One Pot Chicken Bacon Alfredo Pasta ****

It was no surprise that this one was yummy. I mean, the name alone can bring the drool on, lol. We really enjoyed it. I don't often make Alfredo from scratch, so the kids were super impressed when I told them it was homemade. I didn't mention how easy it was to make, though. Ha! You can't beat this for something simple that tastes like it took more effort than it actually did. The original recipe only served 4, so I made a double batch to make sure we had leftovers. The recipe below is for 8 servings.

ONE POT CHICKEN BACON ALFREDO PASTA
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ EverydayCooking)

16 oz fettuccine
3 cups cooked chicken, diced or cut into strips
2 tablespoon minced garlic (or 3-4 cloves fresh garlic, chopped)
2 cups parmesan cheese
2 cups cream
4 cups chicken broth
1 cup crumbled cooked bacon
4 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
salt and pepper

Place pasta, chicken, garlic, parmesan cheese, cream and broth in an 11″ saute pan. Cover and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Cook for 12-15 minutes, stirring frequently, until pasta is tender. Salt and pepper to taste. Stir in bacon, garnish with parsley. Enjoy!
*Amy's notes: Recipe is doubled from original post, to allow for 8 servings.

Crockpot Zesty Corn Dip ****

I've made this for our last two Christmas Eve get-togethers, and my youngest requested it again a couple of weeks ago. We all love it. I didn't realize until after this past time that I never posted about it. It's one of our favorite appetizers now!

CROCKPOT ZESTY CORN DIP
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ MealPlannerPro)

2 (12 oz.) packages frozen corn
1 (8 oz) brick cream cheese
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup diced green onion, white & green parts
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely diced
1 (2.5 oz) package fully cooked bacon, diced
1 (4 oz) can diced green chilies

Place all ingredients in a 3-quart slow cooker.
Cover and cook on LOW for 4 hours or on HIGH 2 hours, stirring the dip at the half way cooking point.
Serve with corn chips, fresh vegetable, bread or bread sticks and enjoy!

Cat Cora's Whipped Coffee ****

Now that I'm working from home for the quarantine, I'm cooking a lot more. Sadly, that apparently pertains to sweets as well. A friend posted this on Facebook a couple of days ago, and I instantly knew that I needed it in my life. I made two servings today, and I let the kids have them. I had a healthy taste test of each of theirs, though. THIS IS SO GOOD. I honestly didn't know for certain that I'd like it, just because I'm not generally a fan of cold or iced coffee. But I am seriously in love. We all are. Aside from the hubs, who wasn't around to try it. He's not a coffee drinker anyway, though. I served the kids' with a pretty decent amount of milk and some white chocolate sauce on top. Definitely a winner in our little world.

*You can check out the YouTube video as well. It shows how quick and simple this really is!

CAT CORA'S WHIPPED COFFEE
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ CatCora.com)

8 tablespoons instant coffee
8 tablespoons granulated sugar you can use
8 tablespoons boiling water
4 cups milk of choice
4 cups ice

Optional: 1/4 teaspoon or to taste of cinnamon, cocoa or vanilla

Optional toppings:
caramel, chocolate sauce, chocolate chips, sprinkles

In a bowl, add instant coffee, sugar, & hot water. You can add optional flavoring. 
Hand whisk or use an electric mixer until stiff peaks form. (About 5 minutes.)
Fill a glass with ice and milk of your choice.
Spoon the whipped coffee on top.
Add optional toppings.
Serves 4

Crockpot Beefy Bean Burrito Casserole ****

I've been making the Beefy Bean Burrito Casserole for years now, and it never once occurred to me to try it in the crockpot. This was AMAZING. I will never make it in the oven again. The kids both had seconds and requested that we have it again immediately. Big winner for us!

CROCKPOT BEEFY BEAN BURRITO CASSEROLE
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy)

12 frozen beef and bean burritos
2 (10.5 ounce) cans condensed cream of chicken
1 cup sour cream
2 (4 ounce) cans diced green chile peppers, drained
1-1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
2 (2.25 ounce) cans sliced black olives, drained
Tomato, chopped (optional)
Avocado - peeled, pitted and sliced (optional)
Salsa (optional)

Mix together soup, sour cream, and chiles.
Layer 6 burritos on bottom of crockpot. Spread half of soup mixture on top. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup of cheese.
Layer remaining 6 burritos and remainder of soup mixture. Sprinkle with 1 cup of cheese. Top with sliced black olives.
Cook on low for 5-6 hours or high for 3-4 hours.
Top with condiments as desired, and serve immediately.

