Traditional Lasagna

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground beef
• 3/4 pound Pork Sausage Roll
• 3 cans (8 ounces each) tomato sauce
• 2 cans (6 ounces each) tomato paste
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 3 eggs
• 3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
• 3 cups (24 ounces) cream cheese
• 1 carton (8 ounces) ricotta cheese
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 9 lasagna noodles, cooked and drained
• 6 slices provolone cheese
• 4 Basil Leaves, chopped
• 3 cups (12 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided

Directions

• In a large skillet, cook beef and sausage over medium heat until no longer pink;
  drain. Add the tomato sauce, tomato paste, garlic, sugar, seasoning, basil,
  salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 1 hour, stirring
  occasionally.
• In a large bowl, combine eggs and parsley. Stir in the cream cheese, ricotta
  and Parmesan cheese.
• Spread 1 cup of meat sauce in an ungreased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Layer
  with three noodles, provolone cheese, 2 cups cottage cheese mixture, 1 cup
  mozzarella, three noodles, 2 cups meat sauce, remaining cream cheese mixture
  and 1 cup mozzarella. Top with the remaining noodles, meat sauce and
  mozzarella (dish will be full).
• Cover and bake at 375° for 50 minutes. Uncover; bake 20 minutes longer or until
  heated through. Let stand for 15 minutes before cutting. Yield: 12 servings.

Slow Cooker Chicken and Dumplings

Ingredients

• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed cream of chicken soup
• 1 onion, finely diced
• 2 teaspoons dried basil
• 2 (10 ounce) packages refrigerated biscuit dough, torn into pieces

Directions

1. Place the chicken, butter, soup, and onion in a slow cooker, and fill with enough water to cover.
2. Cover, and cook for 5 to 6 hours on High. About 30 minutes before serving, place the torn biscuit dough in the slow cooker. Cook until the dough is no longer raw in the center.

Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff I

• Prep 10 minutes
• Cook 8 hours
• Ready In 8 hours 10 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 pound cubed beef stew meat
• 1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed golden mushroom soup
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 cup water
• 4 ounces sour cream

Directions

1. In a slow cooker, combine the meat, soup, onion, Worcestershire sauce and water.
2. Cook on Low setting for 8 hours, or on High setting for about 5 hours. Stir in cream cheese just before serving.

Slow Cooker Chicken Stroganoff

Prep 10 minutes
Cook 5 hours
Ready In 5 hours 10 minutes

Ingredients

• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cubed
• 1/4 cup margarine
• 1 (.7 ounce) package dry Italian-style salad dressing mix
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
• 1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup

Directions

1. Put chicken, margarine and dressing mix in slow cooker; mix together and cook on low for 5 to 6 hours.
2. Add cream cheese and soup, mix together and cook on high for another 1/2 hour or until heated through and warm.

Colleen's Slow Cooker Jambalaya

• Prep 20 minutes
• Cook 8 hours
• Ready In 8 hours 20 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into 1 inch cubes
• 1 pound andouille sausage, sliced
• 1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 large green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 2 teaspoons dried basil
• 2 teaspoons dried parsley
• 2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 pound frozen cooked shrimp without tails

Directions

1. In a slow cooker, mix the chicken, sausage, tomatoes with juice, onion, green bell pepper, celery, and broth. Season with oregano, parsley, Cajun seasoning, cayenne pepper, and thyme.
2. Cover, and cook 7 to 8 hours on Low, or 3 to 4 hours on High. Stir in the shrimp during the last 30 minutes of cook time.

Cocktail Meatballs

Prep 20 minutes
Cook 1 hour 25 minutes
Ready In 1 hour 45 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs
• 3 tablespoons minced onion
• 1 (8 ounce) can jellied cranberry sauce
• 3/4 cup chili sauce
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. In a large bowl, mix together the ground beef, egg, water, bread crumbs, and minced onion. Roll into small meatballs.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, turning once.
4. In a slow cooker or large saucepan over low heat, blend the cranberry sauce, chili sauce, brown sugar, and lemon juice. Add meatballs, and simmer for 1 hour before serving.

Pizza Egg Rolls

Ingredients

• 1 pound Johnsonville® Mild Italian Links
• 3/4 cup diced green pepper
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 can (15 ounces) crushed tomatoes
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/4 teaspoon sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
• Dash pepper
• 8 ounces cubed part-skim mozzarella cheese
• 13 egg roll wrappers
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• Oil for frying

Directions

•  In a large skillet, cook sausage and green pepper over medium heat until meat is
  no longer pink. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Drain.
  Stir in the tomatoes, tomato paste and seasonings. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat;
  cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Uncover and simmer 10 minutes longer.
  Remove from the heat; cool for 20 minutes. Stir in cheese.
• Place 1/3 cup sausage mixture in the center of each egg roll wrapper. Fold bottom
  corner over filling; fold sides toward center over filling. Brush remaining corner with
  egg; roll up tightly to seal.
• In an electric skillet or deep-fat fryer, heat 1 in. of oil to 375°. Fry egg rolls in
  batches for 1-2 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.
   Yield: 13 egg rolls.

