Bean and Barley Vegetarian Crock Pot Chili

Vegetarian Chili

What a great night it has been!  The whole family loved this Bean and Barley Vegetarian Chili that I created tonight.  Everyone cleaned their bowls, including my four year old who asked me if I would please make it again.  

Bean and Barley Vegetarian Crock Pot Chili

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Onion, chopped
1 Green pepper, chopped
1 Carrot, shredded
4 Garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbsp chili powder
3 Cups Vegetable broth or water
1 Can diced tomatoes, with juice
1 Cup black beans
1 Cup great northern beans
3/4 Cup pearl barley
1 Bay leaf
Salt and pepper
Optional toppings: green onions, cheese, sour cream and avocado slices

Heat oil in skillet and add onions, green pepper, and carrots.  Cook until onions are translucent.  Add garlic and continue cooking for another 30 seconds.

Add chili powder to the vegetables and continue to cook for another minute.  Add just a little of the vegetable broth to the pan to get all the extra bits from the bottom of the pan.

Add the vegetables to the crock pot, with the remaining broth and all the last six ingredients.

Cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 5-6 hours.

Serve topped with cheddar cheese, green onions, sour cream and avocado slices.

Slow Cooker Black Eyed Peas with Ham

As I mentioned in my previous post I have fallen in love with a new food blog called Skinny Taste.  It not only has healthy meals, but tasty ones too.  

Last night we tried the recipe for Slow Cooker Black Eyed Peas with Ham and it was delightful.  I made just a few minor changes based on what I had on hand and I also served it with whole wheat drop biscuits.

My personal preference would be to add a few more jalapenos next time because we like things spicy, but other than that I thought this dish was superb.

Vegetarian Quinoa Chili - Crock Pot

We have an overabundance of yellow squash in our garden and I have been super excited about finding recipes to include this colorful little creation.  I tried some traditional dishes like sauteed squash with onions and fried squash, but my kids just don't care for them.  Then I came across an incredible recipe for Vegetarian Chili with yellow squash and thought maybe if I cut them really small the kids would not notice.

Verdict: 3 thumbs up and 1 down (the picky four-year old of course).  My oldest loved this chili and gobbled it right up.

I am not usually to crazy about vegetarian chili, but this was outstanding and extremely versatile!

Vegetarian Quinoa Chili - Crock Pot

Ingredients:

3 Carrots, diced

2 Yellow squash, diced

1 Red pepper, diced

1 Red onion, chopped

3 Garlic cloves, minced

1 Jalapeno, seeded and diced (This chili is not spicy so please don't leave out the jalapeno)

28 oz Crushed tomatoes

2-3 Tbsp chili powder

2 Tbsp honey

1 Tsp dried oregano

1/3 Cup quinoa

1 (15oz) Can of beans, white, black, red, brown (I used white northern beans because that is what I had on hand)

1/3 Cup barbecue sauce

Add first 10 ingredients to crock pot and stir until mixed well.

Sprinkle quinoa over top, leaving a border around the edge.  Do not press or mix into the chili.

Cover and cook for 3-5 hours on high and 6-8 on low.  Add beans and barbecue sauce to the crock pot, stirring to mix all the flavors together about 30 minutes before serving.

Serve in individual bowls with cornbread or crackers.  YUM!

Chicken in Onion Buttermilk Gravy - Crock Pot

On days when I cook meals in the crock pot I always seem to feel more relaxed. I don't have to fret around 5pm trying to prepare dinner because it has already been cooking all day.

Even though summer is approaching I will still be using my crock pot quite often. I just find that it saves time and money.

Chicken in Onion Buttermilk Gravy

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp olive oil
1-2 lbs Chicken thighs or breasts
1 Onion, sliced
1 Carrot, diced
1/2 Tsp salt
1/2 Tsp pepper
1/4 Tsp dried thyme leaves (use a little more if you like)
1/8 Cup all-purpose flour
8 oz Vegetable or chicken broth
1 Bay leaf
1 Cup frozen green peas
3/4 Cup buttermilk (I used 1/2 cup of fat free milk and 3 Tbsp of sour cream)
I also added some celery and yellow pepper, but that is optional

Heat oil over medium heat in a skillet. Add chicken and cook until all sides are lightly brown. Transfer to the crock pot.

