Crock pot pork chops, potatoes, and onions

I "slow cooker chops" from allrecipes as a starting point for this recipe.  (Allrecipes is almost always my starting place when looking for ideas to use what I have on hand, or looking for a specific type of recipe.  I love the reviews!  They really help you fine tune your recipe.)  I usually use 6-7 chops and 6-7 potatoes.  But I have doubled this recipe in my lg 7 qt crock pot using at least 15 potatoes and 14 chops.  I filled it right to the top layering 1/2 of the potatoes and chops and then the other half.  And it still worked great!  (By the way, when smith's puts their whole pork loin on sale, that is a perfect chance to make your own boneless pork chops.  I just slice the whole thing up and freeze them in the portion sizes I want.  Thanks must go to my sister Candice, for sharing this idea with me.  Thanks Candy!)
So here goes!

Ingredients
6-8 potatoes (8 if they are small)
6 pork chops
1 large onion
2 cans of mushroom soup
1/2 cup water
tony chacherie's and onion powder, any seasoning you usually use when cooking meat.

First, you season your chops and start to brown them at medium heat on the stove.  (I use a deeper pan, but whatever
works for you is fine)  I sprinkle them pretty generously on both sides with tony chacheries, (my favorite all purpose spice), and with a little onion powder.  While browning the meat, or just before, peel and slice your potatoes.  I have a progessive hand held slicer that I LOVE!  It isn't to expensive, just a simple tool with a handle and a slicing blade.  So they slice up thin and even in no time.  Of course you can slice them by hand, just remember, for quick cooking, the thinner the better.  I place the potatoes in the bottom of the crock and stack my chops on top.  After browning your chops, you slice the onion into thin slices and put it in your pan to brown(my slicer works great for onions too).  Onions are the star of the show in this dish.  I sometimes use two.  And if your onion isn't huge I would use two!!  If you don't like onions, you probably won't like this recipe, because it is so bland without them, and of course, being the star, they are the main flavor player here.  The onions are so much better if they get that carmelized cooked flavor and they also help you pull all of the delicious brown bits off the pan from your pork chops.  I am actually a pretty messy cook.  If I'm in a hurry, I just dump my onions on top of the chops, and they fall around them, and start cooking.  As I lift out the chops, more and more onions get brown,  I sometimes turn the heat up too much and some get a little too brown while others don't get cooked at all...It doesn't seem to matter, it always tastes good!  I'm sure a cooking expert could tell you all of the reasons that is the wrong thing to do, but it works for me!  After the onions are brown I pour them over the chops in the pan.  The last step is to pour the mushroom soup and water into the pan you cooked the onions and pork in.  I am obsessive about getting all of the good flavor out of that pan and into my crock.  You don't necessarily have to cook it, just stir it around in there and pick up all of the spices and brown stuff of the pan, then pour it into the crock. Then set it on high and cook for 3-4 hours.  (In fact, it can probably be eaten after 2/1/2, but I like it to get a little brown on the sides, kind of like when you cook it in the oven)

Tater Tot Casserole

1 lb ground beef
2 lb tater tots
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
1 med chopped onion
steamed vegetables (optional)


Brown and drain ground beef. Mix beef, soups, and vegetables. Pour in 9x13 pan. Top with tater tots. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Chili Casserole

1 large, or 2 small cans of chili
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
1 chopped onion (or to taste, sometimes I have even forgotten to put them in and it still tastes good)
2 cups cheese, grated
Broken tortillas (I usually use whole wheat tortillas)

Original recipe:  Mix chili and soup and warm on the stove.  Line casserole dish with broken tortillas.  Layer chili, onions, cheese, tortillas, chili, onions, cheese, tortillas, cheese.  Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.  (I often use more cheese than it calls for, I just mix the onions in with the chili mixture, and I don't heat it up.  To compensate, I usually bake it an extra 5 minutes.)

Tara's recipe for Lasagna

I came up with this, by combining a recipe I learned in a high school cooking class and one my room mates made.  I took my favorite parts and then added a few of my own changes and voila!

I usually make this in a 9x13 pan, but I will admit it overflows half of the time! It works better in a deeper foil pans, or larger dripper/lasagna pan.  If you do use a 9x13 and don't want a lava filled oven, put a cookie sheet on the lower rack to catch drips.

sauce:
1 jar/can of spaghetti sauce (26 oz) (I've used everything from Hunts to Prego)
1-2 lbs hamburger (I usually just use one..or less even, to save money)
1 medium onion chopped
1/2 tablespoon oregano
1/2 tablespoon basil
1/2 tsp of garlic salt (I just shake a little in, I don't measure)
2 (8oz) cans tomato sauce
1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
1 cup of water

Brown beef and onion in large pan, add everything else and simmer for 30 minutes. If you don't want to simmer it that long, just add a little less water.  If I don't have paste, I just add another can of tomato sauce and cut out a little of the water. In fact, you can chuck ALL of the ingredients beside the hamburger and onion and just use 2 bottles of premade sauce if you want to. I would add a little extra water (about 1/2 cup) for the noodles to absorb. The reason I add extra water is because I don't cook the noodles before I put them in the lasagna. If you do cook your noodles first, you don't need to add any extra water.

1 full package of Lasagna Noodles (16 noodles)
1-2 lbs grated mozzarella
1 (24 oz) pkg cottage cheese (the larger size)
2 eggs
1/2 cup parmesan cheese (overflowing)
1 tablespoon dried parsley

While the sauce is simmering, Mix cottage cheese, eggs, parmesan cheese and parsley. To layer lasagna, start by spreading sauce on the bottom of the pan. Then lay 4 noodles on it. (I usually have to break up the 4th noodle to make it fit.) On top of the noodles put 1/3 of the cottage cheese mixture, then I sprinkle some mozzarella cheese on that, then the sauce and again with the noodles, and so on. On the top layer you just put sauce directly over the noodles and then more mozzarella. I use all of the sauce by the end. Make sure the noodles are thoroughly covered with sauce, so that they will cook completely. Put foil over the pan, but dome it so it doesn't touch the cheese. Bake at 350 for 40 minutes, then take off the foil and bake for another 20 till the cheese is starting to brown on top. Take it out of the oven and let it sit for 10-15 minutes (this just helps the noodles absorb more liquid, not to mention necessary cooling and setting up of the cheese) and then serve! If you do cook your noodles first, you can also cut baking time to 40 minutes. Just take off the foil 20 minutes earlier or don't use the foil at all.

Variation:  We have also made this with spinach, mushrooms, and/ or Zucchini.  It is AWESOME with vegetables, but if you add them (particularly zucchini)  DO NOT ADD ANY WATER!!!

Chinese Hamburger Casserole

My mom made this when I was a kid.  I made it again today and it was a hit with the whole family!

1 lb. hamburger
1/2 cup rice
1/2 onion, chopped
1 1/2 cup water
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 cans mushroom soup
1/4 tsp pepper
chow mein noodles

Brown and rinse hamburger then saute onions in same pan.  Add all remaining ingredients except chow mein noodles and mix together.  Pour into 9 by 13 pan and cover with foil.  Bake at 350 for 30 minutes then remove cover and bake an additional 30 minutes.  The original recipe says to top with chow mein noodles at this point and bake an additional 10 minutes.  I just pull it out after the hour and serve it over chow mein noodles.  This prevents soggy noodles in leftovers...if there ever were any :)
Another thing I do to conserve expensive meat is use less hamburger than called for.  ( I buy five pound chubs when on sale, cut them into 8 sections, bag and freeze, then I use the sections like I would a pound...)