Crock Pot Pasta e Fagiole

One day in my parenting group (a valued group of moms and one dad whom I meet with weekly to discuss parenting issues...and life), I mentioned that I was thinking about trying more crock pot recipes. That afternoon, my friend Jill emailed two of her favorite crock pot recipes. I decided to try this "Copy Cat" recipe for Olive Garden Pasta e Fagiole first. I threw it together this uncharacteristically cool Spring morning and then we all went about our busy day. My mother-in-law is visiting, so she took our daughters on an outing. We all met up for lunch and then I took one kiddo home for a nap and and sent my oldest off with grandma to find some shirts to match last year's shorts. Strangely, most of her shorts survived last summer and still fit, but her shirts are either too short or stained from a summer of Popsicles and mud pies...or both. My husband took the afternoon off so that we enjoy do some kid-free hiking and rock climbing together. It was a good day!

We all returned home at nearly the same time this evening and converged upon this hearty, traditional, Italian soup. Pasta e fagiole. Pasta and beans. The dish is traditionally meatless, however this recipe is "beefed up" with hamburger. From my research I found that this dish was originally a peasant dish, due to cheaply available beans and pasta. Many homemade versions also use leftover homemade marinara. This particular version uses canned spaghetti sauce...but if you've got homemade sauce, good for you!

Here's how it all came together...

First, I browned and drained 2 lbs. of lean ground beef.



Then, I chopped up my veggies and added them to the crock pot: onions, carrots, and celery.



Add the cooked beef to the veggies, then dump in all of the other ingredients. Stir them together and cover and cook on LOW for 7-8 hours.



In the last 30-60 minutes before serving, stir in the pasta. I stirred mine in about an hour prior to serving because I'd rather have my pasta a little too mushy than too chewy. I know, I know...the whole concept of al dente is lost on me. Sorry. Really, I think that this pasta would have been just fine after 30 minutes. It cooked pretty quickly, especially sinced I had turned my crock pot to HIGH.



It looks like this when it's all cooked up. Look at all of that yummy goodness going on!



We dished this up, grated some cheese over the top, and served it with a side of freshly baked Italian bread for sopping. Holy cow, this was good! I was ravenous after an evening of finding a piece of rock to grip and a place for my foot, rather than fall and break my legs(or worse). I stand reminded that climbing (and un-climbing) is much trickier than hiking! This soup definitely hit the spot! It got rave reviews from both my mother-in-law and (surprisingly) my husband, who had questioned my menu choice. "We're just having that soup for dinner?" Mine turned out super thick, definitely more like a stew than a soup. I even ended up thinning it with some tomato juice. I intended to use broth, but I was out. Upon tasting, I'm really glad I used the juice. This was delicious!

Truthfully, I don't remember if I've tried The Olive Garden's Pasta e Fagiole, but my mother-in-law is a big fan...this is her favorite soup on the menu. She deemed this version, "better than Olive Garden." She may have just been being nice, but I was flattered. : )




Olive Garden Pasta E Fagioli Soup in a Crock Pot (Copycat) Recipe

Cook Time: 7¼ hours | 15 min prep Serves: 12 –14 people

2 lbs ground beef
1 onion, chopped
3 carrots, chopped
4 stalks celery, chopped
2 (28 ounce) cans diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (16 ounce) can red kidney beans, drained
1 (16 ounce) can white kidney beans, drained (I used butter beans because I couldn't find the white kidneys)
32 oz. beef stock
3 teaspoons oregano
2 teaspoons pepper
1 tablespoon parsley
1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce (optional)
1 (20 ounce) jar spaghetti sauce
8 ounces pasta like macaroni, ditalini, or radiatore

1.Brown beef in a skillet.
2.Drain fat from beef and add to crock pot with everything except pasta.
3.Cook on low 7-8 hours or high 4-5 hours.
4.During last 30 min on high or 1 hour on low, add pasta

Notes: I also added 1-2 cups of tomato sauce to thin this out, and a teaspoon of garlic powder and a couple teaspoons of salt for flavor.

