Pot Roast

Nothing says Sunday dinner like a delicious pot roast.  I have made roasts several different ways and have found the Pioneer Woman's recipe to be my personal favorite.  Her recipe is now the only recipe that I use when making a roast.

Pot Roast
Source: Pioneer Woman

2 tbsp. olive oil
4-5 pound chuck roast
2 whole onions - cut in 1/2
6-8 whole carrots -cut into 2 inch slices
salt to taste
pepper to taste
4 cups beef broth (sometimes I need more than 4 cups)
3 sprigs fresh thyme
3 springs fresh rosemary

Preheat oven to 275*

Peel and cut two onions in half and cut the carrots into 2 inch slices (I don't peel the carrots I just wash before cutting.)

Generously salt and pepper each side of the roast.  Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat.  Add 2-3 tbsp. of olive oil (or you can do a olive oil/butter combination.) When the oil is hot add in the onions browning them on one side then flipping to the other side.  Remove onion to a plate.  Throw in the carrots and toss them around until slightly browned, about 1-2 minutes. Remove carrots and put on plate with onions.  (may need to add a bit more olive oil at this point)  Put the meat into the Dutch oven and sear it for a minute on each side until brown all over.  Remove the roast to a plate.  With the burner on high, pour in 1 cup beef broth to deglaze the pan. (scrape the bottom with a whisk).  When finished with that, add the roast back into the pan and add enough beef broth to cover the meat halfway.  Add in the onion, carrots, thyme, and rosemary.  Cover with lid and roast in a 275* oven for 3 hours (for a 3 pound roast) or 4 hours for a 4-5 pound roast.


**My Dutch oven isn't large enough to add potatoes to a roast which is what my Mom always did.  So I just serve my roast with mashed potatoes.

Creamy Hash Brown Casserole

Here is another Paula Deen recipe that I discovered while in Minnesota.  It's a really good recipe that I've made several times. It's good for breakfast but I usually make this at Easter and serve with Ham.  Or it makes a good side to my pulled pork recipe. 

Creamy Hash Brown Casserole
Source: Paula Deen TV Show

1/4 cup butter
1 onion, chopped
1 (16 oz) container sour cream
1 (10.5 oz) can cream of celery soup
1 (8 oz) package shredded Cheddar and Monterey Jack Cheese blend
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 (30 oz) package frozen shredded hash brown potatoes, thawed
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
2 cups crushed potato chips

Preheat oven to 350*  Lightly butter a casserole dish.

In a small skillet, melt 1/4 cup butter over medium heat.  Add onion and cook 3-4 minutes or until soft. Pour mixture into a large bowl.  Add the sour cream, soup, cheese, garlic powder, hash browns, and salt and pepper.  Combine until well blended.  Pour mixture into prepared baking dish.  Top evenly with crushed potato chops and bake for 45 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

Sweet Sausages

A few years ago Dan had to go to Mayo for some tests and I was able to go with him.  I was watching the Food Network in the hotel and saw the Paula Deen show.  She was making the most awesome recipes and I was looking them up as fast as I could before I forgot the recipe name.  When I got home I had Jennifer over and we tried this recipe.  It is ridiculously  easy and ridiculously good!

Sweet Sausages
Source: Paula Deen TV show

1 (16 oz) package smoked sausage
1 1/2 cups maple syrup

Cut sausage into 1 inch rounds.  Place in large skillet over medium heat and add the syrup.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low an simmer for 20 minutes.  Serve piping hot.

CROCK POT TIP:  You can also cook this in a crock-pot on low for 2 hours.

Stuffed French Toast Strata

This recipe comes from my best friend from school Jennifer.  It's a dreamy breakfast recipe, that you can make the night before then pop in the oven the next morning.

Stuffed French Toast Strata
Source: Jennifer Hoofnagle

1 lb French bread
8 oz cream cheese, cubed
8 eggs
2 1/2 cups of milk, cream, or half & half (she uses half & half)
6 tbsp. butter, melted
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 tsp cinnamon

Cut French bread loaf into cubes (about 12 cups).  Grease a 9x13 pan.  Place half of cubed bread in pan. Top with cream cheese cubes and then remaining bread crumbs.

