Pot Roast

We ate a lot of pot roast growing up and I remember it being dry and chewy... I would sip water with it just so I could swallow it down! It was one of my least favorite dinners so I usually gorged myself on the braised celery and carrots... I LOVE braised celery and carrots!
Well, this isn't a dry chewy pot roast! This pot roast is AMAZING! The meat was falling apart it was so tender and juicy! The boys got seconds and couldn't quit talking about it... I chose seconds of meat instead of getting more celery and carrots... and even Justin (the non-beef eater) loved it! We are all stuffed but we're super excited to eat the leftovers tomorrow!!!

Pot Roast Ingredients
3 1/2 pound pot roast (I get arm chuck pot roast)
1/2 cup flour
Sprinkling of Pepper
1/4 cup butter
1 envelope dry onion soup mix
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup white cooking wine (it's next to the vinegar at the grocery store)
Carrots and Celery- Optional

Gravy Ingredients
Pot Roast Drippings
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup milk

Directions
In a large bowl or plate, combine the flour and black pepper to taste. Dredge the rump roast in the flour and cover evenly. Shake off excess. Heat a large pot/dutch oven over medium high heat. Add the butter and then set the floured roast into the hot pan and sear it on one side, about 3 minutes. When that side is nice and brown (the browner the better), flip it over to the other side. When you’ve browned it all over the place, remove the roast to a plate. Oh, and see that brown stuff in the pan? That’s good. That’s real, real good.
Now, with the burner on medium-high, we’re going to deglaze the pan...we’re gonna scrape the heck out of the pan and git all that gooooood stuuuuuuff off the bottom. Pour 1/2 cup of white cooking wine in the pan.
Use your whisk to stir and scrape the bottom of the pan. Now add the onion soup mix and mushroom soup. Stir together Now add the browned meat to the pan and spoon some of the sauce on top of the roast. Cover and bake in the oven at 300 degrees for 3 hours. After 2 hours I add the chopped celery and carrots (so the veggies slow cook themselves in the sauce... it's heaven)! If your roast is bigger than 3 pounds you'll probably need to cook it for another hour. When it's done you move the meat to a cutting board and test it with a fork. See how easily it splits apart? You can literally see the melted connective tissue between the meat. When it easily “falls apart,” it’s definitely ready.
But don’t stop there! Because you’d never want to miss out on all that flavor, we need to take make some gravy from the drippings in the pan! Set the roasting pan over medium-low heat, sprinkle 2 tablespoons of flour in the pan. Whisk the flour into the drippings until the flour is incorporated. Now, whisk in 1 cup of milk while whisking and scraping off the encrusted bits on the bottom of the pan. Now’s a good time to have Abbott's favorite creamy mashed potatoes handy. Which reminds me, I never addressed The Potato Issue at the beginning of this post. I do NOT like to put potatoes into the pot with the meat. While it’s a handy, convenient way to cook the spuds, I think the potatoes turn out kind of dry and grainy. Instead, I think mashed potatoes really make a pot roast special. Spoon some vegetables onto the plate, with the pot roast, mashed potatoes and gravy... Mmm! You won't want to stop eating!

(Jack) Shepherd's Pie

The LOST finale aired on Sunday and we celebrated by having a LOST party, complete with LOST themed foods! Jack Shepherd is the star of LOST so I had to serve Shepherd's Pie! Justin was really hesitant, he'd never had Shepherd's Pie and the idea of hamburger and potatoes disgusted him.... however, I am happy to report that Justin (and the boys) LOVED the Shepherd's Pie! I am so excited because this wasn't very difficult (only took around an hour) and it was so hearty. I am adding this to our go-to list of dinners... you know, the 5 dinners that you seem to cook endlessly until you realize you're in a rut and you finally go looking for a new recipe! ... maybe that's just me ,-)

Ingredients
4 small potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 tablespoon butter
1-2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese (I used 2 cups because we like cheesy potatoes)
Salt and pepper to taste

5 carrots, finely chopped
1/2 an onion, finely chopped
1 pound lean ground beef
2 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
3 tablespoons ketchup
3/4 cup beef broth

Directions
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add potatoes and cook until tender but still firm, about 15 minutes. Drain and mash. Mix in butter and shredded cheese. Season with salt and pepper to taste; set aside.
In a large frying pan add the ground beef, onion, and carrots. You really want your onion and carrots to be finely chopped so they will cook all the way through, I used my slap chop to dice the carrots and onion. Cook meat and veggies over medium-high heat until meat has browned. Stir in flour and cook 1 minute. Add Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, and beef broth. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Spread the ground beef in an even layer on the bottom of a 2 quart casserole dish. Sprinkle with salt and pepper then top with the mashed potato mixture and sprinkle with more salt and pepper. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes, or until golden brown.

So our LOST party was so much fun! This won't make sense to anyone but LOST fans but we served...

