The Horse Show Kitchen

The Horse Show Kitchen

When it’s your night to feed the crew at the horse show, the last thing you want is complicated, fussy food. You’re tired, dusty, and probably sunburnt—but you still want to serve something hearty and crowd-pleasing. Here is a list of tasty go-to recipes that are easy to prep, feed a hungry barn family, and won't break the bank.

Cheeseburger Soup

Serves: 10–12
You’ll Need:

  • 1 lb ground beef
  • ¾ cup diced onion
  • ¾ cup chopped carrots
  • ¾ cup chopped celery
  • 1 tsp dried basil
  • 4 tbsp butter
  • 3 cups chicken broth
  • 4 cups diced potatoes
  • ¼ cup flour
  • 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1½ cups milk
  • Salt, pepper and garlic to taste

Steps:

  1. Cook ground beef and set aside. Season with salt, pepper and garlic powder.
  2. In the same pot, sauté onion, carrots, celery, and basil in butter until soft.
  3. Add chicken broth and potatoes; cook until potatoes are tender (about 15-20 minutes).
  4. Stir in cooked beef. Mix flour with milk to make a slurry, then add to soup, stirring until thickened.
  5. Add cheddar cheese and stir until melted. Season with salt, pepper and garlic to taste.

Crockpot Cowboy Spaghetti

Serves: 8–10
You’ll Need:

  • 1 lb ground beef or sausage
  • 1 box spaghetti noodles
  • 1 jar pasta sauce
  • 1 can diced tomatoes
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning
  • Shredded cheese (optional)

Steps:

  1. Cook brown meat ahead of time, season with garlic, salt and pepper.
  2. In a crockpot, combine pasta sauce, diced tomatoes, Italian seasoning, and cooked meat. Break the spaghetti noodles in half and place them on top of the sauce. Cook on low for 2-3 hours, stirring occasionally.
  3. Serve sauce over noodles or stir noodles into crockpot just before serving.
  4. Top with parmesan cheese if desired. Serve with dinner rolls.

Crack Chicken Sandwiches

Serves: 10–12
You’ll Need:

  • 5 boneless chicken breasts or already shredded chicken.
  • 1 large packet of ranch seasoning
  • 16 oz cream cheese
  • ½ cup chicken broth
  • 1 cup shredded Colby Jack cheese
  • Sandwich buns

Steps:

  1. Add chicken breasts, ranch seasoning, cream cheese, and chicken broth to crockpot.
  2. Cook on low for 6–8 hours.
  3. Shred chicken with forks inside crockpot.
  4. Stir in shredded cheese until melted.
  5. Serve warm on sandwich buns.

C.W. Newell's Slow Cooker Chicken and Dumplings

Serves: 10–12
You’ll Need:

  • 4 boneless chicken breasts
  • 2 cans cream of chicken soup
  • 1 can chicken broth
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 1 bag frozen mixed vegetables
  • 1 can refrigerated biscuit dough, cut into small pieces

Steps:

  1. Place chicken, cream of chicken soup, chicken broth, onion, and frozen vegetables in crockpot.
  2. Cook on low for 6–8 hours.
  3. Shred chicken and stir everything together.
  4. Add biscuit pieces on top and cook for an additional hour until biscuits are cooked through.

Tater Tot Casserole

Serves: 8–10
You’ll Need:

  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 1 can cream of mushroom soup
  • 1 can green beans, drained
  • 1 bag frozen tater tots
  • 1½ cups shredded cheddar cheese

Steps:

  1. Brown ground beef and drain fat.
  2. In crockpot layer ground beef, cream of mushroom soup, green beans, and half the cheese.
  3. Top with frozen tater tots.
  4. Cook in crockpot on high for 2–3 hours or bake in oven at 375°F for 30–35 minutes until tater tots are golden.
  5. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top during last 10 minutes of cooking, if desired.

Slow Cooker Shepherd’s Pie

Serves: 8–10
You’ll Need:

  • 1 lb ground beef or lamb
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 4-5 large carrots, skinned and chopped
  • 1 can tomato soup
  • 3 cups mashed potatoes (prepared ahead or instant)
  • 4-5 large celery sticks, chopped

Steps:

  1. Brown meat and onions; drain excess fat.
  2. Add meat, vegetables, and tomato soup to crockpot; stir well.
  3. Spoon mashed potatoes evenly over the top.
  4. Cover and cook on low for 4–6 hours until heated through. Top with shredded parm cheese for the last 20 minutes of cooking if desired.

Chicken and Mushroom Stroganoff

Serves: 8–10
You’ll Need:

  • 4 boneless chicken breasts, or already shredded chicken
  • 1 can cream of mushroom soup
  • 1 packet onion soup mix
  • 8 oz cream cheese
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • Egg noodles, cooked

Steps:

  1. Place chicken, cream of mushroom soup, and onion soup mix into crockpot.
  2. Cook on low for 6–7 hours.
  3. Stir in cream cheese and sour cream until melted and creamy.
  4. Serve over cooked egg noodles.

