Crockpot Lasagna Soup

I have been having requests for this recipes lately….so I decided to share this yumminess with you!  I made this combining several different recipes & turning it into a crockpot recipe & IT IS DIVINE!!!  It tastes so much like lasagna without the work & hassle of the real thing!  I am pretty sure you will see this soup on my menu frequently!

Crockpot Lasagna Soup

• 1 lb ground hamburger
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp thyme
• 1 Tbs brown sugar, firmly packed
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 2 (14.5 oz) cans diced tomatoes
• 1 (15 oz) cans tomato sauce
• 2 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 cups broken lasagna noodles
• 1 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

In a large pan, combine hamburger, onion & garlic.  Cook until hamburger is browned & cooked through.  Drain well.

Add to crockpot: Hamburger mixture, thyme, brown sugar, chicken broth, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, Italian seasoning, and salt.  Cook on High for 4-6 hours.  20 minutes before you are ready to eat, add broken lasagna noodles, cover & cook until noodles are tender.  Stir in Parmesan cheese.

Ladle soup into bowls and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese.  Serve & Enjoy!

Optional:

Preheat broiler.  Ladle soup into ovenproof bowls.  Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese.  Broil soup until cheese is browned and bubbly.  Server & Enjoy!!

Homemade Rice-A-Roni

 

We LOVE Rice-A-Roni at our house!  It tastes delicious and it so easy to make.  Yet, I’ve recently started paying closer attention to ingredients and was disappointed by all of the “junk” that is listed on the ingredients list…

HYDROLYZED CORN GLUTEN, NIACIN*, DISODIUM GUANYLATE, DISODIUM INOSINATE, FERRIC ORTHOPHOSPHATE, FERROUS SULFATE, THIAMIN MONONITRATE, TURMERIC EXTRACT, FOLIC ACID, RIBOFLAVIN.

Seriously….what is that stuff?!?!

So, I was ecstatic when I came upon a homemade Rice-A-Roni recipe as I was browsing through Pinterest one day.  What’s amazing about this recipe is that I know exactly what goes into it.  And…it doesn’t take any longer to make than the original boxed version.  I seriously {HEART} this recipe!

Ready to make your own?

Over the last couple of months, I’ve altered the recipe to make it a little easier.  To see the original recipe, go here.

Using a food processor, break up a handful or so of spaghetti noodles.  {The food processor works wonders for this process and breaks the noodles down to the perfect size!}

Combine your long grain rice, broken spaghetti noodles, and butter in a large skillet.  Stir over medium heat until rice and pasta are lightly browned.

Add the chicken broth, bouillon cubes, parsley, and garlic.  Bring to a boil and cover.  Reduce heat to low and cook 15 minutes. 

Serve immediately and enjoy!

To make life even easier, I’ve measured out the rice and noodles and put them into a ziplock bag.  Now when I’m short on time, all I have to do is add the chicken broth and the spices…..so easy!

 

Homemade Rice-a-Roni

• ¾ cup long grain white rice
• ½ cup small pasta shape, like broken spaghetti
• 1-3 tbsp butter
• 2 C. low sodium chicken broth
• 2 cubes chicken bouillon
• 1 tsp dried parsley flakes
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Melt the butter in a pan and saute the rice and pasta until lightly browned.
2. Add the chicken broth, bouillon cubes, parsley and garlic.
3. Bring to a boil and cover, then reduce heat to low. Cook 15 minutes without lifting lid.
4. After 15 minutes, fluff with a fork and serve.

**The chicken broth and bouillon can be substituted for beef.**

Cheesy Crock-Pot Chicken {Guest Post}

Thank you so much to Alisa and Briana for featuring my recipe here on Sweet Peas and Bumblebees!

A little about me, I am a stay-at-home mom to 2.5 year old twin boys and a one month old baby girl. I love to craft whenever I have spare time, which recently I haven't had much of! I love to make cards, stamp, scrapbook, sew and quilt. Stop on over to my blog, Live. Love. Create., if you get a chance!

This recipe has been a family staple for a few years now and I love to make it for friends and family, because it is simple to make and always gets a compliment. Here is what you need to make Cheesy Crock-pot Chicken (my husband came up with the name, I know it's not original, I am completely open to suggestions!)

