Momnesia

Easy Crockpot Dinner

Just wanted to share this with you on a morning when it's cold, after a weekend of cold, after a week of cold, and with the knowledge that it ain't gettin' warm any time soon. Something about winter - and cold - makes me not want to do anything. I go into Mommy Hibernation. So I pull out easy soup and one-pot recipes, like chili, sherried mushroom bisque (can't believe I've never posted this recipe - will do so soon), sausage soup, and Greek chicken soup.

But this morning, I made my laziest, most no-cook, most made-up, most Real-Chef-Horrifying meal. It would give Chef Heinz at La Maison the vapors. And I do not care. I love it, and it's easy.

Spicy-Sweet Meatballs Over Minute Rice
1 pkg precooked frozen meatballs
1 jar Peach-Pineapple Chipotle Salsa
1/2 salsa jar of water
some Sriracha sauce
some brown mustard
all the rice you wanna make


Take all ingredients listed before the rice, pour in a crockpot, and stir well. Set crockpot on low. Go away for a very long time. Come back. Stir. Make rice. Put rice on plates. Spoon meatballs over rice. The end.

Now, I always try to do plenty of vegetables with my meals, so I sometimes stir in a package of frozen stir-fry vegetables about an hour before the meatballs cook. Or I might stir-fry the vegetables separately and serve as a side. It doesn't matter, actually, because the fruit and vegetables in the salsa kind of serve that purpose. But more vegetables = better.

Variations: Also, we've actually stopped using Minute Rice, and now use a whole grain-and-rice mix, black rice, or quinoa. Still pretty flippin' easy. You could even use plain couscous, and pretend like it's Moroccan food, the way one restaurant in town does. In addition, you can really use any salsa you'd like. I'll bet a mango salsa would be awesome! Or you can use a regular salsa and add some chili powder and make them southwest meatballs. That might be a little weird, but tasty.