slow cooker recipes - Views From the Ville

I am a member of the Mom It Forward Blogger Network and this slow cooker minestrone recipe is sponsored by Cans Get You Cooking.

Does your pantry kind of look like a “cantry”? Ours definitely does. If you open our cupboard doors you’ll find them fully stocked with cans of vegetables, fruit, broth, stock, beans and more.

Growing up we always had canned and jarred foods on hand. The winters were unpredictable and a full “cantry” meant that even in the middle of a blizzard you could have a flavorful meal made with ingredients picked at the peak of ripeness, locking in their fresh taste. Even on a beautiful, sunny day canned foods are a great shortcut to getting dinner on the table.

Slow Cooker Minestrone Recipe - this minestrone is easy, and made even easier by cooking in the slow cooker! Filled with beans, veggies, and ground beef it's warm and filling.

One of our favorite meals to make using canned ingredients in a slow cooker minestrone I’ve been making for a few years now. It’s on a short list of recipes that my husband specifically requests over and over. I’m always happy to oblige because in addition to tasting amazing, it’s so easy to put together! Continue reading »

Bubbles’ birthday party is next weekend and I’ve been working on our menu. Most of the party ideas I found earlier were for sweets and decor; only one of them was for something to go with the meal. And while Minnie Oreo pops and cupcakes sound delicious, I think our guests might also like something savory. Appetizers, dips, and finger sandwiches all came to mind as they’re usually easy to throw together and people can graze while they talk and hang out.

My husband makes a great cheesy sausage dip that we often have for family gatherings and tailgating but I thought maybe for this party we’d have something just a bit different. I don’t want to serve my guests anything I haven’t tried before, though, so for the last few days I’ve been cooking up small batches of dip to sample. One that I found that I like is the Pleasing Pizza Dip submitted by Jennifer Crsip to Gooseberry Patch’s new cookbook Slow Cooking All Year ‘Round.

Slow Cooker Recipes: Pizza Dip from Gooseberry Patch's Slow Cooking All Year 'Round