Easy Slow Cooker Taco Pasta

I have made this recipe about 5 times since I tested it a few months ago and as I was making it last for last night's dinner, it hit me that I haven't shared it with you!  You can already guess it's a family favorite being that we've made it so many times already, so hopefully it'll be a success with your family as well!

This pin comes from a site called Inspired Dreamer, which is a blog where you can get ideas for things like food, home decor, wedding, and travel.  I'm not quite sure how you can get an account as there is no link to create an account, only if you lost your password.

This is what I call a 3-step slow cooker process.  You cook something before you start the slow cooker, let everything cook in the slow cooker, and you have to cook something after everything is done.  It's really simple though, so don't think that it'll take extra time to prep!  If you have time the night before, you can prep the cooked stuff before you go to bed and then put stuff in the slow cooker the next day!

Here are the ingredients and directions from the site:

Ingredients-Taco Pasta

• 1 lb lean (at least 80%) ground beef
• 1 cup Progresso® beef-flavored broth (from 32-oz carton)
• 1 cup water
• 1 package (1 oz) taco seasoning mix
• 1 can (14.5 oz) organic diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1/4 cup finely chopped white onion
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• 1 package (8 oz) chile and roasted garlic Mexican cooking sauce
• 4 oz (half of 8-oz package) cream cheese, soften, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 3 cups cooked medium pasta shells
• 2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese (8 oz)

Instructions

1. In 10-inch skillet, cook beef over medium-high heat 5 to 8 minutes, stirring frequently, until beef is thoroughly cooked; drain.
2. In 5- to 6-quart slow cooker, place cooked beef and remaining Taco Pasta ingredients except pasta shells and Cheddar cheese; stir until well combined.
3. Cover; cook on Low heat setting 4 to 5 hours.
4. About 15 minutes before serving, cook and drain pasta as directed on package. Uncover slow cooker; stir in pasta and shredded Cheddar cheese until well combined.
5. Cook uncovered on High heat setting 10 to 15 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.
6. Serve topped with sour cream, salsa and/or shredded cheese.

Since we've made this a few times already, I can share the changes we've made.  We don't use a store bought taco seasoning, we do a homemade version.  The husband likes how we can alter it to make it spicier if we want or if he wants to taste more a particular spice.  I'll update this post once I blog about the homemade taco seasoning we use.  You can also add the taco seasoning to the beef after you drain it, or just toss it in the pot with the rest of the ingredients; it doesn't change anything. :)  I don't cube up the cream cheese.  The first time I made this, I was pressed for time in between appointments, so I just threw everything in with the beef and it still came out great.  Another note about this dish is we have found that we like more of a "soup" vibe with this dish, so we find that we add more broth when we warm up left overs or sometimes we don't add the shells in the end because it soaks up so much of the broth.  We'll add the shells when we're about to eat it.  Up to you how you'd like to enjoy it!

Beef, tomatoes, onions, broth, water, cream cheese ready to cook!

The finished product right before plating.  The kids love being able to add sour cream and as many tortilla chips as their little hearts desire.  I add more broth here after it's done.  We went ahead and put in the shells like the directions say so you can see what it looks like finished.

Verdict: Of course it's a hit with our family!  It's gone usually by the second day, so leftovers never last long for this dish.  You could also add some peppers if you'd like some kick! :)

Cheers!

Beef Stew!

The weather here in Northern Cali has been very odd this summer.  Yesterday, we had rain and lightening!  For as long as I've lived here, rain during the summer is unheard of!  I actually welcome it with open arms considering that we've been experiencing a horrible drought this year. :(

With the weird weather, I wanted to go ahead and try a pin I'd been saving for cold weather.  I've never attempted beef stew before, only had it from the can (thanks, Progresso) or an MRE!  Gotta love military ready to eat meals.  Anyway, after going through a few pins, I found this one:

It had a lot of good reviews on the blog, Get Crocked, managed by the lovely Jenn Bare.  Man, if you want a site with tons of slow cooker recipes, this is the site for you!  There are a few other beef stew recipes on the blog, but this one had the most votes!  The ingredients and directions are as follows:

• 2 lbs. stew beef
• 1/4 c. flour
• 1 tsp. paprika
• 4 lg. carrots, peeled & sliced in 1/2 inch pieces
• 3 lg. potatoes, peeled & chopped into chunks
• 1 c. condensed beef broth
• 1 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. pepper
• 1/3 c. soy sauce
• 1 lg. onion, sliced
• 1 can tomato sauce (8 oz.) 

