Pasta Fagioli

I saw this recipe when digging around the A Year of Slow Cooking blog.  I love soup.  I love using my Crockpot.  I love Italian food.  When I saw this, I knew this is something that would be healthy, easy, and delicious.  It makes a lot of food, so either make it for a crowd, plan on having a good bit of leftovers, or make it and freeze half.  It supposedly tastes like the Pasta Fagioli soup at Olive Garden, but I've not ever had that so I can't say.

Pasta Fagioli

1 pound lean ground beef, browned and drained (you could also use ground turkey) 

1/2 large red onion, chopped  (I only had a white onion)
1 cup carrots, chopped 

2 celery stalks, sliced 

2 cans (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes (and juice)  

1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed 

1 can white beans, drained and rinsed 

4 cups beef broth  

1 jar (16.5 oz) pasta sauce  

2 tsp oregano 

1 T Tabasco sauce  (I forgot to add this)

1/2 tsp salt  

1/4 tsp black pepper 

1/2 cup dry pasta, to add at end of cooking time   (I used fusilli/corkscrew-shaped pasta)
Parmesan cheese, for topping at end

Directions:

Use a 6 quart or larger crockpot, or cut the recipe in half.
In a large skillet, brown the meat on the stovetop and drain well. Let it cool a bit.  Finely chop carrots, onion, and celery and add to the empty crockpot  (I used a food processor to cut down on the amount of time to prep). Drain and rinse the beans, and add them. Add the whole cans of tomatoes, and the pasta sauce. Add the beef broth. Add the salt, pepper, oregano, and Tobasco sauce. Finally, stir in browned and cooled ground meat.

Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, or high for 4. 

When the vegetables are tender, stir in the 1/2 cup of dry pasta.
Cover and cook for another hour on low, or until the pasta is tender. It will swell quite a bit.
Serve with a bit of parmesan cheese.
Total Cooking Time: approx 9 hours on low, 4.5 on high

*** I did not put in the Tabasco sauce initially because I was unsure of how HOT it would be and if my kids would be able to tolerate the heat.  I intended to put it on the table to allow us to add it as desired while eating.  BUT, I FORGOT!  I will try the Tabasco next time.
***I cooked my soup on low for 8 hours.  I put the pasta in after the 8 hours, and it took the noodles only about 30 minutes to get soft enough.  
***Freezing suggestion:  If you plan on cooking a whole batch and freezing half of it, I would remove the half that you want to freeze BEFORE adding the pasta.  If you do this, cut your pasta portion in half when adding it to the hot soup you are planning to serve that night or you will have too much pasta.  My reasoning for this is that I think freezing the soup with the pasta, then defrosting it and cooking it at a later time may make the pasta too tender and soggy.  I would defrost the frozen soup at a later time, bring to boil or hot simmer, and then add the additional 1/4 cup of dry pasta so it is a fresh as possible.

Ravioli Lasagna

I love ravioli.  I love lasagna.  What's not to love about the thought of this dish.  My friend Amber on her This Mommy Cooks blog posted this a while back, and I immediately knew it would be something we added into our supper rotation.  What I love the most about this dish is that it is the yummy-ness and deliciousness of lasagna without all of the hassle.  The ravioli takes out the white sauce step, and boiling ravioli is much easier than boiling lasagna noodles.  Not only was it easier to prepare, it was wonderful! And, my daughter loved it!

Ravioli Lasagna

Ingredients:

1 bag cheese ravioli (I purchased a package of Bertolli three-cheese ravioli from the refrigerated section.  My grocery store wasn't carrying the frozen cheese ravioli, but if I find the frozen, I will most likely use those as they are cheaper than the fresh.)

