Slow Cooker Corned Beef & Cabbage

Another great recipe score from Family Fun. This is one of my hubby's favorite meals... and a cinch to prepare. I have never added sugar or vinegar to mine in the past... but I am eager to try this variation. Happy St. Patrick's Day!

The slow cooker is the perfect way to go for this traditional dish, since it must bubble away untended for hours, in any event. Be sure to serve with crusty bread, and Dijon mustard and horseradish on the side.

Ingredients

• 4 cups hot water
• 2 tbsp. cider vinegar
• 2 tbsp. sugar
• 1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper

• 1 large or 2 medium onions, cut into wedges
• 1 3-lb. corned beef round or brisket, packaged with spices
• 8 small white or yellow potatoes, scrubbed and cut into quarters
• 1 head of green cabbage (about 1 1/2 lbs.), cored and cut into 10 wedges

Instructions

1. In a 6-quart electric slow cooker, combine the water, vinegar, sugar, pepper and onions, mixing well. Place the corned beef in the mixture. Scatter the potatoes over the top and along the sides.

2. Cover and cook on the High heat setting 4 hours. Remove the lid and scatter the cabbage wedges over the top. Cover and continue cooking on High 3 to 4 hours longer, or until the beef is tender. To serve, carve the beef into slices and serve with the cabbage and potatoes, with some of the cooking liquid spooned on top of the beef to keep it moist. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Beef Stoganoff

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 boneless beef sirloin steak or beef top round steak, 3/4-inch thick (about 1 pound), cut into thin strips

1 medium onion, chopped (about 1/2 cup)

1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/3 cup sour cream or plain yogurt

4 cups whole wheat or regular egg noodles, cooked and drained

Chopped fresh parsley

• Heat the oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the beef and cook until well browned, stirring often. Remove the beef from the skillet. Pour off any fat.
• Reduce the heat to medium. Add the onion to the skillet and cook until it's tender.
• Stir the soup and paprika in the skillet and heat to a boil. Stir in the sour cream. Return the beef to the skillet and cook until the beef is cooked through. Serve the beef mixture over the noodles. Sprinkle with the parsley.

Chicken Tortilla Bake

1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Tomato Soup

1 cup Chunky Salsa

1/2 cup milk

2 cup cubed cooked chicken

8 corn tortillas (6-inch), cut into 1-inch pieces

1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (about 4 ounces)

• Heat the oven to 400°F. Stir the soup, salsa, milk, chicken, tortillas and half the cheese in a 2-quart shallow baking dish. Cover the baking dish.
• Bake for 30 minutes or until the chicken mixture is hot and bubbling. Top with the remaining cheese. Let stand until the cheese is melted.
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Swanson Broth Cooking - Recipe Detail - Herbed Brown Rice and Chicken

Swanson Broth Cooking - Recipe Detail - Herbed Brown Rice and Chicken:

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon butter
1 3/4 cups Swanson® Chicken Stock
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves, crushed
1 1/2 cups uncooked quick-cooking brown rice
1 cup frozen peas
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese


Directions:


Season the chicken with the garlic powder and black pepper.
Heat the butter in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook for 10 minutes or until it's well browned on both sides. Remove the chicken from the skillet.
Stir the stock and thyme in the skillet and heat to a boil. Stir in the rice. Reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the peas. Return the chicken to the skillet. Cover and cook for 5 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the rice is tender. Sprinkle with the cheese."

Curried Chicken Salad

Curried Chicken Salad:
"Delicious chicken salad with curry powder, for sandwiches, rolls, or luncheon salad. Serve this flavorful salad on buns or bread, or mound it on lettuce leaves for a wonderful luncheon salad.


Ingredients:
2 chicken breast halves, cooked and chopped or shredded
1/4 cup finely chopped celery
4 green onions, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons chopped walnuts
2 tablespoons chopped dried cranberries
1 Granny Smith apple, shredded
5 to 7 tablespoons mayonnaise, or to taste
1 teaspoon curry powder, or to taste
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley, optional
salt and pepper, to taste

Preparation:
In a bowl, combine the chopped chicken, chopped celery, green onion, walnuts, cranberries, and apple. Toss to blend. Stir in the mayonnaise, curry powder, and parsley, if using. Add more mayonnaise, as needed, and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Serves 3 to 4."

Blueberry Muffins.

From Williams-Sonoma. Enough said.

