Slow Cooker Italian Wedding Soup

I typically do not gravitate toward "broth-y" soups. I like my soups creamy and hearty.

 

Our little family of four has been under the weather for over a week with colds, and yesterday was dreary and cool. I grabbed my new 365 Slow Cooker Suppers cookbook and found this recipe.

 

This soup is amazing! My husband said it is his favorite soup ever. That is saying a LOT coming from my picky-soup-eating husband :)

 

This soup had SO much more flavor than I was expecting.

 

I used gluten-free fusilli pasta and it turned out perfect. We had this with homemade gluten-free bread. This is the perfect comfort food!

 

 

 

Slow Cooker Italian Wedding Soup (recipe source)

 

1 lb. Italian-style frozen meatballs

1 onion, diced

1 cup chopped baby carrots

1/2 cup sliced celery

4 garlic cloves, minced

6 cups chicken broth

1 Tbsp dried Italian seasoning

1/2 cup elbow pasta (I used gluten-free fusilli)

2 cups fresh spinach

freshly grated parmesan cheese (optional)

 

In a 6-qt slow cooker, place meatballs, carrots, celery, onions, and garlic. Add chicken broth and stir in Italian seasoning. Cook on LOW 7 to 8 hours.

 

Stir in uncooked pasta and spinach. Recover and cook on HIGH for 30 minutes.

 

Serve with parmesan cheese.

"Skinny" Applesauce

I made a batch of this applesauce today.

 

Oh My Word. I am at a loss as to describe how amazing it really is!!

 

It is like Fall, Christmas, and wonderfulness all rolled into one.

 

I called it "skinny" because it is sugar-free (unless you add a tiny bit of brown sugar), but I also left the skins on my apples. They cooked down so well in the slow cooker and then I pureed it quickly in the food processor.

 

"Skinny" Applesauce (source)

 

5 lbs. apples - cored and thinly sliced (I used mainly gala apples and 2 granny smith apples)

 

1 1/2 Tbsp. ground cinnamon

 

1/2 tsp. ground cloves

 

1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

 

brown sugar (optional) - to taste

 

Layer apples in the slow cooker. Top apples with cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and brown sugar (if desired).

 

Cook on LOW 6-7 hours, until apples have cooked down and are soft. Whisk vigorously for a chunky-style applesauce. For a smooth applesauce, use an immersion blender or food processor to puree in small amounts. (Note: If using a food processor, only process a small amount and do not completely seal of the lid. Leave opening for steam to escape.)

 

 

 

 

Enchilada Sauce

I found this recipe when I was planning on making enchiladas and didn't have time to run to the store for the sauce. This was so simple and uses common pantry ingredients.

 

This recipe makes enough for a 9x13 pan of enchiladas.

 

I found this recipe online, but I can't find the original source. Please let me know if you know who deserves credit.

 

 

Homemade Enchilada Sauce

 

1 tablespoons olive oil

2 1/2 tablespoons chili powder

2 tablespoons flour

1 15 ounce cans of tomato sauce

1 1/2 cups lower sodium chicken broth

3/4 teaspoons garlic powder

3/4 teaspoons onion powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/4 teaspoons cumin

 

In a large sauce pan, heat oil over medium heat. Add chili powder and flour whisking constantly to combine. Mixture will be a thick paste (roux).

 

Slowly add in a small amount of tomato sauce whisking until the roux has dissolved. If you don't whisk, it will end up a lumpy mess! Once the roux is combined, add the rest of the tomato sauce and chicken broth. Whisk to combine.

 

Add in the rest of the spices, stir to combine.

Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.

 

Remove from heat and use in your enchilada recipe, or cool and divide into containers for storage.

 

Can be refrigerated for up to a week, or frozen for 3 months.

 

 

Sour Cream Noodle Bake

This recipe is adapted from The Pioneer Woman's version.

 

I added green pepper and it gave it the perfect pop of flavor.

