Crock pot lasagna

This recipe was SO easy to make. I love the idea of just throwing everything in and letting it go.

It comes out delish & I ate it for days afterward too!

3-4 cans (14.5 oz crushed tomatoes)

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 tablespoons dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

2 containers (15 oz. each) fresh ricotta OR 1 container cottage cheese & 1 ricotta

2 cups grated mozzarella

1/4 cup grated parmesan

12 lasagna noodles

6 cups baby spinach

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1. In a medium bowl, combine the tomatoes, garlic, salt, oregano, black pepper, and red pepper. In a separate bowl, mix the ricotta, 1 cup of mozzarella, and parmesan.

2. In the bottom of a 5-to-6 quart slow cooker, spread a thin layer of the tomato sauce. Top with three of the noodles (breaking to fit if necessary). Spread about 1 cup of the sauce over the noodles and layer with two cups of spinach and 1 1/2 cups of the cheese mixture. Repeat once or twice more (depending on crock pot size) with the noodles, sauce, spinach, and cheese mixture.

 Top the the remaining three noodles, sauce, and 1 cup mozzarella.

3. Cook on low, covered, until the noodles are tender-especially in the center of the lasagna-about 3 to 3 1/2 hours.

Delicious dip

We recently went out to dinner for my birthday & the restaurant had this delicious dip for the bread.
It had such a fantastic flavor that I quickly snapped a pic, asked how they did it, & am now making it myself!

You will need:
Good, yummy dipping olive oil
pepper, freshly cracked
shaved parmesan cheese

That's it!

Mix it all up & enjoy with some warm, crusty bread!!

Pepper Jack Chicken Pasta

Pepper Jack Chicken Pasta

3 cups cooked mostaccioli

¼ cup chopped onion

¼ cup chopped sweet red pepper or tomatoes

1 Tbsp canola oil

½ tsp minced garlic

1 can (10 ¾ oz) condensed nacho cheese soup, undiluted

1 package (9oz) ready to use Southwestern chicken strips or grilled chicken

¾ cup water

1 can (15 oz) black beans, rinsed & drained

¼ cup shredded monterey jack cheese, optional

Cook mostaccioli according to package. Meanwhile, in a large skillet sauté onion & red pepper in oil. Add garlic, cook 1 minute longer. Stir in the soup, chicken & water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover & simmer 8 minutes.

Stir in beans & tomatoes; heat through. Drain mostaccioli, transfer to a serving bowl; top with chicken mixture. Sprinkle with cheese if desired.

Swiss Chicken Casserole

Swiss Chicken Casserole

5-6 Chicken breasts, raw and defrosted
Onion Salt
Garlic Salt
Sliced Swiss cheese
Water
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup sour cream
2 tubes Ritz crackers
butter

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

1. Put the chicken in a glass 9 x 13 baking dish and sprinkle with onion salt and garlic salt generously on one side. I don't know how much it is, just put some on till you think it looks good.

2. Layer on like 3 layers of sliced Swiss cheese on each breast. The more cheese the better. Seriously. Do more.

3. Mix together 1/8 cup of water, can of cream of chicken and 1/2 cup of sour cream. You can do a little more water and sour cream and it will taste awesome.

4. Spread sour cream mixture all over the chicken.

5. Smash a tube or two of Ritz crackers and sprinkle it all over the mixture.
6. Melt 3/4 of a cube of butter and drizzle that over the crackers.

Cook for 50 minutes at 350 degrees with tin foil over it and remove the tin foil with 8-10 minutes left.

Spicy Chicken Nachos

Spicy Chicken Nachos

(slow cooker recipe)

Ingredients

1 loaf (16 oz) Mexican prepared cheese product with jalapeño peppers, cut into cubes
3/4 cup Thick ‘n Chunky salsa
1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained, rinsed
1 package (9 oz) frozen cooked chicken breast strips, thawed, cubed ( I used a shredded up rotisserie chicken)
1 container (8 oz) sour cream
1 medium red bell pepper, chopped (1 cup)
3 medium green onions, sliced (3 tablespoons)
Large tortilla chips

Directions

1. Spray 3- to 4-quart slow cooker with cooking spray. In cooker, place cheese, salsa, beans and chicken.

2. Cover; cook on Low heat setting 2 hours, stirring once halfway through cooking.

3. Stir in sour cream, bell pepper and onions. Increase heat setting to High. Cover; cook about 45 minutes longer or until mixture is hot.

4. Serve with tortilla chips. Topping can be kept warm on Low heat setting up to 2 hours; stir occasionally.

I added chopped lettuce & tomato to mine & also made a side of Spanish rice to go with it!

