Crock Pot No Mash Shepherd's Pie

I have had a busy week. No time to cook, just to purchase it and eat it. Luckily, I came home today to my sister's creation working its wonders in the crock pot (her cooking tool of choice). The crock pot has made its way into my home recently, a Christmas present my sister received this year. I have yet to master the art of crockpotting, (yes, I believe this word should be used in the world of cooking) but I plan on experimenting in the days to come.

Magically, dinners are fully prepped, fully cooked and kept warm and waiting for you to enjoy. Cookbooks have been popping up on bookshelves everywhere tailoring to the crock pot chef- the busy parent, the workaholic professional.

This past weekend, I took a lovely walk to the Reading Terminal Market in Philadelphia. The aisles were packed with tourists and locals, looking for great flavors, fresh flowers and vibrant produce. I was there strictly for the produce. I searched through the crowded aisles of greens, reds, oranges and yellows until I found the perfect vegetable for my sister to cook with this week (as I said, very busy week for me) and found green beans.

Green beans are the perfect vegetable, easily accepted in a stew, never shunned by her stir fry friends, and never shy when acting alone. But how would they hold up to the challenge of being crockpotted? Would my sister succeed in showcasing the perfection of these multi-talented legumes? Let me know your thoughts. Enjoy!

Crock Pot No Mash Shepherd's Pie
Serving Size: 6

What You'll Need:

* 1 pound Lean Ground Beef
* 1 pound fresh green beans- trimmed and washed
* 6 Yukon Gold Potatoes- scrubbed clean and sliced thin
* 1 Large Red Onion- Sliced Thin
* 1 Packet Swedish Meatball Seasoning & Sauce Mix Packet
* 3/4 Cup 2% Milk
* Salt & Pepper to taste
* Pam cooking spray

1. Spray sides and bottom of crock pot with Pam cooking spray
2. Divide onions, green beans and beef into thirds
3. Divide Potatoes into fourths
4. Mix together milk, salt, pepper and seasoning packet and heat in microwave for 1 minute and whisk well to combine, return to microwave and heat for an additional 30 seconds
5. Split seasoning mixture into fourths
6. Add one layer of potatoes to crock pot
7. Add layer of onions
8. Add layer of ground beef
9. Add layer of green beans
10. Pour sauce over mixture
11. Repeat until everything is gone
12. Potatoes and then the sauce should be the last layers
13. Set on high and cook for 4 hours or Cook for 8 hours on low

Brown Sugar & Marshmallow Baked Sweet Potatoes

I have decided to showcase a dish using marshmallows and sweet potatoes, creating a sweet and savory side dish or lunch item, sure to warm your heart and body.

There is something cerebral about marshmallows and the effect they have on me. White, innocent little nuggets of goodness creating flashbacks of cold winter days, where my sisters and I would shuffle into the house leaving the cold behind us, ripping off our layers upon layers of socks, hats and thermal underwear, making sure every inch of damp clothing was removed before entering the kitchen, where a large mug filled with hot chocolate was waiting for us, complete with overflowing miniature marshmallows.

Knowing we wouldn't leave our chocolate and marshmallow dessert mugs behind us, my parents took this opportunity to lecture us on the importance of staying together and to be be safe out there, where we sled down hills and built snowmen with friends- lessons that have lingered in my brain for years following. Because of this, marshmallows are more than just a garnish to me, they are little treasures of perfectly created memories overflowing my heart.

Brown Sugar & Marshmallow Baked Sweet Potatoes
Serving Size: 4

What You'll Need:
4 Med. sweet potatoes scrubbed
Salt & Pepper to taste
4 tsp butter
8 tsp. packed brown sugar
48 mini marshmallows

Preheat oven to 400. With a fork, poke potatoes in several places.
Wrap in square foil on baking sheet and bake for 45 minutes- being sure not to rip foil when wrapping
Tuck foil under to the sides of each potato- being careful not to burn yourself
Cut a deep cross in the top of each potato- reaching ¾ of the way down the potato
Slowly push together the ends to create an opening.
Sprinkle inside with salt and pepper
Add 1 tbsp butter to each potato
Add 2 tsp sugar to each potato
Sprinkle 12 marshmallows on each potato
Set oven to High broil and put under broiler for a 4 minutes, making sure to move pan inside the oven at 1 minute intervals
The marshmallows should be light brown in color