Slow Cooker Apple Butter BBQ Ribs

     Cooking bone-in meat in a slow cooker is always an exciting prospect. The end result more often than not looks terrifying, with meat and gristle and bone all in a heap in the bottom of the cooker. I'm also leery about using really nice spareribs for a slow cooker recipe. However, this recipe gave me the opportunity to use up some surplus apple butter and bbq sauce I canned last season. I bit the bullet and gave it a try. Despite the fact that I entirely missed a step, the ribs were quite tasty. The Wife really liked them because she didn't have to fight to get the meat off the bone. She would never be able to survive in the wild. I don't know that I'd make this a lot, but it was certainly good and I would consider making it again if the grill and smoker were not available outside. As always, any notes and changes are in blue.

Slow Cooker Apple Butter BBQ Ribs
via Super-Fast Slow Cooking

Ingredients

• 4 pounds pork spareribs
• salt and pepper to taste (we used Uncle Joe's Rub Down instead)
• 1 onion, quartered
• 16 ounces apple butter (we used our own Too Damned Easy Apple Butter)
• 18 ounce bottle barbecue sauce (we used the sauce from our BBQ Jalapeno Peppers and Onions)

Directions

1. Sprinkle ribs with salt and pepper (as mentioned, we used the Uncle Joe's)
2. Place ribs on rimmed baking sheets. Bake at 350 (180F, Gasmark 4) for 30 minutes; drain. Slice the ribs into serving size pieces and place in the slow cooker. (holy shit. I didn't even see this step when I made these. I just chucked the frozen rib sections into the slow-cooker. I'm not even joking. If you don't believe me, watch the video below.)
3. Add remaining ingredients. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.

Bonus Video! 

Good times!

Slow Cooker Sweet & Spicy Orange Chicken

     When I want hilariously unhealthy slow-cooker recipes, I turn to Gooseberry Patch Super Fast Slow Cooking. Many of the recipes call for Velveeta by the pound. This particular recipe called for an entire jar of orange marmalade. My recent blood workup said my blood sugars were fine, so I figured I'd give it a spin. I ramped up the heat a little by doubling the cayenne. I also added a cornstarch slurry to thicken up the sauce. We wound up serving it over white rice. This isn't going to blow your mind. It's simple and tasty and that's about it. It does leave plenty of room for interpretation. I'd certainly make it again. As always, and notes or changes are in blue.

Slow Cooker
Sweet & Spicy Orange Chicken

Ingredients

• 4 to 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (we just used one of those 2.5 pound bags of frozen chicken breast planks)
• 12-ounce jar orange marmalade 
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1-1/2 teaspoon curry powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (I used 3/4 teaspoon because I am a total badass)
• Optional: 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger (I used 1/4 teaspoon because, again, I am a total badass)
• Salt and pepper to taste (I used bouillon powder for the chicken stock, so I didn't need any extra salt. A few good shots of fresh cracked black pepper works wonders here)
• 3 tablespoons corn starch mixed with 3 tablespoons cold water

Directions

1. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper (I totally missed this step when I made it. Doesn't matter because I left out the salt anyway. And now that I think of it, I'm calling bullshit. 
   
    The recipe clearly called for "salt and pepper to taste." Are they suggesting I taste raw chicken to see if it's seasoned correctly? What the hell is wrong with people?) Place chicken in slow cooker (if you're not already debilitated with food poisoning from licking raw chicken to see if it's properly seasoned.)
2. In a bowl, whisk together marmalade, broth and spices. Pour over chicken. Cover and cook on LOW for 5-7 hours, or HIGH for 3-4 hours, turning chicken halfway though cooking (that didn't happen).
3. 30 minutes before serving, add the cornstarch/water mixture to help thicken the sauce.

UPDATE: I have posted up the video that accompanies this recipe:

Good times!

Slow Cooker Caramel Apple Pie Bread Pudding

     Bread pudding is one of those desserts that I love, but almost never make. Generally, I'll make a bread pudding one time during the holidays and then just pine away for it the rest of the year. I'm not sure why that is. Bread pudding is not particularly difficult to make. It will have to remain a mystery. I made this one because I had an empty slot in my 3 station slow cooker. I also had a loaf of Caramel Apple bread and nothing to do with it. I just changed up a recipe from Gooseberry Patch Super Fast Slow Cooking. It took WAY longer to cook than the recipe said, but ended up being a fine dessert. As always, any changes or notes are in blue.

Caramel Apple Pie Bread Pudding
via Gooseberry Patch Super Fast Slow Cooking

Ingredients

• 3 eggs, beaten
• 2 cups milk
• 1/2 cup sugar (we used 1/4 cup white sugar, 1/4 cup brown)
• 21 ounce can apple pie filling (we used a sugar-free pie filling)
• 6-1/2 cups cinnamon-raisin bread, cubed (no cinnamon-raisin bread on hand. Went with a one pound loaf of Pepperidge Farms Caramel Apple Bread)
• Optional: Whipped Cream (omitted)

Directions

1. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk and sugar. 
2. Gently stir in pie filling and bread cubes; pour mixture into lightly greased slow cooker.
3. Cover and cook on LOW setting for 3 hours, until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean (calling bullshit on this step. We went for three hours on LOW, then over another hour on HIGH, and that damned knife never came out clean. I just gave up and called it done)
4. Let stand, uncovered, 30-45 minutes to cook slightly before serving. 

Good times!