Slow Cooker Chili #StubbsCookingSauce

The holidays are here and time is precious. We have shopping to do, parties to attend and families to feed. This is the best time of year to break out the trusty ole slow cook (aka crock pot if you wanna get all old school on me).

This is where Stubb's BBQ can be your best friend. I know you're familiar with their bbq sauces, but did you know they also have Cooking Sauces?!

This is just 3 of the varieties that they offer. Look how cute the packaging is!!

The chili pack came with everything I needed, but the meat. Of course you can add extras, such as peppers, onions, whatever your favorite add-ins might be. I chose to keep it simple, although I did brown my stew meat before hand, and then added some onions.

After that, it was all up to Stubb! Pour in the spice pack (it's really spicy, just so you know) and the sauce

Can you see how rich those spices are?! And for those who need to know, it's gluten-free. 

With only a minimal amount of prep time, and 2 additional ingredients, I had a nice pot of chili waiting for me when I got home. Threw together some cornbread (I can't have chili without cornbread) and bam! Dinner is served. 

Let me just say.....wow. Rich, flavorful, and satisfying! It was better than any pot of chili I've ever made (for reals). 

Want some more ideas and information? Visit Stubb's BBQ . Also check out these wonderful holiday meal suggestions:

·         Sweet Black Pepper Pork Tenderloin

·         Stubb’s Smoked Turkey or Deep Fried Turkey

·         Green Beans And Pecan Vinaigrette

·         Black-Eyes ‘n’ Bacon

·         Stubb’s Holiday Fruit Bruschetta

I was not compensated for this post, however Stubb's BBQ supplied me with coupons. All opinions are my own.

Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili #SundaySupper

The holidays are approaching fast and if you're budget is anything like mine, things get tight. Or should I say....tighter. Sales, coupons, making meals stretch, all become more focused for the next couple of months. If a meal can be made by only spending a few bucks....and makes enough for lots of leftovers...I'm one happy camper. When said meal tastes wonderfully delicious and is comforting and filling....I'm doing the happy dance. (probably something you don't really want to witness)

A while back I won Erin Chase's cookbook, The $5 Dinner Mom. It's a great cookbook in many ways. The recipes are good, quick and easy to prepare. I don't know if this meal is actually a $5 dinner as prices have gone up since it was published back in 2009. But the key is to purchase on sale, use your coupons and make things from scratch whenever possible. Foods that have been prepared and processed for convenience are pricey, but they lure us in because we all know how busy our lives are. And saving time appeals to us all. Funny thing is....a lot of those processed foods don't really take that much time to make. Especially if you plan accordingly and make it ahead of time.

Making this chili is easy, inexpensive, and doesn't use any processed foods. You're going to have some minor prep work, but trust me...it's simple and worth the few minutes it takes. Not only will you be saving money, but you'll be avoiding a lot of unnecessary ingredients that come with packaged foods.

I did most of the prep work the night before (my time is very limited in the morning and I didn't want to get up any earlier that I had to...5:30am just isn't an option). All I had to do before going to work was toss it all in the slow cooker, turn it on...and bam! Dinner was in the making.

I'm going to be giving you 2 recipes here. One for the chili and one for the homemade basic white sauce. The basic white sauce is one of the major things I made the night before in order to save time in the morning (and it's a big money saver).

Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili

Inspired by The $5 Dinner Mom Cookbook by Erin Chase

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cup into bite sized pieces
1/2 onion, chopped
1 recipe for Homemade Basic White Sauce (recipe below)
6 oz green chilies (either canned or fresh) chopped
4 oz jalapenos (either canned or fresh) chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup dried Great Northern beans
2 ears of corn, kernels cut from the cob
1 zucchini, chopped
4 cups chicken broth (or water)
1 tsp cumin
Salt and pepper to taste
Avocado and cilantro to garnish (optional)

Note: I used about a pound of veggies. Keep this in mind when swapping with other preferred or less expensive veggies.

Combine all of the ingredients into your slow cooker. Set the slow cooker to low and cook for 8 hrs. Garnish if desired and serve.

Homemade Basic White Sauce
4 tablespoons butter
6 tablespoons flour
3 cups milk
Salt and pepper to taste

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk the flour into the butter until a paste is formed and it bubbles.

Whisk in the milk and continue to whisk until the butter and flour have dissolved. Cook and stir for about 5 or 6 minutes, being sure that nothing sticks to the bottom or sides. The sauce will thicken a bit as it cools.

Tips: If chicken thighs are less expensive than breast...use them. If you find other veggies that you prefer, or are on sale....use them.

For more wonderful budget friendly meals, check out what the rest of the Sunday Supper team has in store for you!

Scrumptious Mains (Breakfast and Dinner)