Ingredients: (Serves 4)

• 1 pound boneless chicken breasts
• 3/4 cup water
• 3/4 cup white wine (your favorite)
• 1 packet of Italian Dressing Seasoning Mix
• 1 can Cream of Chicken Soup
• 1 8 oz package of Cream Cheese
• Pasta

In a small crock-pot (I use a 3.5 quart) add your chicken breasts to the bottom. In a separate bowl, combine your Italian seasoning, water, and wine and pour over your chicken breasts. Cover, and cook on high for 3-4 hours, or low for 6-8 hours. About a half hour before you want to serve this, remove the chicken and cut into bite sized pieces. Add the cream cheese and cream of chicken soup to the remaining sauce in the crock-pot and mix well. Replace the chicken in the crock-pot, cover, and cook on high for approximately 30 minutes. Serve it over your favorite style of pasta with a side salad and/or veggies. Enjoy!

If you have a larger crowd to feed, double the recipe but be sure to use a larger crock-pot. Thank you again to Sweet Peas and Bumblebees for featuring my recipe!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thank you Kelly for the amazing recipe!  I can’t wait to try it!  Also, thanks again for sharing your crock pot favorite…LOVE crock pot recipes! =)  Also, your little guys are A-DOR-ABLE!

Candy Corn Bars

This sweet Halloween treat is quick to make and absolutely delicious!  It is sure to please your Halloween crowd!

Start by mixing together your yellow cake mix, egg, and margarine until thoroughly mixed.

Press the cake mixture into the bottom of a 9x13 pan and bake at 350 degrees for 12 – 14 minutes.

Remove the cake from the oven and add 3 cups mini marshmallows to the top.  Bake for 3 minutes.

In a saucepan heat Karo syrup, peanut butter, sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla.  Stir constantly until the mixture is bubbly and smooth.

Add Rice Krispies, candy corn, and peanuts until combined.

Spread the candy corn mixture on top of the marshmallows and enjoy!

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Candy Corn Bars

• 1 box yellow cake mix
• 1 egg
• 1/2 C. margarine
• 3 C. mini marshmallows
• 1/2 C. Karo syrup
• 1/2 C. peanut butter
• 1/4 C. sugar
• 1/4 C. brown sugar
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• 2 C. Rice Krispies
• 1 C. candy corn
• 1 C. salted peanuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix cake mix, egg, and margarine until combined.  Press the cake mixture into a 9x13 pan and bake for 12 – 14 minutes.

Remove the cake from the oven and top with 3 cups mini marshmallows.  Bake for 2 minutes.

In a saucepan, heat Karo syrup, peanut butter, sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla.  Stir until bubbly and smooth.  Add Rice Krispies, candy corn, and peanuts to the sugar mixture.  Stir until combined.  Spread on top of marshmallow layer.

Lasagna Soup

I LOVE soup!  Especially those recipes that are simple and taste delicious!  This recipe, that I stumbled upon on Pinterest, looks absolutely delicious!  We love lasagna in our house and I’m loving the idea of turning the classic into a soup.  How fun!  Since I’m a busy working mom, I will be turning this recipe into a crockpot recipe….directions to come! ;)  But until then, I hope you enjoy this recipe.  I’m super excited to try it for dinner tonight!

And while we’re talking about soup and crockpot recipes, do you have any favorite recipes that your family enjoys?  I’m looking for tried and true recipes to feature in a crock pot series, so let me know! :)

Mac & Cheese {Healthy & Delicious}

A good friend of mine recently gave me this recipe for Healthy and Delicious Mac & Cheese!  We absolutely LOVED it!  Not only is it better for you than most macaroni & cheeses, it tastes SO SO SO good too!

Healthy and Delicious Mac & Cheese

• 1/4 c red onion, chopped
• 1 medium carrot, peeled & chopped
• 1/4 c. Arborio Rice (the stuff you use to make risotto)
• 4 c. chicken stock
• 1 c. grated cheddar cheese
• 6 c cooked macaroni noodles
• 1/4 tsp. salt

Place onion, carrots, rice and chicken stock in a large saucepan and bring to a boil.  Boil for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.  When rice is very tender, cool just slightly and place in blender.  Puree and add cheese.  Continue pureeing until smooth.  Add salt and puree to mix in.  Pour sauce over cooked macaroni in a large bowl and mix well.