With a mixer mix together the eggs, half & half, melted butter, maple syrup, and cinnamon until combined.  Pour the egg mixture over the bread.  Using a spatula press down to moisten.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 2-24 hours.  Bake at 325* for 40-45 minutes or until center appears to be set and eggs are golden. Let stand for 10 minutes.  Makes 6-8 servings

Tacos - Barry Style

This summer we've started a new thing.  My best-est friend Jennifer and her husband bought a hot tub.  So every Saturday night (well maybe not every Saturday night but almost every one!) we go over for dinner, visiting, and a dip in the hot tub.  Sometimes Barry fires up the fire pit and we roast marshmallows. It's always a great time.  The kids love playing together and it's a relaxing evening for Dan & I.

This past Saturday night, I made an apple pie to take over and Barry made tacos.  His version of tacos are OUT.OF.THIS.WORLD.  Seriously! They are phenomenal.

Taco's Barry Style
Source: Barry Hoofnagle

Butter Crisco
Mission brand flour tortillas (super soft burrito size)

1 pound Hamburger -I brown my hamburger with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. When it's cooked through then add in 4 oz can of tomato sauce and 1 package of Williams taco seasoning. Cook on low for a few minutes to heat up the sauce.

Toppings of your choice, we like:
Sour Cream
Mexican Blend Shredded Cheese
Lettuce
Tomatoes, diced
Onion, diced
Black Olives, sliced
Salsa
Ketchup (I like this and I know it's a redneck thing, I'm okay with embracing my roots.)

So what I did was I assembled all the toppings.  Then I browned my hamburger, once I added in the tomato sauce and seasoning packet I put it on low to simmer and started on my tortillas.  (which is what makes this recipe so special.)

In a large skillet put a dollop of Crisco and heat.  When hot put in 1 flour tortilla.  Cook until brown (but still soft) --- be careful this doesn't take long, then flip and do the same on the other side.  Put on a plate covered with a paper towel.  Then cover with a paper towel and continue until you've cooked all the tortillas that you will need, adding more Crisco as you go as needed.

Per Barry the secret to making these taste so yummy...is this.  Nothing else will be as good.  After tasting his, who am I to argue?

Parmesan Ranch Chicken

Last week we went to see Elaine for hair cuts and she shared three recipes with me.  I tried one today for lunch since I'm home with Katie. She's sick with strep throat.  The chicken was really good!

Parmesan Ranch Chicken
Source: Elaine Anderson

1 cup crushed corn flakes
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 envelope Hidden Valley Ranch salad dressing mix
8 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1 stick butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350*.  Spray a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray. 

In a bowl, melt the stick of butter in the microwave.  Meanwhile, mix the corn flake crumbs, cheese, and dressing mix in a large bowl.

Dip the chicken in the melted butter, then in the crumb mixture.  Place in 9x13 pan.  Bake for approximately 45 minutes. (Mine took longer because the chicken pieces were pretty big.)  Cook until chicken registers at least 165 degrees with a meat thermometer.

Baked Beans - Lois' recipe

My mother-in-law Lois shared this recipe with me for the cookbook. 

Baked Beans
Source: Lois Dotson

3 cans pork and beans
1/2 onion, chopoped
8 oz. can tomato sauce
6 slices of fried bacon and the grease
1/2 cup to 3/4 cup brown sugar

Bake 400* for 30 minutes.  Then turn down to 300* for 90 minutes, uncovered.

Egg Casserole

My office has monthly staff meetings and we take turns bringing food.  Since our meeting is early we usually have breakfast type foods.  Sarah makes this delicious egg casserole.  It's sooooo good.

Egg Casserole
Source: Sarah Riggins

10 eggs
1/2 cup flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
16 oz. cottage cheese
1 lb. Monterey Jack Cheese (shredded)
1/2 cup melted butter
2 (4 oz) cans diced green chilies (drained)

Blend eggs and then add in rest of ingredients.  Blend. Mix in chilies. Pour into well greased pan. Bake at 350* for 35 minutes.

Applesauce Muffins

This school year I've been trying to find some new ideas for Katie's lunch.  I found this recipe and made it.  Katie liked them and I did too...but I thought they needed a few changes.  Below is my version of the muffins.

Applesauce Muffins

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
3/4 cup applesauce
1 3/4 cup flour
1 tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. apple pie spice

Topping:
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 tsp. cinnamon

Cream butter and sugar.  Beat in eggs one at a time until fluffy.  Add applesauce and mix.  Stir in dry ingredients and vanilla.  Place in muffin tins and bake at 350* until golden brown.  While the muffins are still hot dip in melted butter and then in cinnamon sugar mixture.

