Lazy Lasagna Soup

 

Ingredients

1 pound 90% lean ground chuck 

8 ounces cremini mushrooms, quartered 

1 cup chopped yellow onion 

1 cup chopped red bell pepper 

2 garlic cloves, minced 

4 cups unsalted chicken stock (such as Swanson) 

1 (14.5-oz.) can unsalted crushed tomatoes 

1 (6-oz.) can tomato paste 

2 teaspoons dried oregano 

1 teaspoon kosher salt 

1/4 teaspoon black pepper 

8 ounces whole-wheat lasagna noodles, broken into pieces 

1/4 cup half-and-half 

4 ounces preshredded mozzarella cheese (about 1/2 cup) 

1/2 cup fresh basil leaves

 

Slow Cooker Method

Cook beef in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high, stirring to crumble, until browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker. Add mushrooms, onion, bell pepper, and garlic, and stir to combine. Add stock, tomatoes, tomato paste, oregano, salt, and black pepper; stir to combine. Cover and cook on low 6 hours.

 

Stir lasagna noodles into soup, making sure to submerge all noodles in liquid. Cover and cook on low until noodles are al dente, about 30 minutes. Stir in half-and half.

 

Divide soup evenly among 8 bowls. Top evenly with mozzarella and basil.

 

Instant Pot Method

Turn Instant Pot to sauté; heat for 1 minute. Add beef; cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in mushrooms, onion, bell pepper, and garlic. Stir in stock, tomatoes, tomato paste, oregano, salt, and black pepper. Cover with lid; turn to manual. Turn lid valve to seal, and set to high pressure for 10 minutes.

 

Release valve with a towel (be careful of the pressurized steam), and release steam until it stops. Carefully uncover; set to sauté. Bring mixture to a boil; add lasagna noodles, and cook, stirring often, until tender, about 9 minutes. Turn off Instant Pot; stir in half-and-half. Divide soup evenly among 8 bowls. Top evenly with mozzarella and basil.

Tex-Mex Chicken and Black Bean Soup

 

Ingredients

1 1/4 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 4 thighs)

4 cups unsalted chicken stock (such as Swanson)

1 (15-oz.) can unsalted black beans, drained and rinsed

1 (14.5-oz.) can unsalted diced tomatoes

1 cup chopped yellow onion

1 cup chopped red or orange bell pepper

1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels

2 tablespoons chopped canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 teaspoons chili powder

2 teaspoons ground cumin

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1/2 cup plain whole-milk Greek yogurt

1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves

 

Slow Cooker Method

Combine chicken, stock, beans, tomatoes, onion, bell pepper, corn, chiles, garlic, chili powder, cumin, salt, and black pepper in a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on low until chicken is very tender, 5 to 6 hours.

Transfer chicken to a cutting board; shred into small pieces; return to slow cooker. Stir in lime juice.

Divide soup evenly among 5 bowls. Top evenly with yogurt and cilantro

 

Instant Pot Method

Combine chicken, stock, beans, tomatoes, onion, bell pepper, corn, chiles, garlic, chili powder, cumin, salt, and black pepper in Instant Pot. Cover with lid, and turn to manual. Turn lid valve to seal, and set to high pressure for 10 minutes. 

Release valve with a towel (be careful of the pressurized steam), and release steam until it stops. Carefully uncover, and transfer chicken to a cutting board. Shred chicken into small pieces; return to Instant Pot. Stir in lime juice.

Divide soup evenly among 5 bowls. Top evenly with yogurt and cilantro.

Bourbon Cider

Ingredients

1 gal. fresh apple cider

5 tsp. ground cinnamon

2 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg

2 1/2 tsp. ground ginger

3 c. bourbon (Jim Beam)

In a stockpot, heat apple cider, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger.  When mixture is hot but not boiling, remove from heat and add bourbon. Stir to distribute spices and divide cider among 20 mugs.  Can also be made in a crock-pot.

