When I hear the most frequent dinnertime complaints weelicious moms’ have, one of their biggest issues is lack of time. I totally get it. It’s tough trying to get a balanced, nutritious meal on the dinner table when you only have a limited amount of time in which to make it. That is why whenever I need an easy-to-prepare meal I can be sure the whole family will love, I get out my crock pot. From prep to clean up, it is the biggest time saving appliance I own. I’d actually marry it if my husband wasn’t already in the picture.

This Veggie Lasagna is one of my biggest recent crock pot success stories and it only took me a few minutes to put the whole thing together. No sautéing or stove-watching required. Just chop your veggies, mix the cheeses and layer everything into the pot. By the time you get home from picking up the kids at school and an afternoon of errands, this delicious dinner will be waiting for you — just take the lid off and serve.

You may not want to marry your crock pot, but you might consider it after tasting this lasagna.

Crock Pot Veggie Lasagna (Serves 6-8)

2 Cups Zucchini, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Mushrooms and/or Spinach
1 15 oz Container Ricotta Cheese
1/2 Cup Parmesan Cheese, grated
1 Tbsp Dried Italian Herbs
1/2 Tsp Garlic Powder
1 Tsp Kosher Salt
1 Large Egg
1 25 oz Jar Pasta Sauce
1 Box Lasagna Noodles (uncooked)
2 Cups Mozzarella Cheese, grated

1. Place the vegetables in a food processor and pulse to roughly chop.
2. Place the ricotta, parmesan cheese, herbs, garlic powder, salt and egg in a bowl and stir to combine.
3. Pour half of the pasta sauce in the bottom of a crock pot.
4. Place a layer of noodles on top of the sauce, covering the entire surface, breaking the noodles to fit the pot.
5. Layer half of the ricotta mixture on top of the noodles, followed by 1 cup of the chopped vegetables and then one cup of mozzarella cheese.
6. Repeat with another layer of noodles, followed by the remaining ricotta mixture and the chopped vegetables.
7. Pour the remaining pasta sauce on top of the lasagna and top with the remaining cup of the grated cheese.
8. Cook on low for 4 hours.
9. Serve.

I was supposed to get this recipe up for you on Saturday, so apologies to all who were waiting for it. This Four Bean Chili Baked Potato is the last installment in my latest 5-in-1 recipe plan. I’m all about recipes that take as little work as possible, especially when friends are coming over. Call me lazy, call me simple, call me whatever you want, but at the end of the day, when I finally get some time to play, I just want to have some fun and not worry about what’s happening in the kitchen. Now that I’ve got leftover chili from Super Bowl in the fridge, I know that all I have to do tonight is pop some potatoes in the oven to bake and then top them off with the chili and our favorite accompaniments. I’m a seriously happy mama!

Four Bean Chili Baked Potato (Serves 4 )

4 Russet Potatoes, rinsed
2 Cups Four Bean Chili

Accompaniments: Sour Cream, Chives, Cheese

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Using a fork, poke a few holes on the sides of the potatoes (so they don’t explode in the oven!) and bake for 50 minutes.
3. Slice potatoes in half and top with chili.
4. Serve with desired accompaniments.

If you’ve been tuning in everyday for my latest 5-in-1 recipe series, you may be saying to yourself, “what else could we possibly do with that leftover Four Bean Chili?”. My answer: a lot.

Seriously, what’s more delicious than french fries and chili? Possibly Chili Mac and Cheese, but I would say it’s a toss up! At first glance, this recipe may not seem that healthy, but it is. Rather than making oil-laden french fries, I opt for this baked version which produces “fries” that are crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. Topped with a serving of warm chili, it’s unbelievably delicious.

If you want to find out my 5th and final leftover chili incarnation, tune in tomorrow for a special weelicious Saturday edition!

Four Bean Chili Baked Fries (Serves 4)

3 Russet Potatoes, peeled & cut into “fries”
2 Tbsp Vegetable or Canola Oil
1 Tsp Kosher Salt
2 Cups Four Bean Chili

Accompaniments: Cheese, chives, sour cream

1. Preheat oven to 450 F.
2. Place potatoes, cut into “fries”, into a colander, rinse under cold water and pat dry with a towel to remove as much moisture as possible.
3. Place “fries” on to a sheet tray, pour 2 tbsp of oil and 1 tsp kosher salt over the fries and toss to coat evenly.
4. Bake for 20 minutes, turn them over with a spatula and bake an additional 10 more minutes (for a total of 30 minutes).
5. Place “fries” in a dish and top with chili.
6. Serve.

