Slow Cooker Lasagna

I made this today and it was yummy. I used all turkey products for the meat. I think I may add cottage cheese to it next time and a little parsley. It's an easy recipe to play around with. I was excited to see how it turned out......very pleased with the results!

Serves 8
Ingredients
1 pound Italian pork sausage, casings removed
1 pound ground beef sirloin
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 medium carrots, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste
1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes in puree
9 lasagna noodles
2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella (8 ounces)
Directions
In a 5-quart Dutch oven or heavy pot, cook sausage and beef over medium-high, breaking up meat with a spoon, until no longer pink, 4 to 6 minutes. Add onion, carrots, and garlic; season with salt and pepper. Cook until onion has softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in tomato paste, then tomatoes; bring to a boil, and remove from heat.
Spoon 2 cups meat mixture into bottom of a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker. Layer 3 noodles (breaking them as needed to fit), 2 cups meat mixture, and 1/2 cup cheese; repeat with two more layers (refrigerate 1/2 cup cheese for topping).
Cover slow cooker, and cook on low, 4 to 6 hours. Sprinkle lasagna with 1/2 cup cheese. Cover until cheese has melted, about 10 minutes.

Smoky Beef Tacos

Smoky Beef Tacos (This is the original recipe, but I tweaked it a bit)

Prep: 15 minutes Total: 2 3/4 hours or 7-8 hours in crockpot

Ingredients
Serves 8.

2 to 3 tablespoons chopped canned chipotle chiles in adobo (but I used diced green chiles instead)
1/2 cup ketchup
8 garlic cloves, chopped
2 teaspoons dried oregano
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 boneless beef chuck roast (about 3 pounds), excess fat trimmed
16 corn tortillas (6-inch), lightly toasted

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a heavy pot with a tight-fitting lid, stir together chiles, ketchup, 1 cup water, garlic, oregano, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. (I used the crockpot on low for the day instead)
Cut beef into 4 equal pieces. Add to pot, and turn to coat. Cover, and bring to a boil; transfer pot to oven. Bake, covered, until beef is fork-tender, about 2 1/2 hours.
Transfer beef to a bowl. With a large spoon, skim off and discard fat from cooking liquid. Shred beef with two forks; moisten with cooking liquid as needed. Season with salt and pepper. Serve beef with tortillas and desired toppings.

This recipe was EXCELLENT on soft tacos!

Italian Bow Tie Pasta

This is a recipe I have used for awhile with good resuls everytime. One of my favorite people gave it to me (Chaundelle) and now I think you should try it too.
Sorry I don't have any fabulous pictures, but I am in a time crunch and feeling a little lazy. :) But, please enjoy this next time you need a tasty pasta dish!!!!!

Italian Bow Tie Pasta
1 ½ lbs ground meat
1 minced garlic clove
1 medium onion, chopped
1 15 oz can tomato sauce
1 14.5 oz can stewed tomatoes (cut-up)
1 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
Salt and pepper to taste
1 16 oz package of bowtie pasta (cooked and drained)
1 10 oz package frozen chopped spinach (thawed and drained)
½ cup parmesan cheese
1 ½ cups mozzarella cheese, grated

In a skillet cook meat, onion and garlic over medium heat, drain fat. Transfer to crockpot. Stir in tomato sauce, stewed tomatoes, and seasonings. Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours (or until bubbly).

Increase heat to high and stir in cooked pasta, spinach and cheeses, cover and cook for 10 minutes.

Orange Chicken with Steamed Rice....Tasty!

Slow-Cooker Orange Chicken

Prep Time: 20 min Total Time: 3 hr 20 min Makes: 8 servings, one thigh each

What You Need
1/2 cup Barbecue Sauce
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup orange marmalade
3 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. grated gingerroot or ground ginger (1/4 tsp.)
8 bone-in chicken thighs (3-1/2 lb.), skin removed

Make It
STIR barbecue sauce and flour in small bowl with wire whisk until well blended. Add all remaining ingredients except chicken; mix well.

POUR sauce mixture evenly over chicken in slow cooker. (Do not stir.) Cover with lid.

COOK on LOW for 3 to 5 hours. Serve chicken topped with the sauce.

I served this with steamed white rice and sliced cucumbers.
YUMMY!!!!