Baked Beef Ziti and Slow Cooker Cheesy Potato Soup

Baked Beef Ziti

Ingredients

16 oz uncooked ziti or favorite pasta
1 tsp olive oil
2 medium garlic cloves, minced
1 lb lean ground beef
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried rosemary
1/2 tsp table salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
28 oz canned crushed tomatoes
1 cup part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook pasta according to package directions; drain and set aside.
Meanwhile, heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat; add garlic and saute 2 minutes. Add beef and cook until browned, breaking up meat with a spoon as it cooks, about 3 to 5 minutes; drain off any fat and set pan back over medium heat.
Add oregano, thyme, rosemary, salt and pepper; stir to coat beef. Cook until herbs become fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add tomatoes and bring mixture to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
Spoon a small amount of beef-tomato mixture into bottom of a 4 quart casserole dish (just enough to cover surface); top with half of cooked ziti. Next, layer with half of remaining beef mixture and half of mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers. Bake until cheese is golden and bubble, about 30 minutes. Slice into 8 pieces and serve.

Nutritional Info

* Servings Per Recipe: 8
* Amount Per Serving
* Calories: 283.2

* Total Fat: 15.5 g
* Cholesterol: 68.8 mg
* Sodium: 248.9 mg
* Total Carbs: 18.0 g
* Dietary Fiber: 0.0 g
* Protein: 16.9 g



Slow Cooker Cheesy Potato Soup

Ingredients

1 bag 32 0z frozen southern style dices hash brown potatos, thawed
1/2 cup chopped raw onion
i medium stalk celery, diced 1/2 cup
2 cans (14 oz each) 99% fat free chicken broth
1 cup water
3 tablespoons Gold Medal all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
1 bag shredded colby-jack cheese
1/4 cup Bac-o bacon bits
1/4 cup green onions

Directions
1) In a 3 to 4 quart slow cooker, mix potatoes, onion, celery, broth and water
2) Cover; cook on low heat setting 6 to 8 hours
3) After 5 hours add bacon bits, so flavor soaks into soup
4) In a small bowl, mix flour into milk; stir into potato mixture. Increase heat setting to High. Cover; cook 20 to 30 minues or until mixure thickens. Stir in cheese until melted. Garnish with green onions. Sprinkle with pepper if desired.

Number of Servings: 6

Nutritional Info

* Servings Per Recipe: 6
* Amount Per Serving
* Calories: 322.3

* Total Fat: 14.2 g
* Cholesterol: 37.8 mg
* Sodium: 610.4 mg
* Total Carbs: 34.3 g
* Dietary Fiber: 2.5 g
* Protein: 15.4 g