Crock Pot Roast Beef

This is an easy recipe (almost brainless!), yet I always get huge compliments!!

You know me, though. Everything is approximate!!

1 big chunk of beef (maybe 3-5 pounds)
1 envelope Lipton Onion Soup mix
1 small can of Cream of Mushroom Soup

Place the chunk of meat in the crock pot. Sprinkle with the entire envelope of onion soup mix. Spread the entire can of mushroom soup over the top. Cover and cook on high.

What I do: Usually, I put a frozen chunk of meat in there around 10:00am or so, and it is totally done (falling apart) by 5:00pm. I typically turn it down to low around 4:00 because we eat pretty late (when daddy gets home).

Resist opening the crock pot. Every time you do, you need to add 30 minutes to the cooking time.

This makes great gravy, so be sure to make some mashed potatoes to go with it!

Clam Chowder

I have experimented with at least three different clam chowder recipes, and always come back to this one. Enjoy!

1 cup water
1 8oz can minced clams, undrained
1 chicken bouillon cube
2 cups potatoes
2 cups carrots, peeled and sliced
1 1/2 cups minced onion
1 T. parsley
1 can cream of celery soup
2 cups milk
2 1/2 t. seasoning salt
8 oz. shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Pour water and juice from clams into sauce pan. Add diced potatoes, carrots, bouillon, onions, and parsley. Simmer til veggies are tender. Add cream soup, clams, milk, cheese, and seasoning salt. Heat gently but do not boil. It is best to make the day before or early in the day you plan to eat it. Much more flavorful!

Honey Dijon Grilled Salmon

(All measurements are approximate, since I really just toss it all together!)

2 TBS Butter
2 TBS Dijon Mustard
2 TBS Honey
1 clove garlic, pressed or chopped
Salt and pepper

Melt butter and add garlic. Saute for a tiny bit. Add Mustard and Honey. Stir until well combined. Spread over salmon fillet, sprinkle with salt and pepper and grill!

When I grill salmon, I make a little tray out of foil (with edges and all that so that the juices don't spill onto the grill). I put the skin side down, then just put the "tray" directly on the grill. I typically grill on medium heat until the thickest part flakes with a fork. When it is time to serve, the skin sticks to the tray and we only get the meat.

Okay, so it's not an exact science. Sometimes, when I'm feeling lazy, I just sprinkle the fillet with garlic powder, squeeze some Dijon and honey over the top, spread it around, sprinkle with salt and pepper and grill!

This recipe makes fish-haters love salmon!

Black Bean Enchiladas

I just searched this site, thinking that I MUST have shared this recipe before, but I guess I haven't! It is my typical "dinner guest recipe" because it is fairly easy, feeds a lot of people, and gets a lot of compliments.

Black Bean Enchiladas

At noon:
Place 5 or 6 frozen chicken breasts in a crock pot.
Sprinkle with one packet of Taco Seasoning.
Cook on high for about 5 hours. Don't add water and don't open the crock pot! Every time you open the crock pot, you add 30 minutes to your cooking time. It is not worth it.

When the chicken breasts are done, they will be in a bunch of liquid. Don't drain it. Use your kitchen shears or a couple of forks and shred the chicken, mixing the taco seasoning well.

In a blender:
1 can of black beans (drained)
1 cup of mild salsa
1 Tbs lime juice
1 garlic clove
Blend well.
(This also tastes wonderful with some cilantro tossed in. Maybe 1/4 c. fresh.)

Shred 2 cups of cheddar cheese.
Add 1 cup of cheese to the bean mixture (either blend it or stir it in).
Pour about 1/2 cup of the bean mixture into the chicken and mix well.
Pour about 1/4 cup of the bean mixture in the bottom of a casserole dish and spread it across the bottom of the dish (this is just so it doesn't stick!).
In the casserole dish, layer flour tortillas, chicken, cheese, tortillas, chicken, cheese until you run out. (Of course, you could always roll the chicken in the tortillas!)
Pour the bean mixture over the top of the casserole and top with remaining cheese.
Bake for about 20-30 minutes or until the edges look crispy and the cheese has melted.
Serve with sour cream!

