spaghetti n' green beans

Nothing fancy. At least not around here. We don't even roll the ground beef into meatballs; we just throw the stuff in. But spaghetti is a go-to meal. It's quick. It's easy. It's hearty. It's delish. Did I mention it's quick?

Derek actually made this meal. I was baggin' and taggin' hairbows and was therefore indisposed. He's a wonderful husband... and as it turns out, a pretty good cook, too!

Note: We make spaghetti lots of ways {from scratch, from a jar, with meat, without meat, with lots of fresh veggies {ie. squash/zucchini-- highly recommended} from our garden, etc.}, but this is how we made it tonight. This is probably the quickest way to do it. Also, maybe it's just the way my mom always did things, but green beans and spaghetti seem like the perfect pair.


RECIPE: Spaghetti N' Green Beans

Ingredients:
spaghetti noodles {I honestly cannot tell you how much... I'm a HORRID judge of pasta quantities.}
1/2 - 1lb. ground beef
1 jar/can spaghetti sauce
salt
pepper
garlic powder
1 can green beans

Directions:
Boil water and cook noodles according to package directions. Meanwhile, brown ground beef in a 12-inch-ish frying pan. Season with salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste. Once meat is fully browned, dump in the spaghetti sauce. Mix well and leave on heat until warm. Nuke the green beans for a couple of minutes, or until hot. Serve everything warm, preferably with a glass of cold milk.

creamy italian chicken

This meal doesn't look like much {crock-pot meals often don't, imo}, but it tastes fabulous! Our friends/family Jon and Ashley made this for us and therefore were matchmakers ... because we're now in love with this scrumptious delight! This meal is super delicious. I guarantee you won't be disappointed.

PS. As with all crock-pot meals, feel free to add or reduce quantities to your liking {or to your pantry's preference}. If you have tons of potatoes, throw in a few more. If you hate carrots, don't add them at all. The original recipe was actually just for chicken {no veggies added}. You could do it just chicken, shred it at the end and throw it on top of pasta. Or rice. Or roast the potatoes and carrots separately in the oven {with EVOO, S&P and at 400F for 40ish minutes}. We've done that, and it was fab. Really, your possibilities are endless! Be creative. It's divine either way.


RECIPE: Creamy Italian Chicken

Ingredients:
1 packet Italian dressing seasoning (dry)
1-2 lbs. chicken
1/2 c. chicken broth
5 potatoes, quartered
1/2 lb. baby carrots
1 cube cream cheese
1 can cream of chicken soup

Directions:
Place chicken in crock-pot. Cover with dry Italian dressing seasoning. Add chicken broth {I usually just pour it in around the edges, moisturizing the chicken-meets-crockpot area}. Cover and cook on low for 2 hrs (or on high for 1 hr).

Add potatoes and carrots. Whisk cream cheese and cream of chicken soup together well and dump/spread on top of it all. Cover again and cook on low for about 3 hours (or on high for 1-1/2 hrs) or until veggies are soft and chicken is cooked through.

And you're done! Enjoy!