Crockpot Lasagna

I love Lasagna, and I love my crockpot. I've been experimenting with different ways to prepare my favorite dishes in the crockpot and this is one that has proved a hit:

1 box lasagna noodles (the ones that want you to boil before assembling the lasanga)
1 lb of ground beef, or sausage (my favorite) or italian/spicy sausage, or turkey sausage (if you want to be weird & healthy)
1 jar of spaghetti sauce (I use the one I can each year, but you could use any grocery store variety)
1 regular package of fresh sliced mushrooms
1 can of black sliced olives
8 oz. of Ricotta cheese (if you are still using cottage cheese for lasagna, seriously stop. now. ricotta is so much better)
1 -2 cups grated mozzarella cheese

Optional add ins: a chopped green pepper, 1 tsp Italian seasoning (I would recommend this if you are using ground beef or turkey sausage), a layer of pepperoni slices

Instructions:
1. Brown meat (add additional seasoning as desired)
2. Mix browned meat, sliced mushrooms, sliced olives (other desired chopped veggies --I'm excited to add Zucchini come summer!) with spaghetti sauce (reserving 2 T of sauce for bottom of crockpot)
3. Mix together ricotta cheese & mozzarella (reserving a small handful of mozzarella for the top)
4. In crock pot put a thin layer of sauce on the bottom, put down layer of noodles (you'll have to break them up a bit to fit), put a layer of meat/veggies/sauce mix, put a layer of cheese mixture, repeat, ending with just the plain mozzarella on top.
5. Cook on low for 4-5 hours

Garlic Lime Crockpot Chicken

This recipe, is one I got from 365 days of crockpot, that I adapted to meet my needs.

5 chicken breast halves
1/2 c soy sauce
1/3 c lime juice
Lime zest
1 T Worcestershire sauce
2 garlic cloves finely minced
1/2 t dry mustard
1/2 t ground pepper

-place chicken in crockpot, combine other ingredients and poor over it. Cook on low for about 4 hours. check periodically as this dish cooks quickly and chicken can dry out. When your chicken is done, take out & cover with aluminum. Take sauce and poor into sauce pan, over medium heat stir in about 2 T of cornstarch. Stir constantly until "gravy" reaches desired consistency. Serve chicken & gravy over rice!

Cream Cheese Chicken (Crockpot)

This is one of my husbands favorites! We know it by a different name, but it is the same recipe. Apparently it is one of my Auntie Mo's as well because she e-mailed it to me recently and asked me to post it on the blog if I got time. My family loves this as well. It is very simple and delicious. It is also very fattening, just the way I like 'em!

1 pkg cream cheese
1 cube butter
1 pkg dry italian dressing mix
1 can cream of chicken soup
4-6 chicken breasts
Rice or Pasta

In a crockpot combine butter, dressing mix, and soup. Add chicken and stir to coat. Bake on low for 4-6 hours. When chicken is done, remove it from the pot. Add cream cheese to the sauce. Add chicken back in. Serve over rice or pasta.

Salisbury Steak

I don't know if this is necessarily what everyone would call Salisbury steak....but we decided it is what we are going to call Salisbury steak. Either way, whatever you call it, it is definitely yummy comfort food.


4 cubed steaks
2 eggs
1 cup flour, seasoned with salt and pepper
2 Tbs oil
2 pkg brown gravy mix
2 cans condensed cream of mushroom soup
2 cups cold water
1 can mushrooms (optional)

Beat eggs in a bowl, dip cube steak in egg and then coat in seasoned flour. Heat oil in bottom of a large skillet. quickly brown steaks on either side and remove from heat. (Do not allow to cook thoroughly, just leave them in the pan long enough to brown) Remove steaks from pan. using the same pan, mix together the 2 pkgs of brown gravy mix with the 2 cups of cold water. Stir until well combined. Add the cans of mushroom soup and stir until you have made a nice gravy. If your pan can go directly in the oven, put the steaks back into the skillet. If not, place steaks in the bottom of a casserole dish or crockpot. Cover with gravy. Dump the drained can of mushrooms on top (optional) Cook in a 300* oven for 2-4 hours. (The steaks with be fully cooked in 2 hours, but, the longer you leave them in, the more tender your meat will be.) If you are doing the cooking in a crockpot, cook on low for 4 hrs. Serve with mashed potatoes.

Slow Cooker Pot Roast

Today is Sunday, and we are about to eat the most incredible pot roast EVER! Thought I would share!

2 cans cream of mushroom soup
1 cup water
1 pkg onion soup mix
4-5 pound roast

Place the roast in your crockpot. Mix other ingredients together and then pour over meat. Cook on low 8 hours. (However, my recommendation, especially for those with 9 o'clock church: Do as the Bowen's do and put it in your crockpot the night before on low. You will be greatly rewarded with very tender, juicy, and delicious pot roast!)

