Ham in the slow-cooker

Honey-dijon ham

Made: December 25, 2013

Ingredients
- 1 bone-in cooked man (5lb)
- 1/3 cup apple juice
- 1/4 packed brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard

Directions
- In 4-6 quart slow cooker, place ham
- Add apple juice
- In small bowl, mix the brown sugar, honey and mustard
- Spread mixture over ham
- Clover, cook on low heat 6-8 hours
- Remove ham from slow cooker
- Cut ham & serve

I used a 3 pound, boneless ham to fit into our small slow-cooker. (and because we don't have too many people eating ham at Christmas). I used a combined tablespoon of mustard and dijon since the kind we had on hand was a little too zesty for my liking. We also cooked it for about 6 hours and it seemed to come out juicy and flavorful

(Recipe used: Pillsbury Christmas 2010)

Taco spin-off

Beef Tostadas

Made: May 25, 2013

Ingredients
- 1-1/2 pounds boneless beef round steak
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 cup lime juice
- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon cumin
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 12 packaged tostada or hard taco shells
- 3/4 cup fat-free refried beans
- 1-1/2 cups shredded iceberg lettuce
- 1 cup reduced-fat shredded Mexican-blend cheese
- 3/4 cup salsa

Directions
- Sprinkle steak with salt and pepper
- Place 3 tablespoons of the lime juice, the garlic, jalapeno, onion, chili powder, cumin and cayenne in a slow cooker
- Place beef on top and cook on HIGH for 6 hours or LOW for 8 hours
- Remove beef to a cutting board and when cool enough to handle, shred with fingers or using two forks
- Place shredded beef in a large bowl
- Strain remaining liquid in slow cooker over a bowl or measuring cup, discarding solids
- Add strained liquid and remaining 1 tablespoon lime juice to beef in bowl and stir to combine
- Cover; keep warm
- Warm tostada shells in oven according to package directions
- While tostadas are baking, heat refried beans in microwave for 1-1/2 minutes on HIGH, stirring halfway through until warm and spreadable
- Spread each tostada with 1 tablespoon refried beans
- Place 1/3 cup beef over beans and divide lettuce equally among tostadas
- Top each with 1 heaping tablespoon cheese and 1 tablespoon salsa

I made mine slightly different ... I used ground beef instead of round steak. I browned the beef in a pan with the spices and I used lemon juice instead of lime juice. I also added in a touch of taco seasoning. I also used spinach instead of lettuce and I also used sour cream to add a touch of cool. Also makes a good salad

(recipe used: recipe.com)

Fajitas unwrapped

Warm Fajita Salad

Made: May 9, 2013

Ingredients
- 1/4 cup lime juice
- 1/4 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon snipped fresh cilantro
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 3/4 pound boneless beef top sirloin steak, cut into thin, bite-size strips
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- Nonstick cooking spray
- 2 small onions, cut into thin wedges
- 2 small green, red, and/or yellow sweet peppers, cut into thin strips
- 1 tablespoon cooking oil
- 1 10-ounce package torn mixed greens (8 cups)
- 12  cherry tomatoes, quartered
- Red or green salsa (optional)

Directions
- Combine lime juice, chicken broth, cilantro, garlic, and cornstarch; set aside
- Sprinkle beef with cumin, salt, and black pepper; toss to coat
- Coat an unheated large skillet with cooking spray
- Add onions and sweet peppers
- Stir-fry over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes or until crisp-tender
- Remove vegetables from skillet
- Carefully add cooking oil to the skillet
- Add beef strips; stir-fry about 3 minutes or until desired doneness
- Push to side of the skillet
- Stir lime juice mixture; add to skillet
- Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly; cook and stir 1 minute more
- Stir meat and vegetables into mixture in skillet; heat through
- To serve, arrange greens and tomatoes on four dinner plates
- Divide beef-vegetable mixture among plates

I wanted something different and this was just what I was looking for. I also topped mine with sour cream and cheese, opted out of onions and cilantro and garlic. I did use Garlic salt in both the cornstarch mixture and with the steak rub too. I used red, green, yellow and orange peppers, romaine lettuce and some baby spinach.