**I have tried adding 2 cups of cheddar cheese instead of 1 cup and we also like it this way.

**Want an easy alternative to boxed Macaroni & Cheese?  When I make this recipe, I cut the noodles in half & only use half the sauce.  I freeze the remaining sauce for a later date.  {Half is about 2 cups).  When I am ready to use the frozen sauce, all I have to do is warm up the sauce in the microwave & cook the noodles….so fast & easy!  Plus, I feel better about feeding my kids this version of macaroni & cheese over the boxed version!

Enjoy!

Tortilla Soup

This soup has been a favorite at our house for many years.  It is quick to make, flavorful, and SO delicious!  I LOVE to top this soup with fresh avocado, cheese, tortilla strips, and a dollop of sour cream.  Yummy!

**Note:  Do NOT be intimated by the long list of ingredients…it is incredibly easy to make!**

Ingredients:

• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 1 (10.5 ounce) can condensed chicken broth
• 1 1/4 cups water
• 1 cup whole corn kernels, cooked
• 1 cup white hominy
• 1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chili peppers
• 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 boneless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
• Corn tortillas
• Vegetable Oil (for frying)
• Shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• Sliced avocado
• Sour cream

This recipe is amazing for using leftover chicken or pork.  Just shred your leftovers and add it instead of the cooked chicken breasts.

 

1. In a medium stockpot, heat oil over medium heat. In the oil,  sauté the onion and garlic until it is soft.  Stir in chili powder, oregano, tomatoes, broth and water.  Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes
2. Stir in corn, hominy beans, cilantro, and chicken.  Simmer for 10 more minutes.

While the soup is simmering, prepare the tortilla strips.

Cut about 6 corn tortillas into strips.

Pour enough vegetable oil into a medium skilled to reach a depth of 3/4 inch. Head oil over medium heat. Add 1/4 of the tortilla strips to the skillet and cook until crisp and light golden (about 45 seconds). Using tongs or a slotted spoon, transfer the strips to a paper towel to drain and cool. Repeat with remaining tortilla strips.

Ladle soup into individual bowls and top with tortilla strips, avocado slices, cheese, and sour cream.

Serve & enjoy!

Bird’s Nest Snack

I just started teaching preschool as part of a “Mommy Preschool” for my daughter.  We focused our preschool lesson on the letter “B”.  So, we learned everything we could about birds.  I let the kids make their own trail mix (I set out 8 bowls of different items and let them spoon it into a bag), went on a bird watching walk, did Do-A-Dot worksheets, made birdfeeders, sung a song about a bird & played musical instruments and of course had a snack…..Bird’s Nests!

Aren’t these so cute?

Bird’s Nest Snack

3 cups Miniature Marshmallows

3 Tbs Butter

2 Tbs Peanut Butter

1 5 oz can Chow Mein Noodles

Jelly Beans

In a pan over low heat, cook marshmallows, butter and peanut butter until marshmallows are melted; stir until blended. Remove from the heat; stir in chow mein noodles. Line a cookie sheet with wax paper & spray with pam.  Divide into 12 mounds on wax paper.

With lightly greased hands, quickly shape each mound into a nest; make an indentation in the center. Fill nests with jelly beans. Store in an airtight container. Makes 1 dozen.’

Cheesy Garlic Bread Sticks

I recently stumbled across a recipe for pizza dough and Cheesy Garlic Bread Sticks, that I found here.  I am in LOVE with pizza, so I decided to give it a whirl!  I am always on the lookout for a better pizza dough recipe!  This was AMAZING!!  The crust was so good & slightly chewy like the restaurants!  This is defiantly a must try recipe!

Doesn’t that look mouth watering?

Want to learn how to make these mouth watering Cheesy Garlic Bread Sticks?

Click here for the recipe!

Ham & Bean Soup

I have to admit….until I tried my mother-in-law’s Ham & Bean Soup, I  always threw my ham bone in the trash after having ham for dinner!  REALLY???  This soup is SO delicious, I wish that I could go back in time and NOT throw them away….so I could have a stockpile in my freezer!

I hope you enjoy this soup as much as we do!

Ham & Bean Soup

• Ham Bone (I leave extra ham on mine when I am carving it)
• Medium Yellow Onion – Diced
• 4 Large Carrots – Sliced
• 8 tsp. Ham Base
• 8 cups water
• 3 cans (small white beans)

In a large stockpot, add your ham bone, onion & water.  Cover.  Bring to a boil.  Turn heat to low & simmer for 3 hours.  Strain your soup, reserving both the broth and the ham and onion mixtures (this will help you remove all of the fat from off the ham bone).  Return broth back to stockpot.  Add your chunks of ham from your ham bone back into the pot.  Add carrots, beans & ham base.  Return to a boil & simmer until carrots are tender.

