Mexican Spaghetti ****

Back when I still had "little" boys (sniff, sniff 😢), they loved watching iCarly.  On the show, one of their favorite dishes was Spaghetti Tacos.  So after listening to my kids beg relentlessly for Spaghetti Tacos, I finally created a recipe for them.  And they loved it.  Six years later, they still do.  Well, the hubs and I never really wanted to waste the extra carbs with noodles and shells, so we compromised and ate ours without the shells.  And so was born this Mexican Spaghetti.  To this day, we still eat ours this way.  We top it with lots of lettuce and sour cream and black olives.  Sometimes salsa.  It's a pretty forgiving recipe, but it's so, SO good!

MEXICAN SPAGHETTI
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy)

1 lb ground beef or ground turkey
1 packet taco seasoning
1 cup water
1 jar Sauteed Onion and Mushroom spaghetti sauce
1 box spaghetti noodles
Salsa, optional
Cheddar cheese, optional
Lettuce, optional
Black olives, optional

Prepare noodles according to package directions.  Drain and return to pot.
Brown meat in pan until no longer pink; drain.  Add taco seasoning and water.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for 5-6 minutes, until sauce thickens.  Add spaghetti sauce and cook until warmed.  Add to noodles and mix thoroughly.
Add taco toppings to each serving as desired.
Very messy, but very yummy!

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 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.

Beef Stroganoff Ravioli Skillet ***

This one was pretty good.  Not my favorite, necessarily, but definitely worthy of making again.  It intrigued me to think of mixing ravioli and beef stroganoff.  It didn't disappoint.  I used a ton of mushrooms with it, but that's just our personal preference.  We all love us some mushrooms!  I would probably double it next time, though.  It was plenty for the four of us, but there were absolutely zero leftovers for lunches the next day.  We had it with a salad and some bread, and it was the perfect amount.

BEEF STROGANOFF RAVIOLI SKILLET
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ FoodFanatic)

2 tablespoons butter
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 8 ounce packages mushrooms
3/4 cup beef stock
1 package frozen beef ravioli, approximately 1 pound, 9 ounces
1/3 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup sour cream
salt and pepper, to taste
fresh parsley, chopped

In a large skillet melt butter until foamy. Add onions and sauté for a few minutes until golden and soft. Add mushrooms and stir until well coated. Brown for 5-6 minutes.
Pour in ravioli, tossing to mix everything together.
Add beef stock, mix well. Cover and let cook for 5-8 minutes, or until ravioli are cooked, stirring half way through.
Pour in cream, mix until well blended. Remove from heat.
Stir in sour cream and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Garnish with fresh chopped parsley.

One Pan Philly Cheesesteak Pasta **

I was really excited to make this, but it just really seemed like something was missing in it.  Once the peppers cook in the liquid with the noodles, they lose their bite completely.  The roast beef's flavor is sucked out by the liquid too.  It just didn't have enough flavor, in my opinion.  Even a little bit of salt would have helped out some.  I don't know.  Maybe I shouldn't have used such lean meat.  I love the idea of it, so I definitely want to give it another shot.  I just need to figure out how to improve on it without changing the "cheesesteak" theme.  I need to look for some other similar meals and get some ideas, I guess.  Anyway, it was decent, but it wasn't what I had hoped it would be.

ONE PAN PHILLY CHEESESTEAK PASTA
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ YellowBlissRoad)

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup thinly sliced onion (about 1 small onion
2 cups thinly sliced bell peppers (about 3 - red, and/or green)
1 pound thinly sliced, rare deli roast beef
2 cups beef broth
1 cup water
1/2 pound of small dry pasta, like Rotini (about 2 1/2 cups)
6-10 thin slices of deli Provolone Cheese

Heat olive oil over medium high heat in a 12" skillet.
Add onions and bell peppers and cook, stirring often, until vegetables are soft and onions are clear.
Cut roast beef into one inch thick slices. Add to the veggies in the pan.
Add pasta, broth and water, stir, and bring mixture to a boil.
Cover pan and reduce heat to low.
Cook for 18-20 minutes. Uncover and if there is still a lot of liquid in the pan, turn heat back up to medium-high and cook, stirring often for a few minutes until liquid is mostly absorbed.
Turn off heat and top pasta with cheese slices. Replace cover for about five minutes, or until cheese is melted.
Divide into bowls and serve.

