• 1 pound Great Northern beans. Soak overnight, then rinse and drain.
• 3/4 cup onion, chopped
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 1 1/2 pounds beef short ribs
• 6 cups water
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup barbecue sauce

How to Make It:

Place the soaked beans into the slow cooker. Add the onion and pepper. Place the short ribs in the slow cooker. Pour the water over the top and stir gently.

Cover and cook on low heat setting for 10 hours.

Remove the short ribs from the slow cooker and use a fork to shred the meat off the bones. Return the meat to the slow cooker and discard the bones. Pour in the barbecue sauce.

Recover, turn the heat setting to high and continue cooking 30 minutes.

Serves 8.

**If you want a little more of a beef taste, reduce the water to 4 cups and add 1 can of beef broth to the crock pot.  Always be sure to soak the beans.  This will ensure a soft bean when the soup is done.

• 1 pound turkey breast cut in cubes
• 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 (8 -ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 cup pumpkin, peeled, seeded and cubed
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup frozen corn
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 (4-ounce) pkg. Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

How to Make It:

Place the turkey into a slow cooker. Pour the tomatoes and juice on top of the turkey. Add in the black beans. Pour the tomato sauce into the mixture and stir to combine. Add the pumpkin, onion, garlic, and corn.  Stir in the chicken broth. Sprinkle in the chili powder and mix the ingredients together well.

Cover and cook on the low temperature setting for 10 hours. Sprinkle the cheese over the top just before serving.

Serves 6.

** Add a 1/2 cup of dried cranberries to the mix for a slightly different taste. If your chili is too thick, add more chicken broth during the cooking time.

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 1/2 pounds beef flank steak cut into cubes
• 1 onion, chopped
• 5 small carrots, thinly sliced
• 4 cups cabbage, shredded
• 4 red potatoes, diced
• 2 stalks of celery, diced
• 2 (14.5-ounce) cans tomatoes, diced
• 2 (14.5-ounce) cans beef broth
• 1 (10 3/4-ounce) can tomato soup
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
• 1 teaspoon parsley flakes

How to Make It:

Place the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat and allow it to heat to hot but not smoking. Place the steak cubes and onion into the hot oil. Brown the steak 8 minutes or until no longer pink in the middle being sure to stir occasionally. Drain the steak and onions well.

Transfer to the slow cooker. Add the carrots, cabbage, potatoes, and celery to the slow cooker. Stir the tomatoes along with juice into the slow cooker. Pour the beef broth and the tomato soup into the clow cooker. Sprinkle in the sugar, Italian seasoning, and parsley flakes. Stir until all the ingredients are combined together well.

Cover and cook on the low setting for 8 to 9 hours making sure the meat and vegetables are tender before serving.

Serves  8.

**Any steak can work in this wonderful soup.  Leftover roast also works well.  Canned or frozen vegetables can be used in place of fresh vegetables if you prefer.