Cherry Limeade

This summer I purchased a large glass beverage dispenser to use at family gatherings and parties.  Actually my stand holds 2 dispensers so I like to put iced tea with lime wedges in one and in the other I make cherry limeade.

Cherry Limeade
Source: Pioneer Woman blog

2 liter bottle lemon-lime soda
1 cup fresh squeezed lime juice
1 cup sugar
1 10 ounce jar of maraschino cherries with juice
thin lime slices

Chill all ingredients before mixing.

When cold, combine the lemon-lime soda, lime juice, sugar, cherries with their juice and lime slices in a large pitcher and stir.  Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Serve with ladle, getting cherries and limes in each serving.

Potato Salad

This is my favorite potato salad recipe - but some people think it's too plain.  But I don't like mustard, relish, or celery.  So if you do like those things just add some in.


Potato Salad

5 pounds red potatoes, peeled
6 hard cooked eggs, chopped
1 diced onion
1 cup mayo
1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
salt
pepper

Cook potatoes in boiling water until tender. Drain and cool.  Cut into 1 inch cubes.  Stir together potato, onion and eggs. 

Stir together mayo and next 3 ingredients; gently stir into potato mixture.  Taste and add more salt/pepper as needed.  Serve immediately or cover and chill if desired.

Root Beer Baked Beans

I found this recipe in a magazine and tried them at Easter when my family came over for lunch.  Everyone really liked them, especially my brother Donnie.

Root Beer Baked Beans
6 slices bacon
1 onion, diced
4 cans pork & beans
1 cup root beer (not diet)
1/2 cup Sweet Baby Ray's Original BBQ sauce
1/4 cup molasses
1 tsp. dry mustard
3-4 dashes hot sauce

Cook bacon in skillet over medium heat until crisp.  Remove and drain on paper towers.  Reserve 4 tbsp. drippings in the skillet.  Crumble bacon.

Sauté diced onion in the hot bacon drippings over high heat 5 minutes or until tender. 

Mix all ingredients then place in a large baking dish and cook uncovered at 400* for 55 minutes or until sauce is thickened.

Apple Pie - best ever

Earlier this year I watched the movie, Labor Day and loved it so much that I read the book over our North Carolina vacation. If you've seen the movie then you remember the romantic pie making scene.  It inspired me to make pie...I checked out the author's webpage to find her recipe for the famous peach pie made in the movie.  I found it and it's already been posted to my blog and I made it many times this summer.  You can go to her website if you would like, she has a link to watch her make an applie pie.   http://www.joycemaynard.com/Joyce_Maynard/ABOUT.html

Apple Pie
Source: Joyce Maynard

• 3 pounds (7-8 large) apples (I like braeburn apples)
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup Crisco vegetable shortening
• 1 1/2 sticks chilled butter -- cut into pieces
• 1/3 to 1/2 cup ice water
• 2 tablespoons Minute tapioca
• 1 tablespoon milk or cream
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon-sugar

Directions

 In a large bowl, combine the apples, sugar, lemon juice, and cinnamon. Let stand, stirring occasionally.

Preheat the oven to 400°. In a large bowl, mix the flour and salt. Using a pastry blender, work in the shortening and butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the ice water over the flour mixture, stirring gently with a fork. Continue adding the water just until the dough holds together. Shape the dough into a ball and divide it into two discs, one slightly larger than the other.

Place the smaller disc on a sheet of waxed paper, and use a lightly floured rolling pin to roll the dough into a 12-inch circle. If the dough sticks to the rolling pin, dust it lightly with more flour. Lay a 9- to 10-inch pie pan facedown on top of the circle; flip the pan over and remove the paper. For the crust, on a sheet of waxed paper, roll out the other disc to form a 14-inch circle. (An alternative method is to roll out each disc between two sheets of waxed paper.) Do not roll the dough more than necessary.

Sprinkle the tapioca on the bottom crust. Add the filling, mounding it in the center, and dot with 1 tablespoon butter. Lift the waxed paper with the remaining crust and flip it over the filling. Peel back waxed paper. Trim the edges of the crusts and pinch together the top and bottom crusts. Optional: Roll out the trimmings and cut into decorative shapes. Brush the pie with the milk, and arrange the shapes on the crust. Sprinkle with sugar. Poke fork holes or cut vents in the top crust. Bake 40 to 45 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve warm.