Crockpot Beef Stroganoff ***

This was super simple but still pretty yummy.  I added a carton of mushrooms, and I would highly recommend that.  The really add a lot to the flavor, in my opinion.  Hubby and the kids loved it, but hubby said it seemed like it was missing something that he couldn't put his finger on.  I used whole wheat noodles, so I'm sure that was part of it.  Maybe I'll use a bit more worchestershire next time.  The directions say to brown the meat and cook the onions, but I just dumped everything (except the noodles) directly into the pot.  I cooked on high for 2 hours and low for 2 hours.  I did use a kind of meat labeled carne pasada.  Loved it.  Will do that from now on.  It's just little strips of meat, but since my only complaint with stroganoff is the beef chunks, they are the perfect solution for me!

CROCK POT BEEF STROGANOFF
(luckmommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ EazyPeazyMealz)

8 ounces cream cheese
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
4 Tbs Worcestershire sauce
1 cup milk
1 tsp garlic salt
1 lb beef stew meat
1 large onion
1 package egg noodles

Start by chopping up your onion, and putting it in fry pan with your stew meat.
Season with the garlic salt.
Cook just until the onion starts to get translucent and meat is browned on outside, but not cooked through.
Mix together milk, mushroom soup, Worcestershire sauce, and cream cheese. Stir well so not too lumpy.
Put sauce mixture and meat and onions in crock pot, put lid on, and cook on low for 4-6 hours. You can stir occasionally.
Just before finished, boil water and cook noodles according to package directions.
When noodles are cooked through, and drained, stir into crock pot. Let sit about 5 minutes, then serve.
*luckymommy/Amy's notes: I added a carton of mushrooms and just mixed all ingredients except noodles directly into the crockpot, without browning the meat.

Crockpot Pizza Tortellini ***

This was really good.  I have an old BBC recipe for Crockpot Pizza that we love, but as I was shopping for the ingredients, I decided to remake it into a tortellini dish.  The kids and I love tortellini, so when coupled with pizza, it was just bound to be a slam dunk.  I originally made it with more water and more tortellini, but I've lowered the amounts in the final recipe.  I used the frozen chopped peppers and onions.  You can obviously sub in ground beef.  Ground turkey is just our preference.  I definitely want to make this again!

CROCKPOT PIZZA TORTELLINI
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy)

12-oz dried spinach and cheese tortellini, uncooked
1-1/2 lbs ground turkey, browned and drained
8-oz can sliced mushrooms
8-oz can sliced black olives
1 packet sliced pepperoni
3 (14-oz) jars pizza sauce
1 cup diced onion
1 cup diced green pepper
14.5-oz can diced fire-roasted tomatoes
2 cups water (enough to cover the mixture)
Shredded mozzarella cheese

Mix all ingredients together in crockpot.
Cook on low 7 hours.
Top each serving with a sprinkle of mozzarella.
Serves 6-8

Crockpot Meatball Stroganoff ***

I do my reviews on a 4-star basis.  1 stars are recipes that we hate so badly that I will review, but I don't link to them from my main page.  These are recipes that will never be made in my kitchen again, for whatever reason.  2 stars are good, but there's nothing special enough to guarantee that they'll be made again.  We didn't dislike them, but we didn't necessarily enjoy them either.  3 stars aren't super-stellar, but I would definitely make them again.  We all enjoyed them.  4 stars are self-explanatory and are typically regulars for us.

The reason for that long spiel is to say that this is probably just a 2-star recipe where taste is concerned, but the fact that it's so amazingly simple earns it an extra star from me.  I would make this one again.  We all liked it.  The flavor was good, even though it wasn't anything that would blow me away.  It actually reminded me a lot of one of my regular dishes (and one of hubby's favorites), Meatball Goulash, although the Goulash is definitely our preference between the two.  I mixed my noodles directly into the crockpot at the end, just because that's how we like our stroganoff.  Next time, I'm going to throw some fresh mushrooms in there.  It just really felt like they were missing.  Other than that, I don't really think there's anything I'd change, and I surprisingly didn't have to alter the recipe to fit what I had on hand, which is a miracle in itself. :-)

ETA: We later tried Crockpot Swedish Meatballs, and I definitely prefer that recipe to this one.

