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.

3-Ingredient Crockpot Ranch Pork Chops ***

These are very basic, but they're good. We had them back in the winter, so they made for a nice, warming comfort food. I love that they're so easy to throw together in just a few minutes, but you still come home to a good meal. Add some green beans and mashed potatoes, and you're good to go!

3-INGREDIENT CROCKPOT RANCH PORK CHOPS
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ SlowCookerKitchen)

4 thick cut pork chops bone-in seems to work better
2 to 3 tablespoons ranch dressing mix
15 ounces chicken gravy

Place the pork chops in a lightly buttered crockpot insert
Sprinkle with the ranch dressing mix and pour the gravy over the top
Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours
Freezer Meal Directions:
Pour the chicken gravy and the ranch dressing mix into a large freezer bag. Close and knead to mix.
Open the bag, add the pork chops and shake to coat.
Lay flat and remove as much air as possible. Label and freeze for up to 8 weeks.

Chicken Bacon Ranch Frito Pie ***

I'm usually not a huge fan of mayo-based meals, but the hubs and kids love them. I don't eat supper very often throughout the week, so I threw this one together on a night I knew that I wouldn't be eating. They loved it! There's nothing special about it at all, but it's super quick to get in the oven. I served it with salad, to make myself feel better about all of the less-than-healthy (ha!) ingredients. But they gave it rave reviews.

CHICKEN BACON RANCH FRITO PIE
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ ThisIsNotDietFood)

3 cups chicken cooked, shredded
1/2 cup mayo
1/2 cup ranch dressing
1/2 cup real bacon bits
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 bunch green onions, chopped
5 cups Frito's corn chips
2 cups cheddar cheese blend, shredded
2 tbsp real bacon bits

Preheat oven to 400F.
Dump the shredded chicken, mayo, ranch dressing, 1/2 cup of real bacon bits, salt and pepper into a large mixing bowl.
Add half of the chopped green onions to the mixing bowl and set the remaining half aside.
Stir all of the ingredients in the mixing bowl together until they are fully combined.
Dump the corn chips into a greased 9 x 13 inch baking dish and spread them out evenly.
Spoon the chicken mixture over the corn chips.
Sprinkle the shredded cheese over the chicken.
Sprinkle the remaining chopped green onions and 2 tbsp of real bacon bits on top of the cheese.
Place the dish in the oven and bake until the cheese is fully melted and just starting brown around the edges. 23-25 minutes.
Remove from the oven, slice and serve.
Enjoy!

Slow Cooker Beef Tips over Rice ***

It's actually been several months since we had this, but the whole family enjoyed it. I loved how perfectly simple it was to throw together. I doubled the recipe and just stirred my cooked rice into it at the end. I also threw in a box of fresh sliced mushrooms, but that was more just a personal preference kind of thing. All in all, we'd definitely do this one again.

SLOW COOKER BEEF TIPS OVER RICE
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ MormonMavens)

1 lb. beef tips (any cut of beef roughly chopped)
1 can golden mushroom soup
1 can French onion soup
1 package dry onion soup
Hot cooked rice

Place all ingredients in slow cooker.
Cook on low for 5 to 6 hours.
Serve over hot, cooked rice.

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.

Crockpot Italian Chicken Thighs ***

My youngest's favorite meal ever is the Crockpot Mississippi Chicken Thighs. I figured this one probably had to be pretty good, and I liked that it was such a basic recipe. I just chopped it all up at the end and served it on Hawaiian buns. Definitely a winner for us. The boy says the Mississippi Thighs are still his favorite, but this is a close second. Good enough for me!

CROCKPOT ITALIAN CHICKEN
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ BeyerBeware)

2 lbs of chicken breast thighs, or combination
1 (12-oz) jar of pepper rings
2 (.7-oz) envelopes of Italian Salad Dressing and Spice Mix

Put chicken in the bottom of a crock pot. Pour pepper rings with juice over chicken. Sprinkle Italian mix over chicken. Cook on low for 8+ hours or on high for 4+ hours.
After chicken has cooked, remove any bones or skin and shred. Keep on low till ready to eat. Add chicken broth or water if chicken seems to be drying out.
Serve on buns.
*Serves 4-6

Slow Cooker Chili Cheese Casserole ***

I'm baaack! We've had an extremely busy year, and I basically fell back on just cooking old favorites that were quick and easy. But now that life has slowed back down to "normal" again, I'm back to trying out some new recipes. Thank goodness, because we were all starting to get pretty sick of the "same old, same old."

