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. 

One Pot Sausage and Peppers Pasta

I saw this recipe come up in my Facebook feed last weekend. I watched the video, it peaked my interest so I clicked the link to the recipe. I'm always looking for something different for my workday lunch. I don't always take something hot to eat. This however was perfect to warm in my Crock Pot Lunch Crock Food Warmer. I was lucky to find mine at Target this past winter on sale. It's been a lifesaver for me. I get so bored with everything I take for lunch. At least now and then I can make something, take the leftovers to work, heat them up and lunch is done!

You can find the recipe for this here. The only thing I did different is that I used a package of Turkey Store Italian Turkey Sausage instead of three hot and three sweet sausages.

 This was super easy to prepare. Cook your pasta.

Chop your peppers 

......and onions.

Cook your sausage

Throw it altogether and your done!

This recipe makes a lot! Next time I'll make a smaller batch. Again you can find the recipe here.

Thanks for stopping by! Have a great day!

Crock Pot Chicken Taco Bowl

For dinner I made a recipe I found on Pinterest. With all the recipes I have pinned I could could make something new every night and never run out of ideas.

Since I'm now working full-time I need all the ideas I can find so that I don't get bored and eat the same thing over and over.

My blog has suffered quite a bit in the last year or more. I've had so many changes in the last year and a half. I'm happy to report that I'm now venturing back into my craft room on a more regular basis and starting to dabble with ink, paper and stamps again so I hope to start sharing my projects once again. I also hope to start participating in some sketch challenges. Oh how I have missed them!

Tonight all I have is a recipe I found on Pinterest. It was good and I wasn't disappointed. It will make for great leftovers for lunch for a few days this coming week.

Crock Pot Chicken Taco Bowls
Recipe from Pic Hut

1-1/2 lbs. chicken breasts
1 jars salsa
1 can black beans, drained
1/ lb. frozen corn - I omitted
1 Tbsp chili powder
1/2 Tbsp cumin
1/2 Tbsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp cayenne powder - I omitted
1/4 tsp salt - I omitted
cracked pepper to taste
2 cups dry rice - I used brown
8 oz shredded cheddar - I will definitely not use this much cheese - I bought a Mexican blend of cheese
1/2 bunch cilantro (optional) - I love cilantro so I will use a lot of this!

Add everything except the rice, cheese and cilantro to the slow cooker along with 1/4 cup of water. Give everything a good stir and make sure the chicken in covered in the mixture.

Secure the lid on your slow cooker and cook on low for 8 hours.

Near the end of the cooking time, cook the two cups of rice according to the package directions.

After 8 hours of cooking, carefully remove the lid of the slow cooker. Store with a fork to shred the chicken. Build the taco bowls by placing rice on the bottom, then the taco chicken mix, shredded cheese and fresh cilantro. I also added some sour cream.

Thanks for stopping by!

Ree Drummonds Scalloped Potatoes and Ham

A few weeks ago I was watching an episode of The Pioneer Woman on Food Network. 

Ree was making scalloped potatoes and ham. I've wanted to make this recipe ever since. 

I just haven't been able to get it out of my head.

I bought all the ingredients so that I could satisfy my craving. One thing led to another and I was just able to try out her recipe tonight.

I thought this recipe was delicious! I've got plenty left for a few more meals. The only thing I did differently is that I used Colby in place of Cheddar cheese. You can check out her recipe here. I highly recommend it!

This post is linked to this party: Made by you Monday

Hamburger Hot Pot - Repost

I received an email from Prime Publishing LLC asking for permission to feature a casserole recipe I made on their site AllFreeCasseroleRecipes.com. I made this back in October of 2009. I changed it up a bit from the original recipe. It's pretty versatile so I know you could add or change ingredients to suit your taste. Check it out here along with tons of other recipes! If you'd like to see the original post you can see it here.

Thanks for stopping by. Have a great weekend!

