Lazy Daisy Lasagna

Ingredients:

1 bag (25 oz.) frozen ravioli (cheese, meat, or cheese & spinach)
1 lb. ground beef
3 cans (15 oz.) of diced or crushed tomatoes 
Fresh or dried basil
1 Tablespoon of Italian Seasoning
2 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon of onion powder
4 cups grated cheese (mozzarella, or a mixture of your favorite cheeses)

Directions:

1. In a Dutch oven or large sauce pot, brown ground beef -- drain fat.
2. Add tomatoes and spices (except for basil).
3. Using a 6-quart slow cooker -- cover the bottom with your tomato/beef mixture.
4. Place a layer of ravioli over sauce. Sprinkle in basil.
5. Then add a layer of cheese.
6. Continue to layer in this fashion until ravioli is used up (usually 3 layers).
7. End with a layer of sauce and a sprinkling of cheese.
8. Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours.
9. Turn off crock pot and allow your lasagna to rest for 15-45 minutes.
10. Delicious served with crusty bread and tossed salad for a quick & easy meal that looks like you spent hours on it! 

Mindy's favorite slow cooker vegetarian chili

Ingredients:

2 cups of mixed dried beans (navy, black, great northern, pinto, whatever you have hanging around in your cupboards)
1/2 cup lentils
1 red pepper, seeded and diced
1 green pepper, seeded and diced
1 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 - 28 oz. can of stewed or diced tomatoes (or 3 large fresh tomatoes, diced)
2 tablespoons oregano
2 teaspoons cumin
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon coarse black pepper or Mrs. Dash
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon ground chipotle pepper
4 vegetable bouillon cubes (or 4 teaspoons vegetable broth base)
1/4 pound salt pork (optional for "truly" vegetarian)
water, for soaking and cooking

Instructions:

1. Rinse beans and pick over for nasty ones or stones.
2. Cover beans with about 5 cups of cold water and soak over night (or at least 6 hrs.) in your 6-quart slow cooker crock.
3. Add bouillon cubes, tomatoes, both peppers, onion, garlic, and seasonings -- stir.
4. Add cold water to cover ingredients, if needed.
5. Cover, cook on low setting for 6-8 hours.
6. Halfway through cooking process add lentils and top with more water, if needed.

Louise's Hearty Beef and Barley Crock Pot Soup

Louise's Hearty Beef and Barley Crock Pot Soup
Recipe By : Louise
Serving Size : 16
Categories : Soup
---------------------------------
2 large beef oxtails -- or any combination of beef bones
2 quarts water
2 bay leaves
2 cloves garlic -- or 1 ts. minced
~~~~
1 pound lean ground beef
15 ounces black beans -- canned
14 1/2 ounces tomatoes, canned -- dice or process
1 package vegetable soup -- mix-instant
1/2 pound carrots -- fresh or frozen (sliced or chopped)
1/2 pound celery -- minced or chopped
2 medium onion -- chopped
1/2 pound barley -- raw
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon basil
1/2 teaspoon pepper -- mixed or Mrs.Dash
1 tablespoon parsley, freeze-dried
------------------------------------------------------------

1. Sprinkle soup bones with salt and pepper and roast at 350F for 1-2 hours.
2. Placed roasted bones and pan dripping in your crock pot, add water, bay leaves, and garlic and simmer on low for 24 hours. Remove and discard bones. Any meat on them should have sloughed off into your broth. If the chunks are large -- chop them and place back in broth. De-fat or skim broth if desired.
3. Brown the ground beef in a frying pan and drain off any fat.  Add cooked ground beef and remaining ingredients to your broth and simmer until barley is cooked 3-5 hours.
Enjoy!
---------------------------------------------------------------
NOTES : This is a nice thick and hearty soup and would make a great meal served with crusty bread and icy cold milk on a cold Maine Winter Day.
---------------------------------------------
TIP: To easily de-fat homemade beef broth, refrigerate over night.  Fat will rise to the top and solidify and can then be easily flaked off and discarded.