CROCKPOT MEATBALL STROGANOFF
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ JuliesEatsAndTreats)

1 bag (2.5 lbs) frozen, precooked meatballs
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can beef broth
1/2 onion, finely diced
2 tsp garlic powder
2 Tbsp A1 sauce
1 cup sour cream
1 pkg (16 oz) egg noodles

In the crockpot, mix soup, broth, garlic powder, onion and A1 sauce; add meatballs. Cook on low 8-10 hours or high 4-6 hours.
When mixture is done cooking, add sour cream and mix; continue cooking in the crockpot another 20 minutes.
While your sour cream is cooking in the mixture prepare your egg noodles according to package directions.
Mix noodles and meatballs together, or serve meatballs on top of noodles.

One­ Pan Enchilada Pasta ***

This was really good, considering how simple it was to throw together.  I didn't have any of the preseasoned meat, so I browned the turkey and then did the water and taco seasoning, like you would for tacos.  It was just a guess, since she doesn't mention how to do the meat without the preseasoning.  It worked, though.  I used low-sodium taco seasoning and low-sodium broth, but it was still a little salty for me.  I'm thinking I might do half broth and half water next time.  It didn't bother anyone else, so it could just be me being overly sensitive to salt again.  But we all liked it, and that's what really matters. :-)

ONE PAN ENCHILADA PASTA
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ Number2Pencil)

2 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 of a small onion, diced
1.25 pounds of taco seasoned ground turkey meat or 1.25 pounds of lean ground beef and
packet of low-sodium taco seasoning
2 cups of low-sodium chicken broth
1 (19 oz) can of red enchilada sauce
8 oz (about 2 1/2 cups) of dried rotini pasta
2 cups of freshly shredded Colby Jack cheese
green onions
black olives

In a large skillet or sauté pan, sauté garlic and onions in olive oil over medium low heat until
softened.
Add ground turkey meat and cook, breaking meat up with a wooden spoon until browned.
Once turkey meat is cooked through, add pasta, chicken broth and enchilada sauce to pan.
Bring to a boil, then reduced heat to low and cover.
Cook on low, with pan covered for about 15 minutes.
Then remove lid and let simmer for additional 5 minutes until pasta is tender and sauce has
reduced.
Remove from heat and stir in 1 cup of cheese.
Top pasta with additional cup of cheese and melt under broiler for a minute or tow, or place lid
back on pan and let heat from the pasta melt the cheese.
Garnish with black olives and green onions.

One Pot Cheeseburger Casserole ***

I just love the "one pot" dishes.  I've always loved one dish meals, but there have been so many new stovetop ones going around Pinterest lately (see One Pot Wonder Southwest Pasta and One Pot Wonder Chicken Lo Mein).  It's pretty awesome.  This was great, just as I knew it would be.  I don't know that it's necessarily a cheeseburger taste, but I would say it's more like a fancy Hamburger Helper, lol.  But it was delicious nonetheless.  I stirred the cheese directly into the pasta before serving, just to make it easier.  I put a small sprinkle on each serving as well, to give it a little more pizzazz, but that way, I didn't risk the kids making a mess when they stirred the cheese into their bowls. :-)

ONE POT CHEESEBURGER CASSEROLE
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ DamnDelicious)

1 tablespoon olive oil
1-1/2 pounds ground beef
1 onion, diced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, roughly chopped
1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
2 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup ketchup
2 teaspoons dijon mustard
2 cups water
1 pound rotini pasta
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 Roma tomato, diced (optional)
2 green onions, sliced (optional)

Heat olive oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add ground beef and onion and cook until beef has browned, about 3-5 minutes, making sure to crumble the beef as it cooks; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Drain excess fat.
Stir in tomatoes, tomato sauce, chicken broth, ketchup, mustard, pasta and 2 cups water. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat and simmer until pasta is cooked through, about 13-16 minutes.
Remove from heat and top with cheese. Cover until cheese has melted, about 2 minutes.
Serve immediately, garnished with tomato and green onions, if desired.

