Slow Cooker Taco Soup

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Spring is in the air – but if you live anywhere like we do, April still has a chill in the air. Around here that means soup time!

One of our heartiest and budget friendly soups is our Taco Soup! Filled with lots of protein and brimming with flavor, we can never have enough!

You can make this recipe even simpler if you want to use canned beans instead of soaking your own. Or make it faster by using a pressure cooker to cook up your beans!

Garnished with tortilla chips, sour cream, and green onions for a fiesta in a bowl!

Slow Cooker Taco Soup

Comfort, Comfort Foods, Dinner, Meals for a Crowd, Meat, Mexican, Pork, Soup

Slow Cooker Taco Soup

Ingredients

3 lbs pork shoulder, cut into bite sized chunks
1 1/2 cups dried pinto beans
1 1/2 cups dried black beans
1 1/2 cups dried kidney beans
5 TBS Taco Seasoning
2 cans of diced tomatoes
1 can of corn
7 cups of water
2 TBS of chicken base powder
2 medium Anaheim peppers, finely chopped and separated
1 bunch of green onion, chopped
1 lb of cheddar cheese, shredded
Sour cream
Tortilla chips

Instructions

Mix dried beans in a large bowl or pot. Fill bowl with enough water to cover the beans. Soak overnight. Drain beans.
Mix beans, pork, 4 TBS of the taco seasoning, diced tomatoes, 3 cups of water, 1 TBS chicken base and corn in a 6 QT slow cooker. Cook on high for 2 hours.
Add 1/2 of a medium Anaheim pepper. Cook for another 5 hours on high.
Add remaining water, chicken base, and taco seasoning. Cook for an additional 2 hours, bringing the total cook time to 9 hours.
Garnish soup with tortilla chips, remaining Anaheim peppers, green onions, cheese, and sour cream.

Notes

If using canned beans use 3 15oz cans of beans, drained, for each variety. They will not need to be soaked. Reduce cook time by 1 hour and cook on low instead of high.

April 11, 2019April 11, 2019

Deep Fried Mozzarella Sticks

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With the NBA playoffs coming up (I say “Go Trailblazers!” and my wife is an unapologetic Jazz fan) we’ve been making up appetizers and finger foods. Nothing is better than a hot bit of deep fried cheese!

Sure, you can go to the frozen section of the nearest grocery store and grab a giant bag of frozen sticks. We prefer to make our own – you can mix up what cheese you use, and make up some fresh breadcrumbs if you want. You’ll always know you have the freshest ingredients and the best quality ingredients without all the preservatives or chemicals the store bought variety will have.

Deep Fried Mozzarella Sticks

Appetizer, Cheese, Comfort Foods, Fried, Sides, Vegetarian

Deep Fried Mozzarella Sticks

Ingredients

10 oz block of Mozzarella cheese
3 Eggs
2 TBS Milk
2 1/2 cups of seasoned breadcrumbs

Instructions

Cut cheese into 20 1/2″ square strips weighing about 1/2 oz each.
In a shallow bowl or dish beat together eggs and milk. Place breadcrumbs in another shallow dish.
Dredge cheese strips in breadcrumbs, then dredge in the egg mixture. Place back into breadcrumbs and coat thoroughly.
Preheat deep fryer to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Fry the strips in batches for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes or until crispy and golden. Drain on paper towels to remove excess oil.

If freezing for later:

After breading the cheese, place in a single layer on a baking sheet. Place in freezer for 2 hours.
Place in air tight bag or container. Freeze for up to 3 months.

Fried cheese not your thing? Start the party off right with our other appetizers like Fried Calamari or Homemade French Fries!

April 8, 2019May 20, 2019

Homemade French Fries

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.

The average American eats 30lbs of French Fries a year! (Source) I haven’t met a person who doesn’t love the fried potato-ey goodness that is the crispy french fry!

Everyone knows french fries are best when they are fresh out of the oil. Nothing is worse than when you get your food to go and get home to find your fries limp and cold. Making them yourself is the best way to combat this!

