Easy Slow Cooker Recipe: Macaroni Chili Cheese Casserole

*** For back to school busy try this simple recipe for a slow cooker the whole family is sure to enjoy.





From Denny: With our busy lives, whether it's working or raising children, it's always great to run across easy recipes that actually taste good too. Always pull out the slow cooker when you are feeling stressed for time. You can make just about anything in a slow cooker while you are away at work or running errands.

Our local newspaper ran this recipe recently and it is a really hearty version of the traditional man 'n' cheese comfort food family favorite. Soon the weather will be cooling down for fall, the kids are returning to school, and this chili meat version of the family standard may also become a bit hit at your house! Mac and cheese adapts quite well to the slow cooker casserole idea.

This recipe changes the familiar by adding chili seasoning and ground beef. You could try it with other ground meat to your taste. Making chili in a slow cooker is a traditional standby easy recipe for family cooks. Adding pasta to the dish where it can absorb all those awesome flavors from the chili is just a foodie bonus! You don't even have to pre-boil the pasta noodles. Remember: when you use the thinner pasta varieties they do work best by not pre-boiling before adding to the slow cooker. Otherwise you can end up losing the proper texture of the noodle.

Do make sure to brown your ground meat before adding to the slow cooker and scrape into it all those wonderful browned bits known as "fond" on the bottom of the pan. Those browned bits give so much flavor to the slow cooked dish.







Macaroni Chili Cheese Casserole

From: Julie Kay, local food writer and editor at The Advocate

Serves: 6 to 8

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground chuck
1 (1.25-oz.) chili seasoning packet
1 (14.5-oz.) can kidney beans, drained
1 (16-oz.) can pinto beans
2 (14.5-oz.) cans Hunt’s Fire Roasted diced tomatoes
1-1/2 cups elbow macaroni
2 cups Mexican taco cheese


Directions:

Brown ground chuck in skillet on stove-top over medium-high heat. Mix in chili seasoning packet.

Put beef into slow cooker. Add kidney and pinto beans. Pour in diced tomatoes.

Mix in macaroni and cook on Low for 6 hours. Add cheese. When cheese is melted, serve.


*** Photo by Liz Condo at The Advocate


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Chocolate Bread Pudding in a Slow Cooker

*** Try an easy recipe that will delight the chocolate lovers in your house!




From Denny: My local newspaper featured this easy bread pudding recipe recently. Here in Louisiana we are known for our bread pudding desserts. Generally, we prefer to use French bread.

This recipe sure brought back memories of when my favorite aunt taught me how to make bread pudding when I was a child. She used leftover homemade biscuits. I really wanted chocolate one day so she added Hershey's cocoa and a new recipe was born! My uncle and I were quite delighted with the results and insisted she make it often.

This recipe is a bit different but the beauty of it is that you can do it in a slow cooker, completely unattended. That's a handy recipe for the busy parent or if you are having guests this recipe will save you time.

The food writers do make a suggestion: Because this recipe has a lot of dairy products it's best to cook at a higher heat and for a briefer period of time - which is considered fast for a slow cooker.

They also suggest to spray the slow cooker liner with oil so you don't have much cleaning to do afterwards. It won't eliminate all the sticking but deals with most of the problem. Of course, soaking is the smartest avenue to soften up sticky bits. Just make sure that soaking water is as warm or hot as the liner dish could crack. A stoneware liner insert for a slow cooker can crack if cold water is added to it when it's warm or hot.

Check out those oozing melted chocolate chips throughout the warm pudding: awesome! :)


Chocolate Bread Pudding

From: Julie Kay, food writer at 2theadvocate

Serves: 4 to 6

Ingredients:

French bread, broken into cubes
3 cups milk
1 cup heavy cream
3 eggs
2 tbls. butter, melted
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup sugar
1-1/2 cups chocolate chips

Sauce:

1/2 cup rum
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter or margarine


Directions:

Place French bread cubes in slow cooker. Mix together milk and heavy cream with eggs, butter, vanilla extract and sugar. Pour over French bread in slow cooker.

Fold in chocolate chips.

Cook on High for 2 hours.

At end of cooking time, mix together rum, brown sugar and butter in small pan on stove top and bring to a quick boil, removing immediately after sauce comes to a boil.

