Crockpot Tortellini Sausage and Spinach

I feel like I say it often (mostly because I DO say it often!), but this is one of my favorite meals! Easy to make, not many ingredients, and super yummy, even as leftovers. We like it served with garlic bread, so that we can use the bread to mop up the sauce in the bottom of the bowl :)

You can also use refrigerated tortellini if you want, just don't add it in until the last 20 minutes or so, otherwise it will be overcooked.

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb ground sausage

19 oz bag frozen cheese Tortellini

Baby Spinach (I used just over half of a 6 oz bag, but I think it would be good with the whole thing too)

2 14.5oz cans Italian style diced tomatoes (do not drain)

8 oz cream cheese, cut up

3 cups chicken broth

Garlic Powder (I didn't measure, just sprinkled over the top)

Parmesan Cheese for topping (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

Brown the sausage, drain the grease.

Put all ingredients in the crockpot.

 Cook on low for about 5 hours, stirring once in the middle so the melted cream cheese blends in.

Sprinkle with Parmesan Cheese, if desired, and enjoy!

Tortellini Tomato Soup

This is a nice little spin on plain old tomato soup, with only a little bit more effort. In fact, it is the only way we eat tomato soup in our house anymore.  Delicious paired with grilled cheese! 

INGREDIENTS:

2 cloves of garlic, minced

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

2 10.75 oz cans condensed tomato soup

2 Tablespoons tomato paste

3 cups Chicken stock

1 cup milk

4 oz cream cheese, cut up

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 Tablespoon Italian Seasoning

1 9oz package cheese filled tortellini

salt and pepper

DIRECTIONS:

Saute garlic in the olive oil over medium heat for a couple of minutes.

Add remaining ingredients except tortellini. Mix well and bring to a simmer.

After it is simmering, add tortellini and simmer until tender (follow package directions). Season to taste with salt and pepper. Enjoy!

Vegetable Enchiladas

When I first made this, I honestly didn't have high hopes. I was pretty sure the kids wouldn't eat it and that Matt and I would just tolerate it. I was wrong. It is sooo good! It is very filling without being heavy, and the kids gobbled it up. It is a little bit on the spicy side with the pepper jack cheese, but that can always be substituted for another kind. The sauce isn't all that great alone, but I think it goes really well once the dish is put together.

INGREDIENTS:

Sauce:

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

1/4 cup flour

1 teaspoon ground cumin

5 oz can tomato paste

14.5 oz can vegetable broth

3/4 cup water

salt and pepper, to taste

Enchiladas:

2 cups grated pepper jack cheese

1 cup Colby jack cheese

1 teaspoon ground cumin

10 oz frozen spinach, thawed and excess moisture removed

10 frozen corn, thawed

15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained

4 green onions, chopped, separate whites and greens

10 fajita-sized flour tortillas

DIRECTIONS:

In a medium saucepan, heat oil. Add cumin, flour, and tomato paste. Mix together.

Add the vegetable broth and water. Bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer until thickened, about 5-8  minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

In a large bowl, combine pepper jack cheese, ground cumin, spinach, corn, black beans, and onion whites. Mix well.

Divide mixture evenly among tortillas. Roll up, placing seam side down in a greased baking dish (I only made 6 to start, and they fit in an 11x7 pan. If making all of them at once, use probably a 9x13).

Spread the Colby jack cheese evenly on top, and cover with sauce.

Bake uncovered @400F for 20 minutes. Garnish with onion greens. Enjoy!

adapted from HERE

Crockpot Bacon Cheeseburger Soup

This consistency of this is similar to potato soup, but the taste is a lot different!

INGREDIENTS:
1 lb ground beef
1/2 large onion, chopped
black pepper
32 oz Chicken Broth
32 oz bag frozen Ore Ida hash browns
16 oz Velveeta, cubed 
14.5 oz can petite diced tomatoes
small can diced green chilies
3 oz bag bacon bits (the real bacon kind, not imitation), plus more for topping if desired
8 oz cream cheese, room temp and cut into smaller sections
french fried onions for topping, optional

DIRECTIONS:
Brown ground beef along with onion in skillet. Season with black pepper. Transfer to crock pot when done.
Add the chicken broth, hash browns, velveeta, tomatoes, green chilies, and bacon bits to crock pot. Cook on low for about 5 hours, stirring a few times to prevent cheese from settling at bottom.
Add cream cheese. Cook on low for another 30-60 minutes.
Serve with desired toppings. Enjoy!

Tato Taco Casserole

We may have an obsession with taco flavored things. But they are always so yummy!!

