Slow Cooker Lasagna

It's crock pot season in Iowa. The evenings are nice and cool and during the day there is a crisp breeze but the sun can get warm. We don't want to turn on the AC so I try not to use the oven unless it's early in the morning. So, I've come to rely on my crock pot during the first few fall months. Time to get your crock pot going with this great recipe from my husband's Gramma. I added a little more garlic powder and some spice to give the sauce a little more kick.

Slow Cooker Lasagna

1 lb ground beef (or turkey)
1 tbsp dried minced onion
1 tsp garlic powder
2 (15-oz) cans tomato sauce
1 cup water 1 (6-oz) can tomato paste
1 tbsp dried parsley
1 tbsp dried basil
1/2 tbsp dried oregano
pepper
1 pkg (8-oz) lasagna noodles
4 cups shredded mozerella
1 1/2 cups (12-oz) small curd cottage cheese
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

Cook beef, onion and garlic; drain fat. Add tomato sauce, water, tomato paste and seasoning; mix well. In another large bowl, mix the cheeses together. In a 5-quart slow cooker spread 2 cups meat mixture, 1/3 of noodles (breaking if necessary), 2 cups cheese mixture. Repeat twice ending with meat sauce. Cook on low for 4 to 4 1/2 hours. (Don't go longer than that or your noodles will be mushy.)


We served some garlic bread and a side salad with this lasagna. Be prepared, it makes a lot but is great as left overs. Maybe invite some friends/family over to share this meal with you. ;) Enjoy!!

Taco-Topped Baked Potato

This isn't really a recipe per se, but it is delicious! And if you use baking potatoes (the larger ones) you can get by with 1/3 to 1/2 of a potato per person.

Taco-Topped Baked Potato
serves 4

4 baked potatoes (or 2 large baking potatoes)
1 lb taco meat
shredded cheddar cheese
shredded lettuce
green onion, thinly sliced
tortilla chips, crushed
sour cream
salsa

Like I said, it's not really a recipe but another way to dress your baked potato to make it a meal on it's own. I served fresh sweet corn with our Taco-Topped Baked Potatoes. Yum!!

Taco Lasagna

I needed to make something for dinner when we were housesitting last week. So I looked in the fridge and managed to come up with Taco Lasagna. It was really good!! Sometimes I surprise myself. ;)


Taco Lasagna

1 lb ground beef
1/2 onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, pressed
chili powder
cumin
cayenne pepper
3 tortillas
1/4 cup salsa
2 cups cheddar cheese
1 small can sliced black olives
2 plum tomatoes, chopped
1/2 green pepper, chopped

• Brown hamburger and onion. Add garlic and cook for 2 more minutes. Drain fat and mix in spices.
• Grease an 8x8 baking dish. Pour the salsa on the bottom and then place a tortilla on top. Layer with meat, cheese, black olives, tomatoes and green pepper.
• Continue to layer ending with cheese, olives, tomatoes and green pepper.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until cheese is golden brown (may need to turn the broiler on).
• Top with sour cream, salsa, crushed tortilla chips, lettuce and chopped tomato.

You can add taco seasoning to your ground meat in place of the spices. I don't know amounts I just added and tasted as I went. Also, you can change up the veggies and add some chopped zucchini, green onions or anything else you want to add. This recipe can easily be doubled for a 9x13 baking dish. You'll just have to cut the tortillas to fit. Enjoy!!

Korean Beef Short-Ribs

We bought a meat package through our local SHARE program and it included some ribs. I'm not sure what to do with ribs except to smoke them and BBQ them. And I don't know how to smoke, and I've tried to BBQ them before. They were good BBQ'd but I wanted to try something different. And this week seemed to be "Crock-Pot" week at our house, so I continued with the slow-cooking powers of my crock pot.


Korean Beef Short-Ribs

4-4 1/2 lbs short ribs
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1/4 broth or water
1/4 cup soy or tamari sauce
1 tbsp brown sugar
2 tsp minced fresh ginger
2 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 tsp dark sesame oil
sprinkle of red pepper flakes
2 tsp toasted sesame seeds

Spray crock with non-stick cooking spray. Place ribs in the bottom of the crock. Mix together onions, broth, soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger, garlic and pepper. Pour over ribs. Cook on low for 7-8 hours.

Cut rib meat off bones. Let liquid stand for 5 minutes; skim off fat. Stir sesame oil and red pepper flakes into liquid and return meat to slow cooker. Cook 15-30 minutes on low.

Serve meat over rice and garnish with sesame seeds. I also steamed some frozen mixed Chinese veggies.