Pour over cooked slow cooker bread pudding and remove to individual serving dishes.



*** Photo by LIZ CONDO/The Advocate



*** THANKS for visiting, feel welcome to drop a comment or opinion, enjoy bookmarking this post on your favorite social site, a big shout out to awesome current subscribers – and if you are new to this blog, please subscribe in a reader or by email updates!

*** Come by for a visit and check out my other blogs:

The Social Poets - news, politics
The Soul Calendar - science, astronomy, psychology
Visual Insights - photos, art, music
Beautiful Illustrated Quotations - spiritual quotes, philosophy
Poems From A Spiritual Heart - poetry
The Healing Waters - health news
Dennys People Watching - people in the news
Dennys Food and Recipes
Dennys Funny Quotes - humor

4 Simple Recipes 4 Entertaining

Carol Poche in her kitchen, photo from 2theadvocate.com


From Denny: Easy cooking is the trend here in Louisiana but we want the slow cooking results! A slow cooker is the answer for low maintenance and ease. When was the last time you made Enchiladas in a crockpot? Yeah, me neither. :) There's a wonderfully tasty salsa dip made with hummus, a chicken salad you could make as an appetizer served in puff pastry cups or place on your favorite lettuces for a larger serving and a recipe that makes three loaves of deliciously easy pumpkin bread.

All of these recipes come from former restauranteur Carol Poche who is now a real estate agent, recently featured in our local newspaper 2theadvocate. She regularly sends her business associates a monthly recipe she has tested in her own kitchen. Once a great cook, always a great cook! Take a look at her offerings:


Recipes Featured:

Enchiladas in the Crock
Mediterranean Salsa Dip
Honey Chicken Salad
Pumpkin Bread




Enchiladas in the Crock

From: Carol Poché

Serves: 6 to 8.

Carol: Home buyers requested a slow-cooker recipe that would fit their active lifestyles. This is a hearty meal that would satisfy a family after a long day of work and play.

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground beef or turkey
1 (10-oz.) bag of frozen seasoning blend
1 (15-oz.) can black beans or red kidney beans with liquid
1 to 2 (10–oz.) cans Ro-tel tomatoes
1/3 cup water
1 packet taco seasoning
8 (6- to 8-inch) flour tortillas
1 (8-oz). pkg. Mexican-style shredded cheese

Directions:

1. Sauté the beef or turkey and seasoning blend together until meat is browned and seasoning is wilted. Drain well.

2. Add beans, Ro-tel tomatoes, water and taco seasoning. Simmer for 10 minutes.

3. Starting at bottom of slow cooker, layer tortillas, meat and bean mixture and cheese and continue in that order until all ingredients are used. Top layer should be cheese.

4. Cover and cook on Low for 5-6 hours. Serve with avocado slices, jalapeños and cilantro.



Mediterranean Salsa Dip

From: Carol Poche from a recipe from Patty Swanson

Carol: This looks great if you serve on an oblong platter, but it won’t last long. It’s always the first empty dish!

Ingredients:

1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup olive oil
1 tbl. Greek seasoning
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 (10-oz.) containers of hummus
2-3 tbls. finely minced red onion
1 cup cucumber, chopped into fine pieces
1 cup chopped grape tomatoes
1/2 cup chopped black olives
1 cup feta cheese, crumbled

Directions:

1. To make dressing, whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, Greek seasoning and garlic powder.

2. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

3. Layer large platter with hummus, minced onion, chopped cucumber, grape tomatoes, black olives and crumbled feta cheese.

4. Drizzle with dressing. Serve with pita chips.



Honey Chicken Salad

From: Carol Poché

Serves: 4 to 6

Ingredients:

4 cups chopped cooked chicken
3 celery ribs, diced
1 cup sweetened dried cranberries
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1-1/2 cups mayonnaise
1/3 cup honey
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper

Directions:

1. Combine chicken, celery, cranberries and pecans.

2. Whisk together the mayonnaise, honey and seasonings. Add to chicken mixture, stirring gently until combined.

3. Serve alone, on a bed of lettuce, in a scooped-out tomato or in individual pastry shells for a touch of elegance.



Pumpkin Bread

From: Carol Poché

Makes: 3 loaves

Carol: This recipe was given to me when I was cooking as a volunteer in the open-hearth kitchen at Magnolia Mound Plantation. It came from a 1796 recipe book containing recipes of Fanny Pierson Crane and was modified for today’s standards.