Grilled pizza

The other night I tried a recipe for bbq grilled pizza. We love homemade pizza, but with the heat I did not want to use my oven. I had always wanted to try a recipe like this, but was a little skeptical about it actually turning out! I doubled the dough recipe and made eight personal pizzas. My family really enjoyed it. You can find the recipe/tutorial here. Enjoy!

(I posted a picture of my pizzas on my blog if you want to see a less-gourmet, first-timer's attempts. )

Meat Marinade

A friend from church gave me this recipe and we had it a few nights ago on a pork roast cooked the the crockpot. We shredded up the pork and served in on buns. It was fantastic! I think I'll try it on BBQ chicken pieces next.

1 t. basil (I used a few fresh leaves, chopped up)
1 t. oregano
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper
1/4 t. minced garlic
2 T. soy sauce
1 T. oil
1 T. ketchup

Mix together in a small bowl and pour over meat. Marinade for about 30 minutes. Can be used for steak, chicken or pork, also may be doubled for a larger cut of meat.

Zucchini Dinner Pancakes

I make these every zucchini season. The kids and I love them with butter for a quick and simple supper.


2 cups grated zucchini
½ -1 cup cheese
1 cup Bisquick or pancake mix
2 eggs (slightly beaten)

Lowry's Seasoning Salt (sprinkle on while cooking)

Mix all ingredients with enough milk or water to make pancake consistency batter. Cook at a lower temp and longer time than regular pancakes to let the zucc cook. 

Skillet Spaghetti

I just posted a recipe on my blog for one of my family's favorite meals. I don't always like regular spaghetti, but I love this dish. It is easy to have the ingredients on hand...and easy to prepare! You can find the recipe here.

Burgers

With the warmer weather comes more opportunities to break out the grill. We were in the mood for a nice juicy burgers yesterday so here is the recipe I use. It is very simple, but turned out yummy:

Ground Beef
1/2-1 packet onion soup mix (I buy onion soup mix in bulk and add about 2-3 T. per pounds of meat)
a couple shakes steak sauce (per pound of meat)

Mix it all together with your hands and form into nice big patties. Sprinkle with salt. Have your husband grill them to perfection and eat them outside with you favorite toppings. We love grilled onions and avocado!

What is your best basic burger recipe?? I'm curious.

BBQ Meatballs by PW

I love to look at the Pioneer Woman's recipes. Every one I've tried turns out very delicious. The latest were meat balls. They were so tender and delicious! The sauce was also yummy, a step up from regular ketchup. I added a TBS. of Pampered Chef's Smokey BBQ Rub. I hope you try them. Follow this link.

*Because I was short on time, I skipped the freeze/flour/frying pan steps and just baked them. It was really quick and simple. I made mine smaller (about an 1 1/2 across) and they baked in 30 minutes.

Chicken & Corn Chili

This is my first entry to this blog. I felt so honored when my friend, Lindsay, asked if I would like to contribute! This recipe is an easy crock pot one. The chicken breasts do not have to be thawed, and I usually add an extra one to the recipe to make a little more for leftovers. My only problem is remembering to start this recipe in the morning! (Note: I tried adding six chicken breasts to the original recipe for guests, but it tasted a little too chicken-y. I should have just doubled the whole recipe.)


4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1 16oz jar salsa
2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. chili powder
salt/ pepper
1 can corn
1 can black beans


Place the chicken, salsa, and seasonings in a crock pot. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. Two hours before serving, shred the chicken with two forks and return to crock on low. Stir in the corn and beans, simmer until ready to serve.

Serve with cheese and sour cream.

Easy Pesto Chicken with Angel Hair Pasta

This is a family favorite. My 6 year old is really into Dr. Seuss right now so he loves the idea of "green chicken". I love this recipe because it's so easy and has lots of flavor. Plus the leftovers taste great cold in a salad--yum!

