This crockpot lasagna is cheesy, saucy and loaded with layers of tender noodles, beef and Italian sausage, cottage cheese and plenty of mozzarella. With about 20 minutes of prep and no need to boil the noodles first, you get all the layers of a classic homemade lasagna without hovering over a pot of pasta or heating up the oven.

And YES, you really can put the noodles in uncooked! They soften right in the sauce as the lasagna slowly cooks, which is exactly why this has become one of my favorite ways to make lasagna.

Ingredients You’ll Need

• Ground Beef: Adds hearty, beefy flavor to the meat sauce. We combine it with Italian sausage so neither one overpowers the lasagna.
• Italian Sausage: The easiest way to add loads of flavor without measuring a bunch of extra seasonings. Mild or hot Italian sausage will both work.
• Yellow Onion: Mince it fairly small so it melts into the meat sauce as it cooks.
• Garlic: Fresh garlic adds another layer of savory flavor to the sauce.
• Marinara Sauce: This is one place where using a really good jarred sauce makes a difference. We love Rao’s, but use your favorite marinara or Bolognese sauce.
• Heavy Cream: Just a splash rounds out the acidity of the tomato sauce and makes it a little richer. It’s optional, so feel free to leave it out.
• Lemon Juice: It might sound unexpected, but a little squeeze brightens the rich meat and cheese layers.
• Cottage Cheese: Creates the creamy cheese layer in place of traditional ricotta. We love the texture and mild flavor.
• Egg: Helps bind the cottage cheese mixture so the lasagna holds its layers better when sliced.
• Parmesan Cheese: Freshly grated Parmesan adds salty, nutty flavor to the cottag

Italian sliders are the perfect party dish for a Super Bowl get together! You start with slider buns and layer them with Italian deli meats like salami, pepperoni, and ham, then add melted provolone cheese.

For extra flavor, you drizzle some garlic parmesan sauce on top, then bake them until golden and crispy. To finish, load them up with your favorite sandwiches toppings like lettuce, tomatoes, pepperoncinis and black olives mixed with a creamy Italian dressing. These sliders are delicious, easy to assemble, and perfect for a crowd!

I’m going to fail you all a bit when it comes to the Super Bowl…we don’t watch it. It hasn’t always been easy, and it was an important decision for our family to not watch the Super Bowl. I know, don’t hate me, but Sunday is our one day set aside for our family and religion. However, we still enjoy a lot of good food (check out our Super Bowl Food Recipe Roundup for more ideas!), so I really wanted to step up a bit and provide our readers with more options for the big day. Food is everything for a football gathering, am I RIGHT?!

I decided to take a nod from our famous ham and cheese sliders and make a new version. Because of my love of chopped salads and the goodness of Italian delis I decided to jump into a fresh version of baked sliders.

Easy Italian Pasta Salad [+ Video]

This easy Italian Pasta Salad is a crowd-pleasing dish perfect for summer picnics or potlucks. Packed with fresh vegetables, cheese, pepperoni and dressed with a zesty homemade Italian dressing, this salad is sure to be a hit. Plus, check out the recipe video for step-by-step instructions!

Have you made our Greek Pasta Salad? It’s really good and one of the most popular recipes on our site. Here’s the thing though, not everyone is a fan of feta cheese, so we felt like we had no choice but to bust out an amazingly easy pasta salad recipe complete with mozzarella cheese, fresh and flavorful homemade Italian dressing, and meat and colorful vegetables galore.

There’s something about pasta salad recipes and summertime that just make the world happy. I get almost giddy the closer we get to summer just thinking about dusting off the BBQ and pulling out the lawn chairs for outdoor cookouts with friends. Make some grilled chicken and grilled corn on the cob with this pasta salad with Italian dressing, and you have yourself the perfect summer dinner!

What’s in Italian Pasta Salad?

I’ll be honest with you — our kids totally pick out some of the ingredients in this homemade pasta salad. Two of our kids love straight up cold pepperoni. So Cade and I are left to eat whatever’s leftover from this pasta salad with pepperoni. The joys of parenthood!

To make this pasta salad recipe, you’ll need:

• Rotini Pasta: Any short, sturdy pasta works great like penne, farfalle, fusilli, macaroni, etc.
• Pepperoni
• Salami
• Black Olives
• Mozzarella Cheese: Fresh mozzarella balls are preferred.
• Parmesan Cheese: freshly grated
• Bell Pepper: I prefer a red, yellow or orange bell pepper.
• Tomatoes: Grape or cherry tomatoes work great.
• Red Onion
• Italian Salad Dressing: You can grab some at the grocery store or make it at home with the recipe we’ve included below.

The measurements needed for each ingredient can be found in the recipe card at the end of the post.

How to Make Italian Pasta Salad

Don’t let all the mix-ins fool you, this Italian pasta salad with pepperoni is as easy as it gets! It’s just a matter of cooking the pasta, choppi

Italian Style Beef Chili

Italian style beef chili is hearty, satisfying and perfect for feeding a crowd! It has all the familiar and comforting flavors of lasagna, but it’s a chili!

