Time to drag out the crock pot!
I am always on the hunt for a great crock pot recipe. I have several that are family favorites!
These soup recipes are great to print out and put in a little "recipe book". You can buy one of the small scrapbook albums from you local craft store and slip your recipes in the page protectors. This makes them easy to remove and toss if your family doesn't like the recipe and it also protects them from spills and splatters! These books take up little space and you can change out the plain white paper for holiday craft paper if you feel that creative!
When I find a recipe I love online, I "cut and paste" it to my word doc program, then print it out, trim it and slip it in my book. It is perfect for recipes you clip from magazines and newspapers or ones friends and family have shared!
I have so many recipes in my one little book that I plan on getting another just for my desserts.
Anywho, back to a few yummy crock pot recipes. I will share more in the future!
I am a "pinch" and "toss" kinda of cook...in other words, I will pretty much follow a recipe to the T the first time, then I make little "toss and pinch" adjustments after that. So feel free to add and delete to your family's taste!
TORTELLINI SOUP:
1 bag of frozen tortellini (we get the cheese...found in the freezer in the grocery store!)
1 small bag of fresh spinach (I chop mine a tad)
2 cans of Italian style diced tomatoes
1 box or 4 cans of vegetable broth
1- 8 oz. package of cream cheese (chunk it a bit)
Mushrooms...a "toss" addition to the original recipe. We love mushrooms so I added them...maybe a cup or two! I sautee mine in butter and garlic before adding it to the crock pot, but that isn't a "have to." Just wash, slice and toss!
Toss it all in a crock pot and cook on low for 5-6 hours. It really is THAT easy!!!
Another family favorite is a super easy chili recipe my daughter gave me! She calls it "chili soup" because you can add a can of corn to it and kind of make a "soup". I just use it as my "go to" chili recipe. Either way, it is another super-duper easy recipe.
A little HINT here....when I cook hamburger meat for any recipe, I always cook 2-3x more than I need, then I put a "serving size" in a freezer bag, smash it out flat, and toss it in the freezer. That way, the next time I need hamburger meat, all I have to do is take the precooked meat out of the freezer. You really don't even have to thaw it if you are going to put it in the crock pot...just toss it in and it will thaw out while the recipe cooks...just make sure you stir it well after it all thaws!
Chili
Hamburger meat (maybe 2 cups)
8 oz of tomato sauce
1 can of Rotel
1 can of Ranch Beans (I get the kind with jalapeno in it)
1 can of red beans
1 package of taco seasoning (I use the taco bell kind but any will do)
1 package of Hidden Valley Ranch dressing
(If you want "chili soup" throw in a can of corn of 1-2 cups of frozen corn)
Put it in a crock pot on low for 4-5-6 hours...you are done!
I will share more recipes as I go...feel free to "cut and paste" these to a word doc and print them out! Trust me...you want these recipes! Super easy and perfect for this awesome fall weather!