These sweet, buttery muffins are delicately spiced, with a cakelike texture. Fresh blueberries are best, but if you have only frozen berries, stir them into the batter without thawing, or their dark juice will turn the muffins purple.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1 cup milk
• 8 Tbs. (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup blueberries

Directions:

Preheat an oven to 400ºF. Butter 16 standard muffin cups.

In a bowl, stir and toss together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Set aside.

In another bowl, whisk together the milk, butter and eggs until smooth. Add the flour mixture and stir just until blended. Add the blueberries and stir just until evenly incorporated.

Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling each one about three-fourths full. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool for 5 minutes, then remove the muffins from the pan. Makes about 16 standard muffins.

Cheesy Rice Fritters

Scored this recipe from my friend Rachel. One word...... YUM!

Here's what you need:

1 cup arborio rice

3 slices bacon, chopped

1 cup shredded mozzarella

1 cup grated parmesan

1 large egg, lightly beaten

salt & pepper

1/2 seasoned breadcrumbs (i used italian panko)

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (this is a Rachel Ray recipe, after all)

1 10 ounce bag spinach, coarsely chopped

1 pinch crushed red pepper (i used 3 pinches)

Here's what you do:

Bring 2 1/2 cups water and rice to boil. Lower heat and simmer until rice is cooked but still firm and all water has evaporated (about 20 minutes). Transfer to a large bowl and let cool slightly.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook bacon until crisp. Using a slotted spoon, add bacon to the rice, reserving the bacon fat in skillet. Stir in parmesan, mozzarella, and egg into rice mixture; season with salt and pepper.

Divide rice mixture into 12 mounds. Flatten the mounds into 3 inch patties on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle both sides with breadcrumbs.

Add olive oil to skillet and heat over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add patties and cook until crisp (about 5 min). Drain on paper towels. Sauté spinach over high heat for 2 minutes or until wilted. Season with crushed red pepper and top with fritters.

This meal can be made for under 8 bucks! You gotta love that!

French Dip Sandwiches - Crock Pot Style

I found this recipe on another blog.... It is PAINFULLY easy and sure to be a crowd pleaser! Also, try adding a can cream of mushroom soup if you prefer a creamy sauce.

What you need is:

a 2 pound bottom round roast

(The weight of my roast differs each time - it makes no difference)

1 packet of onion soup mix

1 can beef broth

1 loaf of unsliced bread

(I have used French, Italian, sourdough.
Use whatever your store carries)

sliced Swiss cheese

That's it! Screams "Easy!!", right?

Spray the crockpot with nonstick spray.

I do this to help with the cleaning process.

Combine the beef broth and the onion soup mix in a crockpot.

Add the roast and
cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

When ready, remove roast from the juices
and shred the meat.

Slice the bread longways horizontally.
Slice again top to bottom into individual sandwiches.

On each sandwich, put a layer of beef,
then a slice of cheese.

Put the top piece of bread on and
wrap each sandwich in aluminum foil.
Put them onto a sheetpan for easier handling.

Heat the sandwiches for 20 to 25 minutes.

Serve with bowls of warm au jus from the crockpot for dipping.

the secret is in the sauce.

Tonight's dinner was a quick and easy crowd pleaser of grilled cheese burgers with tater tots. Nothing fancy..... just honest to goodness YUM factor.

My only secret to making burgers FANTASTIC.... is my sauce.

I will tell you about it.... but I warn you..... it can be HARD to find. Just when you find it and fall in love.... it is gone again! I found it for the first time at my local wal-mart. Since then, NO luck. Hubby picked some up at Wal-mart in Memphis while there on business. Luckily, I just found a handy tool on their website to find out where to buy it. I fancy the all purpose version. I use it on steak, burgers, and meatballs. I LOVE this stuff. I promise, you will too!

Easy Carnitas

I am always amazed by how many AWESOME recipe sites are floating around the internet. This recipe is from simplyrecipes.com and I plan to make it for my family tonight.

Carnitas Recipe

INGREDIENTS

• 4 pounds boned pork shoulder, cut into large cubes (remove as much fat as possible)
• 1 quart beef broth
• 2 cups chunky salsa either prepared or homemade
• Water
• Salt
• 2 cups fresh tomato salsa (pico de gallo)
• 16-24 corn tortillas

1 In a large, heavy saucepan over medium-high heat, combine pork, broth, and salsa. Add enough water to completely cover the meat. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered for 3 to 4 hours (or longer) until meat pulls apart easily. Add salt to taste if needed.

2 Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Remove meat from liquid in pot (discard the liquid) and spread the meat out in a roasting pan. Break the meat into small chunks. Roast meat for 15 to 20 minutes until brown and crispy.