Chicken Parmesan Baked Pasta

Made this for dinner tonight and it's delicious!!

I found this recipe over at Tracey's Culinary Adventures. It makes a lot so I'll definitely have plenty left for lunches and a few dinners. I know my late husband would have loved it! 

Be sure to go visit her blog and click on the recipe tab on the top right of her page. She has some wonderful sounding recipes listed. 

This recipe will definitely become a favorite for me to make again. For the recipe click here to go to Tracy's blog.

This post is linked to these parties: Made by you Monday, Craft-O-Maniac Monday, Marvelously Messy

Hope you've had a great start to your week! Thanks for stopping by!

Beef and Bean Taco Casserole

I made this casserole tonight and it's delicious! I'll have plenty of leftovers for lunch and dinner. I found it on Pinterest on the Betty Crocker board. It didn't call for cilantro or sour cream but I felt it needed both.

Last week I didn't go to the grocery store and pretty much lived on what I had in my cupboards and freezer. At least I had fish, soup and enough other items to make some meals. The cold weather is just killing me and the thought of going through all the work of shopping really didn't sound like much fun.

Making meals for one is hard. I get sick of eating the same thing over and over. I sat down and took the time to find a few casseroles to try. I also wanted to make some things that I wouldn't mind talking for lunch. Figuring out what to take for my lunch on the days I work is torture for me. I can't live on peanut butter sandwiches, veggies and hummus for lunch every day. Last week when I was out of those items I took soup and found that I like having something hot.

I've never been a big fan of refried beans. I went out of my comfort zone since they are in this casserole. I found that they aren't as bad as I thought. I'd definitely make this dish again!

Beef and Bean Taco Casserole
Betty Crocker

1 lb (at least 80%) ground beef, lean (I used 93%)
1/2 lb green bell pepper, chopped (3/4 cup), medium
4 green onions, sliced (1/4 cups)
1 cup lettuce
2 tomatoes, chopped (1-1/2 cups) medium
1 can refried beans
1 jar thick 'n chunky salsa
1 package 40% less-sodium taco seasoning mix
2-1/2 cups tortilla chips
1 cup cheddar or monterey jack cheese (I used mozzarella)

Heat oven to 350. In 12-inch skillet, cook beef over medium-high heat 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thoroughly cooked; drain. Stir in refried beans, salsa and taco seasoning mix. Reduce heat to medium. Heat to boiling, stirring occasionally.

In ungreased 2-quart casserole, place 2 cups of the broken tortilla chips. Top evenly with beef mixture. Sprinkle with bell pepper, onions, 1 cup of the tomato, the cheese and olives.

Bake uncovered 20 to 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly and cheese is melted. Top baked casserole with lettuce, remaining 1/2 cup tomato and remaining 1/2 cup tortilla chips.

This post is linked to these parties: Marvelously Messy,  Made by You Monday,  A Round Tuit, Craft-O-Maniac Monday

Thanks for stopping by!

Honey Lime Shrimp

This recipe is from the blog The Dough Will Rise Again. I found it while browsing Pinterest. I love shrimp! The honey and the lime caught my attention.

After a series of mishaps and I was able to eat, I thought it had a great taste. I served the shrimp over jasmine rice. Because didn't have red pepper flakes I used crushed red pepper in place of it and that seemed to be fine.

You'd think I'd forgotten how to cook! Maybe it's because I don't cook as much as I used to. The water in my rice overflowed so I had a nice starchy mess to clean up on the burner. Then I forgot to turn the burner off and then the rest of the rice nicely stuck to the bottom of the pan. That pan is definitely soaking for awhile. I guess I need to pay more attention when I'm in the kitchen!

Honey Lime Shrimp
The Dough Will Rise Again

1/2 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/4 cup olive oil
2 T honey
juice of one small lime, or half a large lime (2-3T)
zest of one small lime, or half a large one
2 cloves garlic, smashed
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

In a large ziploc bag, combine all the marinade ingredients. When everything is well-combined, add the shrimp, squeeze as much air as possible out of the bag and close it up. Place in the fridge.