Empanadas de Chorizo (Chorizo Empanadas)

Makes 12 empanadas

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 large onions, chopped
4 stalks scallion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
2 tbsp fresh cilantro
5 Argentine-style chorizo sausages, chopped
ground black pepper to taste
finely chopped parsley, to taste
12 puff pastry-style empanada discs (from your grocer's freezer)
beaten egg, for brushing

Directions:

Heat the oil in a skillet, and sauté the onion, scallion, cilantro, and bell pepper until tender. Add the chorizo, cook fully, and season with black pepper. Remove from the heat, and once the mixture is cool, add the parsley. Fill the empanada discs with a heaping tablespoon of filling, and firmly seal them shut by crimping the edge with a fork. Place the empanadas on a greased baking sheet, and brush the tops with beaten egg. Bake in an oven preheated to 375ºF for 20 minutes.

Slow Cooker Salisbury Steak

2 pounds lean ground beef
1 (1 ounce) envelope dry onion soup mix
1/2 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed cream of chicken soup
1 (1 ounce) packet dry au jus mix
3/4 cup water

Directions

In a large bowl, mix together the ground beef, onion soup mix, bread crumbs, and milk using your hands. Shape into 8 patties.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Dredge the patties in flour just to coat, and quickly brown on both sides in the hot skillet. Place browned patties into the slow cooker stacking alternately like a pyramid.

In a medium bowl, mix together the cream of chicken soup, au jus mix, and water. Pour over the meat. Cook on the Low setting for 4 or 5 hours, until ground beef is well done.

Bacon Wrapped BBQ Chicken Tenders

• 1 lb chicken tenders
• 3 Tbsp BBQ seasoning
• 8 slices bacon
• 1/2 cup Carolina mustard BBQ sauce
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup Colby Jack cheese

Season chicken tenders on both sides with BBQ seasoning.  Wrap each tender with a slice of bacon. You may need to secure the ends with a toothpick.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add tenders and cook until bacon is crisp, about 5-6 minutes. Flip over and cook an additional 5-6 minutes.  Remove chicken tenders from pan. Drain fat. Return chicken to pan and top each tender with 1 Tbsp of BBQ sauce. Sprinkle cheese over tenders. Cover and cook on low until cheese is melted.

Chicken Chesapeake

Courtesy of Cooking with Paula Deen January/February 2011

8 oz lump crabmeat, picked free of shell

6 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 4 lbs), cut in half

1½ tsp salt, divided

1½ tsp ground black pepper, divided

½ cup butter, divided

1 (8-oz) package sliced baby bella mushrooms 

½ cup minced green onion

1 cup dry white wine

1 cup chicken broth

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1 (8-oz) package cream cheese, softened

Hot cooked rice 

Garnish: ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 350˚. Spray a 13x9-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. 
Sprinkle crabmeat evenly over baking dish.

Sprinkle chicken evenly with 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper.

In a large skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium-high heat. Add chicken, 
in batches if necessary, and cook for 4 to 5 minutes per side or until golden brown. 
Remove from pan, and place over crab in baking dish.

Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter in skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms 
and green onion; cook for 5 to 6 minutes or until mushrooms are tender. Add wine, and 
cook for 5 to 6 minutes or until reduced by half. Stir in chicken broth and cream, and cook for 10 minutes or until slightly thickened. Add cream cheese, stirring until melted. Add  remaining ½ teaspoon salt and remaining ½ teaspoon pepper. 

Pour mixture over chicken, and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly. 
Serve over rice 

Slow Cooker Mexican Style Meat

1 (4 pound) chuck roast
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 1/4 cups diced green chile pepper
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1 (5 ounce) bottle hot pepper sauce
1 teaspoon garlic powder

Directions

Trim the roast of any excess fat, and season with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Place the beef in the hot skillet, and brown it quickly on all sides.Transfer the roast to a slow cooker and top it with the chopped onion. Season with chile peppers, chili powder, cayenne pepper, hot pepper sauce, and garlic powder. Add enough water to cover 1/3 of the roast.Cover, and cook on High for 6 hours, checking to make sure there is always at least a small amount of liquid in the bottom of the cooker. Reduce heat to Low, and continue cooking for 2 to 4 hours, or until meat is totally tender and falls apart.Transfer the roast to a bowl and shred it using two forks (reserve 2 cups of cooking liquid, if desired). Serve in tacos or burritos (see Cook's Note).

• Cook's Notes:
• If using the meat for burritos: shred the meat and add it to a frying pan with 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Simmer until the sauce has thickened, about 15 minutes.
• To freeze the meat, transfer it to a freezer-proof container and add reserved 2 cups of cooking liquid. Freeze up to 6 months; thaw in refrigerator or microwave.
• This recipe also works for pork and chicken. If you're using chicken, remove the skin before cooking and reduce the cooking time to 4 hours on High or 8 hours on Low. Remove the bones and shred the meat after cooking.

Cheeseburger Casserole

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 green pepper, chopped
• 1 (28 oz) can chopped tomatoes, with juice
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 8 oz wide egg noodles
• 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, grated

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a large skillet, cook the ground beef over medium heat, stirring to break up the lumps, until all of the pink is gone from the meat. Drain off the fat. Add the onion and the green pepper, and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, with juice, and the Worcestershire sauce, oregano, 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to low. Simmer the mixture for about 15 minutes.

2. Fill medium pot half full of water. Add 1 teaspoon salt. Bring the water to a boil. Stir in the noodles and boil for about 8 minutes, until tender. Drain the noodles, return the noodles to the pot. Pour the tomato mixture over the noodles and stir until blended.

3. Put the noodle mixture into a baking dish that you have sprayed with cooking spray. Top with cheese. Bake for about 15 minutes, until the cheese is melted. Enjoy it as a family meal, then refrigerate the leftovers.