2-1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 onion, sliced
1 bottle (12 oz) Guinness beer
1-1/2 cup bbq sauce
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp red pepper flakes
salt and pepper

1. Slice onions. Toss onions into slow cooker.
2. Place chicken in slow cooker on top of onions. Mix Guinness, bbq sauce, and spices together in a small mixing bowl and pour over chicken.
3. Cook for 4 hours on high or 6 hours on low.
4. Shred chicken with forks. Remove onions from sauce if you prefer to not include them with the shredded meat. (Note: the onions hold all the spices ... YUM!) Toss chicken back into crock pot to soak up the juices. Serve on a bun, on top of salad, or by itself with some sides.

?? servings


Alley's Recipe Book

3 Tbsp paprika
3 Tbsp packed brown sugar, divided
1 Tbsp pepper
2 tsp salt
2 tsp onion powder
2 tsp granulated garlic
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
2 racks (2 1/2- to 3-pound each) St. Louis-style spareribs, trimmed, cut in half crosswise*
1/2 cup ketchup
6 Tbsp molasses
2 Tbsp Dijon mustard 1 Tbsp cider vinegar
1/2 tsp liquid smoke

1. Combine paprika, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, pepper, salt, onion powder, granulated garlic, and cayenne in bowl. Pat spareribs dry with paper towels and rub with spice mixture.
2. Arrange ribs vertically** in slow cooker with thick ends pointing down and meaty side against interior wall (ribs will overlap). Cover and cook until ribs are just tender, 7 to 8 hours on low or 4 to 5 hours on high.
3. Adjust oven rack 3 inches from broiler element and heat broiler. Set wire rack in aluminum foil-lined rimmed baking sheet and coat with vegetable oil spray. Transfer ribs meaty side up to prepared rack. Let ribs sit for 10 minutes to allow surface to dry out.
4. Whisk ketchup, molasses, mustard, vinegar, liquid smoke, and remaining 1 tablespoon brown sugar in bowl until sugar has dissolved. Brush ribs with half of sauce and broil until sauce is bubbling and beginning to char, about 4 minutes. Remove ribs from broiler and brush with remaining sauce. Tent loosely with aluminum foil and let rest for 5 minutes. Cut ribs in between bones to separate. Serve.

*We don't have a cleaver, so we are going to ask the butcher to cut them for us next time. First time out, we just laid the ribs in diagonally.

**Standing arrangement image below:


4-6 servings


America's Test Kitchen

4 lb boneless sirloin tip beef roast
1/2 cup light, low sodium soy sauce
1 beef bouillon cube
1 bay leaf
3 whole black peppercorns
1 tsp dried rosemary, crushed
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp garlic powder
10 slices provolone cheese
10 steak rolls

1. Remove and discard all visible fat from the roast. Place trimmed roast in a slow cooker.
2. In a medium bowl, combine soy sauce, bouillon, bay leaf, peppercorns, rosemary, thyme, and garlic powder. Pour mixture over roast, and add enough water to almost cover roast. Cover, and cook on Low heat for 10 to 12 hours, or until meat is very tender.
3. Remove meat from broth, reserving broth. Let the meat sit for five minutes to allow the juices to redistribute. Shred meat with a fork, and serve on rolls with a slice of provolone. Use reserved broth for dipping.

10 servings


Spark Recipes


Calories 543.7, Total Fat 17.6 g, Cholesterol 128.4 mg, Sodium 1,222.8 mg, Total Carbs 41.0 g, Dietary Fiber 1.2 g, Protein 52.7 g,

1-1/2 lbs. lean ground chuck or sirloin
1 large yellow onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
15-oz. can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
2, 14-oz. cans diced tomatoes with green chiles, such as Rotel, with their juice
6-oz. can tomato paste
7-oz. can diced roasted green chiles
3/4 cup Mexican beer (not dark)
2 tsp. chili powder
1-1/2 tsp. pure ancho chile powder
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. dried oregano, savory, or marjoram
Salt to taste

For serving:
Shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Sour cream or crema Mexicana
Chopped fresh tomatoes
Chopped green onions
Chopped fresh cilantro
Warm cornbread or whole wheat tortillas


In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook the ground beef, onion and garlic until the meat is no longer pink, breaking up any clumps; drain off the fat.

Transfer meat mixture to the slow cooker, and add the pinto beans, tomatoes, tomato paste, chiles, beer, chili powder, ancho powder, cumin and oregano, and stir to combine. Cover and cook on LOW for 8 or 9 hours, stirring occasionally if possible, or on HIGH for 4 to 5 hours. The last hour; season with salt. The longer you let the chili simmer, the better it gets, up to a point, of course.

Serve the chili in bowls with plenty of toppings and warm cornbread or whole wheat tortillas.


6 to 8 servings


Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Cookbook


We used black beans instead of pinto beans, and we used 1 tsp. each of regular and medium hot chili powders.

1 envelope taco seasoning or 4 Tbsp of Penzey's taco seasoning
2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
16-ounce jar picante sauce or salsa (we use medium)


Mix together the taco seasoning and picante sauce in the crock pot (you do not need to add any water to the taco seasoning). Add the chicken and move around to get them coated a bit. Cook on high for 4 to 6 hours or on low for 6 to 8 hours. When done, remove chicken and shred easily with a fork. Return to crockpot and stir to combine with sauce.


12 servings


Chocolate Therapy

1 lb lean ground beef
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1/2 large red bell pepper, seeded & finely chopped
1 large rib celery, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
6-oz can tomato paste
2 Tbsp cider vinegar
2 Tbsp light or dark brown sugar, firmly packed
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp dry mustard
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
Dash hot sauce
Dash cayenne pepper
Hamburger buns or other soft sandwich rolls


In a large, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, cook the beef with the onion, bell pepper, celery and garlic, stirring to break up the meat. When the meat is cooked through, drain and transfer the meat and vegetables to the slow cooker. Add the remaining Sloppy Joe ingredients and stir to combine well. Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 7 hours.

Taste and add more vinegar or sugar, if desired. Serve the meat mixture spooned into the buns.


4 servings


Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Cookbook