Oatmeal

We have oatmeal for breakfast a lot because it is cheap and healthy. I just made oatmeal in the crock pot! It was very yummy and so easy! I will definitely be making this often. It also stretches farther than cooking it in the microwave or on the stove.

I just used Old Fashioned Oats, since that is what I had on hand. The directions on the carton say to use 2 parts water to one part oats, but for the crock pot I used 3 parts water. So I used 2 cups of oats and 6 cups of water. Then I threw in some maple syrup and brown sugar (I know, real healthy, right?) and turned it on low for about 6 hours (I was up late). It is perfect!

Jacob woke up and gave me his usual "Mommy, I'm hungry!", and I was able to just go in and scoop him out some. He had breakfast within a minute of telling me he's hungry!

And the verdict: everyone loves it!

Italian Shells

If I had to pick just one dish as my all-time favorite, it would be this one! It has been a family favorite since it was introduced by an aunt around 20 years ago, and now it is my hubby's and kids' favorite!

From recipezaar.com (but mine is slightly different):

Ingredients
1 lb pasta shells, medium size
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sour cream
8 ounces provolone cheese, shredded
1 lb ground beef
2 cups marinara sauce
1/4 teaspoon pepper
8 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded

Directions
1. Cook shells & drain. (while waiting, go on to next steps).
2. Brown ground beef & drain. Add salt, pepper, & marinara sauce. Simmer 20 minutes.
3. In deep pan, line bottom with 1/2 of the shells. Cover with half of the meat sauce. Spread half of the sour cream lightly over & then sprinkle with half of both the cheeses. Repeat.
4. Cover & bake at 350 degrees F for 40 minutes.
5. Uncover & bake 20 minutes more.

***

You can always add any onions, pepper, seasoning, etc. and it is very good and versatile! I almost always use 5 basic ingredients:

1 lb ground beef or Morning Star "crumbles" (meat imitation)
16 oz sour cream (twice than the original recipe because we love it!)
16 oz pasta shells
1 can/jar tomato sauce (spaghetti, pizza, marinara....it's all good!)
16 oz cheddar cheese or rice cheese (or 8 oz of two different kinds)

I usually mix the first 4 ingredients together instead of layering. It turns it pink (sauce + sour cream), but I just like the texture better. It doesn't dry out around the edges and bottom that way. Then I just put it in the oven around 350 for 20 minutes or so. Leftovers take longer to heat unless you use the microwave, and I actually think leftovers taste even better!

I made this again today to take to church, but I made it in the crock pot. I did not pre-cook the pasta and it turned out fine, but I think I will pre-cook it next time or maybe just add a little extra liquid. It was really good though! Nearly all of it was gone, even with the "fake meat"!

Oh, and on this link it says it serves 4-5 people, but holy cow! The 6 of us can easily make two meals out of it!