Slow Cooker Cornbread Casserole ****

Wow. It has been ages since we've had this, but it is just amazing. I'm updating my recipe below to reflect all of my changes. You can click on the link to find the original recipe. I've just made enough changes to it that I want to remember it for the future. Anyway, I am vowing to never again let an entire year go by without having this. It's just so dang good. If I could ever remember to cook the sausage and peppers the night before (won't happen), it could easily be thrown together in just a few minutes on the cook day. I cook during my lunch breaks, so that would be pretty awesome. We'll see, lol. Tonight, everyone was raving about it. The kids both had seconds. And with my changes, it left plenty of leftovers for lunches tomorrow! Yay!

SLOW COOKER CORNBREAD CASSEROLE
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ inspired by TheSassySlowCooker)

2 lbs ground sausage, browned
1 package frozen fajita blend with peppers and onions
2 cans corn, drained
1 small can diced green chilies
1 can creamed corn
3 packages of corn muffin mix
1-1/2 cups fiesta blend cheese, shredded

Spray slow cooker with cooking spray.
Brown meat with peppers and onions. Once fully cooked, add corn and chilies to the pan and stir until well combined.
Prepare corn muffin mixes as directed in a bowl. Stir in creamed corn.
Layer slow cooker with 1/2 corn muffin mix, all of meat mixture, half of cheese, and then the rest of corn muffin mix.
Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6 hours.
About 20 minutes before serving, sprinkle remainder of cheese on top of casserole and replace lid.


Previous Posts:
7/19/16 ~ As always, this was super tasty.  The kids think that Jiffy is my "secret cornbread recipe."  Seriously, my youngest asked me last year (when he was 9) if I'd pass it down to them before I die.  Bahaha!  So anything with Jiffy and corn was going to be a winner for us.  There was never any doubt.  We loved it, though.  I typically will use ground turkey sausage, and since it's leaner, I'll double the amount.  Then instead of messing with cutting up vegetables, I just grab a bag of the frozen fajita blend of peppers and onions.  Works perfectly.  I once again forgot about the note to try green chilies in it. Maybe I'll get around to it next time.  I'd considered maybe trying it with chilies and rotisserie chicken.  Just to see how it goes.  Who knows? 😊

Pepperoni Lasagna ****

We have been firmly entrenched in baseball practices, school programs, and activities for about 2 months now.  Needless to say, I rarely get to cook, and when I do, it's always old T&T simple recipes.  That said, I finally had a day today where we had nothing to do after work and school.  Yay!  So to celebrate, I made this old family favorite.  In the old days (back before we were in so many sports and activities!), I used to make this a couple times a month.  It's a bit labor-intensive, but no worse than any other homemade lasagna.  Because of the time it takes to prepare, though, I just never really have the chance to make it anymore.  When we finally got some down time, I knew it was the perfect time for this one.  And boy, was I right!  The kids really didn't even remember how much they used to like it, so it was basically like a brand-new recipe again.  They devoured it and both asked for seconds! 

As a side note, I've also successfully tried this in the crockpot.  Click here to check out that review.

PEPPERONI LASAGNA
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ Recipezaar.com)

1-1/2 lbs ground beef
1 small onion, chopped
2-1/2 cups water
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
1 teaspoon beef bouillon granules
1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
2 eggs
1 (12 ounce) carton small curd cottage cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
8 lasagna noodles, cooked and drained
1 (3 1/2 ounce) package sliced pepperoni
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (8 oz.)
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

In a skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain.
Add water, tomato sauce, tomato paste, bouillon and seasonings. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes.
In a bowl, combine eggs, cottage cheese and sour cream.
Spread 1/2 cup meat sauce into a greased 13x9-inch baking dish. Layer with four noodles, the cottage cheese mixture and pepperoni. Top with remaining noodles and meat sauce. Sprinkle with mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses.
Cover and bake at 350*F for 35 minutes.
Uncover; bake 10 minutes longer or until heated through.
Let stand 15 minutes before cutting.
*Amy's notes: I subbed ground turkey for ground beef and garlic powder for garlic salt. I also only cooked the sauce for 20 minutes, as opposed to 30.


Previous reviews:3/8/10 ~ I don't even know where to begin in describing how good this was! First of all, it's been ages since I've made a homemade lasagna, so you have to take that into account, lol. Even still, this was amazing. I had fears that the pepperoni would make it too salty, but it really just added an extra little zing of taste to each bite. The boys are not pepperoni lovers at all, but my 6-year-old even asked for thirds (which he did not get, obviously)! The cheese layer is perfectly baked, and the eggs actually add another dimension of flavor to it. It takes forever to throw together, but it is SO WORTH IT!!! I will be making this again and again. I'm thinking I could start putting it all together the night before and then just throw it in the oven when I get home after work. The only change I made was to use garlic powder instead of garlic salt. With the pepperoni and then the addition of salt already, I thought the garlic salt would be overkill. Oh, and I subbed ground turkey for ground beef, as usual. I also used the tiny pepperonis instead of the regular-sized ones, so there was at least a little bit of pepperoni in every bite.

