Crockpot: Pesto Meatball Stew

I love that this recipe is 5 ingredients in your crockpot, set it on low and by dinner it's so delicious and warming.

I adore my crockpot!  I'm pretty sure I got it for my wedding 14.5 years ago.  I love that the ceramic inside can be taken out and washed.  If you don't have one, that's ok I'll show you how to make this recipe on the stove because that's what I did.  My crockpot was being used for dessert (that didn't turn out as well as expected so I'm going to tweak it and then I'll share here).

If you don't have one, but want one then wait until Black Friday.  There are ALWAYS steals and deals on crockpots on that Friday.  I love Black Friday because I always feel like I'm getting such great deals and yes I'm crazy and wake up super early.  Good thing we have guests again this year!  I can't do Black Friday alone.  I need my hubby to split up the list with me and hold our spot in line, especially at Kohl's.  Last year we were in and out of Kohl's in 15 min.

Let me just say that the hubs, my daughter - 2.5, my son - 5, and myself loved this and ate almost all of it in one sitting.  We have one little serving left.  My daughter ate it all right up and wanted more. My son doesn't always love what I cook because he has texture issues.  He hates beans, mashed potatoes, really anything that is squishy.  After picking out the beans and convincing him that he had eaten the different parts before just not together he finally ate it and really liked it (not that he ever wants to admit he likes something new).  I think the meatballs will sell any kid on this recipe.

Ok, onto this fabulously EASY stew.

Pesto Meatball Stew
2 14.5-oz. cans Italian-style stewed tomatoes, undrained
1 16-oz. package frozen cooked Italian-style meatballs (32), thawed OR make your own using my recipe
1 15-19-oz. can canellini (white kidney) beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup basil pesto

For finishing after:
1/2 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese (2 oz.)

Add the tomatoes, beans, water and pesto to your crockpot.  Mix thoroughly together.

Add in your thawed meatballs.  Mix together.  Set your crockpot on low-heat setting for 5-7 hours or on high-heat for 2 1/2-3 1/2 hours.

Sprinkle each serving with cheese and serve.

Alternatively if you don't have a crockpot: Add all your ingredients together in a stockpot.  Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer and simmer for 2 1/2-3 hours.  We did it this way and it was so delicious!






Pesto Meatball Stew Printable Recipe

What to do with your pesto if you bought it especially for this recipe and have some leftover after this recipe?
Use it here or here

Taco Soup

It is getting cold and rainy here in Oregon.  What I do love about the weather getting chillier is it's the perfect weather for soups, stews and crock pot cooking.  I also love that crock pot cooking takes easy ingredients and turns them into something scrumptious.

This recipe is one I've had forever.  I'm pretty sure I got it from my mom.  I've been making it since college.  It's perfect for long, busy days, makes the house smell so yummy and the hardest part it browning the meat.

Just a quick side story.  My son who is so picky took one look at this soup and didn't want any part of it.  He does love meat and corn, but the tomatoes were psyching him out.  We explained that the tomatoes taste different when they are cooked then when they are fresh, but he didn't believe us.  After 2 fits of crying and us telling him it's the soup or nothing for dinner, he finally tried it AND LOVED IT!!!!  He doesn't like squishy textures and hated the kidney bean, but everything else was yummy!  Afterwards I asked him if throwing a big fit was worth it since he liked the soup and he admitted it wasn't.  Silly kid!

Ingredients:
1 pound ground beef or ground turkey
1/2 onion, chopped or 2 T. dried onion
1 16-oz. can kidney beans
1 16-oz. can whole kernel corn
1 15-oz. can tomatoes
2-3 teaspoons chili powder
1 envelope taco seasoning or 4 T. of taco seasoning
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
2 8-oz. cans tomato sauce
3 cups water

First up, brown the meat with the onions.  I didn't have an onion on hand so I added in some dried later on.  Do not add your dried onion here if using.  Either way works.  I usually make it with ground beef, but had turkey instead so made it that way.  Add it to the crock pot.

Now to add all the other ingredients.

Add the kidney beans, corn, tomatoes, chili powder, taco seasoning, and garlic salt.  If you only have dried onions on hand, then add it here.  I mixed it up afterwards just to distribute the flavors and to get a pretty pictures, but really you don't need to do that.

I didn't want this too spicy for the kids, so I only did 2 tsp. of chili powder and 3/4 pkg (or 3 T) of the taco seasoning mix.  It added enough flavor and wasn't spicy at all.

Add the tomato sauce and water.  Turn on low and cook for 2-6 hours.

Top with sour cream and cheese.  You don't have to, but yummy melted cheese is so delish in this.

Alternatively, if you don’t have a crock pot, cook in a stockpot over the stove.  Brown the meat and onions and then mix the rest of the ingredients together and bring to a boil.  Lower to a simmer and simmer for 2 hours.

Taco Soup Printable Recipe

Best Mac and Cheese ever!

So let's just clarify here, I am NOT a mac and cheese connoisseur.  I could almost call my husband that really.  He had a grown-up truffle oil mac and cheese at this fancy restaurant when we celebrated our anniversary (I had a taste and it WAS good!).  Me...meh!  I've always felt like I could take it or leave Mac and Cheese.  I didn't grow up with amazing mac and cheese (sorry mom!, but it's true) and have never really loved it.  The blue box with the powdered cheese - just the smell makes me gag and yes I'm nice enough to indulge my children in the boxed variety.

