What's for Dinner {39} - Slow Cooker Spaghetti Bolognese

It's time for Luther's annual Pasta Night for students staying over break! Actually, the event took place last night and it was a hit! So much pasta, so much bread, lots of salad - it's a carb lovers dream! The boys came along too and it was great to see them interacting with the college students and my coworkers. Of course Jack had to show off his belly (I didn't catch that photo in time!)

I love pasta so much (probably too much) and got really excited about this once again. Though I didn't land on my recipe until last week, holy cow, you guys! It's so good! Gspice even said this was the best red sauce he's ever had!

Like last year, I made this dish ahead of time at home so I could try it. The recipe I used is actually a double recipe so I ended up using the rest of it for the event. Worked out well, except we didn't get to use the leftovers ourselves! As you'll see below in the notes section, freezing is a great option for this as well. I'll definitely use that in the future since my crockpot can hold the double batch just fine. I also used a crockpot liner which is the best thing ever! No clean up = worth every penny!

I should also say that this isn't necessarily what I would consider a traditional Italian-style bolognese sauce. That would have celery, onion and carrot, beef and lamb, red wine and a small amount of tomatoes to create a thick sauce. Outside of Italy, you'll likely see more of a red sauce with the addition of a lot more tomatoes. As you might have guessed, that's what I made.

Slow Cooker Spaghetti Bolognese from Spend With Pennies

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 onions, diced (I used one)
• 2lb ground beef
• 1 cup red wine such as a cabernet sauvignon or merlot (or chicken or beef broth)
• 2 x 28oz canned crushed tomato
• 4 tbsp tomato paste
• 3 beef bouillon cubes, crushed
• 2 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
• 3 tsp dried oregano
• 2 tsp dried thyme leaves
• 3 dried bay leaves
• 2 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp pepper
• ½ lb spaghetti, dried

Bolognese

1. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add garlic and onion, and cook until translucent and sweet - around 7 minutes. Transfer to slow cooker.
2. Heat 1 tbsp oil in the same skillet and increase heat to high. Add beef and cook, breaking it up as you go, until browned. Cook in 2 batches if your skillet is not large enough. Transfer to slow cooker.
3. Return skillet to the stove, turn the stove down to medium and add red wine. Bring to simmer and scrape all the brown bits off the bottom of the skillet into the wine, then pour the mixture into the slow cooker.
4. Add remaining ingredients into the slow cooker. Cook on Low for 6 hours.

Spaghetti

1. Bring a large pot of water to boil and cook the spaghetti until just before al dente (still slightly firm). Remove 1 mug of the water from the pot, then drain the pasta.
2. Return the pasta to the pot and add 2½ - 3 cups of Bolognese Sauce, plus ½ cup of reserved pasta water. Toss gently over medium high heat for 2 minutes, or until the Sauce has thickened and coats the spaghetti. (Note 3)
3. Serve immediately with freshly grated parmesan cheese if desired.

Notes

1. Bolognese Sauce freezes wonderfully! Allow to cool overnight then freeze in serving size portions.
2. This recipe is a double batch and makes enough for 8 to 10 servings.
3. This step of tossing the pasta with the sauce and some of the pasta water is called "emulsifying" and it's when the magic happens. The oil in the sauce and the starch in the pasta water come together to make the Bolognese Sauce thicker so it clings to every strand of the pasta. This is the proper Italian way of making pasta!

What's for Dinner {35} - Easy Homemade Chicken Noodle

I am not much of a soup person. I don't often eat them nor do I often make them. Every once in awhile I'll meet one I actually like but that's been limited to Panera's broccoli cheddar, my mom's chicken noodle, and a tomato bisque. I also like Olive Garden's Zuppa Toscana but rarely ever go there. That's pretty much the extent of it.

When I got a hankering for chicken noodle the other day, I was a bit surprised. I was even more surprised that I actually made it and then actually liked it. Wow. That hasn't happened EVER before. (Yes, I've made other soups but would have changed more than one thing about it). Icing on the cake, Gspice even liked it. Actually no, the icing on the cake is that this is a ONE POT MEAL. Less dishes, best recipe ever.

I honestly wouldn't change a thing about this. It was sooooo good and made really wonderful leftovers.

Without further adieu, here is the ever so lovely recipe.

Easy (& FAST) Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup from Averie Cooks

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup carrots, peeled and sliced thin (about 1 1/2 large carrots)
• 1 cup celery, sliced thin (about 2 stalks) (okay, I left this out since neither of us like celery)
• 1 cup sweet Vidalia or yellow onion, peeled and diced small (about 1 medium onion)
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 64 ounces (8 cups) low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme (or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme)
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon pepper, or to taste
• 12 ounces wide egg noodle
• 2 cups shredded cooked chicken (we used a lemon pepper rotisserie chicken from Walmart - YUM!)
• 3 to 4 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice, optional
• salt, to taste

Directions:

1. To a large stockpot, add the oil and heat over medium-high heat to warm.
2. Add the carrots, celery, onion, and sauté for about 7 minutes, or until vegetables begin to soften. Stir intermittently.
3. Add the garlic and sauté for another 1 to 2 minutes.
4. Add the chicken broth, bay leaves, thyme, oregano, pepper, and bring to a boil. Allow mixture to boil gently for about 5 minutes or until vegetables are fork-tender.
5. Add the egg noodles and boil mixture for about 10 minutes, or until noodles are soft and cooked through. At any time while making the soup, if the overall liquid level is lower than you like and you prefer more broth, adding a cup or two of water is okay. At the end you will adjust the salt level.
6. Add the chicken, parsley, optional lemon juice (brightens up the flavor), and boil 1 to 2 minutes, or until chicken is warmed through. Taste soup and add salt to taste. I added about 1 tablespoon but this will vary based on how salty the brand of chicken broth used is, how salty the rotisserie chicken is, and personal preference. Make any necessary seasoning adjustments (i.e. more salt, pepper, herbs, etc.), remove the bay leaves, and serve immediately. Soup will keep airtight in the fridge for 5 to 7 days or in the freezer for up to 6 months.