1-2 pounds ground turkey/beef, browned

4 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded

1 jar of favorite spaghetti sauce (I used Classico Tomato Basil)

Parmesan cheese for sprinkling

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Brown hamburger/turkey meat, drain, and add spaghetti sauce.  You don't want the meat sauce to be too saucy since it's going into a lasagna. Simmer for 10 minutes or so. Get out your 9x13 baking dish and start your layers. Begin your first with half of your meat sauce. Spread it all over the bottom of the dish. Next, layer your cheese ravioli in a single layer. You can place the frozen ravioli (if using) in the lasagna; it will bake just fine. Next sprinkle 2 cups of mozzarella cheese on top evenly. Next, spread the remaining meat sauce over the mozzarella cheese, then another layer of ravioli, and the remaining 2 cups of mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle the top with a little bit of Parmesan cheese. Place in preheated oven for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes tent or lay a piece of foil on top of the casserole dish and bake another 15-30 minutes, until raviolis are cooked through, and no longer frozen.

Hope you enjoy! It's a new favorite in our kitchen-ette!

PW's BBQ Meatballs

I have been eyeing these babies in PW's cookbook for months now.  However, I just got to making them last night.  OH DEAR!  You need to make these and soon.  They were divine!

You can check out PW's step by step recipe on her website, or you can follow the directions I put down below.  I served these with mashed potatoes and roasted asparagus.  Great meal!

FOR MEATBALLS

• 1-½ pound Ground Beef
• ¾ cups Oats
• 1 cup Milk
• 3 Tablespoons Very Finely Minced Onion
• 1-½ teaspoon Salt
• Plenty Of Ground Black Pepper, to taste 

Cooking Meatballs:

• 1 cup All-Purpose Flour (coating For Frozen Meatballs)
• Canola Oil

 FOR SAUCE

• 1 cup Ketchup
• 2 Tablespoons Sugar
• 3 Tablespoons Vinegar
• 2 Tablespoons Worcestershire
• 4 Tablespoons (to 6 Tablespoons) Onion
• 1 dash Tabasco

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine all meatball ingredients. Roll into medium-small balls and place on a cookie sheet. Place sheet in freezer for five minutes.
After 5 minutes, remove meatballs from freezer and immediately dredge in unseasoned flour.
Brown meatballs in canola oil until just brown. Place into a baking dish.
Combine all sauce ingredients. Pour over meatballs and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Serve with egg noodles, mashed potatoes, or crusty French bread.

Sloppy Joes. Slop, slop, slop, Sloppy Joes!

YUM!

Sloppy Joes are a childhood favorite of Jonathan's, so if I am ever needing to throw dinner together in a hurry, I grab my ever-present can of Manwich out of the pantry, brown my ground meat, and TA-DAH! Dinner is served.

Sooooo, when The Pioneer Woman posted her homemade recipe for Sloppy Joes sometime within the past two weeks, I looked at the ingredient list, saw that I had everything in my refrigerator or pantry, and decided to give them a whirl.

They were phenomenal and probably one of the quickest meals to make.  Enjoy!


Sloppy Joes
Serves 2-4

Ingredients:
1 lb. of ground beef or turkey
1 Tablespoon of butter (optional)
1/2 onion, chopped finely
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped finely
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
3/4 cup ketchup
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (I was out and probably wouldn't have used them anyway because Nora was eating, too.  But, if you like heat, add these in!)
Worcestirshire sauce, to taste
Salt and pepper, to taste
Hamburger buns, buttered and toasted if desired

Directions:


1.  Add butter to a large skillet or dutch oven over medium high heat. Add ground beef and cook until brown, then drain.
2.  Add onions, green pepper, and garlic. Cook for a few minutes, or until vegetables begin to get soft.
3.  Add ketchup, brown sugar, chili pepper, dry mustard, and water. Stir to combine and simmer for 15 minutes, adding salt and pepper to taste. Also add tomato paste, Worcestershire, and Tabasco if desired. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
4.  Spoon meat mixture over the buns.

Serving suggestions:  Jonathan likes his bun with mayo (YUCK)!  However, I skip the mayo and add a slice of cheese, melted just enough to make it gooey!  Delicious!  We had these with French fries and corn.

Oh, and check your face in the mirror before heading out of the door to Home Depot or Target, because chances are you'll have Sloppy Joes stains on the corners of your mouth from devouring such a delicious supper.  Your welcome!

Easy Mexican Skillet Meal

Raise your hand if you thought I'd disappeared forever?

(Both hands raised)

Raise your hand if you like really simple meals?

(Both hands waved again!)

Raise your hand if you like Mexican food?

