Classic Crock Pot (Adapted from .com)

Prep Time: 15 min. Total Time: 5-8 hours Servings: 8

About This : “There’s nothing like a nice bowl of stew on a cold night. This is an easy dish to toss in the crock pot and come home later to the great sell of this comfort dish. This will need to cook for 6-8 hours. Enjoy!”

Ingredients: • ¼ cup • Salt and pepper • 2 lbs. beef stew , trimmed if necessary • 1 large , sliced • 1 lb. baby • 1 stalk celery, cut into 1-inch pieces • 1 ½ lbs. of white or red potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks • 2 cups beef broth • 1 Tablespoon • 1 Tablespoon Cornstarch • 2 Tablespoons • Fresh , optional for garnish

Directions: 1. Mix flour, salt and pepper in slow . Add beef; stir to coat. Add onion, carrots, celery, potatoes, beef broth and Worcestershire sauce. Stir to blend. 2. Cover; Cook on low for 5 ½ to 7 ½ hours. 3. Mix cornstarch with water and stir into stew. Cover; cook 30 minutes or until carrots are cooked and meat is tender. 4. Top with optional chopped parsley.

Nutritional Facts: Serving Size: 1 Servings Per Recipe: 8 Calories per Serving: 271.2 (Calories from Fat – 49) Amount per Serving: Total Fat: 5.4g Saturated Fat: 2.3g Cholesterol: 72.5mg Sugars: 4.5g Sodium: 588.3mg Total Carbohydrate: 28.2g Dietary Fiber: 3.8g Protein: 27.9g

Crock Pot Garden (adapted from Food.com)

Prep Time: 20 mins Total Time: 5 hours Servings: 10

About This Recipe: “Come home to a delicious medley of vitamin rich fresh simmered in a based broth. Your family will thank you. Serve with crusty whole wheat dinner rolls.”

Ingredients: • 2 Tablespoons unfiltered extra virgin olive oil • 1 large organic onion • 2 fresh garlic cloves • 2 cups fresh or frozen green , trimmed • 2 medium zucchini • 3 medium potatoes • 2 tablespoons fresh or dried oregano • 1 (14 ounce) can vegetable broth (Use low sodium if you want to reduce the salt) • 3 (14 ½ ounce) cans diced tomatoes, undrained • Sea salt • 1 whole wheat dinner roll

Directions: 1. Dice all vegetables into bite-sized pieces. 2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet on medium high heat. Sauté vegetables in oil until lightly browned. Transfer browned vegetables in a large crock pot. 3. Pour the broth and diced tomatoes over vegetables. Salt to taste. 4. Cook on high for 5 hours or until vegetables are tender. 5. Serve with whole wheat dinner rolls.

Nutritional Facts: Serving Size: 1 Servings Per Recipe: 10 Amount of Calories per Serving: Calories: 155.1 Calories from Fat: 32 Amount per Serving: Total Fat: 3.6g Saturated Fat: 0.5g Cholesterol: 0.4mg Sugars: 8.2g Sodium: 438.8mg Total Carbohydrate: 29g Dietary Fiber 5.3g Sugars: 8.2g Protein: 4.2g

Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup (adapted from Food.com)

Prep Time: 20 mins Total Time: 4-10hrs. Serves: 6 Yield: 14 cups

Ingredients: • 8 cups water or 8 cups canned chicken broth (Add 1-3 chicken bouillon cubes if using 8 cups water) • 1 cup , cut into ¼” slices • 1 cup celery, cut into ¼” slices • 1 cup onion, chopped • 1 garlic clove, minced • 2 bay leaves • ½ tsp. dried thyme • 4 teaspoons salt (to taste) • ½ tsp. fresh ground black pepper, to taste • 1 (3 ½ lb.) chickens (or 4-5 chicken breasts) • 3 cups wide egg noodles, uncooked

Directions: 1. In a 4 ½ to 6-quart bowl, combine water, carrots, celery, onion, garlic, bay leaves, thyme, salt and pepper 2. Place whole chicken (or breasts) on top of vegetables. 3. Cover slow cooker with lid and cook on low setting 8-10 hours or on high 4-5 hours. 4. Transfer chicken to cutting board (if using whole chicken). If boneless chicken, simply remove to clean bowl. Discard bay leaves. Add noodles to slow-cooker; cover with lid and cook (on low or high) 20 minutes. Note: Add noodles to the END of ) 5. While noodles cook, remove and discard skit, fat and bones from the whole chicken; shred meat. Boneless chicken: simply shred. 6. Skim fat from soup and discard. Return chick to soup to serve.