Let the shrimp marinate for 30-60 minutes, flipping the bag around once or twice during that time so that all the shrimp stay evenly covered in the marinade.

When you're ready to cook, take the shrimp out of the fridge and let them sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat; there is no need to add any oil or butter to the pan, as the marinade has enough oil in it to keep the shrimp from sticking to the pan. (If you would prefer to use the grill for these, you can thread them onto skewers and toss them on the grill at this point).

Add your shrimp to the pan in a single layer, making sure they are not too crowded; you can always cook them in more than one batch. Let them cook on one side for about a minute, until they curl up and start to turn pink. Flip them over, and cook for another 30 seconds or so, until the shrimp are opaque. Remove from the pan and serve immediately.

Christmas Potluck

This is my contribution for tomorrow's potluck at work. Cinnamon fudge and reindeer cookies.

I decided to go with a cinnamon fudge recipe that I first tried in 2010. You can find the recipe here. It's super quick, easy and has a great taste. I sprinkled sea salt on it this time which is something I didn't do the first time. I like the sweet/salty taste.

I knew I wouldn't have time to do any baking today so my next choice was to put together these reindeer cookies that I saw on Pinterest. They're cute and fast and easy to put together. They're pretty self-explanatory, but here's a link to the ingredients.

Sour Cream Noodle Bake

This recipe is from Ree Drummond. I saw it on Pinterest and followed the link to her site The Pioneer Woman. I couldn't resist making it. It sounded like good comfort food on a cold evening.

She calls it a "bake" and I say it's a "casserole". Either way, I thought it was delicious and now I have something to take for lunch the two days I work this week. I probably have more than enough to also eat some of it for a few dinners too! Of course, my youngest daughter could stop over and have some. I know my oldest one won't because it has beef in it!

If you enjoy this type of food, I'd encourage you to try the recipe. It was also very easy to throw together.

Sour Cream Noodle Bake
The Pioneer Woman

1-1/4 pounds Ground Chuck (I used lean and only 1 lb)
1 can - 15-ounces Tomato Sauce (I used no-sodium)
1/2 teaspoon salt (I used 1/4 tsp)
Freshly Ground Black Pepper
8 ounces, Wide Egg Noodles
1/2 cup Sour Cream
1-1/4 cup Small Curd Cottage Cheese
1 cup Grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Brown ground chuck in a large skillet. Drain fat, then add tomato sauce, 1/2 teaspoon salt and plenty of freshly ground black pepper. Stir, then simmer while you prepare the other ingredients.

Cook egg noodles until al dente. Drain and set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine sour cream and cottage cheese. Add plenty of freshly ground black pepper. Add to noodles and stir. Add green onion and stir.

To assemble, add half of the noodles to a baking dish. Top with half he meat mixture, then sprinkle on half the grated cheese. Repeat with noodles, meat, then a final layer of cheese. Bake for 20 minutes, or until all cheese is melted.

Thanks for stopping by!

Chicken Lasagna

I haven't made chicken lasagna in over 3 years. I was going through a box of stuff yesterday and came across the recipe. Knowing how much I loved it, I decided to go get the ingredients and make it for dinner tonight. 

It makes a lot! I'll have to freeze some because I'll never be able to eat all of it. I'm always hesitant to freeze leftovers because I inevitably forget about them. I'm finding that it's harder than I thought to cook for one. 

I bought a rotisserie chicken and rather than shredding it, I just cut it into cubes. I also used some lower sodium products to cut some of the sodium. It always seems that I still taste a lot of sodium. It's got to be because of the cottage cheese and the mozzarella.

