Sharing a few featured October favorites for the crockpot. These may not be new and different to you but they are well loved in “The Hardware Life” and easy to prep for any weeknight meal. Enjoy these Crocktober family favorites!

Creamy Crock-pot Chicken

Ingredients for Crock-pot Creamy Chicken:

2 Cans Campbell’s Cream of Chicken Soup

1 T butter

1 package chicken tenders

Note: You can use more chicken to adjust to your family size! I’m cooking for only two people right now.

1 cup chicken stock

Note: You can thin it as much as you like by adding more chicken stock, but I like to leave mine on the thicker side.

Get it Simmering in the Crock-pot:

1. Add chicken as the bottom layer first, season chicken as desired.

Note: ( I season my tenders with minced dried onion and black pepper )

2. Combine all other ingredients and stir into crockpot and cook on low for at least 6 hours or chicken throughly cooked. Mine usually cooks all day while I’m gone to work.

Alternate versions of Creamy Crock-pot Chicken:

1. Add frozen biscuits (cut into 4’s ) cook for about hour on high in crock-pot for chicken pie or dumplings type meal.

2. Use cooked creamy chicken as a base for chicken casserole and layer into casserole dish.

3. Creamy chicken & Pasta : Cook pasta and steam veggies and top the chicken with parmigiana cheese.

4. Creamy Chicken Soup: My Creamy Chicken leftovers and pasta combines to make a fantastic soup!!! Add a bit more chicken stock to thin if needed or another can cream of chicken soup and add your favorite vegetables or pasta. Simmer until vegetables/pasta is cooked.

Crock-pot Spaghetti Sauce

Ingredients for Crock-pot Spaghetti Sauce:

1-2 pounds hamburger

1 container of fresh mushrooms (fine chop)

1/2 c Chopped carrots

2 T Italian seasoning

Fresh Herbs (Rosemary/oregano)

Spaghetti sauce base:

1. Shortcut- Add in favorite Jar Spaghetti sauce to your cooked hamburger, spices, and simmer away all day

OR….

2. Make your own spaghetti sauce base- 1 T tomato paste, splash of wine, crushed tomatoes with Italian seasoning, I usually add extra Italian seasoning( if using dried herbs, you will need to use less by 1/3 vs using fresh herbs… use more than dried)

Get Simmering in Crock-pot:

1. Brown Hamburger in crock-pot on low heat for 30-45 minutes. Chop hamburger into smaller pieces as it begins to cook down. Drain away any excess liquid.

2. Add herbs and Red Wine(if desired)

3. Add chopped mushrooms and carrots

4. Add Spaghetti Sauce base ingredients and stir well.

5. Top sauce with fresh herb bundle, cover and simmer 8 hours.

Enjoy these “Crocktober Recipes” and enjoy cooking low and slow adding a bit a flavor as you go!