Slow Cooker Lasagna Soup

This is a good, simple soup recipe that's perfect for cold weather.


Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef
1 onion
10 3/4 oz canned condensed tomato soup
14.5 oz petite diced canned tomatoes
15 oz canned tomato sauce
2 chicken bullion cubes
2 beef bullion cubes
4 c water
1 1/2 tsp oregano
1 1/2 tsp basil
1 tsp parsley
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
8 oz ricotta cheese
8 lasagna noodles, broken into small pieces (uncooked)
12 oz shredded mozzarella

Combine onions, tomato soup, diced tomatoes and tomato sauce in the slow cooker.
Add all spices and bullion cubes
Add water and spread the broken uncooked noodles.   Crumble raw ground beef over top.
Cover and cook on low 7-8 hours or high 4-5 hours.
Half hour before finished, stir in ricotta.
Serve with mozzarella on top.


*Note, I tried this initially with gluten free noodles.  They disintegrated by the time it was finished and made for a more starchy cream looking soup.  If wanting to use GF noodles, I'd suggest cooking separately and adding at the last minute*

Slow Cooker Sloppy Joes

This is a yummy version of sloppy joes I found on the Get Crocked website.  I was unsure of the outcome, since they don't seem to be slathered in a ton of sauce or canned soup like old school varieties - plus they actually have veggies included! I can assure you this was a success and my husband has been raving about it ever since.  It will definitely make a regular rotation at our house!   

Ingredients: 

-2 lbs grass fed ground beef

-1 onion, minced

-1 yellow bell pepper, diced

-1 red bell pepper, diced

-1 c. organic ketsup

-1/2 c. water

-2 T. Apple cider vinegar

-1 T. Honey

-2 T. Worcestershire sauce

-2 T. Stone ground mustard

-Salt & pepper to taste

-Brown ground beef and drain

-In the meantime, prep the onion and peppers. 

-Add all ingredients to slow cooker and stir

-Cook on low 2-3 hours.  

Chicken Tortilla Soup~

I'm just now realizing how easy soup can be, especially when made using a slow cooker.  I love chicken tortilla soup and this is a healthy version I found when searching online.  It calls for tortilla strips you can buy but I just used crushed tortilla chips since I had them on hand.    Next time I make this I will take a better photo!

You can add a lot more cheese- a layer across the top, I was just being healthy

You'll need:
1lb chicken breast

14oz can sweet whole corn kernels, drained
14oz can diced tomatoes, drained
5c chicken stock (I use gluten free)
3/4c onion, chopped
3/4c green pepper, chopped
1 Serrano pepper, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp chili powder
1 1/2 tsp salt, divided
1 tsp ground pepper, divided
Shredded cheese (try Monterrey Jack or Cheddar)
Tortilla strips for garnish

I love slow cooking when it involves just tossing a bunch of stuff in a pot without a lot of effort, that's my kind of cooking!  Do all your veggie chopping up front so its finished. Then put the first 9 ingredients into the the slow cooker  (everything through the chili powder!)

Cook on high for 4 hours, low for 8.  Take chicken breasts out and shred them.   This is very easy using 2 forks, it just falls apart.   I just recently learned that I could use a stand mixer with paddle attachment and it shreds it very nicely..  but I don't want the extra dishes.   Season your chicken with salt & pepper and put it back into the slow cooker, then mix everything. I turned off the slow cooker and let it sit another half hour to let the chicken really soak up the flavors of the soup.      

When ready to serve- cover with a nice bunch of cheese and tortilla strips/chips, and let it melt. 

I was able to reheat this over a period of several days... I packaged it into portions that I was able to take to work for lunch!  Healthy, gluten free, economical, easy.    

I adjusted the recipe I found on this site just slightly.

~Sausage Pesto Pasta~

My husband goes back for fourths on this dish, need I say more?
Everyone loves a good pasta dish now and then.  While I don't recommend eating pasta all the time... this is a great easy meal that will give leftovers all week if you're just cooking for a couple.   It could definitely be a hit as a dish-to-pass at potlucks or holidays.... and its not terribly unhealthy!  

I adapted this recipe from a friend's blog which you can find here.  Its perfectly yummy as-is, I just tweaked it to our tastes.    I added more sausage, tomatoes and pesto... and also felt mushrooms were a nice addition... and ricotta! I have a small obsession with ricotta, and while I try to eat as close to dairy free as possible, ricotta is a weakness and sometime necessary evil.     Ricotta is also delicious on pizza...but now I am getting off track.  

So here you go:

Ingredients: 

• 1.5 # italian sausage (mild, gluten free in my opinion)
• 1/2 cup of chopped onion
• 4 cloves minced garlic
• 24 oz & 14 oz can diced tomatoes 
• Pesto - around 2/3 cup to 1 cup...depending on taste
• Salt & Pepper
• 10oz (or so) of cooked pasta (I think any type will do, I use GF)
• 4 c fresh spinach (or 4 handfuls)
• 8 oz shredded mozzarella
• 1 cup grated parm
• 1-2 cups mushrooms of your choice, roughly chopped (optional)
• 15 oz fat free ricotta (optional)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Cook sausage, onion, and garlic until the sausage is cooked thoroughly.    Add the mushrooms as the meat starts to brown.         

Next, add tomatoes  and simmer for about 10 minutes or so.   Then add pesto, and salt & pepper to taste.  Cook your pasta while you're waiting on the above....

In a large bowl add the spinach, pasta, mozzarella and 1/3 cup parmesan cheese.  Add in your meat/tomato mixture and carefully mix until combined. 

Pour mixture into a 9x13 baking dish and top with the remaining parmesan.

Bake for about 20-25 minutes or you see bubbling.

Enjoy!