Crockpot Chicken and Spinach Alfredo Tortellini ****

This is nothing special, but we all absolutely loved it.  I've made it twice now, and each time, it just seems to get better.  I love how simple it is, and you can use so many different add-ins to mix it up.  We like it as-written, though.  We're pretty plain-Jane when it comes to this one.  You could definitely use thawed chicken and just go for a shorter cook time.  My crockpot tends to run hot, so using frozen breasts gives me a little extra time to play with before supper.  I typically come home on my lunch break and throw everything in the crockpot, so I really need about a 6-hour cook time, if it's going to be ready to eat (and not overcooked or just warm) when we walk in the door after a full day at work and school and activities.  This one just works perfectly for us!

CROCKPOT CHICKEN AND SPINACH ALFREDO TORTELLINI
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy)

4 frozen chicken breasts
2 jars Alfredo sauce
1 bag fresh spinach
3-4 cups refrigerated cheese tortellini

Place chicken, sauce, and spinach in crockpot.  Cook on LOW for 6-7 hours or HIGH for 4 hours (until chicken is fully cooked).
Once chicken is fully cooked, prepare tortellini on stovetop as directed.  Shred chicken in sauce.  Combine cooked tortellini and sauce and serve warm.
Note: You can also add the uncooked tortellini to the crockpot and cook on HIGH for 15 minutes.

One Pot Crawfish and Shrimp Creole Pasta ****

This one was basically inspired by what we were craving tonight, lol.  It was such a winner, though.  I'm so ridiculously far behind on my postings, but I wanted to hurry and get this one down before I forgot how I did it.  We all know how that can be!  I love that it only uses the one soup pot on the stove, though, and even the noodles cook right in there.  It's super easy.  Plus, everything starts from frozen, meaning that it's easy to throw together at the last minute (which is where a lot of the inspiration came from tonight - ha!).  The kids are on Spring Break this week, and they're already asking if they can have leftovers for lunch tomorrow.

ONE POT CRAWFISH AND SHRIMP CREOLE PASTA
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy)

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 package frozen crawfish tails
1 package frozen extra small shrimp (precooked and deveined)
1 package frozen fajita blend peppers and onions
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups fresh mushrooms, sliced
16 oz box angelhair pasta
5 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 cup grated Parmesan
1 tsp Creole seasoning (we use Tony Chachere's)

Pour olive oil into the pot. Add frozen crawfish, shrimp, and peppers and onions.  Sprinkle with Creole seasoning. Cover and cook on medium heat until veggies are tender and everything is well-thawed, adding mushrooms and garlic about halfway through (about 10 minutes total).
Remove lid and let some of the liquid cook out, stirring occasionally to keep everything cooking evenly.
Add the dry pasta to the pot.  Pour in the chicken broth, cream, and Parmesan. Stir until everything is well-combined.  Cover the pot and bring to a boil. Once boiling, keep covered and bring the heat down to a simmer for 10 minutes (stirring every couple of minutes).
If it's still soupy at the end (mine wasn't), you can either continue cooking, to cook out some more of the liquid, or you can add a bit of cornstarch to thicken it up.

World's Greatest Nana Puddin' ****

There are a zillion banana pudding recipes in internet-land.  I combined my favorite parts of each and came up with this one.  I let the 11-year-old come up with the name, lol.

This was another winner for us.  To show how far behind I am, this was actually my contribution to our Thanksgiving get-together.  What little bit was leftover from dinner was scarfed down at breakfast the next morning.  I think it's safe to say we'll be having this one again. ;-)

WORLD'S GREATEST NANA PUDDIN'
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy)

2 boxes Nilla Wafers
6-8 bananas, sliced
2 cups milk
1 (5 oz.) box French Vanilla pudding
1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, softened
1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
1 (12 oz.) container frozen whipped topping thawed, or equal amount sweetened whipped cream

In a bowl, combine the milk and pudding mix and blend well using a handheld electric mixer.
Using a different bowl, combine the cream cheese and condensed milk together, and mix until smooth.
Line the bottom of a large trifle bowl with a layer (or two!) of cookies.  Layer sliced bananas on top.
Fold the whipped topping into the cream cheese mixture.
Add the cream cheese mixture to the pudding mixture and stir until well blended.
Line the bottom of a 13×9 inch inch dish with 1 bag of cookies and layer bananas on top.
Pour some of the mixture over the cookies and bananas and cover with another layer of cookies.  Alternate layers until you get the top.
For garnish, crumble a few cookies and sprinkle on top.
Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Croissant Breakfast Casserole ****