(Both hands raised and waving vigorously)

So, I tried this yummy recipe last night, and let me tell you: new.favorite.food.

A. It was delicious.
B. It was cooked, start to finish, in 25 minutes!
C. It's Mexican.

Jonathan loved it, and thought that the meat mixture was so yummy that I need to leave the noodles out and serve it with tortillas. I might just do that!

Easy Mexican Skillet

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground beef or turkey
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 onion, finely chopped (optional)
4 oz. cream cheese, softened (I used lowfat)
1/2 cup sour cream (I used lowfat)
1 cup salsa
1 package of egg noodles, cooked according to package directions

1. Brown ground beef with seasonings and onion in a large skillet. Drain. Stir in cream cheese, sour cream and salsa until cream cheese is completely melted.

2. Add cooked egg noodles to the skillet and toss to coat. Serve and enjoy!

Lasagna

I have a wonderful Chicken Lasagna recipe that has been in my repertoire for a few years now, but I have never had a true, traditional Italian meat lasagna recipe.

Until now.

For Jonathan's 30th birthday dinner, I made The Pioneer Woman's lasagna from her new cookbook, The Pioneer Woman Cooks! It was amazing. It was phenomenal. It was so delicious, and heart-warming, and filling, and ugh. We just loved it! This is now my go-to recipe that I'm sure I'll cook for my husband and kids till I'm a little old woman. This will be the recipe I pass on to my grandchildren. It may even be the first meal Nora cooks for her future husband. Who knows! It's in the family now.

I invite you to try it out yourselves and make it part of your family, too!

Lasagna

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt
10 ounces lasagna noodles
1 lb. mozzarella cheese, shredded
1.5 lbs. hamburger
1 lb. hot breakfast sausage
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 14.5-ounce cans whole tomatoes
2 6-ounce cans tomato paste
Freshly ground black pepper
10-12 fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
3 cups low-fat cottage cheese
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the olive oil and a dash of salt. Cook the lasagna noodles according to the package directions until al dente. Drain the noodles and lay them flat on a piece of aluminum foil.

3. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, saute the hamburger, sausage, and garlic until brown. Drain off excess fat.

4. Add the tomatoes with their juice, tomato paste, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and freshly ground pepper.

5. Stir together well. Simmer over low heat, uncovered, for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.

6. Cut the basil into a chiffonade by stacking leaves on top of one another and rolling them tightly, then cutting across. Finely chop parsley. Add half the herbs to the meat mixture and stir together.

7. In a medium bowl, combine the cottage cheese, beaten eggs, 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese, and the other half of the herbs. Stir together well.

8. Now time to assemble: Begin by laying 4 lasagna noodles in the bottom of a deep rectangular baking pan. The noodles should slightly overlap.

9. Spoon half the cottage cheese mixture onto the noodles. Spread to distribute evenly.

10. Sprinkle half of the mozzarella cheese on top of the cottage cheese mixture.

11. Spoon just under half of the meat mixture on top of the cheese. Spread evenly, being careful not to disrupt the layers below.

12. Now repeat the process: noodles, cottage cheese mixture, shredded mozzarella cheese, and finally the remainder of the meat mixture. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese over the top.

13. Bake for 35-45 minutes until the lasagna is hot and bubbly. Allow to stand 10 minutes before cutting into squares. Serves 8 generous portions.

***Lasagna can be fully assembled and frozen, unbaked.
***You can view the Pioneer Woman's step-by-step process for her lasagna on her website by clicking here.

Perfect Pot Roast

Pot roast is such a comfort food! It smells divine, it tastes divine, and despite the fact that it SEEMS difficult to pull off, it doesn't have to be.

Here is a fool-proof way to make a delicious pot roast! There is just something so warm and fuzzy about roast with potatoes and vegetables. Especially when the recipe is a simple as this one.

