Marvelous Recipes

2 (10-3/4 ounce) cans condensed cream of chicken soup
1 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup coarsely chopped pitted kalamata olives
2 tablespoons drained capers
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (14 ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 cup drained, coarsely chopped sun-dried tomatoes
8 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
Hot cooked rice

1. Stir the soup, wine, olives, capers, garlic, artichokes and tomatoes in a 3-1/2 quart slow cooker. Add the chicken and turn to coat with the soup mixture.

2. Cover and cook on Low for 7 to 8 hours or on High for 4 to 5 hours or until the chicken is cooked through. Sprinkle with basil; spoon over hot cooked rice. Makes 8 servings.

Emily

Barbecued chicken is one of my favorite foods and this delightful recipe from Taste of Home is also one of my favorites.

1/4 cup water
3 tablespoons brown sugar
3 tablespoons white vinegar
3 tablespoons ketchup
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon ground mustard
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 broiler/fryer chicken (2-1/2 to 3 pounds) cut up and skin removed
4 teaspoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon cold water

1. In a small saucepan, combine the first 11 ingredients; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.

2. Place the chicken in a 3-quart slow cooker; top with the sauce. Cover and cook on Low for 3 to 4 hours or until the chicken juices run clear.

3. Remove chicken to a serving platter and keep warm. Strain the cooking juices and skim the fat; transfer to a small saucepan. Combine cornstarch and water until smooth; stir into the juices.

4. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Spoon some of the sauce over the chicken and serve the remaining sauce on the side. Makes 4 servings.

Emily

The sweet-tart taste of cherry pie filling adds the perfect touch to these tender slow-cooked pork chops. I especially enjoy the convenience of preparing this tasty recipe using my slow cooker during the hot summer months.

6 bone-in pork loin chops (8 ounces each cut 3/4-inch thick)
1/8 teaspoon salt
Pepper (to taste)
1 cup canned cherry pie filling*
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon chicken bouillon granules
1/8 teaspoon mace

1. In a large skillet coated with cooking spray, brown the pork chops over medium heat on both sides; season with salt and pepper.

2. In a 3-quart slow cooker, combine the pie filling, lemon juice, bouillon and mace; add the browned pork chops.

3. Cover and cook on Low for 3 to 4 hours or until the meat is no longer pink. Makes 6 servings.

*Serve the remaining cherry pie filling over slices of pound cake or a bowl of vanilla ice cream for an easy and special dessert.

Emily

I love to use my slow cooker during the hot days of summer. It allows me to serve my hubby a tasty hot meal without heating up the kitchen and making the air conditioning or me have to work harder. This is one of our favorite summertime recipes.

5 Italian sausage links (4 ounces each)
1 large onion, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 medium green pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
pepper (to taste)
6 hoagie or submarine sandwich buns, split

1. Brown the sausage links in a large skillet over medium heat; cut into 1/2-inch slices. Place in a 3-quart slow cooker. Stir in the onion, green pepper, tomato sauce and pepper.

2. Cover and cook on Low for 7 to 8 hours or until the sausage is no longer pink and the vegetables are tender. Use a slotted spoon to serve on buns. Makes 6 servings.

Emily

My hubby and I are rather fond of lean pork tenderloin especially when it is prepared in my slow cooker. I found this recipe in an older copy of Taste of Home magazine. The cranberry sauce, orange juice and ground cloves create a sweet, nicely seasoned sauce that enhances the natural flavor of the meat.

1 (1 pound) pork tenderloin
1 (16 ounce) can whole-berry cranberry sauce
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground mustard
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
2 tablespoons corn starch
3 tablespoons cold water

1. Place the tenderloin in a 3-quart slow cooker. Combine the cranberry sauce, orange juice, sugars, mustard and cloves; pour over pork. Cover and cook on Low for 5 to 6 hours or until a meat thermometer reads 160 degrees F.

2. Remove the pork and keep warm. In a small bowl, combine cornstarch and cold water until smooth; gradually stir into cranberry mixture. Cover and cook on High for 15 minutes longer or until thickened. Serve with the pork. Makes 4 servings.

Emily

Put the ingredients for this thick hearty meat sauce in your slow cooker before leaving for work and all you will need to do when you arrive home is cook some spaghetti, toast some garlic bread and dinner is served!

1 pound lean ground beef
1 pound bulk Italian sausage
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes, undrained
1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 cup finely chopped carrots
1 cup water
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Hot cooked spaghetti

1. In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the beef and sausage until no longer pink; drain. Transfer to a 5-quart slow cooker.

2. Stir in the remaining ingredients except the spaghetti; cover and cook on Low for 8 to 10 hours. Serve over hot cooked spaghetti. Makes 8 servings.

Emily

It was so cold and cloudy yesterday that all I could think about was a big bowl of tasty hot soup so I went searching through some recipes in a Taste of Home magazine I had purchased a couple of years ago. This is the one I chose because it contained a lot of healthy vegetables, required no meat and was so simple and easy to make in my slow cooker.

1 large sweet potato, peeled and cubed
1-1/2 cups fresh baby carrots, halved
1-1/2 cups frozen cut green beans
1-1/2 cups frozen corn
3 celery ribs, thinly sliced
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
6 cups water
2 cans(14-1/2 ounces each) vegetable broth
1 cup medium pearl barley
1 bay leaf
1-3/4 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon fennel seed, crushed
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 can (14-1/2 ounces) Italian diced tomatoes, undrained

1. In a 5-quart slow cooker, combine the first 8 ingredients. Stir in the water, broth, barley, bay leaf and seasonings. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 9 hours or until barley and vegetables are tender.

2. Stir in the tomatoes; cover and cook on high for 10 to 20 minutes or until heated through. Discard the bay leaf before serving. Makes 12 servings.

Emily

This recipe turned out great! The chicken and vegetables were very tender and had a wonderful flavor and it was so easy-to-make! I definitely will be making this often!

1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 medium green bell pepper, cut into strips
1 (13 ounce) can artichoke hearts
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
Salt (to taste)
Pepper (to taste)
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon thyme
1/2 cup red cooking wine
4 tablespoons soy sauce

1. Place onion, green bell pepper and artichoke hearts in bottom of slow cooker.
2. Place chicken strips on top of vegetables; sprinkle with the salt, pepper, garlic powder and thyme.
3. Stir together the cooking wine and soy sauce, pour over the chicken strips.
4. Cover the slow cooker and cook on Low for 5 to 6 hours or until the chicken and vegetables are tender. Makes 6 servings.

Emily