Slow Cooker Taco Soup

1 lb ground beef or ground turkey

1 qt tomato juice

15 oz can kidney beans

1 envelope dry taco seasoning

10 1/2 oz can tomato soup

medium-sized onion, chopped (optional)

Brown beef in non-stick skillet

Drain

Place in slow cooker

Add remaining ingredients to slow cooker and stir until well combined

Cover & cook on LOW 4-6 hours

Variation: Instead of tomato juice & tomato soup substitute 1 14 1/2 oz can stewed tomatoes & 1 8 oz can tomato sauce

Master Meat Mix

1 1/2 lbs beef, pork, or turkey burger
2/3 cup dry oats or cooked rice
1/2 cup onion diced

1/2 cup diced green pepper
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
2 eggs
2/3 cup ketchup or tomato sauce

Meat Loaf: Take mixture place in greased loaf pan

Put some extra ketchup or tomato sauce on top after 30 minutes of cooking
Cook on 350 for 1 hour or until thoroughly

Meatballs: Roll into 1 inch meatballs
Cook on 350 for 10-20 minutes

Note: This is great to double (or more) and freeze the cooked meatballs for future use

Hamburger Spins

1 lb Ground Beef

2 1/4 cups Bisquick mix

2/3 cups milk

1 Cup Shredded Cheese

Optional: 1 can cheddar cheese or cream of mushroom soup

Preheat oven to 400

Brown and drain ground beef. Once meat is browned and drained, season according to taste and sprinkle with about a tablespoon of bisquick to bring together.

While meat is browning, mix bisquick and milk together (this is the basic biscuit recipe on the Bisquick box).

Roll the dough out into a rectangular shape, being careful not to roll it too thin.

Sprinkle the meat mixture over the rolled out dough. Top with shredded cheese.

Roll the dough like a "jelly roll"

Slice the roll into slices about 1 1/2 inches thick. Lay the slices on their side (meat side up) on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake at 400 for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.

*Optional-serve topped with a sauce of either cheddar cheese soup or cream of mushroom soup. Simply heat the soup on the stove (I don't mix mine with water, but you can if you prefer) and spoon over the spin and serve.

Italian Beef Au Jus

3-5 lb boneless beef roast
10 oz pkg dry Au Jus mix
1 pack dry Italian salad dressing mix
14 1/2 oz can beef broth
half a soup can water

Place beef in slow cooker
Combine remaining ingredients Pour over roast
Cover Cook on LOW 8 hours
Slice meat & spoon onto hard rolls with straining spoon to make sandwiches OR shred with 2 forks & serve over noodles or rice in broth thickened with flour

Note: To thicken broth, mix 3 tbsp cornstarch into 1/4 cup cold water Stir until smooth
Remove 1/2 cup beef broth from cooker & blend into cornstarch-water Stir back into broth in cooker stirring until smooth
Cook 10-15 minutes on HIGH until broth becomes of gravy consistency

Cheeseburger Pie

1 Can Crescent Rolls

1 Lb Ground Beef

1/4 C Finely Chopped Onions

1/3 C Chopped Pickle Slices

2 Tbsp Ketchup

1 tsp Mustard

2 Tbsp Flour

2 Tbsp Pickle juice

2 Tbsp Milk

2 C Shredded Cheese, divided into 1 cup portions.

Preheat oven to 375. Line Pan with crescent rolls and bake 5-7 minutes. Meanwhile, cook beef and drain. Stir in onion, chopped pickle, ketchup and mustard. Sprinkle with flour and add pickle juice, milk. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Remove from heat and add 1 cup of cheese. Pour into prepared crust and bake for 15 minutes or until edges of crust are golden brown. Remove from oven and top with remaining cheese and let stand until cheese melts.

*My kids LOVED this recipe and I was surprised at how much it really did taste just like a cheeseburger.*