Autumn Sausage Casserole

Recipe name: Autumn Sausage Casserole
Source: A Year of Crockpotting
Servings: 4-5
Cookbook date: November 29



--1 pound turkey sausage
--1 large, or 2 small apples, chopped (no need to peel)
--1 yellow onion, chopped
--1/2 cup chopped carrots
--3 cups already cooked long-grain rice
--1/2 cup raisins
--1 T dried parsley flakes
--1 T brown sugar
--1/2 tsp allspice
--1/2 tsp cinnamon
--1/4 tsp black pepper (start with 1/8 if your kids don't tolerate a touch of spice)
--1/3 cup chicken broth or water (I used water)

The Directions.

If you are going to use uncooked pork sausage, I'd recommend browning on the stove top, and draining before adding to the crockpot.

Otherwise, dump all the ingredients into the crock, and stir well.

Cover and cook on low for 5-7 hours, or on high for 3-4. You're really only heating through, and allowing the vegetables to soften.

This will not stick together like a gloppy casserole; it has the consistency of fried rice. Use bowls to serve rather than plates.

Here's yet another fabulous recipe from A Year of Crockpotting. Tim and I thought this was hearty and delicious, with an overall sweet flavor that was very nice. I would say that this is the perfect recipe to try when you want something warm and comforting, but are feeling a bit tired of soups and stews.

CrockPot Breakfast Risotto

Recipe name: CrockPot breakfast Risotto
Source: adapted from A Year of Crockpotting
Servings: 4-6
Cookbook date: September 27



--1/4 cup butter
--3 little apples
--1 1/2 t cinnamon
--1/8 t nutmeg
--1/8 t cloves
--1/4 t kosher salt
--1 1/2 cups arborio rice
--1/3 cup brown sugar
-- 2 cups of milk
-- 2 cups of apple juice


Turn your crock to high and add the butter so it can start melting. Wash and cut up your apples while it begins to melt.

Add the rice to the butter, and stir it around to coat it nicely. If the butter isn't completely melted, don't worry. Mine wasn't either, and it didn't seem to make a difference.

Add the apples, and spices. Stir in the juice/milk.

Cover and cook on high for 3 hours.


I was SOOOO excited to try this recipe from A Year of Crockpotting. It seemed like a perfect culinary introduction to fall weather, which we seem to be having at night now. It made the house smell incredible while it was cooking, too! When it was finally done at the 3 hour mark, and I lifted the lid to check it out, I'll admit that my heart sunk a little bit. It looked so mushy! I was afraid that I'd let it go too long and that now the texture would be too gross to eat. Thankfully, I was wrong! I will say that this is not the best meal to eat if you aren't in the mood for something akin to oatmeal, though it is definitley more firm than oatmeal. But the flavor is just awesome! I swear, it felt like a meal that just hugs you, if you can imagine that. I've had limited success with my CrockPot over the years, but this recipe is definitely a winner. I'll no doubt be adding this to my yearly cookbook!

too much of a good thing: lasagna casserole

Recipe name: crockpot lasagna casserole
Source: cookingcache.com
Servings: 8
Cookbook date: July 10
Date prepared:

Ingredients:
1.5 lbs lean ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 28 oz can peeled tomatoes, in thick tomato puree
1 15 oz can tomato sauce
2 tsp Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp pepper
1 lb bow-tie pasta or fettucine, freshly cooked
1 10 oz pkg frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and squeezed to remove excess moisture
2 cups ricotta cheese
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook the ground beef, onion and garlic, stirring often to break up lumps, until the meat loses its pink color, about 5 minutes. Tilt the pan to drain off excess fat, then transfer the beef mixture to a 3.5-qt slow cooker.

Add the tomatoes with their puree, the tomato sauce, Italian seasoning, and pepper, stirring to break up the tomatoes with the side of a spoon. Cover and slow cook for 7 to 8 hours on low.

Skim the fat from the surface of the meat sauce. Stir in the cooked pasta, spinach, and ricotta and Parmesan cheeses, and slow cook for 5 more minutes.