I have made this one nearly every Christmas morning since the first time I tried it back in 2007.  That's how much we love it.  It's become a tradition for us.  I do always change it up with the additions that I've noted, but that's mainly because I want to make it stretch further.  It's still basically the same as the original recipe (except for the added sausage and green pepper), so I keep it under Dottie's name.  She's the brilliant mind behind this one.  Our Christmas mornings wouldn't be the same without it!  Oh, and the last few times around, I've used Egg Beaters instead of eggs, since I almost always have some that need to be used up.  No difference at all, other than having to cook it for the full 60 minutes.  But the taste is still wonderful!  Just as proof of how great it is, I've been making it for 9 years now, and we're still every bit as excited to dig into it as we were the first time. :-)

CROISSANT BREAKFAST CASSEROLE
This is a no fail recipe! Easy for the beginner cook, and looks very elegant. Can be doubled and tripled with no problem! Cook time does not take into consideration overnight sitting time, so plan ahead!!
Recipe By: Dottie (hokiesmom) ~ with additions by Amy (luckymommyto2boys)

4 plain croissants (I used 6)
1 tablespoon butter
2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
¼ cup sliced green onions
4 eggs (I used 6)
1 cup milk (I used 1 ½)
1 cup shredded Swiss cheese (I omitted)
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (I used 2 cups)
¼ cup parmesan cheese
1 lb sausage
1 green pepper, sliced

1. Split croissants in half and place bottoms cut side up in one layer in a rectangular casserole. (Brown sausage).
2. Melt butter in a fry pan.
3. Sauté mushrooms and green onion (and green pepper) until tender and liquid has evaporated.
4. Set aside.
5. Beat together eggs and milk.
6. Pour half over croissants, layer mushroom mixture, sausage, and cheeses on top, then pour over remaining liquid.
7. Position croissant tops over the bottoms, cut side down.
8. Let stand overnight in the refrigerator.
9. Bake at 350*F for 25 to 30 minutes (It took mine about 50-60 minutes) or until set.
10. Cover with foil if browns too quickly.

Tex-Mex Beef and Rice Casserole ****

This one just blew our minds.  I mean, it obviously wasn't anything special, but the flavors just go together perfectly.  When I picked it, I assumed it would basically be another version of one of our favorites, Mexican Chicken.  In theory, it is, but they taste nothing alike.  It's still just as yummy, just in a different way.  Hubby is job-hunting at the moment, so he made this one while I was working late one day.  He said he thought it would be good with one of the flavored rices, but I just loved the white rice with it.  I think anything else would pull the attention away from the other flavor players.  The chips give you just enough of a little salty crunch with each bite.  Just a great recipe all around!

TEX-MEX BEEF AND RICE CASSEROLE

(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ KraftRecipes.com)

1 lb. extra-lean ground beef

1 tub (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese Spread

1 pkg.  (1 oz.) TACO BELL Taco Seasoning Mix

2 Tbsp. milk

1 can (14 oz.) fire-roasted diced tomatoes, undrained

1 can (11 oz.) corn with red and green bell peppers, undrained

1/2 cup chopped onions

3 cups cooked long-grain white rice

1 cup KRAFT Shredded Colby and Monterey Jack Cheeses, divided

1 cup crushed tortilla chips

3 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro

Heat oven to 350*F.

Brown meat in large nonstick skillet. Meanwhile, mix cream cheese spread, seasoning mix and milk until blended.

Drain meat; return to skillet. Add cream cheese mixture, tomatoes, corn and onions; mix well.

Combine rice and 1/2 cup shredded cheese in 13x9-inch baking dish sprayed with cooking spray; spread to cover bottom of dish. Top with meat mixture and remaining shredded cheese; cover.

Bake 30 min. or until heated through. Top with crushed chips and cilantro.

Crockpot Pierogi Casserole ****

This positively blew our minds.  I mean, yes, it was pretty obvious that with potatoes and cheese and dough, you really couldn't go wrong, but we were wowed.  The 13-year-old took it to school for lunch and said it was even better the next day.  As I was pulling this together to post the blog, I just noticed her notes on the page about adding in veggies.  I put them at the bottom of the recipe, so that I can remember to try that next time.  I'm all about one-dish meals!  But even if you have to add a side, this still takes hardly any time at all.  The only prep work is slicing the sausage.  I did double the sausage amount, and I think I had too many pierogies.  The store didn't have the boxes, just the larger bags.  So since I wasn't sure how much was in the boxes, I just used them both.  It was fine.  Obviously, the sauce was less "saucy," but I kind of liked it that way.  I'll probably do the same thing next time, unless I add in the veggies.  Whatever, though, this is now one of our favorite dishes!

