By Kara Kimbrough
Food Columnist
Call me strange, but I don’t despair during the short period of time in which
we experience a rare phenomenon: winter. Chilly temperatures and early
nightfall provide permission to take our lives down a notch and spend cozy
evenings indoors.
And the other reason to savor cold weather? Savory, hearty and yes,
delicious winter food. What’s not to like about thick soups, chili, jambalaya,
red beans and rice and the other heavy foods that are typically too heavy to
enjoy when warm weather arrives?
Here are some winter recipes for your slow cookers that are perfect for cold
weather.
4-Ingredient Crockpot Ravioli Lasagna
1 pound ground chuck
1 jar pasta sauce
1 package (25-ounce) frozen cheese ravioli
2 cups mozzarella cheese (or your favorite combination of cheeses)
Optional: Seasonings to taste: garlic and onion powder, salt and pepper
Brown ground chuck until no longer pink; drain excess grease. Stir in pasta
sauce and any seasonings (if adding).
In a 4-quart (or larger) lined Crockpot, layer half of ingredients in this order:
meat sauce, frozen ravioli, cheese. Repeat until all ingredients are used.
Cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours or on high for 2-3 hours, until ravioli is
tender.

Meaty Pasta e Fagioli
(Traditional Italian versions of this soup don’t usually include meat, but I
added it to mine. If you prefer a meatless version, just omit the meat)
1 pound lean ground chuck
3-4 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups each chopped onion/celery
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon black pepper
4 cups low-sodium beef broth
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
2 cups ditalini pasta (or your favorite)
(15-ounce) can kidney beans, drained/ rinsed
Seasonings to taste: dried thyme, basil, oregano, parsley, salt and pepper
In a large skillet over medium heat, cook beef until no longer pink. Drain
grease and set aside.
In the same pot, heat olive oil. Cook onion, celery, garlic and black pepper
until vegetables are tender, 10 minutes. Stir in beef broth, crushed tomatoes
and tomato paste. Season with favorite seasonings. Pour into lined Crockpot
and cook for low for 6-8 hours.
30 minutes prior to end of cooking: stir in cooked beef, pasta and beans;
cover and cook for an additional 30 minutes or until pasta is tender.
Increase heat to high if needed to finish cooking pasta.
Kara Kimbrough is a food and travel writer from Mississippi. Email her at
kkprco@yahoo.com.