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In a Hurry Pasta Casserole

April 23, 2012 by · 1 Comment

It’s cold here. We went from sunny and 70’s to cold and rainy. I just can’t warm up! This means soup is for dinner. Well, it isn’t going to be tonight because I won’t be home for dinner.  Since I won’t be home I am making super easy pasta casserole for my husband and kids and crock pot potato and leek soup for dinner tomorrow.

 

Super Easy Pasta

1 box pasta, cooked

2 large spoonfuls ricotta

1 jar sauce

8 oz. shredded mozzarella

Mix the first 3 ingredients together into a 9 x 13 baking dish.

Sprinkle mozzarella on top.

Bake at 350 until cheese is melted and casserole is heated through.

Sometimes I add browned sausage or hamburger.

I am experimenting with the potato and leek soup in the crock pot. I will let you know how it goes!

Filed Under: Food & Recipes Tagged With: ,

What’s in the Crock Pot? Chicken Cacciatore

February 20, 2012 by · Leave a Comment
I just got a new cookbook from my mom. It’s an inside joke but the name of the cookbook is Not Your Mother’s Slow Cooker Cookbook (NYM Series). I haven’t cooked from it yet but it is my new favorite cookbook. In fact, my goal is to make 1-2 recipes from it per week.  This week  I am making Chicken Cacciatore. If I don’t have time to make pasta with my new pasta maker, I will use a box of whole grain pasta.

Chicken Cacciatore(from Not Your Mother’s Slow Cooker Cookbook)

1 – 16 ounce jar marinara sauce or 2 cups homemade – I’m using homemade tomato sauce from my freezer
1 medium yellow onion, cut in half then sliced
1-3 cloves garlic, minced – I say 3 all the way!
1 medium green bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1.5 inch chunks
4 boneless skinless chicken thighs and 4 drumsticks, skin removed (I am cubing 4 chicken breasts instead)
6 ounces fresh mushrooms, quartered – skip if you don’t like
2 T. all purpose flour
2 T. water (opt.)
2 T. dry white wine (opt.)

Layer half the sauce,and all the onion, garlic, peppers, and chicken in the slow cooker.

Sprinkle mushrooms on top.

Add remaining half of sauce.

Slow cook time:

Low – 6-7 hours
High – 2.5-3 hours

Remove chicken and place on serving platter.

If you want a thicker sauce, whisk together flour, water and wine until smooth.

Stir into the sauce in cooker.

Turn cooker to HIGH and cook until thick – 10-15 minutes.

Pour sauce and vegetables over chicken and serve.

Cover with remaining sauce.

I will update this post with my review of it but there is no way it isn’t going to be good so go ahead and add it to your menu! Plus, look how easy I made it for you to turn into a grocery list.

Filed Under: Food & Recipes, Random Tagged With: , ,