crock pot minestrone

Sundays are a great day for me to utilize my crock pot. I love throwing something in it before we go to church in the morning and coming home to lunch already made. It makes for a much more relaxing afternoon and if need be a quick lunch so we can get on to our afternoon activities (whether that's watching football, taking a walk or catching up on odd jobs around the house). Our crock pot keeps us on time and moving on those busy weekends.  This past weekend I made Minestrone and it tasted delish.  This recipe makes a large amount of soup, so you can freeze the leftovers and eat them later if need be.  (It's also a great way to use up canned items in your pantry.)

Ingredients:  1/2 cup chopped onions, 3 T. parsley flakes, 2 cloves garlic, 5 cups beef broth, 1 can diced tomatoes & zucchini, 1 can tomato sauce, 1 cup sliced carrots, 2 tsp. basil, 1/2 tsp. salt, 1/4 tsp. pepper, 1 lb. ground beef browned, 1 cup green beans, 1 can kidney beans, 1 can garbanzo beans,1 cup pasta, 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese.
Directions:  Place all ingredients except for the cheese in crock pot.  Stir and cover; cook on high for 4 hours (or low for 6-8 hours).  Serve and top with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.

This recipe made for a tasty soup that was great to come home to on a cold winter day.

This post was linked to: Melt in your Mouth Monday on Make Ahead Meals for Busy Moms, 2 Maids a Baking on 2 Maids a Milking, Tasty Tuesday on Beauty and Bedlam, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday at Blessed with Grace, Hearth N' Soul, Made from Scratch Tuesday on From Mess Hall to Bistro, It's a Blog Party, 33 Shades of Green, Trick or Treat Tuesday with Inside BruCrew Life,  and NapTime Creations Tasty Tuesday Party.