Taco Soup

1 pound ground beef
1 onion, chopped
3 cans mild chili beans
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can corn
1 pkg. taco seasoning mix
1 1/2 cup water
shredded cheddar
sour cream
Scoops chips

Brown beef with onions. Place all remaining ingredients except cheese, sour cream and chips into slow cooker. Cook on low all day. Serve topped with cheese and sour cream. Crumble chips or use instead of a spoon!

**This one was so good we almost licked the bottom of the crockpot. Joy isn't much for soup but he really liked this one. Good and hearty!

Slow Cooker French Beef Dip Sandwiches by Lisa Curl

3 pound boneless beef chuck roast
1 can French onion soup
1 can beef consomme
1 can beef broth
1 tsp. beef bouillon
8 French or Italian rolls, split

Halve roast and place both halves into a slow cooker. Pour the soup, consomme, broth and bouillon over the roast. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or until meat is tender. Remove meat and shred with two forks. Serve on rolls. Skim fat from cooking juices and serve as a dipping sauce.

**This has been one of my favorite recipes for years. My sister makes this for me almost every time we come to visit. Her name for it is Soupy Roast but I have always called it Stewy Meat. No matter the name, this one is great!

Lazy Day Lasagna

1 carton cottage cheese
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
2 eggs
1/3 cup parsley
1 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. dried basil
1/8 tsp. pepper
32 oz. spaghetti sauce
1 pound ground beef/turkey/sausage
9 lasagna noodles, uncooked
3/4 cup. water

In large bowl, mix cheeses, eggs, parsley, onion powder, basil and pepper until well blended; set aside. In medium bowl, mix together spaghetti sauce and cooked meat. In 9x13 baking dish, spread 3/4 cup meat sauce. Layer 3 uncooked noodles and top with meat sauce. Spread with 1/2 of cottage cheese mixture and 1 1/2 cup meat sauce. Layer 3 more noodles on top of meat sauce. Spread with remaining cottage cheese mixture. Top with remaining 3 noodles and remaining meat sauce. Pour water around edges.

Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and foil for freezing. To serve, thaw and bake covered (don't forget to remove the plastic wrap) at 375 for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 15 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before eating. To bake from frozen stage, add 30 minutes to total baking time.

**This is my tried-and-true lasagna recipe. I love it because you don't have to cook the noodles. I usually make several of these at a time and keep the rest in the freezer. I have quite a large collection of baking dishes that I have accumulated here and there from yard sales and thrift stores. I have made up to six of these at once. It's so easy to grab it out of the freezer, throw it in the oven and have a really good dinner on the table.

Slow Cooker Barbecue Pork Sandwiches by Lisa Curl

1 can beef broth
3 pounds boneless pork ribs
1 18-ounce bottle barbecue sauce
12 French sandwich rolls, split

Pour the can of beef broth into slow cooker and add ribs. Cook on high heat for 4 hours, or until meat shreds easily. Remove meat and drain. Using two forks, pull meat apart to shred it. It may not seem like it's working right away, but keep working at it and it will. Stir in the entire bottle of your favorite barbecue sauce. Cover and cook on high for another 30 minutes or until completely heated through. Fill split rolls. Serves 12.

**I screwed up on this one but thankfully it turned out okay if you go ahead and cook the ribs in the broth and the barbecue sauce! This one was YUMMY!

Mashed Potato Soup by Rachael Ray

Drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
6 slices bacon, chopped
4 tbsp. butter
1 medium onion, chopped
4 tbsp. flour
1 quart chicken stock
2 cups leftover mashed potatoes
8 ounces shredded cheddar cheese
Chopped chives for garnish

In a medium pot or Dutch oven, heat a drizzle of EVOO over medium-high heat. Add bacon and cook until crispy. Remove back to a paper-towel lined plate and reserve. Drain off excess bacon fat from the pot and add butter. When it is melted, add the onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle flour into the pot and cook with a wooden spoon for 1 minute. Whisk in the chicken stock and bring to a bubble. Cook until slightly thickened, about 2-3 minutes. Whisk in mashed potatoes, then stir in the cheddar cheese with a wooden spoon and cook until the potatoes are hot and the cheese is melted.

**I froze some leftover mashed potatoes from Christmas just to try this recipe. I left the bacon out to spare the calories but I'm sure it would be great. I left out the onion and chives as usual. Joy isn't much for soup but I really liked this one.

Orange Pop Chicken by Jane Clifton (my sister)

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 can diet orange pop
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 cups instant rice

Place chicken in crockpot. Combine soy sauce and orange pop in medium bowl. Pour over chicken. Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours. During the last hour, remove chicken and stir in instant rice and place chicken back on top of rice. Cook for 1 hour then serve.

**My sister just uses regular rice and puts it in at the beginning of the recipe and lets it cook all day. I confess that I cheated and left the rice out altogether. I ran through Bamboo Gardens drive-thru and got some there instead!

Chicken Tortilla Soup

1 medium onion, chopped
1 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 Tbsp. oil for sauteing
2 pounds chicken, baked or boiled, chopped or shredded
14 oz. can diced tomatoes
1 can Rotel
1 can beef broth
1 can chicken broth
1 can tomato soup
1 1/2 cans of water
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. lemon-pepper seasoning
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp. Tabasco sauce

Saute onion and garlic in oil, adding more oil if needed. Add remaining ingredients and simmer 30-35 minutes. Cool. Freeze in freezer bags.

Serve with tortilla chips, grated cheese and sour cream.

**This one was FANTASTIC! As usual, I left out the onion (used a few onion flakes instead because I can usually sneak those past Joy). I used minced garlic as well. I also used Progresso Tomato Basil soup because I had a coupon. I used mild Rotel and left out the Tabasco because we are wimpy when it comes to spicy food. I cooked the whole thing in the crockpot all day and we ate every last bite. Very good on those snowy and icy days we had last week!

Tater Tot Casserole

2 pounds ground beef
1 packet meatloaf seasoning
1 can cream of celery soup
1 pound Velveeta
1 bag tater tots

Brown beef and stir in meatloaf seasoning mix. Place in greased 9x13 pan. Spread soup over meat. Slice Velveeta and arrange over soup. Top with tater tots. Bake for 30-45 minutes at 350.

**This is an old stand-by from back in the day when Joy and I were dating. It is easy to prepare several of these in advance and keep them in the freezer. I actually split the recipe in half when I make it just for us. Great to keep on hand in case someone gets sick or has a baby, etc. You can use any kind of "cream of" soup and it's no big deal if you don't have the meatloaf seasoning either. You can use taco seasoning, or even just plain salt and pepper.