Add onions and carrots to the pan and cook until tender. Add salt, pepper, and thyme and cook for an additional minute. Add flour to the mixture and stir well cooking for another minute. Add broth and bay leaf and stir until the mixture thickens.

Pour mixture over the chicken and cook on low for 4-5 hours. Add peas and buttermilk to the crock pot stirring to combine. Cover and cook for an additional 20-30 minutes.

Remove bay leaf and serve.

I served this over homemade mashed potatoes and it was delightful.

Braised Pork Ribs with Bok Choy - Crock Pot

I don't know about you, but I have heard so many people talk about bok choy. I personally have never had or prepared bok choy. It has such a cool name I had to give it a try.



As you may have read from my previous post while traveling home from Disney World we had some travel delays. During this extra time I was able to review some new dinner recipes in a few magazines I brought along with me.

One in particular that stood out to me was Braised Pork Ribs with Bok Choy. Anytime I read crock pot in the description I get excited. It just so happens that my local supermarket had ribs on sale this week so I had to give this recipe a try. The original recipe comes from Rachel Ray's EveryDay magazine.

Braised Pork Ribs with Bok Choy - Crock Pot

Ingredients:

3/4 Cup low sodium soy sauce
1/4 Cup dark brown sugar
1 Bunch scallions, chopped (I used 1/4 cup of onions because that is all I had)
4 Garlic cloves, minced
1 oz Fresh ginger, minced
Pepper
4 lbs Country ribs or spare ribs
1 Large bunch boy choy, chopped into large pieces

Stir soy sauce, brown sugar, scallions, garlic, ginger and pepper together in a crock pot.

Add ribs and toss to coat with sauce. Add 1 cup of water and cook on low for 6-7 hours.

After meat is cooked thoroughly transfer to a platter. Pour the sauce into a large pan. Skim off the fat and bring to a boil.

Add bok choy and cook until the stems are tender, but still a little crispy, about 5-7 mins.

We really enjoyed this meal, especially the bok choy.

Serve ribs and bok choy over rice or couscous with the extra sauce.

Lemon Honey Crock Pot Chicken

My intentions this week were to make a recipe I found in an old Rachael Ray cookbook called Lemon Poppy Chicken. I began looking at the recipe on Tuesday afternoon and decided I did not want to labor over dinner when I could be spending time with my children. Therefore, I decide to make my own version of Lemon Chicken, but in the crock pot. You guys know how much I love my crock pot!

Lemon Honey Crock pot Chicken goes perfectly over a bed of Seeds of Change French-Style Herb Whole Grain Blend of millet, brown rice and quinoa.

Lemon Honey Crock Pot Chicken

Ingredients:

4 -6 Chicken Thighs or Breasts (I had thighs so that is what I used)
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 Onion, chopped or sliced
1 Large carrot, diced small
3 Red potatoes, diced small
3 Garlic cloves
Juice from one lemon
1/2 Cup broth (I used veggie broth)
2-3 Tbsp honey
1 Large rosemary sprig
Salt and pepper

Coat a skillet with olive oil and heat to medium.

Salt and pepper each chicken thigh and add to hot skillet. Brown each side of the chicken. You are not cooking the chicken completely, just browning the sides. I added onions the last minute or so.

Spray crock pot with cooking spray. Add potatoes, carrots and garlic.

Add chicken and onions over the vegetable mixture. Pour lemon juice and broth over the chicken.

Evenly distribute honey over chicken. Sprinkle rosemary over for the final step. Add more salt and pepper if you desire.



Cook for 3-5 hours on low (this will vary depending on your crock pot - chicken will began to fall apart when done).

Serve over a bed of couscous, rice or quinoa.

Carrot Satay Soup - Crock Pot

After reading a favorite food blog of mine I became interested in Marscapone cheese. I set out to the grocery store and purchased it in hopes that I would find a savory recipe that I could incorporate it into.

After using half of my container of Mascarpone to make Twice Baked Potato Casserole, I still had the other half that I could use for another recipe.

I searched the internet for savory recipes that might include Mascarpone. I found Carrot Satay Soup on Food.com and loved the ingredients. The fact that I could use my crock pot was just an added bonus.

This recipe was a huge success! It is a delight to your taste buds and the toasted sesame seeds give it a nutty crunch.

The only change I made to this recipe is that I used 2 cups of chicken broth and 1 cup of vegetable broth. Next time I think I will use 3 cups of vegetable broth instead of chicken since it costs me less.