Like (almost) always, we used ground turkey for this recipe. Believe it or not, that is the only thing I changed about the recipe (except the name, which was originally ravioli casserole, but there's no ravioli in this dish!).

Aside from the Italian seasoning being a bit too strong, this was a B+ meal. It was filling, it was tasty, and it has spinach in it so you can pretend that it is good for you. We really did enjoy it... until the 4th time we were each eating it. By that point, we hated it. The recipe itself didn't state how many servings this made, and frankly, I just wasn't thinking about it when I made it. If you have a large family or are going to a potluck and need a main dish, this is a good way to go. If there are only 2 or 3 of you in your family, you've been warned that you'll be eating this for days.

value:***
time:*
taste:***

Chicken Burritos

Recipe name: Chicken burritosSource: somewhere online
Servings: 8
Cookbook date: June 13
Date prepared:


3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 undrained 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
1 envelope taco seasoning
1 tsp cumin
1 tbsp lime juice
1 14.5 oz can water
1 medium chopped onion
1 8 oz bag black beans and rice
8 large flour tortillas

Spray crockpot with cooking spray. place chicken in slow cooker. pour undrained can of tomatoes over chicken. In a small bowl, combine taco seasoning, cumin, lime juice, water, and onion; pour into slow cooker. cover and cook on low 7 hours (or high 3 1/2). remove chicken and shred with fork. lace chicken back into c rockpot and mix in bag of black beans and rice. cover and cook another hour, until rice is tender. serve in tortillas with cheddar cheese and sour cream, if desired.

I love when I find a crockpot recipe that actually works. This one does, I'm happy to report. I made this on my day off, though, which in some ways is counter intuitive. Isn't the point of a crockpot to make dinner for you while you are gone (generally to work?). The problem is that I'm at work for more than 7 hours, which is typically the upper limit of how long a dish can simmer in a crockpot before it starts to burn.
Anyway, the main thing I did for this recipe was cut back on the amount of chicken it called for. I didn't see a reason to have burritos that were so intense with the amount of chicken. I mean, they are burritos...the genius of which is in the amount of rice and beans you can add to help out your budget!
My can opener totally broke while I was trying to open my can of tomatoes. You don't want to know what words were spoken in my kitchen while I wrestled with the can, but I did take a picture to show you the aftermath. I won, but just barely.


We are headed to Target after I finish this post to find a new one.
This dish made a lot of servings, as promised, and Tim and I are currently enjoying them as tasty lunches at work. We give this dish two thumbs up and will definitely make it again.

value:****
time:*
taste:***

Crockpot Meatball Taco Soup

Recipe Name: Crockpot Meatball Taco Soup
source: no idea
servings: 4
Cookbook date: May 5
Date prepared: May 14

16 oz package frozen Italian meatballs
1 onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 (14 oz) cans beef broth
1 (16 oz) jar salsa
1 tbsp chili powder
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1 cup short spiral pasta
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Combine meatballs, onion, green pepper, garlic, beef broth, salsa, chili powder and cumin in a 3-4 quart Crockpot. Cover and cook on low for 5-7 hours. Add pasta, stir well, cover and cook on low and additional hour or until pasta is tender. sprinkle with cheese and serve. 4-6 servings.

I made this without the green bell pepper and I cut the onion amount in half. I also used 1 can of beef broth and 1 can of vegetable broth. The next time I make it I will do 2 cans of vegetable broth because the dish was just too beefy for our taste. I would also recommend only topping individual bowls with cheese rather than the whole thing . That way, everyone can choose how much cheese they want. I should also note that I forgot to add the chili powder and the cumin until the last hour, but that didn't really seem to matter. The pasta only needed about 20 minutes, and not an hour as directed.

Rarely have I had success with CrockPot recipes, even though I so desperately want them to work. Who doesn't like the concept of throwing a bunch of stuff into a pot and having it transform into a delicious meal when you get home from work? Unfortunately, 90% of the CrockPot meals I have tried have either burned by the time I got home, or turned into a gross pile of mush.
With some tweaking, this dish will actually turn out to be a winner, saving my CrockPot from the donation pile!

expense: ***
time: * (but remember, all the work is done while you are away)
taste: **