French Fries

Appetizer, Comfort Foods, Freezer, Fried, Potatoes, Sides, Vegetarian

French Fries

Ingredients

5lbs Russet potatoes
1 TBS Lemon Juice
Fryer oil of your choice
Salt and other spices to taste

Instructions

Cut potatoes into 1/4″ strips. Place them into a large bowl and cover with water – water should be a few inches over the potatoes.
Add of lemon juice to water and stir. Allow fries to soak for a minimum of 30 minutes. For best results fries should be soaked for 1-2 hours.
Preheat deep fryer to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
Drain water and remove potatoes from the bowl. Dab fries dry with a paper towel. **THIS IS IMPORTANT! Do not add wet fries to hot oil!
Deep fry handful-sized batches of fries for 3 minutes, shaking frying basket about every 30 seconds to keep fries from sticking together. Remove from oil and drain. Allow fries to return to room temperature.
Once fries have cooled, return to oil and fry again for about 5 minutes or until golden brown.
Remove from oil and drain. Sprinkle with salt and serve hot!

Make ahead fries for the freezer

After the first 3 minute cook time (see step 5 above), allow fries to cool to room temperature. Arrange on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. You can layer the fries with parchment paper in between.
Place in freezer for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight.
Place frozen fries into freezer safe bags. Remove as much air as possible. Frozen fries can be stored in the freezer for up to 6 months.
When ready to eat, cook as instructed above for the second cooking time.

We serve ours hot next to our barbecue pulled pork sandwiches or smothered in chili and cheese.

March 27, 2019April 8, 2019

Lemon Basil Dipping Sauce

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Perfectly paired with any seafood! I love this copy cat dipping sauce! At our favorite Italian restaurant they pair a similar sauce with their Fried Calamari. We also loved it with fried shrimp.

It brightens up any heavy food with a silky smooth texture that is to die for!

Lemon Basil Dipping Sauce

Sauce, Sides

Lemon Basil Dipping Sauce

Ingredients

3 TBS sour cream
3 TBS mayonnaise
1 tsp dried basil leaves
2 1/2 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp garlic powder

Instructions

In a mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients. Mix well.

It would be great as a spread on a fish sandwich too! Or drizzled over fish tacos.

March 26, 2019June 27, 2019

Fried Calamari

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No matter the occasion, we just can’t seem to say no to fried food. Even when we hit up our favorite Italian place we are always tempted to grab fried calamari for our appetizer.

I noticed a local restaurant oversupply store we frequent had frozen calamari and I just had to try my hand at it.

And it turned out AMAZING!

I was so surprised! I thought I would have to tinker with the recipe for a while, but I got it right off the bat.

We used our Presto deep fryer to crisp these bad boys up. You can find it here:

Fried Calamari

Appetizer, Dinner, Fried, Seafood, Sides

Fried Calamari

Ingredients

1 lb calamari
2 cups flour
2 pinches cayenne pepper
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup + 1/2 TBS lemon juice

Instructions

In a large bowl, place calamari. Cover calamari with 1/2 cup of lemon juice. Stir to make sure all calamari is coated. Cover and refrigerate, soaking for no less than 30 minutes and no more than 3 hours.
In a large mixing bowl, combine milk and 1/2 TBS of lemon juice for a buttermilk like mixture. In another large mixing bowl, combine flour and the cayenne pepper.
Preheat deep fryer to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
Dredge the soaked calamari into the flour mixture, then into the juice, then back into the flour.
Deep fry breaded calamari in batches for 3-4 minutes or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels or a cooling rack.
Serve with our lemon basil dipping sauce.

I served ours up with a lemon basil dipping sauce that is to die for! I had extra and ate it up with some fried shrimp as well. It is sooo good! You need to check it out!

March 19, 2019April 8, 2019

Sausage and Cheese Baked Ravioli

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I can never have enough Italian food! Its by far my favorite food “genre”. Bright acidic tomatoes paired with cheese and pasta – you can’t go wrong!

