Pot Roast

This is my go to Pot Roast recipe.  Its simple and delicious. 

Pot Roast

recipe by Pioneer Woman

Ingredients

• 1 whole (4 To 5 Pounds) Chuck Roast
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 2 whole Onions
• 6 whole Carrots (Up To 8 Carrots)
• Salt To Taste
• Pepper To Taste
• 1 cup Red Wine (optional, You Can Use Beef Broth Instead)
• 2 cups To 3 Cups Beef Stock
• 3 sprigs Fresh Thyme, or more to taste
• 3 sprigs Fresh Rosemary, or more to taste

Preparation Instructions

First and foremost, choose a nicely marbled piece of meat. This will enhance the flavor of your pot roast like nothing else. Generously salt and pepper your chuck roast.

Heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Then add 2 to 3 tablespoons of olive oil (or you can do a butter/olive oil split).

Cut two onions in half and cut 6 to 8 carrots into 2-inch slices (you can peel them, but you don’t have to). When the oil in the pot is very hot (but not smoking), add in the halved onions, browning them on one side and then the other. Remove the onions to a plate.

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

If needed, add a bit more olive oil to the very hot pan. Place the meat in the pan 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 pan, scraping the bottom with a whisk to get all of that wonderful flavor up.

When the bottom of the pan is sufficiently deglazed, place the roast back into the pan and add enough beef stock to cover the meat halfway (about 2 to 3 cups). Add in the onion and the carrots, as well as 3 or 4 sprigs of fresh rosemary and about 3 sprigs of fresh thyme.

Put the lid on, then roast in a 275F oven for 3 hours (for a 3-pound roast). For a 4 to 5-pound roast, plan on 4 hours.

Enjoy!

Chicken Tortilla Soup

There are a variety of recipes for Chicken Tortilla Soup that I have tried.  This one has become our family’s favorite.  I serve it with tortilla chips, avocados and shredded monterrey cheese. 

Chicken Tortilla Soup

recipe by Pioneer Woman (slightly modified)

Ingredients

• 2 whole Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
• 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
• 1-1/2 teaspoon Cumin
• 1 teaspoon Chili Powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
• 1 cup Diced Onion
• 1/2 cup Diced Green Bell Pepper
• 3 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 1 can (10 Oz. Can) Rotel Tomatoes And Green Chilies
• 32 ounces, fluid Low Sodium Chicken Stock
• 3 Tablespoons Tomato Paste
• 4 cups Hot Water
• 1 can (15 Oz. Can) Black Beans, Drained
• FOR THE GARNISHES:
• Sour Cream
• Diced Avocado
• Salsa Or Pico De Gallo
• Grated Monterey Jack Cheese

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix cumin, chili pepper, garlic powder, and salt. Drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil on chicken breasts, then sprinkle a small amount of spice mix on both sides. Set aside the rest of the spice mix.

Place chicken breasts on a baking sheet. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until chicken is done. Use two forks to shred chicken. Set aside.

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a pot over medium high heat. Add onions, green pepper, and minced garlic. Stir and begin cooking, then add the rest of the spice mix. Stir to combine, then add shredded chicken and stir.

Pour in Rotel, chicken stock, tomato paste, water, and black beans. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer for 45 minutes, uncovered.

Check seasonings, adding more if needed---add more chili powder if it needs more spice, and be sure not to undersalt. Turn off heat and allow to sit for 15 to 20 minutes before serving. 

Ladle into bowls, then top with sour cream, diced avocado, pico de gallo, and grated cheese, if you have it! (The garnishes really make the soup delicious.)

Enjoy!

Taco Soup

I have been making this recipe for years.  A quick and simple soup that the family enjoys.  I usually top it with grated cheddar cheese and a dollop of sour cream.  Serve with tortilla chips.

