Creamy Slow Cooker Tortellini Soup

Every once in a while a recipe comes along that is so good that you sit around counting the days until you get to make it again.  This creamy slow cooker tortellini soup is one of those recipes.  I made it while the hubs was out of town and I'm not going to lie... I ate the entire crockpot full myself.  It took a few days, but I savored every bowlful!  It was like lasagna in soup form.

Honestly, I was really surprised by how much I loved the mushrooms in this because I'm not a huge mushroom fan.  I like them, but I don't love them if that makes sense.  In this soup they were amazing and added some rusticness... I totally made that up, but they were good.  Really good.

I altered the original recipe that I'd found on Heather Likes Food  slightly to make it a little easier to prepare.   I like a lot of spinach so I use the entire bag.  If you're not a fan, add half or skip it all together.   There are a lot of ways you can change this up based on what's in your pantry and what mood you're in.

Give this a try and let me know what you think!

Creamy Slow Cooker Tortellini Soup
Recipe
24 oz. jar spaghetti with meat sauce or regular sauce mixed with 1/2 lb browned Italian sausage or beef
2-3 oz. pepperoni, diced
8 oz. sliced mushrooms (fresh)
4 c. beef broth
8 oz. reduced fat cream cheese
1 (4.5 oz.) bag spinach leaves, chopped
16 oz. frozen cheese tortellini

Directions:

1. In a slow cooker combine sauce, pepperoni, mushrooms, beef broth and cream cheese.  Cook 2 hours on high or until mushrooms are done.  Stir well to mix up cream cheese. 
2. Add spinach leaves and tortellini.  Cook 30 more minutes on high.  
3. Serve with a generous amount of Parmesan cheese. 

Adapted from: Heather Likes Food

Zuppa Toscana

I haven't been blogging much lately because the bun in my oven has an aversion to any form of cooking.  Attempting to find new recipes to try has been leaving me green around the gills. Fortunately, now that the first trimester is several weeks behind me and I am starting to see the the end of the morning sickness train.

This Olive Garden inspired recipe is an oldie but a goodie.  Although I'm not a huge Olive Garden fan, I do love their Zuppa Toscana and bread sticks.  This simple sausage and potato concoction has the power to warm my soul and make me a happier camper.  The addition of spinach makes me feel like I'm eating something healthy even if it's more of an indulgence.

This is my version and I realize that it is not exactly like the one you get at the Olive Garden.  Like most recipes on my blog, it has been altered to suit my families tastes.  Served up with a crusty loaf of bread and a side salad, zuppa toscana gets great reviews around our home.  The empty bowls and pot speak for themselves.

*At the bottom of the recipe I have included low-fat substitutions which I have used at times with much success.  My only suggestion is that if you use low fat or fat free half and half instead of the whipping cream, take great care to make sure the mixture is does not boil.  The lack of fat makes it more likely to curdle in your soup.  It will taste fine, but won't be as pretty. 
 
Recipe
6 slices of bacon
16 oz Italian Sausage
8 thinly sliced red potatoes
1 1/2 c onion, chopped
3 cloves minced garlic
3-4 c spinach, chopped
8 c chicken broth
2/3 c heavy whipping cream
pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)

1. Fry bacon, drain on paper towels and crumble. Set aside.
2. Clean out bacon skillet, crumble and cook sausage.  Drain on paper towels.
3. In a large pot, saute onions in 1-2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-low heat until soft.  Add garlic and cook one minute more. 
4. Add chicken broth and potatoes or until potatoes are tender.  Simmer 10-15 minutes.  
5. Stir in sausage, bacon, spinach, cayenne pepper and whipping cream.  Heat through, but do not boil.

*Lighter variation- Use turkey bacon, Italian turkey sausage links, and fat free half instead of whipping cream.  Be careful not to boil with half and half because it will curdle. 

Quick and Healthy Marinara Sauce {1 Point +}

Recently, I discovered how crazy simple it is to make your own marinara sauce, and now I will never go back to the stuff in the bottle again.  I was inspired by this easy recipe from Skinny Taste, my favorite go-to blog for Weight Watchers recipes.

You start with a can of crushed tomatoes, add garlic and seasoning and BAM- marinara sauce without all of the extra salt and weirdness in bottled sauce.  You can customize it however you want; we made it into a version that worked for us- with dried spices and a sprinkle of splenda.

I've used this for dipping veggies and breadsticks or ladled over spaghetti squash and chicken parmesan.  The best part is that it's only 1 Point +. 

Recipe
Adapted from: Skinny Taste
1 tsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, finely diced or grated
28 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 small bay leaf
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp basil
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp splenda
salt and pepper to taste
pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)

1. Saute garlic in olive oil for about a minute.  Stir in remaining ingredients. 
2. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 20-30 minutes. 