My daughter (2) will eat ANY mac and cheese and my son (5) who is a little more picky doesn't like Trader Joe's and recently declared the blue box kind gross when we ran out of the Costco brand I usually make and had made some of the blue box kind.

I've been watching The Chew a new talk show on ABC that is all about food.  Clinton Kelly is on it from What Not to Wear, and Carla Hall from Top Chef (love her!), Michael Symon who is now an Iron Chef, Mario Batali (one of the great Italian chefs) and Daphne Oz (yes, the daughter of Dr. Oz).  Anyways, a great line-up of co-hosts and they all bring something different to the table - literally.  Carla is from the South and made a Mac and Cheese the other day that looked divine.  I decided to indulge my children and make some from scratch, which gasp I've never done.  I know seriously...I've been depriving them of homemade and now feel so guilty because it was SO easy and tasted REALLY good!

I'm sure I'll still make the boxed kind sometimes because it's fast, but I've found a great recipe that even Matthew will eat so I'm sure I'll be making it more often now.  The key ingredient is BACON!  We love bacon at our house.  If you don't like bacon just leave it out and use a bit more butter to compensate.  The bacon just brings the whole thing to a new level.   My husband was off to a concert tonight (he just texted me that he's so close, he can read the set list) so I'm sure he's way excited to try tomorrow for his lunch.  I can't wait to hear his review.

There are some additional steps to the mac and cheese that I didn't include in my steps, but are listed in the recipe.  I left out the breadcrumb topping and caramelized onions as both of my kids would NOT have liked either of those in or on their dinner.  In particular they've had bread crumb toppings before on their Mac and Cheese at restaurants and didn't really care for it.

AND one more thing...it isn't low-fat, but it is delicious.  You CAN indulge in comfort food just make yourself a smaller portion and eat with some salad.

Here are a few LITTLE ways to lighten it up and make it a wee bit healthier, and some additional tips for a good macaroni and cheese.

1-Use whole wheat macaroni.  I did and my kids didn't even notice.
2-Use whole wheat flour in the rue.  Once again, couldn't tell.
3-You can use skim milk for the milk part.
4-I would NOT suggest using lower fat cheeses, ugghhh...it will affect the taste.  Use a little less cheese if you want to save some calories.
5-Use light cream cheese, we couldn't tell.  I wouldn't use fat free here.  I think it would affect the creaminess of the dish and really fat free cream cheese kinda gives me the heebie jeebies.  It's very weird.
6-DO NOT USE pre-shredded cheese.  It has a little bit of wax in it to prevent it from sticking together.  Use the block cheese that you need to shred.  It will make your dish creamier AND do you really want wax in your meal?
7-I do love that my kids aren't eating all sorts of preservatives.

Ok, on to the recipe....

Carla Hall's Mac and Cheese:

1 lb Elbow Macaroni

6 strips Bacon (cooked and crumbled) - reserve the drippings

2 tbsp Butter

3 tbsp Flour

1 1/2 cups Milk (can be skim)

1 cup Caramelized Onions (optional)

1 cup Pepper Jack Cheese grated (or regular cheddar)

1 cup White Cheddar grated

4 oz Cream Cheese (can be light)

Optional Toppings

2 cups Breadcrumbs

2 cloves Garlic minced

1 tbsp Butter

Salt and Pepper to taste

-In a skillet over medium heat, combine all ingredients for breadcrumbs. Allow to toast. 

1/2 cup Chopped Parsley to garnish

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil; add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 7 minutes.  Drain.

In a saucepan cook bacon until crispy. Remove bacon.  Chop and crumble.

Reserve drippings in saucepan. Add and melt 2 tablespoons butter in same saucepan over medium heat.

Stir in the flour with a wooden spoon (or a whisk if you have a metal pan) until smooth.

Whisk in the milk, and stir until thick, about 2 minutes.  This is called a rue - just a fancy term for fats, flour, and milk whisked together.  See Mac and Cheese IS fancy!

Whisk in the cheddar and pepper jack cheeses (or both cheddars). 

My kids can't handle spice yet, so I opted for 2 different cheddars.  Did you know they don't sell orange cheddar in England?  I remember trying to find some orange cheddar my first time in the grocery store when we lived there and was SHOCKED there was no orange.  I got used to it though and find it is superior in flavor than regular orange cheddar.  I wonder why we started coloring it orange in the U.S. in the first place?  Hmm.....anyhoo...

Whisk in the cream cheese until smooth. The cream cheese keeps the pasta moist.

Stir in caramelized onions (optional), 3/4 of the bacon and pasta.   When serving, top with the remaining bacon, breadcrumb mixture and parsley.

So like I said I am not a Mac and Cheese lover per se, but do LOVE me some bacon.  I loved, loved, loved this Mac and Cheese and I think the addition of the bacon added a whole new flavor.  It was so deslish! (I just had a small bowl full).  My son (also a bacon lover) had two bowl fulls and I'm sure he'll be asking for some more tomorrow for lunch.  I would worry about my kids getting chunky if I fed this to them every day, but my son eats like a bird mostly and my daughter would only eat fruit if I let her (I always say between them they eat a full meal).  Indulging once in awhile is good for the soul!

Carla Hall's Mac and Cheese Printable Link - You can officially find it here, but I think their recipes are kind of a mess and hard to print/use.  My version is cleaned up AND on one page.