Chicken Corn Chowder

Chicken Corn Chowder

4 medium potatoes, chopped

½ onion, diced or ¼ cup dried onion flakes

2 celery ribs, sliced or ¼ tsp celery seed

1 (14 oz.) can chicken broth

2 boneless, skinless chicken breast or 1 (13 oz.) can chicken

2 cups milk

1 (15 oz.) can cream style corn

1 (15 oz.) can whole kernel corn, drained

½ cup flour

½ tsp onion powder

¼ tsp seasoned salt

¼ tsp pepper

6 slices bacon, cooked & crumbled or 1/3 cup Hormel bacon crumbles

Place potatoes, celery, & onions in a large pot. Pour chicken broth over top. Broth should cover potatoes. Add more broth if you need to. Cut up chicken breasts & add. Bring to a simmer over med-high heat & cook until potatoes are tender & chicken is no longer pink.  When potatoes are done, stir in milk, cream-style corn, & regular corn.

In a small bowl, mix flour & water to make a thin paste. Whisk this into the simmering soup & combine. Let soup simmer until thickened. Add seasonings, adjust the taste to your liking. If you are using canned chicken, then add it now. Just before serving add crumbled bacon.

Farfalle Carbonara with Chicken & Asparagus

Farfalle Carbonara with Chicken & Asparagus

1 pound farfalle pasta ( You can also use orecchiette)

1 chicken breast cut into 1" cubes

1 Tbsp EVOO

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1/2 cup red/yellow bell pepper

5-6 asparagus, trimmed & cut into 1" pieces

s&p

1 pint half and half

1 Tbsp pancetta or bacon (1 slice)

chopped fresh basil & oregano

grated parmesan

Cook pasta according to directions. set aside.

Saute chicken breast in EVOO until cooked, 2-3 minutes. Add garlic, peppers, asparagus & broccoli. Continue cooking until al dente & chicken is completely cooked, 5-7 min.

Add s&p. Add half & half to pan & bring to slow simmer on medium. Cook until mixture is slightly thickened, 2-3 minutes, and remove from heat.

Drop cooked pasta into simmering water for 1 minute. drain the pasta. toss pasta with chicken & veggies in cream sauce. divide among bowls & top with bacon, herbs, & cheese

Mandarin Salad

My mother in law makes this fabulous salad & I was craving it so bad the other day!

It has a nice, light dressing that goes with everything. The recipe calls for manadarin oranges in it, but I didn't have any on hand so I used strawberries instead. You really can substitute just about anything you'd like!

The key to this salad is making the delicious nut clusters. Trust me....it'll be worth it! 

Mandarin Salad

½ cup sliced almonds

3 Tbsp sugar

½ head iceberg lettuce

1 cup chopped celery

½ head romaine

2 green onions, chopped

1-     11 oz. mandarin oranges, drained

In skillet pan on medium heat, cook almonds & sugar until dissolved (be VERY careful because this will easily burn). Stir constantly! Cool on wax paper.

Dressing:

½ tsp salt

Dash of pepper

¼ cup vegetable oil

1 Tbsp parsley

2 Tbsp sugar

2 Tbsp vinegar

Dash of Tabasco

Mix & chill.

Mix lettuce, celery, onions together. Then add almonds, oranges & dressing!

I made extra nut clusters & later on that week made up a quick salad & used the clusters for an added crunch!

beef bourguignonne

Beef Bourguignonne

4 Ib. beef short ribs

Kosher salt & pepper

1 Tbsp. olive oil

½ Ib. bacon, cut into ¼” dice

1 jar beef bourguignonne braising base ( I got a jar at Williams Sonoma)

2 cups pearl onions, fresh or thawed frozen

½ Ib. baby carrots, peeled

2 Ib. small red potatoes

2 Tbsp. unsalted butter at room temp.

2 Tbsp. fresh parsley

Season short ribs with s&p.

In slow cooker over med/high heat, warm oil.

Cook bacon until crisp (5-8 min.), drain on paper towel.

Pour off all but 1 Tbs. fat from insert. Working in batches, add short ribs; brown on all sides (8-10 min./batch)

Return all ribs to slow cooker, add braising base & bacon.

Cover & cook on high for 6 hours; add onions & carrots during last 2 hours of cooking.

Cook potatoes on stovetop. Put in bowl & add butter, parsley & salt.

Egg and Bacon Casserole

I love breakfast casseroles & this is my favorite one yet!

I got a new cookbook for Christmas, so I will be testing out lots of the recipes & putting the winners on here!

Egg & Bacon Casserole

1 pound bacon or sausage, cooked & crumbled

6 eggs, slightly beaten

2 cups milk

1 tsp salt (optional)

1 tsp dry mustard

2 slices day-old bread, torn

1 cup cheese, shredded

3 Tbsp onion, chopped (optional)

Combine all ingredients & pour into 8x8 dish. Cover & refrigerate overnight. 

Bake at 350 degree's for 45 minutes. 

If you don't want to do it overnight, you can also just throw it in at 350 & cook it.

I have made it both ways & it was delicious each time!

*Note*

If you double the recipe for a 9x13 dish, do not put the entire recipe in that dish, because the center will probably not cook completely.

Instead, put most of the mixture in a 9x13 & the remaining in a 1 qt. casserole dish.