Crockpot Cheesy Veggie Rotini ***

I originally set out to make the Slow Cooker Inside-Out Ravioli, from GetCrocked.com.  Once I started making it, though, I ended up making so many changes that I doubt the taste is the same as hers.  I figured I'd better give it a different name.  I definitely want to give her credit for the inspiration, though.

This was absolutely delicious!  I'm on a tricolor garden rotini kick right now, so that was the reason behind my first change.  I also am completely crazy about spinach and the three-pepper onion blend (as I've mentioned before, lol),  I just can't even describe the deliciousness.  It's so easy to throw together.  If you had the meat already cooked and frozen (which I often do), you could just throw it all in the crockpot together and up the cook time a bit.  I'd be willing to bet I do that in the near future.  Everyone loved it, and plates were cleaned all around.

CROCKPOT CHEESY VEGGIE ROTINI
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy)

1 lb ground turkey (or lean ground beef)
1 package frozen three-pepper and onion blend
1-2 tsp garlic powder (your preference)
1 (24 oz) jar of plain pasta sauce
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
3 tsp Italian Seasoning
2 cups fresh spinach
16 oz tricolor rotini, cooked
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
2 cups mozzarella, shredded

Brown the ground turkey, onion, peppers, and garlic powder.  While meat is cooking, add pasta sauce, tomatoes, Italian seasoning, and spinach to 5-6 quart crockpot. Drain meat and stir into crockpot.
Cook on low for 4-5 hours (depending on your crockpot).
About 15 minutes before serving, add 1-1/2 cups of mozzarella cheese, Parmesan, and al-dente cooked pasta. Stir well to mix in sauce evenly.
Sprinkle individual servings with remaining mozzarella.

Crockpot Pizza ****

This is an old tried and true favorite for us.  I got it from Rachel years ago, and we've been enjoying it ever since.  I add black olives to mine, and since I can never find large jars of pizza sauce, I just use three of the medium-size jars.  Comes out perfect every time.  Our stores never carry rigatoni either, so I just use regular penne.  I've used the whole grain noodles in the past, and there's really not much of a difference, since it cooks for so long.  It's yummy either way.  :-)

CROCKPOT PIZZA
(Rachel ~ 4*Kowbabies)

1 box rigatoni, cooked
1 1/2 lbs ground chuck browned and drained
1 large pkg sliced pepperoni
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 pkg mozzarella cheese shredded
2 large jars of pizza sauce
1 med. onion chopped
(optional can of mushrooms)

Stir all ingredients together. Place in crockpot and cook on low for 5 hrs.
*luckymommy/Amy's notes: I use 3 small jars of pizza sauce, add a can of black olives, and sub penne noodles.

Slow Cooker Spaghetti Pie ***

This was pretty good.  It's really easy, which I obviously love, lol.  I let mine go about 6 hours, and that was honestly a bit too long. In my crockpot (which always runs hot), it probably would have been better around 5 hours.  But the kids absolutely loved it.  Hubby and I liked it too.  I used whole grain noodles, so they held up a bit better than plain ones would have.  I'll definitely make it again.

SLOW COOKER SPAGHETTI PIE
(GetCrocked)

8 oz. spaghetti
2 eggs
1/3 c. Parmesan cheese
1 lb. ground beef
32 oz. jar spaghetti sauce
3 c. cottage cheese
4 oz. mozzarella cheese

Boil spaghetti until al dente, about 7 minutes.  Meanwhile, brown the beef, drain, and return to pan.
Next, add sauce to pan, cook on low heat a few minutes.
After spaghetti is done, drain, cut, and add to separate large bowl; add parmesan cheese and beaten eggs and stir to combine.
Next, pour 1/2 c. meat sauce to the bottom of the crock. Layer 1/2 pasta, 1/2 cottage cheese, 1/2 meat sauce, 1/2 mozzarella. Repeat layers.
Cover and Crock on LOW 6-8 hours.