 

 

Sour Cream Noodle Bake (recipe source)

 

1.5 lbs ground beef

1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce

1 tsp. Italian seasoning

garlic powder

1/2 green pepper, chopped

1 small onion, chopped

8 oz. Egg noodles

1/2 c. sour cream

1 1/2  c. cottage cheese

1 c. grated shredded cheese

salt and pepper

 

Directions:

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

 

Cook egg noodles according to package directions; drain and set aside.

 

Brown ground beef with green pepper and onion until meat is completely cooked. Drain off fat. Season meat with Italian seasoning and some garlic powder.

 

In a medium size bowl, mix together sour cream and cottage cheese. Add noodles to mixture and stir to coat noodles. Season with salt and pepper.

 

In a baking dish, spread half of noodle mixture. Top with half meat mixture and 1/2 c. cheese. Repeat layers one time.

 

Bake 20 minutes.

 

Crockpot Chicken Stock {made from rotisserie chicken parts}

I recently bought a rotisserie chicken. I pulled all the meat off and then decided to make stock from the bones. I combined a few ideas that I found online and ended up with the best stock. Our kitchen smelled like amazing chicken noodle soup as it cooked!

 

You don't have to add veggies, but I had some that needed to be thrown out so I tossed them in for added flavor.

 

 

I put the following in a 6-qt crockpot:

 

all the bones from a rotisserie chicken

1 onion, peeled and quartered

baby carrots

celery {I left the leaves on}

1 Tbsp white vinegar {this draws extra nutrients out of the bones}

water to completely submerge chicken and veggies {I added water until it was 1 inch from the top of the crockpot}

 

I didn't start cooking it until 2pm, so I cooked it on high for about 6 hours and then cooked it on low overnight. It cooked about 14 hours total.

 

Remove the veggies and bones and throw them away. Strain the stock until it is clear.

 

I got almost 12 cups of chicken stock out of one chicken.

Baked Cream Cheese Spaghetti

Here's another pinterest find! Yummy!! I loved this because with my diet for gestational diabetes, I was able to have pasta with lots of protein added in! Mmmmm....

This is another recipe that I doubled...one to bake that night and one to freeze. I cooked my own sauce in the crockpot all day and used it instead of jarred sauce. The recipe only calls for a 1/2 cup of sauce, so I was able to freezer the rest of the sauce for future meals!

Baked Cream Cheese Spaghetti

8 oz uncooked spaghetti

1 lb. ground beef (I use ground turkey)

1 (26.5 oz) jar spaghetti sauce

1 Tbsp. butter or margarine

1/2 cup green peppers, chopped

1 small onion, chopped

8 oz cream cheese

2 Tbsp. milk

grated Parmesan cheese

 Small can of French Fried Onions

DIRECTIONS:

Cook spaghetti; drain and set aside.

Brown ground beef; drain grease. Add sauce to beef and heat.

Combine onions, peppers, and butter in microwavable bowl. Cover and microwave for 4 minutes until soft.

Add cream cheese and milk to veggies and mix well.

Assemble casserole in 10x6 dish. Place a thin layer of sauce on the bottom of the dish. Place spaghetti on the sauce. Top spaghetti with cream cheese mixture. Add the rest of the spaghetti sauce. Top with your desired amount of Parmesan cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Top with fried onions and bake an additional 5 minutes. Don't let them burn!

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To freeze: Prepare casserole ahead of time and freeze without the fried onions.

Recipe Source

Turkey Parmesan Meatloaf

With our second baby due to arrive in 9 weeks, I've been working on stocking our garage freezer with meals. I have found so many recipes through pinterest lately, and they have all been new favorites! This one is no exception. I made it last night and put another loaf in the freezer for later.

The original recipe calls for ground chicken, but we like and use ground turkey at our house.

