Slow Cooker Cheese Stuffed Meatballs by Paula Deen

1# ground beef
1# ground pork
4T parmesan cheese
1 to 1 1/2 c. Italian bread crumbs
3 large eggs
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 cloves garlic
1T basil
1/4 c parsley
1/2 tsp oregano
4 oz mozzarella, divided into 12 pieces
3T olive oil
2 jars of spaghetti sauce

In a large mixing bowl, combine ground beef, ground pork, Parmesan, eggs, salt, pepper, garlic, basil, parsley and oregano. Add bread crumbs 1/2 cup at a time until mixture is not too wet and can be formed into balls easily. Form mixture into 12 balls using your thumb to press a hole in the center. Insert a piece of the mozzarella in the hole and close the hole by pushing the meatball mixture around it. Cook meatballs in oil until just browned. Transfer meatballs to slow cooker and pour spaghetti sauce over meatballs. Cook on low for approximately 5 hours. Serve with sauce over spaghetti noodles.

**This was the best meatball recipe I have tried. I think the ground pork made the difference because the meatballs were much more moist. I tried using mozzarella string cheese inside the meatballs but I would recommend buying fresh mozzarella instead as it is softer. This makes a large meal.

Best Ever Meatloaf from allrecipes.com

1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1 cup tomato juice
3/4 cup oats
1 egg
1/4 cup onion
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper

Combine all ingredients and combine in loaf pan. Bake at 350 for 1 hour or until no longer pink. Drain. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

**I love meatloaf but most of the recipes I have tried usually end up too dry. This one was very moist, even on the second day. Maybe the difference was the tomato juice? Also, I got one of those double meatloaf pans from Target for a Christmas gift from my sister. The grease all drains into the bottom pan and it is wonderful.

BBQ Chicken Cheddar Pita Pizzas

6 pita rounds
1# or more finely chopped cooked chicken, approx. 3 cups
1 cup shredded cheddar
3/4 cup BBQ sauce
1/3 cup real bacon bits
1/4 cup sliced green onion

Preheat oven to 400F. Thin BBQ sauce with water for drizzling consistency. Divide toppings evenly over pitas in this order: chicken, bacon, BBQ sauce, cheese and onion. Bake 8-10 minutes, until cheese is melted.

***Joy and I loved these. Super easy and quick. You could probably use the pitas to make any kind of pizza you like. I used real bacon I had cooked and crumbed instead of the bacon bits and I also sprinkled a little mozzarella as well.

Chicken Alfredo Pizza from "Don't Panic, Dinner's in the Freezer"

1/4 cup butter
1 cup heavy cream (I use half and half)
2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste
1 pizza crust
10 large fresh spinach leaves
6 green onions, sliced
2 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
1/2 lb. bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 cup grated mozzarella
1 cup grated Swiss

Melt butter in saucepan. Add cream and bring to a boil. Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring continuously. Add Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. Turn off heat under pan. Spread alfredo sauce evenly over pizza crust. Top with spinach, onions, chicken and bacon. Sprinkle with cheeses. Bake at 450 for 15 minutes.

**My absolute favorite homemade pizza. I leave out the onions and have used frozen spinach before. Also good with mushrooms, olives, whatever you like. I never buy the Swiss cheese; I just use 2 cups of mozzarella instead. Delicious!

Fruit Slush

40 oz. fruit cocktail, in syrup
10 oz. sliced, sweetened, frozen strawberries
12 oz. frozen orange juice concentrate
20 oz. crushed pineapple, in juice
3 bananas, diced

Partially thaw strawberries so they can be separated. Mix all the ingredients together including all the juices from the canned and frozen fruits. Pour into suitable containers for your family. Label and freeze. To serve, thaw 10-15 minutes before needed - it should be slushy.

**Fresh fruits may be added to your liking. Small styrofoam cups work well. I made these for the camping trip and they were a big hit! Great for a hot summer day!

Strawberry Cake by Ona Batson

1 box white cake mix
1 box strawberry jello mix
1/2 cup water
4 eggs (beat in one at a time)
1/2 cup fresh or frozen strawberries
1/2 cup oil

Mix dry jello and cake mix before adding other ingredients. Mix well. Bake at 350 degrees for 350-40 minutes.

Frosting:
1 box powdered sugar
1 stick butter, softened
1/2 cup strawberries

Cream together butter and powdered sugar; fold in strawberries.

**This is an old recipe from my grandmother. I made these for the camping trip in little muffins and omitted the frosting. Yummy and easy.