1. Layer potatoes on the bottom of your slow cooker.
2. Next, layer carrots on top of potatoes.
3. Place meat on top of carrots.
4. Sprinkle meat with soy sauce, salt, paprika, pepper & flour.
5. Layer chopped onions evenly on top of sauce/seasonings.
6. Combine beef broth & tomato sauce and pour over everything in the slow cooker.
7. Cover. Cook on Low for 7 – 8 hrs. (or high 4 – 5 hrs. if pressed for time)

  The husband and I are fans of red potatoes, so we went with 3 large ones for this recipe.

                          

                                 Potatoes first since they take the longest to cook!

Carrot layer

Beef layer and pouring the soy sauce mixture over

ONIONS!

 

And last but not least, the tomato sauce and beef broth 

  

At first I set the slow cooker on high because I started it pretty late.  Almost two hours into it, the husband reminded me that the last time I cooked beef on high in the slow cooker, it was tough.  :(  I switched it to low for 4 more hours.  The aroma coming from the crock pot was amazing!  One of the things I love about cooking with the crock pot is that it fills your house with whatever delicious dish is cooking!  Of course the downfall is that it can make you hungry before it's done!!

The verdict: amazing! Seturned I turned it down in time because the beef came out tender!  Flavorful and hearty! I'll probably add celery and more onions next time, but it really is delicious! 

Hiatus is over! I bring you BEEF!

Phew!  It's been 2 1/2 months since my last post and I apologize for the hiatus!  Since my last post, our baby girl was born May 9th and we've moved into a new house!  My time has gone to taking care of a newborn, trying to get us all unpacked and settled into our new place, and of course taking care of the family and a bit of schooling as well.  It's definitely been an adjustment period with a third kid and getting used to our new home, but it's been great!  Tiring, but great.  :)

Today's recipe is something that I've been craving lately since I've been nursing.  Not sure if it's because I'm lacking something in my diet, but man oh man, have I been craving beef.  Burgers, steaks, stews, you name it.  I see a commercial or drive by a place that has beef on the menu and the crave begins.  If you don't eat beef, I am truly sorry because it is just so good!

Picture from Miss Information's blog! Looks delicious, right?

Love Julia Child but don't have the time for her recipes?  This was the inspiration behind Miss Information's slow cooker version of her Boeuf Bourguignon.  I've never attempted the recipe from scratch before, so I didn't quite know what to expect from the slow cooker version.  If you've seen the pin, you probably clicked on it and saw that it links you to My Recipe Magic, which then asks you to click on another link to go to Miss Information's blog.  I fixed the link on my pin board to go directly to the recipe on her site.  Why the extra step, right?

Here are the ingredients and directions for slow cooker boeuf bourguignon:

Ingredients:
4 lbs boneless beef chuck roast trimmed and cut into 1 1/2” cubes (have the butcher do it for you)
6 slices of bacon minced then cooked
3/4 bag of frozen onion
10 baby carrots cut into small pieces or 1 medium carrot
1/4 cup of tomato paste or a 8oz can of reduced can of tomato sauce
3 tablespoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon dry thyme
1/3 cup all purpose flour
2 cups Pinot Noir
2 cups low-sodium chicken stock
1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
2 bay leaves
2 tablespoons butter
1 package of frozen pearl onions
1/2 cup water
2 teaspoons sugar
2 cartons of baby bella mushrooms cut into quarters

Season the beef with Salt and Pepper and put it in your slow cooker. Cook bacon in a skillet until crisp and drain. Put your diced onions in the skillet with the carrot’s, tomato paste, garlic and thyme till onions are unfrozen and soft. Put in your flour and stir for 1 minute to get the flour taste out of it. Stir in 1 cup of wine and get all the bacon bits off the bottom of the pan. Pour into the crock-pot. (You are now wondering how am I going to fit the rest in this slow cooker, don’t worry it will cook down enough to add the other stuff later) Pour in broth, soy sauce and bay leaves. Cover and cook for 9-10 hours on low.
About 30 minutes before it’s done put your pearl onions, water, butter and sugar in a pan and sauté until the onions are soft, throw in 1 cup of wine and reduce. Throw in the mushrooms and sauté about 10 minutes. Throw it all in the slow cooker and let it cook for about 15 more minutes.
Serve over mashed potatoes with a nice glass of wine and you will be happy happy!

Right of the bat, I didn't know that they sold onions frozen!  Since we keep lots of onions on hand at home, we decided to use fresh onions in the slow cooker but still use a bag of frozen pearl onions.  Well, the commissary and Wally World did not have frozen pearl onions so I picked up a bag of fresh pearl onions.  If you were like me and never cooked with them before, don't fret because they're simple to cook with!