Ingredients:

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 container of pesto (or make your own)
2 plum tomatoes
1 box angel hair pasta

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450. In a glass baking dish (I used my 8x8 pyrex) pour about 1/3 of the pesto. Lay chicken flat on top of the pesto. Pour remaining pesto over the chicken. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes. Slice tomatoes into thin slices and place them on top of the chicken for the last 5 minutes. You can also sprinkle a little parmesan cheese on top if desired. Serve over cooked angel hair pasta.

Enchilada Casserole (again)

My MOPS group recently did a meeting on cooking. We had 2 cooking demos and one was for this Enchilada Casserole submitted by Kelleigh here on Food Love. I was inspired to try the recipe at home and my family loves it. I've now tried it with beef as stated in the recipe and chicken (about 2 cups cooked and cubed). This is hearty and delicious and could not be faster to make. I may never spend hours on the "real" enchiladas again.

Turkey Tetrazzini

America's Test Kitchen recipes never disappoint - - they often take forever and a day to prepare, but they are delicious. One recipe I really like for a quick, hearty dinner is their Turkey Tetrazzini. It's almost as simple as one of those boxed dinners like Pasta Roni and this is much cheaper and better for you.


Turkey Tetrazzini
2 tbs. butter
1/2 onion finely chopped
3 cups egg noodles
2 cups low sodium chicken broth (I used water and chicken base/boulion)
1 cup whole milk
1 cup peas
2 cups chopped cooked turkey, chicken, ham, or tuna

Saute onion in butter about 5 minutes and add the noodles and liquid. Simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally about 10 minutes. Add turkey, chicken, ham, or tuna and peas. Heat an additional 5 minutes more.

*The original recipe calls for button mushrooms sauted with the onion and then removed from the pan.

White Bean Stew & Greens

We tried this recipe from Family Circle Magazine last night. Everyone really liked it, even my picky 5 year old.

Ingredients:

4 slices bacon, cut crosswise into 1/2 inch pieces*
1 small onion, chopped
2 cans (15.5 oz) cannelini beans, drained and rinsed.
1 teaspoon fresh chopped rosemary
1 cup low sodium chicken broth
1 bunch kale, rinsed, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces (about 7 cups)
1/8 teaspoon each salt and black pepper

Directions:

Cook bacon in a Dutch oven** over medium heat for 6 minutes or until crips; remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Add onion to pot and cook for 5 minutes or until softened. Stir in beans and rosemary and cook 1 minute. Add broth to pot; bring to simmer.

Stir kale into beans in pot and cover; cook 5 minutes. Remove cover and stir kale until wilted. Stir in reserved bacon, salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

_________________________
*For the bacon we just had our grocery store butcher wrap up 4 slices of bacon instead of buying a whole big package. It cost only 73 cents.

** I don't have a Dutch oven so I just used a stock pot and it worked out great.

Teriyaki Beef stirfry

Another recipe tried and taken from allrecipes.com. The actual recipe was for chicken, but I used it for a beef stirfry and I loved it. (My husband and children are not into stirfrys, so all the more for me to eat today for leftovers).

INGREDIENTS:
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon cold water
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground black
pepper

Beef or chicken

Assorted stirfry veggies

DIRECTIONS:
1.In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch, cold water, sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, ginger and ground black pepper. (I added about 1/4 cup of water instead of the 1TBS). Set aside.

2. Stirfry up your meat and veggies in a bit of hot oil.

3. When they are almost finished cooking, add the sauce, stir and simmer for 5 minutes. Serve with rice or chow mein noodles.

Picnic Chicken Pita's

I made some Pita Bread yesterday and filled it with this filling. More of a summertime food, (great to take on a picnic and assemble pita's on the spot) but still good anytime!

1 pkg. frozen broccoli florets, cooked and drained (I used fresh broccoli, steamed)
2 cups cooked and cubed chicken
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 med tomato, chopped
1/4 cup mayo
2 T. prepared mustard
1/2 t. salt (or to taste)
1/8 t. pepper
4 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
4 pita breads, halved

In a large bowl combine the broccoli, chicken, crumbled bacon, cheese and tomato. In a small bowl combine mayo, mustard, salt and pepper. Pour over broccoli mixture and toss to coat. Spoon into pitas and enjoy!

