Slow Cooker American Chop Suey

Being from New England, hubby often requests American chop suey.  It's a traditional New England comfort one-pot dinner... simple and good.  I put my new Ninja 3-in-1 cooking system to the test and it rallied!  I set it to the stove top setting and browned the beef and then switched it to the slow cooker setting... again, clean-up was a cinch!  The Ninja rocks!  This is a recipe that I found online (thanks Stephanie O'Dea) and modified a bit.

INGREDIENTS:
1 lb. lean ground beef (or ground turkey)

5-6 slices of bacon, chopped

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 pkg. fajita veggies from the produce aisle (or slice your own; 1 onion and 1-2 peppers)

1 26-ounce jar pasta or marinara sauce

3 cans diced tomatoes with juice

1 cup water (plus more if necessary at the end)

Minced garlic to taste

1 Tablespoon Italian seasoning

Fresh ground pepper to taste

1 1-pound package elbow macaroni, uncooked

Shredded cheese for topping (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

Brown the ground beef and bacon in skillet with extra virgin olive oil.

Place the beef mixture in 6-quart slow cooker.

Add the fajita veggies (peppers and onions).

Add the pasta sauce, diced tomatoes, and water.

Add the remaining ingredients, except for the pasta and cheese, and stir to combine.

Cook on low heat for 6 to 8 hours.

About 30 minutes prior to serving, stir in the uncooked elbow macaroni.

Continue to cook until the macaroni is al dente, about 30 minutes.
(Add more water if it becomes too dry).

Serve in pasta bowls and top with cheese.