Crock Pot Pasta Fagioli

This soup is a hit in our family and we make it once or twice a month during the fall and winter.  Even my 18-month-old likes it and he cleans his plate, veggies and all.  When I serve it to him I use a slotted spoon to drain most of the liquid and make it easier for him to eat.

Here's the recipe:

1 lb ground beef

3 carrots

3 stalks celery

1 medium onion

2 tsp minced garlic

1 15oz can great northern beans

1 15oz can red kidney beans

1 28oz can crushed tomatoes

1 8oz can tomato sauce

1 tbsp Italian seasonings

1 tbsp beef bouillon

1 cup (uncooked) ditalini pasta

1. Brown ground beef over medium heat. Season with salt and pepper.

When the meat is fully cooked, drain the fat and transfer the meat to the crock pot.  Set crock pot to high.

2. Chop celery, carrots, and onion.  You can do this while the meat is browning to save a little time.

Thrifty Tip - See that plastic bag?  Whenever I'm chopping celery, carrots, or onions, I save the scraps in a plastic bag I keep in my freezer.  I use these when I make chicken broth.

3. In the pan you cooked the meat in, sauté the vegetables with the minced garlic.  Cook the vegetables about 10 minutes or until the onions begin to look translucent and the carrots are starting to soften.

4. Add the vegetables to the crock pot.  Add beans, crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, Italian seasoning, and bouillon.  Add 2 28oz cans of water; use the crushed tomatoes can to measure.

5. Cook on high 5-6 hours.

6. Add 1 cup uncooked ditalini pasta and cook 30 minutes.

Serve with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese and a slice of homemade bread.  Makes 8 servings, about 1 1/2 cups each.

Approximate Cost Per Batch: $7.00