GF Back-to-School Week: Mom! What's for supper?!

My plan for the up-coming week - the first week of school - is to focus on slow-cooker meals. Many of these meals can be prepared the night before (and as long as you have a removable insert for your slow-cooker), placed in the fridge to be pulled out and put onto to cook in the morning.

1. Slow-cooker Any Bean Soup:  One of my favorite things to do is chicken and bean soup. Black beans, kidney beans, pinto beans, a combination of beans - whatever beans are your pleasure, put two cups of beans with about eight to ten cups of water (some beans soak up more). Add a cut up onion, a teaspoon of salt, and a tablespoon or more of taco or fajita seasoning. Put in three chicken breasts making sure they are covered with water and put in the fridge. When you get it out in the morning, the beans will have soaked up a lot of water - add enough to cover the chicken, and put on low. When you come home in the evening, shred the chicken, add back to the soup, and serve with cornbread or (what we do most often) tortilla chips. A little salsa and/or sour cream is also a good addition.

2. Slow-cooker spaghetti sauce: Brown your meat the night before. In the morning add your spaghetti sauce (onion and other spices can be good here if you like to add them. And if you are brave - add some veggies). Cook on low all day. When you get home, all you have to do is your favorite gluten-free noodles. An even easier way to do a meal most kids love. Serve with a bag of ready-made salad.

3. Slow-cooker Stroganoff: This is for those nights when you know you're going to need some comfort food. This is a favorite in my boy-heavy family. Click for the recipe, and do the prep the night before as mentioned above.

4. Slow-cooker Lasagna: 'Nuff said. Click for the recipe. Do the prep the night before you are having company!! Everybody loves lasagna, and some gluten-free garlic bread, salad, and dessert are all you have to add.

I will have a lot more to add soon - because with school AND football season starting - I do a lot of them!