I'm originally from St Louis, and no baseball game or school lunch menu was complete without a "pepperbelly," which was essentially just a bag of Fritos, with chili and cheese on top. I still love the flavor to this day. So when this recipe popped up on my Pinterest feed, I knew I had to give it a shot. As it turned out, I ended up being too sick to eat any that night, but the hubs and the kids absolutely raved about it. They want me to put it back on the menu again. I did use the Steak-n-Shake chili, which is just my absolute favorite where canned chili is concerned, but I think it would be an excellent way to use up leftover homemade chili as well.

The recipe below is basically doubled from the original. Click on the link to see the OP's recipe. I had to double because of the larger crock and larger tummies (two teenage boys can eat you out of house and home in no time flat, lol).

SLOW COOKER CHILI CHEESE CASSEROLE
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ TheMagicalSlowCooker)

2 (9-1/4 oz) bags Fritos
6 (10-oz) cans chili
4 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
32-oz sour cream
1 cup diced white onion

Spray slow cooker with non-stick spray. Sprinkle 1 bag of fritos on the bottom of the slow cooker.
Spoon over the chili.
Sprinkle over half the onions and half of the cheese.
Spread over all of the sour cream.
Top with the rest of the cheese and onions.
Cover and cook on high for 2 hours (or low for 4 hours).
Top with the remaining bag of Fritos before serving.

Slow Cooker Spicy Chicken and Rice****

This was amazing. Hubby doesn't like black beans, so I usually sub pinto. This time, I went ahead and used the black, since it was such a small amount of the dish overall. We loved it! The only change I made was to sub a can of green chilies for the chipotle pepper. The rest of them would have liked the chipotle, but I'm just more of a green chilies kind of gal.  I needed a longer cook time for mine, so I started with frozen breasts and cooked for 6 hours on low. It was perfect! I am going to be making this one again soon.

SLOW COOKER SPICY CHICKEN AND RICE
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ 5BoysBaker)

4 boneless , skinless chicken breasts
1 can (14-1/2 ounces) Ro-tel tomatoes (mild or regular)
1 can (10 oz) mild enchilada sauce (I used Old El Paso)
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon chipotle pepper in adobo sauce , chopped
4 cups cooked rice (brown or white)
1 can (15 ounces) black beans, drained
3/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
3/4 cup shredded pepper jack cheese
Garnishes: Sour cream , avocado, cilantro, sour cream

Place chicken in a 4- or 5-qt. slow cooker.
In a large bowl, combine the tomatoes, enchilada sauce, garlic powder, paprika, salt, cumin and chipotle pepper; mix well and pour over chicken. Cover and cook on low for 3-4 hours or until chicken is tender.
Remove chicken to a plate and shred using two forks. Return chicken to the slow cooker. Add cooked rice and beans and stir well. Sprinkle cheese evenly across the top and cover. Let heat through about 20-30 minutes.
Garnish sour cream, cilantro and avocado, if desired.
*luckymommy/Amy's notes: I subbed a can of chopped green chilies for the chipotle. I also started with frozen chicken breasts and cooked on low for 6 hours.

Crockpot Pizza Tater Tot Casserole ***

This was a winner for us, but it was also kind of a no-brainer. I love almost anything with tater tots (except for the regular old-school Tater Tot Casserole, oddly enough), and it's pretty hard to go wrong where pizza is involved. We love the Crockpot Pizza, so I basically put the same toppings in this one. I went with onions, green peppers, black olives, and mushrooms. SOOO good.  I used ground turkey for this one, just because I had some in the freezer to use up. I am totally making this one again, though. Yum!

