Crockpot Lasagna

You'll see that I have a lot of crockpot recipes. I LOVE my crockpots - all 3 of them, and I use them frequently. :) Here's a great recipe that is super easy and a crowd pleaser for sure:

12oz pkg lasagna noodles
1/4c butter
1 1/2lbs ground beef
1 qt. Spaghetti sauce
1-2c Mozzarella cheese, shredded

Cook noodles according to directions. Drain.

Return noodles to  pot and stir in butter until it's melted.

While the noodles are cooking, brown the ground beef. Drain off the drippings.

Layer into the crockpot:

• 1/4 of the sauce
• 1/3 of the browned beef
• 1/3 of the cooked noodles
• 1/4 mozzarella cheese

Repeat these layers two more times. Top with the remaining sauce and cheese.

Cover and cook on low for 4 hours, or until heated through and cheese has melted.

GF noodles get mushy when over cooked, so I under-cooked mine by about a minute or two before putting them in the crockpot.

I used ground turkey, but you could also use pork or chicken.

This is a great make-ahead recipe. I made it up the night before and had it in the fridge waiting to cook it. It still turned out great!

Crockpot Sloppy Joes

You seriously can't get much easier than this recipe. Especially if you already have the meat browned ahead of time like I've said I do.

3lbs ground beef
1lg onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2c. GF barbeque sauce
1 (28oz) can tomato puree
1 (6oz) can tomato paste
2T. packed brown sugar

Brown meat, drain and add to crockpot.

Stir in remaining ingredients.

Cook on low for 6 hours.

Serve on GF buns or toasted GF bread.

I have also used ground pork and ground turkey when making this recipe, and all are tasty.

Freezes well!

Crockpot Italian Dish

This is a recipe I threw together one night when I was in a rush, and it's quickly become a family favorite. It's super easy, and super quick, which makes it perfect on those nights when you never seem to have enough time.

Crockpot Italian Dish

1lb Rotini, Mini Lasagna, or Elbow macaroni
1lb pork sausage, browned and crumbled
1-2 large jars of your favorite pasta sauce
1-2c. Mozzarella cheese

Prepare pasta according to package directions - minus 1-2 minutes (GF pasta gets mushy if over cooked, and putting it in the crockpot will cook it a bit more).

Put pasta in crockpot.

Add sausage and stir.

Add pasta sauce (add as much as you prefer, plus a little extra as the meal will get more "dry" as it sits in the crockpot). 

Stir well. Cook on low in crockpot for 1-2 hrs to let the flavors blend. Sprinkle Mozzarella cheese on top a few minutes before serving to let it melt.

You can also serve the dish immediately and not put it in the crockpot, but I feel the flavors blend so much better and therefore increases the yumminess.

Depending on what's on sale, I will use either corn or rice pasta.

I brown and crumble several pounds of sausage up at one time and freeze them in 1lb bags. Makes a quick dish even quicker when all I have to do is pull out a bag in the morning and put it in the fridge to thaw. (I also do the same with ground beef & turkey)

Crockpot Potato Soup

This is a nice, simple potato soup that can be made up ahead of time, and when you stop home during your lunch hour, you can turn the crockpot on and it'll be ready when you get home.

1 1/2c chopped celery
1c chopped onion
2 minced garlic cloves
5 peeled potatoes, cut into 1" cubes
5c chicken broth

Saute the celery and onions for 5 minutes. Add minced garlic and saute for 1 more minute.

Move those items to your crockpot, and add the potatoes and broth.

Cook on low for 4 hours.

Before serving, mash with a potato masher or puree with a hand blender.

I really liked this soup, however the next time I make it, I won't puree the potatoes. I prefer to leave them in soft small cubes. Just a personal preference.

Along those same lines, the next time I will cut the celery back to just 1c. I love celery and peanut butter, but I'm not a huge fan of eating it cooked.

I made a double batch and froze one batch in single serving baggies for quick lunches.

Taco Soup

I am willing to bet that you will fall in love with this soup as much as I have!

1-2lbs ground beef (can also use pork, turkey, bison, ostrich, etc)
2 medium diced onions
3 cans of beans undrained (can be pinto, kidney, black, or garbanzo)
1 large can crushed tomatoes
1 large can diced tomatoes
2 small cans of diced green chilies
1 bag frozen vegetables (let them sit on the counter and thaw a bit while getting everything ready)
1 envelope GF taco seasoning mix
1 envelope GF ranch salad dressing mix

Before I do anything with my crockpots I line them with a wonderful recently new invention: crockpot liners! They are awesome and make clean-up a snap. No more scrubbing baked food off the inside.

Brown the ground meat and onions in a skillet; drain. Pour into a crockpot.

Add all remaining ingredients to the crockpot and mix well.

Cook on low for 6-8 hrs

Optional garnishes: sliced green or black olives, shredded cheddar or jack cheese, pickled jalapenos, crushed tortilla chips, diced avacado, guacamole, sour cream, chopped onions or green peppers.

I got this recipe from a woman I know on a weight-loss forum I'm a member of, and it is one of my favorite soups. My Father-In-Law, who has Celiac Disease loved it and was thrilled when I made another batch just for him.

After it was done cooking, I dished up the soup into 8 freezer baggies and put them in the freezer. They are easy to pull out and pop into the microwave for a quick, healthy meal.

Italian BBQ Sandwiches

Super easy recipe that makes for a great quick meal that you can throw together before going to work. Brown the meat the night before, and it's even easier in the morning.

1lb ground beef (can also use pork or turkey)
1c. tomato sauce
1 envelope GF dry spaghetti mix
Salt and pepper to taste
8oz cubed cheese

In a non-stick skillet, brown the beef. Drain.

Place meat in crockpot.

Stir in sauce and seasonings.

Cover and cook on low for 2-6 hrs.

One hour before serving, stir in the cubed cheese.

Stir well before serving on GF bread or buns.

When I made the recipe I browned the meet and drained it. Then I mixed the tomato sauce and seasonings right in the pan with the meat. I put the meat mixture in a ziplock freezer baggie and put it in the freezer for later use.

When ready to use it, I put it in the microwave for 1 minute, so it would be able to come out of the baggie. Then I poured it into the crockpot (yes, it's still frozen) and let it cook for approximately 4 hrs and it was awesome! Don't forget to add the cheese when there's about an hour left.