Crockpot or casserole? Dishes for our busy lives

Our son and daughter lead very busy lives, as do other teenagers. I find myself having to think about who will be home and when they will need to eat, and realize all of my purchased meat options are frozen. I try to plan ahead, but sometimes it just slips up on me.

I like to have a casserole or two in the refrigerator, ready to go, so Scott and the kids can grab food as they need to on those busy days.

I came across a few recipes that work pretty well for the slow cooker, or as a casserole to have on hand on those run-in-and-eat kind of days.

Easy Taco Casserole

1 pound lean ground beef

1 can Ranch Style beans

1 (10- to 12-ounce) bag tortilla chips, crushed

1 can Ro-tel tomatoes

1 small onion, chopped

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided

1 package taco seasoning

1 can cream of chicken soup

1/2 cup water

Sour cream and salsa for serving

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a large skillet, brown meat and drain off fat. Stir in beans, tomatoes, onion, taco seasoning, soup and water. Simmer over medium-low heat until everything is well combined and heated through.

Grease a 9×13-inch casserole dish. Put down a layer of crushed tortilla chips, followed by a layer of the meat/bean mixture, then half of the cheddar cheese. Repeat layers. Cover with foil and bake for 20-30 minutes, or until bubbly. Let sit for 5-10 minutes before serving. Top with sour cream and salsa.

Crockpot Lasagna

1 pound ground beef

Lasagna noodles

1 jar spaghetti sauce

1 1/2 cups cottage cheese

1 1/2 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Brown ground beef and drain. Spoon 1 cup spaghetti sauce in bottom of 4 quart crock pot.

Mix remaining sauce with beef. Place 2 uncooked lasagna noodles on sauce in crock pot.

Spread 1/3 meat mixture on top of noodles. Spread 3/4 cup cottage cheese over meat.

Sprinkle 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese over cottage cheese. Add another layer of uncooked noodles, 1/3 meat mixture, the remaining cottage cheese and 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese. Place another layer of uncooked noodles, meat mixture and mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over top. Cook on low for 4 hours. If cooked much longer, it gets a bit well done. Serve along-side a fresh salad and garlic cheese bread for a delicious family meal together.

Cheesy-Stuffed Garlic Butter Crescents

My niece Tarah makes these and she adds a spoonful of pasta sauce and a couple of slices of pepperoni before rolling up. They are a nice pick-up appetizer or snack.

1 tube crescent rolls

4 string cheeses, cut in half

2 tablespoons salted butter

1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1 small clove garlic, minced

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mat and set aside. In a small bowl, melt butter together with Italian seasoning and garlic. Pop open crescent rolls and separate into triangles. Brush the tops with some garlic butter. Place half a string cheese at the wide end and roll up. Brush the tops with more garlic butter and bake 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Serve warm.

Cheese Tortellini and Garden Vegetable Bake

Cheese tortellini is tossed with chicken breast, a rainbow of colorful veggies and a flavorful creamy sauce for a delicious make-ahead dinner.

10 ounces dried cheese tortellini or 2 (9-ounce) packages fresh

1 carrot, sliced medium thickness

1 1/2 cups sugar snap peas, cut in half crosswise

1 tablespoon margarine or butter

1 cup sliced mushrooms

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces

1/3 cup chicken broth

2 tablespoons snipped fresh oregano, or a small amount of dried, about 1 teaspoon

2 teaspoon flour

3/4 teaspoon garlic salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 cup milk

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, cubed into small chunks

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 cup quartered cherry tomatoes

1 small red or green pepper, coarsely chunked

2 tablespoons grated or shredded Parmesan cheese

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add cheese-filled tortellini, cooking pasta according to package directions. In the last 5 minutes of cooking, add the thinly sliced medium carrot. With 1 minute left, add 1 1/2 cups of sugar snap peas that have been halved crosswise. Drain pasta and vegetables and set them aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Melt 1 tablespoon of margarine or butter in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat and add the mushrooms and skinless boneless chicken breast pieces. Cook and stir the chicken and mushrooms until the chicken is no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Remove from the skillet and set aside.

To make the sauce, place 1/3 cup of chicken broth in a screw top jar and add the oregano, flour, garlic salt and pepper. Cover the jar and shake it until the liquid is smooth. Pour it into the skillet and add the milk. Whisk the sauce and cook over medium heat until it's thickened and bubbly. Add the cream cheese, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice. Add the pasta mixture, the cooked chicken and mushrooms, cherry tomatoes and red or green pepper. Toss the mixture until it's evenly coated. Transfer to a 9x13x2-inch baking dish or a shallow 3-quart casserole dish. Cover the pan and bake until heated through, about 30 to 35 minutes. Take the casserole out of the oven and give it a good stir. Lastly, sprinkle it with grated Parmesan cheese.

To make it ahead of time, cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours after placing it in the baking dish.

Zuppa Toscana Soup

1 pound Italian sausage, spicy is the best

4 to 6 russet potatoes, chopped

1 onion, chopped

1/4 cup real bacon pieces

2 tablespoons minced garlic, about 3-4 cloves

32 ounces chicken broth

1 cup kale or Swiss chard, chopped

1 cup heavy whipping cream

2 tablespoons flour

Brown sausage in a sauté pan, breaking up into small chunks. Place sausage, chicken broth, garlic, potatoes and onion in slow cooker. Add just enough water to cover the vegetables and meat. Cook on high 3 to 4 hours (low 5 to 6 hours) until potatoes are soft. Thirty minutes before serving, mix flour into cream, removing lumps. Add cream, kale, and bacon to the slow cooker, stir. Cook on high 30 minutes or until broth thickens slightly. Add salt, pepper and cayenne to taste.

Have a great week, and until next time, happy cooking.

Susan McClanahan is administrator at the Cape Girardeau Senior Center. Send recipes to her at news@semissourian.com or by mail at P.O. Box 699, Cape Girardeau, MO 63702. Recipes published have not been kitchen-tested by Southeast Missourian staff.