Perfect Pot Roast

A couple of weeks ago, our local Target ad had chuck roasts on sale for really cheap.

And if there's one thing I love in the winter (even if it is 65 out...), it's comfort food. I'm a big fan of the pioneer woman (who isn't?), and I knew she had a pot roast recipe that looked great. Time to give it a whirl!

First, let me tell you that the smell of this cooking is absolute heaven. It's all I could stand to let it cook completely, because I sure wanted to dig in after the first hour. Don't skip out on the herbs. It makes it smell that much more amazing.

Perfect Pot Roast

(Recipe by Ree Drummond)

via

Ingredients

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• One 3 to 5-pound chuck roast
• 2 or 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 whole onions, peeled and halved
• 6 to 8 whole carrots, unpeeled, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 1 cup red wine, optional
• 3 cups beef broth (my roast was only 2.5 lbs, so I didn't need this much at all)
• 2 or 3 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 2 or 3 sprigs fresh thyme

Directions

Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F.

Generously salt and pepper the chuck roast.

Heat the olive oil in large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the halved onions to the pot, browning them on both sides. Remove the onions to a plate.

Throw the carrots into the same very hot pot and toss them around a bit until slightly browned, about a minute or so. Reserve the carrots with the onions.

If needed, add a bit more olive oil to the very hot pot. Place the meat in the pot and sear it for about a minute on all sides until it is nice and brown all over. Remove the roast to a plate.

With the burner still on high, use either red wine or beef broth (about 1 cup) to deglaze the pot, scraping the bottom with a whisk. Place the roast back into the pot and add enough beef stock to cover the meat halfway.

Add in the onions and the carrots, along with the fresh herbs.

Put the lid on, then roast for 3 hours for a 3-pound roast. For a 4 to 5-pound roast, plan on 4 hours. The roast is ready when it's fall-apart tender. 

Low and Slow Dutch Oven Fajitas

I have to admit, I was skeptical of this one.
I've only really made fajitas either by skillet or on the grill. But the flavor combos in this recipe just seemed too good, so I had to give it a try. SO glad I did!
It's super super easy and full of flavor. Plus, health-wise, it's great! You can add as many veggies as you like. I topped mine with a little bit of cheddar jack cheese and avocado. SO good.

Low and Slow Dutch Oven Fajitas

(Recipe by Country Cleaver)

via

Ingredients:

• 1-2 pounds Flank Steak
• 1 1/2 tsp. Chili Powder
• 1 tsp Cumin
• 1 tsp Coriander Seeds (I didn't have any, so I skipped it)
• 1 tsp Ground Pepper
• 3 Garlic cloves, minced
• 2 Tbsp. Soy Sauce
• 1 Jalapeno, chopped
• 1/2 cup Jarred Roasted Red Peppers, chopped
• 1/2 Onion, chopped
• 2 Fresh Bell Peppers, sliced
• 8 Low Carb Whole Wheat Tortillas
• Sliced lime for garnish

Avocado for topping

1 bunch Cilantro

1 Avocado

Directions:

In a dutch oven, stir together all spices, soy sauce, coriander seeds, jarred red peppers, chopped onion, jalapeno and garlic.
With half of the mixture in the bottom of the dutch oven, place flank steak on top. With remaining second half of mixture, pour over the flank steak coating it.
Place on stove over medium low heat for 5 hours, or until the meat pull apart with a pair of forks. During last hour of cooking, slice bell peppers, removing the seeds and place into dutch oven to steam and cook.
The fresh peppers will retain their structure, where the jarred peppers will be nearly indistinguishable after cooking.
Serve with warm tortillas, and any other extra toppings you like - such as, cheese, cilantro, avocado, and slices of lime for spritzing on top.
Makes 4 servings.

Slow-cooker Beef Stew

I love me some hearty beef stew, especially on a chilly rainy day.

This one is my favorite.

And for you Weight Watchers fans, a cup is only 5 points.
Not too bad for how delicious and filling it is!

