Tag Archive | crockpot recipes

Crock Pot Copycat P.F. Chang’s Mongolian Beef

Oct24

Mongolian Beef PlatedIf you’ve ever eaten at P.F. Chang’s, you know you’re always in for a treat. Everything on their menu is so stinking good. Unfortunately, the closest P.F. Chang’s we have is about 45 minutes away so it’s rare that we get to enjoy eating there. I love, love, love their Mongolian Beef so it was a happy day when I came across the recipe in one of Todd Wlbur’s copycat books. While it was pretty close to spot on I have made some changes which I think make it taste more like the original and also make the recipe crockpot-friendly. The result is to die for! The beef is tender and tangy and the sauce it cooks in thickens up nicely to pour over rice or noodles. It’s an easy crock pot recipe to put together in the morning and the smells you come home to are heavenly. I hope you enjoy the recipe as much as my family does! And if you like a little heat, try adding some Sriracha to the sauce. 🙂

Crock Pot Copycat P.F. Chang’s Mongolian Beef
Serves 4

  • 1 pound flank steak or london broil
  • 1/2 cup cornstarch
  • 4 large green onions, sliced into 1 inch chunks
  • 1 teaspoons olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon sesame seed oil
  • 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
  • 4 garlic cloves, finely minced
  • 1/2 cup soy sauce
  • 1/4 cup Hoison sauce
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 3/4 cup dark brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup toasted sesame seeds (optional)
  • Green Onions, finely sliced for garnish

Directions: 

1. Turn your crock pot on low while you start preparing the ingredients. Spray the interior of your crock pot with non-stick cooking spray.

2. Cut the steak into thick stir-fry size pieces, making sure to cut against the grain of the meat.

Whole Steak

 

Sliced Meat

Dredge the pieces of steak into the cornstarch, making sure both sides are well coated.

Dredged Pieces

Place the coated steak in the bottom of the crock pot and discard any leftover cornstarch.

Dredged Pieces in Crockpot

3. Layer sliced green onions over the steak.

Green Onions over steak

4. In a small mixing bowl, combine remaining ingredients and whisk until well blended.

Sauce mixture

Pour sauce over the steak. Cook on HIGH for 2-3 hours or on LOW for 4-5 hours.

Sauce over steak

Serve over rice or noodles and garnish with green onions. Enjoy!

Mongolian Beef Plated

Crock Pot Copycat Panera Bread Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Oct7

broccolibowl
As soon as the leaves start to turn and that delicious crisp bites the air I start dreaming of soups, stews, and chilis. A number of years ago, my best friend and I got together and craved some Panera Bread Broccoli Cheddar soup but wanted to make it at home. We scoured the internet for recipes and found one that sounded great so we gave it a whirl. The recipe was full of heavy cream and butter so we trimmed it down and crossed our fingers. We were both shocked and delighted at the result: Amazing Panera Bread Broccoli Cheddar Soup that was every bit as good as from the restaurant. We’ve both made our recipe many times over the years, sharing it often with friends and family. More recently, I wanted to change the recipe again, this time making it a no-fuss crock pot version. This version is just as bit as good and makes life so much simpler by dumping everything in and setting the crock pot on low. You come home to a delicious pot of home made Broccoli Cheddar soup, without the extra calories or the bill! You can still accept tips from your family, though. 🙂

Crock Pot Copycat Panera Bread Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Serves 4-6

***This is a GREAT “dump in the crock pot and run out the door” recipe. When making this recipe, I will often buy shredded carrots and bagged pre-cut fresh broccoli florets to make this recipe even quicker and save on chopping.***

  • 1/2 lb (about 3-4 cups) fresh broccoli, roughly chopped
  • 1 small onion, roughly chopped
  • 3 medium carrots, roughly chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
  • 2 cups chicken stock
  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 pint (2 cups) fat-free half-and-half (If you really want the real thing, go for it, but fat-free tastes just as good in this recipe and that means you can go back for seconds!)
  • 16 ounces shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Directions: 

1. Place the broccoli, onion, carrot, and garlic in the bottom of a large crockpot. Pour chicken stock over the veggies. Add the nutmeg, salt, and pepper and stir.

broccolisoupincrockpot

2. Set the crock pot to LOW and cook for 6-8 hours or HIGH for 3-4 hours.

broccolisoup

3. Cream the soup. The easiest way is with an immersion blender but you can also transfer to a blender and then transfer back to the crock pot. If you prefer a more chunky soup, you can also use a potato masher so don’t let not having a blender or immersion blender stop you. You are dealing with hot liquids so be careful!

creamsoup

4. Immediately prior to serving, add the half-and-half and shredded cheese and stir. Allow the cheese to melt and garnish with extra cheese and serve. Yum! My family loves this recipe paired alongside my garlic knots or honey wheat crescent rolls or served inside a bread bowl.

broccolibowl2

Looking for other great copycat or crock pot recipes? Be sure to subscribe to my blog for the latest recipes or see a few of my favorite previously published fall and winter recipes below: