Slow Cooker Cheesy Bean Dip

My husband frequently has to bring an appetizer to his workplace for team potlucks and such. This is a fail-proof, party pleaser that is particularly great if you are low on time or don't have the ability to "baby" a dish before it it served. Plus, it feeds a crowd on a budget which is also nice.

**I have also substituted chili con carne rather than the refried beans to achieve a chunkier/heartier dip.

1	package (16 ounces) Velveeta (or equivalent product) with Mexican seasoning/jalapenos
1	can (16 ounces) refried beans
1	can (4.5 ounces) chopped green chiles, undrained
	tortilla chips or other items to dip (as desired)

1. Spray inside of 1 1/2- to 2 1/2-quart slow cooker with cooking spray. Mix the cubed cheese, beans and chiles in cooker.
2. Cover and cook on Low heat setting 2 to 3 hours or until cheese is melted. Stir until cheese is smooth.
3. Scrape down side of cooker with rubber spatula to help prevent edge of dip from scorching. Serve with tortilla chips.

Dip will hold on Low heat setting up to 2 hours; stir occasionally.

Slow Cooker Ground Beef and Beans

2 lb lean (at least 80%) ground beef
1 large onion, chopped (about 3/4 cup)
1 can (28 oz) baked beans, undrained
1 can (15.5 oz) butter beans, drained, rinsed
1 can (15 oz) kidney beans, drained, rinsed
1 bottle (12 oz) chili sauce
2 cans (4.5 oz each) chopped green chiles
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
3 teaspoons chili powder
Shredded Cheddar cheese (for garnish)

1. In 10-inch nonstick skillet, cook ground beef and onion over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until beef is thoroughly cooked; drain.
2. In 3 1/2- to 4-quart slow cooker, mix cooked ground beef mixture and remaining ingredients except cheese.
3. Cover; cook on Low heat setting 4 hours. Top individual servings with Cheddar cheese.

Crockpot Beef Stroganoff

I am in love with my crockpot these days! I don't know if it has something to do with the low maintenance of the whole cooking process or the fact that you can toss a bunch of ingredients into the pot and leave it all day and then magically dinner is ready on time and there is only one pot to clean... call me lazy but I love it!! Anyway, here is another tasty treat to try...

2	pounds beef stew meat
1	cup chopped onion
1	can condensed cream of golden mushroom soup
1	can condensed cream of onion soup
1	jar (6 ounces) sliced mushrooms, drained (or fresh is okay, too)
1/4	teaspoon pepper
1	package (8 ounces) cream cheese, cubed
1	container (8 ounces) sour cream
6	cups hot cooked noodles or rice

In 5 quart slow cooker, mix beef, onion, soups, mushrooms and pepper. Cover and cook on low heat setting 8 to 10 hours or until beef is very tender. Stir cream cheese into beef mixture until melted. Stir sour cream into beef mixture. Serve over noodles/rice.

Crockpot Lasagna

There is a whole post dedicated to crockpot creations that is fabulous. Without over-doing what has already been done, I wanted to add some other goodies we have been experimenting with over here to the crockpot conversation:

Slow Cooker Lasagna

1	pound bulk Italian sausage
1	medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
3	cans (15 ounces each) Italian-style tomato sauce
2	teaspoons dried basil leaves
1/2	teaspoon salt
2	cups shredded mozzarella cheese (8 ounces)
1	container (15 ounces) part-skim ricotta cheese
1	cup grated Parmesan cheese
15	uncooked lasagna noodles

1. Cook sausage and onion in 10-inch skillet over medium heat 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until sausage is no longer pink; drain. Stir in tomato sauce, basil and salt.
2. Mix 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese and the ricotta and Parmesan cheeses. (Refrigerate remaining mozzarella cheese while lasagna cooks.)
3. Spoon one-fourth of the sausage mixture into 6-quart slow cooker; top with 5 noodles, broken into pieces to fit. Spread with half of the cheese mixture and one-fourth of the sausage mixture. Top with 5 noodles, remaining cheese mixture and one-fourth of the sausage mixture. Top with remaining 5 noodles and remaining sausage mixture.
4. Cover and cook on Low heat setting 4 to 6 hours or until noodles are tender.
5. Sprinkle top of lasagna with remaining 1 cup mozzarella cheese. Cover and let stand about 10 minutes or until cheese is melted. Cut into pieces.