The red wine gives it a deep flavor, which is nice. But if you shy away from using wine in your cooking, you can always add some good quality red grape juice.

It only uses a 1/2 cup, so it shouldn't alter the flavor enough to make a massive difference.

Enjoy!

Slowcooker Beef Stew

(Original recipe by Rosa Minehan,
published in Nov/Dec 2007 Paula Deen Magazine)

Ingredients

• 2 pounds beef stew meat
• 3 large carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 medium baking potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can Italian-style diced tomatoes
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can beef broth
• 1 (10.75 ounce) can tomato soup
• 1/2 cup red wine
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1/2 tsp garlic salt

Directions

In a 6-qt electric slow cooker, combine all ingredients. Cover and cook on Low 8 to 9 hours, or until beef is tender.

Beef and Cheese Manicotti

This last week has been crazy busy for me.

Lots of birthdays, a baby shower, and trying to keep up with a toddler leaves a person kinda worn out. Anyways, the plus side is that I've been able to try out new recipes. This is one I made last night for my family. It was my little sister's, mom's, and grandmother's birthdays (all within the same week). We had them over for dinner last night, and it was so fun. I really love to entertain.

Sure, I get a little stressed trying to get everything perfect, but honestly? It's half the fun.

I tend to break a lot of rules though.

One being that I love to try out new recipes for the first time when I'm inviting people over.

I know. Usually an entertainer's nightmare.

But it always works out for me (knock on wood!), so I just roll with it. My family loves Italian food (but we're sooo not Italian). I went searching for something that looked really yummy on Food Network.

Gotta say, I love Giada. Sometimes I don't quite trust her cooking. I mean, she's super skinny. Her husband is all athletic. And usually skinny = nobody's eating her food.

Anyways, I digress.

She totally won me over with this one, though.

SUCH a crowd pleaser.

I changed a few things, but nothing major. Just enhanced it a bit. :)

Seriously, you have to try it.

Beef and Cheese Manicotti

(Original recipe by Giada de Laurentiis)

(Photo courtesy of Food Network)

Ingredients

• 4 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 pound ground beef
• 1/2 pound mild Italian sausage
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 14 (8-ounce package) manicotti
• 1 (15-ounce) container whole-milk ricotta
• 3 cups shredded mozzarella
• 1 cup grated Parmesan
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 cups marinara sauce
• 2 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces

Directions

Heat a heavy medium skillet over medium heat. Add 1 teaspoon of the olive oil, onion, 1 clove garlic, sausage, and ground beef. Season with salt and pepper. Saute until the meat browns and the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, and cool.

Brush 1 teaspoon of oil over a large baking sheet. Cook the manicotti in a large pot of boiling salted water until slightly softened, but still very firm to the bite, about 4 to 6 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the manicotti from the pot to the oiled baking sheet and cool.

Meanwhile, combine the ricotta, 1 1/2 to 2 cups mozzarella cheese, 1/2 cup Parmesan, and parsley. Add the garlic, salt, and pepper to taste, and mix. Stir the cooled meat mixture into the cheese mixture.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Brush the remaining 2 teaspoons of oil over a 13 by 9 by 2-inch glass baking dish. Spoon 1 1/2 cups of the marinara sauce over the bottom of the prepared dish. Fill the manicotti with the cheese-meat mixture. Arrange the stuffed pasta in a single layer in the prepared dish and spoon the remaining sauce over.

Sprinkle the remaining 1 1/2 cups of mozzarella cheese, then the remaining 1/2 cup of Parmesan over the stuffed pasta. Dot entire dish with the butter pieces. Bake the manicotti uncovered until heated through and the sauce bubbles on the sides of the dish, about 30 to 35 minutes. Let the manicotti stand 5 minutes and serve.

Yields 6 servings.

(depending on how much you eat. this fed all 6 of us, plus we had plenty for leftovers)

Tastes Like Lasagna Soup

This soup is oh-so-yummy and filling.