Taco Soup

Ingredients

Makes 6 servings

• 1 pound ground beef

• 1 (1.25 ounce) package taco seasoning mix

• 1 1/2 cups water

• 1 (15 ounce) can mild chili beans

• 1 (15.25 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained

• 1 (15 ounce) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained

• 1 (14.5 ounce) can stewed tomatoes

• 1 (10 ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chile peppers

• 1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chilies

• 1 (1 ounce) package ranch salad dressing mix

Directions

1. In a Dutch oven or large kettle, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Add taco seasoning and mix well. Stir in remaining ingredients. Simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes or until heated through, stirring occasionally.

This is a great recipe from Pampered Chef. 

Apple Danish Braid

Ingredients:

• 1 pkg. (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
• 1/3 cup powdered sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup pecans, chopped
• 2 pkgs. refrigerated crescent rolls
• 2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
• 1 TBS. sugar
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 F.
2. In a bowl, combine cream cheese and powdered sugar until well blended. Add egg mixing until smooth.
3. Unroll 1 pkg. of crescent dough; do not separate. Arrange longest sides of dough across width of 12" x 15" rectangle baking stone or cookie sheet. Repeat with remaining pkg. of dough. Roll dough to seal perforations.
4. On longest sides of baking stone, cut dough into strips 1-1/2 inches apart, 3 inches deep using pizza cutter (there will be 6 inches in the center for the filling).
5. Spread half of cream cheese mixture evenly over middle of dough.
6. Peel, core and slice apples. Cut slices crosswise in half; evenly arrange apple slices over cream cheese mixture.
7. Combine sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle over apples.
8. Scoop remaining cream cheese mixture over apples; sprinkle with pecans.
9. To braid, lift strips of dough across mixture to meet in center, twisting each strip one turn. Continue alternating strips to form a braid. Tuck ends under to seal at end of braid.
10. Bake 25-28 minutes or until deep golden brown. Remove from oven. Cut & serve.

Note: I halved this recipe in the picture above.

Click here to print this recipe.

Chicken Pot Pie

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chicken Pot Pie

Ingredients

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves or 1 cooked Rotisserie chicken

Olive oil

Salt & pepper

1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup

1 soup can of cream or milk

2 (15 ounce) cans mixed vegetables, drained

1 box refrigerated 9 inch double crust pie

Directions

 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Lightly oil, salt & pepper chicken.  Bake the chicken breasts for about 30 minutes until done. Dice.  If you using Rotisserie chicken, then debone and dice.

 

Mix together undiluted soup, canned vegetables, and diced chicken. Pour mixture into pie shell, and cover with the second crust. Crimp the edges, and make slits in the top crust.

 

Bake at 375 degrees F for 45 minutes, or until crust is golden brown.

 

Note:

In lieu of canned vegetables, I will sauté diced onion, celery and carrots in a skillet until soft.  Then I add a cup of frozen corn & a cup of frozen peas to the mixed vegetables.

 

Click here to print this recipe!

Apple Cake

I make this cake a few times in the Fall each year.  It is one of Josh’s and my mother’s favorite cakes I bake.  It makes the house smell utterly divine.  I use Paula Deen’s recipe.

Grandgirl’s Apple Cake

Cake:
Butter, for greasing pan
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
1/4 cup orange juice
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3 cups peeled and finely chopped apples
1 cup shredded coconut
1 cup chopped pecans

Sauce:
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Generously grease a bundt cake pan.

In a large bowl, combine the sugar, eggs, oil, orange juice, flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and vanilla extract.  Mix well.

Fold apples, coconut, and pecans into batter. The batter will be thick!  The first time I made this recipe I thought I had done something wrong because the batter was so thick.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until a tester comes out clean, about 1 1/2 hours. 

Shortly before the cake is done, make the sauce. Melt the butter in a large saucepan.  Its a Paula Deen recipe.  There is always a stick of butter.

Stir in the sugar, buttermilk, and baking soda, and bring to a good rolling boil, stirring constantly. Boil for 1 minute. Pour the sauce over the hot cake in the pan as soon as you remove it from the oven. 