**End note: I confess that I wish you could just put the raw meat right into the slow cooker but I have never tried it that way and don't know if it would make you sick or not. Maybe Corky could comment??

Crockpot Spaghetti Sauce

Meaty Italian Spaghetti Sauce Crockpot Style

2	lb bulk Italian pork sausage or ground beef
2	large onions, chopped (2 cups)
2	cups sliced fresh mushrooms (6 oz)
3	cloves garlic, finely chopped
1	can (28 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
2	cans (15 oz each) tomato sauce
1	can (6 oz) tomato paste
1	tablespoon dried basil leaves
1	teaspoon dried oregano leaves
1	tablespoon sugar
1/2	teaspoon salt
1/2	teaspoon pepper
1/2	teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Spray 5-quart slow cooker with cooking spray. In 12-inch skillet, cook sausage, onions, mushrooms and garlic over medium heat about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until sausage is no longer pink; drain. Spoon sausage mixture into cooker. Stir in remaining ingredients. Cover; cook on Low heat setting 8 to 9 hours.

Sometimes I do 1/2 part beef and the other 1/2 part Italian sausage. I find that the spicy version of the sausage is particularly good. If you like a sweeter sauce, use the regular sausage and don't add the ground beef. If I have fresh herbs or tomatos available, I like to use them for a richer flavor.

I have also added black olives and spinach which add a nice flavor as well.

Inspiration Station: Crockpot Creations in 4 Steps or Less

Between moving into a new place with far less kitchen space, and added pressures at work both for me and for Mr. Sillypants, I realized I needed to make a change with how I approached preparing our meals.  I used to take my sweet time preparing food, often doing things the hard way to yield an ideal result.  Cooking is a very enjoyable pastime for me, a soothing and creative outlet.  However, I really needed to simplify, so I started re-thinking several of our favorite meals (and some new ones) with three goals in mind:

1. Less prep time
2. Fewer dirty dishes
3. Yummy, healthy food 

I turned to my old, reliable, bon ami, the Crockpot.  Now I spend much less time in the kitchen with very little sacrifice in creativity and flavor.  I am very pleased with the results.  Plus, I am cooking healthier, as I use virtually no oil nor butter, since the Crockpot is naturally non-stick.

 A few things I enjoy about this new system:

• The Crockpot can be used as a prep pot.  I use the crock to mix ingredients in the recipe that usually require a separate mixing bowl.  Then I put the rest of the ingredients in.  For example, I mix all the sauce ingredients in the bottom of the Crockpot before putting meat in; then I just spoon the sauce over the meat, cover, and leave it alone.  The sauce runs to the bottom anyway during cooking time, and the meat settles into the sauce as it cooks down. 
• Low and high heat settings are used to my advantage.  I use the crock in stages to cook different parts of the meal that require different cooking times.  For example, diced onions can go in first, on high for an hour or so, to sauté them.  Then the other ingredients go in, changing the temperature to low.  I brown ground beef in the crock on high before I put the other ingredients in on low.  In the large Crockpot, I use the warm setting to slow-steam vegetables, like squash.  Additionally, quick-cooking ingredients, like peas (or any vegetable you don't want overcooked), can be tossed in at the end of a cooking cycle, right after the heat switch is turned off. 
• "All day" slowcooker is a misnomer.  I usually cook meals all night, so Mr. Sillypants and I can take good food to work the next day for lunch.  The only time the aroma has awoken me in the middle of the night was when I was slow-cooking a meal with too much garlic.
• Two or more Crockpots are extremely helpful.  I often use two Crockpots at the same time.  For example, the big one can be used for the main dish part of the meal, and the small one for a side dish, or two.  I have wrapped veggies such as carrots and green beans in foil, and steamed them on top of another veggie or main dish to keep them separated.
• The Crockpot doubles as a storage dish.  If you have a crockery insert that is separate from the heat source, you can simply put the whole thing in the fridge to store the leftovers and eat from it all week!  This saves me time and hassle.
• My rice cooker helps me with side dishes.  My rice cooker is part of the "countertop crew."  I mix things into rice to help create a more complete meal, like diced vegetables, lentils, black beans, tomatoes, and spices.  This reduces extra pots and pans.  When I'm not cooking rice, a pan of pasta on the stove isn't a big deal, as it's only one dirty dish.  Another easy side dish is a bag of frozen vegetables, steamed in the microwave.  The specially advertised "steamer bags" are unnecessary, as any bagged frozen vegetable heats well in the microwave for about four minutes when sliced with a few holes. 