3 If you are using store-bought tortillas, heat the tortillas one-by-one either in a microwave or on a hot skillet. If you heat them on a skillet you may need to use a little butter or oil to help soften them. When air pockets form in the tortillas they are ready. To heat them in a microwave, place a paper towel on the floor of the microwave. Lay one or two tortillas on the paper towel (whatever will fit so there is only one layer). Microwave on high heat for 10 seconds per tortilla (some brands of tortillas require 20 seconds each). Keep warm tortillas wrapped in a clean cloth towel for serving.

I scored this recipe from my favorite food network show . My family loves it!

Sausage and Roasted Vegetable Penne

Ingredients

• 1 sweet onion, cut into wedges
• 1 medium zucchini, sliced in 1/2 lengthwise
• 1 red bell pepper, cheeks removed
• 1/2 pound button mushrooms, stemmed
• 2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 pint grape tomatoes, washed and dried
• 2 sweet or hot Italian sausages, thinly sliced or casings removed
• 1/4 cup white wine
• 12 ounces whole-grain penne, cooked according to package instructions, 1/2 cup pasta water reserved
• Freshly grated Parmesan, for garnish

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

In a bowl, toss all the vegetables, except the tomatoes, with 1 1/2 tablespoons oil. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Arrange on a baking sheet and roast, until caramelized, about 30 minutes, turning vegetables halfway through the cooking time. In a small bowl, add the tomatoes and the remaining olive oil and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and add to the baking sheet, at the halfway point of cooking, to caramelize.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium heat, add the sausage and saute until cooked through. Turn up the heat and deglaze with white wine. Once the vegetables are cooked, cool slightly, then coarsely chop. Add the vegetables and any pan juices to the sausage in the skillet. Toss in the cooked penne, adding reserved pasta water, if needed, to moisten. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and serve in bowls topped with Parmesan.

Smothered Pork Chops

Smothered Pork Chops

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 3/4 cups Swanson® Beef Stock

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Vegetable cooking spray

6 bone-in pork chops, 1/2-inch thick (about 1 1/2 pounds)

1 medium onion, sliced (about 1 cup)

Stir the cornstarch, stock and black pepper in a small bowl until the mixture is smooth.

Spray a 10-inch skillet with the cooking spray and heat over medium-high heat for 1 minute.

Add the pork and cook until it's well browned on both sides. Remove the pork from the skillet.

Remove the skillet from the heat.

Spray the skillet with the cooking spray and heat over medium heat for 1 minute.

Add the onion and cook until it's tender-crisp.

Stir in the cornstarch mixture.

Cook and stir until the mixture boils and thickens.

Return the pork to the skillet.

Reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook for 5 minutes or until the pork is cooked through.

source campbell's

cheddar potato soup

stay warm with this hearty soup. once again, i can't recall which magazine it came from. it has been in MY recipe book for years now. i offer you two time saving tips for this recipe.

#1- i use a hand blender right in the pot to avoid transfering small batches of soup into the blender.

#2- i have used canned potatoes to save time and it still came out AWESOME!

Enjoy!

Cheddar Potato Soup

1/3 cup onion, chopped

1/3 cup celery, chopped

2 T butter

4 cups potatoes, diced & peeled

3 cups chicken broth

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

2 cups milk

¼ t pepper

Dash paprika

*Sauté onion & celery in butter until tender. Add potatoes and broth; bring to boil. Reduce heat and cover. Simmer 10-15 min or until potatoes are tender. Puree small batches in blender until smooth. Return to pan. Stir in cheese, milk, and paprika. Simmer until cheese is melted. Serve with croutons.

Serves 8

Corn Casserole

This recipe is a holiday favorite in my house. I scored the recipe from my friend Cindy who is a fantastic cook. Super simple.... NOT low fat (but who cares?).... and really YUMMY!