Serve & enjoy!

Cinnamon Chip Scones

 

My Mom first made these for breakfast several years ago and they were gone within minutes!  No lie…they are that good! (:  And what’s even better?!?!  This recipe is so easy because it’s adapted to be made in the food processor.

 

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.  In a food processor, mix flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  When mixed, add sliced frozen butter to the flour mixture.

 

Pulse in food processor just until it is crumbly.  {You’ll be able to see small little chunks of butter.}

 

Stir in the cinnamon chips.  {Cinnamon chips are hard to find in my neck of the woods.  Finally I found a store that carried them.  If you too have a hard time finding them, you can always order online.  My Mom swears these are the best ones out there!}

 

In a small bowl whisk together sour cream and egg until smooth.

 

In your food processor, blend sour cream mixture into flour mixture until large dough clumps form. Do not over mix!  (If you over mix, they texture will be off.)

 

Place on a lightly floured surface and pat into a 7 to 8-inch circle about 3/4-inch thick.

 

Sprinkle with raw sugar. Use a sharp knife to cut into 8 triangles.

 

Place on a cookie sheet (I didn’t use parchment paper since I had a nonstick pan), about 1 inch apart.  Bake until golden, about 15 to 17 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes.  They are best served warm but are also great the next day!

 

Cinnamon Chip Scones

Recipe by Sweet Peas & Bumblebees

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/3 cup sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

8 tablespoons unsalted butter, frozen

1/2 cup cinnamon chips

1/2 cup sour cream

1 large egg

1 teaspoon raw sugar

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

In a food processor, mix flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Add sliced frozen butter to the flour mixture and pulse in food processor just until crumbly.  Stir in cinnamon chips.

In a small bowl whisk together sour cream and egg until smooth.

In your food processor, blend sour cream mixture into flour mixture until large dough clumps form.  Do not over mix!

Place on a lightly floured surface and pat into a 7 to 8-inch circle about 3/4-inch thick.  Sprinkle with raw sugar.  Use a sharp knife to cut into 8 triangles and place on a cookie sheet (preferably lined with parchment paper), about 1 inch apart. 

Bake until golden, about 15 to 17 minutes.  Cool for 5 minutes and serve warm.

 

Pirate Map Pizza

I have a very special {Kid’s Corner Friday} for you!!!  Remember the Pirate Play Date I did earlier in the summer???  Of course you do! (;  Well I made this adorable little pizza for all of the kids…and they all GOBBLED it up!  It was so easy & equally delicious!!

Pirate Map Pizza

• Pizza Dough (I used Pillsbury's refrigerated pizza dough)
• Pizza Sauce
• Mozzarella Cheese
• Pepperoni, cut into thin strips
• Olives, cut into small squares
• Green Pepper, cut into leaf size strips
• Pretzel

Roll out your pizza dough and cut into individual serving sizes.

Spread with sauce and sprinkle on your mozzarella cheese.

Lay your pretzel down and arrange your green pepper to look like palm tree leaves.

Lay two pepperoni strips to look like a red “X”.

Place the olives to look like the path on a treasure map.

Cook at 375 for 8-10 minutes or until cheese is bubbly.

Serve & Enjoy!

Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup {{Servin’ It Up Saturday}

I never used to make homemade chicken noodle soup until a friend told me how to make this version of the traditional chicken noodle soup….Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup! 

I tried it once and was instantly hooked!  I now make it all the time.  I don’t know what I love more….the creaminess, the noodles, the yummy carrots?  Ok, ok, it is all DELICIOUS!!!  Enjoy!!

Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup

• 3 chicken breasts, boiled & cubed
• 6 cups water
• 6 tsp. chicken bouillon granules
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 package wide egg noodles, cooked al dente.

These are possibly the best noodles I have ever used.  If you can, try and use these or something similar.

• 2 cups chopped carrots
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 2 cans cream of chicken soup

In a large pot, add water, chicken bouillon, onion, black pepper, bay leaf, carrots & celery.  Bring to a boil.  Turn to low and simmer until vegetables are tender.  Add cream of chicken soup and stir until blended in.  Add chicken and noodles.  Heat until hot.  Serve & enjoy!