What Cookin' this Weekend

The weather may be warming up iaround here...finally but I am not ready to put away the old crock pot to start up the grill.  Sunday is supposed to be a dreary raining day so it will be perfect to plug in the slow cooker and have a nice easy dinner that I get to smell cooking all day long.

I have a great recipes for Lasagna for the oven but I think I am going to give it a try in the crock pot.  I have always wondered how it would turn out...I think it is time! 

Here is the recipe I am going to give a try. 

Find it here.

What You Need
1 lb.ground beef
1 jar (24 oz.) spaghetti sauce
1 cup of water
1 container (15 oz.) POLLY-O Original Ricotta Cheese
1 pkg. (7 oz.) KRAFT 2% Milk Shredded Mozzarella Cheese, divided
1/4 cup KRAFT Grated Parmesan Cheese, divided
1 egg
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
6 lasagna noodles, uncooked

Make It
BROWN meat in large skillet; drain. Stir in spaghetti sauce and water. Mix ricotta, 1-1/2 cups mozzarella, 2 Tbsp. Parmesan, egg and parsley.

SPOON 1 cup meat sauce into slow cooker; top with layers of half each of the noodles, broken to fit; and cheese mixture. Cover with 2 cups meat sauce. Top with remaining noodles, broken to fit; cheese mixture and meat sauce. Cover with lid.
COOK on LOW 4 to 6 hours or until liquid is absorbed. Sprinkle with remaining cheeses; let stand, covered, 10 min. or until melted.
Not sure it is going to be any easier to make than a regular oven lasagna but I will enjoy the smells it creates through out the house. 

Have a great weekend!  What are you cooking?

Can't Wait for Sunday

With being so busy during the holidays I put my Crockpot away.  It is definitely time to take it back out.  Snow is on the way this weekend. What better time to turn on the slow cooker than on Sunday morning and get to smell the wonderful smells of what ever it is I decide to cook all day long.  I have found a couple top choices from Crockpot. 

Chicken Marsala

Find it here

Ingredients
4 chicken breasts
1 stick butter
8 ounces cream cheese
2/3 cup Marsala wine
21 1/2 ounces mushroom soup, canned
3/4 cup water
1/4 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon basil
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
salt and pepper

Directions
1.Cube chicken breast. Place chicken, butter and spices in the slow cooker.
2.Mix cream cheese, wine and mushroom soup. Pour over chicken.
3.Cover; cook 4-5 hours on High.

Beef Bourguignon

Find it here

Ingredients
6 strips bacon, cut into 1- to 2-inch pieces
3 pounds beef rump, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 large carrot, peeled and sliced
1 medium onion, sliced
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3 tablespoons flour
10 ounces beef broth, can condensed
2 cups red or Burgundy wine
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon whole thyme
1 whole bay leaf
1/2 pound white onions, peeled
1 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced

Directions
1.Sauté bacon in a skillet on stovetop set to medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon and set aside.
2.Add beef cubes to skillet and brown well. Remove meat and set aside.
3.Brown carrot and onion in skillet and transfer to stoneware. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in flour, add broth, and mix well.
4.Add beef and bacon to stoneware, mix, and place in slow cooker heating base.
5.Add wine, tomato paste, garlic, bay leaf, onions, and mushrooms. Cover; cook on Low for 10-12 hours or on High for 5-6 hours.

I am getting hungry just looking at these recipes.  There are so many others that look just as good.  I may just have to make one Saturday and another on Sunday!  Perfect idea!

Have a great weekend!

Slow Cooker Sunday Anyone?

Who wants to turn on the over when it is 90 degrees out? Not me! So instead the crock pot is coming out this weekend.

A few weeks ago I made some great pulled chicken sandwiches and might have to make them again. I found this recipe one in my Fix-it and Forget-it 5 ingredient magazine. Fix-it and Forget-it....one of my favorite cookbooks!! (as you can probably tell)

Herbed Barbecued Chicken

Makes 4-6 servings / ideal slow cooker: 4 -to-5 quart

4 lb chicken cut up or 8 of your favorite pieces (I used boneless breasts)
1 onion, thinly sliced
18 oz bottle BBQ sauce ( I used Sweet Baby Ray's)
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. dried basil


1. Place chicken in slow cooker.
2. Combine onion slices, BBQ sauce, oregano and basil in a bowl. Pour over chicken, spread to cover.
3. Cover and cook on high for 1 hour and then 4-6 hours on low until chicken is tender but not dry.

Use this chicken to make open faced sandwiches. Simply shred the chicken and serve it on slices of French bread with a tomato slice, coleslaw and a pickle.

I used grilled hamburger buns and made regular sandwiches out of the chicken. The coleslaw really made the sandwich.

I would love to hear other variations of this great sandwich! Enjoy.