I will rewrite the recipe below for your convenience, but it can also be found here.

Carrot Satay Soup

Ingredients:

3 Cups chicken or vegetable broth
3 Cups carrots , sliced
1 Cup onion , chopped
1/2 Cup celery , chopped
2 Tbsp brown sugar
3 Garlic cloves , minced
2 Tsp gingerroot , grated
1/2 Tsp salt
1/8 Tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 Cup Mascarpone cheese , softened
3 Tbsp peanut butter , smooth
1 Tbsp soy sauce
Toasted sesame seeds

Combine the first nine ingredients in a crock pot and cook for 5-6 hours on low or until vegetables are tender.

Add Mascarpone, peanut butter and soy sauce and heat through.

Transfer to food processor and pulse until smooth.

Place in individual bowls, topped with toasted sesame seeds and serve with Naan.

*You may also cook on high in the crock pot for 2-3 hours if you are pressed for time.

Crock Pot Chicken & Stuffing

If you did not get enough turkey and stuffing for Thanksgiving, then I have the perfect recipe for you.

Not only is this recipe simple and delicious, but it reminds me of the holiday season.

Things tend to get pretty rushed around this time of year. You can still have a great hearty, comforting meal without all the hassle by using your crock pot.

Crock Pot Chicken & Stuffing

Ingredients:

1 Package herb-seasoned stuffing mix
1 Celery stalk, chopped
1/2 Onion, chopped
1 Tbsp butter
1 1/2 Cups broth or water (I used vegetable broth)
1 Hard boiled egg, chopped (optional)
4 to 6 Boneless chicken breasts or thighs (I used thighs because that is what I had on hand)
1 Can cream of chicken soup
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat butter in a medium saucepan at medium heat. Add celery and onion. Cook until translucent.

Add broth or water and heat to a boil. Remove from heat and add stuffing mix. Let sit for about 5 minutes.

Add chopped egg if using and about 1/4 cup of cream of chicken soup. Stir to combine.

Spray crock pot with cooking spray. Place prepared stuffing on the bottom of crock pot. Add chicken. Here is where I added a few dashes of pepper. Cover chicken with the remaining cream of chicken soup.

Cook for about 5-7 hours on low.

I served this with canned green beans and a fresh roll.

*Sorry I was unable to get pictures of the chicken & stuffing. It was a hectic night and the kids were so hungry that it slipped my mine.

Crock Pot Chicken Cacciatore

My husband and I were talking about how we have never had Chicken Cacciatore. I don't know why it popped into my head that this was the week I was going to make it for the first time.

I did a little research to understand exactly what ingredients make Chicken Cacciatore. It is usually prepared with green peppers, mushrooms, tomatoes, onions, and herbs. In Northern Italy they make Cacciatore with red wine and Southern Italy makes it with white wine.

Traditionally, Chicken Cacciatore is braised, but I decided to use my trusty crock pot. I told you how much I love my crock pot, right?

I hope you enjoy my take on Chicken Cacciatore.

Crock Pot Chicken Cacciatore

Ingredients:

3 Large frozen chicken breasts (more if your crockpot will hold them)
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Medium onion, sliced in strips
1 Large green pepper, sliced in strips
1 Package of fresh mushrooms
1 Carrot, shredded
3 Garlic cloves, minced
1 28 oz Can crushed tomatoes (I used the fresh roma tomatoes I canned over the summer)
1-2 Tbsp tomato paste
1 Tbsp Italian seasoning
1 Tsp Parsley
2 Tbsp fresh basil (I frozen fresh basil over the summer in ice cubes with a touch of olive oil)
2 Tbsp red wine
Salt and pepper to taste
Couple shakes of red pepper (optional)

Heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, green pepper, mushrooms, and carrot. Cook until vegetables are soft. Add garlic and spices and cook for an additional minute.

Add tomato paste and stir to combine with vegetables. Once combined add crushed tomatoes. Add red wine and stir.

Spray crock pot with cooking spray. Salt and pepper chicken and add to crock pot.

Add sauce to the crock pot to cover the chicken.

Cook on low for 5-7 hours.

Serve over your favorite pasta and a side of fresh bread. Enjoy!

*If sauce is too thick add some water. If it is too thin add more tomato paste.

Crock Pot Ranch Chicken Calzones

I am not sure if I can call these little creations calzones or not. They did not come out quite like I had hoped, but boy did the filling inside taste scrumptious.