Chicken Lasagna
Taste of Home, 2006

10 uncooked lasagna noodles
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can (12 ounces) tomato paste
1-1/2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon dried basil
1-3/4 teaspoons salt, divided
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
3 cups 2% small-curd cottage cheese
1/2 cup egg substitute
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup minced fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Cook noodles according to package directions. Meanwhile, broil chicken 6 in. from the heat until juices run clear; let stand for 15 minutes or until cool enough to handle. Shred chicken with two forks. Drain noodles; set aside.

In large nonstick skillet, combine the shredded chicken, tomatoes, tomato paste, mushrooms, onion, basil, 3/4 teaspoon salt and garlic powder. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 25-30 minutes. In a bowl, combine the cottage cheese, egg substitute, Parmesan cheese, parsley, pepper and remaining salt.

In a 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish coated with nonstick cooking spray, place half of the noodles, overlapping them. Layer with half of the cheese mixture, chicken mixture and mozzarella. Repeat layers. Cover and bake at 375 for 25-30 minutes or until bubbly. Uncover; bake 5 minutes longer. Let stand for 15 minutes before cutting. Yield: 12 servings.

Nutritional Analysis: One piece equals 240 calories, 7 g fat (4 g saturated fat), 43 mg cholesterol, 1,038 mg sodium, 17 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 28 g protein.

Diabetic Exchanges: 2 lean meat, 1 starch, 1 fat.

This post is linked to these parties:
Made by You Monday, A Marvelous Mess, Craft-O-Maniac Monday, All Things Fee

Thanks for stopping by!

It's A Good Day For Chili!

I made this Three-Bean Turkey Chili for the first time two years ago. It's so delicious and today was the perfect day to make it again. It really it the spot when I came back from walking the dog in the rainy drizzle. I ate two and a half bowls and I'm stuffed! You can find the recipe here.

This recipe makes a large crockpot full. I'll be eating chili for a few meals and possibly freezing some. The recipe calls for a 28 oz. can of diced tomatoes. I used a can that also had basil, garlic and oregano. Try this recipe, you'll love it!

Thanks for stopping by!

Overnight Slow Cooker Oatmeal

I've tried to make slow cooker oatmeal before and it didn't turn out. I keep seeing all these recipes on Pinterest and it looks and sounds so easy. I thought I'd chance it again only this time using steel cut oats. I searched for a recipe and found one from Alton Brown. You can see it here on Food Network.

I started it about 9:35 pm last night. The recipe said to cook on low for nine hours. I got up this morning in anticipation of a fantastic tasting bowl of oatmeal. You can't imagine my reaction when I opened the lid of the crock pot at 6:15 am! It was all soupy and not thick looking at all. There were big hunks on the top of it. I stirred it and it still didn't look any better. I was like.....seriously?! this failed again! 

I told my husband it didn't look like we'd be having oatmeal. For some reason instead of turning it off, I turned it on the warm setting. I came back about an hour later, stirred it again and much to my surprise it looked so much better! It was much thicker and I don't know what happened to all the big hunks, but there were gone. 

I scooped some into a bowl (sorry forgot to take a photo of that!) and added some cinnamon, brown sugar, dried cranberries and some chopped walnuts. It was delicious!! I'm hooked now. I will definitely be making this over and over.

Here's the recipe with the changes that I made:

Overnight Oatmeal

(adapted from Alton Brown)

1 cup steel cut oats

4 cups water

1/2 cup So Delicious Original Coconut Milk

couple shakes of salt - not too much

a little bit of vanilla

Add all ingredients to crock pot, stir and cook on low for 9 hours. 

I think the next time I might even decrease the amount of water by either a half or one cup just to see if it's less soupy in the morning. 

This post is linked to these parties:

All Things Fee

Mix it up Monday!
Craft-O-Maniac Monday
A Round Tuit
Melt in Your Mouth Monday
A Marvelous Mess   
Made by you Monday - Skip To My Lou

Farmer's Casserole

 

Breakfast for dinner.....this is what we had last night and I loved it! It seems like it's been ages since I actually "cooked" anything! We've just been have quick, easy meals. Nothing has been interesting enough share.