Meatball Lasagna **

This was okay.  The bottom layer of noodles didn't soften much at all, though.  Next time, I would probably just boil the noodles and make it like a regular pasta.  In all actuality, I think it would be really good to do it stovetop with egg noodles, but I'd have to mess around with that one a bit.

Photo from BettyCrocker.com

MEATBALL LASAGNA

(BettyCrocker.com)

1 jar (26 oz) tomato pasta sauce (any variety)

1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes with Italian herbs, undrained

1 box (12 oz) frozen Italian-style meatballs, thawed, each cut in half

1-1/2 cups frozen bell pepper and onion stir-fry (from 1-lb bag), thawed, drained

1 container (15 oz) ricotta cheese

1 egg, beaten

2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves

8 uncooked lasagna noodles

3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (12 oz)

1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese (1 oz)

Spray 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray. In large bowl, mix pasta sauce and tomatoes. Reserve 1/2 cup tomato mixture. Stir meatballs and stir-fry vegetables into remaining tomato mixture.

In medium bowl, mix ricotta cheese, egg and basil.

Spoon reserved 1/2 cup tomato mixture over bottom of baking dish. Top with 4 noodles. Top with about half of the ricotta mixture and half of the meatball mixture. Layer with remaining 4 noodles, remaining ricotta mixture, 1 cup mozzarella cheese and remaining meatball mixture. Sprinkle with remaining 2 cups mozzarella cheese and the Parmesan cheese. Spray sheet of foil with cooking spray; cover baking dish with foil. Refrigerate 8 hours or overnight.

Heat oven to 350°F. Bake covered lasagna 45 minutes. Uncover; bake 15 to 20 minutes longer or until bubbly, edges are golden brown and cheese is melted. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting.

Pepperoni Lasagna in the Crockpot ****

I've been making this one for years, but this time around, I had an extra can of spinach that I needed to use up.  I stirred it into the cottage cheese mixture, and it was so good.  I'm going to keep doing it that way, so I'm updating the recipe with the addition.  It seems like a lot of water in the sauce, but it will be soaked up by the noodles.  Dh made me promise to make this again soon.  :)  Sorry for the bad picture.  I'll take a better one next time, lol.

PEPPERONI LASAGNA IN THE CROCKPOT
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy)

2 lbs ground beef or ground turkey
1 small onion, chopped
4 cups water
2 (8 ounce) cans tomato sauce
2 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste
2 teaspoons beef bouillon granules
1 (7 ounce) can mushrooms
2 tablespoons dried parsley flakes
4 teaspoons Italian seasoning
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
2 eggs
1 (12 ounce) carton small curd cottage cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
1 can chopped spinach, drained
9 no boil lasagna noodles
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, mushrooms, and seasonings. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes.
Break noodles in half.
In a bowl, combine eggs, cottage cheese, spinach and sour cream.
Spread 1/4 of meat sauce into a greased crockpot. Layer with three noodles, 1/3 of the cottage cheese mixture, and 1/3 of the pepperoni. Repeat layers twice more (3 total layers, beginning with the noodles), and top with remaining noodles and meat sauce. Sprinkle with mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses.
Cook on low for 4-6 hours. (We like our noodles kind of soft, so I go for at least 5 hours. For firmer noodles, stop at 4 hours.)

Previous posts:
3/30/10
This was my first attempt at turning an oven lasagna recipe into a crockpot recipe. I changed up quite a few things, but the recipe below is written with my changes. Overall, the flavors were wonderful. The only problem was that it cooked a little too quickly, which was simply due to the crockpot not being full enough. I think that next time, I'm going to up the meat amt to 2 lbs and double the sauce mixture. I'll probably keep the cheese layer the same, since I don't want it to be too overpowering. I also want to start adding mushrooms, to give it a little extra veggie boost. This was SO perfect, though. Even the 6-year-old lasagna conoisseur gave it his seal of approval. :)