Let stand 1 hour, then turn out onto a rack to cool completely.   

Enjoy!

Here is a our Fall corner of the house.  I had the girls pictures professionally taken a few years ago.  I pull them out each year around Halloween and just love looking at them.

Baked Potato Soup

This is so worth the effort. 

Baked Potato Soup

3 slices bacon

3 medium baked potatoes, peeled and cubed

1/3 cup butter

1/3 cup flour

3 1/2 cups milk

2 green onions, chopped

3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 cup sour cream

Salt and pepper

Brown bacon in skillet, drain on a paper towel, and cool.   Here is a tip, cut your bacon in half to keep it from rolling up.

Slice and dice the peeled baked potatoes.  I happen to have left over baked potatoes.  If you do not, then bake in the microwave. 

Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat. 

Whisk in flour until smooth.  Stir often to prevent burning.  Congratulations.  You are making a roux. 

Slowly whisk in the milk.  By the way, I used 1%.  There is no need for a heavy cream or full fat milk in this soup.  The roux will thicken it wonderfully.  Stir constantly until flour mixture is incorporated in the milk.

Stir in the potatoes and green onions.  If you would like a less chunky soup, then mash the potatoes with a potato masher.

Bring to a boil stirring often.  Reduce and simmer for about 10 minutes.  In the meantime, grate cheese and crumble the bacon.   

Stir in sour cream, bacon, and cheese.  Add salt and pepper.  Serve once cheese has melted.

Enjoy!

Beef Stew

Adapted from Paula Deen

2 pounds stew meat

1 cup flour

2 tablespoons oil

2 cups water

1 teaspoon worcesterire sauce

1 clove garlic

2 bay leaves

1 medium onion, sliced

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon paprika

3 large carrots, sliced

2 large potatoes, cubed

2 ribs celery, chopped

1 cup water

Heat oil in skillet over medium heat.  Coat stew meat with flour.  Add meat to hot oil one piece at a time.  Do not crowd the pan.  It takes me two batches to brown the all the meat.

Add water, worcestershire sauce, garlic, bay leaves, onion, salt, sugar, pepper and paprika.  Bring to boil, then reduce heat and simmer covered for 1 1/2 hours. 

Remove bay leaves and garlic clove. 

Add carrots, potatoes and celery.  Raise the heat a little.  Add a cup of water.  Cook covered for 30 to 40 minutes. 

Serve with cornbread and enjoy!

Slow Cooker Chicken and Dumplings

This is a go to favorite for our family during the winter. A quick favorite using the slower cooker.

Ingredients
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
2 tablespoons butter
2 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed cream of chicken soup (Campbells Healthy Request)
1 onion, finely diced
Dumplings (see recipe below)

DirectionsPlace the chicken, butter, soup, and onion in a slow cooker, and fill with enough water to cover.

Cover and cook on High for 4-6 hours. About 30 minutes before serving, place the dumplings in the slow cooker.


Southern Style Chicken and Dumplings
2 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons shortening (if you have bacon grease, use 1 tb bacon grease & 2 tb shortening)
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 - 1 cup milk

In a medium mixing bowl, cut shortening into the flour and salt using a pastry blender or fork.

Stir in 1/4 - 1 cup milk (more if needed) to form a soft dough.  The dough will be very wet and sticky.,

Roll out dough on a floured surface, with a rolling pin, until very thin (aprrox 1/8 inch). OR If you have parchment paper, cut two large sheets of parchment paper.  Lay the first paper down on the counter then lighlty sprinkle with flour.  Place dough on floured paper.  Sprinkle top of dough lightly with flour.  Top dough with second paper.  Roll dough on top of parchment paper until very thin.  Cut into 1 inch wide strips using a pizza cutter.

Cut in 2 inch long pieces from these strips and drop into simmering broth and chicken meat.

Simmer for 20-30 minutes with the lid on and slower cooker on high until done.

Serve immediately.