Tasty Tuesday

Can you believe that this week marks the LAST week of September? Autumn has arrived (although last week’s temperatures would make one believe otherwise), cold nights are in the 7-day forecast, and October is literally around the corner. This means we’ve all survived the start of another school year, as well as the premieres of all our favorite television shows (some good starts, might I add!).

I’ve shared 6 recipes with you over the past 6 weeks, encouraging you to cycle them in a bi-weekly (or tri-weekly – whatever works for you) to make busy weeknights easier in the kitchen. I hope you are enjoying the recipes, and that despite being busy, you are well fed!

This recipe came to me from my step-mom. It was insanely easy and SUPER tasty. I call it my One Pot Meal, because it’s a roast with the gravy and all the veggies thrown in. All you need to do is grab a loaf of crusty bread to sop up the yummy gravy, and your meal is set. This was originally an oven recipe, utilizing an oven bag to cook the roast over about 2 hours. With my fast-paced life, I had to simplify, so it is now a slow-cooker recipe (of course! Did you expect anything less from me?!?). I throw it all in the crockpot first thing in the morning, and it’s ready to go right at dinnertime. My husband particularly appreciates the leftover red wine!

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Steph’s One Pot Meal

• 2-4 lb eye round of beef, chuck roast or any bottom cut of beef

• 1 packet of Lipton’s Onion Soup Mix

• 1-2 cups of Red Wine or Water (I do 1 cup of wine and 1 cup of water)

• 4-6 red pototes cut into cubes (skinned or not skinned – either way, it tastes good)

• 1 small bag of baby carrots

Pour the Wine/Water into your slow cooker. Add Onion Soup Mix, Potatoes and Carrots. Stir it around to combine. Top with Beef. Cook on low for 8-10 hours. If liquid gets low, add another cup of water or wine. Feel free to turn the beef halfway through the day if you desire. Enjoy!

** If you have leftovers, shred the beef with the gravy for Shredded Beef Sandwiches the next day!**

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This meal is actually cooking in my slow-cooker as we speak. I wish blog posts could convey smell, because the aroma in my house is mouth-watering! Enjoy this recipe! I’ll add 2 or 3 recipes into the rotation for 2 week’s worth of recipes, which gives you a great selection for your rotation! After that, look for some desserts, sides and holiday dishes to add to your (virtual) recipe box!

Have a great week!

You can read more about Steph’s life and recipes at her personal blog, Confessions of a Stay-At-Home Mom.

Tasty Tuesday

To accompany last week’s recipe, I wanted to post another SIMPLE and EASY week night meal for the up and coming Start of School. Like I said last week, schedules get crazy and hectic this time of year. The days start off by waking up, and there is plenty of work/school/extra-curriculars in between. Suddenly it’s 6:00pm, and you realize, “Oh. Dinner. Right.” Last week, I shared a great Baked Ziti recipe. I’ll add another recipe to add to your Busy Week recipe box, so it will be stocked once school hits!

I got this recipe from my sister-in-law, Laura. She has 3 kids, and is my “go-to” Mom resource (“Help! I have a newborn! What do I do?” and “How do you discipline a toddler?” and, of course, “What should I make for dinner?”). She’s awesome. I made this recipe a LOT last Winter, as it’s hot and heavy and filling. It’s so simple and easy, though, I think it is a great meal for the Autumn as well.

This would be a great meal to make in the morning and let simmer on the stove all day. It’s also easily made in the evening, if you can spare an hour for prep/cook time. Otherwise, SAVE YOURSELF THE TROUBLE: Make it the night before, after the kids go to sleep. Put it in the fridge. Reheat it when you get home from the 5,620 things you have to do the next day.

And, can I say it smells AMAZING while it’s cooking? It does.

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Stovetop Veggie-Beef Stew

•2 pkg stew meat (I usually cut the pieces a bit smaller)

•1 medium onion, chopped (did you know you can freeze

onion to use later?)