Tastes Like Lasagna Soup

(by Paula Deen)

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground chuck
• 1   onion, chopped
• 1   green bell pepper, chopped
• 3   cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon thyme
• 1 tablespoon firmly packed brown sugar
• 1   (32 ounce) box chicken broth
• 2   (14.5 ounce) can petite diced tomatoes
• 1   (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cup broken lasagna noodles
• 1   (5 ounce) package grated parmesan cheese
• 2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• garlic crostini, recipe follows

Garlic Crostini:

• 1 thin French baguette
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 cloves smashed garlic
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

In a large Dutch oven, combine ground chuck, onion, bell pepper and garlic. Cook over medium-high heat for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until beef is browned and crumbles. Drain well. 
Stir in thyme, brown sugar, broth, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, Italian seasoning, and salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes. Add noodles, and simmer until noodles are tender. Stir in Parmesan cheese.
Preheat broiler. Ladle soup into 8 to 10 ovenproof bowls. Evenly sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Broil soups, 6-inches from heat, 3 to 4 minutes, until cheese is browned and bubbly. Add a garlic crostini slice on top. Serve immediately. 

For the garlic crostini: 
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 
Cut bread into 1/4-inch round slices. Place on baking sheet and brush each slice with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper; place in oven and bake until golden and crisp, about 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool slightly. Rub each side with smashed garlic cloves. 

Yields 8-10 servings

Old-Fashioned Meat Loaf

I kept debating whether or not to even post this recipe. It's not that it's not absolutely delicious. It's just that it's so basic. But like I've said before, this blog isn't about elaborate, crazy, how-the-heck-did-she-do-that type food. It's about passing along recipes that I've tested and really liked. Stuff that (for the most part) is super easy to make and is a crowd pleaser.
Meat loaf is kind of one of those ho-hum, Monday night type dishes. But honestly, this was one of the first dinners I made where my husband said, "This is the best meat loaf I've ever tasted". Talk about a confidence booster! It really is so basic and simple to throw together (might I add, cheap?), but is so full of flavor.

Old-Fashioned Meat Loaf

(Original recipe by Paula Deen)

Photo source: Food Network

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground beef (for a more healthy dish, use ground turkey instead. For fancier, try adding equal parts veal and pork to the ground beef.)
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup chopped bell pepper
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 8 ounces canned diced tomatoes with juice (I can't seem to find an 8 oz can, so I just use a measuring cup... just try to keep the tomato/juice proportion about equal... nobody likes a runny loaf. hehe).
• 1/2 cup quick-cooking oats

Topping:

• 1/3 cup ketchup
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon prepared mustard

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Mix all meatloaf ingredients well and place in a baking dish. Shape into a loaf (or like me, just use a loaf pan... for the life of me, my "loaf" never looked quite right when shaped it myself. The whole point of not using a loaf pan, though, was so that the topping would cover the sides as well. Try it though. Maybe you'll be more successfull at it than me).

Topping:

Mix ingredients for topping and spread on loaf. Bake for 1 hour.

It says it yields about 4 servings, but if so, those are some pretty hefty servings. I'd say more like 5 or 6, especially if you're having mashed potatoes with it.

Also, try making the leftovers into a sandwich. Yum.

Sloppy Joes

Growing up, we didn't eat Sloppy Joes all that often. I'm not sure why? I guess because it meant more mess for my mom to clean up. :) But my husband loves them. Once I made this dish, he was a total fan.

Sure, it's easy to pick up a canned mix, but I like the idea of using fresh ingredients. It makes it much healthier for you, plus this recipe really isn't all that hard.

Just toss it all together, cook, and serve!

The best part is that it calls for items I typically already have in my pantry/fridge.

It's a great go-to dinner when you're just not in the mood for anything complicated, but you don't want to sacrifice taste and quality.

