Tortellini Soup

We love the Olive Garden.  The soups and bread sticks moreso than the pasta dishes.  When it comes to pasta, I think I do a better job at home - that way I can make it exactly the way I like and for a fraction of the cost.  The first thing my husband said when he tried this soup that I found on Pinterest was that it reminded him of his favorite soup at the Olive Garden.

Recipe adapted from Little Fellows:

Ingredients:
1 (19oz) bag of frozen cheese tortellini 
1 small bag of fresh spinach
2 (14.5 oz) cans of Italian style diced tomatoes, drained
1 block (8 oz) of cream cheese, softened
1 lb. sausage, cooked and crumbled (I've used regular and Italian, both are good)
3-4 cups of chicken broth (start with 3, add 1 more if it looks like it needs it)


Place all ingredients in crockpot insert.  Cook on low 4 hours.  Before stirring, make cornstarch slurry by mixing 2 tsp. cornstarch with 2 tsp. water.  Stir into soup and stir occassionally until desired thickness.   

Mississippi Roast

My husband is a big carnivore.  Yours probably is as well.  My mother-in-law loves to tell the story of when he was about 5 years old and declared that he "didn't trust nothing green!"  I, on the other hand, am just as happy eating a vegetarian meal as I am eating a well-prepared steak.  This recipe, however, knocked my SOCKS off.  I want to eat it every. Single. Day.  I beg you - please make it as written the first time and don't balk at the peppers.  It is NOT spicy.  You can discard those little peppers at the end and pretend it never ever touched your food, I promise.

Props to Table for Two for sharing this.  It's awesome.  The leftovers are even better, and I get skeeved out by eating leftover meat.  I called dibs on the leftovers, the hubs wanted to fight me for them.

Ingredients:  

3 lbs. chuck roast

1 envelope dry ranch dressing (1 oz)

1 envelope dry au jus mix (1 oz)

6 Tbsp. butter

1/4 C. water

5-6 jarred pepperoncini peppers

Add water to crockpot.  Place the roast on top.  Sprinkle the dry ranch dressing on top of the meat, then the dry au jus.  Dot with butter.  Place peppers around the roast.  Cook on low for 6-8 hours.  When it's done, it will fall apart.  Proceed to swoon. 

You could also shred this with two forks and make the BEST drip beef sandwiches out of it!

Crockpot Butter Ranch Mushrooms

This may be one of the unhealthiest recipes I've posted, but it's also one of the easiest and most delicious.  My friends beg me to make these mushrooms whenever we're having a get together and I'm happy to oblige, because it's the easiest thing in the whole world.  My mother-in-law graced me with this recipe. 

Ingredients:
4 (8 oz) boxes fresh mushrooms (whole)
1 lb. butter
1 envelope dry ranch dressing

Dump everything into crockpot insert.  Cook on low 6-8 hours.  Serve hot.  Run an extra mile the next day.