Some of my favorite meals lately, in 4 steps or less:

1. Apricot Chicken
2. Asian Citrus Salmon
3. Baked Potatoes
4. Barbeque Chicken Sandwiches
5. Broccoli Beef
6. Butternut Squash Soup
7. Cauliflower Soup
8. Chicken and Broccoli Casserole
9. Chicken Cacciatore
10. Chicken Pot Pie
11. Chicken Primavera
12. Chili, Chili, and More Chili
13. Cornish Game Hens with Cranberry Stuffing
14. Creamy Chicken and Rice Soup
15. Curry Chicken
16. Eggplant Lasagne
17. Green Chile Chicken
18. Hot Sausage Dip
19. Lemony White Fish
20. Lentil and White Bean Soup
21. Minestrone Soup
22. Mushroom Chicken
23. Orange Chicken
24. Pepper Steak
25. Pot Roast (the good old standby)
26. Salmon Rosa
27. Salsa Chicken
28. Sausage and Kale Soup
29. Savory Chicken Chili
30. Shepherd's Pie
31. Sloppy Joes
32. Spaghetti Bolognese
33. Spinach and Artichoke Dip
34. String Bean Chicken
35. Stroganoff
36. Sweet and Sour Chicken
37. Teriyaki Chicken
38. Teriyaki Salmon
39. Tuscan Beef
40. White Enchilada Soup

More recent favorites: Cheesy Bean Dip, Ground Beef and Beans, Chicken Enchilada Lasagna, Beef Stroganoff Variation, Lasagna, Spaghetti Sauce.

You could make two months worth of meal calendars out of this list, if you cook something different 5 times a week!  Plus, most come together in 4 steps or less! 

One thing I have noticed: when I use my small Crockpot, it makes really juicy meals, especially when I use frozen chicken.  I don't always like the sauces thinned down so much, or the casseroles with a watery bottom, so I switched to the large Crockpot for certain things.  The large crock seems to cook on a higher heat, and also has a steam escape on the rim.  I've heard all Crockpots are a little different, so trying out different options until you are happy with the result is a good rule of thumb. 

A note on using frozen meat: A lot of recipe books counsel against using frozen meat in the Crockpot, warning that meat sitting at a certain temperature for too long (at room temperature, during thawing) may be unsafe to eat.  I have never once had a problem with any meat I ate that started out frozen in the Crockpot.  In fact, I prefer my chicken to start out frozen; otherwise, it would cook too quickly and dry out.

Thank you, Stephanie O'Dea, for a lot of inspiration.  It has made my life easier.

Station Solutions: 10 Things to Do With A Bag of Spinach

I recently decided to get more leafy greens into my diet, so I commissioned Mr. Sillypants to start buying a bag of spinach a week when he did the grocery shopping.  My goal was to eat it all by the next shopping trip, and it has been working!  I feel better, it motivates me to eat other healthy foods, and I know my body is getting more important nutrients than it was before. 

