Creamy Lasagna Casserole

                                           

This casserole is rich, creamy, tomato-y, warm, noodl-y, and delicious!  Tastes  a LOT like lasagna, so you can't really go wrong! Oh, and it's not an Erin original. I got it from Better Homes and Gardens but I changed the name (from 8 layer casserole) and a few small steps. I make it more than I make lasagna now, and if you used regular pasta instead of egg noodles, I bet you could make it in the crock pot!!! It also makes fantastic left-overs, and I usually HATE leftovers!

 Creamy Lasagna Casserole

3 cups dried medium egg noodles (6 ounces) (I use no-yolk noodles)


1 pound ground beef

2 8-ounce cans tomato sauce

1 teaspoon dried basil, crushed

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 8-ounce carton dairy sour cream

1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup milk

1/3 cup chopped onion (1 small)

1 10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach, cooked and well drained

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (4 ounces)

Directions

1. Grease a 2-quart casserole or a 2-quart square baking dish; set aside. Cook noodles according to package directions; drain and set aside.


2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet brown onions, then  add  beef until brown. Drain off fat. Stir tomato sauce, basil, sugar, garlic powder, salt, and pepper into skillet. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes.

3. In a medium mixing bowl beat together the sour cream and cream cheese with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Stir in milk. In prepared casserole or baking dish, layer half of the noodles (about 2 cups), half of the meat mixture (about 1 1/2 cups), half of the cream cheese mixture (about 1 cup), and all of the spinach. Top with the remaining meat mixture and noodles. Cover and chill remaining cream cheese mixture until needed.

*Erin's tip- I added the cream  mixture on top of everything else and covered with foil to bake. It worked just as well, I thought.



4. Cover casserole or baking dish with lightly greased foil. Bake in 350 degree F oven about 45 minutes or until heated through. Uncover; spread with remaining cream cheese mixture. Sprinkle with the cheddar cheese. Bake, uncovered, about 10 minutes more or until cheese is melted. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

5. Makes 8 servings


6. Make-ahead directions: Prepare as directed through Step 3. Cover with lightly greased foil and chill in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. Bake in a 350 degree F oven for 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes or until heated through. Uncover; spread with remaining cream-cheese mixture. Sprinkle with the cheddar cheese.¿¿Bake, uncovered, about 10 minutes more or until cheese is melted. Let stand for 10 minutes before baking.

Cheesy Chicken and Potato Casserole

                                          
I don't know why, but I have never put chicken with potatoes in a casserole before. Well, I'm not really a casserole kind of girl, really.  However, tonight's crock pot dinner was a total revelation!!! This dish is super easy to prepare, and even more easy to eat! Move over mac and cheese!

Cheesy Chicken and Potato Casserole
                                          by Erin Taylor

1- 30 oz. package shredded or cubed hash brown potatoes, frozen
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 C. sour cream
1 C. green salsa
1 C. shredded cheddar cheese
1 Tbsp. Chili powder
1 tsp. garlic powder
3 C. cubed chicken

Combine all ingredients in a crock pot. Cook on low for 6 hours. Try to restrain yourself from eating the whole pot!

(this recipe was adapted from THIS recipe on Better Homes and Gardens website. I haven't made it yet, but with smokey cheese it's bound to be good!)

Chili Verde ala Crock Pot

My husband is a closet Mexican. Ok, he isn't so "closet" about it, actually. He ADORES mexican food. If I ever want him to take me out to dinner, all I have to say is "I'm craving mexican food" and he's got his coat on and keys in hand. I, on the other hand, am rarely craving it, but it's a good way to get out of not having to cook. However, I have created a recipe for Chilie Verde that is to die for! Seriously! You MUST try it. Even I will eat seconds of this delicious concoction! Chili Verde ala Crock Pot by Erin Taylor 1 3-4 lb. Pork Roast, boneless, cut into 1 inch cubes 1 large can green enchilada sauce 2 small cans whole green chilies, cut into chunks 3 med. tomatoes, cut into chunks 1 large sweet onion, cut into chunks 2 green peppers, cut into chunks 1 Tbsp. chopped garlic 1 Tbsp. chili powder 1 tsp. ground Cumin 1 tsp. dried Thyme Salt to taste 2 C. water 1 Tbsp. sugar Add all ingredients to large crock pot and cook on high for 6-8 hours. A half hour before serving add: 2 Tbsp. corn starch mixed with 1/4 C. water to thicken the sauce. Serve over chili verde enchiladas (recipe here), or cooked rice and topped with shredded cheddar cheese! Makes fantastic omelettes as well!