Mexican Lasagna for Mother's Day

2# ground beef
16 oz. refried beans
4 oz. chopped green chiles
1 envelope taco seasoning
2 T hot salsa
4 c shredded colby-monterey jack cheese
12 oz uncooked lasagna noodles
16 oz. mild salsa
2 c water
2 c sour cream
1 small can sliced olives, drained (optional)
green onion and tomato, chopped (optional)

Brown beef and drain. Stir in beans, chiles, taco seasoning and hot salsa. In greased 13x9 dish, layer noodles and meat sauce. Sprinkle with 1 cup of cheese. Repeat.

Combine mild salsa and water; pour over top. Cover and bake @ 350F for 1 hour. Top with sour cream, olives, tomatoes, onions and remaining cheese. Bake uncovered 15 minutes. Wait 15 minutes before serving.

**This was EXCELLENT. Makes 12 servings. I prepared it 2 days in advance for mother's day and finished it off with the sour cream layer just before eating. No need to cook the noodles - love it!

Chicken Taco Soup by Jennifer Carter

1 can chili beans
1 can black beans
1 can corn, drained
1 can tomato sauce
2 cans Rotel
1 pkg. taco seasoning
1 pkg. ranch dressing ix
3 chicken breasts
Optional: shredded cheese, sour cream, tortilla chips

Combine first 7 ingredients in crockpot. Place chicken breasts in mixture and press down until completely covered. Cook on high for 5 hours. Remove chicken and shred with a fork. Return chicken to soup and cook for another hour. Chicken broth may be added to taste, if desired. Serve over crushed tortilla chips and top with sour cream and cheese.

**This recipe is from a friend at church. It doesn't get any easier than this!

Zucchini Casserole by Tara Thompson

6 c zucchini, sliced thin (about 3 zucchini)
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 small container sour cream
1 cup carrots, shredded
1/4 cup onion, chopped
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 pkg. Stove Top

Boil zucchini 5 minutes in salted water. Drain. Combine soup and sour cream and stir into zucchini. Mix in carrots and onion. In separate bowl, combine butter and dressing. Place half of dressing into greased baking dish. Pour zucchini mix on top and then add remaining dressing. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes.

**I got this recipe from the Lawrence County Record cookbook. Excellent side dish! I didn't layer it - just put all the dressing on top.

Delaware Chicken Divan by Debbie Bussman

2 pkg. frozen broccoli cuts (lightly steamed)
1 1/2 c. cooked chicken cut in pieces

Sauce:
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 c. margarine
2 T lemon juice
2 T chicken broth
1/4 c. parmesan cheese

Arrange broccoli on bottom of buttered casserole dish. Sprinkle chicken over broccoli. Combine sauce ingredients and spoon over top. Bake uncovered at 350 for 30 minutes.

**I was given this recipe at a wedding shower....just now trying it 18 years later! It is very yummy. You could also stir the whole thing together and bake it instead of layering.

Baked stew by Chris Newkirk

2 cans cream of mushroom soup
1 pkg. smoked kielbasa, chopped
5 potatoes, diced
4 carrots, diced
3 onions, diced
1 cup green beans
3/4 lb. mushrooms, halved (optional)

Combine all ingredients in a 13x9 baking dish. Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 1 1/2 hours. Stir and bake another 30 minutes uncovered or until veggies are tender.

**I had this at a women's ministry event and it was incredible! Very hearty and delicious. Joy isn't much of a "soup" man but he really liked this one. It is thick and full of meat and veggies.

Colorful chicken casserole

1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped green pepper
3/4 cup chopped onion
2 Tbsp. butter
1 cup chicken broth
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 cup frozen corn
1 cup frozen peas
1 tsp. salt, optional
1/4 tsp. pepper
3 cups cubed cooked chicken
1 pkg (7 oz) spaghetti or elbow macaroni, cooked and drained
1 jar sliced mushrooms
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Saute celery, green pepper and onion in butter. Add broth, soup, corn, peas, salt and pepper; heat through. Stir in chicken and noodles. Divide between two baking dishes and top with mushrooms and cheese. Cover and freeze one casserole for up to 3 months. Cover and bake the second casserole at 350 for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake 10 minutes longer. To use frozen casserole, remove from freezer 30 minutes before baking. Bake at 350 for 35 minutes. Uncover and bake 15 minutes longer.

**I love make-ahead recipes and this one was very good. I left out the onion and green pepper as usual. I didn't have enough chicken so I added some leftover turkey. The original recipe seemed a little dry so I added the cream of chicken soup. Cook the noodles a little underdone so they won't be mushy after freezing.

New recips I tried for Christmas

I cooked and cooked and cooked over Christmas! My family came to visit for about a week so I prepared as much as I cook ahead of time. There were too many recipes to put in one post so scroll down to find them all. Hope you try some for yourself!

