Slow Cooker Three Bean Chilli

Disclosure: Some links in this post may be affiliate links, meaning that at no additional cost to you I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.

When I think of big meals with big savings, my mind usually thinks of the humble bean. So filling, and so cheap when you buy them dry. And is anything better at the end of a cold day than a warm and hearty bowl of chilli?

Personally, I love mixing up the texture by combining three different beans. Big on flavor, and small on price, this chilli is well worth the effort!

This recipe uses a slow cooker. We have two – we really love those leftovers, and double this recipe to give us meals for the whole week! You’ll need a 6QT or bigger. Check out these if you are in the market!

Slow Cooker Three Bean Chilli

Dinner, Meals for a Crowd

Slow Cooker Three Bean Chilli

Ingredients

1 1/4 cup dry kidney beans
1 1/4 cup dry black beans
1 1/4 cup pinto beans
12 cups of water
2 cans low sodium chicken broth
2lbs pork shoulder meat, removed from bone and chopped
1 onion, chopped
6TBS chili powder
2TBS garlic powder
Pinch of cayenne pepper (to taste)

Instructions

THE NIGHT BEFORE Rinse beans and place in large bowl or pot. Mix together. Add 12 cups of water, making sure beans are completely covered by water. Cover and soak for up to 12 hours or overnight (the longer you soak the beans, the quicker they will cook and the less tootie fruity they will make you.)
Put chicken broth into the bottom of the crock pot. Add bean mixture and pork. Fill crockpot with water until all beans and meat are covered. Mix together.
Cover and cook on high for 2 hours. Add onion and spices. Cook for an additional 6.5 hours, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking and burning.

Tempted to try the corn bread by this bowl? Click here for the recipe!

March 6, 2019March 8, 2019

Smothered Stuffed Shells

Disclosure: Some links in this post may be affiliate links, meaning that at no additional cost to you I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.

Though this recipe is not exactly traditional, I am nothing if a little extra.

The first meal I shared with my future-in-laws and family after mine and Lexi’s engagement, I made some homemade stuffed shells. So whenever I make stuffed shells I feel especially nostalgic and romantic.

When we were taking the pictures for this recipe, Alexis called these “the sloppy joe’s of Italian food”. Even though they aren’t the prettiest, they are so cheesy and delicious you can’t help but dig in!

We love using our non-stick lasagna pan. Its wider and longer than the 9×13 glass pan we used to do, meaning more food. We got ours at Ross for a killer deal, but this one on Amazon is a great buy!

Smothered Stuffed Shells

Cheese, Dinner, Italian, Non-Traditional, Pasta

Smothered Stuffed Shells

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs ricotta cheese
1 1/2 lbs + 1/2 lbs mozzarella cheese
1 – 12oz box of jumbo shell pasta
64oz tomato sauce
2/3 cups of Italian seasoning
1/8 cup of garlic powder
1/8 cup of onion powder
1lb ground Italian sausage

Instructions

Fry ground Italian sausage. Drain and set aside.
Boil pasta for half of cook time mentioned on box. Drain, and carefully separate out 21 pieces without tears or holes. (Cook the entire box so you have enough pieces even if some break. You can freeze any extras to use later.)
In a medium bowl, mix tomato sauce and spices. In another bowl mix the ricotta cheese and 1 ½ lbs of mozzarella cheese.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
Place a 1” layer of sauce on the bottom of your 10×14” lasagna pan.
How to stuff the shells: Using a spoon, fill each shell with cheese mixture. Then pinch noodle partially closed until edges of shells are about half an inch apart, but not touching. Scrape off excess cheese.
Place stuffed shells in three even rows of seven shells each. Sprinkle cooked ground meat over shells and sauce. Spoon remaining sauce over shells, and then sprinkle remaining 1/2lb of mozzarella cheese.
Loosely cover pan with tin foil. Place in the oven and bake covered for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake again for 30 minutes or until cheese is melted and lightly brown around edges.

Don’t forget your green side salad and garlic bread!

March 5, 2019March 8, 2019

New England Clam Chowder

Disclosure: Some links in this post may be affiliate links, meaning that at no additional cost to you I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.

Soup is our go to when the weather gets cold. Its usually pretty budget friendly, filling, and its nice to wrap your hands around a big mug of soup while you sit on the couch and watch the snow fall outside your window.

This soup is more of a splurge. We love it, but only have it on rare occasion. Why?

Its spendy.
Its labor intensive.
We don’t want to spoil ourselves because its soooooooooooo delicious!

