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Slow Cooker Spaghetti and Meat Sauce
Rich and meaty Slow Cooker Spaghetti and Meat Sauce is so full of flavor! A homemade meat sauce recipe that I been making for over 30 years.
I have been making this recipe for slow cooker spaghetti and meat sauce for years. It was a favorite amongst my son's track and field team. A great dish for those busy days. Make in the morning and let it simmer all day in the slow cooker. You can also cook it on the stovetop for a quicker version. Be sure to double the recipe as it makes great leftovers and freezes very well. This meat sauce is great to use in lasagna and as well as my Baked Spaghetti Pie.
Step by step instructions and tips for making this meat sauce
Simple ingredients that are great to keep stocked in your pantry. Can you substitute ground turkey for ground beef? Absolutely, it tastes great.
Brown ground beef and transfer to a heated crockpot. Using the same pan sauté onions and garlic. I sauté onions until translucent, add minced garlic for about the last 2 minutes. Don't burn the garlic or it will be bitter.
Add tomato sauce to deglaze the pan and scrap up the good browned bits. These browned bits give great, extra flavour to the sauce. Add all remaining ingredients except parmesan and butter.
Heat the sauce, then stir into the ground beef. Transfer to slow cooker and cook on low setting for at least 2 hours.
Can you cook this spaghetti sauce on the stove top?
Yes this recipe works well on the stove top as well. I cook the sauce on low heat for about 2 hours. Be sure it only slow simmers and does not boil.
Cook up some spaghetti and serve with a fresh salad like my Avocado Citrus Salad and some garlic bread.
This post was originally published March 24, 2012. Occasionally I update with fresh tips, content, and photos. Current update March 17, 2020.
Slow Cooker Spaghetti and Meat Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 pounds extra lean ground beef
- 1 teaspoon salt I usually use Kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
- 4 cloves garlic finely minced
- 1 onion chopped
- 2 cans tomato paste 5.5 oz size
- 2 cans tomato sauce 8 oz size
- 1 can tomato soup
- ½ - 1 cup water add water until sauce is consistency you like
- 1 ½ teaspoon basil
- 1 ½ teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- 3 small bay leaves
- 2 tablespoon butter
- ½ cup parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Brown ground beef and transfer to a heated crockpot.
- Using the same pan sauté onions and garlic. I sauté onions until translucent, add minced garlic for about the last 2 minutes. Don't burn the garlic or it will be bitter.
- Add the tomato sauce to deglaze the pan and scrap up the good browned bits.
- Add all remaining ingredients except parmesan and butter.
- Once heated add to ground beef in the crockpot stir well.
- Cook on low setting for at least 2 hours. I usually let sauce cook all afternoon until ready to serve.
- Add parmesan cheese and butter about the last hour of cooking.
- Serve with spaghetti.
Nutrition
Turkey Meatballs Recipe
Ground turkey is a super healthy, lean alternative to ground beef and this Turkey Meatballs recipe is also incredibly delicious!
My Homemade Marinara Sauce or a simple tomato sauce is perfect to slather the meatballs in. Complete this family-friendly dinner with fluffy rice, pasta and zesty Avocado Citrus Salad.
This recipe would also make a perfect substitution for this meatball recipe, Meatball Rice Noodle Lettuce Wraps.
Ingredients:
- Lean ground turkey meat
- Onion
- Garlic cloves
- Carrots - great for sneaking in veggies
- Fresh parsley
- Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
- Chili Sauce
- Egg
- Salt and Black Pepper
- Olive oil
How to make this turkey meatballs recipe:
In a large skillet heat oil and sauté the carrots, onion and garlic until tender.
In a large bowl, combine the ground turkey meat, parsley, breadcrumbs, chili sauce, egg, salt, pepper and cooked vegetables.
Form into even sized meatballs. A cookie scoop works great for this!
Place on a parchment-lined baking pan or baking sheet that has been sprayed with cooking oil. Preheat oven to 375º F. Roast the meatballs for 20- 30 minutes. Internal temperature should be 165º F.
Yes, this will work, but turkey meatballs fall apart easily so use a spatula to gently turn them when frying. Generously oil the skillet with olive oil and fry over medium heat.
Tips:
- Mix the lean ground turkey meat until just blended, don't overwork or the meatballs will be tough when cooked.
- Ground turkey can tend to be a tad sticky, so grease your hand with a bit of olive oil to help form the meatballs.
Try these additional recipes that use ground turkey.
Turkey Meatballs
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground turkey meat
- 1 medium onion finely chopped
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 cup carrots coarsely grated
- ¼ cup fresh parsley finely chopped
- ¼ cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoon Chili Sauce
- 1 egg lightly beaten
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
- In a large skillet heat olive oil, add carrots, onion and garlic. Sauté until tender, about 5 mins.
- In a large bowl, combine the ground turkey, parsley, breadcrumbs, chili sauce, salt, pepper and egg.