Habanero Apricot Chicken Sandwiches

Ingredients

Cooking spray

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs

1/3 cup apricot preserves

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

2 teaspoons reduced-sodium Worcestershire sauce

3 habanero chiles (seeds and membranes removed), chopped

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar, divided

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided

1/2 teaspoon black pepper, divided

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 cups very thinly sliced cored red cabbage

1 cup matchstick-cut carrots

1/2 cup thinly sliced radishes

1/3 cup chopped fresh basil

1 tablespoon raw sunflower seeds

2 tablespoons lime juice

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 tablespoon water

6 whole-wheat hamburger buns, lightly toasted

Coat a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker with cooking spray; place chicken in bottom of slow cooker.

Combine apricot preserves, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, 2 tablespoons habanero chile, 2 teaspoons vinegar, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, and garlic in a bowl; stir with a whisk. Pour apricot mixture over chicken in slow cooker. Toss to coat. Cover and cook on LOW 5 hours.

Combine cabbage, carrots, radishes, basil, and sunflower seeds in a large bowl. Stir together lime juice, oil, remaining 1 teaspoon vinegar, remaining 1 teaspoon habanero, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon black pepper in a separate smaller bowl. Add to cabbage mixture; toss to combine. Let stand at room temperature 15 minutes.

Transfer chicken to a cutting board. Shred with 2 forks; place in a large bowl. Skim fat from juices in slow cooker; discard fat. Combine cornstarch and 1 tablespoon water in a small bowl; stir until smooth. Stir cornstarch mixture into juices in slow cooker. Cover and cook on HIGH 5 minutes or until thickened. Add chicken back to slow cooker; toss to combine.

Place 5 ounces chicken mixture on each bun. Top each with 1/2 cup slaw.

Crock Pot Brown Sugar Balsamic Glazed Pork Tenderloin

• INGREDIENTS
• 2 pounds Pork tenderloin
• 1 teaspoon Ground sage
• ½ teaspoon Salt
• ¼ teaspoon Pepper
• 1 clove Garlic; crushed
• ½ cup Water
• ½ cup Brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon Cornstarch
• ¼ cup Balsamic Vinegar
• ½ cup Water
• 2 tablespoons Soy sauce

Instructions

1. Mix together the seasonings: sage, salt, pepper and garlic.
2. Rub over tenderloin. Place ½ cup water in slow cooker; place tenderloin in slow cooker.
3. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.
4. hour before the roast is finished, mix together the ingredients for the glaze in a small sauce pan: brown sugar, cornstarch, balsamic vinegar, water, soy sauce.
5. Heat over medium and stir until mixture thickens, about 4 minutes.
6. Brush roast with glaze 2 or 3 times during the last hour of cooking. (For a more caramelized crust: remove from crockpot and place on aluminum lined sheet pan, glaze, and set under broiler for 1-2 minutes until bubbly and caramelized. Repeat 2 to 3 more times until desired crust is achieved.)
7. Serve with remaining glaze on the side.

Crock Pot Chicken & Dumplings

Ingredients:

• boneless chicken (2 pkgs) we like a lot of chicken in ours
• 1 tbsp butter
• 2 cans Cream of Chicken soup
• 1 can chicken stock
• 1-2 onions chopped to your desired likeness
• 2 tbsp parsley
• 8 (more for dipping) Grands biscuits
• vegetables of your choosing to add (mushrooms, peas, carrots)

Directions:

• put chicken and butter in crock pot.
• add cans of soup and stock, stir to combine.
• add onions and parsley, stir to combine.
• cook on high for 4 hours.
• after 4 hours, separate biscuits and cut into 9 pieces.
• add biscuits and vegetables; continue cooking on high for another 45 minutes. 