This recipe came in my email from Taste of Home. The recipe calls for an 8-inch square pan. I used a round casserole and it worked fine.

My husband is not a fan of having breakfast for dinner.....at all. He actually liked this AND is willing to eat leftovers tonight.

 

I didn't change anything except that I added a little Mrs. Dash Garlic & Herb seasoning with the salt and pepper. It took a little longer to cook that the recipe stated, but not by much. Just until the knife came out clean when it was inserted into the center. This is something I will definitely make again.

Farmer's Casserole
Source: Taste of Home

• 3 cups frozen shredded hash browns
• 3/4 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 1 cup cubed fully cooked ham
• 1/4 cup chopped green onions
• 4 eggs
• 1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Place potatoes in an 8-in. square baking pan. Sprinkle with the cheese, ham and onions. Whisk the eggs, milk, pepper and salt; pour over all. Cover and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.

Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 55-60 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Yield: 6 servings.

Nutritional Facts
1 serving (1 each) equals 252 calories, 14 g fat (7 g saturated fat), 187 mg cholesterol, 531 mg sodium, 14 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 17 g protein.

This post is linked to these parties:
Full Plate Thursday
Chic and Crafty Party
Food on Fridays
Foodie Friday

Thanks for stopping by!

Crock Pot Pepper Steak

 

 I came across this recipe on Pinterest. It's from the blog The Country Cook. Today was such a blustery day and a comforting crock pot meal sounded wonderful! I also like the added benefit of having leftovers for tomorrow night's meal too!

First slice up your steak.

Brown it in small batches.

I drained the meat on some paper towels.

Add the meat to the crock pot. 

Add the bouillon and cornstarch to hot water.

Pour this mixture over the meat.

Add the stewed tomatoes. I used two 14.5 oz cans. I used Del Monte's Italian Recipe.
She didn't specify what size can tomatoes to use.
I like tomatoes and since I'm the boss of my cooking I can do whatever I want!

Add the red pepper flakes. I used McCormick's Savory All-Purpose Salt Free Seasoning instead.

Add sugar.

Add either teriyaki or soy sauce. I used low-sodium soy sauce.

Mix altogether and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.

Slice up the peppers and onion.

Add them to the crock pot mixture.

 

Mix it all up and continue cooking for another hour.

Plate it up and enjoy! We loved it!

Crock Pot Pepper Steak

2 lbs round steak or sirloin tip steak, cut into 2-inch strips.
1 tsp garlic powder
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 beef bouillon cube
1/4 cup hot water
1 Tbsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 large green pepper, cut into strips
1 large red pepper, cut into strips
1 small yellow onion, sliced
1 can stewed tomatoes, with liquid
3 Tbsp teriyaki or soy sauce
1 tsp white sugar

Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over high heat. Sprinkle strips of beef with garlic powder. Brown beef strips on both sides. They should be sizzling when you put them in the pan. It should only take a minute or so per side. Don't cook through, just brown the outside.

You'll probably have to do a couple batches at a time. Don't cram them all in because they won't brown. Once browned, transfer beef to crock pot.

In a small bowl, crush and mix bouillon cube with hot water until dissolved. Then stir in cornstarch until dissolved. Pour over meat in crock pot.

Add stewed tomatoes, red pepper flakes, teriyaki or soy sauce and sugar. Give it all a quick stir. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours. During the last hour of cooking, add in your sliced peppers and onions. Cover and cook for an additional hour. Serve over rice.

These are some notes that she also had with the recipe:
Remember when cutting steak to always cut against the grain for the most tender cut of meat. Also, you could use London broil or flank steak. If you want the sauce to be thicker, just add more cornstarch. Mix a Tbsp of water with a Tbsp of cornstarch. Add to the crock pot, stir, then turn on high an cook until thickened.

This post is linked to these parties: Tasty Tuesdays, Take-A-Look Tuesday, Tasteful Tuesday Party