(Recipe used: Better Homes & Gardens)

Meaty Taco Pasta

"Baked Taco Ziti"

Made: May 6, 2013

Ingredients
- 3/4 bag ziti noodles
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 package taco seasoning
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 package cream cheese
- 1 1/2 cup shredded cheese

Directions
- Boil pasta until just cooked (al dente)
- Brown ground beef; drain
- Mix taco seasoning and 1 cup water in the ground beef; stir for 5 minutes
- Add in cream cheese, stir until melted & remove from heat
- Add pasta into a casserole dish, top with 1 cup of the shredded cheese
- Gently pour beef mixture on top and mix with the pasta
- Top with remaining shredded cheese
- Bake for 15-20 minutes, uncovered, at 350 F, until cheese is melted and the dish is heated throughout

I used a normal sized box of pasta, used about 1/2 for this dish. We made over 4 servings with leftovers. I used a little more than 1/2 of a package of cream cheese and used cheddar jack & mozzarella cheeses. Overall, it came out nice and creamy, gooey and hot!

(Recipe used: via facebook)

Non-lasagna

Easy Bowtie Lasagna

Made: March 6, 2013

Ingredients
- 16 oz package bowtie pasta, uncooked
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 onion, chopped
- 32 oz jar spaghetti sauce
- 8 oz container sour cream
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan chese
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese

Directions
- Cook pasta as package directs, drain and set aside
- In a skillet over medium heat, brown beef and onion, drain
- Add spaghetti sauce to skillet and simmer for 5 minutes
- Mix cooked pasta with sour cream, Parmesan cheese and garlic powder
- In a greased 13x9 pan, layer half of beef mixture and half of pasta mixture
- Repeat layers
- Top with Mozzarella cheese
- Bake, uncovered, at 350 F for about 30 minutes, until heated through and cheese is melted

Along with the sour cream, I added in a couple spoons of cream cheese. It's not lasagna without cream cheese!! Overall, I really liked this recipe. I didn't use an onion, so I used Onion flakes instead, just to get that flavor. I also didn't use all the same measurements listed; I only used about 8 oz of pasta and 24 oz of sauce.

(Recipe used: Gooseberry Patch; Mom's very best recipes)

CB Deconstructed

Cordon Bleu Casserole

Made: February 28, 2013

Ingredients
- 8 oz penne pasta
- 6 oz spreadable creamy Swiss cheese wedges
- 1 cup fat-dree half-and-half
- 1 teaspoon butter-flavored granules
- 1 teaspoon garlic salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 3/4 cups cooked chicken breast, diced
- 1/2 cup cooked ham, diced
- 1/4 cup shredded Swiss cheese
- 1/8 cup seasoned dry bread crumbs

Directions
- Cook pasta as directed on package, drain & set aside
- Meanwhile, in a large saucepan over medium-low heat, combine cheese wedges, half-and-half, butter-flavored granules, garlic salt & pepper
- Cook, stirring often, until cheese is melted and smooth
- Add chicken, ham and cooked pasta
- Stir until well blended and heated through
- Top with shredded cheese and bread crumbs at serving time

I did a couple things differently. I used slices of Swiss cheese, cut up instead of the spreadable wedge as I couldn't find any. They melted quite nicely. I did add in 2 wedges of the Garlic and herb cheese to add a punch more flavor along with some cream cheese and a couple splashes of milk so it wasn't too thick. I used Butter Buds as my "butter-flavored granules".