I bought my 4lbs of boneless chuck roast whole and had to cube it myself.  When we cook with meat, we don't trim all of the fat off because it helps with flavor.  This is how much it filled up my 6 qt crock pot:

 

Ingredients: 4 lbs boneless beef chuck roast trimmed and cut into 1 1/2” cubes (have the butcher do it for you) 6 slices of bacon minced then cooked 3/4 bag of frozen onion 10 baby carrots cut into small pieces or 1 medium carrot 1/4 cup of tomato paste or a 8oz can of reduced can of tomato sauce 3 tablespoons minced garlic 1 teaspoon dry thyme 1/3 cup all purpose flour 2 cups Pinot Noir 2 cups low-sodium chicken stock 1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce 2 bay leaves 2 tablespoons butter 1 package of frozen pearl onions 1/2 cup water 2 teaspoons sugar 2 cartons of baby bella mushrooms cut into quarters Season the beef with Salt and Pepper and put it in your slow cooker. Cook bacon in a skillet until crisp and drain. Put your diced onions in the skillet with the carrot’s, tomato paste, garlic and thyme till onions are unfrozen and soft. Put in your flour and stir for 1 minute to get the flour taste out of it. Stir in 1 cup of wine and get all the bacon bits off the bottom of the pan. Pour into the crock-pot. (You are now wondering how am I going to fit the rest in this slow cooker, don’t worry it will cook down enough to add the other stuff later) Pour in broth, soy sauce and bay leaves. Cover and cook for 9-10 hours on low. - See more at: http://www.missinformationblog.com/2013/04/slow-cooker-beef-bourguignon.html#sthash.j3jQiv8c.dpuf

I had trouble cutting the bacon uncooked so I sectioned the slices up into thirds, cooked them and then shredded it up before putting in the onions, carrots, paste, etc.

Ingredients: 4 lbs boneless beef chuck roast trimmed and cut into 1 1/2” cubes (have the butcher do it for you) 6 slices of bacon minced then cooked 3/4 bag of frozen onion 10 baby carrots cut into small pieces or 1 medium carrot 1/4 cup of tomato paste or a 8oz can of reduced can of tomato sauce 3 tablespoons minced garlic 1 teaspoon dry thyme 1/3 cup all purpose flour 2 cups Pinot Noir 2 cups low-sodium chicken stock 1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce 2 bay leaves 2 tablespoons butter 1 package of frozen pearl onions 1/2 cup water 2 teaspoons sugar 2 cartons of baby bella mushrooms cut into quarters Season the beef with Salt and Pepper and put it in your slow cooker. Cook bacon in a skillet until crisp and drain. Put your diced onions in the skillet with the carrot’s, tomato paste, garlic and thyme till onions are unfrozen and soft. Put in your flour and stir for 1 minute to get the flour taste out of it. Stir in 1 cup of wine and get all the bacon bits off the bottom of the pan. Pour into the crock-pot. (You are now wondering how am I going to fit the rest in this slow cooker, don’t worry it will cook down enough to add the other stuff later) Pour in broth, soy sauce and bay leaves. Cover and cook for 9-10 hours on low. - See more at: http://www.missinformationblog.com/2013/04/slow-cooker-beef-bourguignon.html#sthash.j3jQiv8c.dpuf

Ingredients: 4 lbs boneless beef chuck roast trimmed and cut into 1 1/2” cubes (have the butcher do it for you) 6 slices of bacon minced then cooked 3/4 bag of frozen onion 10 baby carrots cut into small pieces or 1 medium carrot 1/4 cup of tomato paste or a 8oz can of reduced can of tomato sauce 3 tablespoons minced garlic 1 teaspoon dry thyme 1/3 cup all purpose flour 2 cups Pinot Noir 2 cups low-sodium chicken stock 1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce 2 bay leaves 2 tablespoons butter 1 package of frozen pearl onions 1/2 cup water 2 teaspoons sugar 2 cartons of baby bella mushrooms cut into quarters Season the beef with Salt and Pepper and put it in your slow cooker. Cook bacon in a skillet until crisp and drain. Put your diced onions in the skillet with the carrot’s, tomato paste, garlic and thyme till onions are unfrozen and soft. Put in your flour and stir for 1 minute to get the flour taste out of it. Stir in 1 cup of wine and get all the bacon bits off the bottom of the pan. Pour into the crock-pot. (You are now wondering how am I going to fit the rest in this slow cooker, don’t worry it will cook down enough to add the other stuff later) Pour in broth, soy sauce and bay leaves. Cover and cook for 9-10 hours on low. - See more at: http://www.missinformationblog.com/2013/04/slow-cooker-beef-bourguignon.html#sthash.j3jQiv8c.dpuf

I started mine pretty late, later than I wanted.  It was about 1:45pm when I finally finished the second step (had to take breaks to feed the baby, thankfully my toddler was napping) and I didn't want to wait until 11pm to eat it so I cooked on high for 5 hours.  I set it and forget it, only hoping that it wouldn't over cook the beef and make it extra chewy.  :(

This was what it looked like with about 2 hrs left!