Crock Pot Beef and Broccoli

INGREDIENTS:

1-2 lb. boneless, beef chuck roast

1 can beef broth

1cup low sodium soy sauce

2/3 cup dark brown sugar

1 1/2 tbsp. sesame oil

6-8 garlic cloves, minced

4 tbsp. cornstarch

8 tbsp. sauce (from the crockpot after dish is cooked)

Veggies - fresh or frozen, your choice

White rice, cooked

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. In the insert of the crockpot, whisk together beef consume, soy sauce, dark brown sugar, sesame oil, and garlic.
2. Gently place your beef in the liquid and turn to coat.
3. Turn crockpot on high and cook for 4 hours.  After 4 hours, take meat out, slice in strips, return to pot and continue cooking for 30 minutes.
4. With 30 minutes left in the cooking time, start cooking rice in rice cooker.  
5. After rice is on, start cooking veggies.  Saute in a pan with a little oil, steam, or boil until done to your liking (we like ours warm but crunchy).
6. When meat is done (30 additional minutes), remove meat, and add slurry (cornstarch and sauce) to sauce, keeping crockpot on high.  Whisk until bubbling (should only take a few minutes).
7. Once veggies are done and sauce is thick, toss veggies, and meat back into crockpot and combine.
8. Once rice is done, spoon onto plate.  Place meat/veggie mixture on top of rice.

Shredded Beef Chipotle Tacos

Shredded Beef Tacos

• 1-2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 pounds beef (boneless chuck roast)
• 2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 cup beef stock
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, minced (or 2 small)
• 1 large sweet onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• Flour tortillas
• Favorite taco toppings – lettuce, tomato, onion, avocado, lime, cilantro, etc.

Mix all the dry ingredients together and rub on the meat.  Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat.  Once the oil is hot (it will shimmer a bit in the skillet), place the beef in the skillet and sear on each side.

Remove the beef from the skillet and place in the bottom of a slow cooker.  Leave the pan on the heat, and deglaze the pan with the beef stock, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.  Add the tomato paste and minced chipotle and whisk into the pan sauce. Bring the sauce to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for a few minutes until the sauce has reduced and thickened slightly.

Add the diced onion and minced garlic on top of the seared beef in the slow cooker.  Pour the pan sauce down over the onions, garlic, and beef.  Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours .

Remove the beef from the slow cooker and shred with two forks (if necessary – mine was so tender it just fell apart when I took it out of the slow cooker).  Use a slotted spoon to remove the onions from the slow cooker, and mix into the shredded beef.Serve the beef in the flour tortillas, topped with your favorite taco toppings.  I like to top mine with fresh lettuce, tomato, onion, avocado, cilantro, and a squeeze of lime.

Crock Pot Parmesan Honey Pulled Pork

Ingredients:

1 (2-3 pound) boneless pork roast
2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup honey
6 Tbsp soy sauce
4 Tbsp dried basil
1 Tbsp minced garlic
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp cornstarch
1/4 cup cold water

Spray slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray. Place roast in slow cooker. In a small bowl, combine the cheese, honey, soy sauce, basil, garlic, oil and salt; pour over pork. Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours or until a meat thermometer reads 160°.
Remove meat to a serving platter; keep warm. Skim fat from cooking juices; transfer to a small saucepan. Bring liquid to a boil. Combine cornstarch and water until smooth. Gradually stir into pan. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Slice roast; serve with gravy (I also made mashed potatoes and the gravy was delicious on them!).

Crock Pot Chicken Tacos


Ingredients
- 1 can green chilies
- 1 jar salsa
- 1 tsp. cumin
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken (can be frozen or thawed)
- 1 packet taco seasoning

Directions
1.  place chicken in crock pot
2.  mix other ingredients together and pour over chicken.
3.  cook on low 6-8 hours or high 4 hours.

- chicken can be served with all taco fixings
- mix chicken with velveta and top over nachos for delicious chicken nachos

Crock Pot Italian Shredded Beef Sandwiches

Ingredients

• 2 cans beef broth
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon onion salt
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 (.7 ounce) package dry Italian-style salad dressing mix
• 1 (5 pound) rump roast

Directions

1. Combine broth with salt, ground black pepper, oregano, basil, onion salt, parsley, garlic powder, bay leaf, and salad dressing mix in a saucepan. Stir well, and bring to a boil.
2. Place roast in slow cooker, and pour salad dressing mixture over the meat.
3. Cover, and cook on Low for 10 to 12 hours, or on High for 4 to 5 hours. When done, remove bay leaf, and shred meat with a fork.
4. Serve on thick buns with provolone cheese and banana peppers