Slow Cooker Lasagna

Have I mentioned lately how much I love my slow cooker? Especially the one with the timer? Oh how I love it.

I've always come across recipes for lasagne and other casseroles for the slow cooker, and for some reason my brain always translated it into looking something like what you might eat backpacking out of a freeze dried food pouch. Well, I couldn't have been more wrong. I finally took the plunge and made this lasagne, and it is just as good if not better than oven-baked. And so easy to assemble since it is vegetarian!

So, the next time you are wondering what to make for dinner, and you would like to have some (lots) of leftovers with that dinner, make this lasagna!

What's in it
2 15oz containers park skim ricotta cheese (or you can substitute for cottage cheese, an old trick)
1 10oz package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry (or use fresh!)
8 oz (or more) sliced mushrooms (mix it it up with crimini, portabella, etc)
1/4 C (or more) chopped fresh basil (add parsley too if you like!)
salt and pepper to taste
1lb part skim mozzarella, shredded
1/2 C (or more) parmesan cheese, shredded
32 oz jar marinara sauce
12 or so lasagna noodles (not no-boil)

How it's made
Stir ricotta and vegetables including herbs in a large bowl and season with salt and pepper (and some chili flakes if you're feeling adventurous). In a medium bowl combine mozzarella and parmesan.
Spread about 1/2 C marinara sauce on the bottom of your slow cooker (6qt or so). Cover with single layer of noodles, breaking in pieces to fit enough to cover the sauce. Spread half ricotta mixture over noodles. Top with 1/3 remaining sauce and sprinkle with 1/3 remaining mozzarella mixture. Repeat layers of noodle, ricotta, sauce, mozzarella. Top with noodles, then remaining sauce and mozzarella mix.
Cover and cook on low 4 hours. Uncover and let rest 15 minutes to allow liquid to absorb.
Prego!

I have not yet tested with meat, but it seems like italian sausage would be a good addition, as well as extra veggies like shredded carrot.

Pulled Pork

Pulled Pork is the gift that keeps on giving, especially when it is made in the crock pot and ready to eat when you get home from a long day at work. I love pulled pork. Maybe it's because it is a vehicle for BBQ sauce (Sweet Baby Rays and Everett and Jones, to be exact) or because I'm really not a hamburger lover, and this is such a delicious alternative. Plus, you end up with so many leftovers to freeze or incorporate into other meals. I also love serving it at dinner parties since the prep is so easy but it makes a ton of food.

I've experimented with many recipes, and of course forgot to write them down. I've recently been using Tyler Florence's recipe for inspiration (Food Network). Brining the pork overnight really pays off.

What's in it
1 boneless pork shoulder (I think now it is called a picnic cut?) - be sure to get good quality
4 Tbl salt
1 Tbl fresh ground black pepper
1 1/2 C light brown sugar
1 Tbl paprika
4 sprigs thyme, leaves only
4 cloves garlic
1 Tbl cayenne
1 Tbl chile powder
1/4 C cider vinegar
3 Tbl extra virgin olive oil

How it's made
Place all ingredients except pork and olive oil in a food processor (or magic bullet if you're like me) and pulse until you have a paste, then add olive oil and pulse to combine. Rub paste all over the pork shoulder, marinate in fridge overnight. The next morning put it in a slow cooker on low for 8 hours. In the last hour take two forks and pull the pork apart to shred. You may need to also remove some fat at this point, depending on the cut of meat. Serve on buns with your favorite BBQ sauce and shredded cabbage with pickles. Enjoy for days on end! Or freeze some for later...

Slow Cooker Chili Mac

Now that I have a very small human in my life, I am once again re-discovering the joys of the slow cooker. My son is so mellow in the morning, so preparing dinner in the morning is best, so it is ready in the evening, when he may not be as mellow. I have this great book 'Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Recipes for Two' and it really does have some great ideas in it. Here's a recipe for Chili Mac, which I have never made in my life, nor eaten except freeze dried while backpacking. For some reason it sounded delicious to me, and it was! This is a super simple recipe, and easy ingredients to prepare.

What's in it
1 small onion, chopped
1 lb ground dark turkey
2 cans 14.5oz diced tomatoes, drained (can use fire-roasted)
1 Tbl chili powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 lb macaroni, parcooked (can use whole grain pasta)
1 can corn, drained
2oz can sliced black olives, drained
2 C grated sharp cheddar cheese

How it's made
In a skillet (cast iron if you have it) saute the onions in olive oil until soft, then add ground turkey, stirring and breaking into pieces, until cooked through. Drain and add to slow cooker. Add tomatoes and spices to slow cooker, and stir to combine. Cook on low for 4 hours.

Meanwhile, cook and drain your pasta.

After 4 hours add remaining ingredients to slow cooker except for cheese, and stir to combine. Cook on low for another hour or so.

Serve in bowls topped with cheese. Enjoy!

*Vegan* Cocoa-Coconut Chili

Personally, I am not a fan of chili. At all. It always seems to be over cooked or over stirred or over oily or too beanie or something. But part of what I love about cooking is tackling the obstacles of foods you don't love. This chili recipe has helped me over my anti-chili hurdle in a beautiful way. The mix of ingredients creates a very balanced yet decidedly different chili. The coconut milk and cocoa balances the beans in the recipe, and the hot sauce adds the perfect amount of kick. The icing on the cake was cooking the chili in my slow cooker, and having it come out perfectly. Not over cooked or mushy or anything. I love the fact you can look at your bowl and identify every single ingredient, and relish in its simplicity. Plus, did I mention the cocoa? How can you resist...

