MAIN DISHES & SIDES
Crock Pot “Baked” Ziti
I love this recipe. This one takes just a bit more work than my normal slow cooker recipe but it is so worth it. You can have great Italian at home.
I love this recipe. This one takes just a bit more work than my normal slow cooker recipe but it is so worth it. You can have great Italian at home.
Cuisine: Italian
Serves: 4 servings
Ingredients
1 pound ground beef or Italian sausage
1 small onion chopped
2 cloves garlic crushed
1 cup (8 oz) ricotta cheese
1 egg white
¼ cup grated Parmesan
1½ tsp salt (divided)
½ tsp dry parsley
1 - 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
1½ t basil
½ t pepper
⅛ tsp crushed red pepper (optional)
2 cups (8 oz) of dry ziti noodles
2 cups shredded mozzarella
Instructions
1. Start by place 1 pound of ground beef over medium high heat to brown. Then chop 1 small
onion and crush 2 cloves of garlic and add while the meat is browning. Cook until no longer
pink. About 9-10 minutes.
2. Combine 1 cup (8oz) ricotta cheese with one egg white, ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese, ½ t
dry parsley, ½ t salt. Do not over mix.
3. Mix 1 – 28 oz can crushed tomatoes, 1½ t basil, 1 t salt, ½ t pepper. Mix. Now drain the meat of
extra fat and combine to make the meat sauce.
4. Give the slow cooker a good spray of PAM. Here I’m using a 3.5 qt. See Notes about crockpot
sizes.
5. Now you get to layer the dish. Put about 1½ cups of meat sauce in first and spread to cover
bottom. Add 1 cup of uncooked ziti noodles or other pasta.
6. Next add half the ricotta mixture by placing spoonfuls on the pasta. Add ½ cup of shredded
Mozzarella cheese on top of that.
7. Now time to repeat. Add 1½ cup meat sauce. Add 1 cup ziti noodles. Add the rest of the ricotta
and ½ cup mozzarella. Top with the remainder of the sauce and 1 cup of mozzarella.
8. Cook on low for 4-5 hours.
Notes
This is a cut down recipe… used my 3.5 qt crock pot and this is “Cooking For Two” after all. This filled
the pot about 75% and that is really the most you should go so do not do in a smaller pot. This
would be great to double and would fit in a 6.5 qt but would be marginal in a 6 qt.
Recipe by 101 Cooking For Two at http://www.101cookingfortwo.com /crockpot-baked-ziti/
Serves: 4 servings
Ingredients
1 pound ground beef or Italian sausage
1 small onion chopped
2 cloves garlic crushed
1 cup (8 oz) ricotta cheese
1 egg white
¼ cup grated Parmesan
1½ tsp salt (divided)
½ tsp dry parsley
1 - 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
1½ t basil
½ t pepper
⅛ tsp crushed red pepper (optional)
2 cups (8 oz) of dry ziti noodles
2 cups shredded mozzarella
Instructions
1. Start by place 1 pound of ground beef over medium high heat to brown. Then chop 1 small
onion and crush 2 cloves of garlic and add while the meat is browning. Cook until no longer
pink. About 9-10 minutes.
2. Combine 1 cup (8oz) ricotta cheese with one egg white, ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese, ½ t
dry parsley, ½ t salt. Do not over mix.
3. Mix 1 – 28 oz can crushed tomatoes, 1½ t basil, 1 t salt, ½ t pepper. Mix. Now drain the meat of
extra fat and combine to make the meat sauce.
4. Give the slow cooker a good spray of PAM. Here I’m using a 3.5 qt. See Notes about crockpot
sizes.
5. Now you get to layer the dish. Put about 1½ cups of meat sauce in first and spread to cover
bottom. Add 1 cup of uncooked ziti noodles or other pasta.
6. Next add half the ricotta mixture by placing spoonfuls on the pasta. Add ½ cup of shredded
Mozzarella cheese on top of that.
7. Now time to repeat. Add 1½ cup meat sauce. Add 1 cup ziti noodles. Add the rest of the ricotta
and ½ cup mozzarella. Top with the remainder of the sauce and 1 cup of mozzarella.
8. Cook on low for 4-5 hours.
Notes
This is a cut down recipe… used my 3.5 qt crock pot and this is “Cooking For Two” after all. This filled
the pot about 75% and that is really the most you should go so do not do in a smaller pot. This
would be great to double and would fit in a 6.5 qt but would be marginal in a 6 qt.
Recipe by 101 Cooking For Two at http://www.101cookingfortwo.com /crockpot-baked-ziti/
I DOUBLED THE RECIPE AND IT WORKED OUT GREAT!
Crock Pot Sausage, Peppers & Potatoes
2-12 oz. packages of Johnsonville sausages (1 sweet and 1 hot)
1 cup chicken stock
8 potatoes, cubed
3 peppers diced (green, red, yellow)
2 large onions, diced
salt and pepper to taste
I like to brown the sausages first, but it is not necessary. Put all ingredients in the crockpot on high for 4-6 hours. (I like my peppers crisp tender, so I cook those separately and add in just before serving).
Serve with a green salad and a crispy roll. . .yummy!
Ingredients
4 chicken breasts, frozen or thawed
1 (15 1/2 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15 ounce) can corn, drained
1 (15 ounce) jar of your favorite salsa
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
Instructions
1. Take 4 frozen, yes, frozen (or thawed), boneless chicken breasts put into crock pot. Add 1 can of
black beans, drained, 1 jar of salsa, 1 can of corn drained. Keep in crock pot on low for about 4-5
hours or until chicken is cooked. Once it is cooked, take it out and shred it. Return shredded
chicken to the crockpot.
2. Add 1 package of cream cheese (just throw it on top!) and let sit for about 1/2 hour. It may look
strange at this point. Don't worry. Stir the cream cheese until it is thoroughly combined.
3. Serve over rice or in warm flour tortillas.
Source: RecipeZaar
http://w w w .the-girl-w ho-ate-everything.com/2010/05/easy-crockpot-fiesta-chicken.html
Fiesta Beans by Becky Douglas
6 cans black beans, drained
6 cans corn, drained
8 large (or 12 small tomatoes), chopped
3 red peppers, chopped
one bunch cilantro, chopped
one or two bunches green onions, chopped
3 fresh chili peppers (optional) OR hot sauce
Sauce:
juice of 10 limes
1/2 cup oil
1-2 teaspoons oregano
1-2 teaspoons cumin
1-2 teaspoons oregano
1-2 teaspoons cumin
salt and pepper to taste
Mix it all together and chill. Serve with chips.
This makes a lot of dip