Beef & Spinach Stew Recipe

This is WONDERFUL and so incredibly easy that it's well worth what little time you have to spend on it & it's good for you--lycopene, protein, whole grains....yummy. I'm giving you estimated measurements here, but I'm a "dumper"--when I cook, I dump more or less of something depending on my mood that day.

1 lb. ground meat, browned (I prefer lean beef, but lean turkey is good, too)
½ tsp black pepper
1 (10 oz.) pkg frozen spinach, partially thawed
1 medium onion, chopped (or 2 T dried onion if you're time-crunched like me)
1 clove garlic, minced
2-3 cups whole wheat egg noodles
1 (10 oz.) can Ro-tel tomatoes/green chilies
1 (10 oz.) can tomato sauce
2-3 cups water (depending on how thin you want this stew & how long you cook it)
Tony’s seasoning—as much as you like
1 c shredded Italian blend cheese (add just before serving)

Dump everything in the crock pot except cheese. Cook on low for 6 hours. Or if you forget to cook supper because the kids are crying, cook on high for 2-3 hours. Oh, and YES, you can cook it on the stove in an hour or less on high, but the flavors don't have time to meld that way, so not recommended unless the kids were really, really cranky that day and you just need something fast so you don't eat a bag of M&M's for supper. Your noodles will breakdown into small pieces, which will make this like a thicker stew. Mmmm---I want to make more just thinking about it.

**If you like spicy food, delete the can of tomato sauce and use an extra can of Ro-tel instead—it was too spicy for me that way, but Doug & Wyatt preferred it that spicy.