Ingredients:

1 chuck roast (I usually buy one in the 2 lb. range so that we can have enough for leftovers to make open-face roast beef sandwiches. YUMMY!)
1-2 lbs of small, red potatoes, quartered or halved, depending on their size.
2 carrots, peeled and cut into bite-size chunks or just throw in a few handfuls of baby carrots (which is what I do. I rarely have "real" carrots in my fridge).
1 packet of Lipton dry onion soup mix
1/2 cup of water

Directions:
1. Lightly salt and pepper both sides of chuck roast. Keep in mind that the onion soup mix has PLENTY of salt, so you don't want to overdo it.
2. Place roast in bottom of crockpot. Place potatoes and carrots all around roast.
3. Sprinkle onion soup mix over the top of vegetables and roast.
4. Add 1/2 cup of water.
5. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours.

Variations:
1. To add some more flavor to your roast, this step is simple but not necessary. After seasoning roast with salt and pepper, heat a large skillet with 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil. When skillet is hot, sear roast on both sides by cooking at medium-high heat for several minutes, then flipping. Remember, you are just looking to get a good sear, not cooking roast all the way through. This will add tremendous flavor. Pour any juices from the skillet into your crockpot with the rest of the ingredients.

2. For a creamier pot roast with more of a "gravy" to pour over meat, vegetables, or some homemade mashed potatoes, add a can of cream of mushroom soup along with all of the ingredients above. This is delicious! If I have a can of cream of mushroom soup on hand, which I usually do but last night did not, I use it because I love the gravy it produces by adding it. And for the record, I generally have a lowfat version of the mushroom soup on hand and it's still wonderful!

Peggy's Chili

So, my momma's name is Peggy.

But, this isn't her recipe.

When Jonathan and I were first married, we decided to make chili together, so we googled several recipes until he came across this one. He chose it simply because it was named after my mom. Awwww, isn't that sweet! But, seriously, this is such an amazing chili recipe. Since Jonathan has the day off tomorrow for the long weekend, we are going to be making a big ole pot to enjoy for supper tomorrow. This makes a ton, so be prepared.

Peggy's Chili

2 cans red kidney beans (15 oz. each)
2 cans petite diced tomatoes (14.5 oz. each)
1 can baked pork & beans with molasses
1 can tomato paste (6 oz.)
2 lbs., lean ground beef, browned and drained
2 medium onions, coarsely chopped
2 ribs celery, coarsely chopped
1 green pepper, coarsely chopped
1 small can mushroom pieces, drained (3-4 oz.)
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2-3 tablespoons of chili powder (I use three)
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin
salt to taste

Directions:

Combine in a slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW for 9-12 hours or on HIGH for 4.5-6 hours.


Couldn't be simpler!
Serve with all of your favorite chili fixins' Ex: cornbread, mexican cornbread, Fritos, cheese, sour cream, green onions, avocado, jalepenos, etc.

Flat Iron Steak

My father and mother-in-law came in town yesterday, and I must say that we had such a delicious supper last night: flat iron steak. This was my first time cooking a flat iron steak. To be honest, we rarely have steak simply because it is such an expensive purchase. However, I bought this cut at my mother-in-law's suggestion. The flavor of the meat was wonderful, and get this, one steak fed four hungry adults for a mere $6.50. I marinated the meat for about six hours and then grilled it for 20-30 minutes. YUM! Just thought I would share this recent find with those of you who have yet to discover it. It is such a versatile cut, the meat was very tender, and Jonathan really enjoyed it. We'll be having this more often!

Mexican Casserole

This recipe is SOOOOOOOO easy and is really yummy. Literally, 20 minutes! Beat that Rachael Ray! My mother-in-law Joyce made this dish for us over the Thanksgiving holiday and it was scrumptious. I made it for supper tonight because after I ate it in Mississippi, I haven't gotten it off my mind. Also, I am addicted to all things Mexican and food related!

Mexican Casserole

Ingredients:
- 1 lb. ground sirloin
- 1 can Rotel (I used mild)
- 1 can cream of chicken soup
- 1 can chicken and rice soup
- 1/2 package of Taco seasoning mix
- 1/2 bag of tortilla chips, crushed
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Place crushed tortilla chips in botton of casserole.
Brown ground meat and drain. Add Rotel and both cans of soup (don't drain anything). Add taco seasoning mix. Stir and heat through until bubbly (about 3 minutes). Pour mixture over crushed tortilla chips. Cover with cheese and bake for 10 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly delicious! Enjoy!