Turkey Parmesan Meatloaf

1 lb. ground turkey (or ground chicken)
1 egg
1/4 cup breadcrumbs
1/2 tsp. dried basil
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, grated
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup pasta sauce (either homemade or store bought)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a loaf pan with cooking spray, set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the ground chicken, egg, breadcrumbs, thyme, oregano, basil, garlic, onion, salt, pepper and Parmesan cheese. To not over handle the mixture otherwise it will get tough. Place the mixture in the greased loaf pan and form into a loaf. Top meatloaf with pasta sauce.

Bake for 40-45 minutes. Remove the meatloaf from the oven and sprinkle the top with the remaining shredded cheese. Place the meatloaf back in the oven and bake until the cheese is melted.

Remove meatloaf from oven and let it sit 5-10 minutes before slicing.

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To Freeze:

Prepare meatloaf and place in loaf pan. Do not top with pasta sauce. Freeze loaf and sauce separately.

Thaw completely, top meatloaf with sauce and bake per directions above.

Recipe source

White Chicken Chili

This is a simple white chicken chili that can easily be doubled! I doubled the batch the other night and I got 3 separate meals for our family...we ate the chili that night and I froze two more batches for future meals!

White Chicken Chili

1 onion, chopped

3 cloves of garlic, crushed

1 (4 oz) can chopped green chilies

2 tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. dried oregano

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper (more if you like it really spicy)

1 (14.5 oz) chicken broth

1 can cream of chicken soup

3 chicken breasts (no need to thaw or cook, toss them in frozen)

3 (15 oz) cans white beans

shredded cheese

Place all ingredients in a 4-5 qt crockpot. (Use a 6 qt if you are doubling the recipe)

Cook on low for 7-8 hours. Remove chicken and shred with two forks.

Serve with cheese.

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NOTE: You can puree one can of beans before cooking to make the chili thicker.

Rotel Chicken Spaghetti

I found this recipe on Pinterest. Honestly, I was hesitant at first because I'm not a big fan of velveeta cheese.

However, this was really good and very simple to prepare!

The original recipe didn't specify whether or not to drain the Rotel. I did drain most of the liquid out because I didn't want it too spicy for my 13 month old. It turned out great; just a little kick of spice. If you want it spicy, I wouldn't drain the tomatoes at all.

Rotel Chicken Spaghetti

3-4 large boneless chicken breasts

1 can (10 3/4 ounce) Cream of Chicken Soup
1 can (10 ounce) Rotel Diced Tomatoes with Green Chilies
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
 1/2 tsp. onion powder
1 tablespoon Margarine or butter
1 (8 ounce) Velveeta cheese, cubed
8 ounces spaghetti, cooked and drained

Cut up chicken into bite size pieces. In a large skillet, melt butter or margarine. Add cubed chicken, garlic & onion. Cook over medium-high heat until chicken is no longer pink and no liquid is left in skillet. Stir in soup, cheese and Rotel Tomatoes. Reduce heat to low, and cook until the cheese melts, stirring constantly. Stir in spaghetti and pour into a lightly greased 2 quart casserole dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until heated through.

recipe source

Pepperoncini Beef Sandwiches

I have seen this recipe all over the internet, but the first place I saw it was here.

I love pepperoncinis, but wasn't sure how their pungent flavors would work as only one of two ingredients in this recipe. Well, after cooking in the crockpot for 8+ hours, they are amazing!!

The peppers are not spicy (especially after cooking all day), so don't worry about little kids eating it. My 11 old month ate the meat and loved it!

You can freeze any meat leftovers, too!

Pepperoncini Beef Sandwiches

2 lb. beef chuck roast (no need to thaw if it is frozen)

1 jar (16 oz) pepperoncini, whole or slices (if whole, cut off stems before cooking)

hoagie rolls

swiss or provolone cheese

Place roast in crockpot. Add jar of peppers, including juice from the jar.

Cover and cook on low for at least 8 hours. Shred the meat and serve on rolls with cheese.

