Pasta E. Fagioli (Olive Garden Copy Cat)

One of the reasons I love having a facebook page is that friends share their wonderful recipes. I posted a question about favorite soups and a friend recommended this recipe. I had to change it a bit because my crock pot was not big enough to double just about everything. I wish it was because then we could have some for dinner and freeze some for a later day. She also added Tabasco sauce. I would normally add that but my son sometimes has a hard time with tomato base soup and the added extra spice would make it even more difficult for his tummy. I am not used to making soup with pasta and 8 oz seemed like so little so I made 16 oz and added as much as I thought made sense. I regretted that because the pasta soaks up a lot of broth and I had to add more broth later.

This soup reminded me of a cross between lasagna, chili, and minestrone. We all loved it and had seconds except Brody. He doesn't really like chili or lasagna so it made sense he didn't like this soup. I loved it and am looking forward to making it again.

The next time I make it, I may change adding the pasta. I may only add it to each bowl. It might be better when reheating. Try it and let me know what you think.

Ingredients

1lb Ground Beef. 

1/2 onion chopped

2 carrots chopped

2 celery stalks chopped

1 can diced tomato 

1 can red kidney beans rinsed

1 can northern beans rinsed

4 cups beef stock or broth

1 (25 oz) jar Prego spaghetti sauce (I used tomato garlic)

2 teaspoon dried Oregano

salt and pepper to taste

8 oz ditalini pasta

Parmesan cheese for topping 

Directions

In a large skillet brown ground beef. Add it and all ingredients except pasta to the crock pot. Cook on low for 7-8 hours or low for 4-5 hours. The last hour of cooking you should boil pasta and under cook slightly. Drain and add during the last half hour. 

Crockpot Chili

My sister Brandi has been telling me about this chili recipe for quite some time. Her and my other sister Lindsy make it all the time and said my dad loves it. Well its safe to say my dad is a bit picky so I had to try it for that reason and because it just seemed so darn easy. I am always looking for a good crock pot recipe because with two kids it can be very hard to make dinner every night.

Well we all loved it and am looking forward to making it again. Maybe next time I will add two cans of everything like she recommended so I can freeze some for a later date. Try it and let me know what you think.


Ingredients

1 CAN OF TOMATO SAUCE
1 CAN OF PETITE CHOPPED TOMATOES
1 SMALL CAN OF CHOPPED CHILI PEPPERS
1 CAN OF CHILI BEANS (sometimes 2 cans) 
1 CAN OF PORK AND BEANS
1/2 ONION - diced
1 LB OF GROUND TURKEY
1 PACKET OF CHILI SEASONING

Directions

Add all the cans with juices to the cold crock pot and then turn on. Then I chop the onion and throw it into a hot pan with a little oil til they are soft and then brown the turkey until no longer pink. Then I add the chili seasoning to the turkey/onion mixture and then pour all of it into the, hopefully hot, crock pot. Cook on low all day or high for 4-6 hours. 

Stew

I love making Stew for many reasons. It is great because you can put it all in the crock pot in the morning and it cooks all day. This is nice because me and the kids don't get home until 5pm. I usually have to get Coolidge started on his homework, Brody situated and playing quietly in his room, and then I am running through the kitchen to get dinner ready. Well, when I make stew I get to sit with both of them and relax. Another great reason is the whole dinner is all in one pot. It warms you up on a chilly fall day and it is just simply delish. I first found this recipe in a magazine but I have changed it to my liking over the years. I don't start my stew until after I drop the kids off at school, drink my coffee, eat breakfast, start a load of laundry and then around noon I get it all out and in the pot. So I cook mine on high. I didn't make it much when my kids were younger because they didn't like it. Now however, they devour it and there are no left overs. 

Ingredients
1 package stew meat (chuck roast chopped)
1-2 potatoes chopped. I usually only use one because I put it over egg noodles
3 chopped carrots or couple hand fulls of carrots. I don't skimp on these because we all love them
2 stalks celery sliced
1 small onion diced.
2 cans consomme
salt and pepper
egg noodles
2tsp Italian seasoning
1tbs. oil

Recipe

Salt and pepper meat. In a HOT pan with a with oil, brown meat on both sides. Once the meat is brown on both sides put them in the crock pot. Take half can of beef consommé and pour in the pan. I do this because it gets all the yummy bits off the pan. Mix all around add the rest of the consommé,  Italian seasoning and a little more Salt and pepper and cook all day. If you start this in the morning put temperature on low. If you start at noon like me then cook it on high. I add my vegetables when there is only a couple more hours left cooking because I don't like the vegetables to be too soft.  I love to put my stew over egg noodles but you can use rice or even mashed potatoes. I like all three. Give it a try and let me know what you think.