Breakfast Casserole

Ingredients:

• 1 bag of shredded hashbrowns
• 18 eggs
• 1 C. milk
• 1/2 t. salt
• 1/2 t. pepper
• about 16 oz of shredded cheese
• 1 or so packages of cubed ham

Directions:

1. Mix eggs, milk, salt and pepper
2. Grease crockpot
3. Layer Hashbrowns, ham, cheese- repeat until hashbrowns are gone
4. pour eggs over top of everything
5. cover with lid and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours

Notes:

This feeds about 12 to 14 people.  So great to make the night before, cook over night.  Especially if you are going to feed a lot of people and won't have a ton of time in the morning!

Source: Activity day companion

Slow Cooker Creamy Potato Soup

Slow Cooker Creamy Potato Soup

Ingredients:

10 gloves of garlic, minced (if you use jarred, it's a 5 t equivalent)

64 oz (8 cups) of chicken stock or broth

1 T seasoned salt

5 pounds russet potatoes, washed NOT peeled, diced into 1/2 inch cubes

2 medium yellow onions, diced

2 cups carrots, diced

16 oz low fat or non fat cream cheese

Directions:

Combine all ingredients (except for cream cheese) in crock pot and cook on high for 6 hours or low for 10 hours.

Take out half of soup and place in blender with most of liquid and blend with cream cheese. Pour blended soup back in with rest of soup in crock pot and stir to re-incorporate. (This will give you a creamy base with some chunky vegetables still intact). 

Can garnish with shredded cheese, green onion, crumbled bacon, if desired. 

I serve with crusty bread, usually rosemary focaccia. 

Notes:

Very simple and perfect for fall. This has become my go-to recipe to bring to new moms with newborns. It's a familiar tasting comfort food that agrees with most palates. This make A LOT of soup (it fills my crock pot up to the very top) so I take half to the new mom's family and save half for our family. You could easily half this if just eating for your own family (at least at my family's stage now, who knows in the future!). It is certainly a comfort food with the cream cheese ingredient, but so worth it! My kids all love it, including EmmaMae.

Overnight Oatmeal

• 6-8 cups water (see note above)
• 2 cups steel cut oats
• 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
• 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3/4 cup dried blueberries (optional)

Directions

1. Lightly coat the inside of a 4-5 quart slow cooker with cooking spray. Combine all the ingredients in the slow cooker and stir. Cook for 7-8 hours on low. Stir thoroughly before serving with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon. Serve immediately. The leftover oatmeal can be portioned into tupperware-like containers and refrigerated to be reheated and enjoyed for 3-4 days.

** Our family loves oatmeal, so I had to try this.  Seriously amazing.  I'm adding it to my routine each week. I love doing it at night and waking up to breakfast.  You could definitely cut down on the sugar and add in whatever you like to individual bowls!

Broccoli Cheese Soup

Ingredients: 
 1/2 C butter 
1 onion, chopped 
1 lb chopped fresh broccoli (you can use frozen as well) 
3 cans chicken broth (43.5 oz) 
1 lb processed cheese (such as Velveeta) cubed 
2 cups milk 
1 tablespoon garlic powder
 2/3 C cornstarch 
1 C water 
1/2 C cheddar cheese, plus more for serving 

  Instructions: 
-In a stockpot, melt butter over medium heat. Cook onion in butter until softened. Stir in broccoli, and cover with chicken broth. Simmer until broccoli is tender, 10 to 15 minutes. 
 -Reduce heat, and stir in cheese cubes until melted. Add in cheddar cheese. Mix in milk and garlic powder. 
-In a small bowl, stir cornstarch into water until dissolved. Stir into soup; cook, stirring frequently, until thick.

Slow-Cooker Indian-Spiced Lentils

Slow-Cooker Indian-Spiced Lentils

Ingredients:

• Ingredients: 2 cups red lentils (in the bulk food section of Whole Foods or other major grocery stores)
• 10 ounces spinach (fresh and chopped or frozen and thawed)
• 1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained (update: I use a 28 oz can and like it better)
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger (use the real stuff!)
• 4 cups chicken broth (or vegetable broth if you want to go vegetarian/vegan)
• 1 tablespoon curry powder or paste 
• 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/8-1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• Juice of 1/2 lemon or lime
• Handful of chopped cilantro, plus more for garnish if desired

Instructions: 

Combine all ingredients except for the lemon (or lime) juice and cilantro in the pot of a slow cooker. Cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 6-7 hours (or bring to a boil on the stove top and then simmer, covered, on low for 1 hour). Before serving, add the lemon juice and cilantro. This is delicious served over rice (we serve it with brown rice). This makes quite a bit - 8-10 servings.

Notes:

Jordan and I love Indian food! I am always looking for more tasty and filling meatless main courses and this one was great. We had it over brown rice and a side of naan bread. As I'm working hard to bring my iron levels back up before this birth, I was also grateful for the high iron content of lentils and spinach!  It has some spice but not too much; the boys all enjoyed it. (Well, little Jordo did need some bribing with some mandarin orange slices now and then, but that is normal). When we came home after our doctor's appointment and the boys could smell the lentils cooking Jacob said, "I can tell it's going to be yummy!" Also, for a tip on ginger, I peel it with a spoon and the grate it with the fine side of my grater. That seemed to work well. 