For a printable copy of this recipe, please click here!

Meal Plan and Grocery List 4/19-4/25

Monday April 19th
Crock Pot Pasta E Fagiole

Tuesday April 20th
Happy Birthday to my husband! We'll be dining out.

Wednesday April 21st
Espresso Rubbed Steak with Green Chili Pesto

Thursday April 22nd
Leftovers or something from the freezer

Friday April 23rd
Homemade Pizza...I might even make the dough from scratch.
Plus, I've got a whole ball of fresh mozzarella calling to me from the fridge.

Saturday April 24th
Grilled Barbecued Chicken

Sunday March 25th
Slidersssss!



Grocery List

Produce

onion
3 carrots
celery
2 poblano peppers
pine nuts
garlic
pizza toppings: mushroom,onion, pepper, etc.

Meat

4 lbs. ground beef
bone in chicken breast halves

Dairy

Cojita cheese
Pizza cheese of your choice
American cheese slices

Canned Goods

2 cans diced tomatoes
1 can red kidney beans
1 can white kidney beans
30 oz beef broth
hot sauce
spaghetti sauce
olive oil
pizza sauce
cider vinegar
vegetable or canola oil
Worcestershire sauce
dill pickle slices

Dry Goods

oregano
pepper
parsley
small pasta for soup
flour
chili powder
instant espresso powder
garlic powder
crushed red pepper
yeast
dried onion
seasoning salt
dinner rolls

Chorizo-Topped Pizzas

This the was the perfect Friday night dinner! It was super quick and easy to make and completely satisfied my Mexican food craving. I tore this recipe out of the February 2008 issue of Better Homes and Gardens and I have just now gotten around to making it. I wonder what other little gems are just waiting to surprise me in my "Try This" file. I can't even remember if I tore out the page for this pizza recipe. I think that I was interested in a bean soup recipe on the same page. What luck!

As the name of the recipe indicates, you need chorizo for this pizza. Chorizo is a type of sausage. You can purchase Portuguese or Spanish chorizo. However, for this recipe, I used a fresh chorizo from our neighbors to the South...Mexico. Mexican chorizo is very similar to the American sausage that you're probably accustomed to, the spices are just different. This particular chorizo presented in the form of big sausages, like bratwurst. I removed the casing from 1 and 1/2 sausages and fried them in a skillet, breaking the pieces up as they cooked. I drained mine on paper towel before adding it to my pizza.



Next the recipe called for deli-fresh salsa with corn and beans. I wasn't about to purchase "deli-fresh" salsa when I have perfectly good home-canned salsa in my pantry. Corn and black beans both happen to be staples in this house, so I added corn and black beans to my home-canned salsa and then heated the mixture in the skillet that I used to brown the chorizo. Less dishes!



Now spray a baking sheet with a little non stick cooking spray before laying down your flour tortilla shells. Top with shredded cheese; Mexican blend, Cheddar, Monterrey Jack, Colby Jack...whatever you prefer. Pop them under your pre-heated oven broiler for a bit to melt the cheese and crisp up the edges of the tortillas.



Now top your "pizzas". I spread around the warmed salsa and then sprinkled on some chorizo.



Then, I shaved some Cojita cheese over the top. I popped this back under the broiler for a minute or two to let the Cojita melt a little.



Top the pizzas with green onion and chopped cilantro. Avocado would have been perfect here too...but I ate my last avocado in leftover Taco Soup this week. Oops. Garnish with lime slices. A little lime squeezed over the top of this really brightens it up! Delicious!



If you're thinking, "This looks great to me, but there's no way my picky kid (or spouse) will eat that." You're probably correct. But I bet that they'd eat a cheese quesadilla. After you sprinkle on the cheese and broil, just fold the tortilla in half.