Here are my suggestions for using an entire bag:

1.  Stack up a succulent veggie sandwich

In this sandwich, I used toasted wheat bread, spinach, sliced tomato with S&P, melted mozzarella cheese, feta cheese, and grated carrot with drizzled balsamic vinegar.  I truly felt full afterwards.  You can also wrap up black bean hummus in a whole wheat tortilla and fill it with spinach, red peppers, avocado, and cilantro.

2.  Blend it in a smoothie

I've made sunshine smoothies with added spinach, and banana shake smoothies with added spinach.  When I first get my weekly bag of spinach, I put handfuls of it into sandwich bags, then put them in the freezer for good keeping.  When I make my breakfasts, I just grab one individually-portioned bag for blending.  I honestly don't taste the spinach in my smoothies.  They just dull the color of it.  So, instead of having a nice bright pink from the strawberries, it makes the mixture a brownish color.  For the banana smoothies, it just turns the light brown into a pretty minty green color. 

And despite my plea for no yogurt in the post on sunshine smoothies, I started adding yogurt because Mr. Sillypants likes the mellowing effect of it, whereas I usually like to keep the tartness from the berries and orange juice.

3.  Hide it in meatballs

Chop up several handfuls of spinach, and mix it in with your raw meatball mixture, or even add it to meatloaf!

4.  Simmer some lentil and white bean soup with spinach

Handful of lentils, can of white beans, half of a chopped red bell pepper, half of a chopped onion, four cups of water, one or two chicken bouillon cubes, bay leaf, S&P, handful of chopped spinach.  Crockpot on high for two hours.  Easy.

5.  Slow cook some hot spinach and artichoke dip

Try some combination of this mixture: several handfuls of fresh spinach, can of artichoke hearts, mayonnaise, sour cream, cream cheese, and mozzarella cheese (can use low-fat for all of these).  Slow cook on low for 6 hours or so.

6.  Try green hummus

7.  Add a layer to a veggie pizza

8.  Enjoy a summer salad

My favorite is strawberry spinach salad, but I also love chopping up spinach and tossing it into a simple pasta salad with other fresh veggies and some Italian dressing.

9.  Sneak it into brownies

By slightly steaming a batch of spinach and blending it into a puree, you can freeze cups of it in ziploc baggies to sneak into just about everything.  Brownies are especially good candidates because their dark color, dense texture, and rich flavor hides the spinach extremely well, so you never notice the difference.  Check out Jessica Seinfeld's treasure trove of vegetable puree recipes that helped her get her kids to eat their vegetables, without even knowing it!  We have our own puree post coming soon...

10.  Sneak it into anything!!! 

Pasta sauces always have room for a handful of chopped spinach, any soup would be great with bits of green, and any casserole will only be better with it!  This past week, I added it to a fried egg sandwich on a wheat bagel, with a layer of green hummus.  I also included it in a crockpot chicken dish with a can of Italian diced tomatoes, onions, and mushrooms.  Next week, I plan on adding fresh chopped spinach at the last minute to a chicken broccoli alfredo dish.  That layer of spinach adds such a wonderful element of earthiness that you can't get anywhere else.

Get your dark leafy greens!  Spinach is mild in flavor and oh-so versatile!

Inspiration Station: Southwest Soups

What makes a chili a chili?  The beans?  The spices?  The tomato sauce? 

No, no, and no.  My neighborhood hamburger joint serves a mean beanless chili.  My old friend from college cooked a saucy chili that contained nutmeg, onions, and cumin, but no chili powder.  My landlord makes a to-die-for pork chop chili that has absolutely no tomato sauce.  Rather, he claims the gravy is what makes his chili the best! 

What is the difference between chilis and soupy dishes sporting names like tortilla soup, taco soup, and enchilada soup?

Really, it seems that they're just a thinner chili.  Most contain beans, some sort of meat (although they don't have to!), and some sort of spicy factor (green chilis, red chilis, chili powder, red pepper flakes, taco seasoning packets, cumin).  Then they're thinned out with broth, tomato soup, tomato sauce, or cream to seem more soupy.

I have asked myself these questions over and over during my years of making southwest-style chili and soup dishes. There are literally endless variations to a chili, as the neighborhood Halloween chili cook-offs can verify.