Slow cooker chicken pozole by Jane Clifton

1 1/2# boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 can hominy
1 can white beans, drained and rinsed
1 can white corn, drained
1 can cream of chicken soup
2 cans Rotel
2 cans chicken broth
1/2 envelope taco seasoning mix, more or less to taste
1 large onion or 2 Tbsp. minced onion
sour cream, chopped green onion, shredded Monterey jack cheese, corn chips (optional)

Mix all ingredients except optional items in slow cooker and cook 8 hours on low/medium. Just before serving, remove chicken and cut into bite sized pieces. Return to slower cooker. Serve with optional items as desired.

**Joy is not big on soup but he liked this one. This is my sister's recipe and it is very hearty. I don't care for hominy so I used 2 cans of corn instead. It doesn't get much easier than this!

Teriyaki chicken by Jaclynn Clifton

1/2 cup teriyaki sauce
1/8 cup honey
1 Tbsp. ginger
4 chicken breasts

Mix the sauce, honey and ginger together in a ziplock bag. Add chicken breasts and let marinate for 4-6 hours, flipping the bag every couple of hours to spread the sauce on both sides. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.

**My niece Jaclynn's recipe. Easy, quick and moist!

Italian meatloaf by Wilma Jenkins

2# ground beef
1 egg
3/4 cup Italian bread crumbs
15 oz. tomato sauce
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/8 tsp. pepper
2 cups shredded cheddar

Combine all ingredients and mix well. Divide into fourths and shape into loaves. Place on greased broiler pan. Bake at 350 for 60-75 minutes.

**One of my mom's recipes. I love meatloaf and this one is pretty good. Save a little of the tomato sauce to pour over the loaves before baking.

Sausage pizza biscuit wraps

1 tube sausage, browned
mozzarella cheese
pizza sauce
jumbo biscuits

Press biscuits into a 5 inch round. Top with sauce, meat and cheese. Seal edges with fork. Bake at 400 for 10-13 minutes.

**I didn't fold these in half but made mini pizzas instead. Any kind of meat could be used (hamburger, ham, Italian sausage, etc.). Quick and easy.

Bacon cheese stromboli by Abby Thompson

1 tube refrigerated pizza dough
3/4 cup shredded cheddar
3/4 cup shredded mozzarella
5 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled

Roll pizza dough into a 12 inch circle. On one half of dough, sprinkle cheeses and back to within half an inch of the edges. Fold dough over filling; pinch edges to seal. Bake at 425 for 10 minutes or until golden brown. Serve with salsa and sour cream if desired.

**I froze this in wax paper. To serve, let thaw in refrigerator and then bake as usual. I used probably twice as much bacon as the recipe called for. Quick and easy for breakfast.

Cheeseburger Soup

1/2 lb. ground beef
3/4 cup chopped onion
3/4 cup carrots
3/4 cup celery
1 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. dried parsley flakes
4 Tbsp. butter
3 cups chicken broth
4 cups diced, peeled potatoes
1/4 cup flour
8 oz. Velveeta
1 1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup sour cream
salt and pepper

Brown beef; drain; set aside. Saute onions, carrots, celery, basil and parsley in butter until tender. Add broth, potatoes and beef; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer about 10 minutes or until potatoes are tender. In a small skillet, melt butter. Add flour; cook and stir for 3-5 minutes or until bubbly. Add to soup; bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Add cheese, milk, salt and pepper. When cheese is melted, remove from heat and blend in sour cream.

**I made this hearty soup ahead and froze it as well. Excellent! I left out the onion as usual and used southern style hash brown potatoes.

Farmer's Casserole

6 cups frozen shredded hash brown potatoes
1 cup grated Monterey jack with jalapeno peppers
1 cup diced fully cooked ham
1/4 cup sliced green onion
4 beaten eggs
1 can evaporated milk
salt & pepper

Grease 13x9 baking dish. Arrange potatoes evenly on bottom of the dish. Sprinkle with cheese, ham and green onion. Combine eggs, milk, salt and pepper. Pour egg mixture over potato mixture in dish. Freeze. To prepare to serve, thaw and preheat oven to 350. Bake, uncovered for 40-45 minutes or until center appears set. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

**This is another recipe I made ahead. We had it for dinner but it would also work very well for a breakfast dish. I left out the onion and used colby/jack cheese instead.

Amish Bread for bread machine

2 3/4 cup flour
1/4 cup oil
1 tsp. yeast
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
18 Tbsp. warm water

Place ingredients in bread machine in order listed. Select white bread cycle and press start. When the dough has raised once and second cycle of kneading begins, turn machine off. Reset by pressing start once again. This gives the dough two full raising cycles before the final raising cycle prior to baking.

**Everyone loved this bread. It is lighter than the white bread recipe that came with my bread machine. I didn't remember to reset the machine for the second raising cycle but it still turned out fine.