I cut the cost a bit by harnessing the inner Hunter-Gatherer in myself whenever I make a trip out to Oregon to visit my family. My dad and I hit the coast and go clamming every morning. A little effort, some time, and I come home with pounds and pounds of frozen clams that my family and I eat throughout the years.

We doubled this recipe recently and brought it to my wife’s sides monthly Family Home Evening dinner. It was a huge hit! Not to mention we had plenty for everyone plus leftovers – that’s 9 adults, 1 tween, 2 toddlers AND leftovers. You’ll need a pretty big pot to fit all that delicious flavor in – might I suggest this one?

I would also suggest reading the WHOLE RECIPE before preparing. Like everything good in this world, this soup does not come easy. It can be messed up pretty easily, and we wouldn’t want that!

New England Clam Chowder

Dinner, Meals for a Crowd, Old Fashioned, Soup, Splurge

New England Clam Chowder

Ingredients

1/2 lb of bacon, chopped
2 lbs of raw clams, chopped* OR 8 6.5oz cans of chopped cans, liquid reserved**
48oz clam juice OR chicken stock***
1/2 large sweet onion, diced
6 stalks of celery, thinly sliced
4 cloves of garlic, minced
2/3 cup of flour
3lbs of red potatoes, diced into 1/2″ pieces
1/2 tsp dried thyme
4 bay leaves
16oz heavy cream
2 TBS fresh parsley, well minced
Salt and Pepper to taste

Instructions

In a large stock pot, cook the bacon until crisp over medium heat. *If using raw clams, cook them during this step along with the bacon.
Add the diced celery and onions, cooking until they are very soft and translucent. Add the minced garlic and cook until fragrant, only about 30 seconds.
Stir in the flour to coat all the veggies and meat. Cook until the flour is turning brown.
Very, very gradually begin adding the clam juice/chicken stock/reserved can juice. Add a small amount – about 2 TBS at a time – of liquid and stir it in until there is no more visible liquid. Then add a little more, completely combining each batch with the veggie flour mixture. Continue this way until you use up all the liquid.
Add the potatoes, thyme, and bay leaves. Raise the temperature to high and bring to a rolling boil. Reduce the temperature to low and simmer for 20 minutes or until the potatoes are soft.
Stir in the cream. **If you are using canned clams, add them during this step. Heat through. Remove from heat and stir in the parsley, seasoning with salt and pepper.

Notes

***You can use half clam juice and half chicken stock. If you are using fresh clams use the clam juice because you will not have any liquid to reserve from the cans.

March 3, 2019March 3, 2019

Polska Pasta Salad

Need the perfect side for your next family party? This pasta salad is sure to please with its tangy touch of pickle paired with spicy Polish kielbasa sausage.

I’ve been eating this family recipe for as long as I can remember. It makes me remember warm summer nights paired with my dad’s barbecue chicken.

Its easy enough, anyone can make it! And we have most of the ingredients on hand.

Polska Pasta Salad

Meals for a Crowd, Pasta, Salad, Sides

Polska Pasta Salad

Ingredients

2lbs ditalini pasta, prepared (You can use any short pasta)
2 red bell peppers, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
2 Polska kielbasa sausages, quartered and chopped
3 large whole dill pickles, cubed
1 can black olives, sliced
2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup mustard
1/2 cup dill pickle juice

Instructions

Combine all ingredients
Serve fresh

Notes

**If you are not serving the pasta immediately, prepare another recipe of mayonnaise, mustard, and pickle juice in a separate bowl. Over time the pasta will absorb the dressing, so you may need to add more when it comes time to serve.

March 3, 2019September 16, 2019

Pepper Jack Jalapeno Bread

Disclosure: Some links in this post may be affiliate links, meaning that at no additional cost to you I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.

If you are like me, sometimes Cheddar Jalapeno bread is just not spicy enough. So I did a little experiment and added pepper jack instead of cheddar to my bread recipe.

And voila!

A spicy jalapeno bread with plenty of extra bite.