(Recipe used: Gooseberry Patch; Mom's very best recipes)

Mexcio meets Pie

Mexican Sheppard's Pie

Made: February 19, 2013

Directions
- 1 lb extra lean (at least 93%) ground beef
- 1/2 cup sliced green onions
- 1 cup Old El Paso® Thick ‘n Chunky Salsa
- 1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
- 3/4 teaspoon cumin
- 1 can Green Giant® SteamCrisp® Mexicorn® corn, drained
- 1 pouch Betty Crocker® loaded mashed potatoes
- 1 1/3 cups water
- 2 tablespoons butter or margarine
- 1 cup milk
- 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (2 oz)
- 1 medium tomato, sliced into thin wedges
- Tortilla chips, if desired

Ingredients
- In 10-inch skillet, cook ground beef and 1/4 cup of the green onions over medium-high heat 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally until beef is thoroughly cooked; drain
- Stir in salsa, chili powder and cumin
- Spoon corn evenly over beef mixture in skillet
- Cover and cook over low heat until mixture is thoroughly heated
- Meanwhile, in 2-quart saucepan, heat water and butter to boiling
- Remove from heat
- Stir in milk and 1 pouch potatoes with seasoning just until blended
- Let stand about 1 minute or until liquid is absorbed; beat with fork until smooth
- Spoon potatoes over corn in skillet; spread evenly
- Sprinkle with cheese and remaining 1/4 cup green onions
- Cover; cook over low heat about 5 minutes or until cheese is melted
- Arrange tomato wedges in spoke fashion over potatoes
- Garnish with tortilla chips around outside edge of skillet



I didn't use those exact brands, I had Gaint Mexicorn, Chi-Chi's Thick & Chunky Mild salsa & Velveeta cheesy Potatoes. I opted against the green onions and tomato. I topped mine with some sour cream, extra salsa and shredded cheese. I also used a little more salsa in with my beef to fully coat and mix around the spices so you didn't get one bite of nothing but chili powder. The extra cheese in the potatoes really kicked it up a notch

(Recipe used: Betty Crocker)

Pizza Puffs

Cheese-Crusted Pizza Pot Pies

Made: January 19, 2013

Ingredients
- 1 package (12oz) pork sausage or 3/4 pound ground beef
- 2/3 cup chopped onion
- 2/3 cup finely chopped carrots
- 1/2 cup chipped fren bell pepper
- 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 1/4 cups marinara sauce
- 2/3 cup sliced pepperoni
- 1/3 cup chopped pimiento-stuffed green olives
- 1 cup shredded Italian cheese blend
- 1 cup Pillsbury refrigerated thin pizza crust
- 8 slices Mozzarella cheese

Directions
- Heat oven to 450 F
- In a skillet, cook sausage, onion, carrots, bell pepper, and garlic over medium heat, until meat is no longer pink, drain
- Stir in marinara sauce, pepperoni and olives
- Simmer for 3-5 minutes or until thickened
- Remove from heat
- Stir in cheese blend
- Spray bottoms, sides and rims of 4 individual baking dishes (10oz ramekins) with cooking spray
- Spoon meat mixture into dishes
- Place on baking pan
- Unroll dough on large cutting board
- Cut in half lengthwise, then cut in half crosswise
- Place 1 dough piece over meat mixture in each dish, overlapping rims
- Top ech pot pie wiht 2 slices cheese, overlapping slightly
- Bake 16-20 minutes or until crust is brown

I did things a little differently. I opted against the carrots and chose for black olives instead. I also used shredded Mozzarella cheese to top the dough and used a Mexican blend. I also mixed meat; we had some leftover celery sausage so I used that and ground beef making enough meat for 6 servings and even some for a mini-flatbread pizza.

(Recipe used: Pillsbury Annual Recipes 2013)

Mushroomy beef

Easy Beef Stroganoff

Made: January 18, 2013

Ingredients
- 3 cans condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 package dry onion soup mix
- 2 pounds beef strew meat, cut into 1in pieces

Directions
- Combine soup, sour cream, water and soup mix in slow cooker
- Add beef
- Stir until well combined/covered
- Cover
- Cook on low 6 for hours or high 3 for hours

I didn't add extra mushrooms to this; I think it's what really turns me off from eating this dish personally. But even with 3 hours on low, it cooked quicky and had a nice taste to it. I did cut down the recipe a smidge, I didn't need 6-8 servings. So I used 2 cans of soup (1 mushroom, 1 celery), 1/2 cup sour cream and 1/4 cup water with only 1 pound of meat.