Have you ever had Cincinnati Chili? I know as soon as my husband reads this post he’s going to say, “what the heck is Cincinnati Chili?” Growing up in Louisville, Kentucky, one of the restaurants we dined at often was Skyline Chili. Skyline is still around and they make the most incredible chili. Their delicious signature dish is Cincinnati Chili, which is spaghetti, chili and cheddar cheese. Even as a kid, it wasn’t hard to figure out the reason Skyline was always so packed inside. If you’ve never tried Cincinnati Chili, this recipe is a good place to start. And if you’re following my 5-in-1 recipe series this week, the Four Bean Chili you’re going to have leftover from Super Bowl Sunday forms the base of this dish. Trust me, once you serve this, you’re going to make a lot of fast friends!

Four Bean Chili Spaghetti (Serves 4)

2 Cups Four Bean Chili
1/2 Pkg Spaghetti, cooked
Cheddar Cheese, shredded or grated

1. Divide spaghetti into 4 bowls.
2. Pour 1/2 cup of chili on top of the spaghetti in each bowl and sprinkle with cheddar cheese.
3. Serve.

f you read weelicious a lot, you know I get really excited about the subject of leftovers. I’m not talking about re-serving your family cold, day-old food (even though I do love doing that). I’m talking about re-inventing the dish you made on Monday and turning it into something completely new and exciting on Tuesday (and possibly even Wednesday too).

Super Bowl is this Sunday and I KNOW you’re planning on making yesterday’s Four Bean Chili recipe for all of your guests . But just in case your culinary creation doesn’t completely disappear during the game, you have to be prepared for any leftovers you may have in your fridge on Monday. That’s where today’s recipe comes in, adding a kid’s tried and true favorite, Mac & Cheese, into the mix. Keep tuning in to weelicious over the next few days and I’ll show you even more ways to turn yesterday’s super easy chili recipe into tomorrow’s dinnertime masterpiece.*

*You can find more examples of great 3-in-1 recipes HERE, HERE, and HERE.

Four Bean Chili Mac & Cheese (Serves 4)

1 Cup Whole Milk
2 Cups Cheddar Cheese
2 Cups Four Bean Chili
1/2 Tsp Kosher Salt
2 Cups Macaroni Pasta, cooked

1. In a large pot over medium heat place the milk, cheese, chili and salt. Stir to combine just until the cheese melts through.
2. Add the cooked pasta to the chili/cheese mixture and continue to cook for an additional 3 minutes or until the mixture comes together and the pasta has heated through.
3. Serve.

Super Bowl is here and so is the stress of feeding a huge crowd of people coming over to your house to watch the game. Who wants to be in the kitchen catering to everyone’s needs when there are so many awesome commercials to watch — oh yeah, of course there’s the football game, too!

This leads me to the reason you have to make this super easy chili this weekend. Besides the fact that the adults will adore it, your kids will have a ball adorning their chili bowls with tons of accompaniments. Kenya usually covers his with so much shredded cheese you can’t tell there’s chili under the surface, but he devours it all nevertheless. Make this recipe the night before the game or early in the morning, and all you have to do when everyone shows up is hang out and enjoy the fun!

Four Bean Chili (Serves 8-10)

2 Tbsp Vegetable or Canola Oil, divided
1 Large Onion, chopped
2 Garlic Cloves, minced
1 Lb Lean Ground Beef
1-15 Oz Can White Beans, rinsed and drained
1-15 Oz Can Kidney Beans, rinsed and drained
1-15 Oz Can Pinto Beans, rinsed and drained
1-15 Oz Can Black Beans, rinsed and drained
1-28 Oz Can Chopped Tomatoes with Juice
2-15 Oz Cans Tomato Juice
2 Tbsp Chili Powder
1 Tbsp Cumin
2 Bay Leaves
2 Tsp Salt

Accompaniments: Sour Cream, Yogurt, Grated Cheddar Cheese, Scallions, Hot Sauce (if you want to take it up a notch)

1. In a sauté pan over medium heat place 1 tbsp of oil and sauté onions for 3 minutes. Add minced garlic and sauté another minute until the onions start to caramelize, then remove and place in a crock pot.
2. In the same sauté pan, add another tbsp of oil and sauté the ground beef for 5 minutes, breaking down the beef with a wooden spoon until it’s cooked through and most of its juice has evaporated.
3. Add the cooked beef and the remaining ingredients to the crock pot and stir to combine.
4. Cover and cook the chili on low for 8 hours.
5. Top with desired accompaniments and serve.

If you follow weelicious with any regularity, you know that I have a very intimate relationship with my crock pot — it’s like my best friend. Coming back after the holiday, with school starting back up, endlessly busy schedules to juggle and so on, my crock pot has been my salvation for getting hearty foods that everyone wants to eat made easily. A vendor at our local farmer’s market offers the most beautiful assortment of beans, and since black beans are one of our family favorites and cook beautifully in the crock pot, I buy them from him all of the time. Packed with protein and dietary fiber, black beans make for a filling, inexpensive and nutritious vegetarian meal that everyone can enjoy.