- Blend in the vegetable mixture. Mix until just blended, don't overwork or the meatballs will be tough.
- Form into even sized meatballs.
- Place the meatballs on parchment-lined baking sheet or baking pan that has been sprayed with cooking oil.
- Preheat oven to 375º F. Bake 20-30 minutes or until meatballs reach an internal temperature 165º F.
Nutrition
Best Ever Green Bean Casserole
Best Ever Green Bean Casserole is an exceptional recipe for a classic Holiday side dish. You may even get the kids to eat green beans with this recipe! Make ahead of time and refrigerate until ready to cook!
This Green Bean Casserole is one of those homestyle recipes that is a popular side dish for festive dinners such as Thanksgiving and Christmas. Serve with Roast Turkey or Herb Crusted Pork Rib Roast.
I made this green bean casserole recipe with a homemade sauce, unlike the more common version that uses cream of mushroom soup.
Can you make this casserole ahead of time?
Yes! Prepare, cover and refrigerate until ready to bake. Add an additional 10-15 minutes bake time.
Key Ingredients:
- Green Beans - I use fresh green beans, but you can also us frozen green beans. I find canned green beans don't work well in this recipe as they get too soft.
- Mushrooms - White or brown button mushrooms work well, but any of your favorite fresh mushrooms will taste great.
- Red Bell Pepper - the sweet taste of red peppers compliments the flavor of the green beans.
- Parmesan Cheese - fresh grated Parmesan! Cheddar cheese is also an option.
- Cayenne Pepper - adds just a tad of heat. You can also used red pepper flakes.
- Nutmeg - just a pinch to add a great depth of flavor.
- Shallots - crispy shallots top the casserole. They have a more mild, sweeter flavor than onions.
Can you substitute the shallots with store-bought French-fried onions? Although I prefer the home-made crispy shallots, they packaged fried-onions will work to simplify the recipe.
Serve with these Holiday favorites
This post was originally published on July 11, 2013. Occasionally I update with fresh tips, content, and photos. Current update November 15, 2022.
Best Ever Green Bean Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds fresh green beans
- 1 pound mushrooms sliced
- 1 medium onion diced
- 1 medium red bell pepper diced
- 6 tablespoons butter
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon fresh ground pepper
- 6 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 2 cups milk
- pinch cayenne pepper
- pinch nutmeg
- 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup bread crumbs
- ¼ cup vegetable oil for deep frying shallots
- 4-6 shallots sliced thin
Instructions
- Prepare the green beans. Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Add the green beans and cook just until tender. (3-4 minutes)
- Fill a large bowl with ice water. Remove green beans from the cooking pot and immediately plunge into ice bath to stop the cooking process. Drain, set aside.
- Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet, add onion and sauté until softened. (about 5 minutes)
- Add red bell pepper and mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until softened and liquid has evaporated.
- Stir the red peppers and mushrooms into the green beans. Set aside.
- Melt 4 tablespoons of butter in a medium saucepan.
- Whisk in 4 tablespoons of flour. Whisk constantly until mixture begins to turn golden brown, about 2 minutes.
- Slowly pour in the milk while continually whisking. Cook medium heat until mixture has thickened. Constantly whisking.
- Stir in cayenne pepper and nutmeg.
- Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature, stir occasionally.
- Pour sauce over the green bean- mushroom mixture. Toss to combine.
- Grease a 2 litre casserole dish with butter. Spread half of the green bean mixture in the baking pan.
- Sprinkle ½ cup grated parmesan on top. Top with the remaining green bean mixture.
- Combine together ½ cup parmesan cheese and bread crumbs.
- Sprinkle over top of the casserole.
- Cover with foil. Bake in oven at 350º Fahrenheit for 20-30 minutes until casserole is bubbly and heated through.
- Uncover casserole and bake under broiler until top is golden brown.
- Prepare the crispy shallots. Heat vegetable oil in medium skillet, toss the shallots with 2 tablespoons of flour. Fry in oil until golden brown.
- Sprinkle the casserole with crispy shallots and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
How to make roasted garlic
Roasting mellows the flavor of the garlic and brings out a rich caramel taste. I use it in my Perfect Mashed Potatoes and Tomato Soup with Roasted Garlic and Basil. In a very short time, the kitchen will have a sensational, aromatic smell.
Tips for Roasting Garlic
- Do not burn the garlic! Burnt garlic tastes very bitter and unpleasant.
- A cast-iron frying pan works perfectly for roasting garlic in the oven.
- Use fresh heads of garlic that aren't dried up at all.
- I only use olive oil, helping to give the garlic that great caramelized flavor.
- You can freeze this garlic, so roast several at once.
- Roasting time may vary a bit depending on the size of the garlic head. Garlic should be soft and a nice golden color.
Check out my video how easy it is to make roasted garlic.