INGREDIENTS:
Crust:
1.5 cups mashed potato flakes
8 oz sour cream
2/3 cup water
Filling:
1 lb ground beef
1/2 cup taco sauce
2 cups shredded cheese (cheddar or mexi-blend, both are good!)
Topping:
1.5 cups shredded lettuce
1 large tomato, diced
Tortilla chips, slightly crushed

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350F.
Combine crust ingredients in medium bowl. Press into 8x8 dish. Bake for about 25 minutes, until edges start to brown.

Meanwhile, brown ground beef in skillet. Drain. Stir in taco sauce, heat through. Add cheese and mix well. Spread evenly over baked crust.
Top with lettuce, tomato, and tortilla chips. Enjoy!

Taco Rice

One of my favorite discoveries in Okinawa is Taco Rice. While it sounds like it would be a Mexican dish, it is actually a Japanese dish that is very popular here in Okinawa.  Delicious!

INGREDIENTS:
1 lb ground beef
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
1 pack taco seasoning
1/2 cup water
6 servings rice (I use brown Minute Rice)
2 cups shredded cheddar
lettuce, cut into bit sized pieces
tomato, diced
salsa
sour cream


DIRECTIONS:
Stir fry ground beef in vegetable oil. Drain.
Cook rice according to package directions.
Add taco mix and water. Heat over low until water is evaporated. Mix in about 1 cup of shredded cheese and let melt over low heat.
Put meat mixture on top of rice. Top with cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, salsa and sour cream. 

Crockpot Chicken Tortilla Soup

This is the only tortilla soup I have ever had, so I can't say how it compares to others. All I know is I love this one!

INGREDIENTS:
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast (can still be frozen)
15 oz can whole peeled tomatoes, smashed
10 oz can enchilada sauce
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed 
4 oz can chopped green chilies
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 14.4 oz cans chicken broth
10 oz pack frozen corn
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 bay leaf
Salt and Pepper (I don't measure these, just do what seems good to me)
6 corn tortillas (this is optional, you can just use tortilla chips)
vegetable oil or cooking spray (only needed if using tortillas)
Sour cream and shredded cheese for toppings

DIRECTIONS:
Throw everything (except tortillas and oil) into crock pot. Cook on low for 6 hours.
Remove chicken, shred, and put back in crock pot. Cook additional 2 hours.
Brush both sides of tortillas with vegetable oil (or spray with cooking spray). Cut into strips (a pizza cutter works awesome!). Bake about 10 minutes in 400F oven, turning over half way.

Serve soup with tortilla strips, sour cream, and cheese.

adapted from HERE

Katie's Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas

I have yet to meet someone that doesn't fall in love with these enchiladas (and trust me, I have made them for a lot of people. When Matt makes new friends at work, he invites them over for enchiladas every time). When we invite friends over for supper and give them the option of what we are going to eat, the answer is always enchiladas.

INGREDIENTS:
about 2 lbs chicken, cooked and shredded (I always use a 2.25 lb bag of boneless skinless breasts)
4.25oz can of chopped black olives
3-4 green onions, chopped (both white and green parts)
1 large tomato, diced
2 cups shredded cheese (I have used cheddar as well as cheddar jack, both are delicious)
4.5oz can of diced green chilies
16 oz sour cream
1 can cream of chicken soup
8 burrito sized flour tortillas

DIRECTIONS:
In large bowl, mix chicken, black olives, onions, tomato, and 1 cup of cheese. Mix well.

In medium bowl, mix sour cream, cream of chicken, and green chilies. Spread about a cup of this onto bottom of a 9x13 pan. Divide chicken mixture evenly among tortillas.

Roll tortillas up and place in pan, seam side down. Cover with remaining sour cream mixture. Top with remaining cheese.

Bake @350 for about 30 minutes, or til cheese is bubbly and enchiladas are heated through.

NOTES:
The easiest way we have found to serve them is to cut them in half. It doesn't always look as pretty but it is so much easier to dish up!

These can be made ahead of time and placed in the fridge until ready to bake. Just remember to take them out about 30 minutes before baking (if not, they still bake just fine but will need to be in longer to heat up the inside).

Toastachos

I pretty much feel like these are beef tostadas, but I got them from Rachel Ray's website and she called them toastachos, so that's what I am going with.

These are quick to make but have a lot of little steps. I suggest having everything pre-measured and ready to go before starting. I suppose that is probably a good idea for any recipe haha but I usually do my chopping and such while doing other things like browning the meat.

Matt called his the "man-nacho" because of how much he piled on it :) 

Mine, minus the sour cream. I totally forgot about it until after I took the picture.