Pepper Jack Jalapeno Bread

Bread, Cheese, Jalapeno, Non-Traditional

Ingredients

1 3/4 cup luke-warm water
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp active dry yeast
4 cups flour
1 tbs olive oil
2 tsp salt
2 cups shredded pepper jack cheese
3 jalapeno peppers, diced

Instructions

In a large mixing bowl, dissolve sugar and yeast into 1/4 cup of the warm water, taking only up to 10 minutes to do so. Add 2 cups of the flour, then gradually mix in 3/4 cups more water until sticky dough is formed.
Place dough on a lightly floured work surface. Knead for 10 minutes, pushing forward against the dough, folding in half, and rotating a quarter turn**. Dough should be elastic but not sticky. When you push your finger into it the surface should rebound a bit. **If you do not want to knead, you can put the dough in stand mixer with a dough hook until it looks like described above.
Lightly flour a large bowl. Place dough in bowl and cover with a damp towel. Leave to rise in a warm place until dough has doubled in size – about 2-3 hours.
Place two cups of flour onto a work surface. Place dough in the flour and begin kneading again, gradually adding 3/4 cups of water. Then add olive oil, salt, cheese, and peppers. Knead until ingredients are combined.
Add back to floured bowl and cover with damp towel, allowing to rise for another 2-3 hours or until dough has doubled in size.
Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly coat 2 loaf pans with olive oil.
Take dough out of bowl and slap it on your work surface several times. Divide dough in two and shape into loaf shapes. Place in pans.
Place pans in preheated oven. Bake for 12 minutes, then turn the heat down to 375 degrees. Continue baking for an additional 45.
When baking is finished, remove from pans and place on cooling racks. Allow to cool completely before slicing.

March 3, 2019September 16, 2019

Cheddar Jalapeno Bread

Disclosure: Some links in this post may be affiliate links, meaning that at no additional cost to you I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.

Need a spicy twist to your homemade bread routine?

This loaf with its large chunks of jalapeno and cooling cheese is perfect toasted with some cream cheese or to spice up a sandwich.

Cheddar Jalapeno Bread

Bread, Cheese, Jalapeno, Non-Traditional

Cheddar Jalapeno Bread

Ingredients

1 3/4 cup luke-warm water
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp active dry yeast
4 cups flour
1 tbs olive oil
2 tsp salt
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
3 jalapeno peppers, diced

Instructions

In a large mixing bowl, dissolve sugar and yeast into 1/4 cup of the warm water, taking only up to 10 minutes to do so. Add 2 cups of the flour, then gradually mix in 3/4 cups more water until sticky dough is formed.
Place dough on a lightly floured work surface. Knead for 10 minutes, pushing forward against the dough, folding in half, and rotating a quarter turn**. Dough should be elastic but not sticky. When you push your finger into it the surface should rebound a bit. **If you do not want to knead, you can put the dough in stand mixer with a dough hook until it looks like described above.
Lightly flour a large bowl. Place dough in bowl and cover with a damp towel. Leave to rise in a warm place until dough has doubled in size – about 2-3 hours.
Place two cups of flour onto a work surface. Place dough in the flour and begin kneading again, gradually adding 3/4 cups of water. Then add olive oil, salt, cheese, and peppers. Knead until ingredients are combined.
Add back to floured bowl and cover with damp towel, allowing to rise for another 2-3 hours or until dough has doubled in size.
Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly coat 2 loaf pans with olive oil.
Take dough out of bowl and slap it on your work surface several times. Divide dough in two and shape into loaf shapes. Place in pans.
Place pans in preheated oven. Bake for 12 minutes, then turn the heat down to 375 degrees. Continue baking for an additional 45.
When baking is finished, remove from pans and place on cooling racks. Allow to cool completely before slicing.

March 3, 2019September 16, 2019

Extreme Cheese Lasagna

Disclosure: Some links in this post may be affiliate links, meaning that at no additional cost to you I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.

Now, I don’t throw the word “extreme” around lightly. So when I tell you this lasagna is extremely cheesy, you can take that to the bank! You may need to go to the bank, actually, and get a loan to afford all this cheese!

We don’t indulge in this lasagna very often. We look all year long for major deals and then we buy in major bulk. A local restaurant supply liquidation store we frequent recently had huge 6lb blocks of mozzarella on sale for $8 a piece! So we grabbed a couple. The next week we came back and they still had a ton, and because the sell by dates were getting close they had them for…

…wait for it…

2 for $8! We grabbed as many as we could, cut them into 1 lb blocks, and bagged them up for the freezer. We’ve been slowly working through the cheese. This lasagna made a dent in our stash, but it was sooooo worth it!

Its got 4 pounds of cheese. Four pounds! It was almost hard to take out of the pan.

This traditional Italian dish is perfect for your next family get together. Big enough to feed a crowd and please them all!