Slow Cooker Beef Stew

Serves: 8–10
You’ll Need:

  • 2 lbs beef stew meat, cut into chunks
  • 4 cups beef broth
  • 3 carrots, sliced
  • 3 potatoes, diced
  • 2 celery stalks, sliced
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp thyme
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Steps:

  1. Place all ingredients in crockpot.
  2. Cook on low for 7–8 hours or until beef and vegetables are tender.
  3. Adjust seasoning before serving.

Cocktail Meatballs

Serves: 10–12
You’ll Need:

  • 2 lbs frozen meatballs
  • 1 bottle grape jelly
  • 1 bottle chili sauce

Steps:

  1. Place meatballs in crockpot.
  2. Pour grape jelly and chili sauce over meatballs and stir to coat.
  3. Cook on low for 3–4 hours, stirring occasionally.
  4. Serve warm with toothpicks.

Mac & Cheese

Serves: 8–10
You’ll Need:

  • 1 box elbow macaroni
  • 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
  • 2 cups milk
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 2 tbsp flour
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Steps:

  1. Cook macaroni according to package directions, drain.
  2. In a saucepan, melt butter and whisk in flour to make a roux.
  3. Slowly whisk in milk and cook until thickened.
  4. Stir in cheese until melted.
  5. Mix cheese sauce with cooked macaroni. Season to taste. Warm up in crockpot at show.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

Serves: 10–12
You’ll Need:

  • 2 cups shredded cooked chicken
  • 8 oz cream cheese, softened
  • ½ cup buffalo wing sauce
  • ½ cup ranch dressing
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Steps:

  1. Mix all ingredients in crockpot.
  2. Cook on low for 2 hours until bubbly.
  3. Serve warm with chips or veggies.

Slow Cooker Tortilla Soup

Serves: 8–10
You’ll Need:

  • 1 lb chicken breasts
  • 1 can black beans, drained
  • 1 can corn, drained
  • 1 can diced tomatoes with green chilies
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 4 cups chicken broth
  • 1 packet taco seasoning
  • Tortilla chips, cheese, sour cream, and avocado for topping

Steps:

  1. Add all ingredients except toppings to crockpot.
  2. Cook on low for 6 hours.
  3. Shred chicken and stir soup.
  4. Serve topped with tortilla chips, cheese, sour cream, and avocado.

Slow Cooker Lasagna

Serves: 10–12
You’ll Need:

  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 1 jar marinara sauce
  • 1 cup ricotta cheese
  • 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 9 no-boil lasagna noodles

Steps:

  1. Brown ground beef; drain fat.
  2. Spread a thin layer of marinara sauce in crockpot.
  3. Layer noodles, beef, ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, and sauce. Repeat layers.
  4. Cook on low for 4–6 hours until noodles are tender.

Tomato Basil Tortellini Soup

Serves: 8–10
You’ll Need:

  • 1 package refrigerated cheese tortellini
  • 1 can diced tomatoes
  • 4 cups chicken broth
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1 cup fresh basil, chopped
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced

Steps:

  1. In crockpot, combine tomatoes, broth, onion, and garlic. Cook on low for 6 hours.
  2. Add tortellini and cook for 15 minutes more.
  3. Stir in cream and basil before serving.

Sweet Treats to Wrap It Up

Fruit Cake

Serves: 10–12

  • 1 box yellow cake mix
  • 1 can canned fruit (pineapple, cherry, or peach)
  • 1 stick butter, sliced

Steps:

  1. Spread canned fruit (with juice) in baking dish.
  2. Sprinkle cake mix evenly on top.
  3. Lay slices of butter over the cake mix.
  4. Bake at 350°F for 45 minutes or until golden and bubbly.

Crockpot Apple Crisp

Serves: 8–10

  • 6 cups sliced apples
  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • ¾ cup oats
  • ¼ cup flour
  • ½ cup butter, softened

Steps:

  1. Place apples in crockpot.
  2. Mix brown sugar, cinnamon, oats, flour, and butter until crumbly.
  3. Sprinkle mixture over apples.
  4. Cook on low for 3–4 hours.

No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars

Serves: 12

  • 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 cup peanut butter
  • 1½ cups chocolate chips
  • ½ cup peanut butter (for topping)

Steps:

  1. Mix graham cracker crumbs, powdered sugar, and 1 cup peanut butter. Press into pan.
  2. Melt chocolate chips with remaining peanut butter. Spread over crust.
  3. Chill until set.

Slow Cooker Fudge

Serves: 10–12

  • 4 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Steps:

  1. Combine chocolate chips and condensed milk in crockpot.
  2. Cook on low for 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
  3. Stir in vanilla. Pour into pan and chill until firm.

Banana Pudding

Serves: 10

  • 1 box instant vanilla pudding mix
  • 3 cups milk
  • 1 can sweetened condensed milk
  • 1 tub whipped topping
  • 1 box vanilla wafers
  • 4 bananas, sliced

Steps:

  1. Mix pudding mix, milk, and condensed milk until thickened.
  2. Fold in whipped topping.
  3. Layer wafers, banana slices, and pudding in dish. Repeat layers.
  4. Chill before serving.

Save this list and share with your barn crew. These recipes are tried, true, and perfect for keeping everyone happy and well-fed all weekend long.

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