INGREDIENTS:
Corn or vegetable oil, for frying
6 (6 inch) corn tortillas
Salt and pepper
1 lb ground beef
1 small onion, finely chopped, divided
2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and finely chopped, divided
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/4 cup beef stock
2 plum tomatoes, seeded and finely chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon flour
2/3 cup milk
1 1/2 cups mexi-blend cheese (plus more for topping if desired)
Pickled jalapeño slices
Sour cream, if desired

DIRECTIONS:
Fry the tortillas one at a time in oil over medium-high heat until golden and crisp. Season with salt.
In a skillet, heat a drizzle of oil over medium-high heat. Add the beef and brown for about 5 minutes. Add half  of the onion and half of the jalapeño peppers. Add the garlic, chili powder, and cumin; season with salt and pepper. Cook about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste for 1 minute. Add the beef stock and lower the heat to a simmer.
In a small bowl, combine the tomatoes with the remaining onion and jalapeño. Season the salsa with salt.
Heat the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour for 1 minute. Whisk in the milk and cook to thicken, about 2 minutes. Stir in the cheese to melt.
Cover each tortilla with the meat and cheese sauce, then top with salsa, pickled jalapeños, sour cream, and shredded cheese. 

Hot Antipasto Poor Boys

Anything with artichokes has to be yummy!!

INGREDIENTS:
1/4 cup Italian salad dressing
2 Tablespoons grated Parmesan Cheese
14 oz can artichokes, drained and quartered
1 cup quartered cherry tomatoes
5 oz thinly sliced pepperoni
2.25 oz can sliced black olives, drained
Hoagie Rolls (3-4)
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese

DIRECTIONS:
In large bowl, mix Italian dressing and grated Parmesan cheese together. Add the artichokes, tomatoes, pepperoni, and black olives. Toss to coat.
Slice each roll in half. Place cut side up on baking sheet. Broil 3-4 minutes until golden brown.
Spread filling over the buns. Sprinkle with mozzarella. Broil another 3-4 minutes, til filling is hot.

NOTES:
We use 4 hoagie rolls, and make 2 of them with a small amount of filling for the kids. If it was only adults eating, I think 3 would be better.

Tortilla Casserole

This sounds rather plain, but it is actually really good!

INGREDIENTS:
1 lb ground beef
1 large green bell pepper, diced
1 large tomato, diced
2 to 3 cups shredded cheddar (I don't measure, but more is always better!)
4 flour tortillas (8 inch round)
Sour cream
Salsa

DIRECTIONS:
Brown ground beef. I usually season with black pepper and onion powder, but not necessary.
Grease an 8x8 pan. Place 1 tortilla on the bottom. Tear off pieces of another to fill in empty spots. Layer bell pepper, tomato, cheese, and beef. Repeat tortilla (filling in spots), bell pepper, tomato, cheese, beef. Place last tortilla and top with cheese.
Bake @350 for 25 minutes.
Serve with sour cream and salsa.

Taco Salad

This was one of the first meals Matt and I made together. It's really quick and easy (15 minutes, tops), but cooking is always more fun with someone else in the kitchen! Delicious on a hot day! Or a cold one haha, but I always think of it as a summer food.

INGREDIENTS:
1 lb ground beef
1/2 cup taco sauce
6 cups bite-sized lettuce
1 medium green bell pepper, cut into strips
2 medium tomatoes, cut into wedges
1 small can black olives, drained
1.5 cups shredded cheddar
Fritos
Thousand Island Dressing

DIRECTIONS:
Brown Beef. Drain. Stir in taco sauce. Cook 2-3 minutes.
Toss lettuce, bell pepper, tomatoes, olives, and cheese in a large bowl.
Spoon hot beef mixture over lettuce mixture. Toss.
Serve with dressing and Fritos.

NOTES:
Fritos and Dressing can be mixed into the salad, but stuff will get soggy if they sit for long. We like it better to just put some on the salad after dishing up.

Chicken Garlic Pizza

This pizza is SO good! It is supposed to be similar to Papa Murphy's chicken garlic pizza, but I have never eaten that particular one from there, so I can't say how close it is. In any case, it is delicious!

Before the top layer of cheese:

 Right out of the oven:

INGREDIENTS:
2/3 cup Ranch Dressing
3/4 Tbs minced garlic
2 cups shredded mozarella
1 cup shredded cheddar
1/4 cup grated parmesan
3/4 cup grilled chicken breast, bite sized pieces
3/4 cup diced Roma tomatoes
1/4 cup sliced green onion (green part only)
Homemade pizza crust

DIRECTIONS:
Mix ranch and garlic together. Spread over pizza crust.
Mix all cheeses together. Spread about half over the sauce.
Evenly spread chicken, tomatoes, and green onions on pizza. Top with remaining cheese.
Bake @ 425F for 12-15 minutes, til cheese is golden brown.

NOTES:
I use this chicken instead of making my own:

Also, any kind of tomatoes will work but if you use something other than Roma, be sure to drain off extra liquid/seeds.


adapted from here