Serves 6 (about 1/2 cup each) Calories: 51

Weight Watchers Points: 1 Point +

Pizza Pasta Bake Freezer Meal

Lately, I've been contemplating the idea of doing some freezer cooking which basically means I've been sitting in front of the computer, reading up on what other bloggers have done and "pinning" away. 

Although I love the concept of freezer cooking, I think 1-2 freezer meals a week would be sufficient for us tackle those busy nights we when normally would fall prey to the drive-thru.  Soooo... instead of cooking for the entire month in one day, my goal is to cook a double batch of something each week to freeze for a later date.

Sooo...for my first attempt, I found this yummy Pizza Pasta Bake recipe on Freezer Meals for Us which is full of freezer friendly recipes.  I have a hard time following directions (just ask my kindergarten teacher)  so I changed it up quite a bit.  You have the option to throw in a bunch of veggies to bump up the nutritional value or leave them out if you're in a hurry.  The hubs liked that it was pretty meaty, but you could definitely cut back on the meat to save money and/or calories.  This recipe is totally customizable.

We really enjoyed this.  It was moist and full of flavor.  I'll update when I try the frozen one. 

Recipe
Adapted from: Freezer Meals for Us
(Makes 2 9x13 pans, 1 for now and 1 to freeze)
1 lb lean ground beef
12 oz reduced fat pork, turkey or chicken sausage (I used Jimmy Dean, but will try a lighter turkey sausage next time.)
1 lg onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 1/2 c veggies, (ideas- shredded carrots, shredded zucchini or squash, chopped spinach, diced green or red bell pepper, olives)
1 46 oz jar spaghetti sauce
1 8 oz can tomato sauce with basil, onion and garlic
1 small can mushrooms, diced
16 oz penne pasta (regular or whole wheat)
4 c mozzarella cheese
1/2 parmesan cheese
4-6 oz turkey pepperoni

1.  Spritz a large pot with olive oil.  I found a natural olive oil in a can that I like.  Some day I'll splurge for a real spritzer.  Saute meat, garlic onion and veggies over medium heat until meat is cooked and veggies are soft.  Make sure you break up the meat as you cook it.  Drain well.
2.  In the meantime, cook pasta according to package directions, but under cook by 2-3 minutes.  Drain.
3.  Add sauces, mushrooms and 2 cups of mozzarella cheese to meat and veggies.  Mix well and stir in pasta.  Divide evenly between 2 9x13" pans sprayed with cooking spray.  Sprinkle with remaining cheese.  Top each dish with pepperoni.
4.  Bake 25-30 minutes at 350 or cover and freeze.  To cook from from frozen, thaw in fridge and then bake as normal. 

Printable Version

Italian Sausage and Tortellini Soup (Christmas Soup)

Fresh tortellini soup has been on my radar for a while now, but I haven't been motivated to make it.  I've been spending most of my evenings working on Christmas stuff and cleaning... so cooking has fallen by the wayside.  This blustering weekend, however, was ideal for soup making!

I'm so glad I finally tried this recipe!  It has tons of flavor from the sausage which you could cut back to 12 oz or even 8 oz if you want to lighten up the recipe.  The cheese filled tortellini adds creaminess while the veggies add flavor and nutrition to the zesty broth.  This is a hearty, filling soup that tastes just as good as leftovers.

If you are looking for a special, yet simple meal to serve for Christmas Eve, I highly recommend giving this a try.  Adding the spinach during the last 10 minutes of cooking, it stays bright green.  When paired with the red broth and tomatoes, it looks like a bowl full of Christmas!

Recipe
12- 16 oz Italian sausage, casings removed
1 c chopped onion

2-3 cloves garlic, minced
6 c beef broth
2 14 oz cans diced tomatoes
1 c thinly sliced carrots
2 tsp dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
1 1/2 c sliced zucchini (1 medium)
1 1/2 c chopped fresh spinach
8 oz fresh cheese filled tortellini pasta
3 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
fresh Parmesan cheese

1.  Crumble sausage and brown it in a Dutch oven.  Remove and drain on paper towels, leaving a tablespoon or so of the sausage drippings in pan.
2.  Saute onions and garlic in drippings until they soften up.   Add broth, tomatoes, tomato sauce, sausage, carrots, oregano and basil.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer uncovered about 30 minutes.
3.  Stir in zucchini and parsley, cooking covered 30 more minutes.  During the last 10 minutes, add spinach and tortellini.  Garnish individual portions with fresh parmesan cheese and additional parsley if desired.

