This one is for my son, who turns 15 today. That “Woo!” just kills me.

I prefer slow cooker meals that cook for at least 6 hours or so, for the total convenience. But in a kitchen without air conditioning on a rare steamy Vermont day, the slow cooker, even for a recipe that only needs 2 to 3 hours, is a much cooler cooking option than turning on the oven. (Now that was one heck of a run on sentence, but I have a birthday cake to decorate so I gotta go…no time to fix it!)

This pasta dish has all of the wonderful flavors of a classic pepperoni, beef and sausage pizza. My particular slow cooker tends to run quite hot even with the low setting, so I was careful to check the pasta after only 2 hours so that it would not overcook. Alternatively, you could cook the pasta separately (maybe a minute of two less than the package directions) and stir it in with the cheese.

Slow Cooker Meat-Lover’s Pizza Pasta Hot Dish

Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef
1 pound bulk Italian sausage
1 medium onion, chopped
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
32 oz tomato sauce
2 jars (15 ounces each) pizza sauce
1 lb penne pasta
1 cup water
1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste
1 package (3-1/2 ounces) sliced pepperoni
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese, divided

Directions:

1. In a large skillet, cook beef, sausage, onion and mushrooms over medium heat 10-12 minutes or until meat is no longer pink and vegetables are tender, breaking up meat into crumbles; drain.

2. Transfer meat mixture to a greased 6-quart slow cooker. Stir in tomato sauce, pizza sauce, pasta, water, tomato paste, pepperoni and Italian seasoning. Cook, covered, on low 3 hours or until pasta is tender. (Depending on how hot your particular slow cookers “low” setting gets, you might want to check after 2 hours to be sure the penne is not getting mushy.)

3. Stir thoroughly and shut off slow cooker. Mix in 1 cup mozzarella cheese and 1 cup cheddar cheese. Sprinkle remaining cheese over top. Cover and let sit in slow cooker for 15-20 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.

Serves 10

Recipe from Simple & Delicious Magazine

Catchy guitar, smooth vocals and an unmistakeable nod to the indie-pop of yore, this new tune from Brisbane band Babaganoüj is heating up my stereo.

“You make me feel like
I’ll never be good enough.
You said it would be easy,
but I guess that was just a bluff.”

Ouch.

Check out Babaganoüj on Facebook and Bandcamp, where you can learn of upcoming shows in Australia and buy their music.

Cheers!