Right before Thanksgiving I started to have some allergy and sinus issues. I honestly just wanted to order out for dinner, but I stuck with my dinner menu plan and prepared Crock Pot Ranch Chicken Calzones. The dough did not form as I would have liked therefore, each calzone has it's own unique shape.

Crock Pot Ranch Chicken Calzones

Ingredients:
1/2 Cup herb & garlic marinade
1/2 Cup light ranch dressing
1/4 Cup water
3-4 Frozen chicken breasts

Spray crock pot with cooking spray.

Combine marinade, dressing and water. Start out adding a tablespoon of water at a time. If it seems watery do not add as much water as recipe suggests. Some ranch dressings can be rather watery already. Place frozen chicken breasts in crock pot and cover with marinade mixture.

Cook on low for about 6-8 hours.

While chicken is cooking you can make the dough for the calzones. I followed Fleischmann's Whole Wheat Pizza Crust Recipe for the dough. After dough is formed, I rolled it out and cut into calzone style shapes.

Once chicken is complete, shred it and stir to combine sauce and chicken. Fill the middle of each calzone shape with chicken mixture and top with mozzerella cheese.

Pull one side of the dough over to meet the other side of the dough and seal. I used the end of a fork and pressed the sides together all the way around.

Place in the oven and bake at 425° for about 12-15 mins.

*Crock Pot Ranch Chicken can definitely stand alone if you don't want to make calzones. Next time I am going to serve it alone with sides.

Crock Pot Zuppa Toscana - Lighter Version

A friend of mine was making Zuppa Toscana as a meal for a new mother and the name was so cool I had to find out about this soup.

Apparently, I am totally out of the loop, because I have never heard of Zuppa Toscana. After researching, I found that it is an Olive Garden favorite.

I decided to make this soup a little different from the original. I substituted sweet potatoes instead of regular potatoes and did not use heavy cream. My family thought it was great, but than again we have never had the original.

I made this soup on Halloween night so we were so busy rushing around that I forgot to put one of the main ingredients in the soup, spinach/kale. I am sure it would have been even more delicious if I would have remembered to add the spinach (see picture above).

Crock Pot Zuppa Toscana - Lighter Version

Ingredients

1 lb Ground Italian sausage
1/2 Tsp crushed red pepper
1 Large onion, diced
3 Slices bacon or turkey bacon, chopped
2 Garlic cloves, minced
5 Cups chicken broth
1 Cup water
1 Cup skim milk
1 Large sweet potato, diced small
1 Cup spinach, chopped

Cook sausage in large pot with red peppers until done. Remove from pot and set aside.

Add bacon pieces, onion and garlic and cook until bacon is done. Add broth, water, milk, sweet potatoes and cooked sausage mixture and transfer to crock pot.

Cook in crock pot for 4-6 hours or until potatoes are soft. Add spinach just before serving. Enjoy!

*If you want to make this soup creamier or thicker you can probably add half and half as a replacement for the milk.

**Come join the fun at the My Baking Addiction and GoodLife Eats Holiday Recipe Swap sponsored by Pacific Natural Foods.

Healthier Crock Pot Beef Stroganoff

Beef Stroganoff was not something that I grew up having as a child. I did not even try it until I was in college. I really had no idea what I was missing.

My husband on the other hand did grow up having Beef Stroganoff and told me it was one of his favorite meals as a child.

I knew I had to come up with a way to make it a little healthier than the original version, so here is my rendition.

Healthier Crock Pot Beef Stroganoff

Ingredients:

1-1/2 lbs Stew meat
1 Large carrot
1 Medium onion
2 Garlic cloves
1 Tbsp worcestershire sauce
1/4 Cup water
1 Can healthy request cream of mushroom soup
2 oz Fat free sour cream
4 oz Plain Greek style yogurt (you can use 6 oz of sour cream and skip this ingredient if you like)
1 Tsp pepper
1 Dash olive oil
Cooked egg noodles



Heat lightly oiled skillet to medium and add meat and vegetables. Cook for 2-4 mins, just to get a light brown on the meat. You are not trying to cook the meat through just sealing in the moisture and creating more complex flavors.

Combine cream of mushroom soup, sour cream/yogurt, worcestershire, garlic, and water.

Add meat and vegetable mixture to crock pot. Top with cream sauce and cook on low for 5-6 hours.