In my opinion, they are all just southwest soups.  And they are all delicious!

History of Chili

From what I have read, the history of chili is extremely enigmatic.  A few things history and legend agree upon, though: it originated in Texas (not Mexico); it was a dish for the poor, the traveler, or the incarcerated; and it generally consisted of red meat (venison, goat, or beef), red chiles, and maybe onions, tomatoes, beans, or other spices.  

I Before E...What Was That Again?

As I've tried to understand the difference between chili with an "i" and chile with an "e", I became more confused than before.  I'd link the references, but none are clear on anything except for the fact that this subject is highly debated.  For the sake of clarification here, let's just say that chili with an "i" means the stewy dish, and chile with an "e" (chee-lay) means the spicy pepper that usually goes into the dish.

Overall, I say, call it what you want.  If you feel like bein' fancy and giving a surname to your soupy southwest dish in the ballpark of Tex-Mex meals (Enchilada Soup Surprise, for example), then be my guest.  If you feel like it's Southwesty, then it probably is.  Bring it on!

Bringing it All Together

To break down this veritable bean and spice jungle, I have come up with a few building blocks to explain my love of cooking in this genre, and also to share some of my favorite variations.

The Base

Tomato sauce
Tomato soup
Chicken broth
Cream of chicken soup
Simple White Sauce
Pork or beef gravy

The Bean

Black beans (my favorite!)
Pinto beans (Mr. Sillypants' favorite)
Great white northern beans (Golden Grahams' favorite)
Red beans (same as chili beans)
Garbanzo beans (same as chickpeas)
Corn (not a bean, but it's not an aromatic, either...white or yellow, frozen or canned, the variety is wonderful)

The Meat

No meat
Shredded chicken
Shredded turkey
Canned chicken
Canned turkey
Ground turkey
Ground beef
Cubed pork chops

The Aromatics

Chili powder
Cumin
Taco seasoning packet
Canned green chiles
Canned smoked chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
Colored bell peppers
Onions
Celery
Carrots

So, now that you have the building blocks, let's talk turkey chili.  I was at a concert once in Park City, Utah, a few years ago, where the outdoor venue was serving cups of colorful turkey chili with cheese for five dollars (outrageous!).  I was famished, so against my financial better judgment, I bought some.  I liked it, but I felt it could use a little something, so when I got home, I got to work on making my own variation of the dish.  I decided to include both red chile peppers, as well as green ones.  That did the trick.  Plus, I had some canned turkey in my food storage, so that made the chili tasty and convenient!

If you don't know what chipotle peppers in adobo sauce are, then it's about time you discovered their greatness.  Virginia was the one who introduced me to them in the first place, when we were roommates.  Her prowess in the Asian kitchen caught me onto this delectable little canned good.  They are dried and smoked red jalapeno peppers in a spicy tomato sauce that come conveniently in a can.  Find them!  Use them!  Keep them on hand!  I first was able to locate them in the Hispanic/Asian section of a normal grocery store when I was in college. 

The best way to use the smoked chiles is to take one out, split it down the middle, then scrape the seeds out with the flat side of the knife (the seeds are too hot for my liking!).  Dice it, then use it in your soups, along with some of the spicy sauce they are swimming in.  The rest of the peppers you can freeze in a small tupperware container and use later.  Be careful not to use too many!  I used five in a chili the other day, and it was far too spicy!  I'd say two for a medium to large pot is sufficient. 

My absolute favorite Southwest soup is inspired by my Golden Grahams.  She called it something like "White Enchilada Soup," and it tastes delectable.  Of course there are a million variations on a soup like this, which is why I like cooking in this genre so much.  The key to this one, though, is the canned green chilis.  I just can't get enough of them!  The base is a simple white sauce, or you can go with cream of chicken (or low-fat cream of chicken).  Golden Grahams swears by using shoepeg corn, by the way, and she loves topping it with Monterrey Jack cheese.  Mr. Sillypants and I tried this the other day, but added pinto beans instead.  Boy, was it tasty.