Crockpot Chicken Tacos

This is such an easy meal! Simply toss in a few ingredients and let it cook all day!

 

This is my go-to dish that I bring to new moms. I bring a box of hard taco shells and a bag of tortillas -- for variety. Toss in a bag of shredded cheese and a container of sour cream and you have an easy meal to deliver to a new family. Of course, I always bring my creamy orange jello too!

 

Crockpot Chicken Tacos

4 chicken breasts (no need to cook them, toss them in frozen or thawed)

1 can Rotel

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 can whole kernel corn, drained

1 packet taco seasoning

Place chicken breasts in crockpot. Sprinkle chicken with half of the taco seasoning. Top chicken with corn, Rotel, and beans. Sprinkle remaining seasoning on top.

Mix slightly and cook on low for 8-10 hours. Remove chicken and shred with two forks; return to pot and stir.

Serve in your favorite taco shell with cheese, sour cream, and salsa.

Cowboy Beans

This recipe is my mother-in-law's. It's one of Hubby's favorite meals, and ever since I joined their family it's become a favorite of mine. It's great served with corn bread.

Cowboy Beans

1/4 lb. (4 oz) crumbled bacon
1 1/2 lb. ground beef or turkey  (no need to cook it first, toss it in frozen or thawed)

small onion, chopped

1 can (16 oz) pork & beans, undrained

1 can (16 oz) lima beans, undrained

1 can (16 oz) kidney beans, undrained

1/2 c. brown sugar

1/2 c. ketchup

1 tsp. mustard

Microwave bacon & crumble. Brown meat and onions. In large crockpot add all ingredients and stir until blended. Cook in crockpot on LOW for 6-8 hours, stirring occasionally.

**Note: If you put the groud beef/turkey in raw and let it cook, you will probably have to skim the grease off the top before serving. However, if you cook the beef/turkey in the crock pot the results are so much better!

Chunky Taco Soup

Chunky Taco Soup

1 1/2 lbs. ground beef
1 onion, chopped
2 cans (15 oz each) pinto beans, rinsed and drained
2 cans (14.5 oz each) diced tomatoes with green chilies, undrained
2 cups water
1 can (15 oz) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (14.5 oz) cream-style corn
1 envelope ranch salad dressing mix
1 envelope taco seasoning

In a large pot, brown beef and onion; drain fat. Add remaining ingredients; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20 - 30 minutes.

Spicy Cheese Soup

This recipe is a must for the fall and winter. It doesn't get any easier for a crock-pot recipe! Just brown the meat, open the cans and dump it all in!! The juices from the canned veggies give all the liquid needed for the soup, so don't drain them!

I don't add the jalepeno because we don't like it super spicy.

Spicy Cheese Soup

1 lb processed cheese cube (like Velveeta)
1 lb ground beef, cooked & drained
1 (8.75 oz) can whole kernel corn, do not drain
1 (15 oz) can kidney beans, do not drain
1 jalepeno pepper, seed & dice
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes with green chilis, do not drain
1 (15.5 oz) can stewed tomatoes, do not drain
1 envelope taco seasoning

Combine all ingredients in a 4.5 - 5.5 qt crock pot.

Cover and cook on LOW for 4-5 hours or on HIGH for 3 hours.

Serve with sour cream and corn chips.

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

You must make this just for the simple fact of using only 3 ingredients!

I put the pork on buns, but feel free to serve in whatever way your heart desires. It freezes great too!

 

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

1 (2 lb) pork tenderloin

1 can or bottle of root beer

1 bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce

Place the pork in the crock pot; pour root beer over the pork. Cover and cook on LOW for 6-7 hours or until well cooked and shreds easily.

Drain well. Shred meat; stir in BBQ sauce.

