Slow Cooker Sunday

Good morning to you all!  Still trying to Rest in Him & taking today off & spending some time with a friend.
Another friend sent me this recipe last night to share with you, from Weight Watchers & I have all the ingredients to make!
I am substituting the beef for turkey & whole wheat pasta for regular!  She advised me to only cook it for 4 hours, not 6! 
Enjoy!
Dena

To Print, click here!

Slow Cooker Lasagna

Ingredients:


1 pound(s) uncooked lean ground beef (with 7% fat) (I substituted with Turkey)

1 small onion(s), chopped

1 clove(s) (medium) garlic clove(s), minced

28 oz canned crushed tomatoes

15 oz canned tomato sauce

1 tsp table salt

1 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp dried basil

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste

1 cup(s) part-skim ricotta cheese

1 1/2 cup(s) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheeses, divided

6 item(s) dry lasagna noodles, no-cook

1/2 cup(s) shredded parmesan cheese, strong-flavored like Romano or Parmigiano Reggiano



Instructions:

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add beef, onion and garlic; cook, stirring frequently, breaking up meat with a wooden spoon as it cooks, about 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, salt, oregano, basil and red pepper flakes; simmer 5 minutes to allow flavors to blend.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, stir together ricotta cheese and 1 cup of mozzarella cheese.

Spoon 1/3 of beef mixture into a 5-quart slow cooker. Break 3 lasagna sheets in half and arrange over beef mixture; top with half of ricotta mixture. Repeat with another layer and finish with remaining 1/3 of beef mixture.

Cover slow cooker and cook on low setting for 4 hours. Remove cover; turn off heat and season to taste, if desired.

In a small bowl, combine remaining 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese; sprinkle over beef mixture. Cover and set aside until cheese melts and lasagna firms up, about 10 minutes. Yields 1/6th of dish per serving.

Notes

To boost your vegetable intake, add a can of zucchini in tomato sauce to the meat mixture. You can also add 2 cups of sliced shiitake mushrooms to the beef mixture.

Taste & see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.

Psalm 34: 8

Slow Cooker Sunday

Thursday night, I had a wonderful time at Brennan's 1st Cocktail Party! More on that, later...
We ended up staying for a light dinner & I ordered Chef Danny's Venison & White Bean Cassoulet...yummo!

Brennan's
Venison & White Bean
Cassoulet

It's been a dreary, rainy, yucky weather all weekend.  So, it's definitely time to pull out the slow cooker & try to make some of this yummy dish!  I searched for an easy & affordable recipe & I came up with a version, adapted from a Williams Sonoma's recipe from Chef Thomas Keller of The French Laundry.  I linked their recipe, as well.

Here is my version & it was a great success, if I do say so, myself...& all of the Designers at work, say so, too!

Venison & White Bean Cassoulet


I used a 7 qt. Slow Cooker – 8-9 hours & then reheated. Better the 2nd day!
You could cook in a large 8 qt. Dutch Oven, covered, in the oven at 350 degrees for 1.5 to 2 hours.



Ingredients:

• 4 lb. boneless pork shoulder, cut into 8 pieces and trimmed of excess fat (I used Bone-In Pork Shoulder Chops – 3 of them, cut up into small to medium pieces – after cooking in slow cooker or oven, take out any bones)
• Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 4 cups coarsely chopped yellow onions (about 3 medium onions)
• 3 Tbsp of Butter
• 2 cups dry white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 1 can (28 oz.) peeled Italian plum tomatoes; I used San Marzano Plum Tomatoes, NOT drained, but     
   chopped.
• 2 cups chicken broth - low sodium
• 1 – 32 oz Bag Great Northern beans or other small white beans, drained
   ( Soaked over night – beware, they do expand)
• 2 links of Pork Venison Sausage( Chappell Hill or Holmes), fully cooked (or smoked chorizo or garlic
   sausage links) about 1 1/2 lb. total, each sliced on the diagonal
• 1 garlic head, - about 12 cloves - minced

Directions:


Season the cut up pork generously with salt and pepper; set aside.

In skillet, add 3 Tbsp of butter & sauté onions and 1 tsp. salt & 1 tsp. pepper, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and softened, about 7 minutes.

Add minced garlic and sausage & simmer until sausage browns. Remove from heat & put in Slow Cooker or Dutch Oven.
Add onions, garlic, sausage, tomato paste, tomatoes, broth, 2 cups wine and beans to the Slow Cooker or Dutch Oven.

In same skillet you used for the onions, add the pork chops and brown on both sides, 7 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a Slow Cooker or Dutch Oven.  Stir slowly, until all the beans, sausage & pork are under the liquid.

Cook on low in Slow Cooker about 8-9 hours. Or, in an oven at 350,  for 2-3 hours & check. Should have some liquid, but not too soupy. It thickens after adding the bread crumbs & refrigeration.

Fold in the 1 cup of seasoned bread crumbs. ( I used Italian Bread Crumbs)

Adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper. (I added McCormick’s Black Pepper/Garlic in a Grinder)


Serve with French Baguette or Garlic Bread.
Serves 8 to 10.


Here's a few pics to get your smell buds going!



Great Northern Beans



Can you smell the onion & garlic?
  Heaven!

Texas Style Sausage
Pork & Venison
Chappell Hill

Scratch & Sniff Here!!

Seasoned Pork Shoulder Chops

It speaks for itself!

Countdown...

It reheats nicely & the flavor is more scrumptous, the 2nd & 3rd days!  Enjoy!
Dena

A house is built by wisdom & it is established by understanding. By knowledge the rooms are filled with every precious & beautiful treasure. Proverbs 24: 3-4