*no vegans were harmed in the making of this chili.

What's in it

1 14oz can light coconut milk (unsweetened)

2 tsp hot sauce

1 tsp agave nectar

1 tsp sea salt

fresh ground black pepper to taste

2 Tbl mild chili powder

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp allspice

3 Tbl Dutch process cocoa powder (or regular if that is what you have)

2 28oz cans diced tomatoes

1 14oz can black beans, rinsed

1 14oz can kidney beans, rinsed

1 14oz can pinto beans, rinsed

1 14oz can canellini (white) beans, rinsed

1 14oz can corn, drained

1 or 2 carrots diced (size them the same as your beans)

1 onion diced (size them the same as your beans)

1 1/2 C celery diced (size them the same as your beans)

1/2 C diced bell peppers - optional (size them the same as your beans)

How it's made

Grab your large slow-cooker. Whisk together first 9 ingredients in slow cooker until blended (coconut milk through cocoa powder). Add the rest of the ingredients and stir until combined. Turn your slow-cooker on low for 8 hours. Go away (to work, school...) and come home to delicious chili. If you have time or inclination, buy a box of corn bread mix from TJ's and make it up, or make some honey cornbread from scratch. Enjoy chili for dinner, then lunch the next day, then freeze the rest for another day. Or just invite over all your friends!

Slow Cooker Tortilla Soup

Three years ago Alexis posted a delicious recipe for Tortilla Soup, which I was inspired to make after having made enchiladas resulting in leftover chicken broth. It is hard to believe three years have already flown by. Well, tortilla soup is still very much in our repertoire of go-to comfort food, and the discovery of this slow cooker version has rocked our world. We recently received a brand new fancy slow cooker with a timer from our wedding registry (thanks von!), so I was inspired to find new and simple slow cooker recipes. I highly recommend you try this slow cooker version (with a new kick of enchilada sauce) in that slow cooker you could probably dust off and give another chance. You will not be disappointed in the magic of coming home to a house full of delicious smells, and dinner already made.

What's in it

1 box (or can) chicken broth

2 C water (or more broth)

1 or 2 14oz cans diced tomatoes (I recommend the fire-roasted kind)

1 14oz can red enchilada sauce

2 small cans diced fire-roasted green chiles, drained

1 small onion chopped

1-2 lb chicken breast or tenders (I started with frozen), rinsed

1 package frozen corn (could add a can of hominy or beans as well)

1 tsp each: chile, cumin, salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1 bay leaf

garnish: chopped cilantro, wedge of lime, avocado, shredded cheese, chopped cabbage, tortilla chips (homemade if you like)

How it's made

In a large slow cooker (if using small, reduce ingredient amounts) add all ingredients except for garnish. Cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours. Towards the end of cook time, shred chicken into smaller pieces.

If you would like to make your own chips, spray tortillas with cooking spray and cut into strips. Bake on a sheet in a 450 degree (pre-heated) oven for 10-15 min until crisp. Season as you like.

Serve soup in bowls with all garnish (yes, use lots of the garnish options!). Enjoy!

Vietnamese Chicken and Rice Noodle Soup

I've been stowing my slow-cooker safely in the cupboard for about 2 years. I keep intending to use it---don't get me wrong, I like the idea of throwing some stuff in a pot and coming home after work to a hot and tasty meal just as much as the next person. But somehow I never put it together.

I have been scoping out slow-cooker cookbooks for over a year. Either they are too expensive or they include too many recipes that I wouldn't actual make, so I put off buying one. Then I found the new WW Slow Cook It. It got the price tag to usable recipe ratio right, so I brought it home.

This noodle recipe was the first we attempted out of the book. (Mark actually made it!) The basic recipe is comforting, but kinda plain. But that's ok with me, it leaves a good canvas for decorating with other flavors. We enjoyed adding some hoisin and a dash of habanero hot sauce in addition to the suggested green onion, cilantro and lime juice. Sriracha would probably be good, too. This soup can go which ever direction you want to take it!

Vietnamese Chicken and Rice Noodle Soup

~Print Recipe~

• 2 chicken breasts, 1/2 lb each (recipe called for bone in, we used boneless)
• 8 springs fresh cilantro, plus leaves for topping
• 6 green onions, cut and separated into white and green parts
• 1 stalk lemongrass, trimmed and chopped 
• 3 cloves garlic, bruised
• 1 teaspoon coriander seeds (we used 1/2 teaspoon ground)
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1/2 teaspoon salt (plus more to taste)
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper (plus more to taste)
• 2 32-ounce cartons low-sodium chicken stock
• 1/4 pound rice noodles
• Basil, mint, lime wedges, hot sauces for garnish

1. Combine chicken, cilantro springs, white part of green onions, lemongrass, garlic, coriander, cinnamon stick, salt and pepper in a 5- or 6-quart slow cooker. Pour broth over chicken and veggies. Cover and cook until chicken is fork tender, 4-5 hours on high or 8-10 hours on low.
2. Once it is cooked, transfer chicken with a slotted spoon to a plate and let stand until cool enough to touch. Discard bones (if necessary) and cut or shred into bite-sized pieces.
3. Meanwhile, cook noodles according to package directions. Drain. 
4. Strain broth to remove vegetables and spices. Stir chicken and noodles back into broth. Cover and cook until chicken and noodles are hot, 5-10 minutes.
5. Ladle soup into bowls, squeeze lime juice over soup and garnish with desired toppings.

Serves 6