The recipe below is with my adjustments, just because I needed to have enough for extras.

CROCKPOT PIEROGI CASSEROLE
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ DailyDIYLife)

2 (2-lb) bags Mrs. T’s Cheddar Pierogies - regular or mini
6 cups chicken broth
12 oz cream cheese
1-1/2 cups cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 lbs kielbasa - sliced (or other cooked meat mentioned below)
salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in your crockpot. Cook on high 3-4 hours, or on low for 6 hours.
Serve with a fresh green salad and crusty bread.
OP's Notes: Yes, this family favorite recipe calls for kielbasa. To be completely honest with you I have also used crumbled cooked bacon, leftover cooked sausage, ham, chicken, or just vegetables a time or two. That’s one of the reasons this is such a go-to recipe that we just love. Add in your favorite veggies to make it a complete meal. Broccoli and snap peas are our favorite add-ins, but really anything will work nicely. A few reviewers even said they added sour kraut too. That might be an interesting twist.

Overnight Sausage, Egg, and Biscuit Bake ***

This was really good.  I didn't see the part about the overnight thing until the next morning, so I just made it fresh and popped it in the oven.  I'll definitely try it overnight next time.  I couldn't find the sausage crumbles at our store (very rarely can, unfortunately), and I was too lazy to actually cook the sausage myself.  I had some of the real bacon pieces, so I just used them instead.  It reminded me a lot of the Bacon-Cheese Pull-Aparts, but I think I preferred the additional eggs in this one.  I'll definitely be making this again, since it's such a simple and filling breakfast for school mornings!

OVERNIGHT SAUSAGE, EGG AND BISCUIT BAKE
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ MessForLess)

16 oz container of biscuits
6 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1-1/2 cups of shredded cheddar/jack mix
2 cups cut up breakfast sausage
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray a 9x13 casserole dish with cooking spray.
Open up a package of biscuits and cut each into 6 pieces.
Spread cut biscuits in the bottom of the greased casserole dish.
Cook breakfast sausage according to package directions. Cut into bite sized pieces and spread over top of biscuits.
Sprinkle 1/2 cup of shredded cheese over the sausage.
Beat 6 eggs with milk and pour over the biscuits and sausage.
Sprinkle remaining cheese over the top and add a shake of salt and pepper.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes until the eggs are set.
(Once you pour the eggs and cheese on top, you can bake it or place it in the refrigerator overnight and bake it the next morning.)

Creamy Crockpot Chicken and Rice ***

I couldn't even guess how many times I've made this over the past couple of years, but it's always a hit for us.  I don't follow any of the steps, but I stick to the ingredients list.  I just pop everything  except the cheese into the crockpot and cook on low for about 6 hours.  I've even thrown in the chicken frozen, and it still cooks perfectly.  I just add an extra hour or two on to the cook time.  Now, granted, the rice is softer when it's cooked the full time in the crockpot, but we actually prefer it that way for this one.  It soaks up more of the flavors of the dish.  One of my favorite aspects of this one is that it reheats so beautifully.  I like to double the recipe and freeze half.  Then when I'm ready to have the second portion, I just put the entire thing back in the crockpot.  Works well on the stovetop too, though.

CREAMY CROCKPOT CHICKEN AND RICE (FREEZER-FRIENDLY)

(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ SurvivalGuideByTheWorkingMom and SouthernPlate)

4-5 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 large Vidalia onion (chopped)

1 (8-ounce) box of Zatarain's Yellow Rice Mix (cooked - see notes)

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 can whole kernel corn (drained)
1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese

Trim all the fat off chicken breasts and add it to the bottom of the greased crockpot.

Add the chopped onion and cream of chicken.

Cook chicken in the crockpot on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-7 hours.

Check to make sure chicken is fully cooked.

Cook Zatarain's rice according to the directions on the box.

Add cooked rice, cheese, and corn to the crockpot and let it cook for about 5 minutes so the corn heats up and cheese melts.

Stir the ingredients all together and serve.

*luckymommy/Amy's notes: I mixed everything but the cheese into the crockpot and cooked on low for 6 hours.  Right before eating, I shredded the chicken and stirred in the cheese.
AMY'S FREEZER DIRECTIONS:  Double the entire recipe. It fit perfectly in my crock.  When finished cooking, serve half of the entree.  Take the second half and put it in a gallon Ziploc bag.  Lay bag flat in freezer so that it will not take up as much space.  To reheat, place in crockpot on HIGH for 4 hours or LOW for 6 hours.

