Slow Cooker Beef and Noodle Soup with Artichoke Cheesy Bread

As I type this the hype of Sandy has almost peeked in my area and people are tucking themselves in to their homes to see what this beast has in store for us. At this point I have been warned about high winds, possible snow, and severe power outages. I hope you are reading this in a warm cozy house with power and that Sandy has left you unharmed.

Our strategy included digging out the Pop-Tarts from last years hurricane Irene and pulling the umbrella and chairs off of the porch. I probably should have stocked up on toilet paper and ice just in case but as of right now, Pop-tarts and pretzels are our entire hurricane survival plan.

I also may have packed our crock-pot full of deliciousness in an attempt to use up food in the freezer (in case of a serious outage). This soup is the perfect kind of bad weather meal.

Wishing everyone luck!

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Slow Cooker Beef and Noodle Soup

from Slow Cooker Revolution

Ingredients:

• 2 onions, minced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tbs tomato paste
• 1 tbs vegetable oil
• 2 teas minced fresh thyme
• 6 cups beef broth
• 1 lb cremini mushrooms, cleaned, trimmed, and sliced
• 3 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 2 celery ribs, chopped
• 2 tbs soy sauce
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 1/2 lbs beef blade steak or chuck, trimmed
• salt and pepper
• 3 oz wide egg noodles
• 3 tbs fresh parsley

Preparation:

Combine the onion, garlic, tomato paste and oil in a microwave safe bowl and microwave until onion is soft and bowl flaming hot, about 5 minutes. Transfer to slow cooker.

Pour broth, carrot, celery, mushrooms, soy sauce, and bay leaves in slow cooker and stir.

Sprinkle the beef with salt and pepper and lay in slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 9-11 hours.

Remove beef from slow cooker and place in a bowl. Let rest for 5 minutes then shred into pieces.

Cook egg noodles in a large pot of salted water according to directions on package (or just under since they will be sitting in hot broth anyway). Drain and rinse.

Stir shredded beef and noodles into soup and serve with parsley. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

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Megan’s Killer Artichoke Bread

from Izzy, Crumb Blog who shared it for SRC from Megan

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 14oz can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
• 1 cup shredded mozarella cheese
• 1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1 small loaf ciabatta bread

Preparation:

Line a baking sheet with aluminium foil and preheat the broiler.

Slice the ciabatta roll in half and lightly toast the rolls under the broiler just to firm them up a bit.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high. Swirl the butter and cook until foaming. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Remove from heat and stir in the chopped artichokes, cheeses, and sour cream until melted and combined.

Scoop the artichoke mixture onto the toasted bread and place back on the baking sheet. Broil until the cheese is melted and slightly bubbly. Let cool for a few minutes before serving.

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