Crockpot Ravioli

With school back in full swing, I have been trying to find meal ideas that are quick or don't require much attention.  Last week I tried Crockpot Ravioli from Recipe Me.  The first time I try a recipe I follow the directions the best I can, then see what adjustments need to be made.  This time I added 1/2 jar of spaghetti sauce after I tried it, because it was just not saucy at all.  And during dinner I just kept thinking that I needed ricotta to add in.  So here is my newly adapted recipe:

Into the crockpot:
1 lb ground beef, browned and drained
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, pressed
2 (15 oz) cans tomato sauce
2 (15 oz) cans petite diced tomatoes
2 t oregano
2 t Italian seasoning
2 t garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste

Add-ins once you get home:
10 oz frozen spinach (thawed and all liquid removed) or fresh
16 oz bowtie pasta, cooked
1/2 c Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 c mozzarella, shredded
1/2 to 1 container ricotta (depending on how much you like ricotta)

Chili & Cornbread

Today we had a bit of a cold spell, so of course chili is the first thing that pops to mind. I was out with Chonte' and I mentioned making chili, and she said she was making beans and cornbread, so of course I wanted cornbread.

 Now I call my Chili "Almost Chili" it has everything I like, but "real chili" fans would most likely not approve.

Almost Chili

2 cans Ranch Style beans
1 can black beans
1 lb ground beef, browned and drained
1 can Rotel 1 packet taco seasoning
1 bottle of beer (whatever is handy)
more garlic powder, chili powder and cumin to taste (I probably used about 1 T each)

Put all in stock pot or crock pot and simmmer - longer is better.

 This is an easy recipe to double or triple for feeding a crowd, and easy to change to what you like. Some times I skip the beer and I throw in a bag of coleslaw and call it Cabbage Patch Stew - that is definitely a crock pot meal, and you cook it all day and you won't even notice the coleslaw. If you make too much, freeze it. I have used muffin tins to freeze individual servings or freezer bags and lay them flat until frozen.

Cornbread

 2 boxes Jiffy cornbread mix

 make cornbread according to box directions

 add 1 c. frozen corn
1/2 c cheese
jarred jalapenos diced - I use about 1/4 c and a little bit of the juice from the jar of jalapenos

 Heat about 2T oil in cast iron skillet in the over on whatever temp the box says (I think it is 400). Pour cornbread mix into hot skillet with hot oil -- be careful. Cook 25 minutes (again look at box).

 This cornbread is amazing!

Jalapeno Popper Chicken Taquitos

I am a sucker for jalapeno popper anything!  We have had Jalapeno Popper Stuffed Chicken and even Jalapeno Popper Quesadillas (both of which are from Cassie Craves - I had not realized that before), so these Jalapeno Popper Taquitos from Creme de la Crumb were right up our alley.  Unlike most of the other items this one starts out in the crock pot, then you just wrap them up and stick them in the oven.  These were yummy and good even as left overs (though less crunchy when nuked).

3 chicken breasts, frozen or thawed

8 oz cream cheese

1/3 c jarred jalapenos, chopped

1 t garlic powder

1 t salt

1 t cumin

16 flour tortilla (taco or fajita sized)

1 1/2 c. shredded cheese (I used colby jack)

something to dip them in: cilantro lime sauce, ranch, salsa, etc.

Add chicken, 1/2 c water, jalapenos, garlic powder, salt, and cumin to crockpot.  Cover and cook on low 6-8 hours.  

When you get home, stir the pot and shred the chicken with two forks. (If it looks gross before you stir, don't lose hope - it isn't ruined.)

Preheat the over to 425 and spray a foil-lined cookie sheet with cooking spray.

Lay all the tortillas out on the counter and divide the shredded cheese between them.

Top with chicken mixture, I just did this as evenly as possible.

Roll the tortillas up, put them on the basking sheet and spray the tops with cooking spray.

Bake 10-15 minutes, switch oven to broil for a few more minutes you want crispier taquitos.

Enjoy.

Using the crock pot: Pork Tenderloin, Chili, & Lemon Chicken

I decided I wanted to try a week of crock pot meals ... but I am picky. I am not really a picky eater, but I prefer my food not to look like vomit. (The word vomit makes me think of a particular year of AP Biology.)

What was I talking about? Okay, crock pot meals. Well, the week started off rough because I couldn't prep the meals this weekend. So I made meatloaf Monday ... not in the crock pot ... so the experiment started on Tuesday. (To go with the meatloaf I slaved over boxed mac-n-cheese and roasted squash and zucchini.)

Tuesday's recipe was for brown sugar glazed port tenderloin (I will try to add the link to the recipes next time I am on a real computer - its too much to think about when I am writing posts on my phone!). It was good, but I had to work on the glaze when I got home and ended up spending more time in the kitchen than I wanted.

Wednesday's dinner was chili and salad ... (okay, I have to admit that the chili smelled do good that I forgot we were supposed to have a salad and instead we each had more chili ... confessions are good for the soul.). The chili was easy. I browned the meat the night before (I used deer) and the next morning added the deer, 2 cans of ranch style beans, a can of black beans, a can of Rotel and a packet of taco seasoning. It was very yummy, and quick, but I forgot to wash the crock pot thingy, which complicated my morning this morning.

This morning I prepared lemon chicken in the crockpot. When I got home it just tasted like chicken ... so I got busty trying to fix it. I added a little broth to my big skillet and then sautéed 3 huge cloves of garlic (sliced) in the broth. Then added the rest of the broth and chicken to the skillet (yep, that is another dish I need to wash tonight), and then I added about and ounce of cream cheese and I added garlic powder (I love garlic). Once I topped this yummy garlicky goodness with Parmesan we could finally call it dinner. I mixed in a box of pasta and served it with broccoli and a salad. This could easily serve 6 big portions. (I have included a pic of the chicken pasta even though you can't see much in the pic.)

No what am I going to make tomorrow?