I sliced the quesadillas and served them up with the extra corn that didn't make it's way into the "pizza sauce". Everyone ate. No one complained. My craving was satisfied. Ahhhh. It was a good Friday night.




Chorizo-Topped Pizzas adapted from Better Homes and Gardens

Start to Finish: 20 minutes

Ingredients
8 oz. fresh chorizo sausage
1 cup deli-fresh chunky salsa with corn and beans OR 1/3 cup of your favorite salsa with 1/4 cup black beans and 1/4 cup corn stirred in
Nonstick cooking spray
4 7 - to 8-inch flour tortillas
1 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend or Monterrey Jack or Cheddar, or Colby Jack...
thinly sliced Cojita cheese, I used my vegetable peeler
1 avocado, halved, pitted, peeled and sliced
4 green onions, chopped
1/4 cup snipped fresh cilantro
Lime wedges

Directions
1. Preheat broiler. In large skillet crumble and cook chorizo over medium heat until no pink remains. Drain in colander. In small saucepan heat salsa over medium heat until heated through.

2. Lightly coat large baking sheet with cooking spray. Arrange tortillas, two at time, on baking sheet; top each with one-fourth the cheese. Broil 3 to 4 inches from heat 2 to 3 minutes, until cheese is melted. Top each pizza with one-fourth the warm salsa, cooked chorizo, and sliced cojita. Return to the broiler until the cojita just starts to melt.

3. Sprinkle with avocado, green onions, and cilantro. Pass lime wedges. Makes 4 servings.

Click here for a printable version of this recipe!

Krista's Kitchen Quick Fire Winner: Tracy's Porcupine Balls

Last week, I issued my second "Quick Fire Challenge" on the Krista's Kitchen Facebook page. I do this when I have an ingredient that I'd like to use. Plus, I really like to read about what everyone else "out there" is cooking. This recipe caught my attention for a number of reasons: One, because it was such an interesting way to use ground beef. I've never heard of Rice-a-Roni meatballs. Two, because it sounded simple and only used 4 ingredients. Three, because my kiddos always eat meatballs. And four, honestly...the name made me laugh. I know, I know, the name comes from the prickly looking texture created by the Rice-a-Roni, but the juvenile aspect of my sense of humor couldn't help but laugh like Beavis and Butthead whenever I mentioned the name of this recipe.

Here's how it all came together:

First, combine a pound of ground beef with an egg, some onion flakes, and salt and pepper.



Once you've mashed that all together, pour in the rice/vermicelli mixture (save the seasoning packet). I used a cheaper version of Rice-a-Roni that I found at ALDI. I began by stirring this together with a wooden spoon, but ended up using my hands to squish it all together.



Roll the mixture into balls and transfer to a skillet.



Saute the meatballs until brown on all sides. You'll wanted to stir/flip them a bit while they cook. I drained of the excess fat after the browning process.



Now add in the recommended amount of water from the rice box. This one called for 2 1/2 cups. Stir in the seasoning packet. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook for 20-30 minutes until most of the liquid is absorbed.



I don't know why I needed to serve these with Brussels sprouts, but from the minute that I decided to prepare this recipe, I knew that I was making Brussels sprouts for our veggie. Maybe I needed conformity. A whole dinner, rolling around on my plate. It just seemed right.



Okay, here is the bottom line: These were really easy to make and the Porcupine Balls and accompanying gravy created in the cooking process were really flavorful. However, these made for a meatball that is more dense and a little chewier than I am accustomed to. The texture and ahem...the cross section of these kind of "weirded me out". See?