Crock Pot Mac and Cheese

I made this up once for a pot luck at my husband's work and it was sooo creamy and good! It has a smoky flavor from the smoked Gouda cheese, but you can substitute plain Gouda, or any cheese really and it would be just as good! (measurements are not *exact* but this is really a fool-proof dish. I can't remember the exact amount of water I added, so let it cook for a while before you add more water if needed. Again, any cheese combinations would work for this recipe. I even added pepper jack once and it was really good!)

Crock Pot Mac and Cheese

1-8 0z. pkg. Cream Cheese (low fat works fine)
2 C. macaroni noodles, uncooked
1 C. grated Cheddar cheese
1/2 C. grated Smoked Gouda (in gourmet cheese section at grocery store)
1 C. Monterey Jack Cheese
1 Tbsp. Ground Mustard
1 Tbsp. corn starch mixed with 1/4 C. water
2 C. milk
about 4 C. water (enough to just cover the top of the ingredients)
Salt and pepper
*optional- 1 C. crumbled, cooked bacon (this is delicious!)

Add all ingredients to crock pot. Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours, high for 4-6 hours. Check consistency of sauce before serving, if too thick add milk or water, if too thin mix more cornstarch and water and let thicken for a few minutes before serving.

Erin's Tortilla Soup

                                                
I used to eat at this little mexican restaurant in Logan, Utah where they had the BEST tortilla soup. I know, who eats soup at a mexican restaurant, right? Well, this stuff was so good I did! When I moved I craved that soup so much so one night I made one up that comes pretty darn close! Try it- I get RAVE reviews every time I take it to a potluck, and it's about the easiest thing to make!

*This would also be perfect in the crock pot!!!

Erin's Tortilla Soup

1 can each:
chopped tomatoes (not drained)
corn ( not drained)
black beans (drained and rinsed)
small can chopped green chilies (whole is best, just chop them up)
cheddar soup

Pour into a pot and add:
2 T. ground chili powder
2 C. water
3 corn tortillas, cut in half and then into 1/2 inch strips
1 C. cooked and chunked chicken breast (I usually just boil the breast and chop it up)
salt and pepper to taste

Cook the soup on medium heat for about a half hour, stirring frequently so the bottom doesn't scorch. Remove from heat when the soup is nice and thick and the tortillas have absorbed moisture and are nice and soft, practically falling apart as you stir. (if soup is too think you can add more water to desired consistency.)

Using 3-4 more corn tortillas, brush canola oil over both sides of them then cut them in half and then into 1/2 inch strips. Sprinkle lightly with salt and bake in 425 deg. oven until golden brown.

Dish soup into bowls, then add a dollop of sour cream, sprinkle some baked tortilla strips over the top and garnish with sliced avocado and fresh chopped cilantro!

Vegetarian Crock Pot Lasagna

I have another recipe for crock pot lasagna I got from a friend's recipe website,and it's the best lasagna I have EVER tried, honestly! But I adore veggie lasagna with alfredo sauce, so I made up my own. Be sure to use a crock pot liner (found in the foil and ziplock bag section of most grocery stores), it makes cleanup much easier!

Vegetarian Crock Pot Lasagna (Erin Taylor)

(this recipe is using a medium size crock pot. If you have a great big one, double the amounts, or you will have a very thin lasagna.)

step 1: assemble the sauce

1 bottle alfredo sauce
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tbsp olive oil
bottle of milk after sauce has been dumped into bowl
salt and pepper to taste

pour sauce into a bowl. Fill bottle with milk, shake to get all the sauce off the sides and dump into sauce. Add garlic powder and olive oil, salt and pepper to taste. set aside.

Step 2: Prepare vegetables and ricotta cheese

3 small zucchini (about 9 inches long and 2 inches across) sliced in small rounds
1 C. grated carrotts
2 C. spinach leaves, chopped or whole
2 medium tomatoes, sliced in rounds

1 small container ricotta cheese mixed with 1 egg, dash of salt, 1 tsp garlic powder,and 1 C. grated Mozzerella cheese

Step 3: layer lasagna

place 1/2 c. of the sauce in bottom of crock pot. Break up lasagna noodles (uncooked)so they will fit on bottom of pot. Spread half of the ricotta cheese mixture over noodles. Add one layer of half of the zucchini rounds neatly across ricotta cheese, then half the carrots, then all the spinach. Layer another layer of noodles, sauce, ricotta cheese, zucchini, carrotts, then chopped tomatoes. Pour half the sauce that's left over the top. Add one more layer of noodles and cover with remaining sauce.

Let cook in crock pot on medium for 6-7 hours or high for 4 hours. Add shredded mozzerella cheese the last 15-20 minutes of cooking until it's melted.

Fantastic!!!

*You can use pretty much any veggies you like, and a tomato based sauce would be delicious as well! Dare to experiment!!!