Previous Posts
UPDATE (10/6/13):  I just posted this a few days ago, and I mentioned that accidentally made WAY too much.  So I took half of it, loaded it in a gallon Ziplock bag, and threw it in the freezer.  After lunch today, I took it back out and put it in the crockpot for 4 hours on HIGH.  Every bit as good as it was the first time around.  I'm changing the recipe to add the freezer directions, because I am absolutely doing that from now on.  It's no extra trouble, and it saves me from having to make dinner an extra night.  Perfect!
ORIGINAL POST (9/30/13): This was actually really good.  I could have sworn the recipe said it served 4 people, so I doubled it, in order to have enough leftovers for lunches.  Oops.  Made LOTS, lol.  That's okay, though. We'll just throw some in the freezer for weekend lunches.  Anyway, we really enjoyed it.  I'd never had the Zatarain's Yellow Rice, and I was pleasantly surprised by it.  The oldest (10) said it tasted like "gold," whatever that means, lol.  It's perfect comfort food for these cooler fall nights.  I stuck to the recipe, but I used frozen chicken breasts and cooked on low for 7 hours.  When I got home from work, I shredded the chicken, threw the corn and cheese in the crockpot, and let those warm while the rice cooked.  All that was left to do was to stir in the rice when it was finished.  Perfect!

Slow Cooker Ham with Pineapple ****

You just don't get any easier yet flavorful than this recipe right here.  I always double the cola and the pineapple, since the kids are crazy about the pineapple rings.  I've made this for family birthdays and holidays, but my favorite thing is just that I can start it before I leave for work in the morning and not have to rush home and spend my lunch break putting together our supper.  The ham comes out so tender and salty-sweet.  We all adore it.  I've made it at least 30 times since Amylz first posted it, and I have never once had to make any changes to the recipe.  It's absolutely perfect just as it is!

SLOW COOKER HAM WITH PINEAPPLE

Amy (amylz)

All Recipes  Servings: 14

1 (6 to 7 pound) picnic ham

1 (15.25 ounce) can pineapple rings

1 (16 ounce) can cola-flavored carbonated beverage (such as Pepsi)

Place ham in slow cooker with the fattier side facing down. Use toothpicks to attach pineapple rings to the ham. Pour juice from the can over the ham. Pour the cola into the slow cooker.  Cook on Low 7 to 10 hours.

*luckymommy/Amy's notes: I doubled the cola and pineapple.

Previous reviews:
1/27/14 ~ This is crazy, scary good.  I could have easily kept eating it until I made myself sick.  I took Amy's advice and used two cans of pineapple, so that we'd have enough for everyone to have some.  I also doubled the Coke in it.  Mine cooked about 10 hours, and it was sheer perfection.  I have never, ever had a ham that was so yummy.  When you take into account that it took all of 2 minutes to throw together, it's practically the perfect recipe!  The kids both asked for seconds on the ham, which is just unheard of around here.  I served it with the Too-Tasty-to-Be-Good-for-You Cauliflower Mac-n-Cheese, and they went perfectly together.  I will definitely be making this one again.  Soon. 

Crawfish Tortellini ***

So my original plan for the crawfish had been to sub them in another recipe (One-Pot Cajun Pasta).  Well, long story short, I apparently tore a ligament in my foot on vacation, and I'm in a boot this week.  I decided I needed something quick and easy instead.  Since most of the ingredients were the same, I just hit the store on the way home from work and grabbed some tortellini so that I could throw this one together.  It.was.perfect.  As usual.

The original recipe tells you to cook this in an oven at 350 for 45 minutes.  That seems silly to me, so I've always done it stovetop.  It comes out as pure perfection.  The kids and the hubby oohed and ahhed over it excessively, just as they always do.  Now I'm seriously thinking it about having it again this week. :-)

CRAWFISH TORTELLINI
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy)

1 lb frozen crawfish tails, thawed
2 cloves garlic
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 cup butter or margarine
3 cups (1 1/2 pints) whipping cream
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons parsley
1 large package tortellini noodles

Cook tortellini in pot as directed.
While noodles are cooking, sauté the crawfish tails in 2 tablespoons butter for about 5 minutes.  Add remaining butter, onion, and garlic, and sauté for another 2 minutes.
Add the rest of the ingredients, bring sauce to a boil, and pour into pot with drained tortellini.  Bring to a boil again.  Turn down and let it simmer for another 5 minutes or so - just enough to thicken the sauce.