All the credit goes to ourbestbites again! http://www.ourbestbites.com/2012/11/slow-cooker-indian-lentils/

Black Bean and Sweet Potato Turkey Chili

Black Bean and Sweet Potato Turkey Chili

Ingredients:

• 1 medium onion, diced (any color)
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• 1 bell pepper, diced
• 1-2 jalapenos, minced (I only used 1/2 because I was scared, but you could definitely use the 1-2)
• 20 ounces ground turkey breast
• 8 ounces mushrooms, minced (about 2 heaping cups)
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 2  teaspoons kosher salt
• ½  teaspoons pepper
• 1  teaspoon oregano
• 1  teaspoon chili powder
• 1 1/2  teaspoons smoked paprika
• 1 1/2 lbs sweet potatoes, peeled and diced into 1/2 inch cubes
• 1 28 ounce can tomatoes (not drained)
• 2 15 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 32 ounces beef broth (one box/carton) (just realized now I used chicken broth instead!)
• 1 15 ounce can pumpkin puree (make sure you’re not using pumpkin pie filling :)
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

optional toppings: sour cream, sliced avocado, chopped cilantro or green onion, and fresh lime juice for serving

Directions:

Place all ingredients (aside from toppings) in crockpot, stir until combined, and cook on high for 4-6 hours or low for 8-10. Make about 16 cups (a lot!).

Notes:

In the original post, you are supposed to do some sauteing first. I am sure it would be even better, but I like the simpleness of crockpot cooking! (Just throw it all in and call it good!). This chili is by far one of the best I've ever had! It smelled so amazing while cooking all day and the sweet potatoes, cinnamon and cocoa gave it some festivity and such depth to the taste! We served it with the above toppings and tortilla chips. It makes a lot so I froze half for when the baby comes. You could also easily do this vegetarian and it would still be filling. Very healthy too (see nutritional value in link below).

Recipe and pic from: http://www.ourbestbites.com/2012/10/black-bean-and-sweet-potato-turkey-chili/

Tomato Basil Soup

Tomato Basil Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 C chopped onion
• ¾ C chopped carrot
• 4 cloves garlic 
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper 
• 1 Tbs dried basil 
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano 
• 2/3 C sliced sun-dried tomatoes, packed in oil
• 2 (14.5 oz) cans diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 (14oz) can chicken broth (or make your own)
• optional: 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (I did a few shakes) and 3 oz cream cheese
• Optional toppings: Parmesan cheese and fresh basil for garnish

Directions:

Combine all ingredients except cream cheese (if using) and toppings and place in crockpot. Don't worry too much about chopping veggies too fine or mincing garlic, as this will all be blended after cooking. Cook on high 4-6 hours or low 6-8 hours. Blend in blender (add cream cheese at this point if desired) and serve topped with parmesan cheese and fresh basil if desired. Depending on your blender, consider removing small center lid and placing paper towel over to let steam escape while blending.

Notes

We LOVE tomato soup around here and this is the first time I have tried to make it on my own! I'm so glad I did. I forgot to add the cream cheese and I don't think I will! It was very creamy as it was and had a wonderful flavor. I felt like we were eating at a cafe! I don't mean to repeat ourbestbites.com here, but their recipes are fabulous! I made it with the rosemary focaccia bread (also listed on this blog and from ourbestbites) and we all enjoyed it. There's nothing like soups as temperatures drop and winter approaches! I think fresh basil would make it even better (it always does!). You can also make this right before serving on the stovetop (see their link below), but I am partial to prep work in the morning and throwing it all in the crockpot so dinner is a snap and I can focus on the boys when they get home from school instead of dinner preparation. Bless crockpots.

Recipe adapted from (only directions) and picture from: http://www.ourbestbites.com/2009/03/creamy-tomato-soup/

Black Bean "Mud" Soup

Black Bean "Mud" Soup

Ingredients:

• 4 large cloves garlic, roughly chopped
• 3/4 C diced carrots (about 2 med carrots)
• 3/4 C diced celery (about 2 ribs)
• 1 C diced onion (about 1 sm-med onion)
• 2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 3.5oz can green chilies
• 2 cans low-sodium beef broth (I make my own from bullion, about 4 cups)
• 1 t kosher salt
• 1/8 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 t chili powder
• 1/4 t cumin
• 1/2 t dry oregano leaves
• 1 bay leaf
• Optional Toppings: sour cream, tortilla chips, grated cheese, chopped cilantro,  avocados, lime, etc.

Directions:

Place all ingredients (except toppings) in crockpot and cook on High for about 4-6 hours or on low 6-8 hours. Remove bay leaf. 

Place soup in a blender. (You could use an immersion blender in place of this step). Place lid on blender, but remove the stopper in the lid to let heat escape. Place a paper towel over the hole to avoid splatters. 

Puree soup until completely smooth.  Optionally you could pulse until a semi-chunky soup is achieved. Squeeze in the juice from one lime and pulse to combine.

Ladle into bowls and top with desired toppings. Serve with extra lime wedges.  Makes about 8 C soup.

Notes:

My boys have termed this "Mud" soup and they all love it. The ingredients are very simple and usually available from what I have on hand and I love the taste. It is filling and healthy! You can also make it on the stovetop (see link below where I got the recipe) but I love throwing everything in the crockpot. 

Recipe adapted (only directions) and picture from: http://www.ourbestbites.com/2009/01/black-bean-soup/