Slow Cooker Italian Fagioli

With all the craziness of our move going on, I think it's only best to remember we're going somewhere that feels like home. And there's nothing that feels like home more than a home cooked stew. Mamma mia, this is one heck of a great crock pot recipe. It originally began as a copycat Olive Garden recipe for Pasta e Fagioli that I featured on my previous blog, Living with Annie.

Though that recipe is great, Gus and I have tweaked it over the years. We removed the pasta - making it a great dish for any day of the week - and never looked back. Here's how to make a huge crock pot full of goodness. This hearty soup is perfect topped with one slice of mozzarella cheese which conveniently becomes stringy and amazing when served. It's also a cinch to freeze leftovers in small or large portions, easy to heat up in the stove or microwave.

Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 2 regular cans of Beef Broth
• 2 cans of White Cannelini Beans, drained
• 2 15oz cans of diced tomatoes, drained
• 1 16oz jar of spaghetti sauce (your favorite)
• 1 lb of ground beef, browned - medium well
• 1 onion, diced
• 4 carrots, diced
• 6 stalks of celery, diced
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1/8 tsp crushed red pepper
• 1/4 tsp cayenne
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• Mozzarella cheese slices (for serving, optional)

Directions

1. Combine all of the above ingredients and throw them together into your slow cooker. Make sure to brown and grain your ground beef before adding to the crock pot.
2. Set your slow cooker to low for 8-9 hours and serve when veggies are tender. You could do high for 5-6 hours and be good as well.
3. Top your served bowls with one slice of mozzarella cheese each and allow to sit for approximately a minute. Then stir your cheese into the soup. The result is ooey gooey cheesy goodness and soup that makes your soul happy. Let the yummy begin!