Previous posts:
8/10/11 ~ We've had this recipe before, and the kids loved it.  They think that crawdads are just about the coolest animals we can eat, but I rarely make any recipes with them.  This was a hit as usual.  As last time, I made it on the stovetop (still waiting for the new oven to be delivered - boo!), but it was as delicious as always.  We were on vacation all last week, and with all of the running around we had to do yesterday to get ready for the upcoming work week, we haven't eaten a homecooked meal in what feels like ages.  This was perfect.  I hated that it heated up the house, of course, but it was quick to prepare.  That was the main thing.  I wimped out and just served it with corn, but it was divine nonetheless.  I ran out of parsley, so I just used oregano in its place.  It worked perfectly.

Slow Cooker Brats with Sauerkraut ****

We've had this recipe several times now, and honestly, it seems like we like it more and more every time.  The sweetness of the apples perfectly melds with the tartness of the sauerkraut.  The kraut doesn't taste like kraut at all, actually.  It's just so absolutely divine.  I used a small package of the "real bacon pieces" instead of frying bacon (and dirtying another dish, lol).  It makes the bacon pieces puff up nicely, giving you a little taste of bacon in each bite.  Seriously, this is so good.  The Johnsonville brats come in packs of 5, so I just used two full packs.  Not a problem at all.  Mine were in the crock for 6 hours and were absolutely perfect.

SLOW COOKER BRATS WITH SAUERKRAUT
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ MomsWhoThink)

8 uncooked bratwurst links
1 (14 ounce) can sauerkraut, rinsed and drained
2 medium apples, peeled and finely chopped
3 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1 teaspoon ground mustard
8 brat buns, split

Place the bratwurst in a greased 5-6 quart slow cooker.
In a large bowl combine the sauerkraut, apples, bacon, brown sugar, onion and mustard; spoon over bratwurst.
Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours or until sausage is no longer pink.
Place brats in buns; using a slotted spoon, top with sauerkraut mixture.

Previous reviews
7/18/13 ~ Loved this.  Seriously.  The hubs wasn't quite as thrilled with it as the kids and I were, since he didn't like that the brats lost their crispness in the crockpot.  He did love the flavor, though.  I was worried about the sauerkraut, since he's definitely not a fan (he'd rather starve than eat it).  There are a couple of recipes I can get away with using it in, but I always have to wash and drain it really well.  Since that was in these directions anyway, we were golden.  :-)  There's honestly not a sauerkraut taste to this at all.  The apples and bacon completely mute the sauerkraut flavor.  My 9-year-old hates that stuff as much as his dad, and he actually ate it on top of the brats.  The 7-year-old liked the flavoring of it, but he ate the brat without the kraut (I had to rinse it off, lol).  This is most definitely a winner with us.  It's going right in the rotation!

Chicken-Chili Crescent Bake ****

Even after the several times I've made this, we still adore it.  My 10-year-old had THIRDS.  That child rarely even finishes one helping of anything, so I was totally in shock that he loved it that much.  I always add about 3/4 cup of sour cream to the chicken and bean mixture as it's cooking on the stovetop, just to soften the spice.  I'll always stick with that, because it really adds a lot, in my opinion.  The one time I forgot and made it without the sour cream, it was just a bit too spicy for the kids.  I ended up having to stir sour cream into their individual servings.  We all seriously love this one, so I should really make it more often.  The only problem is that it is getting harder and harder to find the Fiesta Beans.  I guess I need to find a copycat recipe, just for backup!

CHICKEN-CHILI CRESCENT BAKE
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ via Pearls,Handcuffs,andHappyHour)

Rotisserie chicken, shredded
1 can Bush’s Fiesta Black Beans
1 can Rotel
2 tbsp. taco seasoning
1-2 cups shredded cheese
1 can crescent seamless dough sheets

Mix together chicken, beans, Rotel, and taco seasoning in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook for about 5 minutes or until heated through.
Transfer mixture to a 9x13 baking dish. Cover with cheese and top with the crescent seamless dough sheet.
Cook at 375 for about 18-25 minutes or until crescent topping is golden brown. Remove from oven and cool for about 10 minutes.
*Amy's notes: I used mild Rotel and added 3/4 cup sour cream to the chicken mixture.  I also just use 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts in place of the rotisserie chicken.

Crockpot Meatball Subs ****

It's been ages since I've made this one.  I love that you can put the meatballs in raw, though.  I try to keep homemade ones on hand, but I tend to fail at that (a lot!).  This is a good compromise for me.  I don't have a lot of time on my lunch breaks, so I rarely get a chance to put them in the frying pan first.  That would be my preference, of course, but you can't beat the ease of throwing them in raw.  It's perfect when you don't have much prep time.  I typically use Italian breadcrumbs, just to give it a little more flavor.  We also prefer provolone cheese.  So good.  I always sub ground turkey, just because it's our preference.  This time, I used Egg Beaters instead of the egg, though, and it didn't really "bind" the way it normally does.  I can't even explain it.  They held together well, but they were just kind of mushy, for lack of a better word.  Still fabulous, but they didn't have the firmness to them that they normally do.  Oh well.  It was still great.  The youngest (10) was actually asking to have it again the very next night, so that's always a good sign, lol.