Not that any of these personal hang-ups stopped me from eating 5 or 6 for dinner, but the whole time I was thinking, "Interesting. Do I love them or not? The flavor is there, but I'm not sure about the texture." I was still thinking about them when I climbed into my friend's car after dinner to go to Mom's Night at our daughters' pre-school. I just had to tell my friend all about them. She suggested that I let her sample this recipe. When we returned home, I re-heated a few and let her and her daughter give them a try. They loved these! Seriously, loved them. She even called me later to talk about all of the applications for these Porcupine Balls...sandwiches, teriyaki-style appetizers, Italian Wedding Soup. So, thank you Tracy...for an easy and thought provoking recipe and for making my friend (and her daughter) so happy.

Tracy's Porcupine Balls

1 lb. ground beef
1 egg
Onion flakes, a couple of shakes (I used a little more...around a tablespoon)
salt and pepper, to taste
1 package Rice a Roni rice/vermicelli mix, beef flavored
water

Combine the ground beef, egg, minced onion, and salt and pepper. Stir in the rice mixture, reserve the seasoning packet. Form into balls. In a skillet, saute until browned. Drain. Add the recommended amount of water from the box. Stir in the seasoning packet. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 20-30 minutes until most of the liquid is absorbed and a nice gravy has formed around the meatballs.

Mexican Salad with Creamy Avocado Dressing

You need some of this amazing salad in your life! Bookmark this and share it with friends and family at your next cookout. Or just keep it all for yourself...you might want to after you taste it.

I found this recipe at Noble Pig. I've tried quite a few recipes from this mouth-watering blog about food and wine, and so far this is my favorite. I was all set to make this today. I thought that it would make the perfect soup and salad combo with the leftover 7 Can Taco Soup from yesterday's dinner. Then on Sunday, some friends invited us to a cookout. Since I already had the ingredients ready, I decided that this salad would be my contribution to the cookout. It was definitely a hit! Everyone had seconds and one or two people might have even gotten thirds (I'm not naming any names.)

I began by making the dressing.

You can make this in your food processor or blender or if you've got an immersion blender like my Cuisinart CSB-76 Smart Stick Hand Blender then you can use that and cut down on dishes! I gathered the dressing ingredients: avocado, fresh lemon juice, mayonnaise, olive oil, hot sauce, garlic, and salt.



I combined them in my blender cup and took my immersion blender for a spin.



This makes a really thick, creamy dressing that clings to the salad ingredients beautifully.



Next, I assembled the salad. I started with 3-4 hearts of romaine, because they were on sale this week at ALDI. Then I sliced some tomatoes and tossed them in.



Next, I tossed in the chips and cheese. I had about a cup of generic brand Fritos left in a bag in the pantry, so I used them up and added in a cup of crushed tortilla chips too. I added a little over half a cup of Mexican blend shredded cheese over the top.



Then came some sliced green onion and a can of black beans, drained and rinsed. You can really make this salad your own, adding in sliced black olives and jalapenos or whatever you like. I tossed the ingredients together and then...



Poured on the dressing. I used my big purple bowl for this recipe for no other reason except that it has a well-fitted lid. I put the lid on a gave this a serious shake to coat all of the salad ingredients with the dressing. If you don't have a lid for your bowl, no biggie...just toss it really well as the dressing is thick and you want to taste it on every bite of the salad...it is SO good!



Now you're ready to serve. Man, this is a fabulous salad! I'm definitely making it again.



Mexican Salad with Creamy Avocado Dressing adapted from Noble Pig who adapted it from Dice With Spice

For the dressing:

1 large avocado
1 Tablespoon + 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon hot sauce
1/4 extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves
3/4 teaspoon salt

Combine all ingredients in a food processor or blender and process until smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust seasonings. Cover and refrigerate. Toss salad with dressing right before serving.

For the salad:

1-1/2 to 2 heads romaine lettuce, chopped
2-3 large tomatoes or 6-7 small tomatoes
2 cups corn chips, crushed into pieces
1/2 cup Mexican blend cheese, shredded
15 ounce black beans, drained and rinsed
5 green onions, chopped

Combine all ingredients in a big serving bowl and toss well with dressing. Serve immediately.

To download or print this recipe click here!