(Recipe used: Crock-pot: 365 year-round recipes)

Tomato Stir Fry

Beef Broccoli Stir-Fry

Made: January 14, 2013

Ingredients
- Vegetable cooking spray
- 3  cups broccoli florets
- 1 boneless beef sirloin steak
- 1  can Campbell's Condensed Tomato Soup
- 1/4 cup water
- 2  packages oriental flavor ramen noodle soup

Directions
- Spray a 10-inch skillet with the cooking spray and heat over medium-high heat for 1 minute
- Add the broccoli and stir-fry until tender-crisp
- Remove the broccoli from the skillet
- Remove the skillet from the heat
- Spray the skillet with the cooking spray and heat over medium-high heat for 1 minute
- Add the beef and stir-fry until well browned
- Stir in the soup, water and 1 ramen seasoning packet (reserve the remaining seasoning packet for another use) and heat to a boil
- Return the broccoli to the skillet and cook until the mixture is hot and bubbling
- Cook the noodle soup according to the package directions without the seasoning packet
- Drain the noodles well in a colander
- Serve the beef mixture over the noodles

I cut the serving down since I only needed two servings instead of 4. I used a small top sirloin and whatever leftover frozen broccoli I had left as well as only 1 package of ramen noodles. Overall, it was a different take on a stir-fry and a quick dinner.

(Recipe used: recipe.com)

Oven Taco

Beef Taco Casserole

Made: January 5, 2013

Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 can Cambell's Condensed tomato soup
- 1 cup Pace Chunky Salsa or Picante sauce
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/2 cup uncooked instant white rice
- 1/2 cup slightly crushed tortilla chips
- 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions
- Cook beef in skillet over medium-high heat until beef is well browned, stirring to break up meat
- Drain off fat/grease
- Stir soup, salsa, milk and rice into skillet with beef
- Spoon beef mixture in 1 1/2qt casserole dish
- Cover
- Bake at 400 F for 25 minutes or until hot
- Stir
- Arrange chips around edge of casserole
- Sprinke with cheese

I used Tostitos chips and salsa (mild) for our recipe. I also plated each serving before sprinkling with cheese and chips.

(Recipe used: Campbell's)

Stuffed beef

Beef Stuffing Bake

Made: December 29, 2012

Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 1 package beef or pork-flavored stuffing mix
- 1 can condensed cream of celery soup, undiluted
- 1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
- 1 jar (4.5oz) sliced mushrooms, drained
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup frozen mixed vegetables

Directions
- In a skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink, drain
- Transfer to an ungreased 13x9x2 baking dish (2qt)
- In a bowl, combine contents of stuffing seasoning packet, soups, mushrooms water and vegetables
- Sprinkle stuffing over beef mixture
- Top with soup mixture
- Bake uncovered at 350 F for 30 minutes or until heated through

I did things a little differently. My stuffing mix (which was chicken flavored) only had 1 package and not a 2 package combo; so I mixed my stuffing in with my soup and veggies. For the veggies, I used some of the open bags we had. So it was a combo of peas, green beans and broccoli. Granny's portion had no mushrooms and I didn't use onions at all. But we have no leftovers :)

(Recipe used: Taste of Home's Ultimate ground beef cookbook)

German Potatoes

Hot German Potato Salad with Bacon

Made: November 11, 2012

Ingredients
- 3 pounds small red potatoes, unpeeled
- 6 slices bacon
- 1-2 tablespoons
- 2/3 cup chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 4 teapoons yellow mustars
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- salt and pepper

Directions
- Pleace the potatoes in a medium pot with water to cover
- Bring to a boil and cook until just tender, 15-20 minutes
- Drain the potatoes and allow them to cool before halving or quartering, depending on the size
- Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook the bacon until crispy, 5-7 minutes
- Set the bacon on a paper towel lined plate to drain
- Carefully pour the bacon fat from the skillet into a measuring cup
- Add enough vegetable oil to the bacon fat to make 1/4 cup
- Pour the fat back into the skillet along with the broth, vinegar, mustard, sugar, and salt and pepper to taste
- Whisk the mixture in the skillet to combine and simmer for 4 minutes
- Place the potatoes in a large salad bowl and add the warm vinaigrette, tossing well to combine
- Crumble the bacon on top of the salad

I didn't move the bacon fat from the pan and back, I just added about 1 and 1/2 tablespoons of oil. I also used golden potatoes and sliced them scallop style instead.