Walted Milk Balls (Jack) Shepherd’s Pie We Have To Go Mac (& Cheese) DHARMA-L Apples Daniel Frito-Lays (and salsa) The LOST finale didn't disappoint! I don't think there will ever again be a show like LOST! We would spend the whole week speculating, theorizing, and looking forward to the next LOST episode. We will miss it greatly!

BBQ Ribs

I've never made ribs before today. We live in a city known for it's BBQ so if we want to eat ribs we just drive down the road, there are tons of BBQ joints to pick from! Andrew is a rib eating fool and Abbott has recently started liking ribs too so I thought I would give it a try. It wasn't very difficult and they turned out really good!! The meat pulled right off the bone and the sauce made the ribs sticky and delicious! I marinated them overnight and put them in the oven during breakfast, by lunch time we had more ribs than we could eat! Then we had a Pirates of the Caribbean marathon (they said I needed a break from 17 Again), it was a fantastic Sunday!

Ingredients
4 pounds pork ribs (I used pork back ribs)
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon Lawry's seasoning salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper
2 cups favorite BBQ sauce (I used Sweet Baby Rays)

Directions
You are supposed to peel off the tough membrane that covers the bony side of the ribs, but I couldn't figure it out... so I left it on and all was a-ok (if you're like me and can't figure it out, no worries). Mix together sugar and spices to make the dry rub. Apply the rub and lay the ribs on 2 layers of foil, bony side down. Now squirt a little of the BBQ sauce on top of the ribs (maybe a cup of sauce total). Lay 2 layers of foil on top of ribs and roll and crimp edges tightly, edges facing up and seal. Now put them in the fridge and let them marinade in the rub and sauce for at least 4-6 hours (I marinated them overnight). When their done marinating place the foiled ribs on a baking sheet or baking dish, in case the foil leaks you may want to put a 2nd pan in the rack below your ribs to catch drips (I had a couple drips). Bake at 300 degrees for 3 hours. Take them out of the oven and uncover the top of the ribs. They don't look very appetizing right now. You need to baste on some more BBQ sauce (around a cup of sauce), leave the foil off, and put them back in the oven and set to broil. Broil the sauced ribs for for 5 minutes, the sauce will sizzle and caramelize under the broiler, so it sticks to the ribs!

Taco Pockets and Dip

There are a few foods that scare me to think about making like bread, cinnamon rolls, calzones... ok you caught me; I am terrified of yeast! It just seems so complicated and easy to mess up. So, when looking at the refrigerated cinnamon rolls I saw a long skinny tube called "thin-crust pizza dough". What a great find this was! I've wanted to try making calzones/hot pockets for a long time and this dough works perfectly! The possibilities are endless (and you will see my experiments coming soon) but my first pocket creation had to be Mexican of course, for my pepper bellied boys!

Ingredients
1 pound ground turkey breast
1 packet taco seasoning
1 small block of pepper jack cheese
1/2 cup salsa verde
1 (11-ounce) can refrigerated thin-crust pizza dough
Chips for the dip

Directions
Brown the ground turkey, drain, and add the taco seasoning. Roll the pizza dough out onto your pan with non-stick foil or cooking spray. With a pizza cutter divide the dough into four sections. Spoon the meat onto the dough (about 1/2 a cup) and put a couple cuts of pepper jack cheese on top. Fold the ends of the dough over the meat and cheese. Use a fork to crimp the sides together. When they are all filled, folded, and crimped. Bake at 425 degrees for 12 minutes or until browned. Now while the Taco Pockets are cooking... what to do with the leftover meat in your pan? Add the rest of your cheese and 1/2 a cup of salsa verde. Cook over medium-low heat until everything is melted. Serve this dip with some chips!

Duggar's Tater Tot Casserole

Every now and then I slip into a TLC coma, I don't even know I'm in it until I look at the clock and realize the day is over. Damn you TLC and your all day TV show marathons!! I love Little People Big World, I like Jon and Kate plus 8, and I am bewildered by 18 Kids and Counting... it's about the Duggar family and their 18 kids (she bore everyone of them)! I slip into a trance and can't stop watching the Duggars! I find their meals most fascinating, can you imagine feeding 20 people breakfast, lunch (she home-schools), and dinner?! Their favorite dinner is Tater Tot Casserole, and the recipe is available on their website which has lots of great money saving recipes (I am ashamed I visited their website, I've fallen and I can't get up, lol)! The only thing worse than watching TLC tv shows all day long are the TLC nightmares all night long! I have dreams that I suddenly give birth to sextuplets or that I am in the honeymoon suite of the oldest Duggar child who just got married through an arranged marriage on the show, yikes! The casserole was actually pretty good! I am not usually a casserole fan, but I will make it again!