White Chicken Chili

This is my sister-in-law's recipe (who I need to convince to become a "little piggy" because she has THE BEST recipes). It is one of the best soups I've ever had. Very Good!!!!

2 whole skinless chicken breasts
6 cups water
2 chopped onions
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbs. oil
2-4 4 oz cans chopped green chilies
1-2 diced jalapeno peppers (you can use bottled)
1 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. salt
1 3lb can navy beans, undrained
1-2 cups shredded cheese

Place chicken in slow cooker. Add 6 cups water. Cover and cook on low 3-4 hours, or until tender. Remove chicken from slow cooker. Cube and set aside.
Sautee onions and garlic in oil in skillet. Add chilies, jalapeno peppers, oregano, pepper, and salt. Saute 2 minutes. Transfer to broth in slow cooker. Add navy beans. Cover and cook on low 30-60 minutes. Right before serving add chicken and cheese.
Serve topped with sour cream, salsa, corn chips, or corn bread.

*for a variation, you can use cubed velveta cheese instead of shredded cheese. It takes a little longer to melt, but makes it a little cheesier.

Crockpot Spaghetti

Let me just preface this recipe as Gwen would: "This is the best spaghetti sauce ever!" Really, once you try this, you will never go back. You will find yourself always having to have your cupboards stocked with these ingredients so you can make it at whim. SOOO GOOD! It will rekindle your faith in spaghetti. (By the way, I got this recipe from my mom, so I can sing it's praises without being prideful)

1 pound ground beef
1 pound bulk Italian sausage
1 medium green pepper, chopped
8 garlic cloves, minced
3 cans (14-1/2 ounces each) Italian diced tomatoes
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cans (15 ounces each) tomato sauce
2 cans (6 ounces each) tomato paste
1/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
1 tablespoon dried basil
2 teaspoons dried marjoram
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Hot cooked spaghetti

In a large skillet over medium heat, cook beef and sausage until no longer pink; drain. Transfer to a 5-qt. slow cooker. Stir in green pepper, onion, garlic, tomatoes, tomato sauce, paste, sugar and seasonings; mix well. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or until bubbly. 12 servings.

Roast Chicken Nachos with Green Chile-Cheese Sauce - Tyler Florence

This recipe is a must try! Don't be afraid of it because its a big recipe. If you know how to use a food processor and make a bachamel sauce, you can do this. And if not, it walks you through pretty well. So to modify the before comment: if you know how to follow directions you can do this.

4 medium tomatillos, husked and rinsed (tomatillos look like green tomatoes with husks)
2 jalapenos, stemmed
1/2 medium onion, peeled and quartered
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1 handful fresh cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped
1 lime, juiced
1 teaspoon toasted cumin seeds
Kosher salt
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups chicken stock, at room temperature
4 cups shredded Jack cheese
1 (1-pound) bag salted corn tortilla chips
1 (3-pound) whole roasted chicken, meat finely shredded, skin and bones discarded (view comments)
Salsa, sour cream and guacamole, for serving

Bring a pot of water to a boil; add the tomatillos, jalapenos, onion, and garlic. Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, until the tomatillos are soft. Drain and cool slightly, then put them in a blender. Add the cilantro, lime juice, and cumin. Puree for a few seconds to blend, and then pour in about a 1/4 cup of water and process to a coarse puree; taste and season with a generous pinch of salt. You should have about 2 cups of this salsa verde.
Make a roux by melting the butter over medium-low heat in a thick-bottomed saucepan. Just as the foam subsides, sprinkle in the flour, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or whisk to prevent lumps. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes to remove the starchy taste from the flour; don't allow it to brown. Gradually whisk in the chicken stock and simmer for 8 minutes to thicken. Once you have a good base, fold in 2 cups of the shredded Jack cheese; mix until completely melted into a sauce. Stir in the prepared salsa verde until incorporated; remove the green chili cheese sauce from the heat.

* To build these awesome nachos: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Get a very large oven-proof platter and cover it with a few handfuls of tortilla chips, follow with a portion of the shredded chicken, a coating of the cheese sauce, and a nice sprinkle of the remaining shredded jack. Make 3 or 4 layers of the nachos, depending on the size of the platter. Bake the nachos until they are all hot and gooey, about 5 to 10 minutes.

* this is how Tyler Florence says to do it. From trial and error we have found this is our favorite way:

Put the green chile cheese sauce in a crockpot on low. Place all other ingredients on your table, haystack style (in seperate bowls). Allow each person to build assemble their own plate of nachos. This saves the nachos from going soggy.

Check the comments for additional tips! Eat up because this makes a lot!!!!