Other Recipes to Try

Remember, you could take any element, or variety of elements, from any of the above categories and make a great soup.  Play around with it!  Great accompaniments always include tortilla chips, Fritos, cheese, sour cream, cornbread, or breadsticks.  And remember, canned goods and the Crockpot are your friends! 

Savory Traditional Chili
Spicy Red Chili
Sweet Homestyle Chili
Frank's Pork Chop Chili
4 Bean Veggie Chili
Red Taco Soup

White Enchilada Soup

I have a sincere love for canned green chilis.  They're not overly spicy, but add a wonderfully distinctive flavor to any Southwest dish.  I just tried this one on Mr. Sillipants the other day, and it was a winner!

Instructions

Put all ingredients in the crockpot and eat it when it's done!  Voilà!  You can either cook the chicken breasts whole and shred them afterwards, returning the shreddings to the soup, or you can chop the chicken before cooking.  I find it best to cook them with the soup while they are frozen, then shred; they seem to stay so tender and moist.

Ingredients

2 chicken breasts
2 small cans green chilis
1 can white beans (Golden Grahams and I like great northern white beans; Mr. Sillypants likes pinto)
1/2 package white frozen corn
2 cans cream of chicken soup
2 cans milk
Salt and pepper

Sometimes I like adding a cup or so of cooked rice at the end, to give it a little body and heartiness.

Serve with tortilla chips, Monterrey Jack cheese, and sour cream!

4 Bean Veggie Chili

This was my favorite thing to make in college.  A large pot of it would last me several days.  It had a lot of texture by the various beans, and especially corn.  You can add chicken if you want, but it doesn't need it.

1 can kidney beans
1 can garbanzo beans
1 can pinto beans
1 can black beans
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can corn
1-2 cans tomato sauce
1 small chopped onion
1 chopped green or red pepper (or both!)
1 packet taco seasoning

Simmer in crockpot.  This is so good!

Black Bean Turkey Chili

The smokiness of the canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce make this dish especially appetizing.  I really recommend S&W Carribean Style Black Beans because they automatically incorporate a sauce, onions, and bell peppers into the dish.  If you use regular black beans, add the aforementioned diced vegetables to your chili.

3 cans S&W Carribean Style Black Beans (you can leave out red & green bell peppers and onions)
2 chiles in adobo sauce, de-seeded and diced
2 small cans diced green chiles
1/2 can yellow corn
1/2 can white corn
2 small cans turkey

Serve with cheese and sour cream.

Red Taco Soup or Chicken Tortilla Soup

The tomato soup and broth give this chili-like dish a more soupy presentation.  Shred or chop the chicken before serving.  Garnish with cheese, sour cream, and tortilla chips or strips.

1 can tomato sauce
1 can tomato soup
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can chicken broth
1 can corn
1 can black beans
2 chicken breasts
2 bell peppers, any color, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 packet taco seasoning

Spicy Red Chili

The first time I tried this, it ended up being way too spicy.  Fortunately for me, I was eating tossed salad with a balsamic vinaigrette, and the vinegar seemed to cut through the heat, so my tongue could handle a few more bites in-between bites of salad. 

So basically, I recommend using no more than 2 smoked chiles in adobo sauce for a medium or large pot of chili.  It adds a wonderful smoky flavor, just don't overdo it!

1 can kidney beans
1 can red chili beans
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can tomato sauce
2 chicken breasts, shredded after cooking
1 chopped onion
1 chopped red bell pepper
2 chopped chiles in adobo sauce, de-seeded
S&P, cumin, chili powder, paprika

Savory Traditional Chili

Move over, Nalley!

Ingredients:

2 cans red chili beans

1 can tomato sauce or juice

1 can diced tomatoes

1 diced red or green bell pepper

1/2 to 1lb. cooked lean ground beef with 1 small chopped onion (or cook these first in the Crockpot on high)

Seasonings: cumin, chili powder, paprika, S&P

Cook 6-8 hours on low in slow cooker.

