CHEESE STUFFED MANICOTTI for the SLOW COOKER

Ingredients:

1 Package Manicotti (from Raleys, Nugget or Winnco)

Cheese Stuffing

1 (15 oz.) container Ricotta Cheese

1(16 oz.) Container Cottage Cheese ( I use low fat, small curd)

2 (2 Cup) Package Mozzarella Cheese (I use low fat)

½ of an 8 oz.  (4 oz.) container of grated Parmesan Cheese

1 bunch parsley leaves (washed and cut)

Meat Sauce:

1 pound Hamburger Crumbled and drained

2  Jars Beritolli five cheese Marinara Sauce

Season with Garlic Powder, Italian Seasonings, etc. Fresh chopped basil, fresh minced garlic, etc.

Topping:

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:

Line  slow cooker liner with slow cooker liners.

Snip the leaves off the parsley and cut them

In a large bowl, combine the Cheeses for the stuffing.  Add parsley and stir in.

Boil Manicotti for 5 minutes (or about ½ the time it suggests on the box).  Drain and let cool on waxed paper.

Brown and crumble the hamburger.  Drain grease.  Add the Tomato Sauce and Season.

Put enough of the meat sauce in the bottom of the slow cooker to lightly cover the bottom (so the manicotti does not stick)

Stuff the Manicotti with the cheese mixture by hand or by using a very small spoon (I use a baby spoon)…I have found that using my hands works much better.  Or, sometimes I use some kitchen shears and cut a single seam into the manicotti.  Then I spread the cheese in it and roll it up.  I place it in the slow cooker seam side down.

Place each manicotti in the lasagna pan over the light layer of meat sauce

Cover the manicotti with the remaining meat sauce – to be sure that the pasta is covered (otherwise it will dry out during baking)

Sprinkle the meat sauce with the cup of mozzarella (or whatever cheese you have).  Cover with lid.

SLOW COOK for 4 hours on LOW.

Ingredients

Draining Grease With a Paper Towel

Meat Sauce

Boiling Pasta

Cheese Mixture

Cheese Mixture with Parsley

Boiled and Drained Manicotti

Layering

First Layer

Stuffing Manicotti

Second Layer

Ready to Slow Cook

Ready to Serve

CREAMY CHICKEN ALFREDO WITH ROTINI FOR THE SLOW COOKER

Ingredients:

16 ounces Vegetable Rotini Pasta

½  can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, cubed

1 cup heavy whipping cream

½ cup butter

¾ teaspoon garlic powder

3 generous shakes of white pepper (season to taste)

¾ cup shredded Parmesan cheese

½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese

½ cup shredded Swiss cheese

2 ½ cups cubed cooked chicken (I season chicken w/Garlic Herb Mrs. Dash, then fry it in a sauteusse pan- just until done)

Garlic Herb Mrs. Dash

Topping:

½ cup seasoned bread crumbs (or crushed Texas Toast Cheese and Garlic Croutons)

2 tablespoons butter, melted

1 to 2 tablespoons shredded Parmesan Cheese

Directions:

Line a slow cooker with a plastic slow cooker liner.

Cook pasta for 6 minutes until it is very firm.  Meanwhile in a large saucepan, make the Alfredo sauce by combining the soup, cream cheese, cream, butter, white pepper and garlic powder, Stir in the cheeses; cook and stir until melted.  Add the chicken, heat through.  Drain pasta, add pasta to the lined slow cooker.  Pour in the Alfredo sauce and chicken mixture over the pasta and stir until combined.

Cook on LOW for 4 hours.  About 15 minutes before serving, Combine topping ingredients; sprinkle over chicken and pasta mixture.   Replace lid only part way to so the topping stays crispy.  Serve and enjoy.

Yield: 6-8 servings

Ingredients

Cubed, Seasoned, Cooked Chicken

Making Alfredo Sauce

Alfredo Sauce

Adding Chicken

Pasta in Crock Pot

Ready to Cook

Crumb Topping

Ready for Topping

Adding Topping

Ready to Serve

SLOW COOKER CHICKEN PARMESAN AND PENNE PASTA

Ingredients:

3 tbsp olive oil (I used garlic olive oil)

7 - 8 cloves garlic, chopped

1 (12 oz.) box Penne Pasta (I use the veggie penne) Boil for only 4 minutes

½ teaspoon salt

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts – cooked (baked, boiled, etc,) (or rotisserie chicken breasts)

1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

2 (24 oz.) marinara sauce (I use 1 jar of Bertolli 5 Cheese Marinara Sauce)

1 teaspoon onion herb Mrs. Dash seasoning or Italian seasoning

2 cups mozzarella shredded (I use low fat 2% milk fat cheese)

4 oz. Parmesan Grated or shredded

1 (5 oz.) bag croutons

Directions:

Line your slow cooker with slow cooker liners.

Peel about 7 garlic cloves and chop them into tiny pieces.

Add the garlic and olive oil to a sauteuse pan.  On medium heat, stir and cook until the garlic begins to be toasted.  Set aside

Boil water with ½ teaspoon salt.  Once a rapid boil is reached, add the box of penne.  Boil for 4 minutes, then remove from heat and drain.  Toss with half of the toasted garlic and olive oil that was set aside.

Chop two of the chicken breasts into tiny pieces (I use a food chopper)

In a large mixing bowl add the penne, the marinara, 1 teaspoon onion herb Mrs. Dash seasoning, and ½ cup shredded Parmesan.  Mix well.

Pour half of the pasta mixture into the slow cooker.  Place the remaining 2 chicken breasts on the bed of penne.  Top chicken and pasta with 1 cup ½  cup parmesan and 1 cup mozzarella.  Pour the remaining pasta mixture over chicken.  Top with ¼ cup parmesan.

Slow Cook on LOW for 4 hours.

About ½ hour before serving, top with the croutons and sprinkle croutons with any remaining cheese.  Once the cheese is melted, remove the lid until it is only partly covering the crock.

Ingredients

Chopped Chicken

Chopped Garlic

Toasted Garlic

Firm Boiled Penne tossed in Garlic Olive Oil

Toasted Garlic and Olive Oil on bottom of lined crock pot

Mixing Pasta, Chicken, Cheese, Sauce

All Mixed Up

Layering Chicken

Cheese on Chicken

Ready to slow Cook

Ready to top with croutons

Croutons

Cheese topped croutons

Lid Askew

Ready to Serve