CROCKPOT MEATBALL SUBS
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ Recipezaar.com)

1 lb lean ground beef
1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons finely chopped onions or 1/4-1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 egg
1 tablespoon parmesan cheese, grated
1 (32 ounce) jar spaghetti sauce
6-8 sub rolls/hot dog buns
Mozzarella cheese, sliced or shredded

Place first seven ingredients in large bowl with hands.
Shape into approximately 30 1-inch balls. Bake in an ungreased oblong pan (13x9x2) in a 400*F oven until light brown, 20-25 minutes. OR: microwave meatballs in an ungreased baking dish, 6 minutes on High, turning once. OR: cook over medium heat in frying pan, turning occasionally, until brown, about 20 minutes.
Place cooked meatballs and spaghetti sauce in crock pot. Cook on low for about 2 hours. If you cook longer, stir every hour or so. OR: Place raw meatballs in sauce in crockpot and cook for 8 hours on low.
Place meatballs and sauce in hot dog buns and top with mozzarella cheese.
** Amy’s notes: I used Italian breadcrumbs and 1/4 tsp onion powder.

Previous Posts:
6/6/11 ~ I am so glad to be back on the cooking wagon!  May is a crazy month for us, with all the end-of-year school activities and baseball with both kids.  I dearly love baseball season, but I am so proud to have a break from all the running!  For at least 4 weeks there, we didn't have one single night to be lazy.  Whew!  Then add in the fact that my oven has been broken for about a month and a half now (again, no time to go get a new one and have it installed - grr), and I haven't cooked much at all.
These are so good.  Not to mention that they're so stinking easy!  I used provolone cheese on ours instead of the mozzarella, but I've always used the mozzarella in the past.  I think we prefer the provolone, but both are yummy.  The kids ate every bite.  My 5-year-old hates bread (I know - how could he possibly be my child???), but this is filling enough for him to just eat the meatballs with cheese on them.  I always use ground turkey, and it's never been a problem.  This time, I used meatballs that I'd frozen from the last time.  I just dumped them in the crockpot with the sauce for 6 hours on low.  Dh is already looking forward to tomorrow's leftover lunch!

One Pan Cheesy Chicken Broccoli and Quinoa ****

Oh.  Wow.  This was just unbelievably delicious.  We're recent quinoa converts, and the only way I've ever made it was in the crockpot (just two recipes: Crockpot Pizza Quinoa and Slow Cooker Enchilada Quinoa).  I've been wanting to find a way to try it on the stovetop, and boy was this a winner.  I mean, what's to dislike, considering you've got broccoli, cheese, and chicken; am I right?  But we all loved it.  The recipe below is doubled from the original, since it was written with only 4 servings.  I don't know that I would say it's actually a full 8 servings, but we did get 7 servings out of it.  Hubby and both boys took leftovers for lunch the next day.  It's very filling, but so flavorful.  It's a nice comfort food, but you don't have the heaviness that comes with most comfort foods (which are so often potato-based - not that I'm complaining, lol).  Between the quinoa and all that broccoli, I was able to convince myself that we were having a decently healthy meal. :-)

ONE PAN CHEESY CHICKEN BROCCOLI AND QUINOA
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ CookingClassy, doubled)

2 lbs chicken breasts, diced into 1” cubes
1-1/2 cups chopped onions
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp minced garlic
salt and pepper
3-1/2 cups chicken broth
2 cups dry quinoa
1/2 tsp dried thyme
4-5 cups chopped fresh broccoli florets
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1. Heat olive oil in a deep skillet or pot over medium-high heat.  Once hot, add onion and sauté 2 minutes.  Add garlic and sauté 1 minute longer (chicken should be cooked on outsides, but inside doesn’t need to be fully cooked through at this point because it will boil and simmer).
2. Add in broth, quinoa, and thyme.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Bring to a full boil.  Cover and reduce heat to a simmer and cook 12 minutes.
3. Then quickly lift lid, sprinkle broccoli over top, recover and simmer about 8 minutes longer or until quinoa and broccoli have cooked through (it may have a little broth in the bottom still at this point, and you can carefully drain it off if desired, just don’t pour everything down the drain!).
4. Sprinkle cheese over top.  Cover and heat 1-2 minutes until cheese has melted.
Serves 6-8