it should be smooth.
1/3 cup parsley flakes
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
2 Tbsp. minced onion
1 cup cornflake crumbs
1. Use 1 lb. ground beef and 1 lb. ground pork instead of 2 lbs. ground beef.
2 lbs. ground turkey
2 green onions with tops, sliced
4 tsp. grated orange peel