•olive oil

•1 large potato, diced (about 1 inch)

•1/4-1/2 cup red wine

•frozen veggies – carrots, peas, green beans, corn, etc. — your choice

•1 can tomato paste

•seasonings – salt & pepper, oregano (to taste)

•1/2 cup shredded cheddar (optional)

1) Saute onion and meat in olive oil in a large soup pot until meat is somewhat browned.

2) Add potatoes and saute until somewhat browned.

3) Add red wine and enough water to cover. Bring to a boil and let simmer for roughly 20-30 minutes.

4) Add veggies, cheese (OPTIONAL), tomato paste & seasonings to taste, bring to a boil, then simmer another 30 minutes.

5) Serve with crusty bread and ENJOY!

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Now, when I made it, I did NOT use the optional cheese. It was delectable enough without it. If you are a cheese fan, add it in or sprinkle it over the top. Yum!

If you have a BIG family, or hope for a LOT of leftovers, double the recipe. We had plenty of leftovers with our family of 3 – but every family is different.

Have a great week!

To read more about Steph’s life and recipes, check out her personal blog, Confessions of a Stay-At-Home Mom.

Tasty Tuesday

First, I apologize for my Tasty Tuesday absence last week. I, like many people recently, came down with the nasty stomach bug that has been going around. It was NOT fun. At all. I was so weak, I couldn’t get out of bed. Yuck.

So, to make up for it, this week I bring you a 2-for-1 recipe deal. This recipe (which is, as always, SIMPLE and DELICIOUS) can be made with either beef or chicken, technically leaving you with 2 useful recipes. And it’s a slowcooker recipe.

Life does not get ANY better than simple, delicious 2-for-1 slowcooker recipes. Seriously.

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Mushroom Beef or Chicken

• 2-3 lb Eye Round of Beef,Bottom Round, Rump Roast, Chuck Roast, etc (whatever kind of bottom beef cut you have will do – I usually go with whichever is on sale that week) –OR– 1 package of Chicken Breasts.
• 1 can of Cream of Mushroom soup (condensed)

1) Place meat of choice into your slow cooker.

2) Cover with Mushroom Soup (undiluted). Feel free to use 2 cans if you really like having a lot of gravy to dip bread in!

3) Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

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This is a very tasty meal that comes together in a surprising way. The meat ends up juicy and falling apart, while the mushroom soup thickens into a great gravy/sauce that BEGS for crusty bread. If you are using the chicken, some recommend serving over egg noodles. Try it out!

Until next week….

You can read more about Steph’s life and recipes at her blog, Confessions of a Stay-At-Home Mom.

Tasty Tuesday

Hope you all had a great Spring Break last week (and to the few who have it this week, enjoy it!). I am eating UP this weather! Rather, I am eating OUT in this weather 🙂 Does it get any more beautiful than this? I can’t help but post another Grill-tastic recipe today. If I weren’t babysitting tonight, I’d fire up the grill (rather, I’d politely ask Hubby to fire up the grill, because my attempt would be short-lived and unsuccessful) and whip up this recipe for dinner tonight. This is not one of my recipes. Rather, I caught it on The Food Network last Spring. My mouth started watering as I watched the segment, and I quickly went out to get the recipe. Hubby is already begging me to make the recipe again soon! (If you want to see where I got the recipe from, click on the title below).

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Sandra Lee’s Pineapple Teriyaki Burgers

– Serves 4-

1. 1 1/2 lbs Ground Beef
2. 1 packet Beefy Onion Soup Mix
3. 2 TBS Ginger Teriyaki Marinade Mix (powder form, not liquid) – [recommend McCormick’s Grill Mates]
4. 1 (8oz) can Pineapple Rings (keep rings intact), drained and juice reserved
5. Salt and Pepper
6. 1/3 cup Mayonnaise
7. 1 TBS wasabi paste
8. 1 TBS soy sauce
9. 4 Burger Buns

Combine Beef, Soup Mix, Teriyaki Marinade Mix, and 1/4 cup reserved Pineapple Juice. Form 4 patties slightly larger than bun. Gently press pineapple rings into tops of patties. Season burgers with salt and pepper. Place on grill, starting with pineapple side DOWN. Cook 8 minutes per side for medium.