My Notes:

• I had only 2+ lbs of ribs, but I still made the full amount of sauce because I like things saucy. ;) And am glad I did. If I made 4 lbs of meat, I'd probably double the sauce.
  
• I used some frozen green onions. They worked great. If you need to garnish with green onions or use them fresh (not cooked) don't use frozen, they'll be soggy. But if you're using them in a recipe like Korean Beef Short-Ribs or meatloaf, they'll work just fine.
• I didn't have any fresh ginger so I substituted 1/2 tsp of dried ground ginger.
• I substituted the dark sesame oil for the regular since I had that on hand.

It took a bit of time (10 minutes or more) to get the meat off the bones. But the end result was terrific. I will definitely be making this again! Yumm-O!

Farmhouse BBQ Muffins

This is a recipe I got from my husband's cousin. They're really easy and tasty! You can make the meat filling ahead of time and store in the freezer. Then when you need a quick meal you can thaw out the meat and bake it with the biscuits.

Farmhouse BBQ Muffins

1 can buttermilk biscuits
1 lb hamburger
1/2 cup ketchup
3 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp cider vinegar
1/2 tsp chili powder
1 cup shredded cheese

Flatten biscuits and press into muffin tin. Brown beef and drain. Mix remaining ingredients (except cheese) and add to beef. Divide mixture evenly into muffin cups and sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 375 degrees for 18-20 minutes.

I plan on serving this with tater-tots and raw veggie sticks. Enjoy!

Chili Casserole?

This "recipe" is something I threw together last night because I didn't want to go get groceries. Besides, it's still "No Spend March" so I thought that was a good excuse.

Chili Casserole
disclaimer - this is not really a recipe, you just make it up as you go

1 (12 oz) bag macaroni - cooked
1/2 jar of spaghetti sauce (leftover from the other night)
1/2 can tomato sauce
1 lb hamburger, browned
chili
dried minced onion
cumin
garlic powder
crushed red pepper flakes
salt
pepper
1 cup frozen corn
1 cup cheese

Mix together the ground beef, spaghetti sauce and tomato sauce until bubbling. Add chili, onion, cumin, garlic, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper (all to taste). Mix sauce with the cooked macaroni and stir in the frozen corn. Pour into a greased casserole and top with cheese. Bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees.

That's it. It was really yummy and really easy. You have to just taste the sauce as you go. You could even add a little cinnamon to give it a different flavor. Basically, I just used up some of the leftovers out of the fridge and it turned out to be yummy.

Porcupine Meatballs

Porcupine Meatballs is something I grew up with. They're delicious and a nice spin on your basic meatloaf. I remember my mom making these so when I called with questions about the recipe she told me that she modified it almost every time she made it...whatever she had in the cupboards. So, I'll give you the version that I made and leave some comments at the end.


Porcupine Meatballs
makes 2 8x8 pans

1 1/2 lb lean ground beef
1 cup water
1 cup Minute Rice
1/2 cup chopped onion (I used both scallions and yellow onion)
1 1/2 tsp salt (I didn't measure)
1/4 tsp pepper (I didn't measure)
1 small can tomato sauce
1 cup ketchup
3 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 tbs mustard

Mix the beef, water, rice, onion, salt and pepper together with hands. After mixture is combined, form into 32 mini-meatballs. Place 16 meatballs in greased 8x8 pan.

Mix together the tomato sauce, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar and mustard. Season to taste. Pour half of mixture over each pan of meatballs. (I freeze one pan to use later.)

Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

Variations:

• Meatballs can be made larger to fit into a 9x13 pan. Bake for 1 hour 30 minutes.
• Can substitute 1 cup pre-cooked rice for the Minute rice and omit 1 cup water.
• You can use dry minced onion in place of the chopped onion.
  
• If you don't have a small can of tomato sauce, you can 1 cup ketchup - total 2 cups ketchup.
• If using from the freezer, thaw in fridge overnight and bake as normal.

Enjoy!!

BBQ Beef Sandwiches with Cajun Cole Slaw

This is one of our favorite sandwich recipes. It's also great because it helps us use up any leftover roast. Last time I made a 4 lb roast just to make these sandwiches. We ate half and I froze the other half for another meal. Yumm!!

BBQ Beef Sandwiches

2 lb roast, cooked, shredded
BBQ Sauce, your favorite brand
1 tsp Cajun seasoning

Put the shredded meat into a small crock pot. Mix about 1/2 cup of BBQ sauce with seasoning and pour over the shredded meat; mix well. Cook on low for about 2 hours. Serve on fresh rolls and top with slaw and a slice of green bell pepper.


