slow cooker easy pesto meatballs

Something strange happened tonight.  The family sat down at the dinner table together and we all ate the same meal.  This was a dream come true moment for me.  There were no substitutes, no modifications, and no deconstructed versions. Best of all no gripes, complaints or food struggles.  Meatballs are a new food for my kids.  Meatballs in my mind are a gateway food.  Once we tackle meatballs the door to meatloaf and hamburgers open up.  We need to continue to love the meatball.  These meatballs are super simple and even though pesto is in the name of the recipe the pesto flavor is very mild.  The pesto adds nice flavor and a softness to the texture of the meatball.  The first night we had the meatballs over pasta and the second night we made meatball slides.  A simple healthy meal made in the slow cooker that the whole family will eat is a definite repeater.

slow cooker easy pesto meatballs
source: slow cooker revolution

1 pound ground turkey
2/3 cup plain bread crumbs
2/3 cup fresh pesto
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1 egg yolk
2 (24oz) tomato sauce (Bertolli tomato and basil)
1/2 cup water
salt and pepper

Mix turkey through egg yolk in a large bowl using your hands.  Using a cookie scoop pinch off and roll mixture into 1 1/2 inch balls.  Microwave meatballs on a large plate for 5 minutes until firm and fat is rendered.

Add tomato sauce and water into slow cooker and mix.  Drain the rendered fat and nestle the meatballs into the sauce in the slow cooker.  Cover and cook on low for 4 to 6 hours.  Season with salt and pepper and serve.

slow cooker basic marinara sauce

Now that I am a stay at home mom I am trying to find as many short cuts and tricks to still get a home cook meal on the table without having to leave the park early and spend hours in the kitchen.  Learning  to master my slow cooker is my personal challenge for 2012.  This recipe makes a ton of marinara sauce.  I portioned it out and froze it for future meals which helps a ton when you are trying to throw together a quick home cooked meal.  Not only is this marinara sauce easy and tasty but, it is the perfect vehicle to hide some extra veggies in the kids meals.  We had it one night as written below.  There was no revolt which is always a score when introducing a new recipe to my family.  The next night I pureed carrots and zucchini and added them into the sauce while reheating it and no one made a peep.  This is a great basic sauce which you can use in a ton of different ways and doctor it up to your families taste.  Enjoy!

slow cooker basic marinara sauce
source: slow cooker revolution

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 onions, minced
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 anchovy fillets, rinsed patted dry and minced
pinch red pepper flakes
1 cup dry red wine
1 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
1 28 ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
1 28 ounce can tomato sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 cup minced fresh basil
2 teaspoons sugar
salt and pepper

Heat oil in skillet over medium high heat.  Add onions through red pepper flakes.  Cook until onions are soft and slightly browned, ~8-10 minutes.  Stir in wine.  Scrap up brown bits and simmer until slightly thickened, ~ 5 minutes.  Transfer to slow cooker.

Stir crushed tomatoes through soy sauce into slow cooker.  Cover and cook for 9 - 11 hours on low or 5 to 7 hours on high.

Before serving stir in basil and sugar.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

slow cooker old fashioned chicken noodle soup

Sisters are funny.  They are your strongest relationship but, they are also the hardest on you.  They can poke fun to no end because they know you are not going anywhere.  As I have grown older my relationship with my sisters has evolved and grown and it is truly great.  We are all very different which makes it nice to settle into your spot in the family.  There are many things my sisters tease me about but, I am not here to talk about that.  I am here to talk about how one of my sisters is OBSESSED with her crock pot.  My other sister and I send text messages to each other joking about her latest crock pot creations.  She is doing everything from breakfast to dessert in the crock pot.  I like to make fun of her but, honestly I am kind of jealous.  Everything she makes in the crock pot tastes good.  She is always saying oh I just threw this and that in and voila dinner served.  I throw things in and it is disgusting I mean rubbery, watery meat with bland flavor.  Just plain gross.  I decided not to hide my jealousy anymore and I asked for The Slow Cooker Revolution for my birthday.  The family is starting to get the sniffles so, I decided to try the chicken noodle soup.  It does involve a bit more work than toss this in but, the end result truly taste like old fashion chicken noodle soup.  It has a deep flavor with soft pieces of juicy chicken and perfectly cooked vegetables.  I could not believe this came out of my slow cooker.  I kept patting myself on the back.  This recipe makes a ton so, I froze half the batch for next time the sniffles hit.  I also made a second foil pouch with an additional chicken breast which I kept for lunch.  If you like a lot of noodles in your soup you may want to up the amount because this is definitely more chicken heavy.  This time the slow cooker paid off.  I am not going to swear by the slow cooker like my sister until I pull off a few more slow cooker kitchen wins but, I am off to a good start with my new book in hand.

old fashioned chicken noodle soup

 source: slow cooker revolution


1 1/2 pounds bone in, skin on chicken thighs
salt and pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
3 carrots, peeled and medium chop
3 celery ribs, medium chop

1 onion, minced

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes

8 cups low sodium, chicken broth

2 bay leaves

1 (12 ounce) bone in skin on, chicken breast

1 1/2 ounces egg noodles

1/2 cup frozen peas

Dry the chicken thighs with a paper towel and season with salt and pepper.  Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.  Brown chicken thighs for ~4 minutes per side.  Transfer to a plate let cool and discard the skin.


Pour all but one tablespoon of the fat in the pan.  Add carrots, celery and onion and cook until vegetables are soft ~8-10 minutes.  Stir in garlic - red pepper flakes and cook ~30 seconds.  Stir in a cup of broth and loosen up browned bits and transfer all to the slow cooker.  


Stir in remaining 7 cups of broth and bay leaves to the slow cooker.  Nestle the cooked chicken into the slow cooker.  


Season the chicken breast with salt and pepper and wrap in a foil pouch.  Lay the foil pouch on top of the soup.  Cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours.

After 4-6 hours remove the foil packet and transfer to cutting board.  Transfer the thighs to the cutting board.  Let it cool to the touch and then shred into bite size pieces.  Discard the skin and bones.  Skim the fat off the surface of the soup and remove the bay leaves.  

Cook the egg noodles in boiling salt water until tender.  Stir in the noodles, chicken and peas.  Let them heat through for approximately 5 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper if needed and serve!