Adapted from: AllRecipes

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Baked Ravioli (aka, Lazy Day Lasagna)

How would you like to be able to assemble a delicious "lasagna" in 5-15 minutes?  This super easy Baked Ravioli Casserole mimics a lasagna with layers of sauce, ricotta filled pasta and cheese but takes almost no time to make.  I think of it as a Lazy Day Lasagna.  ;)  It's good enough to impress guests without having to dirty a lot of dishes or spend much time in the kitchen.  Even if you're normally a disaster in the kitchen, you could pull off this dish!

I found this recipe on the Betty Crocker website, but added meat and a jar of pizza sauce to add more substance.    The extra sauce also helps it to reheat nicely without drying out.  Adding sauteed veggies to the sauce would be a great way to sneak in a few veggies into your family's diet and give the casserole more of a homemade taste.  I'll definitely be trying that soon!

We've made this twice now and both times it's been a hit.  I can't wait to make it for company or the next church potluck.  I also have a crock pot version here.


Recipe
1 lb ground beef
1 jar (26-28 oz) pasta sauce (I like Prego)
1 small jar pizza sauce
1 25 oz bag frozen cheese ravioli
2 c shredded mozzarella (I used a little less)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray a 9x13 inch dish with cooking spray.
2.  Brown and drain ground beef.  Pour enough sauce into the bottom of the dish to lightly cover it (about 3/4 cup).  Pour remaining sauce into cooked beef.  Layer half of ravioli in dish followed by half of the sauce and half of the cheese.  Repeat layers ending with cheese.
3.  Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 40 minutes.  Remove foil and bake and additional 15-20 minutes or until bubbly and hot in the center. 


Source: Adapted from Betty Crocker
Printable Recipe

Slow Cooker Pasta Fagioli

The other day I was browsing crockpot recipes online and came across a blog by Stephanie O'Dea which features 365 days of Slow Cooking!  There are other fun things on her site like organizational tips and giveaways, but I zeroed in on the slow cooker recipes.  They seriously all looked fabulous.  Another bonus is that she has adapted her recipes for a gluten free lifestyle.  If you have a gluten free family, I highly recommend this site.

To be honest, I have a love/hate relationship with the slow cooker.  I love the convenience, but I abhor food that has been cooked into near oblivion or tastes like a salt lick as so many crockpot recipes do.  However, coming across Stephanie's site inspired me because she had a variety of recipes and flavors that looked like real food and not just meat and gravy.

Somehow I narrowed my choices down to the recipe for Pasta Fagioli.  It looked super healthy- full of tomatoes, beans, carrots, celery and lean ground beef.  I followed the recipe to a "t" with the exception of tossing in a heaping teaspoon of minced garlic.  I just can't help myself with the garlic... It's a sickness.  You may want to adjust the Tabasco to your liking.  A tablespoon was a little hot at first, but mellowed out with the leftovers. Overall, the soup was amazing!  With parmesan cheese sprinkled on top, it tasted like liquid lasagne (in a good way).  Yumm...

I can't wait to cuddle up with a bowl of this on a cold night! 

Recipe
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 (I might leave out next time.)
1 can white beans, drained and rinsed
4 cups beef broth
1 jar (16.5 oz) pasta sauce
2 tsp oregano
1 Tbsp Tabasco sauce
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 c uncooked shell pasta (give or take)

1. Brown ground beef and drain. In a large slow cooker combine beef and remaining ingredients (except pasta).  Cook 4 hours on high or 8+ hours on low.
2. When veggies are tender you can add the desired amount of pasta.  If you're adding extra pasta, you may want to add a little more liquid to the soup.  Since we cannot eat all of this soup in one sitting, I cook my pasta separately until and add some to the individual servings.   If you try to refrigerate the leftovers with cooked pasta in them, the pasta will soak up the extra liquid resulting in dry soup and bloated pasta.
3. Sprinkle individual servings with parmesan cheese.  Serve with my Hot Italian Sandwiches.

Source: Stephanie O'Dea
Printable Recipe

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Pepperoni Rolls

Sometimes something as simple as food can transport you back to the comforts of home quicker than planes, trains or automobiles.  Pepperoni Rolls have always been a staple back home in WV.   They originated somewhere around Fairmont, I believe, and are as indigenous to WV as hot dog sauce (not to be confused with chilli) and ramps (you don't want to know.)  You can buy them there in restaurants, pizzerias, gas stations, grocery stores, etc... but they are super easy to whip up at home.  Their tiny size is perfect for packing in lunches or snacking on during the day. 

All that you need is a bag of frozen roll dough and a package of pepperoni slices.  Make as many as you want or as few as you want and have your extra dough on hand for the next time you get a craving.  You could be creative and add other fillings like cheese, ham or salami, but pepperoni alone is wonderful. 

All you have to do is thaw the number of rolls that you want according the packages directions.  I like to cover mine with plastic wrap while it rises.  They took about 4 hours. 