A few weeks ago, I was working on our lasagna soup recipe and totally messed it up. So I improvised, like I often do when recipes don’t turn out the way I hope, and turned that recipe into a chili. It ended up being so fabulous that I had to photograph it and post it here.

Let this be a lesson that sometimes mistakes just end up being happy accidents…thanks Bob Ross!

What is Chili?

Chili is a thick stew that is usually a little spicy and made with peppers, chili powder, meat, tomatoes and often beans.

Ingredients in Italian Style Beef Chili

The ingredients list might seem a little lengthy, but all the components are crucial the developing the full flavor of the chili. Here is what you will need:

• Vegetables: Olive Oil, Red Onion, Garlic, Red Bell Pepper, Green Bell Pepper, Jalapeno
• Fresh Herbs: Oregano, Parsley, Basil
• Seasonings and Spices: Salt, Pepper, Chili Powder, Smoked Paprika
• Cheese: Ricotta and Mozzarella Cheese
• Ground Beef: we use 85/15
• Beef Broth: low sodium
• Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes
• Marinara Sauce: Rao’s is our favorite brand
• Pinto Beans

This is just an overview of the ingredients needed for this recipe. The measurements for each ingredient can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post.

How to Make Chili

One of my favorite things about making chili is developing all the layers of flavor that make it so rich and delicious. It takes time but it is really easy. Here are the basic steps:

1. Sauté the vegetables and herbs.
2. Brown the beef and drain the grease.
3. Add the remaining ingredients (except the cheese) and let it simmer for at least a half hour up to all day for maximum flavor.
4. Just before serving, top each bowl of soup with mozzarella and melt in the broiler. Make sure the bowl is oven safe!

The recipe card at the end of the post contains all the instructions in full detail. You can also print or save the recipe there.

What Toppings Go On Chili?

Everyone in my family likes to top their chili with different things so I like to put all sorts of options out and let everyone do their own thing. Some of our favorite toppings are sour cream (or plain Greek yogurt), diced onions, green onions, tortilla chips or corn chips, and more cheese or more fresh herbs.

What Goes Well with Italian Chili?

This chili recipe is hearty enough to stand on it’s own as a meal, but it is my personal opinion that chili should always be eaten with a side of bread for dipping! Here are a few ideas:

• Read more

Quick and Easy Chicken Parmesan Recipe

Try this simple and delicious chicken parmesan recipe that will have dinner on the table in no time. With a few shortcuts, you can enjoy the classic Italian dish without spending hours in the kitchen.

One of our go to dishes is this quick and easy chicken parmesan recipe. We’ve found that using crushed croutons makes for the ultimate chicken parmesan recipe!

Secret to the Best Chicken Parm

We’ve tried breadcrumbs, seasoned bread crumbs, panko and seasoned panko and we always come back to our same secret for making the best chicken parmesan recipe. I am pretty sure you’re going to love our way and be hooked forever. Crisp, golden brown chicken perfectly smothered in a light and flavorful marinara and mozzarella cheese that’s been cooked until gooey and delicious, now that’s dinner I want!

I really like to make my own marinara sauce and I’ll include a recipe for marinara here, but if there isn’t time, just go ahead and used jarred. Does it really matter? Nah, but I do think homemade sauce is better.

What is Chicken Parmesan?

Is chicken parmesan Italian? Is chicken parmesan and chicken parmigiana the same thing?

Chicken parmesan is breaded chicken that is then covered in a tomato sauce and topped with mozzarella, parmesan or sometimes even provolone cheese. It’s often eaten over pasta like spaghetti but can be eaten alone or as an entree. Chicken parmesan subs are another favorite and we happen to have a really, really good recipe for it if this quick and easy shortcut chicken parmesan recipe isn’t enough for you.

Chicken Parmesan and chicken parmigiana are the exact same thing.

Ingredients for Easy Chicken Parmesan

The beauty of this recipe is that everything can be made from scratch or everything can be store bought so you can decide how quick and easy you want it be! Here is what you will need:

Chicken Parmesan

• Chicken Breasts: Grab boneless and skinless and then butterfly them and pound them flat.
• Focaccia or Garden Herb Croutons: We grab a bag at Costco and crush them in a ziploc bag.
• Butter and Olive Oil: Used to brown the chicken to golden perfection.
• Marinara Sauce: You can make the recipe down below or grab your favorite store-bought brand. I’m pretty obsessed with Rao’s lately!
• Mozzarella Cheese: We prefer Precious brand or fresh mozzarella, but any mozz will work great!
• Angel Hair Pasta: Spaghetti would also work great.

Marinara

• Olive Oil: used to sauté the veggies
• Vegetables: Small Onion, Carrots, Garlic Cloves, Crushed Tomatoes, Tomato Sauce
• Seasonings: Salt, Pepper, Bay Leaves

The measurements for all the ingredients can be found in the recipe card at the end of