CROCKPOT PIZZA TATER TOT CASSEROLE
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ RecipesThatCrock)

2 lbs ground beef
1/4-1/2 c onion diced
10.5 oz can cream of mushroom soup
10.5 oz can cream of chicken soup
14 oz pizza sauce
37 pepperoni slices (approx)
1/2 c green pepper chopped
2 1/2 c shredded mozzarella
32 oz bag tater tots
Pizza toppings, per preference

Brown beef in a skillet with onion over medium-high heat and drain
Mix beef mixture with your soups
Spray your crock pot with cooking spray
Pour your mixture into your crock pot and spread out evenly
Pour your pizza sauce evenly across your mixture
Place your pepperoni slices evenly across the top
Spread your green peppers evenly across your pepperoni slices
Sprinkle your cheese on top
Cover evenly with your tater tots
Place aluminum foil on top of your crock pot
Cover and cook for 3 hours on high
Remove your aluminum foil and continue cooking on high for an additional hour
Optional: Place in your broiler (on high if you have the choice of hi/lo for 2-4 minutes, watching very closely

Cherry Pork Chops (Crockpot) ***

We loved this one! I can only stand pork chops when they're done in the crockpot, and I was just kind of intrigued by the idea of making them with the pie filling. If anyone but Amylz had posted it, I might have thought it sounded crazy, but her recipes have never failed me in the past. I figured it was worth a shot. And we loved it! The 12-year-old is already asking to have it again! The cherries were actually my favorite part. I had them as a side instead of a topping, just because I liked them so much on their own. You can't beat this for ease, obviously, but they taste more complex than they actually are. Definitely a winner for us!

CHERRY PORK CHOPS
(Amy - amylz - The Everything Slow Cooker Cookbook )

6 pork chops
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 (21 oz) can cherry pie filling
1 chicken bouillon cube
2 tsp lemon juice

Place the pork in a large skillet on the stove. Brown on medium high heat for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Mix half the can of cherry pie filling, the crushed bouillon cube and the lemon juice in the crock pot. Place the pork chops on top. Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours. Heat the remaining cherry pie filling and serve over chops.

Mexican Cream Cheese Crockpot Chicken ***

Well, I just now noticed, while typing up this post, that I put the cream cheese in at the beginning instead of waiting until the end.  Honestly, I see no reason to wait.  It didn't curdle, and letting it cook with the ingredients the entire time lets it soak up more of the juices.  But I don't really think it matters either way.  I chose it off Pinterest because of the short list of ingredients and quick preparation.  I also liked that it closely resembles Crockpot Taco Soup, which is one of my most favorite winter-time comfort foods.  Considering it's the middle of a heat-ravaged summer, I couldn't possibly go the soup route, so this was a nice way of *almost* having it. 😉

I did double the recipe, but I think that it would be better to do more like 1.5 times the amounts. We wrapped ours up in tortillas, burrito-style, and filled them with lettuce and tomatoes and such.  The original recipe mentioned having it over rice, which would be really good in cold weather.  But whatever you choose, this sucker was a big winner for us!

MEXICAN CREAM CHEESE CROCKPOT CHICKEN
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ GonnaWantSeconds)

4 Chicken Breast Halves, Boneless and Skinless
1 (15 Ounce) Can Black Beans, Drained
1 (7 Ounce) Can Ortega Chiles, Chopped
1 (15.5 Ounces ) Can Diced Tomatoes, Undrained
1 (8 Ounces) Can Corn, Drained
1 (6 Ounces) Can Black Olives, Drained
1 Small Yellow Onion, Chopped
1 Envelope Taco Seasoning
8 Ounces Cream Cheese, Cubed

Add all ingredients to crock pot EXCEPT cream cheese.
Cook on high for 4-6 hours or low for 8 hours or until chicken is extremely tender.
Remove chicken and shred. Add back to crock pot. Add cream cheese, cover and continue to cook on high for 30 minutes.  Stir well and serve with tortillas or over rice.

*luckymommy/Amy's notes: I doubled the recipe and added the cream cheese at the beginning.