With about an hour left, I started on the step with the peal onions.  I read that it's easy to peel them if you boil them for about 5 minutes, cut the root portion off and then squeeze them out, but we wanted them fresh so no squeezing.

I omitted the mushrooms because only one person in our family is fond of them.  Poured in the wine, reduced for a few minutes and added it to the crock pot with 45 minutes left on the timer.  I threw it in before the time expired for the pearl onions to really cook in there.  With 15 minutes left on the timer, I started the mashed potatoes.  Yes, boxed, because with little ones, I wanted that to be done fast.  :)

The end product all plated:

Yes, I probably should've put the salad on a separate plate, but we didn't mind it. 

Verdict: OHMIGOSH it was so amazing! A home run for our household!  My fear of the beef being overcooked?  The beef was "no knife needed" tender and the broth alone was tasty.  No extra salt or pepper needed and it does pair perfectly with mashed potatoes!


I hope you beef lovers will try this recipe out!


Cheers!

Boeuf Bourguignon

Boeuf Bourguignon

Boeuf Bourguignon

"Easiest Most Amazing Roast Ever"

Happy February everyone!  I don't know about you, but January flew by for me!  I apologize for not trying out any Super Bowl recipe pins to show what would be a success or a failure, but we had a lot of partying we did this past weekend-most of it the day before the big football event!

Today's post is another crock pot recipe, but this time for roast!  The picture isn't what got me to pin this particular recipe like most pins.  This time, it was the picture of the ingredients!  Seriously, a roast that uses only 4 ingredients and cooked in the crock pot?  SOLD!  So simple a busy parent could prep it while carrying a toddler on their hip (that's how I prepped the one for this post-although of course I put him down to take pictures!).

I was skeptical of the ease of this recipe and the taste as well after looking at the packets that were needed.  Ranch and Italian dressing seasoning mixed together?!  I'm not a daring "mixer" when it comes to trying concoctions like that at restaurants and what not (I could never really bring myself to mix sodas at the soda fountain like my brother did when we were younger), and trying to imagine what ranch and italian dressing mixed together would taste like didn't sound too appealing to me.  I knew I had to try it after visiting the Food website and reading the comments though!  Almost a full 5 star rating!


The recipe is as follows:

1 (4 -5 lb) beef roast, any kind
1 (1 1/4 ounce) package brown gravy mix, dry
1 (1 1/4 ounce) package dried Italian salad dressing mix
1 (1 1/4 ounce) package ranch dressing mix, dry
1/2 cup water

Place beef roast in crock pot. Mix the dried mixes together in a bowl and sprinkle over the roast.  Pour the water around the roast.  Cook on low for 7-9 hours.

With a sale on smaller roasts at the commissary, my husband picked up 2 roasts for me to use for this trial; almost 4.5lbs worth of meat!  The top one is 1.44lbs and the bottom one is 2.98lbs.  My husband always says that when you cook roasts, brisket, or any big chunks of meat (meaning not cutting them into smaller pieces) that it's always best to not mess with them too much and leave the fat on.  All I did to prep the meat was rinse them off and place them right into the crock pot.

 I read through a handful of the reviews before I mixed the dry ingredients together.  A few of them mentioned that they found using the entire packets made it salty, so they only used half of the ranch or italian to cut that down.  I went with the entire brown gravy packet and half of the ranch dressng mix and half of the italian dressing mix.  I put them in 3/4 cup of water (to have more sauce), mixed it up, and just poured it all over the roasts in the crock pot-all while carrying my clingy toddler on my hip.  I set the crock pot on low for 7.5 hours and done.

While the roast was cooking, the house smelled absolutely amazing.  Definitely an aroma I wouldn't mind filling up my home every day!  When it finished, we ate it with salad and mashed potatoes on the side!  A hit with everyone in the house!!

The roast was so tender and juicy that no knife was needed to cut into it!

If you read through some of the reviews, there are people who say that they used the dry mix as a rub.  You can do this if you choose to, but it really isn't necessary. ;)

Cheers!