Cheese-Topped Beef Bake **

I found this recipe on the BBC Recipe Swap board quite a while ago, and I've had it in my to-try file ever since.  Hubby actually ended up making it tonight, since I was running late getting home from work.  He said it was pretty easy to throw together.  The flavor is good, but it's just a tad bit rich for me.  I did use egg noodles instead of shells, since I had some I needed to use up. Plus, I'm kind of weird about not wanting shell noodles in anything but mac and cheese, lol.  We all liked it, but I don't know that I'll make it again.  The cream cheese layer is just a little too thick for me.  Even after mixing it together with the noodles and spaghetti sauce, the chive and onion flavor was a bit overwhelming.  The kids liked it, though.  They said it reminded them of Spaghetti Tacos.  :-)

CHEESE-TOPPED BEEF BAKE
(Erin-HopeAndRebekah via Simple & Delicious)

1 package (16 ounces) medium pasta shells
1 pound ground beef
1 jar (26 ounces) spaghetti sauce
1 envelope taco seasoning
1 carton (8 ounces) spreadable chive and onion cream cheese
1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. stir in the spaghetti sauce and taco seasoning. In a small bowl, combine cream cheese and sour cream; set aside. Drain the pasta; stir in beef mixture. Transfer to a greased 13in x 9in x 2in baking dish. Spread with cream cheese mixture, sprinkle with cheddar cheese. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Crockpot Cheesy Ravioli Casserole ***

Yum, yum, yum!  We had a crockpot ravioli last week that was a total bomb, so I was determined to find something that would work better for us.  Score!  We all loved it.  I'll definitely be making it again.  Also, I didn't start it on time, so I ended up cooking it on high for about 4 hours, and then we still weren't hungry, so it sat on warm for another hour.  It was still wonderful.  I forgot to take a picture, but the photo below is from the Six Sisters' website, where I found the recipe.  Clicking the picture will link to their site.

Photo from Six Sisters' Stuff

CROCKPOT CHEESY RAVIOLI CASSEROLE
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ Six Sisters' Stuff)

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
2 (26 ounce) jars four cheese pasta sauce
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
2 (25 ounce) packages frozen beef ravioli

Spray crock pot with Pam. In a large skillet heat oil over medium heat, add onion and garlic and cook for 4 minutes stirring occasionally. Stir in pasta sauce, tomato sauce and Italian seasoning. Place 1 cup of sauce in crock pot. Add 1 package of the ravioli, top with 1 cup of the cheese. Top with remaining package of ravioli and 1 cup cheese. Pour remaining sauce over the top. Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours.

Skillet Meatball Goulash ***

I've been slacking on posting lately, but we've been so consumed with basketball and Cub Scouts since we came back from Christmas break. Our meals have mostly been quick, off-the-top-of-Amy's-head kind of things. Nothing post-worthy. I hope to be back into the swing of things over the next week, since bball is finally coming to a close. Whew!

Dh actually requested this one, which is pretty strange for him.  Normally, I'm pretty much left to my own devices when it comes to meal planning, so when dh makes a request, I almost always make it that same day, lol.  The chili sauce in this really makes all the difference, in my opinion.  That makes it a little more than the normal stroganoff-type dish.  I use turkey meatballs, fat free sour cream, and whole grain egg noodles, so it's a little bit healthier than the original recipe as written.  However, the whole grain noodles just don't soften as well as the regular.  When I use them, I make sure to add some extra water and let it simmer a bit longer.  I also like to have enough leftovers for lunches the next day, so I use the full 32-oz bag of meatballs, 8-oz of sour cream, and an extra 1/4 cup of water.  This is so unbelievably easy to throw together.  I love that the meatballs are cooked from frozen and that both the meatballs and the noodles are cooked in the same pan.  A girl's gotta love one-dirty-dish-meals!  The kids ate it up, and dh raved about it.  The house smelled wonderful.  So easy and such a comfort dish.  :)

SKILLET MEATBALL GOULASH
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ Recipezaar)

½ cup chopped green bell pepper
1 medium onion, chopped
1 (12 ounce) jar beef gravy
1 (14 ounce) can beef broth
¾ cup water
2 tablespoons chili sauce
12-16 ounces frozen cooked Italian meatballs
8 ounces uncooked mini lasagna noodles (I prefer egg noodles)
½ cup light sour cream
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Spray 12-inch nonstick skillet with nonstick cooking spray; Heat over medium-high heat until hot.
Add bell pepper and onion; cook and stir 2-3 minutes or until crisp-tender.
Add gravy, broth, water, chili sauce and meatballs; mix well.
Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.
Reduce heat to medium.
Cover; cook 5 minutes or until meatballs are thawed.
Add uncooked noodles; mix well.
Cover; cook about 10 minutes or until noodles are tender and meatballs are thoroughly heated, stirring occasionally.
Remove from heat.
Stir in sour cream until well blended.
Sprinkle with parsley.
* Amy’s notes: I use the full bag of turkey meatballs, fat free sour cream (8-oz), and 2 cups of beef broth.