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Updated 6/22/11: I recently made this with a pork butt (which is actually a pork shoulder). This is SO much better using the shoulder than a tenderloin. You will have to remove the bone, but it is only one and it's pretty large. The meat is so much more flavorful and tender...also, pork butts are much cheaper than tenderloins! :)

Easy Chicken Divan

Here's a great recipe for an easy weeknight meal!

Easy Chicken Divan

2 (10 oz) pkgs. frozen broccoli spears

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts; cooked and cubed

2 (10 oz) cans cream of chicken soup

3/4 c. mayonnaise

1/2 c. chicken broth

1 tsp. lemon juice

1 c. shredded cheese

Preheat oven to 350 F. Cook broccoli (either steam or boil) until tender; drain. Place broccoli in a greased 9x13 baking dish. Put chicken over broccoli. Combine soup, mayo, broth, and lemon juice; pour over chicken. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake for 35 minutes or until bubbly.

Applesauce Muffins

Applesauce Muffins

4 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

1 tablespoon ground allspice

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 cup butter or margarine, softened

2 cups sugar

2 eggs

2 cups applesauce (I use unsweetened)

2 tablespoons vanilla extract

1 cup raisins

In a bowl, combine flour, cinnamon, allspice and baking soda; set aside. In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Beat in eggs, applesauce and vanilla; stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in raisins. Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups three-fourths full. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until muffins test done. Cool in pan 10 minutes; remove to a wire rack.

This reciped makes 2 dozen so there will be plenty to freeze.

Tomato & Bacon Quiche

This recipe is so simple to prepare, toss in a freezer bag, and freeze for a later date. My cookbook had two versions, a regular quiche in a pie crust or a low fat version without the crust. I did a combination of both recipes.

The only differences were a reduced amount of cheeses, egg substitute, and using sliced potatoes on the bottom of a pie pan instead of a pie crust.

This is the reduced fat version.

Tomato & Bacon Quiche

1/4 c. bacon, cooked & chopped (I used precooked bacon)

1/2 c. onion, chopped

1 c. tomatoes, diced

1 tsp. butter or margarine

1 c. lowfat cottage cheese

1 1/2 c. fat-free egg substitute (I used 3 eggs instead)

1/2 c. Swiss cheese, grated

1 Tbsp. flour

1/4 tsp. basil

1/4 tsp. oregano

1/2 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. pepper

Saute onion in butter/margarine until soft. In a separate bowl or freezer container, mix remaining ingredients. Add onions and mix well. Freeze.

To prepare with pie crust: Thaw quiche mixture. Pour mixture into crust. Bake at 375 for 45 minutes or until set. Let stand 5 minutes.

To prepare with potato crust: Thaw quiche mixture. Slice potatoes and place on the bottom and sides of greased 9-inch pie plate. Pour quiche over potatoes. Bake at 375 for 45 minutes or until set. Let stand 5 minutes.

Sweet & Sour Chicken (freezer recipe)

This is a great recipe to make ahead of time and then store in your freezer.

Sweet & Sour Chicken II

Meat Mixture

2 1/2 cups chicken or pork, baked or boiled, cut into pieces

1 cup celery, sliced

1 cup green pepper, cut into pieces

1 cup onion, cut into pieces

1 (4 oz) can pineapple chunks, reserve juice

1 (5 oz) can sliced water chestnuts, drained

Sauce

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 tsp. fresh ginger, finely chopped

Reserved pineapple juice from can

3 Tbsp. cornstarch

1/4 cup soy sauce

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup white vinegar

1/2 tsp. paprika

1/2 tsp. salt

In a freezer container (casserole dish or ovenproof pan), layer meat, veggies, and fruit.

In a medium saucepan, combine the sauce ingredients; bring to a boil. Simmer over low heat, stirring constantly until thick and bubbly. Pour sauce over meat mixture. Freeze.

Bake: If thawed, bake uncovered at 350 for 45 minutes. If frozen, bake uncovered at 350 for 1 1/4 hours.

Serve over rice.