Breakfast McBiscuits by the 30 Day Gourmet

1 dozen jumbo biscuits or English muffins
24 precooked bacon slices or 12 ham slices or 12 sausage patties
1 dozen eggs, scrambled, fried or poached
12 slices cheese

Split muffins or baked biscuits. Top with your choice of topping combinations. Be creative! Wrap individually, label and freeze. To serve, place thawed, foil-wrapped biscuit in oven and warm at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or wrap in a paper towel and microwave a few minutes.

**I made this ahead of Christmas with English muffins and Canadian bacon. They were surprisingly fantastic and a hit with my family.

Raspberry swirl cheesecake pie

1 package cream cheese
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 egg
1 chocolate or graham pie crust
1/2 cup seedless red raspberry preserves

Beat cream cheese until fluffy. Gradually add sweetened condensed milk and 3 Tbsp. of lemon juice. Add egg, beating until just combined. Pour half of cream cheese mixture into crust. In small bowl, combine preserves and remaining lemon juice. Spoon half of preserves mixture over cream cheese mixture in crust. Top with remaining cream cheese mixture and remaining preserves mixture. Use knife or narrow spatula to swirl preserves into cream cheese mixture. Bake at 300 degrees for 50-55 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool on wire rack for 1 hour. Refrigerate at least 3 hours.

**Good and easy. Any kind of preserves will work in this recipe.

Scalloped potatoes and pork chops

6 medium potatoes, washed and sliced thin
1 medium onion sliced into thin rings
1 pork chop for each family member (approx. 6)
1 can cream of mushroom soup or your favorite cream soup
1/2 can milk
salt & pepper

Layer potatoes & onions in bottom of crockpot. Arrange chops on top. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Pour soup and milk over chops and cover. Cook on low for 7-8 hours or on high for 4 hours, or until potatoes are tender. The juices make wonderful scalloped potatoes.

**This one was very good. I left out the onions as usual. Be sure to slice the potatoes thin or they won't be done.

Sour cream coffee cake by Kathleen Larimer

2/3 cup chopped pecans
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1/2 tsp. vanilla
2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
8 oz. sour cream

In a small bowl, combine the nuts, brown sugar and cinnamon; set aside. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with sour cream. Pour half the batter into a greased bundt pan; sprinkle with half of the pecan mixture. Gently top with remaining batter and pecan mixture. Bake at 350 for 45-50 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from bundt pan.

**I substituted chopped cashews for the pecans. This cake was fantastic. Very moist. It didn't last 24 hours with the crew I had in for Christmas.

Bread machine rolls by Marie Dwyier

9 ounces warm water (1 cup plus 2 Tbsp.)
3 cups bread flour
2 Tbsp. dry milk
3 1/2 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
3 Tbsp. butter
2 tsp. yeast

Add ingredients to bread machine pan in order listed. Use dough setting on bread machine. When done, place dough on floured surface. Let rest 15 minutes. Finish as desired. Place on greased baking pans of sheets; cover and let rise in a warm place until double in size, about 45 minutes to 1 hour. Brush with butter and bake in a 350 degree oven for 15-20 minutes.

**Joy's grandma has used this recipe to make the best rolls for years. So easy and yummy!

Sweet Dinner Rolls by Donna West

1/2 cup warm water
1/2 cup warm milk
1 egg
1/3 cup softened butter
1/3 cup white sugar
1 tsp. salt
3 3/4 cups flour
1 package yeast

Place all ingredients in order in bread machine. Select dough/knead. When cycle finishes, turn dough onto a lightly floured surface. Divide in half. Roll each half into a 12 inch circle. Cut each circle into 8 wedges and roll tightly. Cover and let rise 1 hour in warm place. Bake at 400 degrees for 10-15 minutes.

**I deviated from the instructions and pinched the dough off into balls. I froze the balls in a ziplock bag. On Christmas Eve, I let the dough thaw in the refrigerator and then used the balls to make monkey bread, our traditional breakfast meal on Christmas morning, also known as Jesus' Birthday Cake.

Duggar Homemade Rolls by Michelle Duggar

1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. salt
2 pkg. yeast
2 cups flour

Combine first 5 ingredients in large bowl and cut with pastry cutter.

2 eggs beat in 2 cup measuring cup, fill cup to 2 cup mark with hot water. Pour over dry mixture.

Slowly add 3 cups flour. Cover and let rise 20 minutes in warm oven. Pour onto floured surface. Knead. Flatten with hands into large pizza shape. Cut with pizza cutter in to 16 slices. Roll up from wide end to point. Place in greased pans leaving space for rolls to double in size. Cover and let rise in warm oven at least 20 minutes. Remove from oven. Preheat oven to 375. Bake 20-30 minutes. Immediately brush with melted butter.

**I found this recipe in the Duggar's website. Very good rolls! I tried making this recipe in the bread machine but it did not turn out. Best to use with a mixer.