Monday, July 29, 2019

Crockpot Monday: Pizza Soup

9:00 AM 0 Comments


I love pizza. I could eat pizza nearly every night of the week, I think. Since my oven died though, I can't make it so this is a close second!

Pizza Soup:

Ingredients:
1 jar (14 oz) of pizza sauce
3 empty jars full of water
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1/2 red onion, chopped
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 cup baby tomatoes, cut in quarters (or 1 can diced tomatoes, drained)
2 already-cooked Italian sausages
1 cup sliced pepperoni, sliced in quarters
8 fresh basil leaves, chopped (or 1/2 Tablespoon dried)
1 Tablespoon dried oregano
1/2 dried pasta
shredded mozzarella cheese (to add later)

Directions: 

Use a 5 or 6 quart crockpot for this recipe.

Wash and prepare veggies. Dump them into the crockpot. Cut up the sausage into small pieces and add. Cut up the pepperoni and add that along with the basil and oregano. Pour in the pizza sauce and follow with three empty jars of water.

Cover and cook on low for 7-9 hours.

Thirty minutes before serving, add the dry pasta, and turn to high.  Garnish/top with shredded mozzarella cheese.






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Monday, July 22, 2019

Crockpot Monday: Pasta Fagioli

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Are any of you big Olive Garden fans? I used to love it but the closest one is 45 minutes away and it just never seems worth the drive. I was always the salad type and not the soup. Maybe this recipe will change my mind!

Pasta Fagioli:

Ingredients:
1 pound lean ground beef, browned and drained
1/2 large red onion, chopped
1 cup carrots, chopped
2 celery stalks, sliced
2 cans (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can white beans, drained and rinsed
4 cups beef broth
1 jar (26-ounce) pasta sauce
2 teaspoons oregano
1 Tablespoon hot sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup dry pasta (to add later)

Directions: 

Use a 6 quart or larger crockpot, or cut the recipe in half. This makes a lot.

Brown the meat on the stovetop, and drain well. Let it cool a bit. Chop up the carrots, onion, and celery. Add it to the empty crockpot. Drain and rinse the beans, and add them. Add the whole cans of tomatoes, and the pasta sauce. Add the beef broth. Add the salt, pepper, oregano, and hot sauce. Stir in your meat.

Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, or high for 4. When the vegetables are tender, stir in the 1/2 cup of dry pasta. Cover and cook for another hour on low, or until the pasta is tender.

Serve with a bit of parmesan cheese if you have it. 






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Monday, July 15, 2019

Crockpot Monday: Old Fashioned Chicken Noodle Soup

8:30 AM 0 Comments
With any luck, we've all gotten this far without catching the dratted summer cold, but in case you or yours have, here's the perfect recipe!

Old Fashioned Chicken Noodle Soup:

Ingredients:
1.5 cups already cooked chicken meat
6 cups water
1 or 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and chunked
2 teaspoons chicken bouillon granules
1 cup broccoli florets
1 small onion, diced
1 Tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
Handful of raw spaghetti noodles (to add later)
1 large handful raw spinach leaves (to add later)
Parmesan and Asiago cheese (optional garnish)

Directions:

Pour 6 cups of water into your crockpot and add chicken. Add all vegetables except for the spinach leaves. Stir in the bouillon and vinegar. Salt to taste.

Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours, or until sweet potatoes are tender and the onion is translucent.

15 minutes before serving, put in raw spaghetti noodles and a large handful of spinach. Cover and set the crockpot to high heat.

Garnish with parmesan and asiago cheeses, if desired. 







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Monday, July 8, 2019

Crockpot Monday: New England Clam Chowder

8:30 AM 0 Comments
How was your fourth? I hope that it was a time of fun and happiness. For me, it's also my best friend's birthday even though he's in this weird denial of birthdays phase. That doesn't stop me from celebrating him whenever I get the chance. Some people are just worth celebrating.

New England Clam Chowder:

Ingredients:
1/2 pound bacon, cooked and diced
1 (6.5-ounce) can minced clams, drained
5 small red potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
1 onion, peeled and diced
1 cup sliced celery
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
4 cups chicken broth
2 cups half-and-half (or heavy cream)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (to add later)

Directions: 

Brown the bacon on the stove and drain any fat. Put the bacon into your crockpot and add clams. Add all the vegetables and spices and pour in the broth.

Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours, or until the onion is translucent and the potatoes squish easily with a fork. Use an immersion blender and pulse a few times to naturally thicken the soup or carefully do so in a traditional blender before returning it to the crockpot. Stir in half and half and shredded cheese.







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Monday, July 1, 2019

Crockpot Monday: Mulligatawny Soup

8:00 AM 0 Comments
With the heatwave we've been having, I cannot believe that I'm posting a soup recipe. In fact, I confess to being sitting in a little restaurant, soaking up their air conditioning because I don't have any at my house and it feels too hot to breathe there. Still, we're up to the soups and stews, so here we go:

Mulligatawny Soup:

Ingredients:
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 cup peeled and chopped apple
1 cup chopped carrots
1 (15-ounce) can fire roasted tomatoes
1 Tablespoon dried minced onion flake
1/4 cup raisins
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons curry powder
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
3 cups chicken broth
1/3 cup long grain white rice (to add later)

Directions:

Use a 6-quart slow cooker. Put the chicken thighs into the bottom of your cooker, and add apple, carrots, the whole can of tomatoes, onion flakes, and raisins. Then add the lemon juice, spices, and broth. Stir to mix the spices.

Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours. If you'd like, shred the chicken with two big forks, and stir in the uncooked rice. Change to high heat for 30 minutes, or until the rice is tender.






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