Ingredients
1 pound ground turkey
1 2-pound bag of tater tots
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can of evaporated milk (I omitted this because I didn't have it)
1 can of cream of chicken soup

Directions
Brown the ground turkey. Drain the meat and add to a medium sized bowl (or leave it in your pan if it's large enough for the added ingredients) stir in the soups and evaporated milk. Pour the mixture into a 9x13 pan. Now line the top of the casserole with tater tots (don't sprinkle the tater tots on, actually line them up in a single layer row fitting as many as you can). Shake on some salt and pepper and bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

White Castle Sliders

I grew up on White Castle sliders, they are the best! Well, our local White Castle closed many years ago so we have been without until I saw this recipe. I was skeptical at first but these were legendary good! Soooo delicious!! But beware they are greasy (just like White Castle) and you do pay the piper in the end (every bathroom in our house had a queue line). However, I still can't wait to make them again! I swiped this recipe from Donna-FFW (Fire Fighter Wife) blog. Donna's risque humor is hilarious! She entertains me while posting yummy recipes, I love her blog!

Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds hamburger
1 onion, chopped
1 package Lipton onion soup mix
1 tablespoon peanut butter
1/2 cup milk
Sara Lee Classic Dinner Rolls (they're in the bread isle at my supermarket), sliced in half
Optional- Cheese slices

Directions
In a large bowl mix (with your hands or a spoon) the hamburger, Lipton onion soup mix, peanut butter, and milk. Spread the meat mixture on a cookie sheet with a lip. Abbott was my helper, he loved spreading the meat out on the pan!

Use a cup or rolling pin to roll over the meat to smooth it out.

Put it in a 350 degree oven for about 10 minutes. The meat will skrink... Take it out of the oven and put the diced onions all around the edges to flavor the meat. Place back in the oven for about 10 minutes. The onions added more onion flavor than Justin and the boys would have liked so next time I am only putting onions around 1/2 the meat (for my non-onion eaters). Take it out of the oven. If you want onions on your sliders then spoon them onto the meat from the sides. Add your cheese slices... And add the tops of your rolls (the bottom part of the rolls will just sit on the counter). Put it back in the oven for... you guessed it, another 10 minutes! Take it out of the oven, they're done! Slice the meat with a pizza cutter and pick up the slider/top bun with a spatula and set it on the bottom bun.

Easy Chili

Their predicting a couple inches of snow today so we needed some chili! Have you ever looked at chili recipes before? Good grief, I couldn't find one that was less that 10 ingredients. It's crazy! So I made this basic chili recipe, it isn't spicy man chili but we liked it. It was wonderful with our sweet cornbread! I am bummed that it's snowing over the weekend, I am a teacher so I wish I could have gotten a snow day out of it!

Ingredients
2 pounds ground beef
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons Lawry's seasoning salt
4 (14.5 ounce) cans stewed tomatoes
1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans with liquid

Directions
Combine the ground beef, onion, and garlic in large stockpot. Cook and stir over medium heat until beef is brown and drain. Stir in chili powder, seasoning salt, tomatoes, and tomato sauce; break up tomatoes while stirring. Heat to boiling, reduce heat to simmer medium-low, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour. Stir in beans and simmer for another 20 minutes.

Chad's Steak

I've tried making steak before but it always turns out tough and chewy, I had no idea how to grill it correctly so I invited Chad over to teach us! Chad is my brother-in-law/ builder/ carnivore... if anyone knows how to cook a steak it's Chad! My goodness we weren't disappointed, he made some awesome steaks! I am so glad he taught us how to do it because when we grill we get it really hot and our meat cooks fast but Chad showed us how to cook the steaks slowly so they are tender and juicy... Mmm, they were fantastic! Thanks Chad!!!

Ingredients
KC Strip Steak (Chad said New York Strip or T-Bone would also work)
Lawry's Seasoning Salt
BBQ Spice Rub (Chad used Stubb's)
Jack Daniels wood smoking chips (soaked in water for at least 10 minutes)
Optional- Heinz 57 Steak Sauce

Directions
Shake Lawry's and BBQ seasonings on both sides of the steak. Chad used our Weber charcoal grill, stacking approximately 35 pieces of charcoal on one side. He lets the fire burn for fifteen to twenty minutes, until the coals turn about halfway white; so the grill was hot on one side and cool on the other. Place the meat on the coolest part of the grill (so they can slowly cook).

We were cooking so many steaks Chad couldn't fit them all on the cool side so he kept some on the hot side and rotated them (cool side to hot side) every 5 minutes. Chad never slid the steaks across the grill; he gently picked them up with tongs.

When the steaks were cooked rare, Chad took the grill rack off and sprinkled the wood smoking chips on top of the charcoal. He then replaced the grill rack and let the steaks cook until they were medium-well (which is what we requested). All in all he cooked our steaks for probably 30 minutes total.

Right before he plated the steaks he poured the steak sauce over half of them... the steaks were cooked so perfectly though they really didn't need any sauce!