These ravioli are the perfect classic. Baked to perfection and smothered in red sauce, you and your family will not be able to resist! Don’t plan on there being any leftovers…

Sausage and Cheese Baked Ravioli

Cheese, Comfort Foods, Dinner, Italian, Meat, Pasta, Uncategorized

Sausage and Cheese Baked Ravioli

Ingredients

1 lb mozzarella cheese
1 lb ricotta cheese
1 lb ground Italian sausage
8 eggs
4 cups flour
4-8 oz cans of tomato sauce
1 TBS onion powder
1 TBS garlic powder
1/3 cup Italian seasoning

Instructions

Make the pasta –

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.
Roll pasta out using a rolling pin to about 1/8” in thickness and to larger than 5×10”. Trim pasta into a 5×10” rectangle.
Slice the rectangle into two sections – 2×10” and 3×10”.
Take the 3×10” piece and roll it out longer, making it 3×12”.

Make the Filling –

In a medium skillet, cook ground sausage. Remove from heat and cool.
In a large mixing bowl, combine mozzarella and ricotta cheese.

Making the ravioli –

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly coat baking sheet with olive oil and set aside.
Using the 2×10” rectangle of pasta and starting 1” from the edges, begin adding 1TBS of cheese mixture about every 2”. Place some sausage on each mound of cheese.
Make an egg wash (1TBS of water per egg, beat together) and brush it between each mound of cheese and sausage and along the edges of the pasta sheet.
Carefully lift the 3×12” sheet of pasta and place over other pasta, cheese, and sausage. Press down between each mound, making sure to seal.
Using a knife or ravioli cutter, cut in between each mound to create 2” pieces. To finish sealing pieces, use a fork or other crimping tool to push down along the edges of each piece.
Place pieces onto baking sheet. Lightly brush the top of the pieces with olive oil.
Bake for 6-8 minutes until golden brown.

Making the sauce –

In a medium sauce pan, combine the tomato sauce, onion powder, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning.
Bring to a light boil. Allow to cool, spread over baked ravioli.

Don’t feel like cutting your own ravioli? We found this nifty ravioli stamp set that we’ve added to our wish list for Christmas!

Ravioli Stamp Set,MASTER FENG Ravioli Maker Cutter Stamp, Mold with Wooden Handle and Fluted Edge

March 13, 2019March 13, 2019

Old Fashioned Spaghetti

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.

Spaghetti is my favorite food! I ate it by the pound when I was an athlete in high school. I love how versatile it can be. You can go as simple as a jar from the store (not my favorite, but its something) to this recipe here.

Although its hearty and has a variety of textures and tastes, this spaghetti is surprisingly cheap. You can go even cheaper by leaving out the meat!

I recently started making my own pasta, and this recipe includes one for spaghetti noodles! Definitely worth the effort if you have a little extra time!

Old Fashioned Spaghetti

Comfort Foods, Dinner, Italian, Meat, Pasta

Old Fashioned Spaghetti

Ingredients

48oz canned tomato sauce
3 – 14.5oz cans of diced tomatoes
1lb ground Italian sausage
1lb Italian linked sausage
4TBS olive oil
3/4 lb brown crimini mushrooms
2 green bell peppers
3/4 cup Italian seasoning
1/2 cup onion powder
1/2 cup garlic powder

For the Pasta

3 eggs
1 1/2 cup flour

Instructions

In two separate pans, cook the ground sausage and sausage links in olive oil (2TBS per pan) until cooked through. Remove from heat, drain oil, and set aside.
In large sauce pan, add tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, and spices. Cover and bring to a slow boil over medium heat. Once the sauce begins to bubble, add the sliced bell peppers and mushrooms. Cover and bring back up to a low boil.
Lower heat and simmer for 1 ½ hours. Add tomato paste. Simmer for an additional 30 minutes.
Layer sauce over al dente angel hair pasta. Top with grated parmesan cheese.

Homemade Pasta

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. If your roller comes with a spaghetti cutting tool, use it to slice the sheet. If not, place sheet on large clean prep surface. Use a very sharp knife to cut noodles to desired length and width.
Allow pasta to dry flat. Once dry, store in an airtight container until ready to cook. Cook pasta in boiling salted water until desired doneness.