I really loved making this soup with my kids, because, like me, they love using the crock pot. But the real fun for them started when it was time to puree everything. Kenya, being an incredibly curious, almost 4 year-old boy who loves anything with a motor, was totally game to help me out with the hand-blender. As he gripped it and pressed the power button, he was enthralled as he made the beans transform into a creamy, rich soup. But if it was fun for me to witness the blast Kenya had, watching Chloe drink three helpings straight out of her bowl ensured that this soup will be in our regular mealtime rotation!

Crock Pot Black Bean Soup (Serves 6)

1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Onion, diced
3 Garlic Cloves, chopped
2 Cups Dried Black Beans, soaked overnight, rinsed and drained
1 32 oz Chicken Broth or Vegetable Stock, low sodium
1/4 Cup Cilantro, chopped
2 Bay Leaves
2 Tsp Kosher Salt
1 Cup Water

Accompaniments: Yogurt, Sour Cream, Crème Fraiche

1. Heat oil in a sauté pan over medium heat and sauté onions for 4 minutes.
2. Add chopped garlic and sauté an additional minute.
3. Place the onion garlic mixture into the crock pot along with the rest of the ingredients and stir to combine.
4. Cook on low for 8-10 hours.
5. Using either a hand blender or traditional blender, puree the ingredients to your desired texture (I like to get it so a few pieces of beans are still visible so the soup is thick and still has a bit of texture).
6. Top with a dollop of yogurt, sour cream or crème fraiche.
7. Serve.

I can’t tell you how many mornings we wake up late and scramble to get out the door. Two kids, a husband, school lunch and more… it’s overwhelming! All I’m going to say is, thank goodness for Oatmeal in the Crock Pot! It’s become my go-to dish when I don’t have the time to make a healthy breakfast to give us all energy for a long day of work and play. Just toss the ingredients in the crock pot before you go to bed. In the morning your house will smell like fresh cinnamon and your bellies quickly will be filled with something absolutely delicious!

It’s been cold, rainy and — thankfully — really quiet here after the holidays, which means there’s plenty of time for me to make warm soup to fill everyone’s belly. Even though I’ve been in less of a rush than usual, that doesn’t mean I’m not looking for ways to make life easier for myself in the kitchen. So, time once again to break out my crock pot! All I do is toss in some lentils, a few herbs and a mix of vegetables from the farmer’s market and serve it with a dollop of herbed goat cheese on top, which the kids love swirling in to their soup. This recipe makes enough so that I can freeze half for cold, lazy nights when I don’t have any time to cook — which I anticipate happening quite a bit once school starts up again!

Crock Pot Lentil Veggie Stew (Serves 8-10)

1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Large Onion, chopped
2 Garlic Cloves, chopped
2 Leeks, chopped (use only the white and light green part of the leek)
2 Large Carrots, chopped
3 Celery Stalks, chopped
2 Bay Leaves
1 Tbsp Fresh OR 1 Tsp Dried Thyme
2 Tsp Kosher Salt
8 Cups Vegetable Stock (you could also use chicken stock)
1 32 Oz Can Chopped Tomatoes with juice
16 Oz Dried Lentils
2 Cups Kale or Swiss Chard, chopped

Accompaniments: plain yogurt, herbed goat cheese, feta cheese, crème fraiche or Parmesan cheese

1. Heat the oil in a sauté pan over medium heat and cook the onions for 4 minutes.
2. Add the garlic and cook an additional minute.
3. Place the onion mixture with the remaining ingredients in a crock pot and stir.
4. Cover and cook the lentils on high heat for 4 hours or low heat for 8 hours or until lentils are tender.
5. Top with desired accompaniment and serve.

* You can also place all of the ingredients in a large pot over low to medium heat and cover for 90 minutes or until tender.

After a whirlwind long weekend of family, non-stop cooking and calorie-packed holiday meals, I feel like it’s finally time to kick up my heels, relax and pick a simple, healthy recipe to feed the family. Whenever I’m looking for the path of least resistance in the kitchen, it usually means pulling out my crock pot.

I ate a lot of Baked Beans as a kid, but they were almost exclusively prepared out of a can. Making these fresh, slow cooked, sweet white beans is a real treat that bears practically no resemblance to their canned cousins. And the taste? Whenever I make them my kids couldn’t be happier, so after the seeming non-stop parade of rich food during the past week, I think we’re all finally ready for something a little bit more healthy as we head towards the New Year!

Baked Beans (Serves 4-6)

1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Small Onion, chopped
1 16 oz. Pkg Small White Beans
1 6 oz Can Tomato Paste
1/4 Cup Maple Syrup
1/4 Cup Molasses
2 Tbsp Dijon Mustard
1 32 fl. oz. Box Vegetable Broth
2 Tsp Kosher Salt

1. Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a pan and sauté the onions for 3-4 minutes.
2. Transfer the onions to a crock pot, pour in remaining ingredients and stir to combine.
3. Cook on low for 8-10 hours or until beans are tender.
4. Serve.