Corn Casserole

1 can creamed corn

1 can regular corn, drained

1 stick butter, melted

1 cup sour cream

2 eggs

1 box jiffy corn muffin mix

2 T sugar

* Mix all ingredients together and bake at 350 for 45 minutes.

meat loaf with bacon

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 large celery stalk, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 jalapeno pepper, chopped with seeds
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup tomato sauce or ketchup
• 1 cup dry bread crumbs
• 2 pounds meat-loaf mix (1 pound lean ground beef, 1/2 pound ground pork, 1/2 pound ground veal or lamb)
• 4 strips thick-sliced bacon

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350° F. In a medium skillet, over medium heat, heat the oil with the onion, celery, garlic, and jalapeño and cook until the vegetables are tender but not browned, about 10 minutes. Add the salt, cumin, and nutmeg. Remove from heat. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, then blend in the milk, tomato sauce, and bread crumbs. Add the meat and cooked vegetables and stir or work with your hands to combine. Pat into a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan. Cut the bacon strips in half and lay over the loaf, tucking the ends in.
2. Bake 1 hour and 15 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the meat loaf registers 150° F. Remove from oven and pour off the fat. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Italian Chicken and Vegetable Soup

We are still freezing our butts off here in sunny Florida. We have had record lows for days now and the frigid climate seems to plan to stay for the weekend. Bring on the soup! I scored this recipe on Food Network. It's from Paula Deen, so it must be DEE-lish! I LOVE you Paula!

I plan to chef up this soup tomorrow. Tonight is sushi night with our friends. No, I do not cook every night of the week.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces (about 1 3/4 pounds)
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 cup sliced carrots (about 3 small)
• 2 1/2 cups sliced zucchini (about 2 medium)
• 2 (14.5-ounce) cans diced tomatoes with basil, garlic, and oregano
• 2 (14.5-ounce) cans chicken broth
• Grated Parmesan, optional

Directions

In a large Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken, and cook for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Add onion and carrot, and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in zucchini, diced tomatoes, and chicken broth. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Top each serving with grated Parmesan, if desired.

On a sidenote..... this blog needs photos. As some of you know, I AM a photographer, but my dinner table fare is not really my forté. I will try to provide some photos of dishes along the way. I think it helps to "see" what the finished product "should" look like.

Shrimp Jambalaya with Grits

I scored this recipe from Rachael Ray's magazine and it looks SOOOO yummy! I have not made this one yet.... My husband has been traveling all over the country with his job, so I haven't had to cook too much this week. I plan to rock his world with this gem next week! Hope you do the same! Bon Appetit!

Shrimp Jambalaya with Grits

2 T flour

salt & pepper

8 oz frozen okra, thawed & patted dry

6 T butter

¾ cup quick cooking grits

1 onion, chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes

½ t cayenne pepper

½ lb medium shrimp, chopped

* In a medium bowl, season the flour with salt & pepper. Add okra and toss to coat.

* In large skillet, melt 1 T butter over medium-high heat. Add the okra & cook until golden (3-5 min). Transfer the okra to a plate and reserve the skillet.

* In a small saucepan, bring 3 cups wather to boil and stir in grits. Lower heat, cover and simmer until thickened (about 7 min). Stir in 4 T butter; season with salt & pepper.

* In the reserved skillet, melt remaining butter over medium-high heat. Add onion & pepper and cook 10 minutes or until browned. Stir in tomatoes and cayenne. Bring to boil and cook, stirring, until the mixture is slightly reduced (about 5 minutes). Lower heat to medium, add shrimp and simmer until shrimp are pink in color (about 3 min). Stir in okra and serve over grits.

zesty penne with sausage and peppers

Zesty penne with sausage and peppers

3 cups penne pasta, uncooked

1lb Italian sausage

1 each red and green bell pepper, cut into strips

1 jar spaghetti sauce (26 oz)

1 t fennel seed

Dash crushed red pepper

4 oz cream cheese, cubed

¼ cup shredded parmesan

* Cook pasta as directed on pkg. Meanwhile crumble sausage into large skillet and cook over medium heat for 8 minutes or until done. Drain. Add bell peppers, cook and stir 5 min. or until crisp-tender. Stir in next 3 ingredients; cook 5 minutes or until heated through. Add cream cheese and stir frequently until melted. Drain pasta and add to sausage mixture. Mix lightly and top with parmesan.

Source: Philadelphia cream cheese recipe insert from a magazine.

Shrimp Gambino

I scored this recipe from my friend Stephanie who is the "queen" of quick and easy meals. My husband welcomes any and all recipes from her collection. You will find several of her recipes on this blog. Enjoy!

Shrimp Gambino

6 oz spaghetti, cooked

3 cloves garlic, minced

¾ lb prepped shrimp

14 oz can diced tomatoes, drained

2 oz feta cheese

2 T parsley, finely chopped

* Sauté garlic & shrimp. Add tomatoes and toss with pasta. Pour into casserole dish and sprinkle with feta. Bake in 350 degree oven until sauce is bubbly. Garnish with parsley and serve.