(Recipe used: Paula Deen's Southern Cooking Bible)

Homemade Hambuger Helper

Layered Beefy Mac n' Cheese

Made: November 4, 2012

Ingredients
- 2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni (8oz)
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 teaspoon salt, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 2 cups milk
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 3 cups shredded Cheddar cheese (12oz)
- 1 cup soft bread crumbs

Directions
- Heat oven to 350 F
- Spray 2 qt casserole dishe with cooking spray
- Cook and drain macaroni as directed on package, using minimum cooking time
- Meanwhile, in a skillet, cook the ground beef
- Season beef with 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper
- Cook beef until thoroughly cooked, drain
- In a 2 qt saucepan, melt butter over medium heat
- Stir in flour, cook and stir 1 minute until bubbly
- Add in milk, cook and stir for 5-6 minutes until mixture thickens slightly
- Stir in broth and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Remove from heat
- Stir in cheese
- Fold in cooked macaroni
- Spoon 1/3 of the macaroni mixture into casserole dish
- Top with 1/2 of the beef misture
- Layer with another 1/3 of the macaroni mixture, remaining beef and finish off with the last of the macaroni mixture
- Top with the bread crumbs
- Bake uncovered 25-30 minutes or until bread crumbs are golden brown

The only thing different I did was use Velvetta cheese instead of the shredded cheddar cheese. I didn't use a full 12oz of cheese either, just enough to coat the noodles and still be nice and cheesy!

(Recipe used: Pillsbury Annual Recipes 2012)

Corny hot dogs

Corn Dog Casserole

Made: October 11, 2012

Ingredients
- 1 can (28oz) baked beans; undrained
- 1 package (16oz) cocktail-size hot dogs
- 1/2 cup barbecue sauce
- 1 box corn muffin mix
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 egg

Directions
- Heat oven to 375 F
- In large suacepan, mix beans, hot dogs and barbecue sauce
- Cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently until bubbly
- Pour into ungreased 2-quart casserole dish
- In medium bowl, stir muffin mix, milk and egg just until combined
- Spoon batter evenly over hot bean mixture
- Bake 20-25 minutes or until topping is golden brown

(Recipe used: Pillsbury Annual Recipes 2012)

Taco Pasta

Taco Supper Skillet

Made: October 9, 2012

Ingredients
- 1/2 pound gounf beef
- 1 package Old El Paso taco seasoning mix
- 2 1/4 cups water
- 1 1/2 cups uncooked wagon wheel pasta
- 1 1/2 cup frozen corn (thawed)
- 1 can (15oz) kidney or pinto beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 medium tomato, chopped
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions
- In a 12in skillet, cook ground beef over medium-high heat until thoroughly cooked; drain
- Stir seasoning mix, water, pasta, corn, beans and tomatoes into beef
- Heat to boiling
- Stir, reduce heat to medium
- Cover, cook 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until pasta is cooked and most of the liquid has been absorbed
- Stir in sour cream
- Remove from heat
- Sprinkle with cheese, cover and let stand for 2-3 minutes until cheese is melted

I didn't have any wagon wheel (or rotelle) pasta, so I used eblows instead. I also used a can of stewed tomatoes and chopped them into smaller pieces. I topped with extra cheese, it didn't say too, but you can't say no to extra cheese!