Ingredients:

1 cup corn oil
4 beaten eggs
2/3 cup water
2 cups canned pumpkin (a 15-oz. can works)
3-1/3 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1-1/2 tsps. salt
1 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsps. baking soda
3 cups sugar
1/2 cup golden raisins, if desired
1/2 cup chopped pecans, if desired

Directions:

1. Grease and flour 3 standard loaf pans.

2. Combine oil, eggs, water and pumpkin in a large mixing bowl.

3. Add flour, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon, baking soda and sugar. Mix well. Add raisins and nuts, if desired. Fill prepared pans to just below rims.

4. Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven for at least 1 hour.
Do not remove until toothpick inserted in center comes out dry. Stays moist for days. Makes a great breakfast treat.


*** For more of Poche's easy recipes: Valentines Day, Mardi Gras: 7 Yummy Snack Recipes


*** THANKS for visiting, come back often, feel welcome to drop a comment or opinion, a big shout out to awesome current subscribers - and if you are new to this blog, please subscribe in a reader or by email!


party recipes, entertaining recipes, crockpot recipes
slow cooker recipes, fun recipes
Louisiana food, Louisiana recipes, Mexican recipes, chicken recipes, dip recipes, bread recipes, salsa, pumpkin, beef, turkey

Popular Posts 2009 at Comfort Food From Louisiana, Thank YOU!

Photo by Lyndi&Jason @ flickr

From Denny: What a year it has been! THANK YOU for all your support! These are the most popular posts since May of this year when I found a couple of sites to keep track of it.

Louisiana has had a tough time since Hurricane Katrina hit in August 2005. Thanks to people like yourselves we have come back strong, rebuilding the damage and living the wonderful food culture we love to share with you.

While I'm pulling together this post I'm listening around the corner to the New Orleans Saints playing in the Super Bowl in Miami. Wow! They just won their first Super Bowl!!!! New Orleans down in the French Quarter is rocking with people clogging the streets like it's Marti Gras! It's funny how everyone here in Louisiana was convinced the Saints would win - and they did. I can't wait to update this post with a video of the winning run by the Saints down the field that put them ahead, winning by a score of 31 to 17 against the Colts.

Marti Gras starts early in New Orleans and this will be the first time it becomes a nine day celebration! :)




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*** THANKS for visiting, come back often, feel free to leave comments, a big shout out to current subscribers - and if you are new to this blog, please subscribe in a reader or by email!

Easy Key West Ribs From the Slow Cooker

From Denny: Many a person from Louisiana holidays in sunny Florida and we often share recipes since both areas are Southern and boast lots of wonderful seafood. While Texas is known for their awesome barbecued ribs so are a lot of other places in the South, and Florida has their version.

Seems the Pillsbury folks were equally intrigued and created a recipe to show us just how easy it is to make ribs in a slow cooker version. Can cooking good tasting recipes get any easier? :)

Seriously though, as the weather gets colder it sure is wonderful to know you can have a recipe for ribs that does not require use of the oven for hours or the outside grill. A slow cooker version of ribs is just the ticket! This would also be a great recipe to make during football season when you want to tailgate like we do at LSU Tiger games around here. A lot of people go just to enjoy the tailgating atmosphere! This recipe is a real time-saver as you could put it on the night before the game and then drive out in the morning with a ready-made meal to go for your guests.

***

Key West Ribs

From: Pillsbury Doughboy Slow Cooker Recipes

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

2-1/2 lbs. country-style pork loin ribs
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup barbecue sauce (your favorite or homemade)
1 tsp. grated orange peel
1 tsp. grated lime peel
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup orange juice
2 tbls. lime juice

(Note from Denny: I'd also add 2 Tablespoons each of fresh minced garlic and fresh parsley.)

Directions:

1. Place pork ribs in 3-1/2- to 4-quart slow cooker. In small bowl, combine remaining ingredients; mix well. Pour over ribs.

2. Cover; cook on Low setting for 7 to 9 hours. Spoon sauce over ribs.

*** Then I would sqeeze fresh lime juice all over these ribs right before serving to instensify the BBQ flavors. - Denny