Last night we had garlic fried chicken thighs (always a favorite) with pasta & pinto soup. Everyone seemed to like it. I think I'll be making it again.

Pasta & Pinto Soup
Ingredients

• 4 strips bacon, cut into small pieces
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 2 oz small pasta
• 14.5 oz can pinto beans, rinsed & drained
• 4 cups hot vegetable stock
• 2 Tbsp fresh chopped mint

Directions

• Place the bacon in a large pot and fry for 5 minutes.
• Add the onion, garlic and celery and fry for another 5 minutes, stirring, until the onion is tender and the bacon is beginning to brown.
• Add the pasta and cook, stirring, for 1 minute to coat the pasta in the fat.
• Add the pinto beans and the stock, and bring to a boil.
• Reduce heat and let simmer for 15 minutes, or until the pasta is tender but still firm to the bite.
• Remove from heat and stir in chopped fresh mint.
• Serve and enjoy.

Slow-Cooker Tuscan Pot Roast

Yield: Serves 6-8

Active Time: 30m

Total Time: 8hr 30m

 

 

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Ingredients

• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 2 2 1/2 to 3 -pound bottom-round pot roasts
• 2 large onions, quartered
• 4 celery stalks, thinly sliced (2 cups)
• 4 large carrots, thinly sliced (2 cups)
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 6-ounce can tomato paste
• 1 cup dry red wine
• 8 ounces sliced mushrooms
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 28-ounce can chopped plum tomatoes with liquid

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Instructions 

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and brown each roast on all sides. Transfer the roasts to a large slow cooker.
2. To the fat remaining in the skillet, add the onions, celery, carrots, and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, until tender, about 10 minutes. Add the tomato paste and stir to coat the vegetables; transfer to the cooker.
3. Pour the wine into the skillet and scrape up any browned bits; add the contents of the skillet to the cooker, along with the mushrooms, salt, oregano, and tomatoes with their liquid.
4. Cook 8 hours on low heat, or 4 hours on high heat.

Notes

 This made WAY too much for our little family. I love the flavors so I'll make again but I'll probably cut it down to a third of the size.

Baked Halibut with Horseradish Cream Sauce and Tomato Soup

Recipes to follow ...

Slow Cooker Chicken Cordon Bleu

Recipe Source: http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2008/08/crockpot-chicken-cordon-bleu.html

I only used two chicken breasts because I wasn't sure how the family would take to it. Heather had two servings, which NEVER happens, so I guess I'll make this again despite the fact that Randy declined to even try it due to his aversion to anything from a pig. Rebekah and I both liked it too.

Next time I'll make it with cream of celery rather than cream of chicken and sliced roast beef rather than sliced ham.