Nutrition Facts: Serving Size: 1 Servings Per Recipe: 6 Calories per Serving: 465.8 Calories from Fat per Serving: 252 Amount per Serving: Total Fat: 28g Saturated Fat: 8g Cholesterol: 140.7mg Sugars: 2.8g Sodium: 1709.4mg Total Carbohydrate: 18.9g Dietary Fiber: 2g Sugars: 2.8g Protein: 32.6g

Pasta Fagioli Soup in a Crock Pot (adapted from Food.com)

Prep Time: 15 mins Total Time: 7 hrs. 15 mins Servings: 12-14

Ingredients: • 2 lbs. ground beef • 1 onion, chopped • 3 carrots, chopped • 2 stalks celery, chopped • 2 (28 ounce) cans diced tomatoes, undrained • 1 (16 ounce) can red kidney beans, drained • 1 (16 ounce) can white kidney beans, drained • 3 (10 ounce) cans beef • 3 teaspoons oregano • 2 teaspoons pepper • 6 teaspoons parsley • 1 (20 ounce) jar spaghetti sauce • 8 ounces pasta (To lower the sodium, rinse the beans in a strainer and consider using lower sodium beef broth)

Directions: 1. Brown beef in a skillet. 2. Drain fat from beef and add to crock pot with everything except the pasta. 3. Cook on LOW 7-8 hours or HIGH for 4-5 hours. 4. During the last 30 minutes on HIGH or 1 hour on LOW, add pasta.

Nutrition Facts: Serving Size: 1 Servings Per Recipe: 12 Calories per Serving: 376.2 Calories from Fat per Serving: 119 Amount per Serving: Total Fat: 13.2g Saturated Fat: 4.8g Cholesterol: 51.9mg Sugars: 8.3g Sodium: 555.5mg Total Carbohydrate: 30.8g Dietary Fiber: 8.5g Sugars: 8.3g

Vegetarian Soup (adapted from Food.com)

Prep Time: 15 mins Total Time: 1-2 hours Servings: 8

Ingredients: • 1 (15 ounce) can black beans • 1 (15 ounce can pinto beans • 1 (15 ounce can navy beans • 1 (15 ounce) can black-eyed peas or 1 (15 ounce) can purple hull peas • 1 (15 ounce) can green beans • 1 (15 ounce) can corn • 1 small onion, chopped • 1 (14 ounce) can tomato sauce • 1 (10 ounce) can Rotel Tomatoes * • 2 cups water • 1 (1 ¼ ounce) package taco mix • 1 (1 ounce) package ranch dressing mix (* If you use lower sodium tomatoes or frozen tomatoes, it will lower the sodium content of the soup)

Suggested Condiments of your choice: • Sour cream • Grated cheese • Picante sauce or • Sliced jalapeno • Green onion • Crushed tortilla chips or Fritos corn chips

Directions: 1. Drain and rinse first six ingredients in a large colander. Put in a crockpot or large pot. 2. Add all other ingredients, stirring to mix well. 3. Simmer about 30 minutes to an hour or cook in your crockpot on HIGH for 2 hours.

Nutrition Facts: Serving Size: 1 Servings Per Recipe: 8 Calories per Serving: 337.9 Calories from Fat per serving: 19 Amount per Serving: Total Fat: 2.2g Saturated Fat: 0.4g Cholesterol: 0.0mg Sodium: 1053.1mg Total Carbohydrate: 66.1g Dietary Fiber: 19.8g Sugars: 7.8g Protein: 18.8g