• Curry Baked Chicken Wings from Chocolate Moosey
• Shrimp Fried Rice from The Redhead Baker
• Spicy Marinated Steak Tacos from Nik Snacks
• Vegan Black Bean Soup from Killer Bunnies, Inc
• Slow Cooker Swiss Steak from Nosh My Way
• Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili from Peaceful Cooking
• Curry Veg Soup from Jane's Adventures in Dinner
• Easy Slow Cooker BBQ Beef from Noshing With The Nolands
• Tortelini and Cannelini Minestrone with Spinach from A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures
• Addictive Korean Beef Bowl from A Mama, Baby & Shar-pei in the Kitchen
• Grilled Lemon Chicken with Corn Salad from Brunch with Joy
• Five Bean Chili from The Foodie Army Wife
• Vaca Frita from That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Chicken Pot Pie Turnovers from The Life and Loves of Grumpy's Honeybunch
• Spaghetti Squash Nests with Meatballs from Curious Cuisiniere
• Chicken Meatballs and Spaghetti from Cindy's Recipes and Writings
• Cauliflower Chowder from Flavor Mosaic
• Individual Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal Cups from Peanut Butter and Peppers
• Unstuffed Cabbage Roll Casserole from Yours And Mine Are Ours
• Mac, Veggie and Cheese Casserole from Cooking Chat
• Loaded Sweet Potato Quinoa Chili from Sue's Nutrition Buzz
• Chicken Pot Pie Cupcakes from Having Fun Saving
• Vegetable Fried Rice from Basic N Delicious
• Comforting White Bean-Pancetta Soup from The Weekend Gourmet
• Mujadara with Lebanase Salata from Take A Bite Out of Boca
• Hunters Stew from Simply Healthy Family
• Brats and Kraut from Confessions of a Culinary Diva
• Beef Taco Soup from Fit Foodie Runs
• Slow Cooker "Hash Brown" Breakfast Casserole {#lowcarb #glutenfree} from Cupcakes and Kale Chips
• French Toast Pigs in a Blanket from Bobbi's Kozy Kitchen
• Orecchiette Pasta with Brie, Broccoli and Tomatoes from Family Foodie
• Gluten Free Spinach and Feta Frittata from Gluten Free Crumbley

Satisfying Sides

• Tender Whole Wheat Bread from What Smells So Good?
• Austin-Style Black Beans from The Texan New Yorker
• Buffalo Chicken Egg Rolls w/Creamy Blue Cheese Dipping Sauce from Daily Dish Recipes

Sweet Treats

• Apple Blackberry Crisp from Hot Momma's Kitchen Chaos
• Brown Sugar Shortbread from Shockingly Delicious
• Rock Cakes from Happy Baking Days
• Incredible White Chocolate Brownies from The Perfect Brownie
• Rocky Road Brownies from Wallflour Girl
• Autumn Spice Truffles from Desserts Required
• Profiteroles with Caramel Drizzle from Food Lust People Love
• Gluten-Free Pumpkin Cake Donuts from NinjaBaking.com
• Carrot Cake Sheet Cake from Pies and Plots
• Risalamande (Danish Christmas Eve Rice Pudding) from Culinary Adventures with Camilla

Sips, Spreads, and Snacks

• Pumpkin Spice Roasted Pumpkin Seeds from Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks
• Tex Mex Chicken Salad Spread from Momma's Meals
• Budget Friendly Wines for Budget Friendly #SundaySupper from ENOFYLZ Wine Blog

Join the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter on Sunday! We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm ET. Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. To get more great Sunday Supper Recipes, visit our website or check out our Pinterest board.

Would you like to join the Sunday Supper Movement? It’s easy. You can sign up by clicking here: Sunday Supper Movement.

Simply Beef Stew

I think this is one of my favorite comfort foods.

And one of the few "soups" that Sir Sportsalot likes to eat.  He's not a soup person. I am. So when I find one that he enjoys I get really excited.

This is a basic recipe. One that I found some 20+ years ago in my Betty Crocker Cookbook (I really use this cookbook a whooooole heck of a lot). I don't do anything fancy schmancy with it.

Just beef and veggies.

I'm sure most of you have your own beef stew recipe that you enjoy. I'd love to hear about your version. What do you do differently? What do we do that's the same?

I start off with same the basic ingredients. Sometimes the veggies vary, but not by much. Maybe instead of broccoli I use green beans. I may have put zucchini in it a time or two. Whatever you like will work.

One thing that I do is add more beef than the recipe calls for. I like it thick and I like it beefy. This time instead of stew meat, I used boneless chuck. It was on sale and was cheaper per pound than ground beef. You can't beat that!!

1 1/2 lbs stew meat cut into 1 inch cubes
1 tablespoon shortening
3 cups hot water
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 potato, peeled and cut into pieces
1 medium rutabaga, peeled and cut into pieces
2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into pieces
1 medium bell pepper cut into chunks
1 medium stalk of celery, sliced
1 onion, chopped
1/2 tsp brown bouquet sauce (I never measure....just pour a bit in)
1 beef bouillon cube
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup cold water
2 tablespoons flour

In a heavy pot, melt the shortening and brown the meat. If you want a better browning, do what Julia Child suggests....dry the meat first with a paper towel.

Add the 3 cups of water, salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover and simmer until the beef is almost tender. Depending on what kind of meat you use, this takes about 2 to 2 1/2 hours. With the chuck, it was more like 1 1/2  - 2 hrs.

Stir in all the veggies, bouquet sauce, more salt to taste, the bouillon cube and bay leaf. You may need to add a bit more water. I think I ended up adding another 1/2 cup or so. Cover and simmer until veggies are tender. They say about 30 minutes but for my liking, it usually takes a bit longer.

In a container with a secure lid, combine 1/2 cup cold water and the flour and shake to combine. Don't bother trying to just stir it together, it doesn't work (trust me...I've tried). You end up with lumps. Save yourself the stress and just shake it baby....shake it.

Gradually stir it into your stew. Heat to a boil, stirring constantly. Boil and stir for 1 minute.

And you're done!

It might look like I added too much liquid but it thickens as it sits. And the next day (when the leftovers are devoured) there's hardly any liquid left. Besides...don't you wanna sop it up with a nice chunck of bread?

Now I know most of you are familiar with Debs Souper Sundays over at Kahakai Kitchen. I keep forgetting to join in all the fun! But not this time!! So if you like soup and salads and sandwiches....check out her blog on Sundays and see what everyone has cooked up! You're sure to find something or most likely, many things that will catch your fancy.