Classic Lasagna

 

This lasagna recipe is from the book below. 

I've been craving lasagna but didn't want to make the recipe I normally use. 

This recipe is six large servings and is made in the crock pot. 

 

 

 

The photo above is the second layer of noodles and below is the second layer of the ricotta/mozzarella layer. 

 

 

Final layer of beef mixture.

I slow cooked this for four hours on low. 

 

The photo above is the final layer of mozzarella/Parmesan cheese. The crock pot was then turned off and I waited around 10 minutes to let the cheese melt. 

 

After it had "firmed up" a little I divided it into 6 servings. They are quite large.

This recipe comes in at 10 SmartPoints for 1/6th of the recipe. 

I'd make it again, I thought it was pretty good. 

Anniversary Dinner

Okay, so I know a Philly Cheese Steak and Fries aren't the most romantic anniversary dinner, but it was delicious! Today we celebrated lucky number 13. I knew the hubby would more than likely be late coming home from work, so I just decided Philly Cheese Steak sandwiches and Homemade Fries sounded like a winner.

I've made these before, but this time they turned out better than ever. I stopped at the local butcher shop and picked up what I think was a rump roast. The butcher and I were talking and I can't remember what I got! Whatever it was, we loved it!. Using lower fat cheese and making my own fries probably made this a little more figure friendly. I know, that's just in my imagination but HEY, it IS my anniversary!

This is how I made the fries:

One potato per person cut into wedges
Large zip-loc bag
Mrs. Dash Garlic & Herb Seasoning
Mrs. Dash Spicy Seasoning
Olive Oil

Put potato wedges in bag with seasonings and oil and shake to coat. Spread on baking pan and bake at 400 degrees for about 20 to 30 minutes or until done to your liking.

The Philly Cheese Steak recipe came from the "Crock-Pot The Original Slow Cooker Best-Loved Slow Cooker Favorites" Cookbook. The only thing I did different was to use a roast instead of round steak. About an hour before we ate I took it out, sliced it and put it back in the crockpot. I also just used 2 onions and a lower fat mozzarella cheese.

Makes 8 servings

2 pounds round steak, sliced
2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
4 onions, sliced
2 green bell peppers, sliced
1 tablespoon garlic-pepper blend
Salt, to taste
1/2 cup water
2 teaspoons beef bouillon granules
8 crusty Italian or French rolls - toast rolls on griddle or under broiler, if desired
8 slices Cheddar cheese, cut in half

Combine steak, butter, onions, green peppers, garlic-pepper blend and salt in Crock-Pot slow cooker; stir to mix.

Whisk together water and bouillon in small bowl; pour into Crock-Pot slow cooker. Cover; cook on LOW 6 to 8 hours.

Remove meat, onions and green peppers from Crock-Pot slow cooker and pile on rolls. Top with cheese and place under broiler until cheese is melted.

Hamburger Hot Pot

Colder weather and casserole comfort foods seem to go together. I've been reading this recipe for Hamburger Hot Pot over and over. I found it in "Crock-Pot Slow Cooker Cuisine by Rival". Today I finally tried it. The combination of the seasonings, ground beef, onions, potatoes and soup just sounded so good to me. Of course, I made the usual changes including extra lean ground beef, lower sodium salt and Mrs. Dash garlic & herb seasoning. I couldn't find a lower sodium or fat-free golden mushroom soup, so I just had to use the regular version. Ground turkey could also be used in place of the ground beef. We liked it, but next time I'll use round steak cut in cubes and cream of mushroom soup. The original recipe called for three onions, which I thought was excessive. I just used one and a half.

Hamburger Hot Pot

1-1/2 pounds ground chuck or lean ground beef
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
6 medium potatoes, peeled and sliced
3 medium onions, sliced
1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed golden mushroom soup
1/2 cup water

In skillet, lightly brown ground beef; drain well. Add garlic powder, salt and pepper; set aside. Place half the potatoes and half the onions in greased Crock-Pot. Add browned beef. Top with remaining potatoes and onions. Combine mushroom soup and water; spread over top, being sure to moisten and cover evenly. Cover and cook on Low for 8 to 10 hours or on High for 3 to 4 hours. Serves 4 to 6.

Nutritional Value Per Serving: Calories 443, Fat 21 gm, Sodium 999 mg, Protein 28 gm, Carbohydrate 35 gm, Cholesterol 82 mg

Taco Bake

I made a recipe today called Taco Bake from the Crock-Pot Slow Cooker Cuisine Cookbook by Rival. In my opinion, if I had named the recipe I would have called it Crockpot Taco Casserole, but that's just me. It drove me crazy all afternoon cooking because it smelled so good! I made my usual changes by substituting extra lean ground beef, lower sodium taco seasoning, no-salt added tomato sauce and reduced fat cheese. Ground turkey could also be used in place of the ground beef. I loved it, my hubby thought it was okay. The nutritional values per serving for mine will be slightly lower than the original recipe.

Taco Bake

1 pound ground beef
1 onion, chopped
3/4 cup water
1 package (1-1/4 ounces) taco seasoning
1-15 ounce can tomato sauce
1 package (8 ounce) shell macaroni, uncooked
1-4 ounce can mild chopped green chilies
2 cups mild shredded cheddar cheese

In a skillet, brown ground beef and onion; drain fat. Add the water, taco seasoning and tomato sauce; mix. Simmer for 20 minutes. Transfer to Crock-Pot. Stir in macaroni and chopped green chilies. Cover and cook on Low for 6 to 8 hours or on High 3 to 4 hours. In the last 30 minutes of cooking top with shredded cheddar cheese. Serves 6 to 8. Add whatever toppings you desire.

Nutritional Value Per Serving: Calories 471, Fat 23 gm, Sodium 1,525 mg, Protein 25 gm, Carbohydrate 39 gm, Cholesterol 77 mg

French Onion Beef

For dinner last night we had French Onion Beef and wow! was it ever delicious! I really love using crock pots. It makes my life sooo much easier.

The picture on the left shows what it looked like when finished in the crock pot. The other shows it plated. It's hard to tell which is the meat and which is the stuffing on the plate since they look alike. Just so you know the meat is on the left.

French Onion Beef

1-1/4 lb boneless beef round steak (1/2 to 3/4 inch thick)
1 package (8 oz) sliced fresh mushrooms (3 cups)
1 large onion, sliced, separated into rings
1 can (10-1/2 oz) condensed French onion soup
1 package (6 oz) 10-minute herb stuffing mix
1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (4 oz)

Spray 3-1/2 to 4 quart slow cooker with cooking spray. Cut beef into 6 serving-size pieces. In cooker, layer half each of the beef, mushrooms and onion, repeat layers. Pour soup over top.

Cover; cook on Low hear setting 8 to 10 hours.

In medium bowl, mix stuffing mix, butter and 1/2 cup liquid from slow cooker; toss to mix. Place stuffing on top of mixture in cooker. Increase heat setting to High. Cover; cook 10 minutes longer or until stuffing is fluffy. Sprinkle with cheese. Cover; cook until cheese is melted.