Slow Cooker Italian Minestrone Soup

1 pound lean ground meat: pork, beef, or turkey.

4 ounces sliced mushrooms

1 yellow onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, chopped

2 stalks celery, sliced

1 cup chopped carrot

1 (14.5-ounce) can diced or stewed tomatoes

1 tablespoon dried oregano

4 cups beef broth

2/3 cup dried elbow pasta

The Directions.

Use a 6-quart slow cooker. Brown the first four ingredients on the stovetop.  Add meat to the slow cooker, and your vegetables. Add the whole can of tomatoes, the oregano, and beef broth. Stir to combine. Cover, and cook on low for 8 hours. 30 minutes before serving, stir in the dry pasta. Flip to high, and cook for an additional 30 minutes or until pasta has become bite-tender.

Serve in wide-mouthed bowls with a bit of shredded Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Super Easy Homemade Mac & Cheese

Ingredients:

1 lb (1 box) elbow noodles, cooked al dente as per pkg instructions.

1 lb cheddar cheese

4 tablespoons butter

salt & pepper

1/2 cup milk

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

1. Pam/grease your baking dish. 

2. Place cooked noodles in the bottom of the dish (enough to cover the bottom).

3. Salt and pepper generously.

4. Add two large handfuls of cheese.

5. Start second layer. Repeat exactly what you did in the first layer until you fill your dish.

6. Place 4-5 tablespoon slices of butter on top of the mac and cheese and pour 1/2 cup milk over the top.

7. Bake for 35-45 minutes  uncovered <--this is when the browning happens...yum!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Brownies

BROWNIE:
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped
1 cup butter, at room temperature
2 cups light brown sugar, packed
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
COOKIE DOUGH (EGG FREE!):
3/4 cup butter
3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
3/4 cup granulated white sugar
3 Tablespoons milk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups mini chocolate chips
1/2 cup semisweet chips + 1 teaspoon shortening for drizzle, optional

Directions:

1. Prepare the brownies: Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Spray a 9x13-inch pan with nonstick spray. In a medium glass bowl, melt chocolate in the microwave in short bursts of 30 seconds; stir after each burst and remove from microwave when melted and smooth. Set aside to cool slightly. In a large mixing bowl, mix butter and brown sugar with an electric mixer. Beat in eggs and vanilla extract. Mix in melted chocolate. Blend in flour and mix just until combined (don't over-mix). Spread batter into prepared pan. Bake 25 to 35 minutes. Watch closely and remove from oven when toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool completely.
2. Prepare the cookie dough: In a medium bowl, use an electric mixer to combine butter, brown sugar and white sugar. Mix in milk and vanilla. Mix in flour just until combined. Stir in chocolate chips.
3. Spread cookie dough over the cooled brownies. Refrigerate until the dough is quite firm. It's okay to speed up the process and place it in the freezer too. The firmer the dough, the easier it will be to cut into neat squares. Use a sharp knife to cut the brownies. You may need to wipe the knife off with a paper towel in between cuts since the fudgy brownies and cookie dough will tend to stick to the knife a bit. These brownies are best to serve placed inside cupcake papers and served with a fork.
4. If you'd like to add chocolate drizzle on top, melt 1/2 cup chocolate chips with 1 teaspoon of shortening in the microwave; stir until smooth. Scoop the melted chocolate into a zip baggie and snip off the corner. Squeeze the bag to drizzle the chocolate on top of each brownie. Sprinkle additional chocolate chips on top, if desired.

http://www.recipegirl.com/2011/06/02/chocolate-chip-cookie-dough-brownies/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheRecipeGirl+%28The+Recipe+Girl%29&utm_content=Google+Reader

SC-Bacon and Cheese Chicken

This is what's crocking tonight!


2T olive oil
4-6 chicken breast halves (I used 8 frozen breast tenders)
1/4 cup teriyaki sauce
1/2 cup ranch dressing
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
12 pieces cooked bacon, crumbled (I slice it up and then cook it)

 Pour the olive oil in the bottom of your crock and spread it around.  Place chicken on top of the oil.
 In a small bowl, combine the teriyaki sauce with the ranch dressing.  Pour the sauce over the top of the chicken.  Add the shredded cheese and bacon to the crock, distributing it between the chicken pieces.  Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or high for 3-4 hours.  The cooking time will depend on how thick your chicken is and if they are fresh or frozen.

This recipe is from Stephanie O'Dea's "Make it fast, cook it slow" cookbook.   http://stephanieodea.com/