Crockpot Pasta Fagioli

Patricia was also my resource here, but she snagged it from http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2008/10/day-305.html. Snagged recipes are just as good as new, in my book. :)


--1 pound lean ground beef, browned and drained
--1/2 large red onion, chopped
--1 cup carrots, chopped
--2 celery stalks, sliced
--2 cans (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes (and juice)
--1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
--1 can white beans, drained and rinsed
--4 cups beef broth (check label for gluten!)
--1 jar (16.5 oz) pasta sauce
--2 tsp oregano
--1 T Tabasco sauce (can be omitted)
--1/2 tsp salt
--1/4 tsp black pepper
--1/2 cup dry pasta, to add at end of cooking time (I used TJ's brown rice fusilli)

The Directions.

Use a 6 quart or larger crockpot, or cut the recipe in half. This makes a lot.

Brown the meat on the stovetop, and drain well. Let it cool a bit.

Chop up the carrots, onion, and celery. Add it to the empty crockpot.
Drain and rinse the beans, and add them. Add the whole cans of tomatoes, and the pasta sauce. Add the beef broth. Add the salt, pepper, oregano, and Tobasco sauce. Stir in your meat.

Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, or high for 4. When the vegetables are tender, stir in the 1/2 cup of dry pasta.

Cover and cook for another hour on low, or until the pasta is tender. It will swell quite a bit.

Serve with a bit of parmesan cheese if you have it.

Easy Chicken and Rice

This is from Patricia. When I do this next time, I'll make a chicken pot pie out of some gluten-free crust and use this as filler. It was excellent "as is," but would work great for pot pie, too. Simone and Andrew devoured this! Jack liked it, but not quite as intensely. :)

Easy Chicken and Rice

15oz chicken broth
3/4 c. water (I used veggie broth to replace these two liquids)
1 cup brown rice all in bottom of crock pot.
Put 4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts on top.
small chopped onion and spices go on top of that.
1/2 tsp salt
1 T. dried parsley
1/2 tsp garlic pwd
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 tsp tarragon
low 6 or high 4
Add a bag of mix frozen veggies in the last hour.

Complete meal in the pot!