Crockpot Mississippi Chicken Thighs ****

We're big fans of the Crockpot Mississippi Roast, and we all love us some chicken thighs.  When this one popped up on my Pinterest board, it was basically a no-brainer that I would have to try it.  And I am so very glad that I did!  We all practically inhaled our dinner plates.  It was that good.  My local grocery store very rarely has the Au Jus packets, so I typically just use the brown gravy ones.  The Au Jus is definitely my preference when it's in stock, though.  There's nothing special about the recipe, but it's one of those that tastes like it takes a lot more effort than it actually does.  Always a good thing, lol.  I'm definitely going to be making this one again.  The kids have already requested that it go back on the menu for next week! 😊

CROCKPOT MISSISSIPPI CHICKEN THIGHS
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ RecipesThatCrock)

3 lbs Boneless, Skinless Chicken Thighs
1 envelope Ranch Dressing Mix
1 envelope Au Jus Gravy Mix or Brown Gravy Mix
1/2 Stick of Butter (1/4 Cup)
6 Pepperoncinis

Lay chicken thighs in the bottom of your slow cooker.
Sprinkle mixes on top.
Slice butter and place evenly on top.
Add peppers.
Cook on low for 4-5 hours.

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.

Yummy Pork Steak ***

This is an older recipe, but it's been a couple years since I've made it.  I was really craving pork steaks, so I pulled this one out of my old files.  I usually do mine on low for about 6-7 hours (my crockpot runs hot).  I also prefer the dry onion mushroom soup, but the flavor is basically the same.  Still a winner for us!

YUMMY PORK STEAK
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ Recipezaar.com)

3 lbs pork steaks
1 (1 ounce) envelope dry onion soup mix
1 (10 1/2 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup

Put pork steaks in bottom of crockpot or slow cooker.
Sprinkle onion soup mix over steaks.
Pour soup over the top.
Cover.
Cook on high setting about 4 hours.

Previous posts:
11/8/10 ~ Well, I boo-boo'd, and I accidentally bought pork chops instead of pork steak.  On top of that, I bought bone-in chops, which I hate.  So, being the industrious mama that I am, I deboned those suckers and threw them in the pot anyway.  They were really good.  It's way better with the pork steaks, but it left the chops so tender, and the sauce, simple as it might be, is really yummy.  The little ones were going on and on about how much they loved it, which is always a good thing in a house with kids who think every night should be take-out, lol.

Crockpot Corn & Crawfish Bisque ***

I found this one in an old cookbook.  We adore crawfish, so we tend to try a lot of new ways to work them into our menus.  The recipe below is doubled from what was posted in the cookbook.  It's me and three me/boys in our household, and the 3-5 servings that was listed in the original recipe would NOT have held up for us, lol.  I also like to have quite a bit left over for their lunches, now that the teenager prefers to take leftovers like his dad instead of sandwiches.  The original recipe had a full stick of margarine (so it would have been two sticks for my version), but I cut it down to just 2 tablespoons.  Honestly, I think you could skip it altogether.  I don't really see a need for it at all.  That's why I just put "optional" in the recipe below.  The original recipe also said to use cayenne pepper, but I went with the Cajun seasoning instead, so that it would have that Cajun-ish flavor to it.  Anyway, we all loved this.  We had it on a cold and icy night with some crusty rolls, and it hit the spot just perfectly.  Now I just wish it would go back to being cold so that we could have it again.  Ha!

CROCKPOT CORN & CRAWFISH BISQUE
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ an old cookbook)

4 cans cream of potato soup
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
2 cans whole kernel corn, drained
8 oz cream cheese
2 pints half-and-half
2 pkgs frozen crawfish meat, thawed
1/2 tsp Cajun seasoning (to taste)
2 Tbsp margarine (optional)

Add all ingredients in crockpot and cook on high heat for 3-4 hours or low heat for 6-7 hours.
Stir until well-combined.

Slow Cooker Chicken Fajita Pasta ***

We all really enjoyed this one.  It wasn't one of our favorites or anything, but it was quick to throw together and tasted pretty good.  I used angelhair pasta, just because it's our preference.  I also just threw in a frozen bag of fajita blend peppers and onions, to cut down on the prep time.  Mine cooked on high for about 6 hours, and it was perfect.  It kind of reminds me of my mom's recipe for Chicken Spaghetti, without the rotel and Velveeta.  I can't stand Velveeta, so this definitely played in its favor for me.  I would definitely make it again, but I think that next time I'll add in a can of diced green chilies.