Sweet Homestyle Chili

This dish is very similar to Traditional Chili...it just adds a lot more spices and items to get that true homestyle flavor.  Golden Grahams gave this recipe to me, and it is now one of my favorite chili recipes.  I modified it just a bit to get just the right flavor.  It goes great with Fritos Scoops!

1 can kidney beans

1 can pinto beans

1 can tomato sauce

1 lb. browned ground beef, with 1 small chopped onion

1/2 cup ketchup

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup lemon juice

2 T Worchestershire sauce

1 T chili powder

2 t cumin

1 t salt

1/2 t dry mustard

2-3 ribs chopped celery

1 small chopped green pepper

Simmer on low for 1 hour, or cook in crockpot. 

Minestrone Soup

So very veggie!

The basic idea is to sauté the crisp vegetables in olive oil, then when tender, combine the other ingredients simmer everything on low on the stovetop for 30 minutes.  First, the onions.  Second, the celery.  Third, the carrots.  Season liberally with S&P.  When tender, add all other ingredients.  I just plop fingerfuls of ground turkey on the top while everything is simmering, and it turns out wonderfully.

Or...

In a crockpot all day on low, combine:

1 small onion, minced
2 ribs diced celery
2 diced carrots
2 diced zucchinis
2 large handfuls sliced or shredded cabbage, green or purple
1 can diced tomatoes
1 small can tomato sauce
1 can chicken or vegetable broth (or water with bouillon cubes)
1 can kidney beans
1 handful shell or macaroni pasta
1 pound lean ground turkey, separated into tiny meatballs
Spices: S&P, mixed Italian spices
Optional: garlic, peas, diced rutabaga or turnip, diced potato, green beans, cheese for garnish

Add the pasta and small bits of turkey at the end.

Crockpot Curry Chicken

1.  Place frozen chicken breasts in the bottom of a Crockpot.
2.  Add the following: diced Yukon gold potatoes, diced sweet potato (or butternut squash, if you are Mr. Sillypants), carrots, and onions.  For savory curry, add a can of diced tomatoes.  For sweet curry, add a diced tart apple.
3.  Add the spices: curry, ginger, cinnamon, bouillon, red pepper flakes, S&P.
4.  Cook on low for 6-8 hours.  Add a bit of half & half or plain yogurt at the end and serve over rice.

Crockpot Chicken Pot Pie

1.  In a Crockpot, place 4 frozen chicken breasts, and top with a mix of low-fat cream of chicken soup, low-fat sour cream, bag of diced frozen mixed veggies, and S&P.
2.  Top with canned refrigerator biscuits, or mix the following: 2 c flour, 2 T baking powder, 2 t salt, pinch of rosemary, 2 T butter or shortening, 1/2 c milk (or until moist).  Mix dry ingredients, cut in butter, add milk, mold into circles.
3.  Cook 6-8 hours on low, until biscuits are golden and chicken is done.

Crockpot Eggplant Lasagne

1.  Thinly slice eggplant, zucchini, and yellow squash.  Sprinkle S&P.  You can also include fresh spinach.
2.  In a Crockpot, layer vegetables, drained Italian diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, Italian seasoning, mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese, and ricotta or cottage cheese.
3.  Cook 6-8 hours on low.  After it cools a bit, drain excess moisture with paper towels.  The vegetables are juicy!

Crockpot Hot Sausage Dip

I first tried this dip at a company holiday potluck, and have since made it for every training and workshop I host.  Mr. Sillypants always looks forward to leftovers, but there rarely are any!

1.  In a Crockpot, combine two rolls of mild breakfast sausage, two cans of diced tomatoes with green chiles, and two blocks of cream cheese.
2.  Cook for about 2 hours on low, then use a spoon or spatula to break up the simmering sausage into very small pieces.  Stir ingredients together well. 
3.  Replace lid and simmer for several more hours.  Once the sausage is all broken up, and the ingredients have all combined well, this dip is fantastic with Tostitos Scoops.