Serve on top of egg noodles.

*This serves about 4 people, please adjust amounts if you have more members in your family.

Crock Pot Pumpkin Chili

Can I just say that I love pumpkin? I know I have posted a few recipes with pumpkin lately, but I just can't help myself.

Pumpkin is such a nutritious and versatile ingredient.






Let me give you some nutritional facts about pumpkin:

• Low in calories
• Contains no saturated fat or cholesterol
• Rich in Dietary Fiber, Antioxidants, Minerals and Vitamins (especially Vitamin A)

Now I am sure you have used pumpkin for making desserts and breads, but what about chili? It may sound rather odd, but my whole family can attest that this pumpkin chili is flavorful, hearty and delicious.

Crock Pot Pumpkin Chili

Ingredients:

1 lb 93% lean hamburger or ground turkey
1 Medium onion, chopped
1 Small green pepper, chopped
1 Celery Stalk, chopped
1 Small carrot, shredded
2 Cloves garlic
Hand-full of fresh mushrooms chopped (optional)
1 Cup pinto beans
1 Can (14.5oz) diced tomatoes
1 1/2 Cups pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie puree)
1 1/2 Tbsp chili powder
1/2 Tsp black pepper
1/2 Tsp salt
1 -2 Cups broth (chicken, beef or vegetable)

Optional toppings:

Shredded cheddar cheese
Sour cream
Chopped green onions

Heat skillet and add beef, onion, peppers, celery, carrot and garlic. Cook until almost browned and add mushrooms and pinto beans.


Once hamburger is browned add tomatoes, pumpkin, chili powder, pepper, and salt. Stir to combine and then begin adding broth. Add as much or as little as you like depending on how thick or thin you like your chili.

Add chili to crock pot and cook on low for 4 hours.

Serve topped with cheddar cheese, sour cream and green onions.

This chili tastes great with honey cornbread muffins.

*Come join the fun at the My Baking Addiction and GoodLife Eats Holiday Recipe Swap sponsored by Pacific Natural Foods.

Vegetable Soup with Pinto Beans

Last night's dinner was not entirely a success. My intentions were to make a delightful, wholesome Vegetable Soup. Look at all those fresh, yummy ingredients.

Well, I purchased a bucket of dried pinto beans from a co-op last week and really wanted to use them in this soup to make it spectacular. When I mean a bucket, I mean 45 pounds of beans.

I soaked the beans overnight and decided to add them to my soup to cook all day. Well, needless to say the soup was delicious, but the beans were not soft.

Next time I will remember to cook the beans by themselves before putting into anything else.

I cooked the soup in the crock pot for about 4 hours, so this is another great crock pot meal. If you do not have dried beans, I think canned beans would work just fine. My plan is to "can" some of the beans I purchased so that they are ready to use immediately next time, without all the extra fuss.

Vegetable Soup with Pinto Beans

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Medium onion, chopped
1 Carrot, chopped
1 Celery, chopped
4 Cloves garlic, minced
2 Red Potatoes
1 Cup Fresh or Frozen Green Beans
3 Cups diced tomatoes
1 Cup or more fresh or frozen corn
2 Cups semi to fully cooked pinto beans or you can use canned
3 Cups Vegetable or Chicken Broth (I used a combination) - My broth came from the Chicken Pastry recipe before I added the pastry
1/4 Tsp thyme
1/4 Italian seasoning
1 Bay leaf
2 Tsp salt (if you use canned tomatoes you may want to decrease the salt)
1 Tsp black pepper

Heat olive oil in pot. Add onions and celery and saute until translucent. Add garlic and cook for an additional 30 seconds.

Add all the remaining vegetables except the corn and tomatoes. Add the thyme, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Saute for a couple of minutes. You are not trying to cook the vegetables completely here just get the flavors to mix and to saute a little.

Transfer vegetables to crock pot and add tomatoes, corn, broth, bay leaf and beans.

Cook for about 4 hours on high or 8 hours on low. Remove bay leaf and serve in individual bowls topped with grated parmesan cheese and more salt and pepper if desired.

This soup is perfect for fall!

*You can also cook on the stove instead of the crock pot at a simmer until potatoes are tender.

Crock Pot Lasagna

When I hear the word "Lasagna" I think time consuming. What about you? I have tried those no-cook lasagna noodles and did not care for them.