Sloppy Joes

(Original recipe by the Neelys)

(Photo courtesy of Food Network)

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 pounds lean ground beef
• 1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 cup barbecue sauce
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon hot sauce (recommended: Tabasco)
• 4 hamburger buns, split
• Barbecue sauce, for topping

Directions

Heat oil in a large skillet with straight sides. Add the bell peppers and garlic. Saute until tender, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Add the ground beef to the vegetables. Stir and cook about 8 minutes, until the meat is no longer pink and fully cooked.

Add tomato sauce, tomato paste, barbecue sauce, Worcestershire, and hot sauce into the skillet. Stir. Simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes. Serve on hamburger bun with extra sauce.
Serves 4.

Perfect Char-Grilled Filet Mignon

Anyone out there not having to stuff little stockings or attend Christmas programs or worry about leaving Santa some cookies? How about taking advantage with a fancy, homemade meal?
How about you moms and dads... any of you needing a nice, romantic dinner for two?
I know, I know. Roll your eyes all you want. But try this: stick Rudolph in the dvd player, order them some $5 pizza, and then you have a nice (sorta) quiet dinner all to yourselves.

I know filets aren't quite budget friendly all of the time, but check your local circulars. Sometimes you can find an awesome deal (our local HT is having a special on them this week). But even if they're not on sale, treat yourself. With all of the Christmas craziness, it's nice to unwind to a good dinner... especially a melt-in-your-mouth, steak dinner!

Perfect Char-Grilled Filet Mignon

(Original recipe by Paula Deen)

(Photo courtesy of Food Network)

Ingredients

• 1 (8-ounce) bottle zesty Italian salad dressing
• 2 beef tenderloin fillets, 1 1/2 -2 inches thick
• 2 slices bacon
• 2 tablespoons steak sauce (Paula recommends Lea and Perrins Steak Sauce, but I just used A1 since my hubby loves the taste so much)
• 2 teaspoons water

Directions

Pour the salad dressing into a shallow pan, place the steaks in the pan and let them marinate for 3 to 4 hours. Prepare a fire in a charcoal grill (I used a gas grill; you could also use a grill pan if it's too cold outside). Wrap a strip of bacon around each steak, securing it with a toothpick or kitchen twine. Grill the steaks over hot coals for about 8 minutes per side (5 minutes per side for rare). Baste with a mixture of steak sauce and water. For perfect steaks, turn them only once.

Goes well with Garlic Mashed Potatoes.

Mama's Lasagna

I used to rely on my grandmother's lasagna recipe every time I was in the mood for some good Italian food. And while hers is still good, I now have a new favorite.
I made this awhile back for my husband, and this has become his new favorite as well. It's cheesy, meaty, and best of all... easy!

Mama's Lasagna

• 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus extra for pan
• 1 pound ground beef or turkey
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 (14.5-ounce) can stewed tomatoes, chopped
• 1 (8-ounce) jar tomato sauce
• 1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
• 1 (8-ounce) box no-boil lasagna noodles
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups cottage cheese
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
• 2 teaspoons freshly chopped parsley leaves
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon seasoning salt
• 1 (8-ounce) bag shredded mozzarella
• 1 (8-ounce) bag shredded Cheddar

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly oil the bottom of a 13 by 9 by 2-inch baking dish.

In a large saute pan, over medium-high heat, add 1 tablespoon oil and saute meat, onion, and garlic until meat is browned, breaking up meat with a wooden spoon. Drain pan of fat and add stewed tomatoes, tomato sauce, and tomato paste. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, then mix in cottage cheese, 1/2 cup Parmesan, parsley, salt, pepper, and seasoning salt.

Spread a little of the meat sauce in the bottom of the prepared pan. Lay half the noodles in the bottom of the baking dish, overlapping by 1/2-inch. Spread half the egg and cottage cheese mixture evenly on top. Sprinkle half the mozzarella and Cheddar evenly over the cottage cheese mixture. Pour half the meat sauce on top. Repeat layering in same order. Sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan on top. Bake in center of oven 30 to 35 minutes until sauce is bubbling around the edges. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Serves 6-8 (maybe fewer if they like it as much as my hubby did!).