Extreme Cheese Lasagna

Cheese, Dinner, Italian, Meals for a Crowd, Splurge

Extreme Cheese Lasagna

Ingredients

For the Pasta

3 eggs
1 1/2 cups of flour
If you are not making your own pasta 1 box of lasagna noodles

For the Sauce

64 oz tomato sauce
2/3 cups of Italian seasoning
1/8 cup of garlic powder
1/8 cup of onion powder

Layering ingredients

2 lbs of ricotta cheese
2 lbs of mozzarella cheese
1 lb Italian sausage links
1 lb ground Italian sausage

Instructions

Homemade Noodles –

Put the flour into a mixing bowl. Make a well in the center of the flour.
Crack eggs into the flour, pop yolks and mix flour into the eggs in the well using a fork. Then thoroughly combine mixture until you have formed a dough. If it sticky, add small amounts of flour until the desired consistency. If dry and cracking, add small amounts of water until the desired consistency.
Use an adjustable pasta roller to finish the dough. Place the dough through the roller at the largest size setting. Adjust the roller down a size and roll pasta sheet through again. If holes form in the sheet fold in half and place back into roller at the same thickness you just used. Continue rolling pasta, adjusting to next lowest setting until desired thickness. Cut noodles to desired width and about 1” longer than the pan you are going to use to make the lasagna.
Dry flat – pasta will shrink slightly as it dries. Store in an air tight container until ready to use. Do not pre-cook noodles before adding to the lasagna.

Make the Lasagna

In two separate pans, fry ground sausage and sliced link sausage. Once fully cooked, remove from heat and set aside.
If cooking immediately, preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
It’s time to layer! Begin with a light layer of sauce on the bottom of the pan. Place first layer of noodles, covering bottom. Do not worry if there is space between noodles as long as it is less than half an inch between each one. Add half of the remaining sauce. Layer on 1lb of ricotta cheese in 1TBS sized dollops, then spread evenly. Layer on 1lb of mozzarella cheese. Layer on half of the ground sausage and half of the sausage links, spread out evenly.
Repeat layers with remaining ingredients except for mozzarella. Place remaining mozzarella on top, making sure to cover completely.
Place loose layer of aluminum foil over pan.
If freezing – tightly wrap entire pan in plastic wrap. Freeze flat. Before cooking, thaw in refrigerator overnight. Once thawed bake as normal.
When ready to bake, place lasagna pan on cookie sheet to prevent dripping messes in the bottom of your oven.
Bake covered for 35 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 25 minutes.

March 2, 2019September 16, 2019

Asiago Olive Oil Bread

Disclosure: Some links in this post may be affiliate links, meaning that at no additional cost to you I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.

Nothing tastes better than hot fresh bread! And nothing can compare to this version of our Old Fashioned Italian Olive Oil Bread.

Asiago cheese is one of my favorites, and this bread was one of the first things I made to add to the blog. Fluffy insides and a crispy crust pair well with the bite of the Asiago cheese mixed throughout.

Asiago Olive Oil Bread

Bread, Cheese, Italian, Old Fashioned

Old fashioned bread with a cheesy bite of Asiago

Ingredients

1 3/4 cup luke-warm water
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp active dry yeast
4 cups flour
1 tbs olive oil
2 tsp salt
1 cup grated Asiago cheese

Instructions

In a large mixing bowl, dissolve sugar and yeast into 1/4 cup of the warm water, taking only up to 10 minutes to do so. Add 2 cups of the flour, then gradually mix in 3/4 cups more water until sticky dough is formed.
Place dough on a lightly floured work surface. Knead for 10 minutes, pushing forward against the dough, folding in half, and rotating a quarter turn**. Dough should be elastic but not sticky. When you push your finger into it the surface should rebound a bit. **If you do not want to knead, you can put the dough in stand mixer with a dough hook until it looks like described above.
Lightly flour a large bowl. Place dough in bowl and cover with a damp towel. Leave to rise in a warm place until dough has doubled in size – about 2-3 hours.
Place two cups of flour onto a work surface. Place dough in the flour and begin kneading again, gradually adding 3/4 cups of water. Add olive oil, salt, and cheese. Knead until ingredients are combined.
Add back to floured bowl and cover with damp towel, allowing to rise for another 2-3 hours or until dough has doubled in size.

Want something more classic? Try our original recipe, or spice it up with our Pepper Jack or Cheddar Jalapeno breads!

March 2, 2019September 16, 2019

Old Fashioned Italian Olive Oil Bread

Disclosure: Some links in this post may be affiliate links, meaning that at no additional cost to you I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.

What is your soup missing? What would go great with that salad? Got some extra jam or butter laying around and you aren’t sure what to do with it?

You know what you need?

…

…Bread!

Delicious fluffy carbs, wrapped in a scintillatingly crispy crust. And everyone knows bread tastes best when it comes fresh from your oven.

