Crockpot Recipe: Low-Carb Meaty Mozzarella And Veggie Lasagna

Mmmm.... who doesn't love lasagna? If you're going low-carb, try this pasta-free version in the crockpot for a delicious, hearty meal without all the carbs - and all the work!

Meaty Mozzarella And Veggie Crockpot Lasagna
(Serves 6-8.)

Ingredients:

1 lb Italian sausage or ground pork or ground beef (or a combination)
1 jar (14 oz) pizza sauce
1/2 Tbsp garlic flakes
2 Tbsp chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
1 zucchini, washed and coarse shredded
3 cups fresh spinach, chopped
2 cups small curd cottage cheese
3 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Directions: 

• Put the meat in a skillet and brown, then add the pizza sauce, garlic flakes, and parsley into the browned meat and stir to combine.
• Spray the bottom and sides of the crockpot with non-stick cooking oil.
• Put 1/2 of the meat sauce into crockpot and spread evenly.
• Put 1/2 zucchini and 1/2 spinach evenly over the top.
• Spread 1/2 of the cottage cheese evenly over the top.
• Top with 1 cup of the Mozzarella cheese.
• Spread the remaining meat sauce over the top, followed by the remaining zucchini, then spinach, then the cottage cheese.
• Cover with remaining 2 cups of Mozzarella cheese, then sprinkle all the Parmesan cheese over the top.
• Set crockpot temperature to LOW, cover and cook for 4 to 5 hours.
• Turn off heat, uncover, and let sit for 10 minutes before cutting to serve.

Recipe: Italian Sausage And Bean Soup With Pasta

Quick, easy, simple, and delicious, this recipe is the essence of Italian cooking! It's great for a cold winter night, and easy to tailor to your own tastes - try different pasta shapes, different kinds of beans, add different herbs, etc. to make it your own. Use fresh (or frozen) ripe tomatoes for a fresher, lighter taste. 

Sausage And Bean Soup With Pasta
Ingredients:

1 pound fresh Italian sausage
1 cup onion, chopped
2 tsp olive oil
28 ounces diced tomatoes (or 4 large fresh tomatoes, diced)
1 cup pasta (shells, penne, ziti, or other sturdy pasta)
2 chicken bouillon cubes (or 4 cups fresh or frozen chicken broth or stock)
3 1/2 cups water, hot
18 ounces kidney beans or white beans, cooked (or canned) & drained
Parmesan cheese (optional)

Directions:

• Brown the sausage and onion in the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat for approximately 5 minutes. 
• Once the sausage and onion have been browned, add the tomatoes with their juice, the pasta, bouillon cubes or broth, and water.  Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, then add the beans. 
• Make sure soup is just simmering, then cover pot, and simmer for about 10 to 15 minutes or just until the pasta is al dente.
• Serve hot in bowls sprinkled with Parmesan cheese if desired.

Full Meal Deal – Make It All Right On Your Grill

Grilled meals are usually pieced together with only a portion of the meal made on the grill while the rest is cooked indoors and then served together. But who wants to be the one stuck in the kitchen while the fun is happening outside around the grill?

Today, we have so many gadgets and gizmos on our grills there is no reason we are not able to fix all of our meal on the grill itself. Let's take a look at four complete meals that are made on the grill in the same amount of time, or less, than you would make indoors.

Grilled Stir Fry

(Photo credit: batigolix)

Stir-fry is usually made in a wok or a deep pan on the stove. Been there, done that. You add a bunch of spices and liquids to season it up. Why not develop flavor while you are cooking the vegetables and meat instead of at the end?  By grilling the vegetables, you bring out the hidden sweetness trapped inside as the outside is caramelized over the fire. The meat also takes on the flavors of the grill, so when they are all combined, all you need to add is a little soy sauce at the most and dinner is ready to enjoy. Pick a protein and a few veggies or even fruit and give it a shot tonight.

Grilled Picnic

Picnics were made so you can enjoy the outdoors. Why coop yourself up in the house to cook for the great outdoors? Grilling is a perfect option for picnics. Think about grilled potato salad, or perhaps a hot grilled cabbage salad with spicy vinaigrette dressing. And grilled sandwiches are a no-brainer.  So, why not invite your grill to the picnic?

Grilled Pot Pie

One great benefit of the grill is that it has a cover. This cover can be lowered or raised to adjust the temperature. When the cover is closed, a grill acts a lot like an oven, which means that pot pies are fair game. A pot pie cooked on the grill not only has all the delicious ingredients that you are used to, but if you cook it on a charcoal grill with a little cherry or oak wood thrown in for kindling, you get a flavor you never would have expected. If you want to take pot pies to a new level, cook them on the grill.

Grill packet ready to cook.(Photo credit: sporkist)

Grilled Packets

One of the easiest ways to make a full meal on a grill is to enclose it in a foil packet. Just about anything goes with this kind of technique. The trick is to combine ingredients that taste good together as well as cooks at the same rate. Fish is an easy choice. Take a nice salmon fillet, put it over a bed of kale, top it with a big wedge of lemon and some sweet onion, and you have one amazing dinner. Cut up a sweet Italian sausage and combine with parboiled potato wedges and bell pepper strips.  Seal the packets well and you can even add a little butter or olive oil.  Be sure to cook with the cover closed and turn the packets around a few times during the cooking time.  This is the perfect way to make individual servings at the same time.  You can even customize each individual packet to suit your guests.

Your grill is a great place to create easy meals.  Don't limit your grilling experience to hamburgers and hotdogs, or even steak and chicken.  Imagine full meals coming off your grill so you can grill more frequently, preparing delicious treats for your family. Why not try something new tonight and take your whole meal outdoors!

Low-Carb Recipe: Herbed Sausage Stuffing

This delicious stuffing offers a change from traditional bread-based carb-filled stuffings. Sausage (you can choose different types or flavors to change things up - try Italian sausage, spicy, or even chorizo, but be sure to go all-natural to avoid sulfites and other unhealthy preservatives) and lots of vegetables form the base for this tasty Thanksgiving-ready side dish, and a variety of fresh herbs gives a distinctive flavor.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Herbed Sausage Stuffing

Ingredients:
1 lb. natural turkey sausage (or any sausage you like)
1/4 cup finely chopped celery
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
2 eggs
2 cups chopped cauliflower (bite size)
1/2 cup chopped yellow squash (bite size)
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
3 Tbsp chopped fresh sage
3 Tbsp chopped fresh thyme
1 garlic clove, grated
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• If using cased sausage, cut off the casings and break sausage up into a skillet.
• Put skillet over medium heat, add the celery and cook, stirring often, until the celery starts to get a little soft, then add onion and cook, stirring often, until the onion gets soft.
• Continue cooking, stirring often, until the sausage is totally cooked through.
• In a large bowl, beat the eggs, then add the cooked sausage mixture to the bowl, mix eggs into meat, then add remaining ingredients and mix together until blended.
• Turn into a casserole dish, cover, and put in preheated oven and bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes.  
• Check and if it's too moist, uncover and continue cooking for 5 to 10 minutes more, or until edges start to brown.
• Serve hot with turkey, duck, ham, or other holiday meats.

And be sure to check back Friday for some ideas on what to do with all those leftovers!