SLOW COOKER CHICKEN FAJITA PASTA
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ MyHeavenlyRecipes)

1 Green Bell Pepper, diced
1 Onion, diced
1 Can Diced Tomatoes, drained
1 TSP Ground Cumin
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
salt & pepper, to taste
5-6 chicken breasts
2 Cans Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 Box Barilla Spaghetti or Angel Hair, cooked and drained
2 cups Cheddar Cheese, grated
3/4 C Chicken Stock (or water)

Place onion, bell pepper, cumin, garlic powder, salt, pepper, chicken, mushroom soup and 1 cup of grated cheese together in a crock-pot. Stir to mix ingredients. Cook on high for 3-4 hours or until chicken is fully cooked.
Remove chicken breasts from the crock-pot, dice and return to crock-pot. Pour in cooked spaghetti, tomatoes and remaining cheese. Using a pair of tons coat the pasta in sauce and melt cheese, adding in a few splashes of chicken stock (or water). Cook another 20-30 minutes on low and serve.
*luckymommy/Amy's notes: I used a bag of frozen fajita blend peppers.  Next time I'll add a can of green chilies.

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.

Crockpot Swedish Meatballs****

This was so stinking good.  I didn't realize until after we were already eating it that we'd had almost exactly this same recipe before when I made the Crockpot Meatball Stroganoff. In fact, the only difference was the addition of the dry onion soup in place of the chopped onions.  I think I prefer it this way.  I always use the dry onion mushroom soup, just because I love mushrooms.  I meant to add some mushrooms to the crockpot while it was cooking, but since work has been so crazy this week, hubby has had to do the cooking for me.  I bought the mushrooms, but I didn't think to add them to the recipe notes for him.  Oops.  But it was still another winner for us!

CROCKPOT SWEDISH MEATBALLS

(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ TheCountryCook)

1 can cream of mushroom (or chicken) soup, low sodium

1 can beef broth, low sodium

1 packet dry onion soup mix

2 tbsp. A1 steak sauce

1 (2 lb.) bag frozen meatballs

1 (8 oz.) container sour cream (1 cup)

1 (16 oz.) package egg noodles

In a 5-6 quart slow cooker, mix undiluted soup with beef broth, onion soup mix and steak sauce. Stir well. Then add in frozen meatballs.

Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high 3-5 hours.

After meatball mixture has cooked, stir in sour cream.

At this time, put a pot of water on the oven to boil for your egg noodles (make according to package directions.) Drain noodles well when done.Mix noodles and meatballs together. Or serve meatballs on top of noodles.

Little Smokies Croissant Breakfast Casserole ***

It was pretty obvious from the title that I would love this recipe.  I mean, with Little Smokies and croissants, how could you go wrong?  I was right, though.  This thing was awesome.  I did have to go for the full 50 minutes, just to make sure the eggs thickened up enough.  As usual, I subbed Egg Beaters for the eggs.  I'm wondering how it would be with the Southwestern Egg Beaters.  Might have to try that next time.  I did leave out the Dijon and the onion powder.  I never can get into those flavors with pork in general, but the idea of them in a breakfast food makes me kind of gag.  Honestly, even if I liked the flavors, I doubt I would want them in something like this.  Eggs are so good on their own (to me, anyway), and once you add in the croissants and Smokies, the flavor just get even more spectacular.  I would be afraid that the mustard and onion flavor would jsut take too much attention from all the other yummy goodness.  But all of that aside, we loved this bad boy.  Not to mention how much I love being able to throw it together the night before.  My oven has a timer that allows me to set it to come on and preheat at a specific time.  So I set it early, got up and popped that bad boy in the oven, and went back to bed for 50 minutes.  Perfect!

LITTLE SMOKIES CROISSANT BREAKFAST CASSEROLE

(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ PlainChicken)

1 (14-oz) package Little Smokies

1 (10 to 13-oz) package mini croissants

2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 tsp onion powder

2 tsp Dijon mustard

3 cups milk

1 cup heavy cream

5 eggs

Chop little Smokies and mini croissants into bite-sized pieces. Toss together little Smokies, croissants and cheddar cheese. Pour into a lightly greased 9x13-inch pan.

Whisk together milk, heavy cream, onion powder, Dijon mustard and eggs. Pour over croissant mixture. Cover and refrigerate 8 hours.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Uncover casserole. Bake 45 to 50 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

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.