Crock Pot Fail

Soooo, you can't double a crock pot recipe unless you have two crock pots!  I wanted to make dinner for a friend so figured I would be so super smart and double a recipe to have enough for us and the other family.  Well, I didn't think it through until the crock pot was almost spilling over and I could not fit any more ingredients.  HA!  I am a mess.  So I just went with it and it turned out great.  But follow the recipe and do not double:)

The three recipes below are quick, easy and great to reheat in a thermos at lunch.  Can you tell how obsessed I am with a hot lunch in a thermos?  I love knowing that Lola gets a variety of hot meals each week made with ingredients that I can control.

Lola's lunch this week:

Monday- red beans, turkey sausage and rice with carrots and grapes
Tuesday- baked spaghetti with zucchini noodles and carrots and an apple
Wednesday- chicken chili, orange slices and organic cheddar crackers
Thursday- Turkey slices, cheese stick, organic, full fat yogurt and  strawberries
Friday-Grill cheese and turkey quesadilla, apple sauce, baby carrots

Crock Pot Chicken Chili

Ingredients:

• 3 large boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 cup diced bell peppers, (red or orange)
• 1 diced green bell pepper
• 1 (15 oz) can corn, drained & rinsed
• 1 14 oz can black beans, drained & rinsed
• 1 14 oz can kidney beans, drained & rinsed
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 can Rotel tomatoes
• ¾ cup salsa
• 2 limes, juiced
• 3 cups chicken broth, low sodium
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1½ teaspoons cumin
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 can refried beans

Instructions:

1. Place chicken, bell peppers, corn, beans, onion and tomatoes into the slow cooker.
2. In a large bowl combine salsa, lime juice, chicken broth, garlic, cumin and chili powder. Pour over chicken mixture.
3. Cook on high 3-4 hours or low 6-8 hours. Remove and shred chicken. Return chicken to slow cooker, stir in refried beans and cook an additional 15-20 minutes or until hot.
4. Serve with your favorite toppings like avocado and cheese.

Pumpkin Muffins

Ingredients:

• ¹/₂ cup – oats, dry
• ¹/₂ cup – milk
• ³/₄ cup – flour, all-purpose
• ³/₄ cup – flour, whole wheat
• 1 teaspoon – baking soda
• ¹/₄ teaspoon – baking powder
• 1 teaspoon – cinnamon
• ¹/₂ teaspoon – nutmeg
• ¹/₂ teaspoon – salt
• 1 ¹/₄ cup – pumpkin, canned
• ¹/₂ cup – applesauce, unsweetened
• 2 large – egg
• ¹/₂ cup – pure, organic maple syrup

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 and line or grease a muffin tin.
2. Combine oats and milk in a small bowl, set aside for 5-10 minutes.
3. In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.
4. In a medium bowl, combine pumpkin, applesauce, eggs, and maple syrup.
5. Add pumpkin mixture and milk-oat mixture to the large bowl with flour mixture. Mix until fully combined. Fill muffin tins with mixture until 2/3 full.
6. Place muffin tin in the oven and bake for about 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Makes about 18 muffins.

Hidden Carrot and Zucchini Baked Spaghetti

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces dry spaghetti noodles
• Zucchini noodle/ spirals  (you can use only zucchini noodles if you wish, I mix to hide easily for the kids)
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 shredded carrots
• 1 26 ounce jar meatless spaghetti sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
• 2 eggs
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 5 tablespoons butter, melted
• 2 cups small curd cottage cheese
• 4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:

1. Cook spaghetti according to package directions. 
2. Cook Zuchini noodles in a little olive oil until slightly soft
3. Cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain.  
4. Stir in the spaghetti sauce, shredded carrots, and seasoned salt; set aside
5. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, and Parmesan cheese  
6. Drain spaghetti; add to zucchini noodles and egg mixture and toss to coat.
7. Place half of the spaghetti mixture in a greased 9x13 baking dish.  
8. Top with half of the cottage cheese, meat sauce and mozzarella cheese. 
9. Repeat layers.
10. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Uncover and bake 20-25 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Enjoy!