On a cold day or during a bout of flu sicknesses - this is an easy breezy meal to make. Enjoy!

What's for Dinner {27} - Homemade Pizza Sauce

I have such fond memories of homemade pizza. Growing up, my dad made these for us every once in awhile and it was always a treat. He'd prepare the dough and let us sneak a couple bites if there was extra (which there always was!) after spreading it across the massive rectangle cookie sheet. If I remember correctly, if we had different desires for the toppings, we each had a row or two. I'll take pepperoni and spicy sausage, please!

And so the love for homemade pizza continues. However, one thing I like to do now is make my own pizza sauce. This sauce works well on normal crust like my dad used to make or tortillas, which I now prefer to use. AND, the sauce freezes well so you can make a ton, freeze them in ice cube trays and then transfer to a bag for use later! I used two ice cubes per medium tortilla.

Homemade Pizza Sauce from Food.com

*1 (15 oz) can Hunt's tomato sauce** (Hunt's is the best!)
*1/4 c water
*1 t sugar
*1/4 t dried oregano
*1/4 t dried basil leaves
*1/4 t dried thyme
*1/4 t garlic powder
*1/4 t salt
*1/8 t black pepper 

*1 whole bay leaf
*1/2 t lemon juice

 

Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat until sauce starts to boil. Lower heat and simmer, covered, for 30-45 minutes or until it reaches the desired thickness. Then, build your pizza!

Freezer Meals {1}

For some time now, I've thought about venturing into the world of freezer meals. I must admit, I was initially super intimated. It seemed like a lot of work, our freezer is the size of a shoebox and Gary isn't a huge fan of "leftovers". Any meal that is made and then frozen qualifies as leftovers. Regardless of my fears, I decided to venture on.

After taking an entire week to compile tons of recipes and then to choose which four I wanted to make, I spent a total of five hours last Saturday shopping for and making a whopping 37 servings of recipes. I ended up using four recipes and added one bonus recipe with the leftover chicken. I'll explain later.

37 servings  |  $1.90 each  |  WORTH IT

Slow Cooker Honey Mustard Chicken
6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup prepared mustard
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley

Combine all ingredients in freezer bag and freeze.

Place ingredients in slow cooker, cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours. Makes 6 servings.

Parmesan Garlic Chicken
6 chicken breasts (we had one extra)
1 cup parmesan cheese
1 envelope Italian salad dressing mix
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 cup olive oil

Mix together cheese, garlic, and dressing mix. Dip chicken breasts into olive oil, then coat with cheese mixture. Place in freezer bag and store.

To serve, thaw completely. Bake at 400 degrees for 45-60 minutes. Makes 7 servings.

Mediterranean Pork Chops
1/4 cup olive oil
2 cups chick broth
4 cloves of garlic
2 tbsp paprika
2 tbsp poultry seasoning
2 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp dried basil
8 thick cut pork chops

Split all ingredients into two bags. 

To serve, cook on low for 8 hours.  Serve with salad and rice or noodles. Makes 8 servings.

Baked Ziti
1 pound dry ziti pasta (or really any kind of pasta would work- I actually used Penne pasta)
1 onion, chopped
1 pound lean ground beef (season with pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and minced garlic)
2 (26 ounce) jars spaghetti sauce (I added a zucchini to my sauce just for more veggies!)
8 slices provolone cheese
1 1/2 cups sour cream
6 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add ziti pasta, and cook until al dente, about 7-8 minutes; drain.

In a large skillet, brown onion and ground beef over medium heat. Add spaghetti sauce, and simmer 15 minutes. When pasta is ready, mix in to the sauce.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spray 2 8x8 inch pans with non-stick cooking spray. Layer as follows in each pan: 1/4 of the pasta/sauce mixture, 4 slices of Provolone cheese, 1/2 of sour cream,  1/4 of pasta/sauce mixture,  1/4 mozzarella cheese. Top with grated Parmesan cheese.

Bake covered for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until cheeses are melted.

To freeze this meal: Follow the instructions above, except for the last step of cooking it. Cover the assembled ziti with foil and stick in the freezer (I usually use 2-3 layers of foil just to keep out the freezer burn). It will last in the freezer for about 30 days. When you are ready to eat it, remove from the freezer and place in the fridge to thaw 24 hours in advance. By allowing it to thaw in the fridge, you can cook it at the regular time and temperature (350 degrees for about 30 minutes). If you do not thaw it in advance, it will take much longer to cook. If you cook it completely frozen, it will take anywhere from 90 minutes - 2 hours to cook all the way through.

You can eat one for dinner now and freeze the other for dinner another day! This is precisely what we did!

BONUS!

If you happen to cut chicken like I do, you'll end up with a heaping pile of extra pieces of chicken that are better cut into smaller pieces. We tend to use these as ingredients for paninis or tacos. In this instance, it created 8 bonus servings! WOAH. For those that don't know, I have to cut every piece of fat I can find from each piece before eating it. That tends to mean I have one more appropriately-sized serving and another thin strip as extra. And here is what we made with the bonus servings!

Stubbs Marinated Chicken
extra chicken, cut into smaller pieces (I had enough for 8 servings)
your favorite Stubbs Marinade (whole bottle)

Combine ingredients into two bags. We had enough for four sandwiches or tacos in each bag.

To serve, thaw completed overnight. Cook and then make paninis or tacos.