How to make Roasted Garlic
Ingredients
- 1 head garlic
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- pinch sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350º F.
- Slice the top off garlic head. (do not peel the outer papery layers)
- Place in heavy baking dish. (I use my small cast iron frying pan)
- Generously drizzle olive oil over top of garlic bulb.
- Sprinkle with sea salt.
- Bake 30 minutes until soft and top is golden brown. Larger heads may require more time.
- Using tongs remove from pan and allow to cool a bit.
- Squeeze bottom of the garlic bulb to release the roasted garlic cloves. Remove all the papery skin.
Video
Nutrition
Add Roasted Garlic to:
- Aioli Sauce
- Hummus and dips
- Garlic butter
- Make a spread to put on baguettes or pizza crust.
- Mashed potatoes
Swedish Meatballs
Indulge in rich and savory Swedish Meatballs for dinner. These tender meatballs are smothered in an amazing tasting creamy gravy and served over egg noodles or mashed potatoes.
My family loves comfort food recipes and this is one of their most requested. You can prepare the meatballs ahead of time for a quick and easy weekday meal. This meatball recipe also makes a great appetizer to serve at your next party.
What are Swedish Meatballs?
Swedish Meatballs are a comforting, classic dish consisting of juicy ground beef meatballs smothered in a creamy gravy. The sauce is usually made with warm spices like allspice and nutmeg. My husband does not like allspice or nutmeg with ground beef so I like to flavor my sauce with a combination of Worcestershire sauce, beef stock or beef broth, dijon mustard, black pepper, and salt.
Tip
The key to making flavorful Swedish meatball sauce is scraping all the browned meatball bits off of the bottom of the skillet. Pan-frying in a cast iron skillet works perfectly for this. I use a combination of butter and olive oil when browning the meatballs because the olive oil helps prevent burning the butter. Burned butter will not make a great tasting sauce, so keep an eye on the heat while browning your meatballs!
How to make Swedish meatballs
- In a large bowl, combine ground beef, sautéed onion, garlic and oregano.
- Mix in salt, pepper, egg, and breadcrumbs.
- On medium heat, brown meatballs on all sides, carefully turning so they don't break apart.
- Transfer meatballs to a sheet pan and keep warm in the oven while making your sauce.
- Add butter and flour to the pan to create a roux, then add in beef broth, cream, Worcestershire sauce, and Dijon mustard until sauce thickens.
- Add meatballs into sauce, cover and simmer on low heat for about 10 minutes. Season to taste.
Substitutions
- Ground Beef - use a combination of ground beef and ground pork. You can even substitute ground turkey or chicken.
- Spices - add nutmeg or allspice for a more traditional Swedish Meatball recipe.
- Panko breadcrumbs - regular breadcrumbs, pieces of bread or saltine crackers.
- Substitute ground beef meatballs with this Turkey Meatball recipe.
What to serve with this recipe?
Serve Swedish Meatballs with broad leg noodles, rice, or this great tasting recipe for Garlic Mashed Potatoes. Top these juicy meatballs with different condiments such as classic Swedish lingonberry jam, cranberry sauce or mustard pickles
If you enjoy this recipe you will want to try some more family favorite recipes using ground beef:
This post was originally published on November 17, 2014. Occasionally I update with fresh tips, content, and photos. Current update February 20, 2022.
Swedish Meatballs
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- ¼ cup panko bread crumbs
- ¼ cup milk
- ½ cup chopped onion
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh oregano chopped or 1 teaspoon dry oregano
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 5 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 2 cups beef broth warmed up
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ½ tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- In a small bowl combine panko bread crumbs and milk. Let sit for 10 minutes until breadcrumbs have soaked up the milk.
- In a large skillet heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil with 1 tablespoon of butter.
- Add the onions and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and oregano and sauté for another 1-2 minutes.
- In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, sautéed onion, garlic and oregano.
- Mix in the salt, pepper and egg. Combine until the eggs are mixed into the ground beef.
- Add the breadcrumbs to meat mixture and combine well.
- Use a tablespoon or scoop to make equal sized meatballs. This recipe makes approximately 20 meatballs.
- Reheat the skillet used to sauté onions and garlic, adding a bit more olive oil and butter if needed.
- On medium heat, brown the meat balls on all sides, carefully turning so they don't break apart.
- Don't overcrowd the skillet with meatballs, work in batches.
- Transfer the meatballs to a baking sheet and keep warm in the oven while you make the sauce.
- Add 4 tablespoons of butter to the skillet. Once melted whisk in the flour and cook until golden brown.
- Slowly stir in the heated beef broth and cook at a temperature that keeps the sauce at slow bubble.
- Add in the cream, Worcestershire sauce and Dijon mustard and simmer until sauce thickens at bit.
- Add the meatballs into sauce. Cover and simmer on low heat for about 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Serve over egg noodles, broad noodles or mashed potatoes.