Mix together Mayo, wasabi paste, soy sauce. Spread on buns. Place burger on buns. Top with lettuce, tomato, onion – or whatever toppings suit you!

Lettuce, Tomato, Onion (for toppings)

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Now, I had difficulty finding the Ginger Teriyaki powdered marinade mix – so I got the closest sounding packet mix. Either way, it turned out amazing.

And what is a BBQ without a little dessert? Here is a great easy add-on for after dinner treats! When fruit is in season, I make this about every other night. So yummy! Try to get your fruit from the local farmer’s market – there are so many great markets in this area! To find one near you, check the LocalHarvest website.

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Fruit Crisp

1. 5 Peaches (or 5 Apples, or 2-3Pts. Blueberries)
2. 1 1/3 cup Brown Sugar (1 1/2 for Apples)
3. 1 cup Flour
4. 1 cup Oats
5. 1 tsp Cinnamon
6. 1 stick Butter, melted

1) Preheat oven to 375º

2) If using Peaches or Apples, peel and cut into bite-sized cubes. If using Blueberries, rinse and drain.

3) Place fruit in a greased 9×9-inch square pan. Mix remaining ingredients, and spread over fruit.

4) Place in oven, and bake until topping is golden brown, approximately 30 minutes.

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Enjoy this weather while it lasts! And leave a comment to let us know how these recipes turn out for YOU!

You can read more about Steph and her recipes at her other blog, Confessions of a Stay-At-Home Mom.

Tasty Tuesday

When I first looked over this recipe, passed along to me by my step-mom, I thought it was all wrong. Have you ever done that? As you mentally think over each ingredient, you start to wonder, “how could this taste good?” This concoction, for all intents and purposes, should not go together.

I am the first to admit when I am wrong.

Ok, that’s probably not true. But I ate my words once I got up the courage to make this recipe. I also ate a LOT of this meal. I put it together a few years ago when I hosted a Super Bowl party. I figured I had nothing to lose: If it was a disaster, I’d just order pizza.

From the moment each ingredient hit the slow cooker, I was amazed. And the house smelled scrumptious. I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop; the point where I’d say, “See, I knew this wouldn’t work.” And it never happened. Everyone who came to the party could not get enough it. The recipe is perfect for a party, where you have to feed a lot of people (I sometimes double or triple the recipe in 2 slow cookers in these cases). It’s also great for a simple weeknight meal for a hungry family!

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Tasty Tuesday

Slow Cooker Shredded Beef

• 1 Beef Roast (Eye Round preferable, but any Bottom Round, Chuck Roast or Rump Roast will do)
• 1 jar of Chili Sauce (found near ketchup in the grocery store)
• 1 Large Jar of WHOLE Kosher Dill Pickles
• 1-4 cloves of garlic, minced (how many you use is up to your palate. I ofted just use 2ish teaspoons of the jarred minced garlic)

Put Roast into the slowcooker, and top with the chili sauce, pickles and garlic. Set on low for 6-10 hours (adjust for your individual crockpot). You will know the meal is done when beef gets tender and falls apart/shreds easily. At this point, REMOVE the pickles. Shred the beef in the crockpot (or shred on a plate and put back into the crockpot). Let the meat soak up the cooking juices (it will take up most of it).

Serve on kaiser rolls. ENJOY!

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Just grab a bag of chips and coleslaw or macaroni salad, and you have yourself dinner! For a more formal meal, do not shred the beef. Slice it up and serve alongside garlic smashed potatoes and a vegetable.

SUPER YUM!

If you try this out, I’d love to hear how it goes for you!

Have a great week, friends! Next week, in honor of nicer weather, I’ll post a great grilling recipe!

You can read more about Steph and her recipes at her other blog, Confessions of a Stay-At-Home Mom.