Slow Cooker Turkey Lentil Chili

Makes 6 servings

Ideal slow cooker: 4-6 quart

Cooking time:  2-3 hours on high or 4-6 hours on low

1 lb ground turkey/ground beef

1 medium yellow onion, diced

2 minced garlic cloves

2 Tbsp tomato paste

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 cup dry green lentils

2 cups water

1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce

1 (14.5 oz) can petite diced tomatoes

1 (4 oz) can diced green chiles

2 tsp chili powder

1 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp pepper

Cilantro and sour cream, optional

1.  In a skillet over medium heat brown the ground turkey.  Add in the diced onions, garlic, tomato paste and salt and cook until meat is browned and onions are soft and translucent.

2.  Add turkey mixture to the slow cooker.

3.  Add lentils, water, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, green chiles, chili powder, cumin and pepper to the slow cooker.

4.  Cover and cook on HIGH for 2-3 hours or on LOW for 4-6 hours, or until lentils are tender.

5.  Scoop into servings bowls and top with cilantro and sour cream, if desired.

Recipe Credit: 365 Days of Slow Cooking

Porcupine Meatballs with Mushroom Sauce

Makes 5 servings
Ideal slow cooker size: 6 quart
Cooking time:  3-5 hours

• 3/4 lb extra lean ground beef or ground turkey
• 1 cup skim milk
• 1/2 cup uncooked instant brown rice
• ¼ cup chopped onion
• 1 cup dry bread crumbs
• 1/2 tsp salt
• Dash of black pepper
• 1 (10 3/4 oz) can low- fat, low-sodium cream of mushroom soup
• 1/2 cup skim milk

1.  Combine meat, 1 cup skim milk, rice, onion, bread crumbs, salt, and pepper in a bowl.
2.  Shape into meatballs with an ice cream scoop. Place in the bottom of a slow cooker, in a single layer.
3.  Mix together soup and ½ cup milk. Pour over the top of the meatballs.
4.  Cover and cook on LOW 3-5 hours. Serve with mushroom soup gravy.

Recipe Credit: 365 Days of Slow Cooking

Slow Cooker Porcupine Meatballs with Marinara Sauce

Makes 5 servings

Ideal slow cooker size:  6 quart  

Cooking time:  3-5 hours

• 1 lb extra lean ground turkey
• 1 Tbsp minced garlic
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1/2 cup uncooked instant brown rice
• 1 cup bread crumbs
• 1 cup milk
• 2 Tbsp tomato paste
• 1 (24 oz) can marinara sauce

1.  Combine meat, garlic, salt, pepper, rice, bread crumbs, milk and tomato paste in a bowl.

2.  Shape into meatballs with an ice cream scoop. Place in the bottom of a slow cooker, in a single layer.
3.  Pour marinara sauce over the top of the meatballs.
4.  Cover and cook on LOW 3-5 hours.

Recipe Credit: 365 Days of Slow Cooking

ZUPPA TOSCANA (OLIVE GARDEN COPY CAT)

Makes 4-6 servings
Ideal slow cooker size:  4-5 quart
Cooking time:  6 hours on low, 3 hours on high

1 lb ground Italian sausage (I used mild)
4 cups chicken broth (or if you're in a pinch use 4 cups of water with 4 tsp of chicken bouillon)
1 cup water
1/4 cup diced onion
3 large russet potatoes, cubed (I left the skins on mine and it tasted great, but peel if you prefer)
1 garlic clove, minced
1/3 cup real bacon bits, plus more for topping (I just use the packaged bacon bits for convenience, but if you want to fry up some bacon and crumble it that would be awesome)
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 bunch of Kale
Parmesan cheese, for topping

1.  In a pan, over medium high heat brown the ground sausage until well done.  Drain off all grease and place sausage in a colander.  Rinse the sausage with very hot water to get as much grease off as possible.  Add the rinsed sausage to the slow cooker.
2.  Add broth, water, onion, potatoes and garlic to the slow cooker.
3.  Cover and cook on LOW for about 6 hours, or until potatoes are tender.  You can also cook on HIGH for about 3-4 hours.
4.  Stir in 1/3 cup bacon bits.  Warm the cream and then add it to the slow cooker (to prevent curdling make sure it's warm). 
5.  Cut up kale into coarse pieces* (I liked my pieces kind of large and chunky but if you like them more indiscernible cut them small) and add to the slow cooker.
6.  Ladle into serving bowls and top with extra bacon bits and Parmesan cheese.

*I lay a piece of kale on a cutting board and then cut off the leaf portion and discard the rib and stem.  It's kind of time consuming but the stem is bitter and tough...you won't want to eat it.

Recipe Credit: 365 Days of Slow Cooking

3-Ingredient Slow Cooker Peach Cobbler

Makes 8 servings

Ideal slow cooker size:  3 quart oval

Cooking time:  2-3 hours

6 large peaches, peeled and sliced (this will seem like a lot of peaches but believe me, you won't regret it)

1 white cake mix, unprepared (you can also use a yellow cake mix if you prefer)

1/2 cup butter (1 stick), softened

1.  Place sliced peaches in bottom of slow cooker

2.  In a medium bowl, combine the cake mix (unprepared) with the butter. Cut the butter into the cake mix with a pastry blender (or fork or potato masher) until crumbly.

3.  Sprinkle cake mix mixture over peaches.

4.  Place paper towel or dish towel on top of slow cooker and seal with slow cooker's lid.  Cook on HIGH for 2-3 hours or on LOW for about 4 hours. 

5.  Serve with vanilla ice cream.

Recipe Credit: 365 Days of Slow Cooking

Homemade Italian Dressing Mix

1 Tbsp garlic powder
1 Tbsp onion powder
1 Tbsp sugar
2 Tbsp oregano
1 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp thyme
1 tsp basil
1 Tbsp parsley
2 Tbsp salt
In a airtight container, mix all ingredients and store with lid on tightly.

Recipe Credit: 365 Days of Slow Cooking

SLOW COOKER ITALIAN-SEASONED POTATOES

Makes 4 servings (can easily be doubled)
Ideal slow cooker size:  3 quart

3 large yellow potatoes
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp home-made Italian dressing mix*

1.  Scrub potatoes until clean.  Cut potatoes into cubes.  Place in slow cooker.
2.  Drizzle with the olive oil and sprinkle with seasonings.  Use a spoon and turn to coat the potatoes in the oil and seasonings.
3.  Cover and cook on HIGH for about 2-3 hours or on LOW for 4-6 hours or until potatoes are tender  (the yellow potatoes will cook a lot quicker than russet so keep that in mind if you choose a different kind of tater)
4.  Stir the potatoes gently and serve!  (some of the seasonings went to the bottom of my crock so make sure to stir to get all the goodness evenly on the potatoes)

*Homemade Italian Dressing Mix
1 Tbsp garlic powder
1 Tbsp onion powder
1 Tbsp sugar
2 Tbsp oregano
1 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp thyme
1 tsp basil
1 Tbsp parsley
2 Tbsp salt
In a airtight container, mix all ingredients and store with lid on tightly.

Recipe Credit: 365 Days of Slow Cooking