Amazing Chicken

I found this on Allrecipes.com a few days ago and the simplicity of it was enough for me to try it. We had it tonight for supper (my fingers are still greasy as I type). And yes, it was amazing. Probably the best chicken I have cooked as far back as I can remember (which probably isn't that far). Yes, it is full of fat, but it is baked, not fried so that was fine with me (and yes, I can also rationalize chocolate and ice cream any time of the day). So here it is:

INGREDIENTS
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 cups Italian seasoned bread crumbs



DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Grease a shallow baking dish.
Coat chicken breasts on all sides with mayonnaise, and roll in bread crumbs until coated. Place coated breasts into the prepared pan.
Bake uncovered for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until chicken is no longer pink in the middle, and the juices run clear.

Pork

I bought some pork loins at the store with the intention of making BBQed pulled pork. I do this all the time and just cook the meat until it is tender, pull it apart with a fork and then slather it in Cattleman's. It is delicious. But this time, I tried a new combination of ingredients when I cooked the meat and it was really tasty even before the BBQ sauce. I decided to just cut it up and serve it with mashed potatoes and gravy as is and share this strange, but good recipe with you.

Cast of characters: salt, pepper, beef bullion, A1, and Lawry's. Not pictured: 1 onion and a splash of Worcestershire sauce.

I salted and peppered the meat and then browned it in hot oil. Then I put it in the crock-pot and added a few shakes of Laury's, a splash of Worcestershire, a TBS. of beef bullion, an onion in big chunks (to remove later -- my family thinks they don't like onions) and then I doused the top with A1 (about 1/4 cup). I added 2 cups of water and put the crock-pot on high for 5 hours or so. It started to smell good and I turned it down to low for a few more hours.

It was at the smelling-good point I decided to take it out and cut it on a cutting board and finish cooking it on the stove (I needed to speed things up). I simmered it on low for about 20 minutes as I made the mashed potatoes and gravy, took little bits now and then and made groaning noises as I enjoyed the salty, smokey, and rich flavor. It was so tender and delicious.

Next time I will try this list of ingredients with beef because I liked it so much.

Dragon Steak Sandwiches

Actually, the recipe is called Marlboro Man's Favorite Sandwich, and I hijacked it from Pioneer Woman. My husband is automatically inclined to dislike anything that is someone else's favorite, so it was with much coercion that I finally got him to try this sandwich. But there is something irresistible to a man about the combination of beef, onions, Worcestershire and Tabasco. I've made it a couple of times now and I keep getting the same reaction: "Oh! It's so good! Yum! Pass the hot sauce. Quit calling it Marlboro Man's sandwich. It just sounds wrong."

So we had to rename it in order to keep it on the menu. Steak and Onion sandwich seemed so boring. Then along came Soren with the answer to our delima. Soren is the 4-year-old son of a friend of ours. While preparing this particular meal one afternoon during a recent camping trip, I overheard this conversation between Soren and another adult in the group:

S: You don't kill loving dragons. Only the mean ones.

A: What happens when you kill a mean dragon?

S: They turn into dragon steak.

A: Dragon steak? Is that good?

S: No. It's spicy because dragons have fire in their mouths.

A: You don't like spicy dragon steak?

S: No. I don't like dragon steak. It's too spicy. Uncle Paul* likes it!

*Uncle Paul is my husband. His fondness for things that scorch the mouths of the average person is apparently legendary.

Thus Marlboro Man's Favorite Sandwich/Steak and Onion sandwich was re-named yet again, the Dragon Steak Sandwich.

The beauty of this recipe is that it can be adjusted to your own spicy (or not) preference. I make it to my taste, which is very mild, and serve it to my husband with a bottle of Tabasco. It's also super easy, and you can make the filling and freeze it. Just add a little water when you defrost it so it stays nice and saucy. Enjoy!

Dragon Steak Sandwiches (as it appears on the Pioneer Woman's blog)