Spaghetti Tacos ****

I love that when I tell the boys we're having Spaghetti Tacos for dinner, my announcement is met with excitement and not the usual griping that we encounter with meals.  No, this is not the healthiest main dish, so I always make sure to serve it with lots of veggies.  I want to try it with shredded zucchini sometime.  I've done that with regular spaghetti before, and it's always turned out great.  This time around, I tried angel hair pasta instead of spaghetti, thinking it would be easier for the kids to keep it in the tacos.  Score!  They loved the change, and so did hubby and I.  As usual, the kids had theirs on the taco shells, and hubby and I had ours plain with salsa and cheese on top.  So good!  That's my favorite part about them.  They are so versatile.  This has become one of our favorite meals.  The taco seasoning makes it so much tastier than regular spaghetti.  So good!

SPAGHETTI TACOS
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy)

1 lb ground beef or ground turkey
1 packet taco seasoning
1 cup water
1 jar Sauteed Onion and Mushroom spaghetti sauce
1 box spaghetti noodles
12 hard taco shells
Salsa, optional
Cheddar cheese, optional
Lettuce, optional

Prepare noodles according to package directions.  Drain and return to pot.
Brown meat in pan until no longer pink; drain.  Add taco seasoning and water.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for 5-6 minutes, until sauce thickens.  Add spaghetti sauce and cook until warmed.  Add to noodles and mix thoroughly.
To assemble the tacos, place a spoonful of salsa in the shell.  Sprinkle with a small amount of cheese.  Finally, finish filling the shell with spaghetti.  Add lettuce on top, if desired.
Very messy, but very yummy!

Previous reviews:
4/6/11
My boys both love iCarly. As with so many other kids, they saw the episode where they were eating Spaghetti Tacos and begged me to make them. This was my attempt at them, and I have to say, I was very impressed with it. The whole idea seems kind of crazy, but the salty crunch of the taco shell is wonderful with the spaghetti. Hubby wasn't as crazy about the shell part as the rest of us were, but he did love the addition of the taco seasoning to the spaghetti. He ate one taco and then ate the spaghetti by itself, with spaghetti and cheese on top. This is definitely a winner for us. The kids both raved about it. Plus, it makes enough that I could send some spaghetti with Hubby for lunch tomorrow and still have leftovers for the kids to have the tacos again this weekend. Score! I served it tonight with Roasted Asparagus.

Beefy Pizza Ramen Skillet ****

Dh and I had this when I very first started cooking - back before I started rating my recipes.  I saved it in a file on the computer and forgot all about it.  I pulled it back out to give it another try, and I am so glad I did! We all loved this.  The kids both ate every bite and oohed and ahhed the entire time.  This is such a keeper in my book.  It's so simple and good.

BEEFY PIZZA RAMEN SKILLET
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy)

2 (3-oz) packages beef-flavor ramen noodle soup mix
1 lb lean (at least 80%) ground beef)
24-30 slices pepperoni (1 to 1-1/4 inches in diameter)
1 (14.5-oz) can diced tomatoes with basil, garlic, and oregano, undrained
1-1/2 cups water
1 small green pepper, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (1/2 cup)
1 cup (4 oz) shredded mozzarella cheese

Break blocks of noodles in half (reserve seasoning packets) and set aside. In large skillet, cook beef and pepperoni over medium-high heat 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until beef is thoroughly cooked; drain.
Stir tomatoes, water and seasoning packets into beef mixture. Heat to boiling. Stir in noodles and bell pepper. Cook 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until noodles are tender and water has evaporated.
Sprinkle cheese on noodle mixture in ring around edge of skillet. Cover and let stand about 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.