Nothing makes the house smell better than fresh bread, and nothing feels better in your hand on a cold day than a steamy chunk of bread slathered in delicious butter and honey!

The recipe I bring to you today is a classic. Italians are known for their pasta, but they make a wicked Olive Oil bread as well. This salty sourdough-like bread is perfect paired with our old fashioned spaghetti or made into delicious garlic bread to pair with an indulgent lasagna!

A little effort is required, but the end result is well worth it!

Old Fashioned Italian Olive Oil Bread

bread

Old Fashioned Italian Olive Oil Bread

Ingredients

1 3/4 cup luke-warm water
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp active dry yeast
4 cups flour
1 tbs olive oil
2 tsp salt

Instructions

In a large mixing bowl, dissolve sugar and yeast into 1/4 cup of the warm water, taking only up to 10 minutes to do so. Add 2 cups of the flour, then gradually mix in 3/4 cups more water until sticky dough is formed.
Place dough on a lightly floured work surface. Knead for 10 minutes, pushing forward against the dough, folding in half, and rotating a quarter turn**. Dough should be elastic but not sticky. When you push your finger into it the surface should rebound a bit. **If you do not want to knead, you can put the dough in stand mixer with a dough hook until it looks like described above.
Lightly flour a large bowl. Place dough in bowl and cover with a damp towel. Leave to rise in a warm place until dough has doubled in size – about 2-3 hours.
Place two cups of flour onto a work surface. Place dough in the flour and begin kneading again, gradually adding 3/4 cups of water. Then add olive oil and salt. Knead until ingredients are combined.
Add back to floured bowl and cover with damp towel, allowing to rise for another 2-3 hours or until dough has doubled in size.
Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly coat 2 loaf pans with olive oil.
Take dough out of bowl and slap it on your work surface several times. Divide dough in two and shape into loaf shapes. Place in pans.
Place pans in preheated oven. Bake for 12 minutes, then turn the heat down to 375 degrees. Continue baking for an additional 45.
When baking is finished, remove from pans and place on cooling racks. Allow to cool completely before slicing.

Try out our Asiago bread for a cheesy twist on this classic recipe or spice it up with our Pepper Jack or Cheddar Jalapeno loaves!

March 2, 2019September 12, 2019

All About Us!

Hey there! My name is James!

Welcome to Cason Cooks!

A little about myself – I am a father, a bread winner, a strong member of my faith, and an avid video game enthusiast.

And I. Love. To. COOK!

I have been cooking for as long as I can remember. My dad started me out on toast and dish duty. We had what we needed as I grew up, but never a whole lot. It didn’t help that I was a student athlete and could eat a pound of pasta on my own outside of what the rest of the family ate. So I learned early on how to make delicious and wholesome food on a tight budget.

I’ve been married now for a little over 6 years. My sweet wife and I have an adorable toddler named Tim. We’ve been blessed with the least picky eater in the world. He always tries stuff at least once, and is always begging to eat my spicy chips or new veggies.There is very little he won’t eat – which is good because he is a little garbage disposal! He is always eating. We know we are lucky to have such an easy going kid, and we are hoping against hope all of our children eat like him

I’m sure you are wondering what lead me to blogging. Cooking has always been a passion of mine. My favorite times are when I get to plan a menu for an event and go over the top to feed our guests. I’ve always received compliments at work when I bring enough to share. Another passion of mine is helping others. I know from lots of personal experience how to eat on a budget and I want to share that knowledge with others.

So I am writing a blog for people like me and my family. People who have little to work with but don’t want to eat bland boring food night after night. People who like to know where their food comes from and be able to pronounce all of the ingredients. People who like making things the old fashioned way.

I promise to only show you recipes I know and love. I promise to keep my posts short and my food delicious. Be prepared for more than just recipes, as I will be posting cooking techniques I’ve learned, products I love, and other helpful kitchen tips and hacks I come across.

Something that makes us unique is how this blog will come about. Though I love to cook new and interesting food, I am not so great with expressing my thoughts and feelings. That is where my wife Lexi comes in. She is quite the word smith, and is such a blessing to me. So though the words behind what you read will be my own, she will be ghost writing everything for me. She is so amazing, sweet, beautiful, helpful, wonderful, hard working and all around perfect. { 😉 } Without her this blog would not be what it is today.

So welcome! I hope we can bring you some joy in your kitchen and your day with the simple offering I bring. Be sure to SUBSCRIBE to our mailing list so you can keep up do date with our newest recipes and tips!