March 10, 2019March 10, 2019

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

In our house we love to cook things low and slow! Nothing tastes better than tender pork cooked to perfection. The only problem is how much effort it can take.
That is unless you use our slow cooker recipe!
Perfect for the summer time, this pork has gotten many the compliment and pat on the back. It’s a go to recipe when I have a potluck. And it’s versatile! Shredded pork tacos? You are set! Barbecue sandwiches? Done!
We prefer to cook for about 14 hours – crazy, I know. But I have never met a more tender pork with such a basic recipe!
Stick it in your favorite slow cooker and let it stew. Here are a few of our favorites:

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

Dinner, Meals for a Crowd, Meat, Pork

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

Ingredients

4 cups warm water
1TBS chicken bouillon
10lb bone in pork shoulder

Instructions

In a medium bowl, combine the warm water and chicken bouillon.
Carve the pork shoulder – removing excess fat and removing most of the meat off of the bone. Cut meat into chunks to fit into slow cooker (about 3” squared pieces, they do not have to be uniform). Save the bone.
Put half of the bouillon into the crockpot. Put all the meat into the crock pot. Put in the remaining half of the liquid. If there is room in the crockpot place the bone at the top to make a richer pork taste. If you can’t fit it in or don’t want that strong of a flavor, save the bone for soups!
Place the lid on the slow cooker. Cook on high for 10 hours.
Remove bone and use tongs or forks to break up the meat.** Cook on low for another 4 hours
Use tongs to serve.

Notes

**If you are adding barbeque sauce, taco sauce, or any other sauces, add it at this step.

March 10, 2019March 10, 2019

Corn Bread

Subtly sweet and perfect paired with chilli, we love this new recipe for corn bread we found.

Easy enough to mix up, then just throw it in the oven! I crumble mine up and sprinkle it over my chilli, while Alexis spreads butter on hers and dips it in.

Corn Bread

Bread, Comfort Foods, Sides

Corn Bread

Ingredients

2 cups of all-purpose flour
2 cup yellow cornmeal
1 1/3 cup white sugar
2 tsp salt
2 1/3 TBS baking powder
2 eggs
2 cups milk
2/3 cup vegetable oil

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly grease a 9×13” pan.
In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, salt, and baking powder. Mix in eggs, milk, and vegetable oil. Stir until well combined. Pour batter into prepared pan.
Bake for 30 – 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow to cool before cutting.

March 10, 2019December 5, 2019

Air Fryer Chicken Fried Steaks

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A healthier spin on an old favorite, get all the comfort with less of the oil!

We keep these frozen steaks on hand for an easy meal when we want some serious comfort food. Pair it with some delicious potatoes made in the Instant Pot and some country gravy!

Air Fryer Chicken Fried Steaks

Air Fryer, Comfort Foods, Dinner, Meat

Air Fryer Chicken Fried Steaks

Ingredients

1 Pork loin
5 cups flour
1/4 cup onion powder
1/4 cup garlic powder
1/4 cup black pepper
10 eggs
1/4 cup milk
Olive oil

Instructions

Thinly slice the pork loin into half inch slices. Using a meat mallet, pound the meat until its about a quarter inch thick.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour and the spices. In a shallow dish (like a pie pan), beat the eggs and milk.
Bread the pork in the flour mixture first, then egg mix, then flour again. Shake off excess flour and place flat on a baking sheet. Freeze the breaded steaks for at least 2 hours until semi solid. If not eating immediately, place steaks into a freezer bag. Store for up to 6 months in the freezer.
When you are ready to eat, preheat your air fryer. Lightly coat the steaks with olive oil. Cook the steaks for 6 minutes at 380 degrees Fahrenheit. Flip and air fry for another 6 minutes.

Cason Cooks

Posts

Slow Cooker Taco Soup

Deep Fried Mozzarella Sticks

Homemade French Fries

Lemon Basil Dipping Sauce

Fried Calamari

Sausage and Cheese Baked Ravioli

Old Fashioned Spaghetti

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

Corn Bread

Air Fryer Chicken Fried Steaks