I knew this week was going to be super crazy so I started searching for crock pot recipes. Over the years I have cooked some pretty awesome crock pot recipes and some pretty awful ones. I came across a recipe for Crock Pot Lasagna and had to give it a try.

I have to admit I was pretty skeptical about this particular recipe because it called for regular lasagna noodles without cooking them first.

I am happy to report that after a few changes, Crock Pot Lasagna will now be on our family favorite list. I might even try adding more vegetables like zucchini and spinach next time.

Crock Pot Lasagna

Ingredients:

1lb 93% lean ground beef
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1 medium carrot, shredded
1 tsp garlic, minced
1 jar spaghetti sauce (yes, I cheated here and did not make homemade, but you remember it was a crazy week, right?)
1 cup water
1 15oz container low-fat cottage cheese
2 cups of 2% mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup grated or shredded parmesan cheese
1 egg or substitute
2-3 tbsp fresh parsley
1 tsp dried no-salt Italian seasoning
6 lasagna noodles, uncooked
salt and pepper as desired

Brown the meat with onions and carrots. Add garlic when meat is almost brown. Add salt and pepper if desired.

Add spaghetti sauce and water. Simmer for about 5 minutes.

Combine cottage cheese, 1 cup of mozzarella cheese, parmesan, egg, parsley and Italian seasoning.

Spoon 1 cup of meat into the crock pot. Top with a layer of noodles (break to fit). Top with cheese mixture. Cover with 2 cups of meat sauce. Top with another layer of noodles. Top with the rest of the cheese mixture and then the remaining meat sauce.

Cook on low for 4 hours. Top with remaining mozzarella cheese and cook until melted.

Serve with a side salad and bread.

Slow-Cooker Cranberry Pork Chops with Sweet Potatoes

Days around this household seem to be more hectic than ever. I really thought that once my children entered school, things would slow down and I could take a big breath. As the kids get older there seem to be more extra activities here and there.

During this crazy time of year, my crock pot becomes my beloved friend. There are so many awesome recipes for the crock pot, just throw everything in and let the crock do the work.

A few years ago I came across this great crock pot recipe that is not only easy, but will dazzle your taste buds.

Slow-Cooker Cranberry Pork Chops with Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients:

5-6 boneless pork chops
3-4 small sweet potatoes - peeled and chopped
1 can whole jellied cranberry
salt & pepper to taste

Spray crock pot with cooking spray. Salt and pepper pork chops and place in crock pot. Place jellied cranberry on top of the pork chops. Layer chopped sweet potatoes on top.

Cook 3-5 hours on low. Cooking time for my crock pot and this recipe was only 3 hours.

*Not sure if this would work with whole cranberries, but I would love to try it one day.

Crock Pot Meatloaf

We are back from vacation and things are back to normal. Our vacation was cut short due to a mandatory evacuation for Hurricane Irene at the North Carolina coast.

Before we left for vacation I put together a pretty good meatloaf recipe that I wanted to share. This is only the third time I have ever made meatloaf and my husband said this one was the best!

I failed to measure a lot of the ingredients for this meatloaf recipe, therefore I am going to list estimates below. Feel free to adjust based on how dry or wet your meat mixture becomes as you are mixing.

Crock Pot Meatloaf

Ingredients:

1 pound Meatloaf mix (beef, pork, & veal) - I found this at Lowe's Foods for 1/2 price
Egg substitute
1/4-1/2 cup of your favorite spaghetti sauce or homemade
1/4-1/2 cup of old fashioned oatmeal or breadcrumbs (you can ground the oatmeal in the food processor if you like)
1/4-1/2 Herb Seasoned Stuffing
1/2 cup of parmesan cheese
1/2 cup of finely chopped onion
1/2 cup of grated carrots
Salt and pepper
Couple dashes of garlic salt
Tomato sauce
2-3 slices of low-sodium bacon (optional)

Heat a small amount of olive oil in a pan and saute onions and carrots for a couple of mins. Mix all ingredients together except the last two.

Form into a loaf. Spray crock pot with cooking spray. Place loaf into crock pot. Top with tomato sauce and 2-3 slices of bacon.

Set crock pot on low and cook for 5-7 hours. This will depend on your crock pot. Mine cooks much quicker than most. Use a meat thermometer to check internal temperature (needs to be at least 170°).

I served this with butter beans and an easy sweet potato casserole.