Then flatten out the dough and lay 4 pepperoni slices in the middle.  I used my silicone baking mat to pat out the dough so I didn't need to flour or grease my surface.  You may need to flour your counter top.

Fold 2 opposite sides to the middle and press to seal.  Sorry these pictures are a little wonky. Sometimes I get a little overzealous with Picnik!  I promise my dough wasn't radioactive.

Fold the other 2 sides over and seal again.  Place seam side down on the cookie sheet.  

You'll want to let them rest for 30 minutes or so until they puff back out and get a second rise.  That baking sheet is older than Moses well seasoned. 

Bake 12-15 minutes at 350 degrees until golden brown.  Remove from oven and brush with olive oil.  This keeps them nice and soft for a couple of days...if they last that long.  ;)

Enjoy!

Chicago-Style Deep Dish Pizza Heaven

I heart deep dish Chicago-style pizza.  I didn't know it until today, but swooooon.   Thick, chewy crust, well seasoned veggies, goooey cheese and savory meats are combined to create this incredible palate-pleaser. 

As we wear eating dinner, the hubs (aka The Pizza Connoisseur) kept asking if I was going to take a picture.  lol!  I guess that meant he liked it.  =P  He's starting to warm up to this whole blog thing as well! 

To cut a few calories here and there, I used lean turkey sausage, precooked deli ham and turkey pepperoni instead of the pound of full fat sausage suggested in the original recipe.  I also cut back a little on the cheese.

The best tip I discovered while making this is to drain the tomatoes really well.  Once you add them to the rest of the veggies, they'll give up a little more liquid that you might want to drain off as well.  I had a little of the tomato mixture left after it was assembled because my crust was super thick.

If the sauce is too chunky for your taste, try a a can of tomato sauce in lieu of the diced tomatoes.  I think I might try that next time too since the hubs prefers his tomatoes pureed.   Change up the meats, veggies, and cheeses to create your own mouthwatering combination. 

I can't wait to dive into the leftovers!

Recipe
1 Perfect Pizza Crust or 1 lb frozen bread dough, thawed
6 oz precooked turkey sausage
4 oz chopped deli ham
4 oz chopped turkey pepperoni
1 1/2 c mozzarella cheese
1 c mushrooms, chopped
1/3 c bell pepper, diced
1 sm onion, diced
1 tsp minced garlic
1 (28 oz) jar diced tomatoes with garlic, basil and oregano, drained
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp fennel seed
1/2 c grated parmesan cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly spray 9x13 inch pan with cooking spray and sprinkle with cornmeal.  Press dough onto bottom and up the sides of the pan.  Bake for 15 minutes.
2. In the meantime, saute onions, pepper and garlic in olive until onions start to soften.  Add mushrooms and saute a few more minutes.  Stir in well drained tomatoes, oregano, salt and fennel seed.  
3. Remove crust from oven.  Layer meat, mozzarella cheese, sauce and parmesan cheese.  Bake 25 more minutes or until crust is golden brown.

Source: Adapted from AllRecipes.com 

Printable Recipe

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Slow Cooker Ravioli!

Can I just say that I L.O.V.E. pasta almost as much as I do coffee.  I could eat pasta nearly every day, but my husband is not a big fan.  I've had to limit my menus to the few pasta dishes that he does enjoy.  The requirements are that it has to have meat or poultry and and cheese.  This one had both and got a big thumbs up.  =)  


You'll spend about 15 minutes total on this saucy ravioli recipe, but if you leave out the meat or substitute meat ravioli, it will seriously take you less than 5 minutes and dirty only 1 dish.  Boo-ya!  There are very few comfort dishes that you could make this quickly and still be impressed by the result.  


I love to throw this in the crock pot before heading out the door to Sunday morning worship services.   Coming home and having a really good meal ready and waiting is an awesome way to start a lazy Sunday afternoon.  


You may want to keep the ingredients in the freezer and pantry for whenever you don't want to cook and don't want to go out or for when you need to take a meal to sick friend.  That way there are no excuses.  ;)


I hope your family gives this recipe a thumbs up as well! 

Recipe

1 (25 oz) bag cheese ravioli, frozen
1 (26 oz) jar spaghetti sauce
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce with garlic
1 cup water
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning (or to taste)
1 cup cheese
1 lb cooked Italian turkey sausage or ground beef

1. Pour half of spaghetti sauce in crock pot. 
2. Add frozen ravioli and cooked sausage.   
3. Pour remaining spaghetti sauce on top.In spaghetti sauce jar, pour water, tomato sauce and seasoning.  Shake jar and pour into crock pot. 
4. Sprinkle cheese on top.
5. Cover and cook on low 4-5 hours or until ravioli is tender and hot.  Mine was fully cooked after 4 hours.

Serves: 6
Source: Adapted from Food.com 

***Printable Version***

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