(Recipe used: Best of Betty Crocker 2013)

Meaty pie

Hamburger Pie

Made: September 10, 2012

Ingredients
- Mashed potatoes
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1/2 cup chopped onion (1 medium)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- Dash black pepper
- 2 1/2 cups frozen cut green beans, thawed
- 1 can condensed tomato soup
- 1/2 cup shredded process American cheese (2oz)

Directions
- Prepare mashed potatoes; set aside
- In a large skillet cook meat and onion until meat is brown and onion is tender
- Drain off fat
- Add the salt and pepper
- Stir in thawed beans and soup; pour into a greased 2-quart rectangular baking dish or casserole
- Spoon mashed potatoes in mounds on bean mixture
- Sprinkle cheese over the potatoes
- Bake, uncovered, in a 350 F oven for 30-35 minutes or until mixture is bubbly and cheese begins to brown

The only thing I didn't do was use onion, but just onion powder instead. Overall, this came out really good. I used probably more than just 1/2 cup of cheese as I really coated the potatoes. :)

(Recipe used: bhg.com)

Corny meat

Meaty Corn Bread Casserole

Made: August 24, 2012

Ingredients

- 1/2 pound ground beef
- 1/2 pound bulk pork sausage
- 1 3/4 cups frozen corn, thawed
- 1 cup water
- 1 envelope brown gravy mix
- 1 package corn bread/muffin mix (and ingredients to make mixture)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

Directions

- In a large skillet, cook beef and sausage over medium heat until no longer pink; drain
- Stir in the corn, water and brown gravy mix
- Bring to a boil, cook and stir for 1 minute or until thickened
- Spoon into an 8in square baking dish
- Prepare corn bread batter according to package directions
- Stir in pepper and garlic powder
- Spread over meat mixture
- Bake, uncovered at 400 F for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the corn bread layer comes out clean

Got a new cookbook in the mail today and opened up to this page; decided this would be for dinner! Came out nice and juicy. I used celery sausage instead of the pork sausage and seasoned my meat with seasonal and pepper while cooking to get it an extra punch of flavor.

(Recipe used: Taste of Home Almost Homemade)

Burgers & Veggies

Broccoli Hamburger Casserole

Made August 3, 2012

Ingredients

- 2 - 16oz packages of frozen broccoli
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 2 - 10.75oz cans condensed cream of celery soup
- 1 - 16oz container of sour cream
- 1 - 16oz package of shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- salt to taste
- pepper to taste

Directions

-Preheat oven to 350 F
- Prepare the broccoli according to the package directions
- In a skill over medium heat, mix the ground beef and onion
- Cook until beef is evenly brown; drain grease
- Season with salt & pepper, mix in cream of celery soup and sour cream
- Continue cooking until heated through
- Transfer to medium baking dish, evenly layer with broccoli and top with cheese
- Bake 1 hour, until bubbly and lightly brown

As a family of 3 (or 4, depending if it's Granny approved) we never use 2 pounds of ground beef at a time for a casserole dish. So I cut this recipe in half and didn't use the onion. I also only baked it in the oven for 25 minutes. It didn't seem like it needed 30 and 25 bubbled the cheese enough to make it ooey good! I also used a blend of Monterey Jack & Mozzarella cheeses :)

(Recipe used: Pinterest)

Hammy cheese and broccoli

Slow-cooked Ham 'n' Broccoli

Made: April 27, 2012

Ingredients

- 3 cups cubed fully cooked ham
- 3 cups frozen chopped broccoli, thawed
- 1 can (10 3/4oz) condensed cream of mushroom soup; undiluted
- 1 jar (8oz) process cheese sauce
- 1 can (8oz) sliced water chestnuts; drained
- 1 1/4 cups uncooked instant rice
- 1 cup 2% milk
- 1 celery rib, chopped
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1/8-1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika

Directions

- In a 3-qt slow cooker, combine the first 10 ingredients (everything until the paprika)
- Cover and cook on high for 2-3 hours, or until the rice is tender
- Let stand for 10 minutes before serving
- Sprinkle with paprika

For the cooked ham, I used 2 ham steaks and cut them into cubes. I couldn't find a jar of process cheese sauce that wasn't made for dips and without the already added spiced. So I used 1/2 a block (still 8oz) of Velveeta cheese. I think it came out way creamier in the end (and from what the picture in the cookbook appeared to be) I used celery hearts and left out the onion, water chestnuts & paprika. Overall, I think it turned out quite delish and filling!

(Recipe used: Taste of Home quick cooking)