Cajun Cole Slaw
modified from Pampered Chef's Main Dishes

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tbsp finely chopped onion (sometimes I use 1/2 tbsp dry minced onion)
1 tbsp white vinegar
2 tsp Cajun seasoning
3/4 tsp sugar
5 cups packaged cabbage slaw mix (sometimes I use half a head of cabbage and shred one carrot)

Mix together and toss lightly. Use slaw as a sandwich topper or serve as a side dish. Refrigerate leftovers.

Basic Crock Pot Roast

Roast was always a favorite growing up for both my husband and me. It's a great meal because it usually involved the whole family sitting down at the table together...and it's delicious.


Basic Crock Pot Roast

4 lb roast, frozen
1 dry onion soup mix
1 dry Ranch seasoning packet
1/2 cup water

Place frozen roast in crock-pot and turn crock-pot to low heat. Mix onion soup mix, Ranch seasoning packet and water. Pour mixes over roast, put lid on and cook on low for 8-10 hours.

(Half-way through cooking you can add potatoes and carrots to serve as a side. Yumm!!)

That's it. It's pretty simple and makes a delicious roast. You can cook the roast already thawed, but you only need to cook it for a max of 8 hours. You can always check the meat temperature with a meat thermometer just to be safe.

I will still make a 3.5-4 lb roast for our small family because we love the leftovers. I've also come up with some great recipes for using up that leftover roast:

BBQ Beef Sandwiches
Vegetable Soup
Snow Peas and Beef

Beefburgers Wellington

(DISCLAIMER: Seriously, this tastes better than it looks. My husband said that all my pictures made this dish look gross, but it's not. It looks yummy in real life, just not in photo's.)

This is a dish we have about once a month. It's yummy and it's pretty (see disclaimer at the top of the page). It also helps to portion control...even though the portions are large. I got this from a friend several years ago and it has become one of our favorites.

Beefburgers Wellington
serves: 4

1 1/2 lb lean ground beef (or ground turkey)
1 egg
1/8 cup milk
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
salt
pepper
2 tbsp parsley
1 clove garlic, minced or pressed
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided
4 slices bacon, crisp-cooked and crumbled
1 frozen pie shell, thawed and quartered

1. Combine beef, egg, milk, Worcestershire, salt, pepper, parsley, garlic in a large bowl.
2. Shape 3/4 mixture into 4 loaves.
3. Make oblong-shaped well into each loaf.
4. Fill each well with cheese and bacon.
5. Top with remaining mixture; press to seal.
6. Place pastry over each loaf, tucking edges underneath.
7. Place pastry-side up in baking dish.
8. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
(Can broil for 2 minutes to brown pastry.)

Mmmmm! When I make this I usually serve it with sweet potatoes. Enjoy!!

Cincinnati Chili in the Crock Pot

Chili soup and cinnamon rolls is an all-time favorite of mine. Part of the reason it's my favorite is because we didn't eat it that often growing up. It was something special we would eat when it was really cold, or there was a snow storm, or it was Christmas eve. Whatever the reason, it was always a delight to have such yummy chili soup.

I had been using my mom's recipe for several years and decided to make some changes to make it my own. Some of the ingredients I use are inspired by a Cincinnati Chili recipe from a magazine I get called Cook's Country. We've really enjoyed this recipe and I hope you do too. The funny thing is, the ingredients are always changing to match my mood...or what the pantry/freezer has to offer.

Cincinnati Chili
serves 6-8 adults

1 1/2 lb lean ground beef, browned
1 lg can diced tomatoes
2 cans chili-style beans (I use Mrs. Grimes, unless something else is on sale)
2 tbsp dried minced onion
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
2 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp dried oregano
1 tsp cinnamon
salt & pepper
1/4 tsp all-spice
1/2 cup water
1 tbsp cider vinegar
2 tsp dark brown sugar (I used light because that's what I had on hand)

Mix together in a crock pot and simmer on low for 4-5 hours. Serve over cooked spaghetti and top with chopped onions, shredded cheddar cheese, and a dollop of sour cream. Oh, and you can't forget the cinnamon rolls on the side. Yummy!!!

Hobo Dinners

This is something we have for dinner almost once a week. It's good, it's easy, and I usually have all the ingredients on hand.

Hobo Dinners
serves 4

4 large rectangles of aluminum foil
1 lb lean ground beef
Lowry's Seasoning
2 carrots, peeled and sliced
1 cup frozen peas
4 potatoes, sliced thin
1/2 onion, sliced thin

Season ground beef with Lowry's and form into 4 patties. For each piece of aluminum foil layer: potato, hamburger patty, slices of onion, carrots and peas. Wrap each piece into a little packet. Bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees.

Yum!